USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2 > Part 21
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" He was the first missionary to the Old World we had ever seen. Jerusalem, the place of his destination, was among our dreams, save when we read of it in the Bible; and then alone it assumed reality. After a modest look over his audience, as if to rally from the ex- citement of the moment, he opened and read from the Acts of the Apostles the following words : 'And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there :' which he announced as his text. At this moment many who had not been accustomed to weep gave utterance to their emotion by the falling tear. Another look upon the almost breathless audience, and the young missionary, with a tremulons voice, broke the silence in the following words, or nearly : 'O Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! what evil betides thee, that we are this day to sever the tenderest ties which bind us to our country and our kindred, and go to thy relief?'
" At this opening of the sermon. old and young began to bend towards Jerusalem, and all saw and felt that the city over which the Saviour wept, and the people who inhabited the old Desolations, were needing the help which the young missionary was set apart to render them. Speaking of the uncertainty of his mission,-referred to by St. Paul. and con- tained in the last clause of the text : 'not know- ing the things that shall befall me there.'-he said, pointing to the tavern across the way : ' In front of yonder house hangs a sign inviting the weary traveler to its hospitalities and safe repose ; but Jerusalem is without promise of hospitality or protection.'"
He sailed for Smyrna Nov. 3, 1819, and ar- rived there Jan. 15, 1820. On the island of Smyrna and Scio he labored as a missionary nearly a year, and then sailed for Jerusalem, where he arrived Feb. 12, 1821. Here he re- mained about 3 months, occupied mainly in making arrangements for a permanent mission- ary establisment. He then returned to Smyr- na, encountering on the way many perils by sea and land.
It now appeared thut disease had taken such strong hold of his constitution, as to ren- der it necessary to give immediate attention to his health. By advice of a physician he took a voyage to Egypt, but without benefit ; and, after lingering some mouths, he died of con. sumption at Alexandria, Feb. 11. 1822.
Mr. Parson's mind was not one of great pow- er or brilliancy, but his judgment was sound, and his faculties well balanced; and he was
PITTSFORD.
not only an acceptable preacher, but a great | this section of country did not begin to be gen- favorite in the churches which he visited. This resulted not from the intellectual ability, origin- ality of thought, or cultivated taste displayed in his sermons, but rather from a plain, simple, judicious presentation of the truth, with ten- derness, gentleness and love.
His only publication was "The Dereliction and Restoration of the Jews: a sermon preach- ed in Pearl Street Church, Boston, October 31, 1819, just before the departure of the Palestine Mission." pp. 39. His memoirs, by his broth- er-in-law, Daniel O. Morton, (M. C., 1812,) were published in 1824, by Smith & Shute of Poult- ney, Vt., in a duodecimo volume of 431 pages. The poet Brainard wrote a tribute to his mem- ory, commencing-
Green as Machpelah's honoured field, Where Jacob and where Leah lie, Where Sharon's shrubs their roses yield, And Carmel's branches wave on high ; So honored, so adorned, so green, Young martyr ! shall thy grave be seen.
PITTSFORD .*
BY A. M. CAVERLY.
Pittsford occupies a position a little north of the centre of Rutland county, and is bounded N. by Brandon, E. by Chittenden, S. by Rut- land, and W. by Hubbardton and Ira. The principal river is Otter Creek, which passes through the centre of the township, receiving in its course several tributaries, the most im- portant of which are Furnace Brook on the east, and Stevens' Brook on the west.
The valley of the Otter Creek-probably av- eraging about a mile in width, is comparatively level and exceedingly productive; while the easterly and westerly portions of the town are hilly, less fertile but profitable grazing lands.
The earliest exploration by the white race of any part of the territory now included in Pittsford, so far as can be ascertained, was in the year 1730, an account of which is contain- ed in a diary of a journey from Fort Dummer to Lake Champlain, performed by a certain James Cross : but no important discoveries ap- pear to have been made. Again in 1748 C'apt. Eleazer Melven of Concord, Mass., with 18 men under his command, passed through this terri- tory on a tour of observation, and the journal of his march was afterwards published. But
erally known, till the commencement of the French war, when began a series of operations which were destined to change its whole phys- ical aspect, and to bring in a race of men upon whom were stamped the marks of civil zation. At that time the colonies of New England were separated from the French by the belt of' wil- derness, now the State of Vermont, and during the ensuing struggle this was frequently pass- ed through by military expeditions to the lakes and Canada, and consquently became pretty well known.
In 1759 General Amherst projected the con- struction of a military road from No. IV .. (now7 Charlestown), on the Connecticut River. to Crown Point. This was for the purpose of transporting troops and baggage from Charles- town, it being the rendezvous for men enlisted in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Th's road, commenced in this, and completed the following year, passed through what is now the township of Pittsford. During this war the New England soldiers engaged in it had a favorable opportunity to become acquainted with the country in the vicinity of this and other mili- tary routes. Among these soldiers were many young men so charmed with the valley of the Otter Creek, that they resolved to make it their future abode.
These lands were claimed by New Hamp- shire, and had been promised to the soldiers as a reward for their meritorious services in con- quering the country from the French. But ro sooner was peace restored by the conquest of Canada in 1760, than a great crowd of advent- urers and speculators made application for them. Benning Wentworth, then governor of New Hampshire. thinking this a favorable op- portunity for filling his coffers with the fees. continued to make grants of these lands; and so rapidly were the surveys extended, that in 1761 no less than 60 townships were granted on the west. and 18 on the east side of the Connecticut River.
Pittsford was granted Oct. 12, 1761, to Eph- raim Doolittle and 63 others, and the charter was in the usual form of charters granted by New Hampshire. A branch of the old Crown Point or milltary road, in its passage through the town, crossed Otter Creek near the mouth of Stevens' Brook; and this being cons dered the best fording. place in the Creek, was called Pitt's Ford, in honor of William Pitt, then prime minister of England, and so popular in the American colonies ; and when the town
* The materials for this sketch have been taken from the "History of Pittsford," now in manuscript, but soon to be published.
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was chartered it was called PITTSFORD, from this its principal ford.
Of the grantees but little is known. The most of them were residents of Massachusetts, though a few from New Hampshire joined them to make the requisite number (64) to ob. tain a charter of a township; but none of them ever had a permanent residence within its bounds. The most active and influential was Col. Ephraim Doolittle, who probably did more than any other person to effect the settlement of the town. He was a resident of Worcester, Mass., and on the breaking out of the French war received a captain's commission, and enter- ed the service of the colonies-was with Gen. Amherst at the taking of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, in 1759; and it is said that he assisted Gen. Stark in opening and completing the military road from Crown Point to Otter Creek. After the Revolutionary war he settled in Shoreham, Vt., and died there in 1807.
The grantees, by the payment of a small sum, had secured to them, as they supposed, the title to a tract of land which, they doubted not, would be eagerly sought by a class of men who wished to make for themselves permanent homes in a new country. But unforeseen events prevented the immediate realization of their cherished hopes. It was soon found that another claim hung over this territory, and that the validity of their title depended upon con- tingencies too uncertain to command the confi- dence of thoughtful men. A controversy had commenced between New York and New Hampshire respecting their division line, and, until this was settled, claimants under grants from the latter could not be certain that their claims would be respected. And it was not till the promulgation of the king's order in council of April 11, 1767, which was construed to favor the claims of New Hampshire, that men were found willing to invest their proper- ty in this newly granted township.
As the records of the proprietors for the first ten years are lost. we have no means of know. ing when they organized, or who were the first officers ; but it is known that at a very early period they proceeded to carry out the provis- ions of the charter. The township was survey- ed, and the public lots located, and we are told that Gov. Wentworth, in the location of his 500 acre lot, was made the dupe of' a little sharp practice. Col. Doolittle drew a plan of the town, and in the S. E. part placed the rep- resentation of a stream of water, and the only one on the plan. This he carried to Portsmouth
and laid before the Governor ; and being asked what stream was there represented, replied, East Creek. His Excellency supposing it to be Otter Creek, and knowing that the lands upon this stream were of the best quality, said that he would have his lot in the S. E. part of the township-and here it was surveyed off to him and marked "B W" on the plan. Some time after this he had the exquisite pleasure of find- ing that East Creek was not Otter Creek, but a small stream running through the poorest part of the town.
The first condition of the charter, requiring "every grantee to plant and cultivate five acres of land within the term of five years. for every fifty acres contained in his or their share, " &c., was not fulfilled: and how this was got along with we are not informed ; but we may sup- pose that in consideration of the conflicting claims to this territory, and the generally un- settled condition of public affairs, His Excel- lency exercised unbounded compassion towards his " loving subjects." The town being divided into 70 shares, the proportion of land for each grantee was a little more than 300 acres. The lots when laid out in divisions as they usually were consisted of 110 acres-the 10 acres being allowed for roads-and each grantee or propri- etor had the privilege of pitching his lot where he chose, provided he did not interfere with any other claim.
It would appear from the records, that for a time the grantees carried on quite a traffic in the town rights or shares, and at one period Col. Doolittle owned nearly one third of the town; but it was not till 1765 that a righit was sold to an actual settler, and he (Samuel Wa- ters) did not become a resident here till 7 years later. In 1769 Gideon Cooley bought of Eph- raim Doolittle one right in the township, with the intention of making his future home here. He was the son of Benjamin Cooley, who was born in 1702-married Betsey -, and locat- ed in Greenwich, Mass., where were born to him by this marriage three daughters and one son. His wife Betsey died about the year 1745, and the following year he married Mary, who was born in 1725. The children by this marriage were, 1, Benjamin, born April 30, 1747 ; 2, Reuben, born April 25, 1752 : 3 and 4, Azariah and Naomi, (twins) born July 26, 1753; 5, Margaret, born Nov. 13, 1757 ; 6, Caleb.
GIDEON COOLEY
Was the son of Benjamin, by his first wife, and was born about the year 1737, and at the com-
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mencement of the French war enlisted as a [ only vestige of it now remaining, is a small ex- soldier in the service of his country, and was cavation in the ground, which once constituted the cellar. assigned to the company commanded by Capt. Ephraim Doolittle, and several times during that contest passed through this region of coun- try on military expeditions, and every time he came in sight of the valley of the Otter Creek, we are told, he expressed his highest admira- tion of it. At the expiration of 3 years' ser- vice he received his discharge, and on returning from the Lakes, when he had arrived near the Creek, he followed the old path up the west side of it, till he reached the high bluff a few rods west of the present Gorham bridge, and stand- ing there he remarked to a comrade, "That" -pointing to the broad expanse below-" is the place for me." But he returned to Green- wich, married Elizabeth Osborn of that town, in October, 1758, and resided there till the fall rof 1768, when he came to Pittsford to make a more thorough exploration of the country which had so long flittered before his mental vision. By a more critical examination of the land in the vicinity of the Falls, he discovered some . 75 acres on the east side of the Creek, and jut- ting towards the Falls on the west, and the highlands on the east, covered with shallow water retained there by a dam which had been constructed by beavers, and was convinced that by cutting this dam and draining the land, he
might soon have a fruitful field. This to him was a coveted spot, and he applied to his friend, Captain Doolittle, for a deed of this land. The Captain having a large interest in the township, and being anxious to effect its settlement, prom- ised him one right of land as a gift, on the con- dition that he would occupy and improve it, and gave him the privilege of making his own pitch.
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Being encouraged by such assurances, in the spring of 1769, with a package of provisions, an axe, shovel, hoe, and a few seeds, and ac- companied by his younger brother Benjamin, he set out on horseback, to make for himself and family a future home in the wilderness. Arriving here, after making for themselves a rude shelter, they commenced a clearing, and in a short time had their seed in the ground, and then they began the construction of a log- house. In this they paid but little attention to the rules of architecture, but gave to it such shape and proportions as appeared to them the best adapted to their more urgent necessities. This house stood abont 15 rods northeast of the house now owned by Bassett Loveland, and on the east side of the present highway ; but the
With the exception of several short trips to Bennington to procure the necessaries of life, and one or two visits to Greenwich, they spent the summer here, enlarging their clearing, com- pleting the house, and making such general ar- rangements as would enable them to spend the winter here comfortably. Having gathered the most important part of their crops early in Oc- tober, Gideon went to Greenwich for his family. " After the delay of a few days there, procuring an extra horse for the occasion, with his wife and 5 children, he set out for his new home. Their scanty furniture and domestic utensils were packed in sacks which were carried upon the backs of their horses. Thus encumbered their progress was necessarily slow; but after a toilsome journey, attended with many vexa- tious delays, they reached the humble log-cab- in, far removed from the haunts of civilization. Here, then, we date the beginning of the settle. . ment of Pittsford by the European race.
Of the exact day we are not informed ; but that it was sometime in the month of October, there can be little doubt. Either just before, or immediately after he located here with his family, Capt. Doolittle, in fulfilment of his promise, presented him with a deed of his land. This was a warranty deed of one share, or a little more than 300 acres, and dated Oct. 20, 1769 : and at the same time he delivered to his brother Benjamin a deed of 100 acres, to be by him located. The former deed included the farm now owned by Bassett Loveland, and the beaver-dam, to which allusion has been made, was about 100 rods west of the site of Mr. L's house ; but it has been so disturbed by the im- plements of husbandry, that scarcely a vestige of it remains.
It appears that they passed the winter com- fortably, subsisting in part upon the few veget- ables raised the previous season, and in part upon venison,* an abundance of which was found in the woods. The most of the cooking that winter was done in a small iron kettle brought with them from Greenwich, and this is still preserved in the Cooley family as a relic of that olden time.
BENJAMIN COOLEY pitched his 100 acres of land on the east side of Otter Creek, and it included what has since been known as the
* The tradition in the family is, that they killed 17 bears that winter.
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Cooley farm, a very small part of which is now | land was extinguished, and when the colonies owned by Peter Fredett. In 1770 he com. were hastily preparing for the struggle, and every nerve was being strained to its utmost capacity, the people of these Grants being in full sympathy with the New England colonies from which they had emigrated, espoused most heartily the common cause, and made the need- ful preparations for aiding in its defence. meneed a clearing, but continued to board with his brother till the following year, when he built a log-house which stood one or two rods west of the house now standing on the farm, and in this he resided alone till Feb. 18, 1773, when he married Ruth Beech, who was born in Morristown, N J., Jan. 11, 1756; but who, at the time of her marriage. was residing in Rutland, Vt. After occupying the log-house a few years Mr. Cooley built a frame house, which. unfortunately, in the year 1802, was burned. The present house was built by him on the same site.
From this time to the commencement of the Revolutionary war the settlement of the town gradually progressed ; and during this period the following persons with their families located here, and in the years to which they are here assigned :
1770. Roger Stevens, Ebenezer and James Hopkins, Samuel Crippen, Felix Powell, Isaac Rood and Isaae Buek.
. 1771. Moses Olmstead.
1772. Thomas Tuttle, Noah Waite and Sam- uel Waters.
1773. William Cox, Samuel Ellsworth and Stephen Mead.
1774. Stephen Jenner, Jonathan Fassett, Ebenezer Lymau, Caleb Hendee, David Crip- pen, William Ward, Edward Owen, Jonathan Rowley, Joshua Woodward, Benjamin Stevens, Aaron Parsons, Samuel Daniels, Peter Whalin, Silas Mosher, John Hall, Gideon Sheldon, Isaac Matson, and Samuel Moutague.
1775. Amos Fassett.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
The disturbanees growing out of the conflict- ing claims to the New Hampshire Grants, in which the inhabitants of Pittsford had been compelled to take part, subsided somewhat for the time being, for the reason that publie at- tention was directed to the more exciting sub- ject of a war with England. However much of personal interest the early settlers of these Grants had in an equitable adjustment of the long standing land-title controversy, they were willing to postpone further proecedings in rela- tion to it, in order that they might the better cooperate with their countrymen in their resist- ance to the unjust claims of the British govern- ment. And when, on the 19th of April, 1775, * Beach was a brother-in-law of Capt. Cooley. the impending war was opened by the conflict at Lexington ; when the last ray of hope of a peaceful solution of the difficulties with Eng- I ed by the marriage of children of those families.
It had long been foreseen by the colonies, that in the event of a war with the mother country, it would be very essential for them to possess the important fortresses of Ticonderoga and Crown Point; and as Allen was about to set out from Castleton on an expedition for this purpose, he dispatelied Maj. Beach as a messen- ger to colleet men to meet his party at a place since known as Hand's Point, in the town of Shoreham. Beach* in his eireuit passed through Pittsford, and called at the residence of Capt. Benjamin Cooley, to whom he delivered the message of Col. Allen. Capt. Cooley at onee left liis field. seized his gun, and taking with lıim Isaac Buek, Jr., J. Demming, Hopkins Rowley and Ephraim Stevens, proceeded to the appointed place of rendezvous.
In the capture of that fortress, which took place on the 10th of May, the citizens of Pitts- ford took a deep interest, and in the honors of which they are entitled to an humble share, inasmuch as Capt. Cooley and his recruits were among the first to eross the lake-to enter the covered passage, and to parade upon the square within the fort.
At the time of this first call upon Pittsford for troops, in the war of the Revolution, there were within the limits of the town 38 families, t and, including the children, about 195 inhabit- ants; and all, with few exceptions, were loyal to the cause of their country. But they shar- ed in the ill feeling subsisting between the people of the New Hampshire Grants and the governing authorities of New York, to which colony they nominally belonged, and were un- willing to enter the military service, unless they could do so independently of the government they so much detested. But the Green Moun- tain Boys having established a reputation for patriotism and bravery, were urged to enter the field; and arrangements were made by which they could do this as an independent corps, and under offieers of their own selection. A few
t In this eunmeration are included not only the fam- ilies already mentioned, but a few other families form-
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of the inhabitants of Pittsford entered the reg- | was attacked by an Indian and killed. When ular service of the United States, and nearly all the men of a suitable age were enrolled with the militia, and held themselves in readi- ness to turn out whenever called upon by the constituted authorities to repel invasion, or to chastise offenders. The following names are found upon the roll of the Pittsford company :
Capt. Benjamin Cooley, Lieut. Moses Olms- tead, Ensign James Hopkins, Jabez Olmstead, Abdon Owen, Ashbel Hopkins, Darius Crippen, Gideon Cooley, Ebenezer Drury, Caleb Coo- ley, Silas Mosher, Edward Owen, Nehemiah Hopkins, Ebenezer Lyman, Samuel Ellsworth, Israel Ellsworth, Hopkins Rowley, Ephraim Stevens, Aaron Parsons, William Cox, Abra- ham Owen, Benjamin Stevens, Jr., Daniel Stevens, James Stevens, Abel Stevens, Luther Drury, Stephen Mead. Samuel Sheldon, Benja- min Stevens, John Barnes, John Woodward, Joshua Woodward, Ebenezer Hopkins, Jona- than Rowley, Jr.
This company was frequently called out on occasions of alarm, and some members of it were in the service of the State or of the Unit- ed States most of the time during the war .- Pittsford being a frontier town, was particular- ly exposed to the ravages of the enemy, who improved every opportunity to carry on their work of destruction and plunder.
Some part of the time the inhabitants did not feel safe to remain in their houses ; and in some instances families were attacked by wandering parties of Indians and tories, and some mem- bers either killed or carried into captivity. The exposures were so great, that the inhabitants found it necessary to take some measures for protection; and accordingly, in 1777, a fort was constructed on the east bank of Otter Creek, which was named Fort Mott, in honor of John Mott, who frequently acted as com- mander of those collected within it. But the strength and capacity of this fort were not suf- ficient to meet the demands of the people, and in 1779 the Board of War determined to build a fort in Pittsford which could be relied on to accommodate a garrison suitable for the defence of the frontier settlements. The site selected tras on the upland, about a mile N. E. of Fort Mott, and on the spot then occupied by the dwelling-house of Caleb Hendee, Sen. This fort was completed in June, 1780, and was kept garrisoned till the close of the war. Soon after the fort was completed one of the garrison, Caleb Haughton, on returning from a neigbor- ing house whither he had been on an errand,
this became known to the garrison, Major Eb- enezer Allen, then in command, assembled his men within the fort, and publicly vowed ven- geance against all and every Indian that should come within his power ; and as a memorial of his vow he dashed a bottle of liquor against the gate, and christened the fort " Fort Vengeance !" -a name by which it was ever after known.
IN THE WAR OF 1812,
Pittsford entered with alacrity into the con- test, and her sons marched boldly forth to meet the common foe. The following list of soldiers from this town, who served for a longer or shorter term in this war, has been compiled in part from the records, and in part from the recollection of men now living who participated in the exciting scenes of that period :
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