USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 49
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502
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
ness, when disputes arose," which caused them to abandon the under- taking. Another attempt was made in 1765, but it was four years after that before any actual settlement was made. Owing to the land diffi- culties a charter was obtained by the grantees of the New Hampshire charter, from the province of New York, June 16, 1772. Following are the names of the grantees : Amos Kimball, Benjamin Whitcomb, Thomas Dutton, Phineas Steward, David Goodridg, Levi Stiles, Benjamin Stew- ard, Samuel Hunt, William Moffitt, William Henderson, John Demary, Peter Page, Ephraim Kimball, Josiah Bayley, Simon Butler, Edward Scott, Timothy Bancroft, Aaron Taylor, James Descomb, Nehemiah Fuller, Abijah Stearns, Nathaniel Hastings, Richard Taylor, Jonathan Wetherbee, Nathaniel Hovey, Jonathan Leavitt, Andrew Spear, John Jennison, David Stearns, Caleb Williard, James Hovey, John Leavitt, Andrew Gardner, John Webster, John Muzzy, Jonathan Williard, Ephraim Whitney, Stephen Boynton, Philip Goodridg, Jacob Gould, Samuel Reed, jr., Daniel Steward, Joseph Webster, Levi Webster, Me- siah Ware, John Perry, Josiah Webster, David Taylor, Caleb Howe, Oliver Williard, Theodore Atkinson, Joseph Newmarch, Henry Hilton, John Muzzy, jr., Thomas Muzzy, Daniel Fowle, Samuel Evans, John Fowle, Jacob Kent, John Noble, Samuel Plummer, Benjamin Heath, James Emerson, William Marshall, Moses Kimball, Jacob Gould, jr.
The First Settlers .- The first actual settlement in Cavendish was made in June, 1769, when Captain John Coffin located and built a dwelling in the northern part of the town. His hospitable residence during the Rev- olution afforded thousands of American soldiers shelter and refreshment while passing from Charlestown, N. H., to the military posts on Lake Champlain. In the northwestern part of the town was another stopping place, known as the Twenty - Mile Encampment. Captain Coffin gained his title during the Revolutionary war, being connected with the militia.
The first settlers of Cavendish were mostly from Massachusetts, and in 1771 Noadiah Russell and Thomas Gilbert joined Captain Coffin, sharing with him the hardships and privations attendant on frontier life. The grinding of a grist of corn involved a journey of sixty miles in those days.
The first deed, recorded March 21, 1781, was from Jesse Reed, of Lunenburgh, Mass., one of the original patentees, to John Coffin. Ebenezer and John Stone and John Russell settled in the town in 1781.
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TOWN OF CAVENDISH.
The following is a complete list of the freemen residing in the town Sep- tember 3, 1782: Captain John Coffin, John Russell, Lieutenant Abiel Preston, Ebenezer Hardy, Lieutenant Noadiah Russell, John Gilbert, Salmon Dutton, Lieutenant Reuben Gilbert, Thomas Baldwin, Enos Gilbert, Abner Gilbert, Ely Gilbert, Thomas Gilbert, Isaac Baldwin, Cap- tain Leonard Proctor, Abel Roby, Gideon Walker, Joseph Rice, Jonathan Atherton, David Wetherbee, Captain Joshua Parker, Shadrick Dodge, William Spaulding, John Stone, Ephraim Dutton, Jesse Spaulding, Will- iam Spaulding, jr., Josiah Fletcher, Samson Hardy, James Hall, Samuel Chamberlain, Andrew Archabald, Asa Wheeler, Samuel Wyman.
Among those that came later and were prominently identified with town affairs were Isaac and Ebenezer Parker, Samuel White, who came from Massachusetts in 1785 ; Timothy Fullam, John and David Peck, Samuel Adams, from Westford, Mass., in 1787; Timothy Proctor in 1788; Dr. Asaph Fletcher, from Westford, Mass., in 1787; James Smith, from Peterboro, N. H., in 1790.
As seen by the following the town in early years grew rapidly in pop- ulation, but has fallen off in this respect in later years: 1791, 491 ; 1800, 921; 1810, 1,295 ; 1820, 1,551; 1830, 1,498; 1840, 1,427; 1850, 1,576; 1860, 1,509; 1870, 1,823; 1880, 1,276.
Organization of the Town .- It is not known when this town was or- ganized, as the first book of records, according to tradition, was lost. The first recorded warrant for a meeting of which we have any knowl- edge was issued February 28, 1782, signed by John Coffin, selectman. The book of land records contains also the name of John Russell, as town clerk, May 26, 1781. This is further confirmed by the fact that John Coffin represented the town in the Legislature in March, 1778. At a town meeting held at the house of Noadiah Russell, March 13, 1782, Salmon Dutton was chosen moderator and the following were elected to fill the various offices : Josiah Fletcher, town clerk; Salmon Dutton, Captain Ephraim Foster, Josiah Fletcher, selectmen ; Salmon Dutton, treasurer ; Thomas Baldwin, collector; Noadiah Russell, con- stable; Jesse Spaulding, David Wetherbee, Isaac Baldwin, listers ; Cap- tain Ephraim Foster, leather sealer; Joseph Rice, grand juryman ; John Stone, Shadrick Dodge, tithingmen; Ebenezer Hardy, John Stone and Isaac Baldwin, haywards; James Hall, sealer of weights and measures; Reuben Gilbert, pound-keeper ; Jesse Spaulding, Ebenezer
504
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Hardy, Captain John Coffin, highway surveyors; John Stone, deer- keeper; David Wetherbee, Thomas Baldwin, Jesse Spaulding, fence viewers. The following is a list of those that have filled the different town offices, with the years in which they were elected :
Members of the Constitutional Convention .- Asaph Fletcher, 1793 ; Uriel C. Hatch, 1814-22 ; Levi Jackman, 1828-36 ; Salmon F. Dutton, 1843 ; John F. Deane, 1850.
Senators .- Salmon F. Dutton, 1842-43 ; Calvin French, 1848-49 ; George F. Davis, 1856-57 ; Clark H. Chapman, 1864-65 ; John F. Deane, 1878; Henry A. Fletcher, 1886.
Representatives .- John Coffin, March 12, 1778, 1781, 1785-86; John Russell, 1779; Jonathan Atherton, 1784; Asaph Fletcher, 1789-92 and 1820; James Smith, 1793-94, 1797-1805, and 1808; Leonard Proctor, 1795-96; John G. Wheelock, 1806; Randall Lovell, 1807 ; Uriel C. Hatch, 1809-17, 1819, 1821 ; Salmon Dutton, jr., 1818; Jesse Adams, 1822-23 ; Levi Jackman, 1824-25, 1830-32 and 1837 ; Ed- mund Ingals, 1826-27 ; James Smith, jr., 1828-29; Josiah Gibson, 1833-34 ; Samuel Adams, 1835, 1839-40; William Smith, 1836, 1843, 1850-51 ; Joseph White, 1838 ; Zenas F. Hyde, 1841-42 ; Christopher Webber, 1844; Joseph Adams, 1855-46; John F. Deane, 1847-49, 1852-54, 1857-58, 1863-64 ; George L. Balcom, 1855-56 ; G. F. David, 1859-60 ; Ryland Fletcher, 1861-62; Josiah Gilson, 1865-66; Henry A. Fletcher, 1867-68, 1878, 1880-82; Horatio S. Pierce, 1869-70; Charles F. Barrett, 1872; A. S. Burbank, 1874; D. W. Hazelton, 1876 ; Nelson G. Piper, 1884-86; William J. Sperry, 1888.
Selectmen from 1783 to 1889 .- Salmon Dutton, 1783-85; Josiah Fletcher, 1783 ; John Russell, 1783-89; Jesse Spaulding, 1784-85 ; Captain Leonard Proctor, 1784-88; Abel Roby, 1784; Benjamin Lynde, 1786; Isaac Baldwin, 1786; Lieutenant Samuel White, 1787, 1792-95, 1798-1803, and 1805-06; Asa Wheeler, 1787, 1791-93, 1799, 1800, 1803; Abner Jackman, 1788-91 ; Captain John Coffin, 1788; Noadiah Russell, 1789 ; Jeremiah Hildreth, 1790; Captain Aaron Parker, 1790-91 ; Randall Lovell, 1792-97, 1804; James Smith, 1794- 1804; David Searles, 1796, 1807; Leonard Proctor, jr., 1797-98 ; William Spaulding, 1801-03 ; Thaddeus Smith, 11803 ; Salmon Dut- ton, jr., 1804-05 ; Abel Baldwin, 1805-06; Edmund Ingals, 1806-07,
! In 1803 there were five selectmen elected.
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TOWN OF CAVENDISH.
1817; Jesse Adams, 1807-10; Jabez Proctor, 1808-12 ; John Parker, 1808-09 ; Uriel C. Hatch, 1810-16; Levi Jackman, 1811-12, 1830-35, 1838-40; Jonathan Atherton, 1813-15; Amos Wheeler, 1813-14; James Bates, 1815-16 ; Randall Lovell1, 1815 ; Junia Parker, 1816-22; Bliss Russell, 1817-27 ; Joseph White, 1818-27 ; Ezra Putnam, 1823- 27 ; Samuel Adams, 1828-35, 1838-40; Josiah Gilson, 1828-31, 1845-52; Dan Grout, 1828-29; Daniel Wheeler, 1832-35, 1838-40; John Stearns, 1836-37 ; William Smith, 1836-37, 1841 ; Abel Burbank, 1836-37 ; Zenas F. Hyde, 1841-42; Amasa Proctor, 1841 ; Benjamin W. Wheeden, 1842; William Spaulding, 1842-52 ; Otis Robbins, 1843- 56; Isaac Heald, 1843-44; Charles F. Barrett, 1853-60, 1870-71; Salathiel Adams, jr., 1853-55, 1857-58, 1862; L. W. Adams, 1856; G. F. Davis, 1857-61, 1865-67 ; W. L. Morrison, 1859, 1860-61, 1875- 76; A. W. Richardson, 1861-62, 1867-68 ; J. F. Deane, 1862-64 ; Cal- vin French, 1863-64; Joshua Parker, 1863-66; Samuel L. Thompson, 1865 ; Ephraim A. Stevens2, 1866; Norman C. Bigelow, 1867-68; Thomas O. Seaver, 1868-69 ; Asahel Ross, 1869-70; John H. Stearns, 1869-70, 1881-82; Urial Russell, 1871-74, 1877-80, 1888-89; Abra- ham Densmore, 1871-74; Don C. Pollard, 1872-75, 1877-80, 1886- 89 ; H. S. Pierce, 1875, 1877-80 ; C. D. Parker, 1876, 1881-85 ; Pres- cott Adams, 1876, 1885 ; Albin S. Burbank, 1881-84; William Ken- dall, 1883-85 ; George C. Shedd, 1886-87; E. G. White, 1886-88 ; B. W. Mansfield, 1887 ; H. S. Kingsbury, 1889.
Town clerks from 1783 to 1889 .- Josiah Fletcher, 1783 ; Asa Wheeler, 1784-85 ; Jabez Upham, 1786; Abner Jackman, 1787-91 ; Samuel White, 1792-95, 1798-1803, 1805-06; James Smith, 1796; Randall Lovell, 1797, 1804; Edmund Ingals, 1807, 1817 ; Jabez Proctor, 1808- 12; Uriel C. Hatch, 1813-16; Joseph White, 1818-27; Samuel Adams, 1828-35 ; Jefferson Wright, 1838-40; Otis Robbins, 1841-56 ; Gilman Cary, 1857-59; Luke Parkhurst3, 1860-72 ; Richard H. Dut- ton, 1873-80 ; Elliott G. White, 1881-89.
Town treasurers from 1783 to 1889 - Salmon Dutton, 1783-93, 1795-96, 1800-01 ; Asa Wheeler, 1797-99; Junia Parker, 1802-08;
' Resigned, and Jonathan Atherton elected to fill vacancy in 1815.
2 Removed from town and Joseph A. White elected in his place.
3 Died in office May, 1872, and Horace Thompson chosen for remainder of the year.
64
506
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
John Proctor, 1809-18 ; Daniel Mason, 1819-21 ; John Grannis, 1822 ; Levi Jackman, 1823-29; Silas Putnam, 1830-31; Isaac Spaulding, 1832-33; Luke Parkhurst, 1834-39; Otis Robbins, 1840; Joseph A. White, 1841-52, 1855-71; George F. Davis, 1853-54; George S. Hill. 1872-89.
To the town of Cavendish, beyond a doubt, belongs the honor of be- ing the birthplace of the first white child born in Windsor county. The often-repeated tale of Captive Johnson reads like a romance. The story of her birth is this : During the summer of 1754 the Indians made many attacks on the frontier settlers of New Hampshire. On the morning of August 30, 1754, a party of Indians appeared at No. 4 (now Charles- town, N. H.), and made captives. of James Johnson, his wife and three children, and some other persons. Soon after daylight the Indians started with their captives for Canada, by way of Crown Point, and on the evening of the first day camped in the southwest corner of what is now the town of Reading. On the morning of August 3Ist Mrs. John- son, who had been carried half a mile from camp to a spot that was in the present limits of Cavendish, gave birth to a daughter who, from the circumstances attendant on her birth, was named " Captive." The in- fant thus born afterwards became the wife of Colonel George Kimball, of Cavendish. Two stones mark the spot of the Indian encampment, bearing the following inscription :
" This is near the spot that the Indians encamped the night after they took Mr. Johnson and family, Mr. Larabee and Farnsworth, August 30, 1754, and Mrs. Johnson was delivered of her child half a mile up this brook.
" When troubles near the Lord is kind, He hears the captive cry. He can subdue the savage mind, And learn it sympathy.
"On the 31st of August, 1754, Capt. James Johnson, had a daughter born on this spot of ground, being captivated with his whole family by the Indians."
Important Events .- The first birth in the town, according to the rec- ords, was John, son of John and Sarah Gilbert, born July 9, 1781. The first death, John, son of John and Lucretia Russell, May 17, 1785. The first marriage, Michael Coffin to Sarah -, April 14, 1778.
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TOWN OF CAVENDISH.
The second marriage, John Russell and Lucretia Preston, May 10, 1778, in the presence of Captain John Coffin and Thomas Baldwin.
In 1824 there were in the town a meeting-house, an academy, eleven school districts, nine school-houses, eight saw-mills, three grist-mills, four fulling-mills, three carding machines, two woolen factories, one nail factory, three tanneries, two distilleries, one tinware and stove factory, one hat factory, three stores and three taverns.
Early Religious Efforts .- Beginning as early as 1782 the usual dis - tracting efforts to fix the center of the town as a site for a church were made, which continued until 1800-01. Numerous lots were offered, but no satisfactory committee could be secured, and finally in 1801 it was agreed that Jabez Sargeant, of Chester, Squire Stoughton, of Weathers- field, and Squire Bigelow, of Reading, should constitute a committee to locate the center of the town. This was accomplished October 20, 1801.
In the latter part of 1792 the town hired Rev. Abel Wood to preach six months, he to recive twenty shillings a day. A general assessment was levied to pay the salary, and Isaac Parker was appointed collector. The following were exempted from the assessment, for the reason that they were not members of the religious sect to which Mr. Wood be- longed : Salmon Dutton, Thomas Baldwin, John Coffin, Isaac Baldwin, Jonathan Atherton, Eliphalet Kimball, Captain William Chaplin, Abner Preston, and Abel Baldwin.' The momentous question of the church site having been settled, it was voted to build a house 45 x 55 feet and to complete it by June 20, 1802. The building committee were Abel Bald- win, Jonathan Atherton and Samuel White.
It was voted to purchase the chosen site of Jedediah Tuttle, the price to be thirty dollars an acre. It was also voted that each person or de- nomination shall have a right to occupy the house for religious worship in proportion as they stand on each grand list. A tax of four cents on the dollar was voted to build the church. The following, who were of different sentiments from those who voted for the tax, are recorded as dissenting from the action of the town : Salmon Dutton, Amos Pierce, Israel Dwinnell, Salmon Dutton, jr., Clark Aldridge, Samuel Wyman, Joshua Tilden, Asaph Fletcher, jr., James Hall, John Swift, Joseph Page, and William Swift.
A society of Congregationalists was organized in the town at an early day, and continued until about fifty years ago,
508
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
The First Universalist Society of Cavendish .- Among the early set- tlers of Cavendish were a number of members of the Universalist church. The first to preach this doctrine in the town were Michael, a son of Captain John Coffin, and William Farwell. Salmon Dutton, Captain Leonard Proctor, and James Smith were of this faith. From 1803 to 1809 Father Ballou, of Barnard, preached in the town. About this time a society was formed, and the General Conferences of 1812 and 1828 met at Cavendish. The society included the towns of Cavendish, Plym- outh, Ludlow and Reading, and meetings were held once a month until 1827. The Rev. William Skinner preached his first sermon in Caven- dish on Christmas Day, 1825. At this time he was a resident of Lang- don, N. H., but removed to Proctorsville in May, 1828. He resided at the latter place till his death, excepting the years 1834-35, when he was located at Bennington. The present society was organized March II, 1837, Samuel Adams being chosen moderator of the meeting, and Thomas Whitcomb, clerk and treasurer. The original members were William Spaulding, Samuel Adams, Asa Spaulding, 2d, Luke Parkhurst, William Smith, John Stearns, James Bryant, Asa Bond, Thaddeus Smith, Jonathan Chapman, Daniel Kendall, jr., Francis A. Foster, G. P. Spauld- ing, Abel Hill, and Thomas Proctor. The first minister was Rev. Warren Skinner, who continued to preach until March 1, 1845, during which period he took sixty members into the church. For the next two years Rev. G. W. Bailey supplied the church, with William Living- stone and J. Hemphill. In 1844 the present stone chapel was erected. The Rev. W. L. Barber was settled February 13, 1847, and the follow- ing were his successors : Revs. H. H. Baker, 1852 to 1855 ; J. H. Willis, 1856 to 1859; Harrison Closson, 1861 to 1866; Miss R. A. Damon, 1868 to 1869; R. T. Sawyer, 1870 to 1872 ; John G. Gregory, 1872 to 1874; J. T. Powers, 1874 to 1878; Herbert Whitney, 1878 to 1881 ; W. H. Pratt, 1881 to 1882 ; J. S. Geldhill, 1882 to 1884; A. A. Rice and John P. Eastman, 1884 to 1886. Since that date the society has been supplied by the resident ministers at Ludlow, services being held in the afternoons.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church .- This church is located at Proc- torsville, and was organized in 1869 by Rev. Charles O'Reilly, with one hundred members. A church was built in that year at a cost of $2,000. The society is under the charge of the resident priest at Ludlow.
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TOWN OF CAVENDISH.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Cavendish .- A large number of the early settlers were Methodists, and meetings were held in the old church. As early as 1830 the school-house at Proctorsville was used, and in 1840 they built a church in that village. Their present church was built in 1882-83, mainly through the perseverance of the pastor, Rev. A. B. Enright. The cost of the building was $4,300, for which liberal donations were made by Hon. Redfield Proctor, the Crescent Mill Com- pany, and Hon. Ryland Fletcher and son. The following pastors have been in charge of the church since 1836: Revs. John Cummings, A. K. Howard, Caleb Fales, - - Perham, Elijah Robinson, C. W. Kellogg, Hubbard Eastman, E. A. Rice, Dewitt Clinton Huntingdon, Thomas Hardman, J. L. Smith, Alonzo Hitchcock, Kendall Hadley, Theophilus Drew, L. C. Dickinson, G. Johnson, R. W. Harlow, J. S. Little, F. T. Lovett, C. S. Buswell, C. F. Cushman, P. M. Frost, Leonard L. Beeman, Charles H. Kenney, C. H. Walter, jr., George H. Smith, A. B. Enright, John M. Pascoe, C. F. Partridge, H. F. Forrest, and W. H. Wight.
The First Baptist Church .- The town records state that on December 20, 1799, the Rev. Aaron Leland, of Chester, certified that the following persons were members of the Baptist church : Jesse Spaulding, Asaph Fletcher, Robert Davis, Garrabel Gerrald, Obadiah White, Samuel White, Noadiah Russell, Benjamin Lynde, John Russell, Eliphalet Chapman, Stephen Roberts, Frazier Eaton, Levi Manning, John Peck, Reuben Chapman, Perley Fassetts, Joseph Wilkins, Joseph Spaulding and John Spaulding.
A society was organized by Rev. Aaron Leland, in 1803, with forty- six members, and they worshipped in the Union church located in the center of the town. It was not until 1811 that there was a settled min- ister, the first being Rev. Jonathan Gowing, jr., who remained five years. He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Starkweather, and in 1821 the Rev. Ruel Lathrop became the pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. Ariel Kendrick. Down to this time the society embraced Ludlow and Caven- dish, but in 1825 it was divided. The first pastor of the Cavendish so- ciety was Rev. Joseph Freeman, who remained until 1837, excepting the years 1831 and 1836, when the society was without a pastor. In 1834 the society built a brick church where the town hall now stands. The following ministers have been over the society: Enoch T. Winter,
510
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
1837-38 ; Moses Field, 1839; no pastor in 1840; Obed Sperry, 1841; Joseph Freeman, 1842; Daniel F. Richardson, 1843-44; Ariel Kend- rick, 1845-46; Aaron Angier, 1847-49; Joseph Freeman, 1850; R. M. Ely, 1852-55 ; no settled minister in 1856-57 ; S. W. Miles, 1858; no settled minister in 1859; Mylen Merriam, 1860; Sem Pierce from 1861- 62; S. F. Brown, from October, 1863, to November, 1875; no settled minister in 1876; L. B. Hibbard, January, 1877, to January, 1880 ; Foster Henry, January, 1880, to January, 1885; S. F. Brown, January, 1885, to June, 1886; George B. Wheeler, acting pastor since August 1, 1888.
The society was presented by Benjamin F. White, of Boston, in No- vember, 1850, with a church bell.
The brick church was destroyed by fire in 1875 and in 1878 the pres- ent wood building was erected at a cost of $4,500, having a seating ca- pacity of 250. By the will of the Hon. Richard Fletcher, of Boston, the society in 1870 received a parsonage, a pastor's library of two hundred volumes and a fund of $4,000, the interest on $1,000 to be spent an- nually in increasing the library, and the interest on $3,000 to be spent annually either in repairs upon the parsonage or for the support of preaching. The only conditions attached to these bequests are that the society is never to be without a settled minister for two consecutive years, if so the property is to revert back to the heirs of the donor.
Town House .- The early town meetings between 1782 and 1802 were held at the dwelling houses of Noadiah Russell, William Spaulding, James Hall, Samuel Adams, Timothy Proctor and Samuel White. From 1802 to 1804 the center school-house was used and in the latter year they began to hold meetings in the meeting-house which had been erected in the center of the town. Town meetings were held in the latter place until November 12, 1844, on which date a meeting was held in the basement of the Baptist church at Cavendish village. The old meeting-house in the center of the village was sold in 1847 for eighty- one dollars to Abel Hill. Meetings were held in the basement of the Baptist church until it was burned in 1875, and the following year the lot was purchased of that society for five hundred dollars. In the same year James Fitton, Otis Robbins and Urial Russell were appointed a building committee, and the present town hall was erected.
511
TOWN OF CAVENDISH.
Railroad .- The railroad enters this town from Chester through a valley, and takes a northerly course until it reaches the village of Cav- endish. From this point it goes directly west, following very nearly the course of Black River, until it reaches the Ludlow line. There are two railroad stations in the town, Cavendish and Proctorsville.
Schools .- At a town meeting held in 1787 the sum of twelve pounds was appropriated for educational purposes. The following year the town was divided into three school districts and the trustees elected. Lieu- tenant Benjamin Lynde was chosen to have charge of the east district, Lieutenant Samuel White for Black River district, and Captain Aaron Parker for the north district. In 1793 a new district, known as the Twenty Mile district, was created, and in the same year the Black River district was made into two districts. Asaph Fletcher, James Smith and John Wheelock were appointed to re-district the town in 1803. At that time six new districts were made. At present there are eleven districts, the number of pupils being in 1889 about 275.
In the War of the Union .- The first action taken by the town in refer- ence to the late civil war was at a town meeting held April 30, 1861, Governor Ryland Fletcher presiding. It was then voted to raise $2,000 to liquidate all obligations incurred by Captain Tuttle in raising the Cavendish Light Infantry, and to pay the board of the men and furnish support to their families. Another loan of $3,000 was authorized in August, 1862, to pay bounties for nine months' volunteers, and in No- vember of the following year a bounty of $200 was offered for volun- teers, which was subsequently increased to $300, and another loan of $4,000 negotiated. During the latter part of 1863 the bounty was in- creased to $500, to make it possible to fill the town quota, and the selectmen were authorized to raise $10,000 to pay the expense of future calls for volunteers. In January, 1865, another loan of $7,000 was made, and in 1867 $15,000 was borrowed to pay the balance of the war debt. From a compilation made by the Hon. Calvin French we give the following figures: Cavendish furnished to the armies of the Union twenty men in response to the first call for troops for three months' service. In the Second, Eleventh, Fourth, Seventh aud Fifth Vermont Regiments, forty-two men for three years' service. These volunteers
512
HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
received no bounties Forty-two men were furnished under the nine months call. For subsequent calls fifty-three men were furnished for three years, and thirty for one year, making a grand total of 187 volun- teers furnished by the town, whose terms of service would amount to 3521/2 years for one man. Of these 125 volunteers received bounties amounting to $43.550, the others being recruited before it was necessary to offer a bounty. As early as 1867 a movement was inaugurated to erect a soldiers' monument in Cavendish, but it was not successful. In May, 1883, the present secretary of war, Redfield Proctor, presented his native town with a fine white marble monument, suitably inscribed and surmounted with an eagle. The town at this time appropriated $1,000 to grade the lot and pay the expense of the dedication of the monu- ment.
Lawyers of Cavendish .- The first member of the legal profession who practiced in Cavendish, as far as we can learn, was Uriel C. Hatch. He must have located in the town as early as 1805. He was judge of probate of the Windsor district from 1816 to 1822 inclusive. Judge Reuben Washburn resided at Cavendish village from 1817 to 1825, when he re- moved to Ludlow. Horace Fletcher was admitted to the bar in 1821, and practiced his profession fifteen years in Cavendish. He then studied theology, and was ordained pastor of the Baptist church in Townshend, Vt., in 1844, and so continued until his death. During this period Asa Wheeler and Josiah Chandler were residents of the town, and engaged as late as 1836 in legal practice. Samuel F. Dutton was in practice from the time he was admitted to the bar until his death in 1857. He was register of probate for fourteen years, and judge of probate for the Wind- sor district from 1849 until his death. Calvin French and Luther Adams were admitted to the bar in 1837, and became partners and opened a law office in Proctorsville. They dissolved in 1841, Mr. Adams going West, but he finally returned to North Chester, where he continued to practice until his death. Mr. French continued to practice at Proctorsville until 1856, and subsequently was made associate judge. John F. Deane opened a law office in Cavendish village in 1842, and continued to prac- tice until his death. From 1866 to 1876 T. O. Seaver, now judge of probate of Hartford district, was associated with him as a partner. Ru-
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