USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > History of the town of Rockingham, Vermont, including the villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1753-1907, with family genealogies > Part 20
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The alarm of the threatened invasion by Burgoyne, and his intention to march across to the Connecticut valley sweep- ing everything before him had reached Rockingham by horse-back riders the middle of June and hurried meetings were held. Arrangements were made for raising a company here to assist in defending the New England colonies. The above company was quickly raised, and under command of Captain Joseph Wood started out upon the long and tedious march across the mountains. The exact date of departure cannot be ascertained but it must have been after June 23d, as a portion of the men whose names are recorded as having " marcht" are included in the list of those who took the oath of fidelity to the United States on that day, before William Simonds, the town clerk. It is probable they left within the next few days, and possibly all took the advice of Colonel Warner and left " a few hills of corn unhoed," as it was the time of year when hoeing corn was a duty of the farmers.
1
216
History of Rockingham
The records are silent as to whether this company reached Ticonderoga previous to its evacuation, July 5th, and with the regular United States army took part in the battle of Hubbardton, July 7th, or not. It is, however, safe to assume that they were at each place, and later took part in the battle of Bennington.
Upon the same page of the Rockingham town records, and immediately following the list " of those that had Recd powder that Marcht for Ticonderogue," is the following :
" of Those that Marcht to Manchester Insign Ebenezer fuller, Jonathan Burr, had Rec'd as above.
LEAD
Levi Davis half a pound powder-one pound of LEAD I
Josiah White half a pound Dito
I
Ebenezer fuller-half a pound Dito
I
Ebenezer pulsipher-half a pound Dito
I
Charles Richard junr half a pound Dito
I
abel white half a pound Dito
I
Nathan Arll-half a pound Dito
1
John pulsipher-half a pound Dito
I
Samll Burr half a pound Dito
I
Zadoc Sipo half a pound Dito
Isaac Stoel Junr half a pound Dito
I
Solomon Wright half a pound Dito
I
philip Safford half a pound Dito
I
Joseph Dutton half a pound Dito
I
John Dutton half a pound Dito
I
Silas Dutton half a pound Dito
.
I
fairbanks more Junr one Quarter pound Dito
-
John Wait half a pound Dito
I
Andrew Simonds half pound Dito
2
Gardner Simonds one pound Dito
James How Dito
I
Capt Joseph Wood half pound powder Dito
I
Timo Walker one pound Lead half powder
1
Elisha Walker one pound Lead half
1
John Lovell one pound Lead half pr )
Josiah White one pound Lead half pr )
I
13 one quarter 26
Upon the same page of the town records as the above list is the following, although evidently written some months later :
217
Defeat at Ticonderoga and Hubbardton
" September the first-those of ye 3d Draught Recd the amenition Samll Richardson Lead one pound-powder quarter pound Lenard Read half pound Lead and Quarter pound powder David Campbell half pound Lead one Quarter of powder } 1 James Campbell half pound Lead one Quarter of powder 1b. Josiah Read half pound Lead one Quarter of powder half 2 pounds Thos Dutton half pound Lead-one Quarter of powder pound on 2d"
Following the events in the progress of the campaign detailed above, which resulted in the evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga and the disastrous battle of Hubbardton, the Vermont Council of Safety, July 7, 1777, issued a call to all officers of militia to send all the men to Manchester they could possibly raise. They were there to meet the gathering remnants of Col. Warner's forces that had been ordered to "take to the woods and meet him at Manchester."
This call for assistance, as well as the terrifying reports of the disaster at Ticonderoga and Hubbardton, brought by those returning from there, greatly excited the settlers of all towns upon both sides of the Connecticut river. The British general had made known his purpose to cross the mountains by the old military road to Charlestown, and continue as far south as Brattleboro, in order to separate the colonies and cut off their communications with one another.
Excitement ran high in Rockingham and Walpole, and particularly in Charlestown, where the military headquarters of this vicinity were at the fort known as " No. 4."
Colonel Benjamin Bellows of Walpole, who was with the expedition to Ticonderoga, but who had returned to Walpole on account of the illness of his father, Col. Bellows, senior, wrote to the New Hampshire Committee of Safety under date of July 13, 1777, warning them of the danger threatening all this section of Vermont, and the Connecticut valley, and urging prompt action by troops and arms.
Ira Allen also wrote to the New Hampshire Council .of Safety for assistance in making a stand against the enemy in Vermont and the president of the State Council replied that New Hampshire had already determined to send one-fourth of her militia, under Brig .- Gen. John Stark. Accordingly
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History of Rockingham
on the 19th, Stark received orders to repair to No. 4, to take command.
Without doubt the Rockingham company, whose record is so briefly given, went to Charlestown and there joined the forces of the general and with him "Marcht" across the mountains of Vermont, and with him shared the glories of that ever memorable battle at Bennington on the 16th of August, 1777.
Rowland Robinson's History of Vermont, says,-
"Stark was collecting his men at Charlestown and sending them for- ward to Warner at Manchester as rapidly as they could be supplied with kettles, rum and bullets. There was great lack of all three of these essentials of a campaign, for there was but one pair of bullet moulds in the town, and there were frequent and urgent calls for lead. When the lead was forthcom- ing the one pair of moulds was kept hot and busy. But at last on the 7th of August, Stark was at the mountain-walled hamlet of Manchester with one thousand four hundred New Hampshire men and Green Mountain Boys, ready to follow wherever the brave old ranger should lead."
While in Charlestown, General Stark wrote to the New Hampshire Council as follows :
"There is very little rum in store here. If some could be forwarded it would oblige us much, for there is none of that article in those parts where we are going, that is in Vermont."
Robinson's History states that after Ticonderoga had been evacuated, July 6th of that year, the garrison soldiers, as well as soldiers who had been sent to their relief, made a brave and ineffectual stand under Warner at Hubbardton, and from thence all repaired to Manchester. Thus all those who marched from Rockingham for the relief of Ticonderoga ultimately became Stark's soldiers and fought in the battle of Bennington. It will be correct, in all probability, if we credit those who are given in the list of Rockingham men as having "Marcht for Ticonderoga," with having also taken part in the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington.
The following copy of General Stark's report is interest- ing as showing the amount of military stores then at his com- mand in Charlestown :
" An Account ot the States Stores now in the Custody of the following persons in this Town.
219
Across the Mountains with Gen. Stark.
Colonel Samuel Hunt has now on hand 13 Barrels of Powder, 7 sheets of lead or pieces,-100 Flints.
Commissary Grout has on hand the following articles : 11 Barrels of powder, 9 of which are condemned. About 34 Bushels of Salt.
Mr. White (Jotham White, later Major,) has on hand also 5 Hogsheads of Rum, 5 Barrels of Sugar, 2 Do. Do.
Commissary Grout has dealt out to my Brigade 509 Pounds of Powder, 710 Do Balls and Lead."
Charlestown continued to be a military post and a deposi- tory for supplies for the army to the close of the war, in which a commendable part was taken by a large number of her citizens, as well as those of the surrounding towns.
General Stark, after taking the necessary time at Charles- town to organize his men, and run all the lead clock weights, and other available supply of that exceedingly scarce article, through the " one pair of bullet moulds," was ready, August 6, 1777, to start upon his long and tedious march over the Vermont mountains. In his expedition was the little band of sturdy Rockingham men under Ensign Ebenezer Fuller whose names are given upon a previous page.
Their course lay through Chester, Andover, and Peru, and so across the mountain range by the present pass to Manchester, Vt. The first night overtook them in Peru, and they camped about one hundred rods north of the present village. The town was then called Bromley. There is a letter preserved written by the General while there. It was directed to the commander of the fort at Charlestown and ran thus :
Bromley, August 6, 1777
Col. Hunt-I would request of you to fix them cannon at No. 4 immedi- ately on proper carriages so that they may be ready for your defense in case of danger. I would pray you to forward with all convenient speed all the rum and sugar that is in Mr. White's store belonging to the state. Be sure to employ some careful teamsters to transport them.
I am sir, your hum'l serv't,
JOHN STARK B'd G.
N. B .- Get all the cannon from Walpole brought up to No. 4 and fix them too on carriages.
A granite obelisk has lately been erected in Peru, with a bronze tablet bearing an inscription as follows :
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History of Rockingham
" Encampment of General John Stark,
August 6, 1777.
While on his march with one thousand men from Charlestown, N. H., through the woods to the battlefield at Bennington.
Erected August 7, 1899, by the sons and daughters of Vermont."
The importance to Rockingham of the victory over the British forces at the Battle of Bennington is shown in the outline of the campaign made by Gen. Burgoyne, in his orders issued to Lieut. Col. Baum, August 9th, a portion of which were :
" You are to proceed from Battenkill to Arlington, and to take post there till the detachment of Provincials under the command of Capt. Sherwood shall join you from the southward. You are then to proceed to Manchester, where you will again take post, so as to secure the pass of the mountains on the road from Manchester to Rockingham. From thence (i. e. Manchester), you will detach the Indians and light troops to the northward, towards Otter creek. On their return, and also receiving intelligence that no enemy is in force upon the Connecticut river, you will proceed by the road over the moun- tains to Rockingham, where you will take post. This will be the most diffi- cult part of the expedition, and must be proceeded upon with caution, as you will have the defile of the mountains behind you, which might make a retreat difficult. You must therefore endeavor to be well informed of the force of the enemy's militia in the neighboring country. Should you find it may be effected, you are to remain there, while the Indians and light troops are detached up the river, and you are afterwards to descend the river to Brattle- borough, and from that place by the quickest march, you are to return by the great road to Albany."
Thus, had Gen. Stark been defeated, the town of Rock- ingham would have become the base of the British operations, north and south in the Connecticut valley, and her citizens subject to great indignities and hardships because of their known loyalty to the Liberty party. Another portion of the instructions of Gen. Burgoyne was " to take the towns with such articles as they wanted and to obtain a large supply of cattle and bring all horses fit to mount the dragoons, to the number of thirteen thousand at least."
The Battle of Bennington, which turned the tide of war again in favor of the Liberty men, was fought on the 16th of August, 1777, just over the state line in New York. It was on the morning of that day that Gen. Stark mounted a fence and made his famous speech, "Boys, yonder are your
22I
The Battle of Bennington
enemies, the Red-coats and Tories. We must whip them, or to-night Molly Stark is a widow." Who can measure the power of the influence of his enthusiam and determination ?
Eminent historians have given the details of the firing which was described by Stark himself as the hottest he ever saw and "like a continuous clap of thunder." Men at work in their fields both in Rockingham and Walpole distinctly heard the sound of the cannonading.
Burgoyne's army, weakened by the loss of a thousand men, hampered by the lack of horses and provisions and greatly delayed by defeat, was forced just two months later to surrender. On the plains of Saratoga five thousand seven hundred men, and much valuable war material fell into the hands of Gen. Gates.
The British attempt to cut the colonies in halves had failed. Had it succeeded, the history of our country to-day would be quite diffierent. Citizens of the town of Rocking- ham took a noble part in the conflict which turned the tide of affairs in this section.
The military records of the state show "A pay Roll of the Detachment of a company commanded by Lieut. Charles Rich- ards in Col. William Williams' regiment of militia in the service of the United States-1777." This was composed of Rock- ingham men as follows: Lieut. Charles Richards ; Timo. Clark ; Charles Richards, Jr. ; Elisha Walker; Asa White ; and Daniel Richards ; all of whom entered the service Sep- tember 27, and were discharged October 20, being in the service only twenty-four days, for which "Charles Richards, Lt." receipted to the state treasurer for £10 in payment of above service, September 3, 1778. The particular service rendered by this detachment in the regiment named is des- cribed as " On an expedition to Bennington," but as the battle of Bennington occurred on the 16th of August, over a month before their enlistment, they were evidently not engaged in that conflict. It is probable that they took part in the Sara- toga campaign, and were present at the time of the surrender of Burgoyne, October 17, 1777. The battle of Bennington
222
History of Rockingham
was an incident in that campaign, and troops sent after the battle of Bennington probably kept on farther and joined the army at Saratoga. The date of their discharge, October 20, 1777, seems to corroborate this theory.
During 1778, and while the province of New York still claimed the territory of Vermont, the militia of Cumberland county was divided by the legislature of New York into two regiments known as the "Northern" regiment and the "Southern" regiment. In the Southern regiment was a com- pany of Rockingham men of which the officers appointed October 24, 1778, and receiving their commissions from the Council of Appointment of New York, were Moses Wright, captain : Isaac Reed, Ist lientenant : and Ashur Evans, ensign. The officers of this regiment, appointed by the same authority, August 17, 1778, were Eleazer Patterson, colonel ; John Sergeant, lieutenant colonel : Elkanah Day, major ; Henry Sherburne, adjutant ; and Richard Prouty, quarter- master. With other regiments, they were formed into a brigade under the command of Brigadier General Jacob Bayley, and Brigade Major Simon Stevens. The records of the organization and history of this company are meager, only the names of the officers as above being given and the date of their appointment. The Revolutionary Rolls show that this company served in the " First, or Lower regiment," of which William Williams was earlier the colonel, appointed by the Committee of Safety of Cumberland County, January 4, 1776, and of which Oliver Lovell of Rockingham was the 2d major.
While the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants, now Vermont, were taking their part in the war-like transactions described, they were also moving toward the formation of an independent republic that should be free from all ties of a servile nature. During 1776 and 1777 various conventions of her citizens were held at Dorset, Westminster and Windsor resulting January 15, 1777, in the adoption at Westminster of a formal Declaration of Independence, and on the 2nd day of July of the same year in the completion of the formation of
223
Conventions for Organizing Vermont
an independent republic, named "Vermont," adopting a constitution and outlining a formal government.
In all these conventions, Rockingham took a leading part through her delegates. Dr. Reuben Jones, who was a dele- gate to each one, and represented the town in the first two legislatures, was a statesman and diplomat whose influence was not exceeded by more than three or four others to whom has been given the credit of the formation of our noble state. The records of each convention, and those primative sessions of the legislature, bear abundant testimony to the validity of this claim. He was among the few strong characters to whom Vermont owes her existence. He was ably seconded by Joshua Webb and Moses Wright who at different times represented Rockingham in those formative bodies.
The records of the town during those years bear abundant evidence of the sincerity and strength of the support given to these delegates by the voters when they were elected, as well as the wise and thoroughly loyal instructions given them for their action in various crises, shown in resolutions adopted by the voters.
From the time of the formation of the state of Vermont, July 2, 1777, the records of the military affairs of this town changed from the town records to those of the state. Heretofore in many respects towns had been republics of their own, now they were aggregated into one, the history of which, while an independent republic, or since its admission to the Union in 1791, is a record of which every citizen may be proud.
The Vermont Revolutionary Rolls, p. 198, record the names of the following company of Rockingham men. The spelling of the names in many instances is incorrectly given, but most of them can be readily recognized and identified. Nearly all the names on this roll, as well as on those following, are frequently found upon the town records as being identified with the later history of the town.
" An Abstract of Capt. Jona. Holton's company, Col. Eben'r Woods' Regt. of Militia, service done in the Alarm in Oct. 17, 1780.
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History of Rockingham
Capt Jona. Holten
Elijah Read
Lt. Wm. Stearns
Ebenr Lock (Eben)
En. Timo. Clark
Ebenr Albree (Eben)
Sergt. John Roundy
Saml. Spalding
John Whitney
Phillip Safford
66 John Titus
Uriah Roundy
John Pulsipher
Asa White
Corpl. Danl. Richards
Luther Webb
Drumr. Ch. Richards
Zadoc Sipeo
Colburn Preston
Saml. Burr
Luke Hitchcock, Jr.
John Stowell
Benj. Laribee
John Strond
Gardner Simonds
John Davis
David Camble
Levi Davis
Phineas White"
The time of service of this company was as follows, two men paid for seven days, three for eleven and the remainder for fifteen days. They were credited with having marched sixty miles and the total pay for service and travel of the company, for which Captain Holton receipted to the state treasurer, June 26, 1781, was £64 and 4s.
The particular "Alarm " for which they were called out was the Indian raid at the time of the burning of Royalton, Vt., which occurred October 17, 1780. This raiding party consisted of about three hundred men, all Indians except four white leaders. They came from Canada and attacking Royalton without warning they murdered two men, took twenty-six men and boys prisoners, two of whom they killed the next day near Randolph, and with the remainder returned to Canada. Most of the prisoners were exchanged and returned to their homes the next summer, after suffering severe hardships.
At that time there were two rude forts, one at Barnard, named "Fort Defiance," and one at Bethel, named "Fort Fortitude," for the protection of those frontier towns. It is known there was an important number of Rockingham men among the garrison of Fort Defiance during that month and these are the only men from this town who could have been there. This alarm is the only one occurring about that time ; the number of miles they were paid for marching corresponds
225
Excitement Following the Burning of Royalton
to the distance ; hence it may be stated with positiveness that the service rendered was at Fort Defiance. The exact location of this fort has been made the subject of much research by Dr. Gardner Cox of Holyoke, Mass., who has written an account telling a graphic story of the fort, and the life of the garrison during those winter months. He has in his possession the diary of a man named Carpenter who was one of the garrison of Fort Defiance. It has these entries, beginning in October, 1780 :
" Ye 20 Part of Ye companies from Windsor & Woodstock Malitia joined us for 10 days."
" Ye 29 Militia Dismissed &c."
" Nov. 2 Ye Militia of Rockingham Dismissed."
Captain Benjamin Cox, who commanded the forces at this fort, was an ancestor of the doctor, and the story is an interesting one.
The condition of " alarm " and excitement into which the burning of Royalton threw the citizens of this section is illus- trated by an incident which occurred in the neighboring town of Athens during the latter part of the same month, all Rock- ingham residents expecting every day a similar raid and murderous assault. One day two men at work in a remote part of that town were alarmed by sounds which to them seemed like the whoops and yells of Indians. They quit their work and spread the alarm as fast as possible. The people, affrighted almost out of their senses, hurried away their women and children with all possible dispatch, expect- ing from each tree they passed to be saluted by an Indian tomahawk or scalping knife. Jonathan Perham and family, who were among the very earliest families who settled in Athens, decamped in such haste they left their oven heating and their oxen chained to a tree. The report was spread with the greatest rapidity throughout the neighboring towns, and, gaining in magnitude as it went, the story reached Rockingham and other localities that a descent by the Indians had occurred upon Athens and that the town was destroyed. The whole country round about here was soon in arms to
16
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History of Rockingham
defend themselves from the merciless foe. Some spent the whole night in preparing guns and ammunition, and the apprehension of impending destruction chased sleep from every eye.
Their fear, however, was soon changed to chagrin, for it was found that the hallooing of a hunter, calling to his dogs and friends, aided by the excited imaginations of his hearers, rendered susceptible through fear, had amounted in the course of a few hours to a belief in the entire destruction of a fine settlement and the massacre of its inhabitants. The scare rapidly passed away after it was explained and tran- quility was restored.
On p. 608 of Vermont Revolutionary Rolls, is the follow- ing record of a Rockingham company :
A Pay Roll of Capt. William Simonds' Company. Col. Bradley's Regi- ment raised to assist the Sherrift to go to Guilford.
Capt. William Simonds
Elezer Sterns
John Harwood
Lemuel Sargeant
Jona. Holten
John Lovell
Jehiel Webb
Wm Storms
Isaac Stoel
John Fuller
St William Stearns
St Colven Webb
Gardner Simonds
Abel White
Elisha Gasting
John Hazelton
Ichabod Clossen
John Pulsipher
Corp'l. Nathan Ware Almon Roundye
Dan'l. Richard
This pay roll is dated at Westminster, October 26, 1782. The time of service of some of the men is four days, and the remainder five days. The company is credited with having marched forty miles. The pay was three shillings per day, except Captain Simonds who received six shillings, and they were paid four pence per mile for travel.
The total paid by the state treasurer, Ira Allen, July 14, 1783, to Captain Simonds for the company pay and travel fees was £32 4s.
The original manuscript of the roll was multilated in binding and the name of one soldier, in addition to those given above, was cut away and lost.
Timoy Clark
Abraham Smith
227
The "Guilford War"
During the years from 1778 to 1784 the town of Guilford was in a state of continual turmoil because of the large Tory majority in the town having taken possession of its records and affairs. Resistance to the collection of taxes or the assertion of any authority by the "pretended state of Ver- mont " was continuous. At that time Guilford had the largest number of inhabitants of any town in the state. A small number of the inhabitants were loyal to Vermont, and, as neighboring towns were more loyal than Guilford, continuous friction was experienced. The Rockingham company described above accompanied those of other towns, and, under command of Gen. Ethan Allen, assisted in enforcing the laws, collecting taxes and imprisoning those who rebelled against the Vermont authority.
Again, in January, 1784, as shown by Hall's Eastern Vermont, a company was raised in Rockingham consisting of twenty-two men, who, under command of Capt. John Fuller, again went to Guilford upon the same errand. They rendezvoused with other companies at Brattleboro and marched from there to Guilford in a blinding snow storm. There, met by Gen. Ethan Allen, who had marched across the mountain at the head of a small army, the object of their visit was proceeded with. Gen. Allen issued the following short, but expressive proclamation :
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