USA > Vermont > Orange County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Vermont, from the discovery of the Coos country to present time > Part 9
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BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.
bad substitute for pork, and not infrequently, when a bear had devoured a farmer's swine, the farmer took some satisfaction in eating the bear. Then there was his skin, and the bounty. Some- times a cub was caught, and tamed, but who ever tamed, or wished to tame, a wolf? Bears have been seen in Newbury within a few years, and are not infrequent in the White and Franconia Mountains, but the wolf disappeared long ago. In 1776, a bounty of ten dollars was offered for the head of each wolf killed in town.
In those days everybody went to church. Haverhill people came on foot, crossing by Chamberlin's ferry at the Dow farm, or from the Porter place. Mr. Perry tells us that both men and women came on foot from Bradford, to the meeting-house at the Ox-bow. It was not uncommon for companies of a dozen or more to come, all the way from Ryegate Corner, on foot, carrying children, and when they came to Wells river, the women would take off their shoes and stockings and "trip it through as nimbly as the deer." We must not suppose, however, that it was altogether religious fervor which drew people to church. The natural desire of men and women to see each other, was fully realized, for the meeting-house was the one place in all the region where everybody saw everybody else, and where every bit of local gossip was in circulation. The long nooning was given up to argument and conversation. We may be sure that in the years which preceded the revolution, there was no place where the issues of the hour were more fully discussed, than at the meeting-house on the Sabbath, between services.
But there was an element in this, like every other frontier region, which was turbulent, and hard to keep under control. Offenses against morality were very common, not so much among the pioneers themselves, as in a floating class who are always found on the confines of civilization. Acts of violence were not unknown. In 1772, a tenant of Col. Little's, named Ryan, who lived on Musquash meadow, was ordered off the place by Dr. Porter of Haverhill, who had set up a claim to the land. Ryan refused to comply, and one night his house was broken open by a gang of lawless men acting under Porter's orders, the family was turned out of doors, the dwelling pulled down, and the farming tools thrown into the river. Next day, the Newbury people came to the aid of · the Irishman, put him up a new house and sent a message of defiance to Porter. The appearance of Col. Little himself upon the scene, having opportunely come up to Coös, restored order.
During these, and many later years, Glazier Wheeler was engaged in the making of counterfeit money. He had a blacksmith shop in Newbury, but was associated with others, who had a log hut concealed in the woods in Haverhill, where they carried on operations. They made Spanish dollars of 1760, and crown pieces of 1752, and other coins, using an alloy containing one-half the legal quantity of silver. Later they became more bold, and still
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
further adulterated the metal. Some of these coins were found in circulation as far south as Philadelphia, but several years passed before their real origin was suspected. Those who circulated them took good care not to have too many in one locality But in 1772, a man who was caught passing one of these coins, and had been under some suspicion before, to escape the gallows, implicated Wheeler, and officers were sent both from New York and from Massachusetts to take him, but he evaded capture. A letter from Governor Tryon to Governor Wentworth, brought a sharp reprimand from the latter, to the authorities of Haverhill, intimat- ing that if the local constables could not suppress the unlawful proceeding, some more effectual means would be used. During a a number of years the good name of the region suffered from the operations of this gang. They conducted themselves with so much prudence that no evidence could be obtained to convict them. In 1772, Mr. John Munro was sent from New York to find out about Wheeler, and his whereabouts, and in a letter to Governor Tryon, on November 24th, graphically described Coös, as "a place up back of New Hampshire."
CHAPTER XII.
THE FIRST YEAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
NEWS OF THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON - THE FIRST RECRUITS .- OUR MEAGRE RECORDS .- THE JOHNSON PAPERS .- VETERANS OF THE OLD FRENCH WAR .- THE SITUATION .- SCARCITY OF AMMUNITION .- WHEELOCK'S LETTER TO Gov. TRUMBULL .- GEN. BAYLEY AND THE INDIANS .- HIS ADDRESS TO THE NORTHERN INDIANS .- ITS AUTHORSHIP .- THE ASSOCIATION .- MINUTEMEN .- BAYLEY MADE BRIGADIER GENERAL .- HIS LETTER TO THE RIVER TOWNS .- THE FIRST ALARM .- MILITARY STRENGTH OF THE TOWN .- TORIES .- COL. PORTER .- THE ARMY IN CANADA .- THE REPULSE AT QUEBEC .- REINFORCE- MENTS .- ROADS TO MONTREAL .- JOHNSON'S EXPEDITION TO ST. JOHN .- THE MILITARY ROAD .- MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY .- THE ALARM .- THE SMALLPOX.
M R. PERRY says that the frame of Col. Thomas Johnson's house on the Ox-bow, was raised the day the news of the battle of Lexington reached Newbury, and that on the same evening Nehemiah Lovewell, Peter Johnson, and Silas Chamberlin started for the seat of war. That was probably about the end of April, 1774. Our town records are strangely silent upon the subject of the revolutionary war. No one, who will take the trouble to go through the pages of the first volume of town proceedings, which record the actions of the town, from 1774, to 1783, would suppose that anything particular was going on in the world, least of all, that the town clerk, Col. Jacob Kent, was himself acting no small part in a great revolution. The actors in those scenes seem never to have imagined that they were doing anything remarkable, and have left very little to guide us during that long struggle. Our chief authorities for that period are Gen. Bayley's correspondence, as preserved in the New Hampshire state papers, the Documentary History of New York, the Washington correspondence, and "Governor and Council." There also remain certain letters of Col. Charles Johnston, Gen. Moses Dow, and Col. Ebenezer
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
Webster. The journal of Col. Frye Bayley, in 1776, the fragmentary diary of Col. Jacob Kent, the journal of Col. Thomas Johnson while a captive in Canada, and a few letters of his, give some idea of the times. The historian of Dartmouth College has given us many letters from the treasures of that institution. The state of New Hampshire has published all its revolutionary rolls and other papers. Our state has yet to do a similar work. Many years ago, David Johnson, Esq., with reverent care, copied all the correspondence of his father, and Gen. Bayley, which could be found. There are many unpublished papers in the possession of the New Hampshire Historical Society, which have been of great aid in the preparation of this history. From all these sources, aided by what can be locally obtained, some idea of what the revolutionary war was, here in Coös, has been prepared. These chapters should have been written a century ago. But better now than never.
The settlements at Coos were exceedingly patriotic. Even the Scotch settlers of Ryegate, fresh from Great Britain, were for the American cause, to a man. There were, in all the settlements, many who had seen service in the French and Indian war. It was reported to New York, in 1773, that nearly all the heads of families in Mooretown, now Bradford, had "been out" in that struggle. Of the Newbury men, the following are known to have served in one or more campaigns of that war: Jacob Bayley, Thomas Chamberlain, Richard, Joseph, and Abiel Chamberlin, John Foreman, Jonathan Butterfield, Jacob Kent, Simeon Stevens, John Mills, Robert Johnston, Abner Fowler, Nehemiah Lovewell, John Taplin, and John Taplin, Jr., Jonathan Goodwin, Robert Hunkins, and John Hazeltine. There were probably others. The value of their experience, especially that of Jacob Bayley, Jacob Kent, John Foreman, and Robert Johnston, was very great.
Haverhill was equally fortunate in having men of experience and tried courage. John Hazen was now dead, but Charles Johnston, Timothy Bedell, and others, had military experience, and some knowledge of Canada.
Before the winter of 1774-5 had passed, Councils of Safety and Correspondence had been formed, and the sentiments of every man were known. But the country was in a defenceless state. Although all the able-bodied men know something of military discipline, there were few weapons. On January 30, 1775, the town of Haverhill voted, "to furnish the town with a sufficient stock of powder, flints, and lead as soon as may be." The Coös country lay in the direct pathway from Canada to Massachusetts, and was most likely to suffer from a northern invasion.
In June, Capt. Charles Johnston wrote the provincial congress : "As to position of defense, we are in difficult circumstances; we are in want of both arms and ammunition. There is but very little, or
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THE FIRST YEAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
none worth mentioning-perhaps one pound of powder to twenty men, and not one-half our men have arms. We look upon ourselves as in imminent danger of the enemy, and in no capacity for defense."
One special cause for alarm is given in a letter from President Wheelock, written from Hanover, March 22d, to Governor Trum- bull :- "Your Honor well understands what a feeble and defenseless state these frontier towns are in, how near to the Canadians, and what an easy prey we may be to such a northern army of savages, etc., as we are threatened with. We hear of preparations making for an invasion, and that some of the warriors among the Indians were in high spirits to engage on the one side or the other, in the present controversy; and if they shall not be secured in our interest, they will likely join on the other side."
General Bayley, who had by his humane treatment of the Indians acquired a great influence over them, invited many of their chief men to come to Newbury, where he engaged several of them to act as scouts, and keep watch through the woods toward Canada.
On the 23d of June, 1775, Gen. Bayley prepared an address to the Northern Indians, which is here given in full.
"NEWBURY, Coos, June 23, 1775.
The present war is only between the King and a part of the Lords, and America. The Lords say all Americans shall become slaves, or servants to them shall plow no more than they say; eat nor drink nor war nor hunt but only by their leave; shall not kill deer, moose, beaver, or any other thing, but by their consent. Americans say they will, and that the King, by the Lords advice has sent redcoats to kill us, if we will not be subject to what they say. And we have thirty thousand men, with guns, great and small, to fight in our defense; we only want to live as we have lived, here-to-fore. We do not want to fight if they would let us alone.
You are as much threatened as we are, they want you to kill us and then they will kill you, if you do not serve them. Dreadful wicked men they be; they do not think there is any God that will punish them bye and bye. If you have a mind to join us, I will go with any number you shall bring to our army, and you shall each have a good coat, blanket, etc., and forty shillings per month, let the time be longer or shorter. If you will go to Canada, and gather what intelligence you can, and bring it to me, at any place you shall set, I will meet you myself, and pay you well; further if you are any way afraid of the Regulars, you and all those tribes shall have protection here, as we will fight for you in your own country if wanted ; but if you, or the French or any other Indians fight against us, we know your country and shall be troublesome to you. You know how we could fight, last war. But I know you will be friendly, and you may depend upon us. We will pawn all we have for the most strict observance of any agreement with you. We are all now heathen, and we will be so with you, and we must all meet before God in a little while.
JACOB BAYLEY .* "
When, where, and to whom, this unique address was delivered is unknown. In the possession of the New Hampshire Historical Society, is a paper, drawn up by Col. Timothy Bedell, which is somewhat similar, and on the back of it is a statement that it was
*New York Archives, 4th series, Vol. II., Col. 1070.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
probably delivered at a Council held on the Saint Francis. Perhaps Bayley's address may have been presented at that, or a similar gathering. It probably had some effect, as it is certain that the Indians gave Coös very little anxiety during the war. Its entire authorship is equally uncertain. The sentiments are Bayley's, and the general form of the address, but the style bears no resemblance to that of his letters which are extant. It is probable that his first draft was revised, and received its final polish from some abler hand, perhaps that of Rev. Peter Powers.
On the 15th of June, a letter from the New York Provincial Congress came to Newbury, desiring that a delegate should be sent from Newbury to attend that body, and enclosing articles of association which it was desired that all should sign, in behalf of a Congress of all the colonies. A town-meeting was called, and Jacob Bayley was chosen, "to send to York." No copy of the signatures to the association is to be found, butit is believed to have been signed by nearly all the men in Newbury. Bayley did not, however, attend the Congress, but, on the 29th of June, wrote to that body, giving as his reason for non-attendance, the state of the frontier, and the alarming intelligence from Canada. This letter, which is quite long, says that he could raise two or three hundred men for the defense of the frontier, from the neighboring towns, but that they needed at least two hundred guns, powder and flints. The letter was sent by Col. Harvey of Barnet .*
On the 16th of May, a company of minutemen was formed, of which Thomas Johnson was captain, Simeon Stevens, lieutenant, and Joseph Chamberlin was ensign. This company numbered forty-six men, six of whom were from Barnet. Later, it was reorganized, and numbered fifty-one, of whom nine were named Chamberlin. The records at Montpelier show that the men were in service from six to twenty days, and received two shillings a day. It is not probable that all the men were in service at once, but that they were called upon to stand guard, or go on scout, in turn, as many as were needed. It was eleven years before they were paid.
The common danger that the river towns were in, and the necessity that there be a commanding officer over all the militia, was now apparent. The military experience, ability, and patriotism of Jacob Bayley were well known and fitted him for the command, and it being intimated to him that it was the general desire, he was, later, appointed brigadier general by the New York authorities. The following paper, on the last page of the Proprietor's book, is not dated or signed, but is in his hand- writing, and was probably written about the end of 1775. It
*Am. Archives, 4th series, Vol. II., Col. 1134.
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THE FIRST YEAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
seems to be the first draft of a military order to the companies along the river :
"Whereas it appears that many of the People on this River being Destitute of a Regular Command Desire that I should take the Command as Brigadier Gen'l and whereas it is of Necessity that it should be known who are ready for Action and who will command the several Regiments and Companys, you will therefore call upon each Colo on each side of Connecticut River. as far as the line of Massachusetts Bay for a return of their several Companies, specifying those who command and the number ready to turn out at a minute's warning and to order each Colo to make their Regiments ready for Action. You are not to regard what state or Convention the officers are commissioned from, and that each Company have an Alarm Post appointed and in case of an alarm to wait at the Post for orders, as it is not known where the Enemy will attack. Doubtless the Enemy will make a feint in some place of which I could wish People will be aware. I could wish each man will equip themselves with snow-shoes by the returns to be made to me or Colo Bellows, or Hunt, and whereas it is my opinion that if the Enemy make an attack on us this winter it will be at Otter Creek and Coos, the Reg't below Windsor and west of the River, if an attack is made to march to Rutland, Windsor, and Hartford, to look well to the Passages into the upper part of Windsor and Hartford."
It will be remembered that several months before the actual breaking out of hostilities, there was an alarm of an immediate invasion from Canada in order to put an end, at once, to the disaffection in New England. This was the first of many alarms which vexed the frontier during eight years.
It is probable that there were sixty or seventy men in Newbury, between the ages of sixteen and sixty, able to bear arms. A military company was organized in Bath. A few of the men had guns, the rest carried cornstalks to deceive the Indians.
During the entire war, parties of scouts, numbering from two or three to a score, were constantly patrolling the woods, watching the mountain passes, the river fords, and the islands at the outlet of Lake Champlain. Some journals of these expeditions are still preserved.
Bayley seems to have succeeded in getting some ammunition for the town, as a receipt from Alexander Harvey of Barnet, about the end of November, is for two pounds of flints from the Newbury stock. On the 15th of July, Col. John Taplin wrote to the president of the New York Congress, that "the country seems well united and the people fixed to one another in the cause of liberty." There were, however, a few men in Coös who had little confidence in popular government, and supported the cause of the Crown. The most prominent were, Col. Asa Porter, and Andrew S. Crocker, of Haverhill. The former, from his ability, his education, and his wealth, was particularly dangerous, and his house was believed to be the resort of the leading tories, and emissaries from Canada. A road near North Haverhill, and a piece of woods close by it, are often called the "tory road," and the "tory woods," to this day.
In the first week of September, 1775, several men from Newbury marched from Haverhill with a part of Bedell's regiment
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which was ordered to Canada. It is not known who they all were. Frye Bayley, and John Foreman were among them. The former was an ensign. It is probable that one of the Chamberlins and John Seagel were of the company. These men returned before winter. The invasion of Canada, which resulted so disastrously to the American cause, promised success for some time, and the belief was entertained that the whole of Canada would join with the colonies, and declare independence of Great Britain. But the American forces were repulsed at Quebec, and the advantages which had been gained were soon lost. Four hundred men of Bedell's regiment were disgracefully surrendered at a place called The Cedars. The American army was forced to retreat from Canada, and the condition of the troops was unfortunate. To prevent the total destruction of the army, troops were sent from the southern part of New England to join the forces and cover the retreat. The first men were sent by way of Charlestown, and the military road which was opened across the Green Mountains during the French war.
Washington being desirous to learn if a shorter route to Canada could not be made, Gen. Bayley, then with the army before Boston, informed the commander-in-chief that a much shorter road lay through the Coos country, and that he could find men who could go through the wilderness and mark out a road. Capt. Thomas Johnson was selected as the man to undertake this enterprise." He was to take two or three men, and an Indian guide, and mark a road by blazed trees to St. Johns, and when the first troops reached that place he was to return, and make report of the time, and points of compass. He took with him Frye Bayley, Abial, and Silas Chamberlin, and John McLean. They left Newbury on Tuesday, March 26, 1776, the advance guard following several hours behind. Johnson's journal says that they "lodged that night with the last inhabitant"-probably in Peacham. They marched on snow-shoes, the snow melting, and the rivers breaking up, and they had to wade through the streams which they reached. On Sunday, the party reached Mr. Metcalf's on the Missisquoi, whence Frye Bayley returned to report progress. On Friday they reached St. Johns, about one hundred miles from Newbury. The expenses of the party amounted to twenty pounds, which was paid in 1786, as appears in a certificate at Montpelier. Along the path which had then been marked out, several regiments passed to Canada on show-shoes.
It was found that troops could be sent to Canada by way of
*Johnson's Journal. Johnson to Maj. Stark, 1804. Johnson in Spooner's Vt. Journal in reply to charge of Toryism.
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THE FIRST YEAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
Coös, about ten days quicker than by way of Lake Champlain, and this fact led the Continental authorities to begin a military road from Newbury to St. Johns. James Whitelaw and a party of men were sent in advance to make a location, who were followed by Gen. Bayley, with sixty men and many teams, to cut down trees, build bridges, and lay corduroys across the swamps. The road was partly completed to a point about six miles beyond Peacham, when scouts came in with tidings that Canadian troops were advancing down the path which Johnson had marked out, to capture the party who were building the road, and destroy all the settlements on the river. Bayley and his men made a hasty retreat, and the road was abandoned. Bayley was apprehensive for the safety of Whitelaw and his men, who were some distance in advance of the main body. But the wily Scotchman was not caught napping, and made good his retreat, striking through the woods to the Connecticut river at Barnet. On the 24th of June the committees of safety from Bath, Haverhill and Bradford met at Gen. Bayley's house, to concert measures for their common protection. Messengers were sent to warn all the people up the river. The alarm was great, and fear magnified the small party of Canadians who had actually followed Johnson's trail to the borders of Peacham, into an army. Nearly all the settlers at the Upper Coös came to Haverhill, and some continued their flight to Concord. The few inhabitants of Peacham came to Ryegate, and all Ryegate and Peacham came together to Newbury. Joseph Chamberlin was sent with a scout of ten men to discover the whereabouts of the invading army, but finding no trace of them, returned. The alarm soon died away, and the Ryegate and Peacham people found their homes undisturbed on their return.
In May, Capt. Frye Bayley was sent to the army in Canada, with dispatches from Washington, and remained with it until it reached Crown Point. His journal, still preserved in this town, gives us a vivid picture of the sufferings of the men, and the difficulties which attended the retreat. It will be found later in this volume.
With the return of the army from Canada, and the transfer of the seat of war to the Hudson river the immediate danger of invasion passed away. It was succeeded by an alarm of a still more terrible nature. Some soldiers returning by way of Coös, were taken with the smallpox. A building was erected for their accommodation, which stood in the woods above the first railroad crossing north of the Newbury depot, and some portions of it remained when the railroad was built, in 1848. A daughter of Col. Frye Bayley, who died in 1863, said that several men died there, and were buried in the woods. Their names are unknown.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE REVOLUTION-CONTINUED.
MEETING AT COLLEGE HALL .- TROUBLE WITH THE TORIES .- ROBERT ROGERS AGAIN .- ARREST OF COL. PORTER AND OTHERS .- DUAL SERVICE OF SOLDIERS .- BURGOYNE'S EXPEDITION .- BAYLEY TO THE NEW YORK CONGRESS .- A CALL FROM SCHUYLER FOR MEN .- BURGOYNE'S PROCLAMATION .- FALL OF TICONDEROGA .- RETREAT OF THE AMERICANS .- BENNINGTON .- FORT INDEPENDENCE .- BAYLEY'S CALL FOR MEN .- CAPT. FRYE BAYLEY'S MUSTER ROLL .- THE CAPTURE OF SUPPLIES .- THE SURRENDER OF BURGOYNE. .
O' N the 5th of July, 1776, the Committees of Safety from all the towns in the valley, met at College Hall in Hanover, to devise measures for the protection of the frontier. Gen. Jacob Bayley, of Newbury, Col. Charles Johnston, of Haverhill, and Col. Peter Olcott, of Norwich, were chosen a committee to direct and order the affairs of the Newbury department. Two hundred and fifty men were raised, under the command of Capt. Woodward, of Haverhill, to "scout and guard," with headquarters at Newbury.
The disasters which had befallen the army in Canada, had caused the tories in this part of the country to believe that the cause of liberty was about to fail, and they began to concert plans for the overthrow of the new institutions. A few men who had hitherto been counted upon the American side, now allied themselves with the supporters of the crown. Communications were opened with the Canadian authorities. Some of these messages were intercepted by Bayley's scouts. It was determined by the committees at College Hall to strike a blow at these enemies to the public safety.
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