USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 30
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Benjamin Spencer represented Clarendon in the convention of June, 1777, at Windsor, and united with the other members of that body in a solemn pledge to stand by the declaration for a new State, and to resist by arms the fleet and armies of Great Brit- ain. And he so far won the confidence of the Green Mountain Boys that he was ap- pointed a member of the Council of Safety by the Windsor Convention of July, 1777. But he joined the enemy on the approach of Burgoyne, and is said to have died at Ti- conderoga a few weeks afterwards. Jacob Marsh left about the same time, and is sup- posed to have died at Saratoga. After the battle of Hubbardton the town was mostly deserted by its inhabitants. Oliver Arnold, the sailor farmer, who commenced to clear his land by climbing the trees and limbing before felling them, remained, and was taken prisoner by a party of British and compelled to drive his oxen with a load of corn to the British army, from whence he afterwards effected his escape by means of a forged pass.
to answer therefor, but after a careful bear- ing of the case he was excused for swearing when a woodchuck bit his fingers.
After the Revolution the returning settlers found themselves involved in many quarrels and lawsuits regarding the titles to their lands, which continued until the Legislature passed the quieting act, which gave the se :- tlers the farms they had purchased in good faith, and cleared and cultivated ; which left no school or other public lots in town.
Daniel Marsh who it appears took protec- tion papers from the British and sympa- thized with the enemy, returned to Clirea- don, and Dec. 16, 1782, the town " voted to receive him as a good, wholesome inbabi- tant." He attempted to get possession of his old farm, a part of which he found ocm- pied by Silas Whitney. A lawsuit followel in which Marsh was twice beaten. He then appealed to the Legislature which passed an act in June, 1785, giving him the possession of the farm " until he had an opportunity of recovering his betterments; " for which act the Legislature was severely censurei by the first council of Censors of which Julge In- crease Mosely, of Clarendon, was presiden :. During the struggle between Marsh and Whitney for the possession of the disputed land, one party would sow and the other reap, one party would put a tenant into the house, and the other party would. put him out by force and put in another tenant who in turn would be put out by force by the other party. On one occasion, Whitney, with several hands, mowed a large quantity of grass on the disputed mea low. and Marsh, obtaining help, drew it all of, when Whitney was eating his dinner. This is bat one instance of the many quarrels in which conflicting land titles involved the settlers of the fertile lands of Clarendon-so fertile that the fables told of their productiveness rivaled those now told of the West. Silis Whitney, visiting his relatives in Phiole Island, claimed that on the Clarendon inter- vales he could raise ears of corn 10 fee: long; and in the following summer, when visited by his friends who wished to see his long corn, he was prepared to make gofhss boa-t, and showed them several ears ovs: 10 feet long, suspended from the rilparole of his corn-barn, which he had mit: ta: length by joining and pinning short ears
The records of Clarendon, previous to 1773, are lost. Stephen Arnold was town clerk in 1778, and held the office 21 years. He was the grandfather of the great Statesman, Stephen Arnold Douglas, and was a man of integrity, a member of the church; but found it impossible, on exciting occasions, to over- come the habit of profanity acquired in early life. On one occasion, attempting to pull a woodchuck out of a cleft in a rock, he got his fingers into the animal's mouth, when he poured forth a volume of oaths so extraordi- nary that he was arraigned before the church | together. Whitney was distinguished for
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politely assenting to the remarks of any one with whom he was conversing, especially if he had been taking a drop of "ardent." When Capt. Ruel Parker raised his tavern on the North Flat, Whitney returned home in company with a certain individual called "Uncle Billy," who, when under the influence of spirits, was inclined to preach, and as both he and Whitney had taken freely of " Ruel's" toddy, they soon became leg-weary and got down beside the fence when the following conversation ensued :
Billy says, " You'll go to hell, sir."
Whitney replies, " Yes, sir."
Billy. " And I shall go to hell, too, sir."
Whitney. Yes, sir, just so, sir."
Billy. " But I shall go ten fathoms deeper than you will, sir."
Whitney. "Yes, sir, just so, sir, exactly so, sir."
Billy. "The reason I 'shall go so much deeper than you will, sir, is because I know so much more than you do, sir."
Whitney. "Yes, sir, just so, sir, precisely so, sir."
Among those who have lived in Claren- don was the far-famed Judge Theophilus Harrington, who refused to return the fugi- tive slave to his master without a " bill of sale from Almighty God."
James Small, who fought under Nelson at Trafalgar. Mrs. Sprague, one of the first settlers, died in 1838 at the age of 104 years. Her son, Durham Sprague, was the first child born in Clarendon.
Nathan Lounsbery, a soldier of the Rev- lution, who died in this town about 1850, at the age of 102 years.
MILITARY.
Clarendon is nearly the geographical cen - ter of Rutland County, and the surrounding mountains have often echoed the thunder of cannon and the roll of musketry as its broad intervals trembled to the tread of the assembled militia of the County as they went through the evolutions of mimic war. And her sons, whose youthful imaginations may have been fired by such scenes of inar- tial pageantry have ever been ready in man- hood's prime to respond to the calls of their country to enter the scenes of real strife. In the war of 1812, Alexander White, Rufus and Jonathan Parker and others volunteered.
In the Mexican war, Sobieska Parker, Henry Crossman, Moses Chaplin and Mar-
shall Houghton assisted in bearing the starry flag of the Northern Republic over the red fields of Contreras, Molina Del Rey, Churu- busco and Chapultepec, and plant it in tri. umph over the halls of the Montezumas. Houghton sleeps in that sunny land ; Cross- man returned with an empty sleeve, and Chaplin, charging up the rocky ramparts of Chapultepec with broken musket over the body of the fallen Ransom, won for himself the proud title of the " bravest of the brave."
And when the Union flag was torn from Sumter's walls, and
Treason dyeing its hand In the blood of the brave,
Spread over this land
The gloom of the grave,
then Clarendon's sons were among the first of the 34,000 Vermonters who left their homes among the green hills, and dared the dangers of the battle-field at their country's call. Moses W. Leach, Henry Webb, James Congdon and Alonzo E. Smith were the first to enlist, and marching with the van, stood upon the first battle-field of the war. Claren- don's quota was always well filled from the bravest of her sons until the rebel flag was furled.
Clarendon amid the mountains, heard the fiery bugle call
That raug through all the land at fated Sumter's treacherous fall,
And her farmer sons graw sudden warm with a pat- riot fire,
And pressed on glowing as young Mars to join the Union band
That rallied from each hillside, to lift the starry ban- ner higher
And wave it once again more proudly o'er all the Southern land.
How swift these warriors from the mountains green,
Rushed forth and bore the banner of the free
With fea. less step and bold undaunted mein, Down to the bloody southern sea,
Some covered thick with fame's brightest beams,
Victorious over all of trenson's darkest ills,
Returned to their fair homes beside the crystal streams
That gush from the dear cliffs of their own native hills.
But others sleep, we mourn with pride where brave they fell
On stormy battle plain, or savage mountain side
Or where the wounded crept into some lonely dell
Where friendly fountains let them drink their crystal tide.
Leris,* chivalric, gallant and gay
Who rushed to battle as to a play,
Met death as he would a bride
By dark Warwick's crimson tide.
4 Henry Lewis, of Clarendon, at the age of 22, was killed in battiv at Savage Station, June 29, 1362.
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Bravo Holden's* battles all are o'er ; He'll mount tbe war-steed nevermore, He sleeps in the vale of the Shenandoah Whose waves will sing his requiem evermore Young Sumner,t too, met his doom Beneath dread war's dark tide And, borne to his mountain home, Sleeps by his kindred's side. Shippey # swift hunter of the the wild, Stern nature's free and reckless child, No more for him the shaggy bear Will tremble in his mountain lair. Srerance,!] by Potomac's winding shore Will shout freedom's battle-cry no more ; For his country his young life he gave, In youth's fair morn, he sleeps with the brave. Munroe.} who won a soldier's fame On Gettysburg's red field of flame, Found a valiant soldier's grave 'Neath old Jaines' historic wave
'Near the father of waters as it rolls to the sea, In death's eternal repose, sleep Daniel and Gee. Where'er the Union flag, borne by loyal hands, Encircled by the brave Green Mountain bands, Wave'd o'er the battle's sulphurous cloud, And the rebel rag before its glory bowed ; When the red artillery flashed along the plain And charging squadrons trampled o'er the slain, And the deadly rifle's ringing echoes rolled As the bayonet pierced the battle's murky fold, And above the battle's din, clear, loud and high, Rose the Green Mountain Boy's cheering battle-cry As dashing on they charged o'er the fallen, "Remember old Vermont and Ethan Allen." And the rebel host from victory, fed And left the field with carnage red, There sleep Clarendon's gallant dead- The battle sod their eternal bed.
* Jas. B. Holden, a member of the Vt. Cavalry, died of wounds received in action near Winchester, May 26, 1862, at the age of 24.
t Reuben A. Sumner, of Clarendon, died in Virginia, July 13, 1864, in the campaign of the Wilderness, and was brought to Vermont and buried by the side of his father and sister in Shrewsbury.
Azro A. Shippey, a noted hunter, at the age of 40, enlisted in the 2d Sharp Shooters. He and two of his Bons died in the service.
/ Life A. Severance, sou of Abijah Severance of Clar- endon ; enlisted Oct. 2, 1861, in Co. F, 6th Reg. Vt. Vols., in which company he faithfully served until sickness compelled him to leave the army at Harrison's Land- ing, Va., soon after the seven days' fight in front of Richmond. He died at Hammond General Hospital, Point Lookout, Md., of typhoid fever, Ang. 22. 1502, aged 20 years. Hle was one that enlisted, not for money, but through the impulse of patriotic duty ; and a comrade who served by his side through the cam- paign says that " he never shrank from any duty, how- ever painful."
¿ Ira C. Munroe, at the age of 18, enlisted in Vt. Cavalry, Sept. 20, 1561, and distinguished himself as a brave soldier in the many conflicts in which that renowned regiment was engaged, until he was drowned in Jumes River, May 16, 1864.
TOWN CLERKS.
Stephen Arnold was the first town clerk. The date of his election is not preserved. His first record is in 1778. He was contin- ued in office till 1799. John Hills, Mar. 27, 1799; Randall Rice, Mar. 4, 1813; Seba French, Mar. 2, 1814 ; Silas W. Hodges, Mar. 2, 1819; Daniel S. Ewing, Mar. 1, 1831 ; Joseph A. Hayes, Mar. 6, 1838, died Aug. 14, 1844; Fhiletus Clark, Aug. 21, 1844; William G. Crossman, Mar. 2, 1847; Lewis M. Walker, Mar. 7, 1848; Hannibal Hodges, Mar. 2, 1852; Lewis M. Walker, Mar. 3, ~ 1857; William T. Herrick, Mar. 1, 1864.
STATE SENATORS.
1844-45, Frederick Button ; 1856-57, John L. Marsh.
DELEGATES FROM CLARENDON.
July, 1776, to Dorset Convention, Thomas Brayton; June, 1777, to Windsor Conven- tion, Benjamin Spencer.
TOWN REPRESENTATIVES.
1778, Abner Lewis; 1779, Nebediah An- gel and Ezekiel Clark; 1780, Joseph Smith, Elisha Smith; 1781, Joseph Smith, Lewis Walker ; 1782, Elisha Smith, Increase Mose- ly ; 1783, Joseph Smith, Thaddeus Curtis ; 1784, '85, '86, '87, '88, Daniel Marsh ; 1734, Abel Cooper ; 1789, '90, Elisha Smith; 1791, '92, '93, '96, '97, Abel Spencer ; 1794, Abel Cooper; 1795, 198 to 1804, Theophilus Har- rington ; 1804, '05, Daniel Dyer; 1806, '07, James Harrington ; 1808, '09, Eleazer Flagg ; 1810, '11, '12, Thomas Stewart; 1813, '14, Seba French; 1815, Daniel Turkham ; 1816, Thomas Stewart; 1817, '18, Horatio Beal ; 1819, to '23, Henry Hodges; 1823, Len- sey Round; 1824, '25, Silas W. Hodges ; 1826, Thomas Stewart; 1827, '28, Oziel H. Round; 1829, Frederick Button ; 1830, Len- sey Round ; 1831, '32, Lewis Walker; 1833, Daniel S. Ewing; 1834, A. F. Campbell ; 1835, Chapman Giddings ; 1836, Jonathan W. Shaw ; 1837, '41, Enoch Smith ; 1833, 39, '40, Joseph A. Hayes ; 1812, '43, Philip Briggs; 1814, '46, Franklin Billings; 1845, (no choice); 1847, '53, Walter Ross; 1848, Calvin Spencer; 1849, Green Arnold; 1850, 51, Joseph Congden : 1852, Thomas Steward ; 1864, '55, William D. Marsh: 1556, Horace Kingsley; 1857, '58, Lewis M. Walker ; - 1859, '60, Lensey Round, jr .; 1861, '62, Han- nibal Hodges; 1803, Nathan J. Smith ; 1864,
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'65, Lensey Round, jr .; 1866, '67, Porter Benson ; 1863, '69, William W. Walker.
Of the above, Increase Mosely in 1782, Abel Spencer in 1797 and Theophilus Har. rington in 1803, were Speakers of the House.
1
Increase Mosely was a judge of the su- preme court in 1734, and president of the first Council of Censors in 1736.
Theophilus Harrington was a judge of the supreme court from 1803 to 1813-10 years.
CLARENDON CHURCH HISTORY.
BY REV. WM. T. HERRICK.
Many of the early inhabitants of Clar- endon were Baptists from R. I .; and at an early day, say 90 years ago,
A BAPTIST CHURCH
was formed in the east part of the town, and another in the west part. Elder Isaac Beals, Baptist, was the first settled minister in town. About 1800, a meeting house was built near the south Flat ; and Elder William Harring- ton, a brother of Judge Theophilus, was set- tled over the church worshiping in it. This house disappeared several years since ; and both the early Baptist churches have gone to decay, and ceased to exist. A Methodist church has superceded that in the west part of the town, and a Congregational one that in the east part.
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THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
was organized, Feb. 18, 1822, by Rev. Hen- ry Hunter, who was its first pastor, and was dismissed in October, 1827. The original members were 9, of whom 2 are still resident members, and another is living in a neigh- boring town. Dea. Frederick Button is one of these. After the dismission of Rev. H. Hunter, during whose ministry the church was much enlarged, Rev. N. Hurd supplied for a time, and Rev. Philetus Clark several years from 1830.
The next pastor was Rev. Horatio Flagz, settled Jan. 29, 1835, and dismissed Nov. 15, 1836. The church was supplied about 6 years from Jan. 1837, by Rev. S. Williams. whose wife died in Clarendon. Then, some 2 years or less, by Rev. S. P. Giddings, in 1814 and 1845.
Rev. Ezra Jones supplied in 1846, and for several years after. From the beginning of 1851, Rev. J. B. Clark supplied 6 years ; Rev. Moses G. Grosvenor 4 years from the spring of 1857. Rev. William T. Herrick was installed pastor, May 6, 1863 ; his minis-
try having commenced in 1861, May 1. He is the present pastor (1870.)
The meeting house of the Congregational society is a substantial brick house, erected in 1824. In 1860, it was thoroughly rebuilt inside, and very neatly finished. It had no bell till 1869, when a good one, weighing over 800 pounds, was placed in its belfry.
For 40 years or more, the number of mem- bers in the church has varied from 50 to 75. [ The Mss. of Mr. Spofford continued.]
UNIVERSALIST CHURCH.
A Universalist society was organized in town about the year 1835, and a neat com- modius brick meeting-house erected at the North Flats.
Rev. Charles Hews was the first settled minister and preached several years. Rev. Charles Woodhouse, and Rev. Samuel C. Loveland were settled ministers here at dif- ferent times until about 1853; after which the pulpit was occupied occasionally by preachers from abroad for a few years, until the society becoming weak in numbers by death and removals, preaching entirely ceased and now only when disturbed by the wind and storin through the roof, rent by the great tempest of 1869, silence reigns un- broken within those walls which in other years so often cchoed the words of the good and learned father Loveland and the able and eloquent Hews as they proclaimed the boundless love of the all father Gol.
ELIPHALET SPOFFORD
was born in Temple, N. H., in 1773. He set- tled in the N. E. corner of Clarendon when it was nearly a wilderness, cleared a small tract of land, and built him a house with his own hands in which he raised a family of 11 children. He died in 1860, aged 87, respect- ed by those who knew him as an honest man. He was a descendant of John Spof- ford, one of the first settlers of Rowley, Mass., in 1638, and of whom the following anecdote is told: During his residence at Rowley, a drought was followed by a great scarcity of food, and he repaired to Salem to purchase corn for himself and neighbors. The mer- chant to whom he applied, foreseeing a greater scarcity and higher prices, refused to open his store to supply his wants. Having pleaded the necessities of himself and others in vain, he cursed him to his face ; but on being immediately taken before a magistrate,
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charged with profane swearing, he replied that he had not cursed profanely, but as a religious duty, and quoted Prov. xi. 26 as his authority, "He that witholdeth corn from the hungry, the people shall curse him." He was immediately acquitted, and by the summary power of the courts in those days, the merchant was ordered to deliver him as much corn as he wished to pay for.
He was a direct descendant of that Saxon family which occupied Spofford castle one of the most ancient in England, at the time of the conquest. And the following, though coming down from the Norman Conquerers, commemorates the name, and gives a lively picture of the songs and revelry, which once ran through the ancient castles and halls of the Spofford family in England.
" Lord Percy made a solemn feast In Spofford's princely hall-
And there came lords and there came knights, His chiefs and barons all.
" With wassail, mirth and revelry, The castle rung around ; Lord Percy called for sung and harp, And pipes of martial sound.
"" The minstrels of that noble house All clad in robes of blue
With silver crescents on their arms Attend in order due.
" The great achievements of that race They sung, their high command How valiant Manfred o'er the seas First led his Northman band.
"Brave Galfrid next, of Normandy, With veut'rous Rollo came And trom his Norman castle won, Assumed the Percy name.
." They sung how in the conqueror's fleet Lord William shipped his powers,
And gained a fair young Saxon bride With all her lands and towers."
SILAS BOWEN, M. D .*
Dr. Silas Bowen was born in Woodstock, Ct., Sept. 6, 1774, of strictly Puritan ancestry. He studied his profession (medicine and sur- gery) in the State of New York, an I, in the autumn of 1799, settled in Reading, Vt. At that time the town was very sparsely settled, and many of the roads were only bridle-paths in summer, and, in winter, after a heavy fall of snow, could only be traversed on foot, with the aid of " rackets" or Indian snow- shoes. Of course his life was a very labori- ous one, as his circuit of practice extended over quite a tract of country ; and he was the only person in the immediate vicinity
prepared to perform what were called "capi- tal operations." Still he was more celebrat- ed for saving the limbs of his patients, after severe injuries than for removing them. In September, 1803, he was married to Miss Chandler, a lady of rare equanimity of temper, excellent judgment and great charity in the best sense of the word.
As a physician, Dr. Bowen was kind, sym- pathetic and attentive to his patients, a habit of close observation that noted everything, and an acute discrimination that prevented him from mistaking one disease from another, or misjudging the case before him. He was sure to win the love of children, even when the Doctor's name had been used by foolish mothers as a bugbear to govern them.
As a man, he was energetic, persevering, and thoroughly reliable in all his intercourse with his fellow men. His reading was ex . tensive, his general culture superior to most, and his judgment remarkably correct. Fully aware of the importance of at least some de- gree of intelligence in every voter who at- tended the polls, he used his utmost influence for the establishment of free schools within the reach of all, and with the best teachers that were available. Early in this century, with the help of others, he succeeded in establishing a Social Library in the town, and connected with it, for a time, was a debating club for young men. He also used his influence for the establishment of medical societies in the counties of the State with a library connected with each one.
He was a life-long advocate of the most rigid temperance, insisting that even wine, taken habitually, was evil in its effects on the animal economy, while in health. Sunday schools, bible, missionary, tract, colonization, peace and all other societies that had the best good of mankind in view, found in him a firm frien 1, advocate and contributor. In the church he was always ready to contribute to the extent of his ability, and always insisted upon the utmost liberality of opinion to all. In Oct., 1822, he left Reading and settled in Claren- don, being induced to do so by milder winters, and a less hilly region of country, which would make his practice less laborious in the decline of life. In August, 1857, he went on a visit to his son, who was settled in No- braska City ; was there taken sick, and die i on the 16th of Sept., in a calm and assured hope of a joyful resurrection beyond the grave.
* Received from Mrs. Wm. L. Marsh, daughter of Dr. Bowen; furuished by herself and a sister residing at Baltimore .- Ed.
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One son and four daughters survived Dr. Bowen. The oldest son, a physician practic- ing in Boston, Mass., died several years be- fore his father. The remaining son, with whom his father died, is a practicing physi- cian in Nebraska.
The Bowens were true to their country. The history of our late terrible struggle will bear ample testimony that his descendants, in this respect were worthy of their name and blood, for of the seven male descendants which he left, the son and five of the grandsons, all who had reached the age of 16 years, did good service on the field. The oldest grandson, a resident of Virginia, was compelled to leave there just at the outbreak of the war, simply because he was of New England birth. Im- mediately after the fall of Fort Sumpter, he offered his services to his country, was accept- ed, and did honorable service until the au- tumn of 1864, when he was severely injured by the bursting of a shell, and his general health becoming much impaired in conse- quence, he was honorably discharged for physical disability.
Dr. Bowen was buried with masonic honors, at Clarendon, May 20th, 1858, and the eulogy pronounced at his funeral by W. T. Nichols, Esq., of Rutland, was published by order of the Masonic fraternity at Rutland : Geo. A. Tuttle & Co., Printers, 1858.
FROM THE EULOGY BY MR. NICHOLS.
" Dr. Bowen's father was Dea. Henry Bow- en, and his mother's maiden name was Lydia Fowler. The family was Welsh in its origin. Its history extends backward till it becomes tradition. Dr. B.'s father was not rich, and it was not to be expected that with a family of twelve children to maintain, a man could hope to give them any better education than the common school. But Silas Bowen was born in too stirring times, and bred in too much want, though a boy, to sit quietly down in ignorance at home, or remain there, to in- cumber with his support, a father already overtaxed. At the age of sixteen, with the consent of his father, seconded by the en- couragement of his mother-with much ad- vice from the good old Connecticut parson- with ten dollars, the only money liis father ever gave him-with a scanty wardrobe of homespun, but with a stout and honest heart within him, he left home, to prepare and ed- ucate himself for a higher sphere of usefulness than that in which he was born. He had in his nature that self- reliance which feels con- scious that "where there is a will there is a wa He went from Conn. to Schodack,
N .... Var ande & found ·. clerk,
school teacher and student; that is to say, he posted books for a merchant named Ten Eyck, in the evening, taught school in the day time, and rising before day-break, studied mathe- matics and the languages preparatory to a morning recitation with a class of young men who were preparing for col ege under the tuition of the resident clergyman. He was actually preparing for college by study and recitation in the morning, maintaining him- self during the time by posting books in the evening and earning funds to carry him through the college course by teaching school in the day time.
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