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 40
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" MILITARY REVIEW
The first regiment of Vermont Militia, commanded by Colonel Butter- field. was reviewed and inspected in Saxtons River village on Friday last The day was unfavorable, and the regiment was dismissed at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. General Field made an excellent address to the officers and soldiers of this regiment. in which he particularly distinguished the Light Infantry and Artillery companies of this town, and the two standing com- panies from Grafton (who appeared in a neat uniform), for their elegance of appearance and general military conduct, and finally passed a high encomium upon the whole regiment, pronouncing it equal, if not superior to any in the division."
September 29, 1826, the Ist regiment, under command of Colonel White, was mustered in Bellows Falls and the Rockingham company was commanded by " Captain Seaver." There were also cavalry and artillery attached to the regi- ment. The light infantry company from Putney under Captain Knights arrived here during the evening of Thurs- day with baggage wagons, camp equipage, etc., and encamped upon the hill near Immanuel church. They had nine tents, and about midnight some practical jokers passed a large rope around all the tents and down the hill toward Rockingham street for the purpose of dragging them down the declivity. The rope was, however, discovered by a guard just as a pair of horses as a propelling power was being attached to the Rockingham street end, and the object of the perpetrators was frustrated. Friday, the usual drill, review, and inspection of the regiment took place, and a
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History of Rockingham
sham fight furnished entertainment and instruction for the afternoon.
September 14 and 15, 1835, the officers of the 20th regiment, under the command of Colonel Clay, "trained " in Bellows Falls. Colonel Ryland Fletcher of Cavendish addressed the officers in a speech said to be-
"Distinguished for perspicuity, a good selection and arrangement of words, and sound sense. * He urged the necessity of the system, not only for our own safety against foreign aggression, but apprehended danger from the vast influx of foreigners, and that spirit of monocracy which is filling the country with violence and bloodshed."
In September, 1841, the light infantry companies of Keene and Westmoreland visited Bellows Falls and paraded our streets. They were handsomely entertained by the local military men.
Early in the '5os Bellows Falls had a "crack " company composed of prominent citizens and known as the "Green Mountain Guards." They were organized under the laws of the state and were among the first troops to have uniforms and equipments. The militia of the state previous to this system had been known as the "Flood Wood Militia " because each member of the different companies was compelled to furnish his own clothing, arms, and equipment. Many of the members of the companies, being poor in this world's goods, could not afford a uniform and often could not procure a gun of any kind. The arms-bearing citizens of the state, how- ever, had been required to turn out for military duty at least one day in the year, and the great variety of dress worn, as well as the imitations of guns used, made them a somewhat motley and non-military appearing body of soldiers. Often there were men in the ranks who trained with only sticks, pitch-forks, hoes or any other handy implement in the place of guns, and from this originated the title "Flood Wood."
With the advent of a new law under which the state bore a portion of the expense of equipment, the " Green Moun- tain Guards " were organized, and became a popular local institution. In their name many social functions were
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The Green Mountain Guards
observed, the memory of which yet remains with some of the older citizens.
In 1858, the officers of this organization were W. W. Cochran, captain ; E. P. Cook, Ist lieutenant ; Solon Perry, 2d lieutenant. The uniform was of dark blue with scarlet facings, and is said to have been very attractive in appearance.
At the first general muster of what was then known as the " Uniformed Militia of Vermont," held at Brandon, Wednes- day and Thursday, November Ist and 2d, 1858, the Green Mountain Guards mustered "40 muskets," the largest num- ber of any of the nine companies present. They were accompanied by the Bellows Falls band of seventeen pieces, in a showy uniform of light blue, with high bear-skin caps. The band did themselves so great credit that they were from that time selected as the regimental band. The com- pany took a prominent part in the muster and was highly complimented by the governor and military officers present. It had the unique distinction of having for use six large tents which had been taken from the British in the war of 1812, and which still bore the royal initials, "G. R." These attracted general attention, particularly from a few English soldiers who were present at the time. On the way to and from this muster the company and band were guests at Rutland of Gen. H. Henry Baxter, a former well known and public- spirited local citizen. Upon reaching Bellows Falls on their return, a reception was tendered them by the citizens at which Lewis A. Grant, then a young lawyer here, later assistant secretary of war, made a speech of welcome, after which they marched to the old Bellows Falls Stage House, which was two years later destroyed by fire, where they all sat down to a banquet.
In April, 1859, Captain Cochran (the ticket agent at the local union station) was elected major of the 2d regiment, and later colonel of the same. Charles B. Stoughton, a local attorney, was elected sergeant-major of the same regiment. The promotion of Captain Cochran resulted in the election of the following officers of the Green Mountain Guards, April
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History of Rockingham
23. 1859. Walter Taylor, captain ; Solon Perry, Ist lieuten- ant : Carlton E. Webb, 2d lieutenant; Samuel Ham, 3d lieutenant ; E. Whitcomb, clerk and orderly sergeant ; B. P. Page, 2d sergeant, and Thomas Wells, 3d sergeant. The "directors " were J. W. Church, O. F. Woods, and Charles Hapgood. Auditor, A. M. Cushing : treasurer, J. W. Church. A committee to draft new by-laws consisted of Jabez D. Bridgman, Orasmus F. Woods, and Albert N. Swain.
At the muster of the 2d regiment, held at Bradford, Thursday and Friday, September 8 and 9, 1859, the Guard, with their regimental band again took a prominent place in the ranks, at that time mustering "70 guns." a much larger number than any other company present. On Thursday evening Captain Taylor, in his masterly manner, formed his company into a torchlight procession and, accompanied by the band, marched down through Main street and serenaded Adjutant General Kellogg, who on the next day reviewed the troops with the governor. The press of that date credited the Bellows Falls band with being the finest on the field, and it was a prominent attraction of the muster.
The Boston Post in its account of the muster had this to say :
" The Green Mountain Guards encamped in true military style upon the muster ground. having with them all the et ceteras of camp furniture. This company has in its possession one of the tents taken from the British in IS12, having on it the royal mark. It is a valuable trophy, and is made to do service for a body of brave men who would be loth to surrender it back to its original owners. The Guards made the most showy appearance of any com- pany on the ground, and acquitted themselves nobly in their drill. The Bel- lows Falls band, which accompanied the Guards, discoursed most excellent music and did themselves great credit for the manner in which they performed their duties as the Regiment band."
In June, 1860, Captain Taylor and Lieutenant Perry of the Green Mountain Guards resigned and the following list of officers was chosen, who were probably in office at the time the company was disbanded : T. A. Barker, captain : C. E. Webb, Ist lieutenant ; Samuel Ham, 2d lieutenant ; B. P. Page, 3d lieutenant ; A. M. Cushing, Ist sergeant ; T. C. Wells, 2d sergeant; E. Whitcomb, 3d sergeant; C. Cald-
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"Company E" Organized in 1864
well, 4th sergeant; George W. Taylor, clerk ; J. W. Church, Charles C. Hapgood, and A. M. Cushing, directors.
Co. E. of the 12th Regt., 3d Brigade, Vermont Militia was organized December 31, 1864, in the law office of J. D. Bridg- man. Its last appearance was on the occasion of its annual parade and drill, Tuesday, June 5, 1866. On that day its ranks were only about half full, and after parading the streets much amusement and some indignation was caused by details of the company visiting different stores and other places of business, under orders of the officers, and arresting delin- quent members. They were put under guard and later fined for neglect of duty. The pay roll of that day shows that only twenty-three out of the forty-five enrolled members of the company did duty. On this, the date of its last appearance, the officers of the company were as follows :
William J. Conant, captain. Charles B. Eddy, ist lieutenant. P. Mason Frost. 2d lieutenant.
Henry W. H. Hutchins, Ist sergeant.
George N. Gould, 2d sergeant.
Charles E. Arnold, 3d sergeant. Ephraim W. Barker, 4th sergeant.
Austin N. Chandler, Ist corporal.
C. Colburn Caldwell, 2d corporal. Henry E. Bowtell, 3d corporal.
Albert O. Wyman, 4th corporal. Milo B. Fields, musician.
The roster of privates included many who have in later years been prominent business men of the town. They were : Edward Arms, John W. Adams, Samuel E. Baird, Frank S. Brown, F. M. Barber, George E. Cobb, Herbert E. Chandler, Sumner Chapman, Ezra P. Cook, William H. Evans, George P. Ellison, Benjamin F. Ellison, Richard C. Green, Henry D. Green, Joseph H. Griswold, Quartus E. Gowing, Edward Henry, James S. Hunt, George C. Heselton, Joseph H. Loveland, Charles A. Loveland, George M. Lawrence, Edward W. Locke, Henry A. Marcy, Andrew Mccarthy, Michael O'Sullivan, James H. Phelps, Edward P. Kidder, Hollis Streeter, Oren E. Smalley, Royal E. Stearns, Henry A. Tenney, George A. Weston.
During the week previous to the last parade of this com- pany, large bodies of Fenians had passed through Bellows Falls, the excitement in relation to the Fenian raids into Canada being then at its height. About 1,000 of them had
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History of Rockingham
passed through here Friday and Saturday, and on Monday afternoon two companies of U. S. soldiers from New London had followed them to St. Albans and Ogdensburg. These were forerunners of many thousands that passed here in both directions during the following year.
The company was disbanded without formal action, and the arms and equipment were not returned to the state until August, 1869. The armory occupied by the company was in the second story of a three-story frame building that stood about where the middle of Union block now is. The third story was occupied by the Masonic fraternity, and the first story for a store. It was known as King's block and was destroyed by fire, July 28, 1868.
When the company was first organized, Nathaniel Gil- more was captain, Charles B. Eddy, Ist lieutenant, and William J. Conant, 2d lieutenant. On the promotion of Captain Gilmore to a regimental office, the vacancy was filled by the election of Lieut. Conant as captain.
The uniforms of this company were the standard blue of the United States, and their arms were the old Springfield rifles. All equipments were furnished by the state.
At the time of its disbandment immediately following the Civil war, Vermont had authorized the raising and equip- . ment of twelve regiments. Burdened as the state was with its heavy war debt, the expense of so large a body of militia was seriously felt, and in many towns dissatisfaction was apparent among the members of the different companies, caused by the state's requirement that the members bear a large proportion of the expense. There were already pre- monitions that the legislature would soon materially decrease the number of regiments. Companies in other towns did not average to turn out better at that time than did the Bellows Falls company. The legislature soon cut the number of regi- ments from twelve to only one, as it has remained since, and, for just forty years thereafter, no company was located in Rockingham.
In January, 1906, the young men of Bellows Falls
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"Company E," Organized in 1906
became interested in military matters and, as there was just then a vacancy in the one regiment of state militia through the disbanding of Company E at Barre, application was made for the establishment of a company here, which was granted.
A company was mustered February 8 to rank from April 12, 1906, known as Company E of the First Regiment Infantry, Vermont National Guard. The first officers, and those still occupying the positions, are Captain, George H. Thompson ; Ist Lieutenant, Dallas F. Pollard ; 2d Lieuten- ant, John P. Lawrence ; Ist Sergeant, John C. Dennison. The number of men mustered when organized was thirty- eight, which number was soon increased to the full company number of sixty officers and men.
The first service rendered by the new company was in the trip of the regiment to Mount Gretna, Pa., August 3 to 13, 1906, where they were in the United States service and employed in field manœuvres in connection with detachments of the regular army.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE WAR OF 1812
The record of the part which Rockingham took in the War of 1812 is very meagre. Without doubt a number of her citizens held important places in that period of unpleasant- ness, but definite knowledge in regard to the details is lacking.
In the various cemeteries of the town are buried a num- ber of veterans who are credited with having taken part in the war at that time, but many of them came to this town at later dates. The records of the town refer but once to the matter during the years covered by the conflict, and the fol- lowing is a copy of the record, pp. 305 and 306 of Volume IV.
" Agreeable to a request of four of the free holders of the Town of Rock- ingham to us made these are to warn all the inhabitants of said Rockingham who are qualified to vote in town meetings to meet at the North Meeting House in said Rockingham on the 28th Day of September instant at 2 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of viz
First to choose a moderator to govern said meeting
2 to see if the town will raise money for to make up the difficiency of the Drafted Militias wages belonging to said town higher than the sum set by law.
3 to see if the town will raise money to equip those who are not able to equip themselves belonging to the militia of this town and to defray the expenses of the Drafted Militia while on their march to Burlington in Vermont
4th to transact any business that the town may think proper when met. Rockingham, September 15, 1812,"
Jonathan Barron
Sam W. Pulsipher Elias Oleott
Selectmen.
"Sept. 28th, 1812, then met the inhabitants of Rockingham agreeable to the above or foregoing warrant and firstly made choice of Elijah Knight, Esq. as moderator for said meeting.
2dly It was motioned & seconded to see if the town will raise money to make up the deficiency of the soldiers' wages who are gone to Burlington trom said Rockingham and said motion passed in the negative.
3dły voted to raise One cent on the dollar or on the list of 1812 for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Militia who are gone to Burlington.
4th Voted to dissolve the present meeting.
Elijah Knight, Moderator Jonathan Burt, Town Clerk "
+59
Militia Sent to Plattsburg
Throughout the state there was a wide divergence of opinion among the citizens of the various localities regarding the wisdom or necessity of the war. As a whole, the state was very evenly divided between the two political parties of that day, the Republican, known as "The War Party," and the Federalist, known as "The Peace Party."
At the outbreak of the war the Republicans were in the ascendency and Jonas Galusha, then governor of Vermont, took the necessary action for raising Vermont's quota (3,000) of the 100,000 militia asked for by President Madison. The legislature in October, 1812, following the declaration of war, authorized the raising of troops for service and levied additional taxes on lands for support and arming of the militia. It also passed an act prohibiting any person from crossing the Canadian line, or transporting any merchandise or goods across the boundary without permission of the gov- ernor, under penalty of $1,000 fine and seven years' imprison- ment.
These measures were considered by many of the people as oppressive, and great bitterness of feeling sprang up between the two parties. Governor Galusha ordered the militia to do duty at Plattsburg, N. Y., thereby displeasing the peace party, the members of which claimed that the troops should not be taken outside of the state.
The action of the town, as recorded above, probably refers directly to the militia which was sent across to Platts- burg from Burlington, and from such action it is evident that a majority disapproved of the policy of the state government.
Many Vermonters who had at first favored the war now left the Republican ranks and went over to the Federal party.
By the time the elections were held, in the fall of 1813, party spirit was wrought to so high a pitch that the harmony which heretofore existed between families of the opposite parties, was generally destroyed. The division between the parties was so even that there was no election of governor that year by the people, and the legislature elected the Federal candidate, Martin Chittenden, by a small majority. The
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History of Rockingham
Federalists, now being the dominant power, repealed the oppressive laws of the previous administration, and one of the governor's first acts was to recall the brigade of Vermont militia which had been stationed at Plattsburg, the soldiers returning to their homes before their term of enlistment had expired.
Rockingham undoubtedly had her part in these dis- cussions and her full number of citizens in the militia, but a careful examination of the records of the Vermont adjutant general's office fails to disclose the names of those from this town who took part. Simeon and Ebenezer Clark, sons of Timothy Clark, an early citizen, both went into the army from Rockingham and both died while in the service.
During those years Bill Blake was a leading citizen of Bellows Falls, owning the paper-mills and taking an active part in public matters. He was a man of strong personality, aggressive, independent, and out-spoken upon all questions of public policy. As showing the unpleasant features of the act of the legislature prohibiting any person from crossing the line to or from Canada, and the complications which arose under it because of the guards stationed by the govern- ment at different points in Vermont, the sworn statement of Mr. Blake is of interest, telling his experiences in a forceful manner. His statement was published in a paper known as the Washingtonian, printed at Windsor, at that time.
" I Bill Blake of lawful age testify, that on the 13th day of January I was travelling from Lyndon Corner to the line between the United States and Canada ; when I came to Derby, I was stopped by a soldier, who presented his bayonet and ordered me to stop, which I did. He searched my sleigh box but took nothing from it. I rode on about half a mile, and was again stopped by the bayonet.
The soldier seemed very furious, and could hardly be prevailed on to keep his bayonet out of my horse's breast. He likewise searched my sleigh but found nothing and I proceeded to the guard house, where I was again stopped and examined and searched more minutely, and nothing found except a few small accounts and some articles of wearing apparel. I was ordered not to cross the line and replied that I was already far enough to the northward, unless I received better treatment.
I went to Levi Bigelow's store on the line, to settle some small accounts, and returned in about two hours, I was again stopped and examined at the
THE CANAL COMPANY'S OLD MILL "UNDER THE HILL." With Ice Piled High in the Eddy."
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Experiences of Bill Blake
guard house, as before, and was stopped, in all, six times in about one mile and a half. I now supposed I was out of the reach of bayonet law ; but the next day in the morning, I was passing by Jenning's tavern, in Sheffield, on the height of land about twenty-five miles south of Canada line, in a desolate place far from any other inhabitants. I saw a man cutting wood at the door and as I was passing by, a man stepped up to me and ordered me to stop. 1 told him I should not. He sprang at iny bridle but I drove away from him. After going about twenty rods I heard the report of a musket which I thought aimed at me.
I drove on and perceived no one in pursuit of me until I had proceeded about a mile, when a man with a bayonet and club came up with me. He seized my bridle and said, 'why did you not stop when we fired at you?' } replied, ' did you fire at me?' ' yes, and meant to stop you.' ' Why did you not shoot straight? I expected I was in a country where I was not obliged to stop at everyone's call.' By this time another man rode up with a gun and bayonet and speaking to the other said, 'You have done d-n well.' } begged to go about my business, as I was in a hurry. Says the man on horse-back, 'D-n him, make him go back.' One of them demanded my pocket-book and said that I had counterfeited bank bills. I told him if he was a soldier it was nothing to him if I had a sleigh load of them. However I took out my pocket-book and showed him a bill on Cook bank. He gave it to the man on the horse who was putting it into his pocket. He snatched my pocket-book from me and put my money into it and then put it into his own pocket. I demanded it. He said he would give me my pocket-book if I would go back and let him ride with me, and accordingly gave it to me. I then saw two men more coming with speed, with guns and bayonet, I rode back where I found a number (12 or 14) men. They searched everything I had, even to dirty linen and my watch-case and boots and demanded my pocket-book. I gave it to an elderly man who chanced to come up and charged him to be sure that they did not steal it. They then searched me from head to feet and seemed then not to be satisfied, even after this was done. I asked by what authority they did this. They said they were posted there by their adjutant, I asked why they were not on sentry as I should think it was their duty. The answer was, that they had a right to search anyone, that was going either way. I told them, if they had been on duty I should have known what it meant, but if a man turn out of a public or private house and order another to stop I think it at the traveller's option whether to stop or not. They said they should stop everyone they saw fit.
Bill Blake."
Personally appeared Bill Blake, and made oath to the foregoing assertion before me. Calvin Webb, Justice of Peace.
In the year 1814, a young man named Ira White, employed in the paper mills at Bellows Falls learning the trade under Bill Blake, was employed to drive a party of American naval officers from Bellows Falls to Vergennes. Without doubt these officers were Commodore MacDon-
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History of Rockingham
ough and his subordinates, who, early in that year, had con- structed at Vergennes the little fleet with which he, on Sep- tember 11th, defeated the English fleet at Plattsburg. Mac- Donough's home was in Middletown, Conn., and the trip was probably made up the river to this point and then by team the remaining one hundred miles. Mr. White later went to Wells River, Vt., where he spent the remainder of his life in the manufacture of paper, and often told the story of his ride across the mountains.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
DANIEL WEBSTER AT BELLOWS FALLS-MOUNT KILBURN CHRISTENED
A memorable event in the annals of Rockingham was the visit of Daniel Webster to Bellows Falls during the presi- dential campaign of 1840. This was the campaign in which General Harrison was the Whig nominee in opposition to the Democratic presidential incumbent, Martin Van Buren, and it is generally conceded that none in the history of the country ever aroused more enthusiasm and excitement than did this. The disastrous results of the terrible panic of 1837, under the administration of Van Buren, as a result of what seemed a fatally defective financial policy, injected into the canvass far more than ordinary interest and caused hard work upon the part of the Whig party. The enthusiasm shown by the latter party was not to be seen among the supporters of Van Buren. "Log cabins and hard cider," which were supposed to be typical of General Harrison's frontier life, became popular with the Whigs and were their slogans throughout the cam- paign.
Up to that time no campaign had been so strongly con- tested, and it is questionable if, considering the proportion of population, any has since exceeded it. The result was that Democratic electors were chosen by only two northern and five southern states, the popular vote showing over four to one throughout the country in favor of Harrison. In all this land a peculiarity of the campaign was rural gatherings, immense conventions being held in small towns far away from business centres. An example of this was the Stratton convention.
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