The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1, Part 70

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 868

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 70

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As a war measure it was as unlike the stern message of Saul summoning Israel to the deliv- erance of Jabesh in Gilead, remembered with heroic gratitude when after a long life of m sfor- tune his kingly power was broken and himself in helpless death exposed to indecent insult ; or those measures by which in 1712 the French rol- led back the tide of invasion from their country shaking all Europe with fierce and uncontrolla- ble energy as the strait forwardness and digni- ficd simplicity of the past is sometimes found re- moved from the special finesse of the present.

In its operation it was demoralizing to the public sentiment and disliked by the army. In Vermont it would have been found necessary to draft the whole enrolled millitia before a num- ber sufficiently poor could have been found to meet the exigencies of the case. Thus operat- ing as a tax it was simply unjust.

Meantime the nine months men had return- ed; having had their general stolen at the out- set as much to their chagrin as grief they had wiped out at Gettysburg whatever of disgrace or ridicule had attached to their organization in steming the high tide of the rebellion which there culminated in Longstreet's furious onset. They had suffered from homesickness a disca-e, if such it may be called, which without any ap-

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parent cause often renders the soldier unfit for duty and is peculiar to the troops of New Eng- land as to those of Switzerland, and were now usually content to rest on their laurels without imperiling them farther on the uncertain haz- ards of war. Volunteering to which the govern- ment now had recourse had almost entirely ceas- ed but which to stimulate it in December 1863, proposed to revise the whole conscription act, a measure delayed until the following year by the prompt out novel and unprecedented action of the people.

Since the settlement of the country, bounties more or less liberal may have been paid to those entering the military service in times of public exigency, either by public or private munifi- cence. But a high public spirit or perhaps the general poverty had made thein moderate. The rights of the State to the services of its arms bearing citizens was never ignored or lost sight of, but often vigorously enforced. No system had hitherto been devised to screen those who from various circumstances in life might be dis- inclined voluntarily to serve their country in its hour of need; or who from their wealth or social position might hesitate to siuk their fortunes in these of the private soldier or to lure with mon- ey to the fields of pestilence and death the in- experienced children of eager poverty ; who ev- er bearing the burdens of the world upon their shoulders have in the days of war found it their peculiar vocation to handle the sword and the gun.

The legislature of Vermont had in the year 1862, authorized, perhaps unwittingly, the pay- ment by the towns of certain bounties paid to the nine months men and other volunteers of that year, which had at the time been paid by - private individuals and legalized the future payment of others in the future as necessity might require at discretion, which act virtually placed the entire property of the State at the disposal of an irresponsible portion of its citi- zens, who however frugal of money in other respects, were now disposed to use it without stint or scruple, so that the war which opened with the cry of the last dollar and the last man, now secmed likely to consume the last of the first, ere the first of the last should go.

The large and populous town of Rutland with a quota of 125, had fixed the price of vol- unteers at $ 500, leaving the adjoining towns to submit to a draft or follow its example, which last they did. Whether the sum was too large or too small, let those who have borne

the gun and knapsack under a southern sky, -a well as those who paid it, reply. But its : : a. ciple was unjust and its practice danger/ ... while it may be urged in its defence that : ) impress into the service the yeomanry of te country, would have been a serious derance. ment to its general business, it should be my- membered that military duty was a debt which they justly owed, and which others, either fm patriotic motives, or others sufficient to them- selves and acceptable to the public, had volunta- rily assumed, but which these first now chose to pay by adding themselves to the public burden.

That many voting their money, saw with pleasure a part of the accumulating and hoariei wealth of the country pass into the hands of' those who entered the southern Golgotha to maintain the indivisible unity of the republic may be true ; but that such sentiments did :of usually prevail, may be seen from the record of which that of the humble town we have been giving, may stand as a general exponent of the rest.

Some may have looked with silent or half suppressed scorn on the unquestioning patriot- ism that now had the direction of affairs as they saw the money saved by virtue, economy or parsimony, wasted by the young recruits in wan- toness or riot. A spirit of cheerfulness verz- ing on levity seemed to pervade all classes and conditions of life which, so far as real, often seems odious in reference to the stern scènes enacting, and never had the votaries of pleasure pursued it with greater assiduity, while the conflict seemed to reveal alike the vices and virtues of the people before dormant, and in business, a desire for speculation fostered by the inflation of the currency prevailed.

In the summer of 1864, the exemption clause in the conscription act being repealed, the heavy call for volunteers following had en- hanced their price to $ 500 and $ 1000, or up- wards for one and three years men. At Hub- bardton after some procrastination, a meeting was held in August to raise funds to fill the quota of the town, in which a resolution was offered from an obscure quarter, to the effect that the town pay to each person not exceeding 12 (the number which the town was eventually called on to furnish, as the sequel proved) vol- unteering in the service, furnishing a substitute or representative recruit, and each. drafted per- son for one year, $ 200 or $ 300 for two or three years.

This resolution would have passed un- noticed further than as an expression of seati-

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ment, had it not been thought to embody the views of some of the selectinen entrusted with the care of filling the quota, and as it liad a de cided squint toward throwing the responsibility of paying the enormous bounties now demanded by the scanty few willing to enlist upon the shoulders of those with whom and for whose benefit they were originated; it being the de- sign of the mover if actuated by any other than that of mere meddling, to induce the more pub- lic spirited and wealthy, or perhaps timid to furnish substitutes; and after separating these from the majority, as the war progressed, to compel the remaining to submit to the consti tutional requirements of the government. It was therefore peculiarly offensive to many, and to none more than to a certain politic deacon, not unlike one of Revolutionary memory, reveal- ed to Matt Lyon in the wilds of Jericho, who having been usually counted among the ex- empts, and appreciating the comforts of home, now found himself exposed to the draft, to bis own no small anxiety, as well as the amuse- ment of his neighbors, who taking up the reso- lution, dissected it in detail, remarking that the number of men which it proposed to raise were more than the quota, while the means were pro- portionally inadequate, upon which it was dis- missed, not without a latent suspicion that there was a bag of mischief in it.

It was briefly and caustically defended by its originator, who remarked that he offered it as a war measure to promote the best interest of the town from which no one had enlisted as a three years man, who owned an acre of land or a sheep within its borders, unless it were himself for which he might be excused. as he had but one sheep which he had recently found with one of its horns broken off.

It was then voted that the selectmen fill the quota of 6 at whatever cost, and to assess a tax of 100 cents on the dollar to meet the expense. After the meeting adjourned, a general ex change of views was made by several persons, and the mover of the resolution encountering his late opponent, the deacon, declared his in- tention of entering the invalid corps, offering for a consideration to go as his substitute ; to this gross affront the person addressed, replied with unexpected spirit, that if he was obliged to pro- cure a substitute, he would have a man for the front and not the rear, which he afterward with two others accordingly did, the selectmen obtaining the balance of the quota and also filling the next and last call.

"EARLY ROSE."

As the fabled palace of Aladdin was incom- plete without the roc's egg on the summit of :s dome, so would our annals be unfinished with- out some account of " Early Rose,' the last but not the least of modern liumbugs for whier t .. e place has been recently as noted as for its riz. ged roughness, and which since the Tulip.man. ia of Holland, has perhaps seldom been sur- passed as a speculative absurdity, how forces were lost that were never made, time cod space alike forbid. But we may ill forbear to mention how one hill of tubers (the seol of which purloined from a neighbor's garden, real- ized to the lucky -something over $ 700, paying off a mortage debt-one person taking eight potatoes, giving $ 400 cash but cot- ting his seed so fine it never grew. How an- other giving $ 25 for a tuber which might have been encircled by a lady's ring; bolling the entire product in his hand a year after, bestowed them on his hog, giving them as they went an Indian curse; how one half bushel derivei from some uncertain source, realized as rimor goes, to the possessor about $ 1, 00.

How Mr. A. in his peregrinations over the country found a couple of tubers of some un- known variety, the product of which (one peck) some were willing to accept as the mythical No. 4 of Bresees in their eagerness to secure that secret to wealth. The miller agreeing to furnish him with flour and giving him $5 in money for one; the black mith agreeing to shoe his horse 3 years for another Mr. J. tak- ing the rest to scatter through Massachusetts and Maine. Or how Mr. Bresee the originator and principal proprietor of this shadowy wealth enibraced in Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 ke., fast nailing c? his treasures against all prymg or curious eyes, left them in the care of his sharper-witted Argus eyed sister to defend from the intrusion of all luckless adventurers, coming from places more or less remote to buy or banter at bis domicil, or ' prospect' on the adjacent potato- fields, each of whom not paying his $ 50 might say almost in the words of the discorsolate Englishman in an old ballad.

She kept a stir in tower and trench That boisterous bawling scottish wench, Came I early came I late, I found black Agnes at the gate,

And lastly how this king of potatoes in h:3 great, but unintentional merey on mazzini turning a deaf ear to the proposals of all pur- chasers, sent them out of the State-away from thieves and thievery-sixty-seven buenes,

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which taking what an article may bring in money as the measure of its value, were worth about $ 18,000 or $ 20,000 to be increased fifty or an hundred fold by multiplying the seed in another crop. Since which little or nothing has been heard of the No. 4. A few months since, I was told privately, that $ 900 were paid for raising the crop and $ 64 received from its product. So that all parties interested in the above, may safely conclude they are non est as the lawyers say, or like Tom Jones' coon, of un- happy memory, some where safely up a tree.

The following lines may fittingly close our account of this singular mania.

EARLY ROSE POTATOES.

Written and sung by MRS. A. E. STANLEY, at the fes- tival at Leicester, November 24th.

There was a man I once did know, And he was wondrous wise, He raised potatoes very fine. And dug out all their eyes; And these he sold for piles of gold, For so the story goes, He gave a blessing on them all, And called them " Early Rose."

And such a time as men did have To watch them night and day, I vow ! before I'd have such work I'd throw myself away.

So men, they traveled day and night, Without regard to health,

To bey or borrow, buy or steal, This secret to princely wealth,

And very lucky was that chap, For so the story goes,

Who in his travels could obtain A peck of " Early Rose." Oh ! so excited did men get, They worried night and day

I vowi before I'd have such work, I'd throw myself away.

Talk to a man of " blooded sheep." You tread upon his toes ;

Now, really, friend, 'twill do for you, But I raise "Early Rose." " What if your plans should fail," I said; " They may, dear Sir, who knows?

You may not get so mighty rich At last, as you suppose." The way that man did tlounce and rave, It was a grand display ; I really feared, in spite of me He'd throw himself away.

One man, by witchcraft yet unknown, Obtained a " Number Four,"

And when men asked to see the sight, He pointed to the door. I feared his reason was nigh fled, So wildly glared his eyes ; No miser ever watched his gold With vigilance more wise.

And such a time as that man had To watch both night and day ;

I swow I before I'd have such work, I'd throw myself away.

Soon every man grew wondrous sly, And thought but of himself ; Religion, order, law and right, Were " laid upon the shelf." At length the panic grew so great That all were bound to win ; So, deacons, doctors, priests and all, With one accord " pitched in,"

And such a time you never saw On earth, by night or day ; I golly ! 'twas all that I could do To keep out of the way.

At length their feeble, faltering steps Showed labor all in vain; The Doctors shook their heads, And said : "' Potato on the brain,'

The patient must be quiet kept," For so the story goes,

" And ne'er allow his mind to dwell Again on ' Early Rose'"

So nicely humbugged folks did get, I langhed both night and day,

To think that men of common sense Should throw theniselves away !

ECCLESIASTICAL AND RELIGIOUS

For this chapter we are chiefly indebted to our aged chronieler, now deceased, whom we copy literally, so far as possible.

The first ministers of the Gospel were itinerants. In May, 1784, Mr. Wood, a separate preacher, visited the place on foot, holding meetings in the several houses of the place, every day dur- ing the two weeks that he stayed. This was the first preaching in town. A revival f llow- ed, and meetings were now regularly kept up, with preaching occasionally. In March, 1785, Elder Joseph Cornal of Manchester, came here and preached a number of times, baptizing 9 per- sons, who, with three others who were members of a Baptist church in Connecticut, were declar- ed a branch of the Manchester Church.

The next May Nehemiah Dodge, a licentiate, was engaged to preachi here 3 months. The meetings were usually held in a log-barn, with a general attendance of the people.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

was constituted in May, 1785, by Rev. Eleazer Harwood of Pittsford, consisting of 11 persons. churches met together for some years ient. In the spring of 1786

a scuvv. built, where meetings were held until December, 1787, when the people turned out and built a log- meeting-house, large and well supplied with benches and seats for

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singers on the sides, and at one end a platform, with a sort of desk for the preacher; at the oth- er a wide stone back for a fire-place, and a plast- ered chimney of sticks to carry off the smoke. This was the first meeting-house where the wor- ship of God was regularly attended, and whether they had preaching or not, said Mr Churchill. The people felt a duty and obligation resting upon them to sustain the public worship of God, by prayer, reading the Scriptures or exhortatiou. A sermon was usually read with singing in the old fashioned way, line by line, when books were scarce and all could who would join in the sa- cred songs.

The roads, where there were any, were new and bad, and no wagons, for summer, nor sleighis for winter were yet introduced here.

Men and and boys walked. Sometimes a man and wife rode together on horseback ; any law. ful way was adopted to get to meeting even on an ox sled or tom-pung. The people highly prized the privilege of meeting together. and family worship and catechising of children was regularly attended to. The Bible, psalm book and catechism formed the greater part of their library and the conversations of the ministers, when they called, was mostly on things spiritual and divine.

In October and November, previous to build- ing the house above named, there had been a revival; ten uniting with the Baptist and sev eral with the Congregational church. Elder Joseph Cornal, Thomas Skeel of Ira, Isaac Beal of Clarendon.and Eleazer Harwood, of Pittsford, visited the town frequently, holding meetings daily during their stay. In January, 1788, the people moved Nathaniel Culver into the place, having previously built for him a log house. Ile had settled on the west side of Castleton Pond, far away from any inhabitants and was there taken down with rhumatism, and was helpless for a number of months. As soon as he was able they gave him the lead of their meetings-licens- ing him to preach, he and his wife uniting with the Baptist church, making 24 inem bers. They now had regular preaching until 1796 .*

About that year, a town house was built near the centre of the town, not far from. and south of the residence of the late Isaac Russegue, in which the Congregationalists held their meet- ings until 1818.

Their first settled minister was Ithamer Hib- bard, in 1798. (His Biography is given else- where.) Ile continued until his death, March

2. 1802. During his ministry a revival occured, long remembered as Hibbard's revival.

Since that time the church has usually main- tained preaching and sustained its organization, but sometimes with difficulty for some years numbering but three male members. After 1802 the pulpit was filled until 1819, by Rev. John Ransom, and Samuel Cheever for the great- er portion of the time. In 1818, the church er- ected a meeting-house some three fourths of a mile from the present building on the road to East Hubbardton. As associated with the dim recollections of my earlier childhood, this house with its interior except the high pulpit opposite the enterance unpainted itslarge galleries ex- tending on three sides, its high square box pews with seats on each side and the stove raised on a platform even with the top of the pews in the centre of all was, to my opening eyes, a sort of architectural wonder as it would be to many now.

It was burnt in January, 1837. The only satisfactory explanation of the occurrence was that given by a little imp who said the people need not puzzle themselves about the fire, for his uncle Don to whom the attendance at church had been some sort of annoyance, had wished it burned long ago. Certain it is that the person named lived and died with that sus- picion resting upon him. The fire when dis- covered seemed to have originated and was wholly on the outside of the building. The present house was built in 1838. I here ap- pend the names of the several ministers of the church and time of service. 1819 to 1823, Sherman Kellogg; 1823 to 122%, no settled pastor; 1828 to 1834, Horatio Flagg; '34 to '37, no settled pastor. In that year, Win. C. Dennison a young, energetic and pious man, came and was settled over the church.

He continued until the close of the year 1842. His ministry was usually acceptable, but express- ing views more liberal than those held by some of the more influential members of the church on some abstruse points of theology, differences arose and his health failing he sought and found a more congenial settlement in the far West and the prosperity and welfare of the church seemed to depart in his footsteps. It nt that time num- bered 100 or more members and continued to maintain the form, of public worship, but a blight came, I know not why it came but it came, with- ering and deadening. A Mr. Cady filled the pulpit for a few months and was succeeded by Rev. Stephen Williams-1843 to '45 ; 1846 Mr.

* Elder Culver preached till 1872.

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Kent ; 1847 to '52 Samuel Thrall; 1853 to '55 Rev. Mr. Swift; 1856 to '60 Azariah Hyde ; 1862 to '64 Rev. Mr. Steele. In the autumn of that year Rev. Calvin Granger was settled over the church and continues until the present time (1870). He found it in a very low and depress- ed state, but by long, faithful and persistent la. bor and outside circumstances favoring, a favor- able and decided change has occured in its con- dition and prospects. The society now sus- tains the only regular meeting in the town.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH.

In June, 1798, Elder Nathan Dana came and was settled as the first permanent minister, but Mr. Hibbard coming about the same time, the two churches divided the ministerial land equit- ably, each taking a lot. The Baptist Society bought a farm for Elder Dana, costing $ 1000. and put him in immediate posession on coming into the place. In the year 1800. they built a frame-meeting-house 30 by 40 feet. Elder Da- na continued until 1816, with the exception of one year, 1808, a year of revival in which the pulpit was filled by Elder Dyer Stark.

Since that time, the church has changed min- isters often, the longest term of any prior to 1853, being 5} years. In 1854, thie meeting-house which had become much dilapidated with age, was thoroughly repaired at an expense of $ 850, by the contributions of a few individuals. About the same time or a little earlier elder Barna Al- len who had filled the pulpit some years previ- ous, returned and was settled over the church of which he continued in charge until the time of his death November, 1867.

He was a man of limited education but dur- ing the more than thirty years of his ministerial labors, protracted considerably beyond the allot- ted period of life, he often in adverse circumstan- ces maintained throughout, the character of an earnest, pious and consistent believer of the re. ligion lie preached. Since his death the church has been destitute of any pastor. Previous to March, 1855, it had received into fellowship 385 members ; present number 50 and very much scattered. It has produced two elders, licensed two others, ordained four and had at that time a Missionary, Bible, Tract and Sabbath school so ciety, and had uniformly represented itself in the Association. But it never was large, numbering at no time more than 100 meinbors.

" The changes that have taken place in the vicinity for many years have been uniformly to its disadvantage, and now but few take an interest in its welfare :

The children have left the place almost by colonies, the fathers and mothers have gone the way of all the earth, and the ways of their Z.on mourn."

MY ROSE FOR THEE. BY NANCIE W. BARBER.

I plucked a beauteous rose, From off its parent tree, And treasured it with miser care, Dear Harriet, for thee.

Its blushes and perfume To me were passing fair, And often with delight I gazed Upon its beauty rare.

Methought 'twould give delight To her I love so well, And in her sad and lonely hour A tale of friendship tell.

But Ah ! the flower was changed- My pleasant hopes decayed ;

A blight crept o'er the lovely leaves - My cherished rose was dead 1

In sorrow there I saw Our own sad picture drawn ; 'Tis but a train of hopes and fears, And human life is gone.

East Hubbardton.

IRA.

A post town in the central part of Rutland County, is in lat. 43º 33', and long. 3º 55', and is bounded east by Rutland and Claren- don, south by Tinmouth, south-west by Mid- dletown, and west by Poultney and Castleton. It is of a triangular form, running to a point towards the north. This township is consid- erably mountainous. Bird's Mountain in the north part is high and abrupt. Ira brook rises in the south part, runs north- easterly and joins Furnace brook in Claren- don. Castleton river crosses the township In a westerly direction. Mill privileges not very good. There are in town two saw-mills and one tavern; population, 430 .- Thomp- son's Gazetteer, 1842.

RECORDS FROM THE TOWN CLERK.

Miss. Hemenway: - I forward you some minutes I had taken from the records in my office, by request of Elijah Ross, who wrote me that he would be at my house at such a date and that was the last I heard from him on the subject. *

BRADLEY FISH.

*As early as 1862. we, with Miss Fanny Clark, cur lady assistant at Middletown, visited Mr. Ross, at his home in Middletown village, who had expressed himself

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The town was organized May 31st. 1779. Isaac Clark first town clerk.

TOWN CLERKS.

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The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1, Part 70

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 868