USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Middletown > The history of Middletown, Vermont, in three discourses, delivered before the citizens of that town, February 7 and 21, and March 30, 1867 > Part 10
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From 1820 to 1840 the population of the town remained about the same ; there was a little falling off, but no essential difference. As we look back within this period we find but few left of the first
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105
HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
settlers of the town, and those few have retired from active life. The active men then here consisted of the descendants of the pio- neers, and of men who had more recently removed here. Among the then active men here were Jonas Clark, Hezekiah Haynes, Jonathan Morgan, Eli Oatman, Roswell Buel, David and Levi Mehurin, Stephen Keyes, Jaaz. and Stephen Barrett, Merritt and Horace Clark, Allen and Micah Vail, Luther Buxton, Anson Rogers, Alonzo Hyde, James Germond, Justus Barker, Thaddeus Terrill, Reuben Loomis, Smith Wait, John P. Taylor, Menira Caswell and Henry Gray.
That class of men seemed to have been the connecting link between the past and the present-that is, between the early set- tlement of the town and the present time. They were in the main, as well those named, as others then living here and not named, a substantial class of men.
Janzaniah Barrett was for many years a merchant here. He owned and lived in the house now owned by M. E. Vail, Esq., in which he and his family now reside. That house was built by Amasa Squires not long after 1800, and was for many years occu- pied as a hotel, by Jeremiah Leffingwell and a Mr. Monroe. The store occupied by Mr. Barrett was the one, until recently, occupied by Mr. Vail, which has been taken down and removed. Mr. Bar- rett for many years did a large business as a merchant, and in buying and selling cattle and farm produce ; the latter was much more to the advantage of the farmers than for him.
Allen and Micah Vail removed from Danby to this town about the year 1810 ; raised up large families here, and during their residence here, were among the leading and successful farmers. They are both dead, and but one representative from each family now remains here ; Mrs. E. Ross, a daughter of Allen Vail, and M. E. Vail, a son of Micah Vail.
Henry Gray was perhaps as long an active business man as any other man who has ever lived in the town since the days of Jolin Burnam. Mr. Gray was an unusually energetic and persevering man. He suffered many losses by fire and other casualties, but was full of life, hope and animation-almost to the day of his death-which occurred in June, 1865, at the age of seventy-eight
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
years. From the days of the Burnam and the Miners, until a recent period, Henry Gray was almost the sole proprietor of all the mills in town, and machinery propelled by water power. Mr. Gray was long a member of the Congregational society, and contributed lib- erally to its support.
During the period of which I have last been speaking, viz, between 1820 and 1840, there was a change, a great change, going on in the industrial efforts of the people ; it was a change which severed our connection with the good old times and left them behind us-the times when the ox yokes, the ox bows, the whip stocks, and other necessary implements, were made in the long evenings before a blazing fireplace-the times when he was considered the best manager who did " everything within himself" -- the times when, as the men worked, the hum of the little linen wheel, or the large wheel for spinning wool, or the rattle of the shuttle and treads in the loom mingled with the crackle of the fire and the sounds of the axe and drawing knife. As some one has written : " the women then picked their own wool, carded their own rolls, spun their own yarn, drove their own looms, made their own cloth, cut, made and mended their own garments, dipped their own candles, made their own soap, bottomed their own chairs, braided their own baskets, wove their own carpets, quilts and coverlids, picked their own geese, milked their own cows, fed their own calves, and went visiting or to meeting on their own feet, and all this with much less fuss and ado than our modern ladies make when they are sim- ply obliged to oversee the work of an ordinary household in these days."
But we cannot return to those days in the way of doing "every- thing within ourselves," nor is it best for the women now to under- take the manufacture of their own cloth, or to do much other work that was formerly done by their sex ; with the advance of the present age in machinery and labor-saving implements, it would be a waste of time. But we would do well, both men and women, to return to the industry of those times It must be conceded that both men and women (especially women) have wonderfully degen- erated in their physical capacity since these good old times, and all are agreed as to the cause of it. Men and women were made
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
to labor, and unless they do, they violate the laws of their phys- ical constitutions. If we desire to have the next generation robust and healthy, there is a way to effect it, and that is for the present generation to occupy their time steadily and reasonably in manual · labor.
In the financial revulsion of 1839, many farmers and others in Middletown, suffered severely. Many were largely in debt, the " credit system " which was then a system for everybody proved disastrous to many industrous and honest men in Mid- dletown. Soon after 1840 the business in the town seemed to be on the decline. Merritt Clark had removed to Poultney ; Horace Clark, also Janzaniah Barrett, had gone out of the mer- cantile business ; the building of railroads through the State had come to be agitated, and it was becoming evident, that no line of railroad would pass through Middletown; large farmers were enlarging their borders, and small farmers were selling out and going west. The consequence was that from 1840 to 1850 the population of the town fell off about two hundred, and up to 1860 there was no gain in population. By the census of 1860, we had only seven hundred and twelve inhabitants. Since 1860 . there must have been a gain in the number of inhabitants, as some business interests have recently sprung up here, and altogether the town is improving. The town is essentially an agricultural town and must continue so to be. There is no better soil for that pur- pose in Rutland county. Keeping a dairy is now the main busi- ness of most of the farmers. The Middletown Cheese Manufac- turing Company was organized in the spring of 1864, and proceeded at once to erect buildings for the purpose of manufacturing cheese. The manufacturing room is twenty-six feet square; the curing house is a two story building, seventy-two feet long and thirty feet wide. The making of cheese commenced in the summer of 1864, and has been in successful operation ever since, and has much increased the farming interest and the value of real estate in the town. The capital stock of the company is $4,600. The number of pounds of milk received at the factory the last season (1866) was 1,707,814. Number of pounds of cheese' made from the
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
same, when cured, was 173,970 ; and the gross receipts for the same was $30,383 19.
Most of the farmers in Middletown are now in comfortable cir- cumstances, mostly out of debt, and many of them are money lenders. In respect to thrift and good management they have much improved from the farmers of twenty-five years ago. There are here now two stores. " The Clark Store," has recently been fitted up in modern style by the proprietor, M. E. Vail, and well filled with a choice assortment of goods ; the other store adjoining the tavern house has recently been purchased by A. W. Gray & Sons, and is now undergoing through repairs, and will probably soon be in " running order." There are here the requisite num- ber of mechanic shops, a manufactory of wagons and carriages by the McClures , of agricultural implements by E. W. Gray, and of horse powers by A. W. Gray & Sons. These manufactories are remunerative to the proprietors, and add much to the material interests of the town, and especially the horse power manufactory. A. W. Gray & Sons have in their employ about thirty men-men who are needed in the town-many of whom could not get employ- ment here as mechanics except at that establishment. The con- cern furnishes quite a market for the farm produce in town, and for lumber. The springing up of this establishment, after nearly all other manufacturing in the town had ceased, or was waning, is exceedingly fortunate for the town. A. W. Gray was the inventor of the horse power now manufactured by A. W. Gray & Sons. Ile was formerly a millwright, learned his trade of Henry Gray, but had given a good deal of his time for some years, previous to 1856, to inventing.
The horse powers manufactured by the Messrs. Grays find a ready sale, and are without doubt great labor-saving machines. They are used for sawing wood, threshing and other purposes, and are undoubtedly superior to anything of the kind now in use. They are sent to all parts of the country, and the proprietors might, if they desired very much, extend their business.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
TOWN CLERKS
OF MIDDLETOWN FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME.
JOSEPH ROCKWLL,
from
1784 to
1799
NATHANIEL WOOD, JR.,
1799
1802
ORSON BREWSTER,
1802
1812
JABEZ JOSLIN,
1812
1813
ORSON BREWSTER,
1813
1815
BARKER FRISBIE, -
1815
1821
DYER LEFFINGWELL,
68
1821
1822
CYRUS ADAMS,
66
1822
1829
ELIAKIM PAUL, -
1829
66 1836
ORSON CLARK,
1836
1842
LUTHER FILMORE,
66
1842
65
1845
ADIN H. GREEN,
1844
66
1847
ELIAKIM PAUL,
1847
66
1849
ADIN H. GREEN,
1849
1852
ELIJAH ROSS,
1852
56
1856
BARNES FRISBIE,
65
1856
1860
ELIJAH ROSS, -
1860
1861
GEO. W. BULLARD,
1861
1863
ELIJAH ROSS,
1863
1865
MOSES E. VAIL,
66
1865
1866
ELIJANI Ross, "
1866
1867
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ERWIN HASKINS Was elected March, 1867, and is the present Town Clerk.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
REPRESENTATIVES.
LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES IN MIDDLETOWN FROM THE ORGAN- IZATION OF THE TOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME-1867.
JOSEPH SPAULDING, from 1785 to 1788
JOHN BURNAM, 1788
EPHRAIM CARR,
from 1788 to 1792
JONATHAN BREWSTER,
1792
NATHANIEL WOOD,
1793
JONATHAN BREWSTER,
1794
JOHN BURNAM, -
1795
JONATHAN BREWSTER,
1796
JOHN BURNHAM, .
from 1796 to 1799
1799 to 1804
JOHN BURNAM,
1804
DYER LEFFINGWELL,
from 1804 to 1807
JOHN BURNAM, -
1807
JONAS CLARK, JR.,
from 1807 to 1810
JACOB BURNAM,
1810
JONAS CLARK,
from 1810 to 1823
DAVID G. MCCLURE,
1823 to 1829
ALLEN VAIL,
1829
ELIAKIM PAUL, -
from 1829 to 1832
MERRITT CLARK,
1834 to 1836
ORSON CLARK,
" ' 1836 to 1838
JONATHAN MORGAN, - 1838
MERRITT CLARK, -
from 1839 to 1842
ELIAKIM PAUL,
1842 to 1844
C. B. HARRINGTON,
HORACE CLARK, - ( 1844 to 1846
66
1832 to 1834
ELIAKIM PAUL, -
1839
NATHANIEL WOOD, JR.,
HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
111
C. B. HARRINGTON,
- 1846
HARRIS G. OTIS,
1847
War. N. GRAY,
-
from 1847 to 1850
ROSWELL BUEL, JR.,
1850
ELIAKIMI PAUL,
from 1850 to 1853
JACOB BURNAM,
- 1853
BARNES FRISBIE, -
from 1853 to 1856
LUCIUS COPELAND,
1856 to 1858
C. P. CoY,
1858 to 1860
ROSWELL BUEL,
" 1860 to 1862
NATHANIEL CLIFF,
-
6. 1862 to 1864
HARLEY SPAULDING,
1864 to 1866
A. W. GRAY,
1866 to 1867
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
SOLDIERS' RECORD.
After the foregoing history of Middletown was written and read to the people there, the town instructed their selectmen, at their last March meeting, to engage me to make up a soldiers' record of the town for the year 1861. I removed from Middletown to Poultney in April, 1863, and consequently did not live in Middle- town during the entire period of the war, but with the assistance of the selectmen and others I have collected all I could that was deemed material for such a record. With a simple statement of facts, Middletown has a record of which her citizens may well be proud. They promptly met the emergency-raised the money and the men, from time to time, as they were required, and not- withstanding the great outlay required to pay the large bounties and large taxes, when the war closed, the town had paid every dollar, so that the war closed without any war debt upon Middle- town. The town paid in bounties more than they were legally bound to do. They paid in all $6,609. Two of her soldiers, Merritt Perham and Harvey Guilder, re-enlisted to the credit of the town without any contract with the authorities ; previous to this the town had been paying a bounty of five hundred dollars- a meeting was called and the sum of $500 each was voted to them and paid.
In proportion to the number subject to military duty, a large number enlisted into the service from the town. In the summer of 1863 the roll of men subject to be drafted from numbered fifty- eight. During the period of the war there were fifty-one enlisted into the service from Middletown-some ten or twelve more than was required to fill the quotas of the town.
To the credit of the town it may be said, that those who went into the service, were, most of them, at least, from among the best
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
families of the town. They were not bounty-jumpers, nor of that class of low, wreckless and abandoned young men, too many of whom were picked up by most of the towns and made to count on their quotas ; but hardly without an exception they were young men of good moral character, intelligent, and with a good common education, and for the most part with good, hardy physical consti- tutions. No one of them ever deserted, or were court-martialed for any offence, and but one or two received even a censure for violation of rules. They proved to be brave and faithful soldiers ; a large proportion of them served out the time for which they enlisted, and returned to their homes to be again useful and respected citizens ; some never returned ; four or five were killed in battle, or died from wounds received ; eleven died of disease.
To William Schollar is due the credit of being the first man who enlisted from Middletown in the war of 1861. He enlisted under the call of the President for seventy-five thousand men, and went into company E of the first regiment of Vermont volunteers for three months. He served his time out, and afterwards enlisted into Harris' light cavalry, an organization got up in the state of New York. After several months service in this cavalry organ- ization, his health failed and he received an honorable discharge. He returned home, regained his health, and in 1863 enlisted into the tenth Vermont regiment, in which he served to the close of the war. He held the office of sargeant in company C., tenth Vermont, and was a faithful soldier.
The next who enlisted from Middletown were Frank Carrigan and Merritt Perham. They enlisted into the second Vermont regiment, which were mustered into the service June 20th, 1861. Carrigan after serving a while was found missing and has never been heard of since. It is supposed that he is dead ; Perham served his time out (three years) and re-enlisted into the seventh Vermont and served to the end of the war.
Stephen A. Griswold, Edwin Higgins, Samuel Buxton, Harvey Guilder, enlisted into the seventh Vermont, which regiment was mustered into the service February 12th, 1862. Stephen A. Griswold died at Pensacola, Florida, November 3d, 1862, of fever. He was a very strong, muscular young man, but had the measles 7
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
after he enlisted, and before he was mustered in, took cold, and it is thought by his friends that he was never well afterwards, though he performed good service as a soldier until a short time prior to his death. He was the only son of the widow of David Griswold, on whom she doubtless relied for support in her declining years. Edwin Higgins, of the same regiment, died near. New Orleans. We have not the date of his death, but it was after Griswold died, and while he, Higgins, was in the service. He was the oldest son of Orrin Higgins, who served in the tenth Vermont regiment. Buxton and Guilder served to the end of the war, and were hon- orably discharged.
Royal Lucien Coleman enlisted into the ninth Vermont, June 9th, 1863, and died ( ctober 3d, 1864, so that he was in the ser- vice a year and some months. He was a son of Harry Coleman, who was a brother of Royal Coleman, Esq., of this town.
There were a large number enlisted from Middletown into the tenth Vermont regiment, and all went into company C of that regiment. The regiment was mustered into the service September 1st, 1862. Prior to that time, Edwin R. Buxton, Aden N. Green, Erwin Haskins, Charles H. Dayton, Henry Barce, Alonzo Atwater, William Hoadley, Francis H. Hoadley, Curtis Howard, Henry J. Langzine, Harlan P. Leffingwell, Arunah Leffingwell, John II. Lewis, Warren McClure, William Schollar, William H. H. Thomp- son, Philander C. Wetmore, Robert A. Woodward and Edward Holton, had enlisted and were mustered into the service with the regiment-making nineteen who were mustered in with the regi- ment. In December, 1863, James N. Buel, Lorenzo Ford, Allen Hubbard, Jr., Orrin Higgins and Charles W. McClure enlisted, and went into company C, of the tenth Vermont, making, in all, twenty-four of the Middletown boys in that regiment. They all enlisted for three. years, or during the war, and Buxton, Green, Barce, Atwater, William and Francis Hoadley, Howard, Langzine, Harlan P. Leffingwell, Warren and Charles W. MeClure, Schol- lar, Wetmore, Woodward, Hubbard and Higgins, seventeeni of the twenty-four, served out their time, were honorably discharged, and returned to their homes, with the exception of Henry Barce, who was taken sick after his discharge, and died near Washington on
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
his way home. Erwin Haskins was taken sick in the fall after his enlistment, and run down so low that he barely had strength to get home. He was discharged December 19th, 1862. On his return home, contrary to the expectations of all who saw him, he gradually recovered, until now he is comparatively well again. Arunah Leffingwell was taken sick and discharged about the same time, returned home and has since recovered his health. John H. Lewis was wounded by a ball through the thigh at Winchester on the 19th day of September, 1864, went to the hospital, and remained there until he was discharged. He was in the hard fought battles of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor and Spottsylvania, was a good soldier, and manfully performed his duty until dis- abled by the wound above named. The first death of the boys of the tenth, from Middletown, was that of Charles H. Dayton. He died September 26th, 1862, near Washington-less than one month after his regiment was mustered into the service. He was the son of Mrs. Jay B. Norton, by her former husband, Doctor J. II. Dayton, and was but eighteen years old when he enlisted, and had been regarded as a high spirited boy, but had come to show some good traits of character, and was, withal, in his last years, looked upon by those who knew him as a promising young man. He was sick only about one week. His remains were brought home and interred in Middletown by the side of those of his father ; and thus we have an instance, among thousands of others in the country, where the hope of a fond mother has perished by the sad results of the wicked rebellion.
Edward Holton was in the service nearly a year. He was a son of Garrett Holton, an Irishman, and a very respectable man, who has since deceased. Edward dicd of disease August 15th, 1868, at the age of twenty-one years. His comrades give him the credit of being a good soldier, and of faithfully performing his duty as long as he was able.
Henry Barce, as we have before mentioned, served his time out and was on his way home when he was taken sick, of fever, and died June 17th, 1865, at the age of twenty-six. His health was good through his entire term of service, from the first of Septem- ber, 1862, until the close of the war. He never failed of being
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
able to perform his duty as a soldier, was in all of the battles in which the tenth were engaged during the war, and of his sagacity and bravery, his associates all speak in the highest terms. He was a still, quiet young man, but strong, athletic, decided and prompt in acting, and possessed more education and knowledge than any other person of his age in the town, when he enlisted. He leaves a sister and distant relatives to mourn his loss.
Wm. H. H. Thompson, a cousin of Henry Barce, was taken prisoner at Falls Church, when Culpepper was evacuated by our forces, and died in Libby Prison, at Richmond, in the winter of 1864. His loss seemed to his associates more sad than if he had been killed in battle.
James N. Buel enlisted in December, 1863, and was killed at Cold Harbor June 1st, 1864. He lay at the time, with others of his company, behind a log in front of the enemy watching their chances to deliver their fire upon the rebel sharp shooters, in the vicinity, when Buel, anxious to " get a shot at the rebs," raised his head high enough to receive a ball in the head, which killed him instantly ; and thus perished a brave soldier-one who had been an industrious man and a good citizen at home, and doubtless would have been again if he had been permitted to return. Mr. Buel was forty years old ; he left a wife and two children. He was a son of Roswell Buel, Sen., who has since died.
Lorenzo Ford enlisted December 10th, 1863, and died in the army hospital at Brandy Station, in Virginia, of fever, March 16th, 1864. He had good health when he enlisted, and his health had generally been good. He was not sick very long ; performed his duty faithfully as a soldier, for the little time he was in the service. His age was twenty-six ; he left a widow and one child. His widow has since married in Michigan, and his child lives with her aunt, Mrs. Bassett, in Middletown. He was a son of Joel Ford.
All who know the history of the war of 1861, well know that the tenth Vermont regiment had the reputation of being one of the best regiments in the army. Officers of high rank, who were witnesses of their bravery, their endurance and skill, and their reliability in trying times, have invariably spoken of the tenth
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
Vermont in the highest terms. If the regiment was made up of as good material as that part of it from Middletown, (and I do not know why it was not,) surely those encomiums of the officers were well bestowed. We have this foundation for saying what we have of the boys from Middletown, in the tenth. We knew them all- most of them intimately-and know that mentally, morally and physically, with very few exceptions, they were of a material which makes the best of soldiers ; and we heard from them in the war , not only from themselves, in speaking of the conduct of each other in the many hard fought fields, but we heard facts from others, soldiers and officers, who were there and had no interest to give us anything but facts.
There are many incidents that might be here given that would perhaps interest those who may read this sketch, and go to prove what we have asserted, but we must omit them for want of time.
Edwin R. Buxton, Aden H. Green and William Schollar, rose from the ranks to sargeants of their company, and they, with Barce, Lewis, Howard, Buel, Hubbard, Woodward and Charles McClure, were particularly distinguished for their fearless dis- charge of duty. Buxton, Green and Woodward each received wounds. Buxton and Green were hit by balls several times, and Buxton, in the fight at Cold Harbor, was obliged to leave the field, and was unable to perform duty for several days afterwards. Woodward received a wound on the foot at the same time, which disabled him for a short time.
Warren McClure was detailed for hospital service soon after his regiment was mustered in, where he remained on duty until he went into the tenth regiment band. He played a cornet in that band until the close of the war.
William H. Hoadley was a musician (drummer) from the time the regiment was mustered into the service until the close of the war.
The number of battles in which the the tenth regiment were engaged, as reported by the Adjutant General, are thirteen, com- mencing with Orange Grove, in November, 1868, and ending with Sailors' Creek, in April, 1865. Those embrace the battles of Grant's campaign, which ended in the fall of Richmond, and the
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HISTORY OF MIDDLETOWN.
overthrow of the great rebellion. Besides the battles as given by the Adjutant General in which the tenth were engaged, they were in numerous skirmishes, in which men were killed and wounded ; in all these the Middletown boys, in the tenth, who had not been killed or disabled .by wounds or sickness, bore a part, honorable to themselves, and efficient in the great work then in hand, viz : putting down the rebellion.
Middletown sent three good soldiers in the eleventh Vermont regiment : James Granger, George and James Kilburn. Granger enlisted in July, 1863, into company M of the eleventh, and was mustered into the service October 7th, 1863. He was the second son of the Rev. Calvin Granger, who, at the time of the son's enlistment, was pastor of the Congregational church in Middle- town. This regiment was known as the first Vermont artillery, and enlisted for three years or during the war. Young Granger was in most of the battles in Grant's campaign, after the battle of the Wilderness. He was a good soldier ; he has that kind of philosophy in his mental constitution with which he, under all cir- cumstances, readily disposes of all causes of fear or alarm. He served to the end of the war-came out healthy and strong, and is again at his old trade of machinist as steady as ever.
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