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 21

Author: Hayes, Lyman Simpson, 1850-
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Bellows Falls, Vt. : The Town
Number of Pages: 1048

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 21

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" I, Ethan Allen, declare that unless the people of Guilford peaceably submit to the authority of Vermont, the town shall be made as desolate as were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, by God."

It may be questioned if the proclamation, as written by Gen. Allen, had the comma before the two last words as it is generally printed. The usual descriptions of the old hero seem to indicate he would not be averse to its being there if it would have made his meaning more emphatic.

The Yorkers, having fired upon Allen and his men, were pursued, and all either taken prisoners or dispersed. Those taken were put under bonds for their good behavior, and were compelled to furnish supplies and quarters for the troops. Under Allen's martial law, the constable and sheriff

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found no difficulty in the collection of taxes. Produce, horses, cattle, sheep and whatever else could be found belonging to the most violent Tories, were taken and sold for the benefit of the state.

Sergeant Benjamin Larrabee of Rockingham was killed on Fourteen Mile Island in Lake Champlain, July 15, 1779, under the following circumstances : As a member of Col. Seth Warner's regiment he left Fort George to gather huckle- berries on that island in company with Maj. Wait Hopkins and a large party. They were surprised by a scouting party of twenty-four Indians and three white men, sent out by Colonel Claus, and Sergt. Larrabee and eight companions were killed. Eight were taken prisoners. The account says, "A Mrs. Scott and one child were wounded and left with another child on the island. The Indians stripped and scalped the men that were killed, but did not offer any violence to the women after the first fire."

By an act passed by the Vermont legislature, October 25, 1780, Rockingham was assessed for the support of troops in the field as follows,-"6150 of flour ;- 2050 of beef ;- 1025 Salt Pork :- 174 bu. Corn ;- & 87 bu. Rye."

The Revolutionary Rolls of New Hampshire show the following Rockingham men as having served in regiments of that state, in addition to the lists given of those who were at the battle of Bunker Hill.

Samuel Larrabee, aged twenty-three, of Rockingham, Vt., was a private in Capt. Isaac Farwell's company in Col. John Stark's regiment. At Walpole he received pay, in February, 1778, £20 Is. 2p. which amount included pay for seven miles travel. (N. H. Rolls p. 592.)

John Loide (Lloyd) of Rockingham, aged thirty-five, was mustered July 15, 1776, into Capt. William Barron's company, and was later paid £9 18s. (N. H. Rolls v. 4, p. 690. )

John Larrabee of Rockingham was one of a party who " Are enlisted during the war" February 14, 1781, in Captain Farwell's company of the Ist N. II. regiment. (N. H. Rolls v. 3, p. 218. )

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An Incident of the Revolution

William Taggart of Rockingham was also of the above company, "enlisted during the war " and on page 934 of the same volume his description is given " age 52; size 5, 10; born in Londonderry, N. H. ; residence, Rockingham, Vt. ; enlisted February 4, 1778, at Charlestown ; for the war."

A study of early events in the history of Rockingham, and the men connected with them, brings to light many facts and connected circumstances of interest. Among them, dur- ing the Revolution, was the peculiar situation upon two sides of an important political controversy of two men, in later years prominently connected with events in Bellows Falls and Rockingham.

Col. Enoch Hale, who built the first toll bridge across the Connecticut here in 1785, and was a leading resident of Rindge and Walpole, was a landowner in the town of Rock- ingham and later lived in town a number of years. He was moderator of the Rockingham town meeting held September I, 1795, and at different times held a number of other local offices. He died in Grafton, Vt., in 1813.

Dr. William Page of Charlestown, N. H., who, with Gen. Lewis R. Morris of Springfield, Vt., was named as an incorporator of the Bellows Falls canal in 1791, moved to Bellows Falls in 1798 and was the projector and overseer of a manufacturing establishment here, as well as the engineer in full charge of the construction of the canal. He was the first postmaster of Bellows Falls, his office being in the office of the canal company, which at that time was located in a small building standing on the brow of the hill overlooking the canal, in the rear of the store now occupied by J. J. Fen- ton & Co. He was grandfather of the late Gov. John B. Page of Rutland, and died in Rutland in 1810.

These two men in 1781 were prominent actors in a con- troversy which for some months threatened to plunge the states of Vermont and New Hampshire into civil war, and, in fact, each state actually ordered out its military fully equipped and ready to march against the other at a moment's notice. Only for a calm, conservative consideration of the

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History of Rockingham

other's side of disputed questions and a strong reluctance to cause bloodshed upon the part of both 'states, the collision would have occurred and the subsequent history of peaceful and mutually happy relations would have been reversed.

Vermont was then an independent commonwealth, with- out ties to other states or nations. New Hampshire was one of the original thirteen states of the Union. Forty-five towns east of the Connecticut river had voted by large majorites to join themselves to the republic of Vermont, and Vermont had accepted them. For some months the majority and minority of these forty-five towns had each had their separate board of officers, and each had by this means a representative in the Vermont and also the New Hampshire legislatures. A county known as Washington county, Vt., had been formed of towns in New Hampshire territory, with Charlestown as its shire town.

Dr. William Page was high sheriff of this county under Vermont authority, and at the same time Col. Enoch Hale was high sheriff of Cheshire county, as this same territory was known in New Hampshire. As both governments had their own separate courts governing one and the same people, no decisions could be enforced by either side, owing to the opposition of the other. The legislature of Vermont had met at Charlestown in October, 1781. A clash of authority was sure to come. Early in November of that year Sheriff Page, under Vermont authority, had arrested two citizens of West- moreland for some offence. The legislature of New Hamp- shire, then sitting at Exeter, passed a special statute empow- ering Colonel Hale to go to Charlestown and release these men "held under the pretended authority of Vermont." Failing to accomplish this he was to call on the militia for assistance.

He went to Charlestown and demanded of Jailer Ely the release of the prisoners. Being refused he made show of attempt at breaking into the jail and was promptly arrested and placed in jail himself. The affair being reported to the governors of both Vermont and New Hampshire, Governor

23I

Dr. William Page and Col. Enoch Hale

Chittenden of Vermont authorized Dr. Page, with two Ver- mont justices of the peace, to go to Exeter and endeavor to arrange some peaceable solution of the difficulty regarding authority over this territory. Upon their arrival at Exeter, they were promptly arrested by direct warrant from the president of the council of New Hampshire and confined there in jail. The governors of each state at once ordered a regiment of militia to be armed and equipped, ready to march at a moment's notice, to maintain the dignity of their respective commonwealths. In this situation, with both sheriffs in jail, and excitement running high among the people on both sides of the Connecticut, the strained conditions remained for some weeks. Governor Chittenden opened a personal correspondence with Gen. Washington, and through the latter's calm and conservative advice, Vermont was induced to give up all claim to territory east of the Connecti- cut, although the individual towns still held to their original wish to remain a part of this state. The west bank of the Connecticut was fixed upon as the dividing line between the states, and it so remains to-day. The sheriffs were released about January 1, 1782, on their own recognizance, and were never brought to trial. A few years later they became prominent and influential citizens and business men of the village of Bellows Falls, and were firm personal friends. Very soon after this, Vermont was admitted as the fourteenth state of the Union, this incident being one strong point in their plea for admission.

During the year 1779, Rockingham, in common with many of the towns in the Connecticut valley, was subject to numerous collisions between its citizens who were loyal to the Liberty party, and the Tory citizens of other towns. In only a few instances did the small minority of Tory influence in this town cause trouble. On the fifth of May of that year, Capt. Lemuel Sargeant of Rockingham, while engaged in enforcing one of the laws of Vermont, was threatened and insulted by Isaac Reed, Enos Lovell, Ashur Evans, and other inhabitants of the town. Being arraigned at Westminster, on

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the twenty-sixth of May, they were charged in the infor- mation of the state's attorney, with a "flagrant violation " of the rules of society, of the laws of the land, and of an act of the state passed in the month of February preceding, entitled. "An act for preventing and punishing riots and rioters." Having been adjudged guilty, Reed was fined £30 6s. 6d. ; Evans £25 6s. 6d .; and Lovell, £20 6s. 6d. To satisfy these mulcts, executions were issued, and the sheriff was directed to sell such a portion of the estates of the delinquents as would meet the demand.

At the elections which were held on the 27th of March, 1781, in this and other towns of the county, a number of prominent officials who had held office under the state of New York, had thus been prominently known as loyal to the king during the early years of the Revolution, were found to have been elected to various county and town offices. They had seen that it was probable the state of Vermont would be victorious in its struggle, and so within the last year or two had come over to the Vermont side of the controversy. When the result was made known, great indignation was felt by those who from the beginning had resisted the tyranny. Among the people of Rockingham a great feeling of dissatis- faction was manifested at the prospect of seeing those who had either remained neutral in the struggle, or had openly opposed the authority of Vermont, placed in positions which were justly due to those who had suffered in the now triumph- ing cause.

This feeling resulted in a strong and notedly characteris- tic protest signed by about fifty Rockingham citizens, now a part of the records of the proceedings of the Governor and Council for that year. The petition was dated on the ninth of April and addressed to Governor Chittenden and to the Council of the state.

It remonstrated against the election to office of the " friends to Ministerial Tirrany and Usurpation," who until within a few days had been the "a Vowed Enemies to all authority save that Derived from the Crown of Great Britton," and the

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Remonstrance to Gov. Chittenden

"known Enemies to this and the United States of America." " If there is proof wanted of this," they continued, "we will bring in their being active in and accessory to the shedding the first Blood that was shed in America to support Brittanic Government, at the Horrid and Never to be for Got Massacre Committed at Westminster Cortt House on the night of the 13th of March, 1775." They further declared that they could perceive no difference "between being halled to Great Britton for Tryal or being Tryed by these Tools amongst our Selves," and asked for a new election, or for the retention of the com- missions of Noah Sabin, Jr., as judge of probate ; of John Bridgman, Luke Knowlton, and Benjamin Burt, as judges of the county court; of Oliver Lovell and Elias Olcott as justices of the peace ; and of Jonathan Hunt, as high sheriff, in order that the petitioners might have an opportunity "to Enter a proper Impeachment and prove that Said persons are Not onely Disquallefied for holding any public Station By their own bad Conduct but Cannott be freemen of the State of Vermont by the Constitution thereof."

The records of the Council show that the petition had respectful consideration and much discussion. It was, how- ever, unavailing. Each of the men named were confirmed and commissioned by the governor, much to the disgust of the protestors. It was evidently a shrewd piece of diplomacy upon the part of Governor Chittenden to unite the interests of the strongest Tory citizens with those of the new and struggling state.

The following list of Revolutionary soldiers, and soldiers of the War of 1812, interred in the different cemeteries of the town, is made principally from a list made in 1887 by a committee of E. H. Stoughton Post, G. A. R., to which a few well authenticated names have been added, making the list as complete as possible :

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History of Rockingham

GRAVES OF SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION ROCKINGHAM VILLAGE BURYING-GROUND

Berry, Jonathan ( Barry )

Morgan, Quartus

Brown, Joel M.

Proctor, Nathan

Burke,

Roundy, John

Butterfield, William

Stearns, Jonathan

Closson, Wilbur

Stearns, William

Davis, John

Smith, J. Col.

Halladay, Richard M.

Taft, - -

Heselton, Urial

SAXTONS RIVER CEMETERY

Adams, Philip

Lake, Daniel

Atcherson, Thomas

Ober, Samuel

Davis, Major Benjamin

Perry, Joseph

Dudley, John

Rice, Hezikiah

Eaton, Maverick

Wooley, Nathan

Gilcrist, Samuel

Wooley, Jonathan

Lake, Henry

IMMANUEL CHURCH YARD, BELLOWS FALLS Church, Capt. Charles Webb, Luther

PARKER HHILL CEMETERY

Safford, Lieut. Philip

CAMBRIDGEPORT CEMETERY

Wyman, Uzziah. He was the first person interred in this cemetery.

GRAVES OF SOLDIERS OF 1812

ROCKINGHAM VILLAGE BURYING-GROUND

Burr, llarley Estabrook, Abraham Smith, John

Eddy, John

SAXTONS RIVER CEMETERY

Nutting, Joseph G. Waite, Gen. Daniel

CAMBRIDGEPORT CEMETERY

Thrasher, Comfort Thrasher, Wyman

Thrasher, James Wyman, Thomas

CHAPTER XVI.

SCHOOLS

Present opinion puts the school system first in importance of all the public institutions, and rightfully so. The earliest settlers of this town considered the school as of lesser importance. The records of town meetings show attention and appropriations for church, mills and "hieways" before any for the establishment of schools.

In the first constitution of the state of Vermont, adopted at Windsor in July, 1777, it was declared that-

" A school or schools shall be established in each town by the legislature for the convenient instruction of youth," and that " one grammar school in each county and one university in this state ought to be established by direction of the general assembly."

The first school law of Vermont was enacted October 22, 1782.

In the warning for the town meeting of December 12, 1774, was an article-

" 4th, to see if the Town is willing to hier a School Master to Teach our Childering three months this Winter and to Chuse a Committee for that purpose and to See if the Town will Raise any Sum of money or Grane for that purpous," and it was " Voted In the Negative."

At a town meeting held March 28, 1792, at the house of Jehial Webb, town clerk at that time, a committee consisting of Moses Marsh, John Fuller, David Sanders, Elias Alcott (Olcott), Daniel Weaver, John Roundy, Jr., Nathan Wright, John Lovell, Philip Davis, Turner Wing and Enos Lovell was appointed to divide the town into school districts. This committee reported at another meeting held at the same place August 27th, of that year. Their report embraced the following territorial limits of the ten school districts into which the town was first divided. The names given in the

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History of Rockingham

boundaries give important information as to place of residence of many of the early settlers at that date. They were :

Southeast district, from Westminster line to John Gilmore's; thence to David Wood's and William Minard's.

Enos Lovell's district, from Cowardise west, to take in Eliphalet Felt, Jonathan Burt and Eli Adams.

Moses Marsh district, from Isaac Stearns to Springfield line ; east to John Cooper's, west to Frederick Reed's.

John Roundy district, east from Frederick Reed's; west to Samuel Emery's, Harwood road, Sam'l Whitney's lot, and thence to Springfield line.

Northwest district, from Chester line to Johnson and Forbes, thence to David Edson's Thomlinson (the original name for the town of Grafton) line.

Daniel Weaver's district, to include John Ellis, the Johnsons, Isaiah Stoddard, the Pulsiphers, Macafees, Berrys, McAlvens and Reeds, and thence to Thomlinson line.

Philip Davis district, from Mr. Miller by Bixby's north to William Stearns, Jr., including Nathaniel Davis, Jr., John Roundy and the Wolfs.

Turner Wing's district, composed of the Morisons, Obers, Barretts and thence to Westminster line.

John Fuller's district took in Elijah Lovell and Capt. Jonathan Fuller. John Lovell's district comprised the remainder of the town.

Later, the town was divided into eighteen school districts, numbered one to eighteen, and in addition a portion of the town lying contiguous to Springfield was made a union dis- trict with No. 15 in that town for the greater convenience of the citizens of both. No. 7 at Cambridgeport was united with a part of Grafton. Still later changes were made reducing the number of districts to fifteen as shown by the map on another page. The territory now covered by the incorporated village of Bellows Falls was first the "South- east district " and later known as "District No. I."

The first movement for organizing district No. I, and establishing a school, dates from March 24, 1800. On that date the following paper which is still in existence was cir- culated and signed :

We the subscribers being desirous to have a School Kept in our neigh- borhood the insuing season do hereby appoint Daniel Farrand and Quartus Morgan a Committee to hire some sutable place to be by them provided for six months from the time same shall begin and we severally engage and promise to pay the Committee our proportion of the expense of hireing &

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H Morris

D. Damon

242

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477

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Letcher

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162

Nº 5

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School Nº 5

E. Adams

105

238

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IM Adams

C.Domon

Roger

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Est of P.Ellis.

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421

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263