Militaryannalsof Lancaster - Forgotten Books

M ILITARYANNALS OF LANCASTER

M A S S A C HU S E T T S .

1740— 1865 .

I N C L UDI N G L IST S O F S OLD IERS SERV ING IN THE COLON IAL A N D R EVOLUT IONAR YWA R s F O R THE L ANCASTRIAN T OWNS BER LIN

,BOLTON

,HAR VAR D

,

L EOM INSTER A N D S TER LING.

What heroes from the woodland sprung ,When th rough the fresh awakened land

T he thrrlhng cry of freedom rung,

A nd to the work of warfare strungT he yeoman

's i ron hand .

—BRYANT .

L A N C A S T E R

CLINTON,MASS

w . J . COULTER,PR INTER

,COURANT OF F ICE.

1 8 89 .

PR E F A C E .

T H E purpose of this work needs nei ther exp lanat ion

nor excuse ; its short-com i ngs , perhaps no one wi ll more

s evere l y accuse than the author , whi le none but he can

we ll apprec i ate the difficu l ti es that have beset h is patriotic

task . The nam es and explo its of the local heroe s who ,

with l avi sh expenditure of l abo r and l ife . helped gain and

perpe tuate the pol itical O

and re l igious l i b erty we inherit ,

are m ostl y unknown to our generat ion . We perfunctoril y

honor the m em or y of those who achieved national fam e

those Whose nam es b y chance of O pportunity or high place

are emb l azoned upon h istoric tab lets . Equal l y entitled to

our grateful rem em brance are the humb ler patriots who ,

setting the nation ’s safety and l ib e rat ion from wrong above

the dearest t ies , went out from rustic hom esteads pati entl y

to do and suffe r , even to mortal agony , i n beha lf of coun

try , faith and freedom . Though but y eom en , uncul t and

O b scure , the y were imbued with a spir i t of chival ry pu re

as that O f any knight O f rom ance . The stern V i rtues O f

Pur itan ancestry again shone in them . I f the ir deeds and

sac rifi ces gained l ittle lus tre that tim e has not dimm ed or

destroy ed , i t is the faul t of the local chronic lers . I n this

attem pt to preserve for Lancaster an accurate compi lat ion

4 PREFACE .

of its m i l itary history , the author ask s c redi t on l y for fai th

ful research and consc i en tious adherence to reco rded facts .

In the words of Wi l l i am Camden : I f any there be

which are des i rous to be strangers i n thei r own so i l , and

foreigners in thei r own C ity , the y m ay so cont inue , and

there in flatter them se lves . For such l ike I have not wri t

ten these l i ne s , nor taken these pain s .

L A N CA S T E R Jul y 4 , 1 8 8 9 .

NO TE —Circums tances beyond con trol , and greatly regret ted , havepreven ted the reproduction O f the portrai ts of Generals John and HenryWhi ting , Major Fabius Wh i ting and Captain Edward Richmond Washburn for presen tat i on in this vo lume

,as had been con templated .

C O N T E N T S

1 ;

THE WAR W ITH SPA IN,1 7 39—1 7 4 4 .

Earlies t M il itary Records O f Lancas ter T he Exped ition agains tCarthagena Captain John Presco tt’s En lis tmen t Ro l ls .

K ING GEORGE ’S WAR , 1 744—1 7 4 8 .

I . THE S IEGE O F LOU ISBOURG .

Governor S h irley’s Fores igh t and Plans —Co lone l S amue lWil lard’s Regimen t—Experiences of Lancas ter S old iers .

I I . IND IAN RA IDS .

T he Capture of Fitch ’s Garrison— Lis ts of S couts— FortsDummer and Number Four .

FRENCH AND IND IAN WAR , 1 7 54—1 7 6 3 .

T H E CROWN POINT EXPED IT ION O F 1 7 55 .

Colonel S amue l Willard ’s Death Excise upon Vehicles andTable Luxuries Lancas ter M en upon the Fron tiers in1 7 54 T he S econd Colonel S amuel Wil lard and his R egiment Captains Benjamin Bal lard , Joseph and A saWhi tcomb and their Companies , in the Bat tle O f Lake GeorgePetitions of Lancas ter S o ldiers .

I I . LANCASTER IN ACAD IA AND T HE ACAD IANS IN LANCASTER .

Ros ter of Captain Abijah Willard ’s Company Extracts fromhis O rderly Book Hardships of the Campaign T he

French Neutrals in Lancas ter .

24—29

30—4 I

4 1—52

6 CONTENTS

T HE SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED IT ION AND FORT W ILL IAM H E N R Y , 1 7 56

—1 7 57Colone l John Whi tcomb and Lancas ter M en on the HudsonLis ts of Lancas ter S o ldiers in the Expedition of 1 7 56

Captain Benjamin Bal lard’

s Loss T he Alarm at Captureof Fort Wil liam Henry .

T HE CONQ UEST O F CANADA , 1 7 58—1 7 6 3 .

Return of Will iam Pit t to Power Abercrombie’s Defeat atTiconderoga M en O f Lancas ter in the Campaign Petitions of S nfierers Lancas trian Vo lun teers O f 1 7 59 Col

onel Abijah Wil lard Campaign Inciden ts Enl is tmen tsof 1 7 6 0 Ex tracts from Co lonel John Wh i tcomb ’s O rderlyBook T he Dead I n Garrison

,1 7 6 1—2 T he O fficers

O f the Lancas ter M il itia Regimen t

I \fi

THE WAR F O R NAT IO NAL INDEPENDENCE .

1 . FROM TOWN-MEET ING T O CONTINENTAL CONGRESS .

Reverend John Mel len’s Prophecy T he Grow th of DisafTection Rebel lious Resolves of Lancas ter Town-mee ting in1 7 7 3

— Town action during 1 7 74—5—Hezekiah Gates ’s

Pamph le t Lancas ter in the Coun ty Conventions JonasWyman ’

s S atisfaction

I I . T HE LEX INGTON ALARM .

General John and Colonel A sa Wh itcomb— T he TrainingBands , their O rgan izat ion and Equipmen t T he M en who

Marched to Cambridge , A pril 1 9 ,1 77 5 , from Lancas ter

and adjacen t Towns .

I I I . BUNKER H ILL A N D SIEGE O F BOSTON .

John Wh i tcomb , firs t Major-General of Massachuset ts ArmyT he Lancas ter Regimen t under Co lonel A sa Whi tcombI ts presence at Bunker H il l Company Ros ters Cap

tain Aaron Wil lard’s M iss ion to Acadia— Co lonel Wh i tcomb’s U nselfish Patriotism—Death of S urgeon EnochDo le Colonel Whi tcomb’s M isfortunes .

IV T H E CAMPA IGN O F 1 7 7 6- 1 7 7 7 .

Lancas ter S oldiers at Hul l—Companies O f Captain S amue lS awyer and Jabez Keep at Kip

’

s Bay and Wh ite PlainsColonel Aaron Willard Captain Manasseh S awyer’sCompany at Dorches ter S oldiers of Lancas ter at QuebecCaptain David Nurse’s Company in the Jerseys O rgan

izat I on of a Con tinental Army S ubs titutes Townmeeting action ,

1 7 7 6—1 7 7 8

90—1 04

1 0 5 1 1 7

1 1 7- 1 4 1

1 4 1—1 5 5

CO NTENTS .

V . SHORT SERV ICE ENL ISTMENTS , 1 7 7 7- 1 7 8 2 .

Lancas ter S o ldiers in the Rhode I s land S ervice T he Ben

mingtou Alarm R e-enforcemen ts for the ContinentalArmy Town Records 1 7 7 8

—1 7 8 0 Guarding PrisonersT he Marine S ervice .

VI . LANCASTER IN T H E CONT INENTAL ARMY .

Quotas of the Lancas trian Towns Lis t of Lancas ter’s Cont inen tal S oldiers Records of Town ’

s action , 1 7 8 1

Con tinen tal S o ld iers of Bol ton , Harvard and Leom ins ter .

VI I . LANCASTER LOYAL ISTS .

T heWil lards Confiscated Es tates S amue l S tearns , LL D .

Nahum Hough ton the T ea Pedd ler” T he Black Lis tReverend Timothy Harrington ’s Defence in Town—meet

ing .

V I I I . STAT IST ICS A N D SOC IAL ANNALS .

Census and Valuation Re turns—Mechanics and M anufac

turers Depreciation in Paper Currency Coun terfei tMoney First Recorded Donation Party Regulating thePrices of Necessaries O f Life by Convention T ax Assessmen ts of 1 7 79

—1 7 8 0 Beef and C lothing furnished the

Army S ubs titutes for T ea , e tc Bos ton Exiles in L ancas ter British and Tory Prisoners Negro S laves and

S old iers T he Pos t-ofi‘i ce and the News-carrier— Ce1e

I S S- 1 7 7

1 7 8—1 94

1 94—209

bration of Cornwallis ’s S urrender Lafayet te’s Vis it , 1 8 24 . 209—244

V .

S HA Y S’S INS URRECT IO N AND IND IAN WAR , 1 7 8 3

—1 794 .

Dis tress among the Yeoman ry—Coun ty Conven tions—L ancas

ter’s Ins tructions to her Represen tative—Co lone l Wil l iamGreenleaf—T he Insurrection Crushed—Ro l ls of the Vol

un teers Death of Captain Andrew Haskel l 24 5—2 59

V I .

WARS W ITH ENGLAND AND ALG IERS , 1 8 1 2—1 8 1 5 .

T he Embargo—Lancas ter’s Pe ti tion to the Presiden t MajorH il ler—Timothy and JohnWhiting Impressmen t O f American S ailors Remons trance agains t Declaration O f War

T he Alarm at Bos ton T he Lancas ter Artil lery CompanyLancas ter in the Regular Army Lancas ter’s Augus tan A geT he Mail S tage and Coun try Taverns Huskings , Rais

ings and Auct i ons—Types of Ci tizens T he M inis terLancas ter’s Class ical S chool and its Founders — T he Firs tCot ton M il l Wil l iam S haler in Algiers 2 60- 28 4

CO NTENTS .

XI I I .

THE C IV IL WAR ,1 8 6 1—1 8 6 5 .

ACT ION O F TOWN A N D SOC IET IES .

T he Apple O f Discord Anniversary of Lexington in 1 8 6 1

T he F ay Ligh t Guard Bal l ’s BluiI T he Independen tPhalanx T he S oldiers”Rel ief Association Boun ties forRecrui ts T he Un ion Club T he Draft Woman

’

s

Work S oldiers ’ A id T he Town ’s O fficers . 28 5

—30 5

DE S CR IPTIVE ROSTER O F LANCASTER SOLD IERS .

O f Massachuset ts O rganizations in Numerical O rder S erving in other S tates Veterans R e-enlis ted Drafted M en

S ummary S oldiers ’ Graves in Lancas ter , 1 8 89 . 306—338

TVI I I . .

APPEND IX .

JOHN PR ESCOTT , T H E FOUNDER O F LANCASTER .

CAPTA IN SAMUEL WARD .

CAPTA IN GEORGE L E E THURSTON .

BREVET BR IGAD IER-GENERAL FRANC IS WASHBURN .

M I L I T A R Y A N N A L S

L A N CA S T E R ,M A S SAC H U S E T T S .

I .

T HE WA R WI TH S PA I N .

1 739—1 74 4 .

N The Earl y Records of Lancaster , printed b y the

author in 1 8 8 4 , the experiences of that town in warfareprevious to 1 7 25 have b een ful l y detai led . Before thatdate Lancaster ’s adul t m ale population were practical lyalways soldiers , were constan tl y m enaced b y savage foes ,and often fought in defence O f thei r l ives and hom es . T WO ,

at least , O f her earl i est pioneers , John Presco tt and Wi ll i amKerley , had probab l y served i n the arm y of the m otherl and ; certain l y the y b rought wi th them i nto the W i ldernessthe arm s and armor Characteristic O f the Cromwe l l i an sol

dier . Ano ther O f her l eaders , Major S imon Wil l ard , onhis com ing from Engl and bore the t i tl e , captain , and , atthe outbreak of the war cal led K ing Phi l ip ’s , held the

highest m il itar y rank then recognized in the colony , honoring the pos ition by h is b rave ry , energy and ski l l duringthe earl i est horrors of that b lood y episode in New Englandhistor y . Lieutenants Wi ll i am and Henry Kerle y andThom as Wilder , and Ens igns John D ivol l and John Mooretrained the first m il i tary compan y of the town under the

2

I O ANNALS O F LANCA STER .

imm ediate supervis ion of MajorWi l lard . Scarce an inven

tor y O f the period but contains , l isted am ong humb l e do

m estic appointm ents and the u tens i l s O f husbandry , variousarticles O f a soldier’s equipm en t . Jacob Farrar , the head

O f a fam i l y no ted for its m an y m arty rs i n Indi an warfare ,possessed a Cul l ive r Gun . Reverend John Whiti ng ,

who , surprised b y savages i n the field , b rave l y refusingquarter fought unti l slain , had five fi re arm s ,

” appraisedafter his death at four pounds . In the property schedul esO f seven other Lancaster plan ters figure these i tem s

Three musket ts , one sword . one pr band iuers and one pistoll and

bul lets , 1 6 S

4 gunns , I cut lash 35

Iron cloathes —mili tary booksO ne muskett 1 2 8 , one sword and Res t 1 2 5 .

A snapsack and bag 3 8 . A pike 2 8 . 6 d .

A musket t , a sword , one res t and a snapsacke 25O ne Gun , one sword 4

5

; one hal lbut 1 6 8 , 2 musquet ts one cut

lash 1 £ 1 8 8

O f a fronti e r town , standing in the advance guard of

Puritan c ivil izat ion , Lancaster’

s yeom en were too com

pletely engrossed in the hard struggle for exis tence to

spare volunteers for service on other b attle grounds thanthose With in a day ’s m arch of thei r own hearthstones .

Neverthe less , som e adventurous spi ri ts j oined the l i ttlearm ies from tim e to t im e organized for the i nvas ion O f

Canada . In S ir Wi l l i am Phi p ’s disgraceful l y unfortunateat tem pt upon Q¢I ebec i n 1 6 90 , Benj am in Wi l lard served as

l ieutenant , and O f several townsm en who are supposed to

have accompanied him were : Joseph Atherton , JonathanFai rb ank , John Pope , Samue l Wheel er and Timoth yWheelock . O f these , Whee ler , if not o thers , died in theservice . The two Acadian expeditions of 1 70 7 and 1 7 1 0

had such enthus i astic support in Massachuse tts that Lancaste r was doub tless we l l represented there in but the onlyrecord thus far discovered to prove this , is an i tem i n the

inventory presen ted b y the adm inistrator of a deceased

THE WAR W ITH SPA IN . I I

soldier , Ralph Houghton , fi led in the Middlesex Prob ateReg istry . Captains Jab ez Fai rb ank , John White and S amuel Wi l lard , during L ovewell

’

s War , 1 7 2 2—1 7 26 , l eading

thei r ne ighbors , won repute as ab l e comm anders O f rangers ,and m ade it hazardous for the savages to venture far south

O f the fountain s of the Merrimac . For fifteen y ears the

arts O f peace had b een undisturb ed b y war ’s alarm s , andswords had grown rusty in thei r scabb ards . when the re

cruiting O fficer in 1 740 drummed for recru its i n Lancaste r .Great B ri tain , comm i tted to a b l i ndl y se lfish commer

cial pol icy , held a m onopol y of the trade i n African sl aves ,and her m erchants were enriched b y the enorm ous gainsO f thei r smuggl ing and man-steal ing ven tures . She exercised the right of search upon the seas and den ied i t toSpain . She dem anded the privileges of free trade fromo ther powers , but pers i sten tl y refused them to the NorthAm erican colonies—a l esson of the m other l and whichthe y rem emb ered and acted upon in after tim e . A t l ength ,

having forced war upon Spain under pretended championship O f free comm erce , England cal led upon her co loniesto aid in an expedit ion sent under comm and ofV ice-Adm i ra lEdward Vernon to assail the Spanish strongholds in the

Wes t Indies . Massachusetts was requ i red to furnish a regimen t , and the organization of one was nearl y perfected ,O fficers and m en being enrol led and assem b led at Bos ton .

The bi lls for expendi tures i n l evy ing som e of its com paniesare extant , and the m e thods of the recru iti ng O fficers of

that day are i l lustrated b y the recurrence of such chargesas these

T o Drummers and Liquor expended ,T o Ribbons for cockades , 50 yards 2 /

For som e reason onl y four captains ’ comm iss ions wererece ived from the king ins tead O f the ten expected . Thesewere b estowed upon John Prescott , who was to have beencolon el O f the regim en t , Daniel Gofi

'

e , Thom as Phil l ipsand George Stewart . The o ther companies were d is

I 2 ANNALS O F LANCASTER .

b anded . Dr . W i l l i am Douglass , i n his Summ ar y , state s

that this disastrous en terprise cost the province seven thou

sand pounds sterl ing , and that “

of the 50 0 m en sen t out

from Massachusetts Bay not exceeding 50 returned .

” The

m ajori ty fel l Victim s to pes tilenti al disease during the s i ege

of Carthagena , or at Jam aica , whither the enfeeb led rem

nant O f the defeated army was wi thdrawn . Joseph W i l lard ,E sq . , i n a no te to page 50 of the History O f Lancaste r ,states that there were eighteen or nineteen in this expedi

t ion who belonged to Lancaste r ; none O f them l ived , to

re turn . He had good authori ty for c laim ing in beha l f ofthis l i ttle town so large an en l i stment , a lthough i t seem s

almos t i nc redib le tha t i t should have furnished nearl y onetwen ty—fifth of the who le quota of the commonweal th .

The town ’s volunteers must b e looked for i n the com

pany O f which a Lancaste r man , Jonathan Houghton , was

l i eutenant ; the o ther com pan ies were recru i te d far fromhere , and in thei r rol ls , as found , noLancaster fam i l ynam es are d iscovered . Captain John Prescott of Concordwas a di rect descendant of the founder of Lancaster , whosenam e he bore . H is en l istm ent ro l l , sadl y m uti lated , ispreserved in Massachuse tts Archives , x0 1 , 333 . I t was

wri tten upon bo th s i des of a s ingl e shee t , and the righ thand colum n s of the fi rs t page , which included res idence sand dates O f muste r , have been torn off and are m i ss ing .

Thereb y thirty-s ix nam es borne upon the reverse page arelost . The s ixty-five nam es rem ain ing fol low

A L ist of sue/z Per sons as ar e E n ter a'

: as Vol .

I n the West I ndies Under the Command of

Persons N ames O f what Town born A ge Call i ng Time of E n l I st I ng

Jonathan Hough ton Lancas ter 37 Husbandman Ju ly 1 4

O badiah Fos ter Bil lerica 1 8 Cordwainer M ay 2 2

J on 11 Heywood Concord 2 2 Tanner M ay 2 2

Gideon Powers Lexington 33 Husbandman July 1 4

O l iver S paulding Chelmsford 29 July 1 5

Thos Pool Lynn 32 M ay 1 S t

Robert Wai te Wes ton 4 1 July 1 2

Wil liam S tevens Dublin 30 N W23

THE WAR W ITH S PA IN .

Persons N ames what Town bornThos Johnson ConcordA sa Douglass Plainfie ld

Timothy R igbee ConcordJohn Train WatertownJoshua Parker GrotonJacob Wilder Lancas terJ ona . Brown ConcordJohn Page f S outh Caro linaDaniel Albert R ainshal l

James Carey NewportPeter Kendal l WoburnJohn Fitzgerald CorkNehem iah S tevens A lmsbury

Timothy Power Li ttletonDarias Wheeler MarlboroughWill iam Chubb WoburnDemas Wel ls Ire landS amuel King Worces terThomas Queen IrelandJames Bill ings ConcordNathaniel Munroe LexingtonBenjamin Frey GraftonMathusala O l iver Bos tonJohn Parker junr S udburyEphraim Fletcher ChelmsfordE benezr Lampson ConcordNathan S tow ConcordBenjamin Me lvin Charl es townJona Jackson Fram inghamDan ie l Barney ConcordJoshua Winship LexingtonJohn Norcross WatertownJohn Nixon IrelandMathew Galbreth Ire landJohn Parker Bil lericaRichard Whee ler Worces terIsaac Knigh ts S udburyChris topher S tevens A lmsbury

John S tewart S alemS tephen Kendal l WoburnJos iah Ho l t AndoverEphraim Roper S udburyJos iah Blanchard GrotonEzekie l Kendal l Lexington

Cal l i ng Time of E nhst ing

TannerCordwainerHusbandman

6 ‘

HusbandmanLabourerBlacksmi thHusbandman

M il lwrigh tLabourerCordwainerHusbandman

‘ 6

Housewrigh tLabourerB lacksmi thHusbandmanBlacksm ithHusbandman

M ay 1 4

M ay 20

M ay 2 8

July 2 2

July 1

July I 4

M ay 2 2

July 2 5

July 1 4

July 2 2

July 1 4

M ay 1 5

June 2July I 4

July I 4

Jul y 24

Ju ly 1 1

July 1 1

July 1 2

M ay 1 5M ay 2 8

July I 4

M ay 1 5

July 1 0

July I 4

M ay 1 5Ju ly 1 2

July 2 3

M ay 20

M ay 1 2

M ay 1 5

M ay 20

July 1 0

July 1 8

M ay 1 st

July 23

July 1 4July 20

July 23

M ay 26

July 2 1

M ay 2 6

M ay 1 0

July I s

1 4 ANNALS O F LANCASTER .

Persons N ames Calling Time of E nhst ing

Joshua Peirce Housewrigh t July 1 4

Jeremiah S mi th B lacksmi th July 2 7

Henry Durant M ay 23

Zachry B lood Husbandman M ay 2 1

Thos Barron Tinman M ay 23

Wil l iam DayHusbandman M ay 1 5

Wil l iam Whi tcomb July 1 8

Henry Jones July 1 8

Richard Nevers M ay 5

Jonathan Pike M ay 20

Benjamin Pol lard July 1 5

Peter Grou ts M ay 2 5

Zacha Bunn Peat-maker M ay 20

O f the thirty—six m issi ng nam es , four were of volunteerswhose “ present hab itation” is recorded as Lancaste r , and

three were of Bo l ton . Iden ti ty i n the dates of enl istm ent—Jul y 1 4 and 1 5

— and the b earing fam i l y nam es then

common in the town , po int to these fifteen as res idents of

Lancaster , al though two or three of them may have been

of Bol ton

Jonathan Hough ton , Timothy Power, I saac Kn igh ts ,G ideon Powers , Darius Wheeler, Ezekiel Kendal l ,O liver S paulding , Jacob Wilder, Joshua Peirce ,Daniel A lbert , Benjamin Frey , Wil l iam Whi tcomb ,Peter Kendal l . Ephraim Fletcher. Benjamin Pol lard .

Joseph Wi l lard , E sq . , quotes from a lette r written b yJacob Wilder , at Jam aica , in D ecem ber , 1 740 , wherein ,after mentioning a numbe r of h is acquaintances who haddied , he adds : through the providence of God , I am i nnom ination for an Ens ign , and I hope I m ay be fitted fori t .

”By s ignatu res to the oath of the officers , found in

Massachusetts Archives , L XXI I , 5 1 7 , it appears that Jonathan Houghton he ld comm iss i on as a subal tern . DanielAlbert ’s nam e has a l i ne drawn through i t , which probab l yi ndicates that he did not go wi th the expedi tion . He hadb een a soldier in L ovewel l

’

s War , and was l iving in Lancaster after the Close of the Spanish War . Two of the lost

THE WA R WIT H S PA IN . 1 5

Lancaste r nam es are disclosed b y a m em orial dated 1 74 2 ,

found in Massachusetts Archives , XV I I I , 64 , wherein thepeti tioners are hei rs of David and Nathan Farrar , l ate ofLancaste r , both D i ed i n hi s m ajes tie ’s sarvis i ntheWes t Indie s som et im e Last y ear . Perhaps two others ,John Hast ings and Thaddeus Houghton , are given in thiscertificate subscrib ed to the rol l

SUF F OLK S S . BOSTON , ye 27th

,1 740 . I t is hereby Certefied thatt John

Has tings , Joseph Bulk ley , James J efi’

eries , Thadeus Hough ton men tionedin this Lis t appeared before me and S eve ral ly Declared yt . they d id Voluntaryly enl is t in his maj

’s ty

’s S ervice under the Command of Capt . John

Prescot t .

I t seem s not im prob ab l e that three or four of these m en

survived to return from theWest Indies . The nam es Pe terand Ezekiel Kendal l , Joshua Pei rce and Wil l i am Wh itcomb appear in muster-ro lls again a few y ears l ate r . But

neither history nor tradition throws further l ight upon thedeeds or sufferings of the Lancaster volunteers i n this umfortunate expedition .

I I .

K N O G E O R G E’

S WA R .

I 744—1 749

I . T H E S I E GE O F L O U I S BO U R G .

HEN the tradi tional rivals , France and Engl and , b ecam e involved upon opposing s ides i n the War for

the Au strian Succe ss ion , i t was i nevi tab le that sooner or

l ater thei r provinces of New England and Canada shouldb e drawn into the confl ict ; and the so cal led K ing George ’sWar was but an episode in the great struggle over theb alance of power b etween the European po tentates . NovaScot i a , or Acadia as i t was then nam ed , including NewB runswick w ith boundaries i l l defined , had been a Br i tishpossess ion from i ts conquest i n 1 7 1 0 , al though its inhabi

tants were almost exclus ive l y French Catho l ics ; whi le theisl ands , including Cape B reton , were retained by France .

The news of the form al declarati on of war reached B retonthree weeks before i t arrived i n Boston , and was takenadvantage of b y the French to surprise and capture Canseau , the i nhab i tants of which were c arri ed prisoners to

Louisbourg . The s i tuation of affai rs was om i nous of ru i nfor Massachusetts . Her valuab le cod fisheries must beabandoned , and her shipping lay at the m ercy of Frenchprivateers . Acadi a was nearl y defencel ess , and if forcedto succum b even N ew England m igh t not long be ab le to

escape French dom in ation . No boundar y could be peaceful l y perm anent that divided Jesu i t from Puri tan , and whi lethe Cathol ic French could plan foray s from the safe vantageground of the impregnab le fortre sses of Lou isbourg and

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1 8 ANNA L S O F LANCASTER .

commanded the Worcester County regim ent , known as the

Fourth Massachusetts . The roster of i ts officers fol lows

COMPANY . CA P'

I‘

A I N S L IEUTENANTS . ENS IGNS .Colonel S amuel Willard . Abijah Wil lard . Jonathan Trumbull .Capt .-Lieu t . Joshua Pierce .

2 L t .-Col . Thomas Chandler . John Payson . Dav id King .

3 Major S eth Pomroy . Ebenezer A lexander . Will iam Lyman .

4 John Warner . Joseph Wh itcomb . Will iam Hutch ins .

5 David Melvin . E leazar Melvin . Isaac Barron .

6 Palmer Goulding . John S terns . Nathaniel Payson .

7 James S tevens . Timothy Johnson .

8 John Hus ton . Reuben King . Benjamin S he ldon .

9 Joseph M il ler. S amuel Chandler . John Mann .

1 0 Jabez O lms tead . James Frye . John Bel l .Jonathan Hubbard

,A aj

’

ntant .

Bes ides thei r l arger comm ands , it was cus tomar y at thisdate for field O fficers to have companies ; and general officers were al so colonels of regim ents . The three o fficersof the fou rth company were of Lancaster , and both Whi tcomb and Hutchins had served an apprenticeship i n theart of war with Captain John Whi te , i n 1 7 25 . In thiscompany and that of Colonel W il lard were the volun teersof Lancaster and its ne ighborhood , prob ab l y ful l fifty i nnumber ; but much research has fail ed to discover an ycompan y rol ls of thi s regim ent , and our town smen

’

s nam esare mostl y unknown . Colonel Wi l l ard ’

s acceptance of hi sappointment , written with his characteristic orthograph y ,i s found among the Pepperrel l Papers b e longing to the

Massachusetts Historical Soci ety

T o M e H onorable Wi lliam Pepperell E sgnr . I n B oston

LANCASTER FebfY : ye : 2 5 th : 1 744H onor d : S ir . I R eceiued orders from the Govener the 1 9

th: day of

F eb” : to take upon me the Command of a R igemen t though very unequelto that Trus t . I do i t wi th a great deal more Plasure , hauing so good ageneral to Ins truct me S ir I hope you wi l l Excuse me if I am not ReadyS o S oon as the others Colonals . I am Constonant R ideing bo th Nigh tand day to accompl ish my byseness and I in ten to wait upon your honh orNext week S ir I haue a good Prospect of geting men S ir I haue beenin an Army Knowing the D iffecul ty being in i t - I think it my Deuty to

S IEGE O F LO UI S BO URG . 1 9

Put you in mind to S ee that the Commi tty byes a quantety of fat wethersfor i t is very Necessary for S olders when they are S ick and if the Com

m it ty S ends me word I could get a S core or more Honered S ir . Giue my

Regards to Co”: Mol ten . S o I Remain your Humble S erven tS A M L L : W ILL ARD

The experi ence of an arm y which the colonel claim s ,

had been gained in the scouts of L ovewel l ’s War . When ,in September , 1 7 25 , he comm anded two companies of

rangers , he dignified that force i n his journa l as“

the arm y .

The volunteers were requ i red to Clothe and arm them selves ,and the pay of a private was but twenty-five shi l l i ngs permonth , n ew ten or— equal to about two ounces of s ilver ,al though farm l aborers at the t im e commanded nearlydoub le that sum . A s the expedit ion sai led from Bos tonMarch 24 , 1 74 5 , i t is evident from the date of ColonelWi l lard ’s appointm ent that he recru i ted his regim ent , numbering about five hundred m en , i n thi rty day s . This test ifies both to the popularity of the l eader and the re ligiousardor that fi red the troops . I n the nam e of God they set

up thei r banners and away the y sail ed . P r ay f or us and

w e w i l l j ig / df or y ou , was the val i ant and endearing language wherewith the y left us ,

”sa y s Reverend Thom as

Prince in hisThanksgiving Serm on , Jul y 1 8 , 1 745 .

“ B rownbread and the Gospe l is good fare , was the proverb wi thwhich the y cheered each o ther on in the tri al s of s i ege .

One chap l ain , if we m ay trus t the s tory , arm ed him se lfwith a hatchet for the express purpose of demol ishing theimages i n the Cathol ic churches ; and George Whitefieldis c redited wi th furnishing the motto upon the flag , ZVz

'

Z

D esper andnm C/zr z'

s to D ace . Arriving before Lou isbourgon the thi rteenth of April , less than four thousand men ,

unused to war , undisci pl ined , and that had never seen as i ege i n their l i ves ,

”landed on a dangerous coast i n the

face of the enem y , with Herculean labor dragged s i egeguns over rocky hi l ls and through m orasses , girt the fort ification s about wi th b atteries , and b y shee r audac ity com

pel led surrender on the seventeenth of June , 1 745— the

20 ANNALS O F LANCASTER .

da y m ade ye t m ore m em o rab le in the ca lendar thirty y earslater at Bunker Hi l l . The Engl ish adm i ral , Pe terWarren ,

was present with hi s flee t to claim l arge share in the honors ,and grasp all the prizes of vic tor y , but he d id not fi re a

gun during the s i ege , and the real glory of the wondrousachievem ent b e longed to the men of New England .

Massachusetts at this date had a popul ation of abouttwo hundred thousand soul s , and expended in this expedit ion m ore than two pounds sterl ing for her ever y man ,

wom an and child . The prizes of war exceeded i n valuea m il l ion pounds , but al l the proceeds went to the navy andthe king’s chest , whil e the provinces wai ted three y ears before the i r expenses even were repaid ; and then the re

im bursem ent was gran ted as the grac i ous ben eficence of

his m aj es ty , not as a deb t due . W i ll i am Pepperr el l , Esqui re ,who comm anded the provinc i al s , was knighted the onl yreward of distinguished service received b y an y N ew Engl and O fficer . The exal ted estim ate of the importance of

the Victor y at the time , is exhib i ted b y the fact that as then ews of i t reached in turn Boston , N ew York , Phi ladelphi aand even London , the peopl e b ecam e wi ld with jo y ful exc item en t ; and as night cam e on , i n each of these Ci ti es ,great bonfires and general i l lum ination l igh ted crowds uproar iou s i n unrestricted rejo ic ing . A few da y s after thesurrender , Colonel W i l lard s igned the fo l lowing l e tte r at

Gabarus Ba y , the intrenched camp at that poin t havingbeen ordered to be destro y ed , after rem oval of i ts stores tothe c ity of Louisbourg . The report tha t a large body of

French and Indians was near at hand m editating an attackupon i t , accounts for the worth y co lonel ’s very m arkeduneas iness

H onour ed S z’

r : . According to your Honour’s order I have Attendedmy Duty at the Camp w i th C0 10 : Donnel C0 10 : M eshervay and C0 1

0: Chand

ler , have w ith me eigh t compS : of my own Regimen t Except what are at

ye out housen and I n ye Ci ty to attend ye S ick . Colo : Moul ton has 1 60

men here belonging to his Regimen t , C0 10 : Moore 1 40 belonging to his ,Col°Hale about 1 8 men belonging to his , Colo Burr 40 men belonging to

S IEGE O F LO UI S BO URG . 2 1

his ye others have S en t None to guard us Vizt : Brigr Waldo , Col0 S torer

Col0 Richmond and ColO Gorham I wou ld pray that your Honour wouldsee us wel l Guarded . I am Ready and Wil l ing always to O bey your Hon

ours Commands I n every thing I am Capable of. I expected to have a

s loop here to Day to take away al l ye S tores but am Disappoin ted wh ichmakes al l y

eofficers very uneasy .

I am your Honours DutifullCamp June 26 th 1 74 5 . O bedien t and Very Humble S ervan t

S A M L L : W ILLARD .

P . S . Mr Cosbee has been here wth a french Gen t leman to View ycCamp and is Returned (as I suppose) to ye City again and i t gives us all

mat ter of uneas ines s had i t been known S ooner some of yeofficers would

have taken them up and Confined them un til l they had Known your Hon

ours Pleasure .

I am your Honours Humble S ervtE ndor sed , S A M W ILLARDM ay i t please your Honour S ince ye Le tter was Wri tt and S ealed up

S everal Vessels are Com to Recive ye S tores (as I suppose) S . WS nper ser ioed

T o Generall Pepper ell , [ n tlze Ci ty of Cape Br eton .

[Pepperrell Papers , 206 .J

On Jul y 3 1 , Ab ij ah Wi ll ard was prom oted captain

l i eutenan t of the fi rst compan y , and h is b rother Levi was

m ade ens ign . The y were sons of the co lonel , the form erb eing twenty-one y ears of age , and Levi , e ighteen . E n

dorsed upon a pet i tion of certain office rs of the regim en t ,asking th at in the con sol idation of the forces retained togarrison Lou isbourg the y and their m en m igh t b e jo in edwi th B rigadier-General Samue l Wa ldo’s regim ent , i s thi sletter

H is E xcellency Wm S ner ley E sgr :

Th is is to inform your E xelency That my Regimen t is not S ett ld : so

as to be in any C'

apassi ty of doing their duty as thay ough t to do—and it

is by Reason of ye Companys being Very much Broke : and in order forthe S et tlemen t O f the Companys I n my Regimen t and for the Peace and

Quietness of the S oldiers : I shal l take i t as a Grate Favour Done to meif your E xelency would S ee Cause ET O Comm iteonate Those Gen tleman

Hereafter N am “: John Hus ton , James Fry , John Fry Nath“ : Pettengel l

T o be the officers over the men that belongd to Leu t : Co l l0 Chandler’s Company and Capt : James S tevens ’s Compa° Jona: Hubard Benijah Aus tinElisha S trong T o be the officers over the men belonging T o Maj r Pomroy ’s

2 2 ANNALS O F LANCA STER .

Compa: Capt : M il lers ; Ephriam Hayward and John Bel l Dudley

Brads treet T o be the officers over the men that are Left of Capt : Warner’sComp

fl: Capt : O msteds . I n S o Doing you wil l O bl ige your mos t obe

clien t and Humble S ervan t S A M L L : W ILLARDL O U I S BO UR GE O ct”: the 2 day 1 74 5

[Pepperrel l Papers ,

The rigors of the c l im ate and the toil of the s i ege told

seve rel y upon even the hardy y eom en of New Engl and ,and the vic tim s of di sease far outnum b ere d the ki l led andwounded in the l ines . Thom as Littlejohn fel l i n act ion ,but how m any others of Lancaster i s unknown . Am ongthose who died in hospita l w as Captain John Warne r .

Hundreds of the s ick and enfeeb l ed were at l ength per

m itted to return hom e , and the dep leted companies wereconsol i dated and garrisoned the fort ified cit y unt il the following Apri l . The Lancaster officers m ostl y escaped thewinter ’s hardsh i ps and the te rr ib l e camp fevers whichwasted the arm y that rem ained . The two docum ents thatfol low—numb ers 33 1 and 335 of the Pepperre l l Papersclose our record of Lancaste r m en i n the Louisbourg cam

paign of 1 74 5

T 0 bis E xcel lency Wi l liam S nir ley E sgr z Capt : Gen t : é°e.

M ay i t please your Excel lency S ince my Company is Come under CaptHubbard I Would Pray your Excellency T o Dismis me and Gran t me the

favour of going home wi th my father and al lso John Warner son of CaptJohn Warner who Died in th is Place above a mon th ago he is a L ad of

about Twelve years of age 81 0From your Excel lency’s mos t Humble S ervt

A 131 JA H W ILLARDS ubscr ibed , LOU ISBOURG 1 2

th O cto 1 7 4 5

Capt : Lieut A b Ij ahWil lard of C0 10 : S amuel Wil lard’s Regimen t , having ass igned over his Company by their Consent to Capt : Jonathan Hub

bard ih Brigadier Genl z VV

aldo’s regim

t: and having petitioned for a

d ischarge from the service is hereby accordingly dismissed , permi t ted toreturn to N ew England to take wi th him a youth of about twelve yearsold the son O f Capt : John Warner late Dec

fi“d W . SH IRLEY

L O U I S BO UR GE O ctobr : 1 7th 1 74 5

L t . Col l°Pitts , Maj r Hodges , Coll°: S am l . Willard , Ens ign Benja B lackston , Leut . E dwd Prat being unable to do duty by reason of a bad s tate of

S IEGE O F LOU ISBOURG . 23

heal th and being des irous to be Dismis t H is Majes ty’s S erv ice in this Garrison , it is hereby Gran ted and they Accordingly Dismis t .

Pr Warren W . S hi i ley

W . PE PPE R R E L L

The fol lowing y ear the country was i n cont i nual unrest ,knowing that France had fi tted out an armada , headed b y

forty war ships under the Duke d ’

A nvi l le , to ravage the

coast of New Engl and . The m i l i ti a to'

the numb er of over

S ix thousand were stat ioned at Boston , and various fortsupon the coast were rebu i l t and garrisoned . A letterprinted i n Am erican Archives , IV , 1 , 1 1 6 8 , states that

"forty

thousand m en m arched down to Boston and were musteredand numbered upon the Common , comp le te i n arm s from

this Province onl y , i n three weeks .

” Muste r ro l ls of thisperiod are not found , but a few item s preserved testify toLancaster’s active participation i n the pub l ic anxie ty

LANCASTER April ye 29, 1 74 7M aj . L arance, S ir , Please to pay Capt . Abijah Wil lard our wages

and Bil let wh ich is Due to us upon your mus ter not paid for going downeto Bos ton upon a larm . I n so doing you w il l oblege your humbel servantsand his Receipt shall be your discharge .

his

JOHN OSGO OD JOHN WHITE JOHN HAR ISm ark

NATHAN IEL WH ITE JAMES HOUGHTON BENJAM IN HOUGHTON Jr .for Elijah .

October 1 0 , 1 746 , the Counc il issued a warrant

T o Cpt. Ephraim S awyer and the Company , in H is M ajes ties S ervice

on the Fron tiers , the sum of T wo Hundred and n ine Pounds two S h il l ingsand nine pence (to each Person the sum set against his name) to dischargehis Mus ter Rol l beginn ing M ay 1 6 . 1 74 6 and ending June 30 ,

1 74 6 .

A letter from Secretary Jos i ah Wil lard to Adm i ral Warren—Massachusetts Archives , L I I I , 1 95 ,— m entions JacobWi llard as a m i dshipm an . For m an y weeks the people ofMassachusetts , reso lute but hard l y hopeful of the resul t ,were wai ting in dread suspense the com ing of their powerful foe . Engl and m ade no effort to shield them from the

24 ANNALS O F LANCAS T ER .

impending rui n , but Providence was upon thei r s ide . Afierce tempest smote the French flee t and sca tte red it ;

the sai lors and so ldiers were dec im ated b y disease , andD

’

A nvil le died on September 26 . New England was

spared .

I I . I N D IAN R A ID S .

We have no record that the soldiers of Lancaste r wereagain called into service unt il 1 74 8 , when , on Jul y 5 , ab and of fou rscore savages m ade a revengeful ra id under

the lead of a hal f-C i vi l i zed Indi an , S urdody b y nam e , uponthe lone l y garri son of John F itch , a carpenter , l iving inwhat is now Ashb y . Z accheus B lodge tt and Jennings , twosoldiers there s tationed , were s lain , and Fitch , wi th hiswife Susannah , and chi ldren Catharine , John , Paul , Susannah and Jacob were carried away capt ive . Colone l Samue lW il lard ordered out various compan ies of m il iti a from the

ne ighboring towns i n pursui t ; and the m arauders wouldprob ab ly have suffe red dearl y for the ir tem eri ty , but for awarning conve y ed to the angry pursuers b y a no te whichF itch fas tened to a tree . The savages had resolved , ifattacked b y the rangers , to k il l thei r prisoners at once , andhe urged them to ab andon further a ttempts at rescue .

F i tch te l ls his own story in a pe ti tion for aid , pre served i nMassachusetts Archives L xx 1 1 1 , 6 09 . He wi th his fivechi ldren re turned in safety the fol lowing y ear b y way of

New York and Providence , but his wife died in the l atte rplace on

_the way hom e , Decemb er 24 , 1 74 8 . The fo l low

ing is one of Colone l Wi l lard ’s orders upon Hearing theE xstroydnery News of Mr Fi tch es Fam i l y Be ing Take ingfrom L unenburge b y the enem y .

”

T o Capt . Epnr aim Wi lder 7 7m . in L ancaster .

Y ou are herby Directed forthwi th to order as many O fi’ your Troop tobe Ready to march tomorrow morning as you can Posebel an I wil l Go


T o his E xelency Wi lliam S heer ly E sq . Capt . general é’

r’ Gover nor in Cheif

in and over hi s maj est ies Pr ovince of the M assachusett s bay in N ew

eng land 69° to the H onr a

’

his maj est ies Councel Sr”house of R epr esenta

t ives in general Cour t assembled .

T he memorial of S am“ . Wil lard Humbly S heweth , That wheare as

many of the Towns in my R idgement ly on the frount iers are vary muchexpos

d to the enemy , and the so ldiers alradie Proposd for those Towns are

not by any means (as I conceiue) sufficien t for the protection of the peo

ple , since there is not many more soldiers then Garisons in sd Townstheirfore can t carie on a scou t which I th ink would be absol u tely nassary

theirfore your memorial is t Humbly moues that their may be Town’s

scouts appoin ted in each froun tier Town who shal l be Changed al ternatelyas often as is though t bes t ; whose Duty i t shal l be to main tain a cons tan tscout on the Back of these Towns which seruice hath allways ben muchfor ye S afty of frountiers when fai thful ly Performd th is mathod may also

saue the F resing of a Considerable many more soldiers , your memorialis t as in Duty Bound S hal l ever Pray . S A M L L

. W ILLARDApril 8 1 74 8

[M assachusetts A rch 1ves , LXX I I I ,

A few days after the rai d he again wrote

T o the H on?”e Spencer Phipps E sq . L ieut . Goo r and to the H on “ 8 his majties Counci l .

I think it my duty to lay before your Honours the Dis tres t Conditionof the towns hereafter ment iond , lying between M erimack Conecticut ,

by reason of the Indians . N ew Rutland , N ichwog , N araganset t N o 2 ,

Leomins ter , L unenburgh , Gro ton West Precinct , who w il l not be able todo their Harves t to get their hay wi thout some Rel ief from your Honours their being but s ix ty-two soldiers al lowed n ine teen men for townS couts to the towns aboue mentiond , wh ich is by no means sufficien t toguard them . S O I subscribe myself your humble S ervtE ndor sed . S A M L L

. W ILLARDRecd July 1 5 , 1 74 8

[M assachusetts Archives , L 1 1 1 ,

The Je sui ts of Canada conducted warfare against the

hated here tics , thei r Pur itan neighbors , i n a m ode the m ost

coward l y and b arb arous known in m odern histor y . B yvarious arts the y had won to thei r i nteres t al l the m o resavage trib es . The French peasants had been encouragedto take Indian wives . The pries ts found i t easy to awakenthe superst itious fears of the suscept ib le red men , andabused th is power without scruple . The savage ’s cupidi ty

IND IAN RA IDS . 2 7

and love of finery were stimulated b y judic ious di stributionof gaudy presents , and the prom ise of boun ties for services .

Bands of pain ted warriors were regularl y equi pped andsent to the Engl ish frontie r se ttlem ents to murder , burn andp lunder . These cunning . swift-footed m arauders , skulkingabout some lone cab in , would surprise i ts owner at the

plough or i n the harvest field , tear C IT h is scalp and drivebefore them through the pathless fore sts to Canada h is wi feand chi ldren , loaded wi th spoi ls from thei r own hom e . I nMontreal or CHI ebec the emplo y e rs paid in to the b loods tained hands the prom ised bounty and ransom mone y .

To protec t the adventurous pioneers of new se ttlem en ts , i tagain became necessary , as during L ovewe l l

’

s war , to keepparti es of rangers a lm ost cons tantly i n mo tion hence suc hrecords as the fo l lowing

A M uster [Boll of a M ember of M en that was sent I n to the Woods under

Command of yonathan Whitney Capt viz : By order of Coll . S am

uel Wi l lard .

“

f uly 23 to 3 1 . [ 1 74 8]

JonathanWhi tney , capt Hezekiah Willard Ph ineas Prat tThomas Bal l , l ieut S tephen Haskal Josiah We therbyEphraim Gates , serg r John Davis Elisha GatesJohn Randal l , serg r Amos S tone Josiah GatesEbenezer Davis , clarh Benj a. S ampson Jos iah DavisJ us tin i tian Hol den , corp] : A bnah Hol t Dan ie l FarrGabriel l Preis t , corpl S amue l Bruce Joseph We therbyThomas Wheler, Jun . cent /z: John S tem s Will iam S kinnerWil liam Farmer Benj “ . Baley David Jewet tJohn Warner Benja. Marbe l S ilas We therbyEbenezer Worces ter Abijah Prat t Daniel BruceWil l iam Harper John Hough ton Jonas WilderS am“ . Harper Daniel Whitney Abraham Hough ton

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCI I

,1 25 ]

These m en were of Bol ton and Harvard ; a compan y of

twen ty was led from Lunenburg b y Cap tain JonathanWi llard , and a smal ler scout from Leom inster was headed byCap tain Jonathan Whi te .


LANCASTER July y6 1 9 . 1 7 4 8 .

Captain White .

Having repeated accoun ts of the indians S hooting and being trackedaboue you , Y ou are hereby Directed to send s ix able bod ied men to S cou tcons tan tly aboue Lunenburg and Leomins ter un ti l l further orders

Yours to serue S A M L L. W ILLARD .

A M uster R oll of a S cout of men in his M aj est ies S ervice under the Com’

mand of yonathan White Captai n an no D 1 74 8 [July 1 9 to Augus t

Jonathan Whi te , capt . O l iver Carter Nathan ie l CarterJoseph Beman Gershom Hough ton Joshua Walker

[M assachusetts A rchives , XCI I ,

A M uster R ole of a N umber of men that S couted by or der of Col l Wi llard

under the Command of S erg t _

‘

7ames H oughton . [S erved s ix weeksfrom Ju ly 24 ,James Hough ton , sergt . Hezekiah Wh itcomb Nathan BurpeeJohn Wilder John Had ley Jonathan PowersA sa Wh i tcomb Joseph Kilborn

E ndor sed . December the 3 1 , 1 74 8These may Cer t ifie that Having advise from Capt . S tevens of N O 4 ,

that a party of Indians ware Come Betwene the Revers I sen t out the

w i thin named James Hough ton Company .

S AM L L W ILLARD[M assachusetts A rchives

,XCI I

,

About this t ime the Truck House above N or thfie ld

comon ly cal led Fort Dum er ,”as its commandant wri tes of

it in 1 740 , b egan to figure as a s trategic pos i tion of som eimportance in connect ion wi th Charlestown No . 4 , andFort Massachusetts . Fo rt Dumm e r was i n con tro l of Colonel Jos i ah Wi l lard of Lunenburg and his kindred , whoowned the s i te and the lands abou t i t . The pay ro l ls of thel i ttle ga rri son usua l l y con tain l ess than a dozen nam es , al ltold , and the se nearl y alway s O f Wi l lards or of fam i l ie sconnected wi th them b y m arriage . Fai rb ank Moore andJohn Sargen t of Lancaster were genera l l y on duty here .

Captain Phineas S tevens , who , l ike the Wi l lards , was O f

Lancaster origin , w as comm ander of Num b er Four , andsom et im es two or three Lancaster so ldiers are found in hismuster-ro l l s . Among prisone rs ransom ed and brough t toBoston from Canada in 1 748 , was John Henderson of Lan

IND IAN RA IDS . 29

cas ter , taken at Numb er Four . Jul y 1 6 , 1 74 8 , near For tDummer , a party of thirteen was way laid b y Indians , andthree onl y escaped . Joseph Rich ardson , Nathan French ,John Frost and Wi l l i am B radford w ere sl ain ; Henry S teven s , Benj am in Osgood , Wi l l iam Blanchard , Joe l J ohnson ,Moses Perkins and Ma tthew Wym an were taken prisoners .

The last nam ed and two or three o thers were of Lancas te rand adjoining towns . Wym an was soon ransomed , andthe fol lowing pe ti tion is found

T he Peti tion O f Mat thew Wyman mos t humbly S heweth , That yourPeti tioner being in his Majes ties service and employ (1 as a sou ldier underCapt . Josiah Wi l lard by your Excel lency ’s O rder was taken by the IndianEnemy near Fort Dummer on ye 1 6 of June 1 6 4 8 , who took final ly Keptfrom me a Gun worth no less than O ld Tenr and a Hat worth of ye

same Ten rand carried me to Canada . From wh ich Captivi ty I ob tained

not my Liberty til l abou t ye 5 of O ctober fol lowing when I arrived in Boston wi th Capt . Britt of Newbury above 40 o ther Prisoners of War .

Wh ich unhappy Bondage hath tended more than a li t t le to ye Dis tressImpoverishmen t of myself and Family . I t is therefore ye earnes t suppl ication of your Poor Pe ti tioner that your Excel lency and Honours willcondescend to afford me some Rel ief such as in your Great Wisdom ,

Equity and Goodness you shal l th ink proper, wh ich wil l be a las ting obligat ion of Grati tude on your affl icted Peti tioner who shal l ever pray &cJanuary 1 0

,MATTHEW WYMAN

[M assachusetts A rch ives,LXXI I I

,

E ight pounds i n m one y and a gun were voted the petitioner . A few y ears later he is found again fighting forthe K i ng .

I I I .

F R ENCH AN D IN D WAR .

1 7 5 4—1 7 6 3

I . THE CROWN PO INT EXPED IT IO N O F 1 7 5 5 .

HE treaty of Aix-la-Chape lle , s igned October 7 , 1 748 ,perm i tted for a tim e the semb lance of peace b etween

Jesui t and Puri tan , but restored to the French all that hadbeen wrested from them b y the valor and sacrifices of the

New Eng land m en . Again Loui sbourg became a s tandingm enace to the commerce of the Engl ish colonies in Am erica . Lancas te r ’s ve te ran colone l , who had honored himself and his b irthplace by his conduct during the s iege andcapture of tha t famous fortress , now drops from our annals .

We hear from Lancas ter that on the l gth of this ins tan t N ovb" . Col .

S amuel Wil lard was suddenly seized w i th an apoplectick fi t , and d ied inthree hours afterwards . He had attended the publick worsh ip both forenoon and afternoon on the preceding day . He was decently interred on

the Wednesday fol lowing . He has left a sorrowfu l Widow and s ix ch ildren .

[Boston Weekly N ews Letter , N ov. 30 ,1 7 5 2 ]

Colone l Samuel was a grandson of Major S imon Will ard , and the energy and executive ab i l i ty of his di sti n

guished ances tor shone again in him . Sixty-three y earsof age at h is death , he was at the heigh t of h is prosperousand useful caree r . For twenty -five y ears he had been theranking O fli ce r of the m i l itary dis trict , and , wi th the excep

tion of Chief-Justice Joseph Wi lder , the most prom inentc it i zen of the town . He had he ld the O ffice of judge of

CROWN PO INT EXPED IT IO N . 3 1

the Court of Common P leas for nearl y ten y ears . ThreeO f his sons fol lowing in paternal foo tsteps earl y showedm arked taste for m i l i tary l ife , and each attained the rankof co lone l .

In 1 753 i t was de term i ned to encourage the m anufactureof l i nen in Massachusetts b y substantial prem ium s , and toob tain a fund for this purpos e a tax was imposed upon cer

tain chattels deemed luxuri es . The sum of ten shi l l ingswas annual l y l evied upon each coach , five shi l l ings upon achariot , three shi l l ings upon a chaise , and two shi ll ingsupon a cal ash or chai r . The firs t y e ar Lancaster paid taxupon three chai rs ; i n 1 7 54 , upon one chaise ; in 1 755 , upontwo Chai rs and three chaises ; i n 1 756 , upon two chaisesand two chairs . We can hardl y err in ass ign ing the chai sesto Judge Joseph Wi lder and the fam i l y of Colonel SamuelWi l lard . Bezalee l Sawy er was the proprietor of one of thechai rs , but we are left to conj ecture the ownership of the

other . During the sam e years Harvard , Bol ton and L eomin ster had but a s ingle chai r to the three towns . From the

pauci ty of such conveniences for trave l , we may judge ofthe austere s im pl ic ity of the tim es .

In attempt ing to carry out the provis ions of the exc iseact of 1 754 , l ay ing a tax upon certain tab l e luxu ries , bym eans of which the colonists were expected to contributeto the support of the government , unforeseen difli cul ties

were m et in this county , as told b y the return of a comm ittee , the two leading m embers of which were Lancasterc itizens

T o his E xcelency Wi lliam S hir ley E sq . , Capt . General

O ctober ye 1 8 , 1 7 54 .

Whareas your E xcelency Honours appoin ted us the subscribers a

Commi tte to farm out the excise of T ea , Coffe Chine ware I n the Countey of Worces ter , This therefore Certifies that I n pursuance of said orderwe Notified the whole Coun tey of our Des ighn to meet at a publick Timeand place when where we attended , but when the acte Relating to thatafl

’

air was Read , N0 person by R eson of some Clauses I n said acte appered

32 ANNALS O F LANCAST ER .

to bid for said excise , for which R eson , Notwiths tanding our Time Troubleand E xpences i t I s N o t farmed outT he E xpo/ i ces . T o writing 23 Notifications sending them to [so]

many Towns o 9 0

T o at tendance on said affair , one Day a

hafe a personT o E xpences

Wh ich we pray may be al lowedWe are your Excel lency Honors . mos t Humble S ervants ,

JOSEPH W ILDERW ILL IAM R ICHARDSON Comm i tte

NATHAN TYLER[M assachusetts A rchives , CX IX ,

6 85

The people who thus voluntari l y den ied them selvescommon luxuri e s , and jealous l y scrut in ized eve ry a ttemp tto raise the sm al les t sub s id y wi thout thei r consent , weresoon wi l l ingl y impoverishing them selves and mortgagingthe ir ch i ldren ’s i nheri tance , for love of coun try and the

re l igion of thei r fathers .

Prepara tions for a desperate and dec is ive struggl e neve rceased , and from t im e to tim e col l is ions upon the fron ti e rsto ld of the unaba ted rage be tween the rival c ivi l izationsand creeds . I n 1 7 54 the m ask of peace was dropped i nthe co lon ies , a l though the m other coun tries did not form a l l ydeclare war un ti l two years la te r . Co lonel John Wins lowwas s tationed upon the eas tern fron ti e r wi th a regim en t ,and wi th h im , chiefly in the c cmpan ies of Cap tains PhineasOsgood and E leazar Melvin , se rving from Apri l to Novemher , were these m en of Lancas ter , Bo l ton and Harvard

S ergt . John Wh i tcomb . Timo thy Hough ton . Abraham Knowl ton .

S ergt . S tephen Hough ton . Benjamin Hu tch ins . Wil l iam Larkin .

Nathan Barns . Gordon Hutch ins . Jos iah Pries t .Char les Holman . Benjamin Kendal l . Jacob Willard .

Richard Holden . I saac Kendal l . Elijah Wood .

Joseph Wood .

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCI I I

,1 36

Captain Gershom Flagg was engaged in the con struetion of Fort Ha l ifax on the Kenneb ec , from Jul y to Novemb er of this y ear , and Wi th him were Henry Haske l l , Uri ah


E n l istment R ol l f ound among,r paper s of Colonel O l iver Wi lder .

We the S ubscribers Do acknowledge to Haue Volen tareley I nl is ted our

S elues as Priuate S olders to S erue his majestey King George the S eccondI n a Regimen t of foo t Now a Rais ing I n the Prouince of the Massachuse tsBay I n N ew England oute of the S eueral Regimen ts of horse and oute of

the Regimen t in partickular whareof O livar Wi lder E sq”. I s Collonal to

Reinforce the armey under the Command of Major General Joh nson Destined for Crown Poin t and under such Col lonal as his Honour the Left .Gouener Phips s hal l S e good to apoin t as w itness our hands th is fifteen thDay of S eptember in the year of ouer-Lord 1 7 55 .

LUKE JARV IS accepted in ye Rome of S tephen TuttleBENJAM IN W ILDER [lieutenant] OL IVER POLLARDPH I N E I I A S CAR TER [ensign ] FA IRBANK MO O RJONATHAN POWERS SETH O A KPAUL SAWYER BENJA BR IDGEN A T HA N L . HOUGHTON MOSES WH ITNEYNATHAN IEL WH ITE S IMON BLANCHER

, impr essed

NATHAN IEL HUDSON PH I N E HA s W ILLA RDJONATHAN HOUGHTON CALEB SAWYERI SRAEL GREENLEAF ZADO CK DAV IS , trompgJOHN MO O R . Jr . W ILL IAM HOUGHTONOL IVER WARNER GORDON HUTCH INSSAMUELL CUMM INGS , Jauer . J EREM IAH LAUGHTON

, corp .

S IMON W ILLARD DAN IEL HOUGHTONJOSEPH WH E E LO CK NATHAN IEL CO BL E I GHJONAS WH I T CO M B , tr 0m1 5

t OL IVER TENNEYhis ROBERT WH ITCOMBEPHRA IM X HOUGHTONm ark BENJAM IN HALE , cor

jo.

These soldiers from Lancas ter and neighboring townsserved in the regim ent of Co lone l Jos i ah B rown , and i nthe companies of Captain J eduthan Baldwin of Brookfield ,

and Lieutenant-Colone l John Cumm ings , whose musterro l l s are i n Massachusetts Archives , XC I I I , 20 6 and 2 1 5 ,

and XC IV , 8 . 2 7 and 7 1 .

Samuel Wi l lard , e ldest son of the late colone l , was au

thoriz ed to ra ise a regiment of eight hundred m en for th isexpedition , and John Whi tcomb of Bo l ton was comm issioned i ts l i eutenant-co lonel , Timo th y Hough ton of Bo l ton ,adjutant , and Phineas Phelps of Lancaster , surgeon

’

s-m ate .

Co lone l Wi llard was mus tered i n command of the regim en tfrom August 9 to Octob er 26 , at which date John Wh it

CR OWN PO INT EXPED IT IO N . 35

comb was comm is s i oned co lonel . Samue l Wi l lard hadbeen taken s ick shortl y after jo ining the army , and died at

Lake George . He was not quite thi r ty-seven y ears of age .

For a t ime he had l ived at Petersham , having an estatethere , was jus tice of the peace , and high l y es teemed forhis uprigh tness and ab il ity . He had re turned to h is boyhood ’s home , however , b efore the war b roke out , and was

chosen town c lerk of Lancaster . The e lect ion of his suc

cessor to the clerkship for 1 7 55 , is recorded as" i n room of

Samue l Wi l lard ab sent i n his m aj esty ’s se rvice .

” He leftno chi ldren . Colone l John Whi tcomb ’s com pan y of fiftym en had in i t the fol lowing soldie rs from Lancastr ian towns ,the remainder be ing m ostl y from S tow and Marlborough

O F LANCASTERHezekiah Whi tcomb , l ieutenant , (d ied) . Aaron Dresser, Thomas Dole ,

John Wh i tcomb , (d i ed ) . Abner O sgood .

O F BOLTON :Gabriel Pries t , sergeant . Abram Holman , James Townsend ,Nathaniel Long ley , clerk . Francis M cF adden , Eleazar Whi tcomb ,John Whi tcomb , J un , dr ummer . Jos iah Pries t .

O F HARVARDUriah Hol t , corpor al . J oseph

'

Houghton , John S awyer ,Isaac Gates , Elkanah Keyes .

O F LEOM INSTERJob S pofford , corpor al . Jonas S pofl

'

ord , Benjamin S tree t , (d ied) .Elias Carter .

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCIV

,

In the compan y of Captain Samuel Hunt of Lunenburg , there were

O F BOLTONS ilvanus S awyer, drummer Francis F ullarn .

John White , sergeant ,

In the companycord , were

O F LANCASTERWil l iam Richardson , Jr . l ieutenant , S amuel Warner.

O F LEOM INSTERWil l iam Boute l l , corporal , Luke Richardson ,

Benjamin Whitcomb .

[M assachusetts A rchives , XCIV,

of Cap tain S tephen Hosmer of Con

36 ANNA LS O F LANCASTER .

In the compan y of Captain Wi l l i am Pei rce of S tow ,

we reO F HARVARD

Judah Clark , l ieutenant , Isaac S tone , corporal , Phineas Pratt ,Benjam in Hutch ins , sergeant , S amuel Corey .

[M assachusetts Archives,XCIV

,

Jos i ah Whitne y and Samuel Meed of Ha rvard were inother companies of the sam e regim ent .

Most of the soldie rs of this neighborhood , however ,were in three compan ies of a regiment comm anded byColonel Timoth y Ruggl es , which suffered severel y i n thebattle of Lake George , September 8 . 1 755 , when the gallant D ieskau was de feate d b y the undisc ipl i ne d va lor of

New Eng land rustics under the energetic leadership of

General Phineas Lyman , despite the woful m ism anagem ent of the comm ander-in-chief. The muster-ro l l of Captain Joseph Whi tcomb ’s company is i n Massachuse ttsArch ives , XC IV , 8 6 . The t ime of service was from March ,1 7 55 , to the Close of the y ear

Joseph Wh i tcomb , capt . Lancas ter Ebenezer S now ,

Benja . Wh itcomb , lieut . Leom ins ter Robert F orski tBenja, Has tings , en szgn , Bol ton John WheelerHezekiah Walker , clerk , Lancas ter Joseph R obbinsDennis Lock l in , serg t . Bol ton Jona. Hough tonJohn Barnard Cyrus GatesS amue l Patch S tow Marmaduke J os . Ham il tonJonas J ohnson ,cor,o Knol tonBenja. Marble Bol ton Jos iah Prat t , S en “ .

James Cresfield Lancas ter Abraham BruceJoseph R obbins , J r . (died ) Joseph E vel ith , S tow

Joshua S awyer Ebenezer Patch , (died )Josiah Prat t , Jr . (died ) Henry Keyes , S hrewsburyRobert Longley Robert Fletcher, clerk , Lancas terJohn Richardson Joseph Pol ley , Leomins terNathaniel Holman Ebenezer Kn igh tAbijah Co le James ClarkJoseph S hewally, Leomins ter, (died ) Wil l iam Porter, S h irleyEthan Ph il l ips , Lancas ter Peter Kendall , Lancas ter, (died )Zecariah Eager, S hrewsbury John Davidson , S towWill iam Willard , Lancas ter M icah GatesPh ineas Randell (died ) S ilas Bouker, S hrewsbury

CROWN PO INT EXPED ITIO N . 37

Peter Hough ton ,Leomins ter Joseph Bigelow , Framingham

John S cot t , Lunenburg Comfort Brabrook, S hrewsbury(d ied )Jona . Pries t Wh itcomb , drummer , Lancas ter

The muster-ro l l of Captain A saWhi tcom b is i n Massa

chusetts Archives , xcv , 8 8

A sa Whi tcomb , capt . Lancas ter I thamar Bennet t , L ancas ter , (d ied )Ezra Hough ton , l ieut . Fortunatus Taylor, S hrewsburyElijah Hough ton , enszgn , Thomas Fairbanks , Lancas terJoshua H ide , serg t . Petersham S i las Bennet t , PetershamReuben Keyes S hrewsbury (died ) Joseph Woo l ly , RutlandE ph

’m Bennett Holden , (died ) O l iver Dresser, Lancas terPh ilemon Hough ton

,clerh , Lancas ter Caleb Wrigh t , Harvard

Jacob H inds , corp . S hrewsbury Nathan Garey , Lancas terIsaac Kendal l Lancas ter , (d ied ) John Harvey . S hrewsbu ryEbenezer E ngalsbee , corz) . S hrewsbury David Allen , PetershamS am

’l F Joshua Bai ley , Lancas terWm . Fairbanks , drum ’

r , (died ) Ti l ley LittlejohnJohn Farrar (died ) Eliphale t Cutting , S hrewsburyJohn Brooks O liver O sgood , Lancas ter, (d i ed )Benjamin Flood , Wes tborough Charles Holman , Bo l ton , (d i ed )Daniel S tone , S hrewsbury Jonathan Goodale , MarlboroughJedediah Belknap (di ed ) Nahum Hough ton , dr ummer , L an

Francis Temple cas ter .

The muster-rol l of Captain Benjam in Bal lard is in M as

sachusetts Archives , XC IV , 1 23 , and contains forty-ninenam es , el even be ing of Lancaste r , three of Leom ins te r ,and one of Harvard ; the l ieutenants and m an y of the privates being from Townsend and Vic i ni ty .

O F LANCASTERBenjam in Bal lard , captain , Will iam Barron ,

ElishaWhI te ,

S herebiah Hunt , sergean t , Jos iah Fairbanks , Elijah Woods ,Timothy Whi ting , clerk , Will iam Kendal l

,Joseph Woods ,

S amuel Ballard , John Manning , John Rugg (ki l led ) .

O F LEOM INSTERAbiathar Hough ton , sergeant , J on

e. White , Jr . Aaron Brown .

Wil l iam Babcock of‘ Harvard .

These three companies were in the b loody m orningfight ,

” and those recorded as“ died were , wi th the excep

t ion of Farrar , kil led or morta l l y wounded on that day .

Petitions presented b y certain O f the survivors wi l l serve to

38 ANNALS O F LANCA STER .

picture som e of the tri als endu red b y these patrio ts afte r

the dangers of the b attl e-fiel d were safe l y passed , whi le

they suggest comparisons and contrasts wi th our m odernexperiences of war

Jonathan Powers I nlis ted himse lf a privet under theCommand of Capt . J eduthan Bal ld ing I n Col lonal Brown

’s Regimen t to go

in the Expedi tion agains t Crown poin t the Las t year, and so i t was

I was Taken s ick at Lake George and so Continued for thre wekes and

after Recovering some smal l s trength [ was Im barked I n a wagon and got

Down to Albany wi th much Deficul tey and thare T aried thre Days and

then I being Verry Dis irous of Gi ting hom attemted a tryel and Traveledas my s trength would bare un til l I Got to Kings ton and sen t Home for

Horse and man to Come to my ass is tance , I being unable to proced any

further I had got so weke .

T o what it cos t me for said man two Horses thre DaysE xpences £ 1 o o

and after I got Home I was Confined to my house w ith fevourflucks for thre wekes and was obl iged to aply to DrHarvey whose Bill I s herwith exh ibited and I s 1 7 6

and for Nursing and other N esecareys During said thre wekes I o 8

2 1 8 2

Your Pettioner Humbly Prays your Honour Honours to Repay himthe apove said sum JONATHAN POWERS

[M assachuset ts A rchives,LXXV

,

T o H is H onour Spencer Phips E sq July ye 1 1 7 5 6 .

T he Pet tion of Aaron Dresser Humbley S hewing that he I nl is tedh imsel f a prive t solder I n Collonel Whitcomb’s Companey I n Col lonel

Wil lard ’s Regimen t the las t year I n the Expedi tion agains t Crown poin tand so i t was may i t plese your Honouer and Honouers that I was Takensick at the Camp and was unable to T ravil and Brough t Down to A lbaneyI n a wagon and Remaind s ick at A lbaney thre wekes thre Days and

then was unab le to travil on foot and was fors t to H ire a man and Horse toCarrey me homward .

T o what i t Cos t me at Can terhook Wh ile s ick there for N uris ingand N esecarys I was obliged to get 1 16 5

8

T o what i t Cos t me for man and Horse and expenses Home toLancas ter wh ich ye man was 1 5 Days a performing I beingso weke 3 1 8 6

Your Pet tioner Humbley prays your Honouer and Honouers to Repayhim the above said sum O f five pounds four sh il l ings and five pence wh ichCos t and Charge he has actuley ben at as I n Dutey bound shal l Ever Pray .

A ARON DRESSER[M assachusetts A rchives

,L xxv

,

CROWN PO INT EXPED IT ION . 39

T o the honble his [ Maj est ies Counsel! 894 house of R epr esen tat i ves in Gener el

Cour t A ssembled . April ye firs t 1 7 57 .

T he Pe ttition of Wil liam Willard humbleley S hewing That he was anI nl isted soi ld ier under the Command of Capt . Joseph Whetcomb in theR eigement wherof Timothy Rugles E sq : was Con “ : in the Crown Poin tExpedition in the year one Thousand S eaven hunderd and fivety

-five , and

so i t was , may Please your Honours , That your poor Petti tioner was takenS ick at t Lake George I was obl iged for to h ire a horse . and make the

Bes t of way home wi th the Leave of my S uperor officers leave and was

O bliged for to L ay by four days on my Jorney home I being so very sickand week , the fourteen th Day w i th great D ifficultey I arrived att myhome at t Lancas ter , there was Confined to my Room bed for five

weeks w i th the feaver and Camp Des temper and my bodey and Leggsbeing S wel l‘l for four or five mon ths afterwards which Cos t me in moneybesides all o ther Nessesery Charges , as to Candles boarding nurses &c .

wh ich sum of one pound twelve S h i l lings , your poor pet t is tioner wouldhumbleley pray your honours to Repay him . A s in Dut tey bound S hal lever pray . W ILL IAM W ILLARD .

WORCESTER S S , LANCASTER April ye 1 1 . 1 7 57 . T he before NamedWill iam Willard apered and made oth the Truth of the foregoing Pettonbefore me WM R ICHARDSON 7 ast i ce Pacts .

S ubscr ibed ,

T he Comttee allow one pound twelve sh illings I n ful l . S A M L L WITTpr order

Sim i lar pet itions to those above given were presentedby E than Phil l ips , Daniel Hough ton , Wi ll i am Kendal l ,Jam es Johnson and others of the sam e companies . Twofrom Lancaste r widows are as fol lows

T o H i s H onour Spencer Phips E sqT he Pet t it ion of Mary Farrar adminis tratrix to Hur Late Husband

John Farrar Late of Lancas ter Decesed Humbley S hewing that Hur S aidHusband I nl is ted under the Comand of Capt . A sa Wh i tcomb I n Col l°R ugeles Regimen t I n the Crown Poin t Expedi tion I n ye year 1 7 5 5 andthat he was wel l D uring the sumers Campain un til l a few Days before hisDismis ion at the Camp but was then Taken out of order and w i th GrateDificul tey got home and was Verey poorley for some wekes after he gothome but No twiths tanding the grate Dificul teys he met wi th the year before , your Poor Pet ti t ions Husbands zele was so grate for ye good of his

Cun trey that when thare was a motion to goe a seccond time I n ye servisof his King Cuntrey he frelev E ntred I nto said servis the Las t year andCon tinued I n i t ti l l he was D i sm i ssed and was Taken S ick I n his [return]at S helie ld and thare Died : and so i t was may i t plese your Honour andHonours that my said Husband’s Entering I n to the serv is ye Las t year he


had not an opurtun i ty to get his Bil li ting money for his Re turn ing Back yeyear before I often herd mv said Husband saye he bore all his own ex

pences I n his Return from ye said Expedi tion I n ye yeare 1 7 5 5 , as also yeafe Davi t of two others herwi th Exh ibi ted , and that your pet t ioner was at

the Cos t Charge of sending man horse twice wh i ls t my said HusbandL ay s ick at S hefield wh ich cos t me th irty-s ix sh il l ings for expences bes idesthe two men their horses who was one of them gone a fortnigh t the

other a weke wh ich I aprehend to be wel l worth thirtey sh i l l i ngs . Yourpoor D is tresed pettit ioner therefore Humbley Prayes your HonourHon ’s to take Hur case I nto your w ise and Jus t Cons ideration Give hura Power to Draw ye B il l i t ing for hur husbands ’ Retu rn from ye Exped i tionI n ye year 1 7 5 5 to al low the thirtey sh il l ings for ye two men two Horsesthat wen t to hur said Husbands as is tance or Gran t Hur Rel ief I n S huchother way as your Honour Honours I n your Grate wisdom shal l Direct .

as I n Duty Bound shal l Every pray M ARY FARRARWO R S E S T E R : S s : LANCASTER M arch ye oth 1 7 57

Mary Farrar appered and made oth to ye tru th of ye facts set forthI n y

e forgoing pet t ition before meW ILL IAM R ICHARDSON 7 ust ice Peace.

E ndor sed—Your Honour Honours wi th in men tioned petti tionerfurther Humbley prayes you w il l alow Hur ye accou nts also Here w i th Exhibeted paved Dr Harvey for Doctering hur Husband wh ich I s ten shill ings five pence as in further Dutey shal l Ever pray .

MARY FARRAR .

[M assachusetts A rch ives, LXXV I ,

T o H is H onour the L eut . Gover nour and Comander in Chi ef for the t ime

being . T o the H onourable H is M aj est i es Counci l and H ouse ofR epr esentat ives zn Gener al Cour t A scembled 7 a }:y . 6 151I 1 7 57 .

T he Petition of Hannah Woods Humbly Prays that shee had two sons

Lis ted under Capt . Bal lard in Col l R ugglesses R egemen t in the fi r s t E xpedition Agains t Crown Poin t , V iz t : Joseph and Elijah . Elijah AttendedH is Duty in the Province S ervice til l the 2 6 th Day of O e tober 1 7 5 5 at

wh ich time he had a furlow being unfi t for S ervice and Remained I ll twen tyweeks unable to Do aney Bus iness all of wh ich time I N ussed Bi l li ted sd

Elijah : that Joseph Con tinued in the S ervice til l he was Dismissed fromthe Expedi tion and Returned Home so I l l that He was not Capable of

Doing aney th ing for ten weeks after his Re turn at which time I Bi ll i tedand Loked after H im . therefore the said Hannah Humb ley Prays that shemay be al lowed for Nuss ing Bil lit ing and for what shee paid for DoctringH ir two S ons an A ccoun t of which accompaneys th is Peti tion and as in

Duty bound shal l Ever Pray HANNAH WOODS[M assachusetts A rch ives

,XCV

,

Though b arren of far reaching Victory , and foi led O f


were enl isted for the term of one y ear , unl ess sooner d is

charged , for the spec i al service of dis lodging the Frenchfrom thei r newl y fortified pos itions along the north s i de of

the B ay of Fund y and upon the isthmus connecting NewB runswick and Nova Sco ti a . Among the vessel s of the

fleet was a sloop cal led the V ictor y , and to thi s was

assigned a com pan y b elonging to the second b attal ion ,Lieutenant-Colonel Scott’s , which was l arge l y composedof, and officered b y , Lancaster m en . A descr ip ti ve rosterof this company , compil ed from the Captain ’s Orderl y Bookand the Journal of Co lonel John W i nslow , fol lows

A ge O ccupat ion R es idence

A bijah Willard , captain [3 1 ] Lancas terJoshua Wil lard , lieutenantMoses HaskellCaleb Willard , ens ign LunenburgThomas Beman

, sergeant 2 5 husbandman Lancas terJames Hough ton 2 5

Edmund Brigham 30

Nathan S tone 2 1 FraminghamJacob Willard , corpor al 2 1

Aaron Taylor 2 5 Li ttletonThomas Willard 23

Nathaniel Foster 2 5

Joel Phelps drummer 2 1

Joseph Farnsworth 20

Luke Aldridge 20 laborerAaron A llen 30

Benjamin Atherton 20

David Atherton 2 1

Phineas A therton 1 6

Timothy Baker 24 tailor Litt letonJoseph Bayley 30 laborerJonathan Brown 1 7

Roger Bruce 2 1

M ichae l Bryant 2 1

John Bunn or Bur 20

Will iam Burt or Burk 28

Joseph Chandler 2 1

Wil l iam Chesnut t 2 2 Bos tonJosiah Chamberlain 2 5

LANCASTER AND THE ACAD IANS . 43

B i rthplaceHenry CoffinJoseph CollinJonathan Creasy GrotonS amuel DavisI saac DayPeter DayPh ineas DivolAbe l FarnsworthJohn FarnsworthJeremiah FieldJohn FitchDavid Fling IrelandJoseph Fos terS amuel Fos terS amuel GatesLevi GoodenoughLuxford Gooding Wes tboro’

Peter Gore Petersham WatertownEphraim Goss Lancas terNehemiah Gould GrotonDan iel Harper HarvardElias Haskel lThomas Henderson IrelandNehemiah HowS amuel HowAndrew Hu tchinsEliakim Hu tchinsEnos Hu tson Petersham Wes tboro ’William Hutson Lancas terJohn JohnsonS amue l KilhamMat th ias LarkinJames LeachDavid M cClelhan

S amuel Martin LunenburgArtemas MaynardJoseph MetcalfDaniel MoodyUriah MorseS amuel Neagus Wes tboro’Jabez NorcrossJoseph PattersonEbenezer Phillips

44

Joseph Prat tJoseph Pries tNathan RuggJohn Russel lDavid S aundersJohn S imonAndrew S pearRobert S pearJacob S tilesDavid S toneHezekiah S towellIsaac S ullendineZechariah T arbelJohn TaylorJohn TurnerJoseph TurnerLemuel TurnerNathan iel TurnerWil l iam TurnerJohn WarnerWil liam WarnerE liphalet WarrenBarnard WildeAaron WilderJames Wil lardS ilas WillardDavid WilsonJohn WilsonJonathan Wi therbyLevi WoodsMat thew WymanUriah WymanRobert Zewers

ANNALS O F LANCASTER .

Bi rthplace

Ireland

Petersham

husbandmanLancas ter

20

1 8

I 91 8

20

20

20

4 0

2 1 apothecary30 laborer Worces ter

David Atherton died the second day of May , on boardthe sloop , in Bos ton Harbor ; Sergeant Jam es Hough tondied October 2 1 , at Fort Cumberland ; Wi l l i am Hudsonwas ki lled in the assault m ade b y the enraged Acadiansupon Major Fry e

’s detachm ent , when burning the

“m ass

house ” at Peticodiac . Bes ides the natives of Lanca stri antowns above nam ed , these appear i n other companies

LANCA STER AND THE A CAD IANS . 45

A ge O ccupat ion R esidence B i rthplace Company

John Buttrick 39 yeoman Leomins ter S tow Capt . Jones ’sJesse Howe C0 1 . S hirley’sN athl . Johnson 2 5 Lancas ter Capt . Jones ’sJonas Moore 32 Bol tonJohn Rugg 3 1 S outh Hadley Lancas ter Capt . S tevens

’s

Will iam Warner 1 8 Leom ins terDavid Wilde 2 1 blacksmi th Nutfield Capt . Gi lbert’s

The Orderl y Book of Captain Ab ij ah Wil l ard , i n possess ion of Dr . RobertWil lard of Boston , conta ins a journal

kept from April 9 , 1 75 5 , on which day he marched fromLancaster with his compan y , unti l Januar y 6 , 1 755 , when

i t ab rup tl y closes . From this b rief record of dail y eventswe ascertain that the Lancaster company active l y partic ipated in the capture of Fort Beau Sejour , and Wi ll ardrecords that in repel l i ng an attack of the French andIndians upon the camps

We Killed the Chief Indian a S agamore from the Is land of S aint Johnswh ich are known by the name M ickmack ,

he Lined aboute 5 hours after hewas S ho t t and behaued as bold as any man Could Do til l he Died butwanted R um and S ider which we gaue him til l he Died , he was sho t t througthe Bodey jus t below h is Ribs , he was supposed to be 6 feet and two inchesand very Large bon ’d but very poor.

The captain , with his friends Captain Phineas S tevensand Chaplain Phi ll ips , took an earl y opportuni ty to Vis ittwo or three of the Acadian Vi llages , and his picture of

Evangel ine at hom e adds no graces to the poetic ideal ofmodern art ists ; he writes

I saw a Grate many french women and Garls , their Faces Loock wellbnt their feet Loock verey s trange wi th wooden shoes they al l wore .

The battal ion was drawn up to hear pray ers at six

o ’clock ever y morning , and Chaplain Phil l ips regul arl yupon Sunday ,

" held forth both forenoon and afte rnoon .

Chapter and verse of his texts are faithful l y recorded .

One day the m en were deprived of thei r usual ration of

strong drink , and Winslow’

s battal i on "was in an uproar

and cried N o R um t ill Late in the Evening .

” Some of


these too thi rsty soldiers condoned thei r ofl’

ence the next da yby a two hours

’ r ide upon the wooden horse . There ap

pear throughout the journal frequent int im ations of a heartydis l ike be tween the Massachusetts soldiers and the regul ars . Governor Shirl e y , i n a l e tte r , m entions hearing

“

that

so good an harm on y as could he wi shed did not sub s ist

be tween the O ffice rs of the New Eng land Regim en ts and

those of his Maj esty ’s Regular Troops .

” Cap tainW i l lardevidentl y thought that b y far the l argest share of hard anddisagreeab le fa tigue and picke t duty was a l lo tted to the

Massachuset ts m en ; and once b reaks out petul antl y wi ththe complaint that his compan y were "

m ade cat tle on for

to Draw bari ls . Lieutenan t-Colone l Robert Monckton ,the K ing’s office r at the head of the exped i tion , appears i nW i l lard ’

s pages i n very unfavorab le l ight , as a cold-b loodedm ar ti net , caring l ittle for the com fort of h is soldiers . W ithplenty of cattle roam ing wi ld on the m eadows about them ,

the so ldiers were forb idden fresh m eat . Several werearres ted for going out to gather som e green peas , a greatabundance of which were growing on the m arsh , and the

j ournal adds

Their was a grate uprore in the Camp concerning the peese ,for i t was

though t that Col l . M unckton had much Rather the Cattle should Bate thepeese , than the soulders that Came from N ew Eng land or his one troops ,wh ich by Credible Information of oure officers . I though t i t very hard .

O ur captain seem s , however , to have won the goodgraces of Monckton , for on Augus t 5 he received the comm and of a party of two hundred and fifty m en , and wassen t wi th sealed orders to the head of Minas Bay . A partyOf regulars unde r a cap tain-l i eu tenant was to j oin the expe

di tion at som e point i n advance , and Captain Wi l lard ,knowing that b y custom this regular ofli cer , though of

i nferior rank to h im se lf, would then assum e the comm andover him , refused to accept the pos ition and subm i t to suchindignity . He therefore received wri tten instructions to

support his authori ty , which see ing , the B ri tish office r“was

LANCA STER AND THE A CADIANS .

sumthing B lank to think a New Engl and Capt . shouldTake Comm and of a Capt . L t . of the Regul ars , and E m e

d iatly he said he was much Fatigue with his Travel ing so

much and Des i red to have the Liberty of Com ing on to

Cobequid ; W il lard decl ined to re l ieve him .

The impudent Claim of the Engl ishm en that the ro y al

comm iss ion entitled them to precedence above ever y Provincial of the same grade , whatever hi s term of service i nthat rank , was so constant a source of b i tterness and strife ,that P itt was com pel l ed , i n the interest of the pub l ic service ,to prom ise redress of the wrong before the organization of

Ab ercromb ie ’s arm y could be effected in 1 7 58 . Captai nWil lard ’s m arch along the shore of ‘Minas Ba y came nearending in a tragedy , which would have carried m ourn ingin to m any a home in Lancaster . He had been travers ingthe beach , the b anks of which were prec i pitous and nearl yone hundred feet i n height , when the increased roaring of

the t ide attracted attent ion . and a Frenchm an warned themthat thei r l ives depended upon swift retreat . The journalconti nues

I ordered the party to Return back as fast as they Could ; the men

being frigh ted Traveled as fas t as poss ible . We was obliegeLto T ravel l 2

m iles before we could escape the tide and before we Got to the uplandwhere we could Ge t t up the Banks was obliege to waid i ii the Rear up totheir midles and Jus t escape being washed away and when come to thiscase sum of the men very much fatigued and att th is plase by the bes t ohservation the tides rise 8 0 foot .

When the expedi tion reached T atmagouche , CaptainWil lard , according to instructions , opened his secret orders ,and he records them as —“ supris ing to m e for my orders wasto burn al l the houses that I found on the Road to the Ba yofVerts .

” The captain m ade su itab l e di spos it ion of forces ,and began to carry out his disagreeab l e duty . A l l the ih

hab i tants of the distr ict were summoned to assemb l e , andwhen col lected and surrounded by the so ld i e rs he wentamong them

ANNALS O F LANCAS T ER .

and told them that they mus t Go wi th me to fort Cumberlandand Burn al l their Buildings which made them Look very sober and Dejected , one of the french askt me for what Reason for he said he Never hadTaken up arms agains t the Engl ish sence they had the figh t at menas , andsence swore by the bible that he Never would , before M aj

? Phi lips of anop

il is : and he was Ready to swear now and al l the Res t mad the same Reply ;after th is I told them they was R ebbel ios , the frenchman askt me I n what ,I answered him I n harbouring the I nd ians from S ain t John ’

s I s land to goto the Engl ish S ettlemen ts in N ew Eng land and N ovisco tia and find themprovi t ions and ammon ition which they answered me and said they wasobl ige to or the I ndians would kil l them . I told them if they had beentrue they migh t of hen protected by the Engl ish and I told them theymigh t Cary their familys wi th them i f they though t bes t ; and upon thatthey as t me for to have the Liberty to go w ith their fam ily's to the Is landof S aint Johns but soon answered them i tt Did no t L ie in my power to Do

i t t , and they askt me Liberty for 2 hours to Consu l t wether they though tBes t to Cary thei r fami lys . I Gran ted them the Liberty and after they hadConsul ted w ith each other they sen t forme and they made this Reply thatthey had chose to Leave their familys , wh ich I R eadyly Granted for I D idnot wan t the Trouble of the women and children . th is afternoonI ordered the whole to be Drawed up in a Bodey and bid the french men

march of and sott fire to their Buildings and Left the women and ch ildrento Tack Care of themselues w i th grate Lamen tation wh ich I mus t Confessi t t seemed to be sum thing shoking .

And thus the pi l l age and destruction , the wail ing of

women w idowed and ch i ldren m ade fatherless wen t onfrom ham le t to ham le t , and when the torch had desolatedthe d istrict assigned to him , Cap tain Wil lard m archedb ack to Fort Cum b erland and reported to Co lone l Monckton . Tha t m agnate seem ed much pleased wi th his con

duct , and invited him to supper in his tent . That thisservice was not on ly ing lo rious and ungrateful to the b rave ,but attended wi th much hardship , i s a ttested b y the fol lowing docum ents from Massachuse tts Archives , LV , 6 2 and6 3 . They are in the handwri ti ng of Sec re tary Jos i ahWi l lard

S i r : I have received your Le t ter giving me an acct . of the Hardshipsyour poor S old iers are exposed to . I sincerely Compass ionate their uhhappy case I pray God to find out some Way for their Rel ief. T he

Governor is not expected here til l the mon th of Decemb'. When he

arrives I shal l endeavour to ment ion the affair to him . I n the mean time ,

50 ANNA L S O F LANCASTER .

gri eving for thei r lost Acadia , so we know A b lj ah W il lard ,’

so long as he l ived , looked westward wi th y earning hearttoward that elm-shaded hom e so fam i l i ar to all L an cas

tr ians . On the coast of the Ba y of Fundy , about ten m i leswest of S t . John , i s a local i ty yet ca l led L an cas ter . Col

one l Ab ij ah Wi ll ard gave i t the nam e . I t was his re treati n exi le , and there he died in 1 789 .

O f the thousand Acadians apportioned to the Provinceof Massachuse tts , the comm i ttee appointed b y GeneralCourt for the duty of distributing them among the severa ltowns , sent three fam i l i es , includ ing twent y persons , to

Lancaster . These were Benoni Melanson , his wife Mary ,and children Mary , Joseph , Simeon , John , Bezaleel , Carre,and another daughte r not nam ed ; Geoffre y Benway , Ab igai l his wi fe , and ch ildren John , Peter , Joseph , and Mary ;Theal Forre , his wife Ab igai l , and ch ildren Mary , Ab igai land Margaret . The Forre fam i ly were soon transferred toHarvard . These exi l es arrived in Februar y , 1 75 6 , and theaccounts of the town ’s se lec tm en for thei r support were regular ly rendered until Feb ruary , 1 76 1 . They were de stitute ,s ickl y , and apparen tl y utterl y unab l e to support them se lves ,and were b i lleted now here , now there , am ong the farm ers ,at a fixed price of two shi l l ings and e ightpence each pe rweek for thei r board . Som etimes a house was hi red forthem , and , in addi tion to rent paid , we find in the selectm en ’s charges such items as these

s d qr

T o cash pd for an In terpreter and paper, 3 4

T o what Nessecareys we found them , 1 0 8 0

T o 4 7 2 weigh t of Befe cos t , 3 3 2 1

T o Corn that they have had yoused , wi th S auss , 1 0 8

T o ohe Bushel of S al t S al ting the Befe , 5 6

to one was h ing tub , 2 earthen pots pail , 4 o

to wood for the win ter season for the year 1 7 57 , 1 6 8

D i rect evidence to the help less condit ion of the two fam

i l ie s of French Neutral s i n Lancaster is given in a le tte rfrom the se lectm en , dated Januar y 24 , 1 75 7 , found in M as

sachusetts Archives , xx 1 1 1 , 330

LANCA STER AND T HE ACADIANS . S I

and here F oloweth an accoun t of the curcum s tances , age and sexes of

those people . thare I s to famles Cons is ting of fifteen I n Number , thewhole to Wi t t . Benon i M elanso w i th his wife of abou t fourty four or fiveyears of age , and they have seven ch i ldren thre Boyes and four Girlls

,the

Eldes t G irl about 1 7 years old . the boye Nex t abou t 1 5 years old , S ick ly .

Can Do Nothing . ye Nex t Boy 1 2 years old . ye Nex t boy 1 0 years old ,

and ye four Girlls al l under them Down to two years o ld . and the womanalmos t a Criple T he Name of the others is J efray his wife .

he almos t an Idiot and abou te 4 6 years old . they have four ch ildren 3 Boyes one Girl l . ye E ldes t Boye 1 0 yeares old ye Res t Downto two years old . WM R ICHARDSON S electmen

JOHN CARTER ofJOSHUA FA IR BANK L ancaster

Shortl y after the date of the above , these unhappy peo

pl e suddenl y disappeared from thei r hab i tat ion . Reckl esswith homes ickness , the y had sto len away and m ade a boldpush for the sea , in the vain hope that on i t they m ightfloat back to the Bas i n of Minas . This was in the depth

of winter , February , 1 75 7 . They reached the coast at

Weymouth , where they soon encountered the questioningof local authority , and to excuse thei r intrus ion Melansonm ade compl ain t against his Lancaster guardians . The h istory of the case is in Massachuse tts Archives , xx 1 1 1 , 356

T he Commi ttee to whom was referred the Petition of Benoni M elanzon

in behalf of h imself and sund rie o ther French People , Having me t and

heard the Peti tion and one of the S electmen of Lancas ter , relating to theseveral mat ters therein Complained of and also have heard the Represen tative of Weymouth where the French People men tioned in sd . Pe titionat presen t res ide : Beg leave to report as fol lows . Viz : That it doth no tappear that ye Petitioner had any Grounds to complain of the selectmen of

Lancas ter or either of them re lating the matter complained of, and therefore Beg leave further Report that the Comm ittee are of oppinion that thesaid French People he ordered forthwi th to Re turn to Lancas ter fromwhence they in a disorderly manner withdrew themselves . all wh ich isHumbly submi ted . pr order of the Com it te

S ILVANUS BOUR N .

I n Counci l , F ebr uary 24 ,1 7 57 .

Read and ordered that th is Report be so far accepted as relates to thePetitioners Complain t of his Treatmen t at Lancas ter being wi thou tGrounds , but inasmuch as the Pe ti tioner offers to undertake for the supportof h imsel f and the o ther French removed from Lancas ter except in the


article of Firing and House Room ,and is likewise willing that two of his

sons be placed out in Fam ilies and inasmuch as the Peti tioner is byemploymen t a Fisherman , wh ich cannot be exercised at Lancas ter, therefore , O rdered that he have l iberty to reside in the Town of Weymouthun til] this Court shal l o therwise order, and the S electmen of said Townare impowered to place two of his sons in Engl ish famil ies for a reasonableterm and to provide House Room for the Res t , the l iberty of cutting asmuch Firewood as is necessary in as conven ien t a L ot as can be procured .

T he accoun t of the Charge of House Ren t and Firewood to be allowedout of the Province Treasury .

S en t down for concurrence .

F eb . 2 5 , 1 7 57 . THOS . CLARKE , Depty . S ecy .

I n the H ouse of R epr esenta t ives .

Read and unanimous ly non concurred , and ordered that Report of theComtee be accepted y

t the said French Neutrals so cal led be directed toreturn forthwith to ye Town of Lancas ter accordingly .

S ent up for Concurrence .

T . H UBBARD , Sphr .

I n Counci l , F eb. 2 5 , 1 7 57 .

Read Concurred . A . OL IVER , S ecy .

Consen ted to . S . PH IPS .

The y were soon again in the quarters whence the y fled .

I n June , 1 760 , the Me lanson fam il y were divided b etweenLunenburg , Leom ins ter , and Hardwick , whi le the B enways rem ained . Among the peti tioners for l eave to go toO ld France ,

” a l ittle l ater , appear“ Benoni Melanson and

Marie , with fam i l y of seven ,” and from that date the waifs

from Acad i a appear no more i n the annal s of Lancaster .

I I I . THE SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED ITION AND FO RTW ILL IAM HENRY .

1 756‘ 1 75 7 :

Hard l y had Captain Ab ij ah Wi l lard tasted the com fortsof hom e after returning from Acadia , before the fo l lowingle tter cam e to him from his l ate commander :

ALBANY , M ay 2 7 , 1 7 5 6 .

H is Excel lency Ceneral S h irley haveing Directed me to acquain t youthat as he is Determined for the Good of H is Majes ty’s S ervice to raise an

SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED ITION . 53

Independant Company on the Terms by him proposed and herew i thInclosed and being S ensable of your A bi l letys for such a Command hasproposed you for their Captain and Doubt not of your acceptance and has

also appoin ted Jotham Gay (whom you Know) as Lieut and the other officers you wil l appoin t prefarance al lways to be Given those that wer wi thus at Nova S co tia and as many of those men to be employ

’d as Can be

O btained being somewhat used to This Kind of Duty . What I n l is tmen t you wan t you wil l apply to Mr Draper, money you find to MrApthorp. But should i t so happen that your Curcums tances wil l notA dmit t of your proced ing on the Expedi tion his Excel lency has reposedthe Trus t I n you Either to Gran t the favour to you In tended T o Capt .

Bailey or Jones as I t bes t S ui ts and you Judge for the Good of the S ervicehope to see you S oon as your very humble servt

JOHN W INSLOW .

T o Capt . A bij ah Wi llar d”[Wins low Papers of M assachusetts H i stor i cal S ociety,

No rep l y from Wi llard is found , but his dom est ic affairsdoub tless dem anded his presence , for he did not enter theservice under hi s old comm ander . War was at l ast formal l y declared between France and Great B ri tain . Shirley

’

s

pl an of the campaign for 1 756 was the sam e as that of thepreceding y ear , and its resul ts were as m eagre . The provincial forces assemb l ing at Albany awai ted the arrival ofthe ro y al l y comm issioned general , Shirle y having b eensuperseded . Abercromb i e cam e in June , and awaited hissuperior . Earl Loudoun . Loudoun arrived l ate in Jul y ,and energeticall y continued the lo itering pol ic y . TheMassachusetts m en were in the fiel d e arl y in the S pring .

John Whi tcomb , E sq ., of Bo l ton , was one of those ap

pointed March 9 , 1 756 , b y the counc i l ," a Comm i ttee to

reside at Alb an y or parts adj acent to take care ofthe transportation of the provisions and other stores for theuse of the forces of the Province .

” Hezeki ah Gates of

Lancaster served as thei r as s is tan t , and Wi l l i am Richardson O f Lancaster as purchas ing agent . Certain letters of

thei rs con tain m atters of i nte rest re lating to the quarterm aster’s departm ent of the arm y


LANCASTER M arch ye 3 1 , 1 7 56 .

T o the H onr bl e . 7 ohn O sbur n E sq"

. the R est of H onr M e Comm ittee ofWar r .

Gentlemen , th is I s to I nform you that I am Jus t Returned from the

wes tward from purchis ing Cattle to L et you N ow that I have securedaboute seventey two or thre I had the fortune to be firs t I n the affair foras I came Back out of had ley I met Col lo M urey a going I n . I have wi tha great Deel of Trouble got Good Cat tle bu t thay at the firs t asked metwentey pence pr pound those having G iven eigh teen pence for ye Govener

’s servis paid thre pounds pr weke for caping til l thay wen t , but fineleyI purchised for eigh teen pence some for s ix teen thay mus t goe the 1 3

th

or 1 4th

of April wh ich time I shal l set out . thay N ot being able to Cape

them Longer . I shal l be at Bos ton the 5 th Day of April to wai t upon yourHonr

s for aboute 2 50 pounds more . I b eing obliged to prom is ye ownersof ye Cat tle to pay the Res t when I tak away ye Cat tle . N O more presen t .Begg Leve to subscribe my selef your Honours friend mos t Humblesert . WM R ICHARDSON .

P . S . Cattle are Very carse & I believe Col l M urey won t be able toget above 1 00 for the Province if he Dos y

t that are good .

[M assachusetts A rchives,L V

,1 6 2 ]

T o the H onr ble yohn O sburn E sqr 69° the B est of y e H onr bl e Comm ittee of

War r .

Gen tlemen . This is to Inform you that my son wi the the Res t of thepeople Returned from A lbany ye 2 8 th of April with a Recepte for 6 8 Catt le one of the fatest tired at S hefield but Mr . A sh ley one of the Commiss ioners said he would take Care and Get him up after he had Res ted , bu ti t is Verey S urpris ing to me that men equal to such a trus t as is ReposedI n them should send me a Recept for 6 8 Cattle part for Befe part forworking , i t I s true there was as I told your Honours aboute 1 2 or 1 4 thatI told you was N ot so fat as the Res t , bu t not one but what was Handsombefe . bu t we was unfortunate as to set ou te them 3 firs t Days wh ich T oktheir s tumock of from eating my son tel les me they eate Verey Li t t leal l ye way to A lbaney, wh ich Caused them to Look Verey thin wh ich m isfortune I conld not help , but the Res t of the Cattle was the Bes t that Cou ldbe got I n the Countrey was fatt Cat tle some of the Bes t S ort . how

ever I Take i t that Mr Livermore Mr Foye that was the Comm issionersthat ware at A lbaney ei ther would not make a Resonable alowance for the

Cat tle being Drove so farr or modes tly speking they’

had not Judgmen t soto DO , but however thay may Righ t I am sure I n th is that I have DOne al l

the Jus tice that I am capable of. My people tel les me that thay were De

tained two Days at A lbaney thay promising to send a Gard to the hafemoon , but fineley sen t none sent for ouer people to bring the Cattle overthe River wh ich thay D id the Cos t of which wi th ye two Days E xpencesamoun ted to upwards of th irteen pounds the Gen tlemen I unders tand was

SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED IT ION . 55

so busey abou te their tea Dishes and o ther Del igh ts of Life , thay couldnot attend Th is Gen tleman from your frend Humble serl .

WM R ICHARDSONLANCASTER

,April y? 1 7 56 .

[M assachusetts A rch ives,L Y

, 202 ]

ST ILLWATER , M ay 2 5 , 1 7 5 6

We A rived hear yes turday abou t the middle of the Afternoon and find

timber Redy hewed to build the Greates t part of the fourt and s tore houseand bords for all and find a Good place to build on whare the River thatRuns from the S aw-m il l Coms to the Great River ; the things wh ich yousen t me a Lis t of are Come , thare is no Great po t nor pail nor Large brassket tle nor ten ts wh ich the other Comm ittee men have , wh ich th ings wecannot wel l do wi thout , for we have noth ing to fetch water in nor to washin , nor any Gun ten t wh ich we much need , 3 or 4 bags of bull i ts we wan t .I hope we shal l GO to bulld your S tation in about 3 days , we have about300 men with us and we shal l wan t abou t 200 more for part mus t be I mployed in bringing the s tores hear. Your mos t O bedient S ervan t

HE zE K I A H GATESN . B . pray s ir send the tin Kettles for Cap Bal lard

’

s Company if theyare come . I hope s ir you wi ll find i t out for I was obliged to wrigh t uponmy Knee .

S uper scr ibed Colln 7 0hn Chote at A lbany .

[M assachusetts Archives,L V

,27 2 ]

UPPER F ALLS , June 1 4 , 1 7 56

We are Generaly well hear . I have Recei ved abou t 1 000 bls of s toresand sen t to fourt Edward above 8 00 bls of s tores . the cheaf Commanderof fourt Edward is a man of Governmen t . I do not think he l ncorigethour people to Go in the bat toes from this fourt we man but I O bat toes and6 or 7 from the fourt the commanding offisser thare sends word to us our

people had bes t Lodge thare thay have once don i t and ware obl iged some

to Gard the Res t to Ly under the battoes and if they are O bliged to Lodgethare I cannot Git aney to Go in the battoes and if so the s tores wi l l bemuch s topped hear, but Cap Ne lsons is this day Gone up to the fourt to

see what he can do . I had the affair in so Good a way before this happened the s tores wen t as fas t as thay came , above 1 30 bls , in one day and

was Increas ing pray sur send me money to pay the battoe men as soon

as may be , for I shal l pay them al l the money I have of my own now to

I ncorrage them for they say the promisses made to them Las t year was not

fulfiled and I t Wi l l be so this . bul l its we have none the bl of powder wehave is cannon powder , pray send Bul l i ts and pis tol powder. S ur I des ireyou wil l send me some cider , sugar. and chocolat . We have none to

speak of. Cap Whipple is Gone to fourt Edward to R eceve the S toreswi th S um of his men , pray send Cap Hough ton’s men as soon as may be

for we have 30 in battoes , 40 I n the Gaurds to fort Edward out of about


1 1 5 men , the du ty is hard : to onlode the s tores and s tore them and deliverthem to the battoes , 4 or 5 of Leut Hun ts men do I t . but they are wornout , thayer fingers blead and sore w ith hand l ing Barrels , and des ire to GoI n the battoes . pray s ir if you I ntend to forward the business hear, sendCap . Hough ton ’s men and money to pay the battoe men with . I am yourmos t O bedien t S ervan t H EZ EK I AH GATES .

S uper scr ibed Col l yohn Whi tcomb. A t the H alf M oon .

[M assachusetts A rchives,L V. 32 6 ]

Hunt ’s and Houghton’s m en , refe rred to i n this letter ,were of Lancaster , Bol ton and adjo in ing towns . From the

headquarte rs ofGeneral Wi nslow , at HalfMoon , a ro ad ranbes ide the Hudson to S til lwater . Thence s tores were conveyed b y wate r to Saratoga , where the y were again loadedupon wagon s and carried to Upper F alls to b e transportedb y b at teaux to Fort Edward , an i rregul ar for tification bui ltof hewn t imb er , on the east b ank of the Hudson , aboutfifty m i les above Alban y . Fort W i l l i am Henry was sup

p l i ed from Fort Edward over a wagon-road of fourteenm iles ’ l ength . The next month Gates is farther north uponthe r iver :

FORT M ILLER July 2 2 , 1 7 56

After my humble duty to your Honour , I would Inform your Honourthat I have taken the names of 36 men by their Consen t to serve in the

Bat toes but several of them are gone already from me . Capt . GeorgeHarmer has ordered his men to Lave the Battaux S ervice . Capt . A ndrewFul ler’s men are gone from me , the officers Discourageing them by Cal l i ngthem Cowards and O therways . Pe ter Graves Charles Boyles w ith o thersare gone from me . S r . I wai t your O rders and Directions in these affairsfor I f the Bat taux are S topt for wan t of men to go in them the Expedi tionwi l l be hindred for here is a Quan ti ty of Warr l ike S tores already andO ther S tores daily Coming here . N o Doubt I n your great Wisdom you

w il l d irect I n the Bes t manner I n these affairs . Your mos t humble and

O bedien t S ervan t . HE Z E KIAH GATES .T o Gener al Winslow .

[Wi nslow Papers , 1 1 , 92 ]

The Lancaste r soldiers of 1 756 were m ostl y i n the regimen t of Co lonel Jonathan Bagle y , and the company of

Captain Benjam i n Bal lard , the ro l l of which , containingfiftv names , is in Massachusetts Archives , xcv , 1 7 and 1 8 :


1 sthof April Ins t . to Col l my Companys together on the 2 2 <I Ins tant

agreable thereto I did ther en lis ted Impressed as fol lows

I n listed ,Josiah Divoll I mpr essa, Abel Dav is he hir ed

Henry Bridgman Wil l iam BarronS am“ . Ross Joseph Hartwel lWillm . Warner Thos S m ith , J un .

M anahsah Li t tel John Li ttel he hir ed

Benja. Hu tchins John BrownBenja. Wil lson , J un .

John Munroe I subscribe myself yourZachh . Parker, Jun . Mos t obedien t Hb‘e . S ervan tJona . Holdin OL IVER W ILDERZachh . Farnsworth

LANCASTER , April 23d , 1 7 56 .

[M assachusetts A rch ives,XCI I

,

W i l l i am Larkin and Gi lbert Canady served in ColonelRichard Gri dle y ’s regim ent of arti l le ry at Fort Wi l l iamHenry ; Jos i ah Hol t , Joseph Bal lard , Darius Hudson , Nathanie l Hudson and Wi l l i am Richardson , J r . , were al so inthe service . In the Boston Weekl y News Letter for Thursday , April 2 2 , 1 7 5 6 , Benj am i n Bal lard of Lancas ter publ ished an advertisem ent , offering twelve dol lars reward forthe re turn of a lost Buckskin Purse , contain ing the fol

lowing P i eces of Go ld , v iz : 1 3 P ieces of each , 1 2

P i eces of 1 353 1 08

, and one P i ece of O ld Tenor .” Asub sequent pe tit ion of Captain Bal lard ’s is given b elow

T o H is H onour S ybencer Phips M ay 5 , 1 7 56 .

T he Humble Memorial of Benjamin Bal lard of Lancas ter in Worces terCoun ty S heweth that in March las t having obtai ned a Captaincy in the

Troops raised to go agains t Crown Poin t he took out of the Treasury ofthe Province abou t one hundred forty pounds Lawful money , but as i twas mos tly in gold , he coud not pay the men who I nl is ted wi thout changing the same in to s ilver and on ye n inth of Apri l las t going towards N o . 2

he unfortunately los t out of his pocket fifty seven pounds 1 2 8 part of thesum firs t men tioned as he was going to get it changed he has neverfound i t or any part of it again and un less he is rel ieved by your HonrHon

“, th

° abou t forty of his Company are gone forward the res t are all

ready , he cannot proceed in the Expedi tion as he proposed therefore hehumbly prays that the Treasurer may be ordred (upon your memoS t givinggood security) to advance to him that sum out of the Treasury : and tos top so much hereafter out of what shall be due to your memorial is t his

SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED IT IO N . 59

Company , or that he may be otherwise Rel ieved by your wisdom goodness , as in duty bound shal l pray BE N J

N. BALLARD .

[M assachusetts A rchives,L xxv

,

Whi le Loudoun and Abercromb ie debated and dal l i ed ,vigi lant Mon tca lm dared , and the close of the y ear 1 7 56

saw the churches of Mon treal and Q\uebec decorated wi th

Bri tish co lors captured at Oswego . The two much vaun tedexpedi tions against Crown Po int , i n the preparat ions forwhich N ew Eng land had en thus i as tica l ly taxed al l her resources , had never m oved from the base of suppl i es . Wi ththe year 1 7 5 7 a new plan O f O perations was re so lved upon ,

Louisbourg being m ade the s ing le point of attack . But

Loudoun proved more earnes t i n asser ting the roy a l preroga tive in the co lonia l counci ls than i n

"

seeking the bubb lereputat ion i n the cannon ’s mouth ,

" and his m asterl y inact ivity again gave Montca lm his opportuni ty . Nothing waswon in the East , and Fort Wil l i am Henry was lost i n theWes t . Scant record is found of our townsm en during they ear’s campaigning . Colone l Joseph Fry e m arched fromFor t Edward , August 2 , wi th h is regim en t of M assachu

se tts m en and two hundred B ri tish troops , to succor For tWi l l i am Henry , then bes ieged b y Mon tca lm with an overwhe lm ing force of French and Ind ians . On the surrende rof that fort , August 9 , a m assacre ensued , from which Colone l Fr y e and most of his m en escaped wi th the loss of

every thing but l ife . H ow m an y and wha t soldiers of Lancas ter shared the horrors of tha t day wi l l neve r be known ,but Captain Hartwe l l of Lunenburg , Capta in Arbuthnotof Marlborough and Cap tain Bai le y se rved in the regim ent , each leading from h is neighborhood a company of

one hundred men .

T o hi s E xcelency Thomas P ow /m l humb ly S heweth PhineasAtherton of Lancas ter in the Coun ty of Worces ter that your Pe t i tionerwas a soldier in Captain Hartwel l

’

s Company in Colo . Fry ’s Regimen t inthe publ ic service A . D . 1 7 547 and that wh ils t he was in that service he wastaken s ick of the smal l Pox at A lbaney by means of which he was put tothe expence of s ix pounds twelve sh il lings York currency for nursing and


other necessarys , your Petitioner therefore prays he may be reimbursedthat sum or that such other rel ief may be gran ted to him as to your Hon

ours shal l seem good and your Peti tioner as in duty bound shal l ever pray .

PH INEAS A THERTON .

[M assachusetts A rchives,LXXVI I I , 8 L ]

A s im i lar petition of Cal eb Wil l ard is i n Massachuse ttsArchives , L XXV I I , 596 . In the regim ent of Co lonel I sraelWil l i am s , dur ing 1 75 7 , served the fol lowing

Benjamin Harris , aet . 24 Abel Wilder, aet . 2 1 S amuel Rugg , aet . 59

S ilvanus Harris 1 8 Moses Chandler “ 2 5 Thos . Wh i te 1 7

E l ijah Prouty 1 7 John Wilder 44 George Wheeler 1 7

A t the general al arm consequent upon the expectation

that Montcalm , flushed w ith his Victory at Fort Wil l i amHenry , would m ake a bo ld push for Alb an y , the fourthpart of the m il iti a of Massachusetts were hurrie d towardsthat point with al l poss ib l e speed . Captains Israel Tay lorand Samue l Haske l l of Harvard , Thomas Wi lder of L eom

ster , John Carter and Nathaniel Sawyer of Lancaster ,m arched with from fifty to sixty men each as far as Springfield , whence , Montcalm having retreated to Canada wi ththe rich spoi ls of eas i l y bought success , they were recall ed .

The rosters of thei r companies fol low . A few of the sol

d i e rs doub tless were not i nhab itants of the town wi th whosecompan y the y served , but it i s found imposs ible accuratel yto des ignate them

A M uster P oll of a F oot Company Commanded by N athaniel S awyer ofL ancaster , Detached out of Collo O liver Wi lder ’s R egim

t. that

M archd on the late A larm for the R elief of F or t Wi lli am H enry ,

as far as Spr ingfield .

Capt . Nath“ . S awyer Moses S awyer Russel KnightLieut . John White Josiah Divol l Joshua JohnsonEns ign Reuben Rugg Joshua Fletcher John S tewartS ergt . Joseph Wh i te Lemuel Hough ton Willm . Dunsmore

Amos Rugg Peter Larkin Ezekiel Kendal lWm

. Richardson , Jr. Josiah Fairbank David Wil lardGershom Flagg Moses Baily J on

“. Buss

Corp. E phm

. Willard Cyrus Fairbank S aml . Hough tonJosiah S awyer S am“ . Bal lard S olomon Houghton

SECOND CROWN PO INT EXPED IT ION . 6 1

Corp . Jacob S mi thT hoS . Kendall

Private Jona . KendallJos iah LockeWi llm . Kendal lAaron TuftsElijah O sgoodMoses Wilder

Nahum Hough tonJacob Benne tE lijah IBemanMat thew WymanBenja. Hough tonJeremiah Haskel lJoseph WoodsWi llm . Wil lardJon

“. Wh itney

John M cBride

Nath“ . Has tings , Jr.Joshua Bai lyJona. O sgood , Jun'.S am“ . S nowS am“ . Pren ticeDan iel RuggEdward Robbins

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCV

,

A M uster R oll of a M oun ted Company Commanded by yohn Car ter ofL ancaster , Detached out of Col/0 O l iver Wi lder s R igement that

M archd in the late alarm for the F or t Wi lliam H enry as far as

Spr ingfield .

Capt . John CarterLieut . Hezekiah GatesCornet Jone . Wilder Elijah Woods

Quar . Mr . N athl , Longley Eleazar Wh itcombChapl in Moses Hemingway Josiah CarterCorp“ . M anasah Divoll S herebiah Hunt

Abiathar Hough ton O l iver PollardGabriel PriestAbijah Wyman

Trumpeter S imon ButlerAbijah Houghton

Jonas Whi tcombPh ineas S awyerEphraim FairbankDaniel Pries tThomas Beckford

James CarterHezekiah Gibbs

Joseph Heidrick

Paul S awyerS am“ . ThurstonJohn Moor

, Jun .

Lev i WoodsS tephen GreenleafDan iel RobbinsEzekiel S now

Hooker O sgood , Jr .

E phm

. Wilder, Jun .

Nathan BurpeeJacob S tilesJoseph Hough tonHezekiah WhetcombJames TownsendThos . M ay

Nath“ . HoughtonEdward Hough tonJames M ay

David O sgood , Jr.Benj a. Has tingsA sa Wh itcombJames RossJ oel HoughtonElijah Hough tonJon“ . Robbins

[M assachusetts Archives,XCV I

,

A M uster R oll of a F oot Company Commanded by T homas Wi lder ofL eom inster

Capt . Thomas WilderLieut . S amuel NurseEnsign Josiah BayleyS ergt . Nathaniel Page

Caleb S awyerO l iver HaleNathan Bennet t

Corporal Wil l iam WilderNathan iel Hast ings

James BallardGardner WilderPh ilip VorbachS ilas BayleyJacob Hough tonO bad iah Gil lS amuel MooreHenry S artelJonas Fife

Joseph DavisReuben WymanJacob GouldAaron TaylorJonathan Page , Jr.Ephraim O sburnTimothy F oxS eth DodgeJohn Leach


Corporal Ph ineas Wheelock Abijah Prat tJoh n Po l lard James S now

Benjamin Wh i tcomb M at thew Knigh tJonathan Wh i te S amuel BruceJames S imonds VVi l iam Pol lardRu fus Hough ton James M cBride

Amos Kendal l Jabez BearsKendal l Bou tel l Elijah WilsonJoseph Po l ley Jonathan HolmanNathaniel Co lburn Joh n PyperLuke Richardson John GroutA sa Johnson Jonathan M essard

O liver Wyman Jonathan Page[M assachusetts A rch ives

,XCV I

, 4 and 53 5]

Cap tain Wilder ’s l i eutenan t and m any of h is m en werere s iden ts of Bol ton , but as the res i dences are not recordedi n the ro l l , i t i s not a lway s poss ible to loca te the so ldie r .

A M aster [ Col l of a F oot Company Commanded by I sr ael T ay lor ofH ar var d

Capt . I srael Taylor Joseph Hough ton Wil liam With ingtonLieu t . Daniel Wh itney Jonathan S ampson Amos R ayE nsign Ph ineas Fairbank John Hough ton Thomas O sburnS erg t . O l iver S tone Amos Fai rbank Elisha Gates , Jr .

S ilas Wetherby H ezekiah Wh i tney Ph ineas TaylorDavid Jewett“ Abel Davis Jeremiah Wh i tneyJoseph We therby Nathan ie l Gates S amue l Farr

Corporal Zebulon Peirce S amuel M ead John DavidsonI saac S tone S amuel Mead , Jr . Daniel RandAbe l Farnsworth Richard Whitney Jabez BrownWi l l iam S anderson Jos iah Whi tnev John Wh itaker

Joseph Evele th Nathan Warner Jonathan Conan tElias S tone Wil liam Farmer Daniel A l lenA bijah Cole M icah S tone Jonas BrownGordon Hutchins Abraham Willard Wil l iam JewettWill iam Burt John Atherton A sa Wil lardBenjamin Barnard Del iverance Davis

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCV

,

A Al l i ster R ol l of a Company of T rooper s commanded by S amuel H as

hel l of H arvar d

Capt . S amuel Haskel l I saac Gates Charles WillardL ieut . S amuel Tut tle S amuel Finney Josiah Pries t , Jr.

Zebulon DodgeJonathan WoodS ilas DuttonJonathan Hol tA sa S artel lWill iam KimballReuben S mithJohn S ymondsAmos Haze l tineWil liam S tewardS amuel HodgkinDavid Peirce

CONQUEST O F CANADA . 6 3

Cornet S amuel Fel lowsQuartermas ter Jona . ReedCorp . Benjam in Hale

Jeremiah Laugh tonJonathan Wheeler

Barnabas Davis , Jr.Jonas PeirceS tephen TuttleAaron RandS imon Blanchard

I I I . THE CO NQUES T O F CANADA.

1 758—1 76 3 .

The re turn of Will i am P itt to power , practical l y as dictator , took place i n June , 1 75 7 . The sagaci ty and vigor

of his war pol icy were quickl y fe lt wherever England hadan enemy . He repaid to the colonies the expendituresincurred b y them in the contest with the French , and promised them protection from the ofli cial rapacity and arroganceunder which the y had long suffered , thus i nspiring themwi th new confidence . The ever unready Loudoun disappeared from American shores , and Major-General JeffreyAmherst succeeded to the chief comm and . He too was

cautious to excess , but thorough l y rel i ab l e , and assoc i atedwith him was the impetuous B rigadi er , Jam esWol fe . Them i l itar y imb ec i le , Abercromb ie , was unfortunatel y retained ,bu t , to atone for this chief

’

s l ethargy , the k i ng’

s cous in , the

B ay ard of the British arm y ,” Lord George Augustus Howe ,

was joined wi th him in command , and the inspirat ion of his

ch ivalric energy soon pervaded the conduct of the cam

paign . The days of sloth and inact ivi ty appeared to be at

an end . England furnished over twenty thousand of herbest troops , and the colonies strained thei r ever y resource ,resolved to close the long contes t b y a Vigorous onslaughtalong the whol e l ine of debatab le territor y . A t the north ,Lou isbourg fell under the daring and sk il ful ly d i rected as

Moses Whi tney John S awyerNathan iel Holman Caleb S awyerO l iver Tenney Will iam HoughtonPhineas Wil lard , Jr . Dan iel Hough tonJohn Meriam Robert Wh itcombEzekiel Haskell Nathan iel Hough tonJohn Cobleigh Peter F oxAaron Dav is Peter WillardThomas Wrigh t , Jr . Thomas HoughtonJudah Clark James Crosfield

[M assachusetts A rchives , XCV,


saul ts of the B ri ti sh n aval and land forces . A t the south ,Washington , under Genera l John Forbes , p lan ted the B ri ti sh co lo rs over the fortre ss of Duque sne .

The cen tral co lum n , under Abe rcromb ie , to which hadbeen a l lotted the capture of Ticonderoga , m et wi th the

wonted i l l for tune of i ts comm ander owing to h is disgraceful m ism anagement . W i th this column were the Massachuse tts men , seven thousand in number . The expedi tion ,cons is ting of twen ty-four regim en ts , and numbering ove rfi fteen thousand m en , s tar ted out Jul y 5 , i n b atteaux , downLake George , and , landing at a poin t near i ts outle t , thenext day b egan the m arch towards the French fort i n twod i vi s i on s , upon bo th s ides of the stream . An advancedde tachmen t O f the enem y was encountered i n the densewoods , and a b risk engagement en sued , lasting l ess thanan hour , which re sul ted in the rout and capture of the

French but the V ictor y was bough t at a fearful price , wi ththe loss of the dearl y be loved Lord Howe , who was ki l ledwhi le pre s s ing forward in the van of the righ t divis ion .

T he diary of the Reverend John C le avel and inform s us

th at Co lone l Jonathan Bagle y ’s Massachuse tts regimentm ade the charge upon the righ t , and D r . Ca leb Rea , surgeon of that regim en t , records that “ Co lonel Bagl e y behaved extrem e l y we ll i n battle .

”

Abercrom b ie seem s to have los t , afte r Lord Howe’

s fall ,wha teve r judgm en t he possessed , and t im idl y fel l back toponder ove r the s i tuation . Advanc ing again on the morning of Jul y 8 , he drew up his force s , four—fo ld those of

Montca lm , before the outworks of the fortress , which waspro tec ted b y water and impassab le swam ps on al l s ides butone . Hi therto a lways di la tory , he now becam e foo lhardy .

Fo l lowing the advice of a rash staff-officer , wi thout awai ting h is arti l ler y and in con temp t of the urgen t rem onstranceof experienced provinci al leaders among whom was

S tark— he at once orde red an a ssaul t b y columns uponin trenchm en ts bristl ing with form idable aba tis . Four hours


A saph Butler, Lancas ter Wm. Longley , S hirley

S hubael Baily , J r . , Lancas ter Joseph Longley ,Wi l lm . Brabrook, Lancas ter, (m iss ing) Francis M cF adden , Bol tonI saac Brooks , Bol ton John M cBride , Lancas terA braham Bruce , Abner Marble , S towJabez Bears , Amos Meriam , Bol tonJohn Baily , Lancaster Joseph Prat t ,Jabez Bigelow , N o . 2 Amos R ay, MarlboroughJoseph Bigsby , Lancas ter Richard Roberts , Bol tonWil lm . Barrack , S hrewsbury Wm

. S imons , J un . , S hirleyEben Bigelow , Lancas ter, (d ied ) Moses S awyer, Lancas terS am‘. Bigsby , S hrewsbury Nathan S m i th , S h irleyJohn Browne , Marlborough Will iam S awyer, Bol tonBenoni Big low , Bol ton Ezek iel S now , Lancas terAbraham Barnes , Marlborough Jacob S mi th , S hrewsburyJedediah Cooper, Lancas ter James S quireen , Lancas terJames Carru th , Bol ton Ahol iab S awyer , Bol tonO l iver Dresser, Lancas ter John S ampson , Lancas terO l iver D insmore , Jonathan Tail le , GrotonNathan Eager, Benj “ . Townsend , Bol tonJoseph Evele th , S tow A aron Tufts , Lancas terRobert Fletcher, Lancas ter David Thurs ton ,

Ph ineas Goodale , Jonathan Townsend , Lancas terJohn Gourden , S tow A sa Taylor, N o 2

Daniel Goss , S hrewsbury John Whi tney , S hirleyJonathan Geary , Lancas ter, (died ) Phineas Wilder, Lancas terEphraim Goss , Jos iah Woods , Bol tonJoseph Goodale , Marlborough S i las Warner , Lancas terDavid Goodale , Bol ton Levi Whe tcomb , Bol tonJames Goodnow , S hrewsbury E lijah Woods , Lancas ter

Jedediah Woods ,[M assachusetts A rchives , XCV I , 1 0 2 , 4 7 8

In the com pan y of Captain Salmon Whi tney of the sam eregiment were these Lancaster soldiers :

William Farmer, John Larkin , (died ) Joseph Woods .

O f Harvard were these

Lieu t . Judah Clark , Jonas Davis , Asahel N ickerson ,

S ergt Abraham Willard , Jos iah Davis , Jonathan Parkhurs t ,S ergt . Jonathan Wh i tney , S amuel Fe l lows , John Rugg ,Corp. S amuel Mead , S tephen Gates , Dav id S ampson ,

John Burt , James Haskel l , Dav id S anderson ,

Dav id Brown , S olomon Haskell , Amos S tone ,


Aretus Hough ton , S amuel Wetherby ,Joseph Hough ton , Hezekiah Wh i tney

,

A sa Wil lard .

[M assachusetts A rchives , XCV I ,

In the regiment of Colone l Timo thy Ruggles , Captai nJoseph Whitcomb of Lancaster and Captain Jam es Reed

of Lunenburg Jed com panie s . B i l le t ing ro l ls on l y of these

commands have b een found , and in them no res idences aregiven . Co lone l Ruggles assem b led h is comm and at Northam pton , started thence June 3 , and m arched for five days— through what was then a wooded wi lderness , ab solute l yw i thout Whi te inhab i tan ts— to Albany . During the b attle

of Ticonde roga the regim ent was detai led as rear guard at

the saw-m i lls , where it threw up ear thworks . T hen cefor

ward i t was engaged in rebui lding and improving the m i l ita ry roads between Saratoga and Albany , un ti l i t was

m arched hom e i n Novem ber . Serving under Captai nWhi tcomb were the fo l lowing m en known to be long to

Lancas te r

Joseph Beaman , Amos Knigh t , Richard Proutee ,

Will iam Brown ,Jonathan Ph il l ips , George Wheeler,

John Head ley , James Prat t , A sa Whi tcomb ,Levi Kendal l , Benjamin Pries t , JosephWhi tcomb , Jr.S imon Kendal l , (d ied ) Joshua Proutee , Henry Wyman .

There we re from Leom inster

John Beaman , Joshua Pierce , O liver Wyman ,

Pe ter Hough ton .

O f Harvard were

Jonathan Conan t , Will iam Jewet t , Jonathan Whi tney ,John Davidson ,

'

John Taylor, Thomas Wh i te .

Israel Hale .

In Cap tain Reed’s command were Lancaster m en

Phineas Bailey , S imeon Johnson , Jos iah Locke .

Benjamin H inds , Wi ll iam Kendal l , Til ley Wilder.

O f Leom inste r were

Timothy Boutel l , Joh n Grou t , John S imonds ,Elias Carter, N athaniel Page , Abel Wheelock .


O f Harvard were

John Conn , Ph ineas Farnsworth , I saac S tone ,

Jonathan Creasy , Ephraim Robbins , Jonathan Whi te ,Joseph Davis , S amuel S anderson .

O f Bolton were

Hezek iah Gibbs , Joseph Hazletine , Joseph S now ,

Jacob Gould .

[M assachusetts A rchives XCV I,1 37

I n various other rol ls proof is found that the fol lowingm en from Lancaster served during 1 758

Joseph Bailey , John M cCarty, Joseph S tewart ,S amuel Ballard , Ebenezer Pike , Jo tham WilderE lijah Beaman , Moses Redman , Nathan iel Wil lard ,Isaac Eveleth , Joseph S quirean , Aaron Wil lard .

The l ast nam ed led a l ight-in fantr y com pan y i n the regimen t of Co lonel O l ive r Partridge , and was severe l ywounded in the b attl e at Ticonderoga . He had b ee n al i eutenant wi th Captain Cal eb Wil l ard of Lunenburg , andwhi le i n service was pl aced i n comm and of a compan y of

l ight infantry , Nathanie l Wi l lard serving w i th him as sub

al te rn . The fol lowing undated petition is in Massachu settsArchives , L XXV I I I , 2 24Province of the M assachusetts Bay . T o his E xcellency T homas Powna

l

E sq . T o the honourable his M aj esty’s Counci l l , the honourable the H ouse

of R epr esentatives humbly S heweth Aaron Wil lard of Lancas ter that yourPe ti tioner was a Captain in the Provincial S ervice in the Regimen t ofLigh t Infan try at the late Bat t le of T icondaroga, that in that Engagemen tyour Petitioner was shot through the Trunk of his Body about the bot tomof his Breas t , w ith wh ich wound he lay a long time in a hopeless condi tionand so weak that he could not be moved to any Hospi tal for above a mon thand from thence your Petitioner got home by s low degrees about the end

of S eptember in a languish ing Condi tion unable to do any work and con

t inueing to th is day under the care of a Phys ician ; by means of al l whichyour Pe ti tioner has been put to great and ex traordinary expences of livingin a manner sutable to his wounds and Consumptive habit , abroad and at

home , bes ides the loss of time and great Damage to his future s trength ofbody . Your Peti tioner therefore humbly prays your Excel lency and Honours to consider his case and gran t that the sum of Twen ty-one poundswhich he has expended for surgery medicines and many necessary th ings

CONQUEST O F CANADA . 69

s ince your Peti tioner received his wound may be al lowed him , or gran tsuch other rel ief as in yourWisdom you shall see meet , and your Petitioneras in Duty bound shal l ever pray . A ARON W ILLARD

Numerous m emorial s in the state archives instruct us i n

the spiri t and m anners of the t ime , and the sacrifices of thepatriotic so ldier . Extracts from som e of the se fol low

LANCASTER S ept . 1 8 , 1 7 58 . These may sert ify that my son S amuelBal lard was Taken Capt ive near T icondaroga about the 2 5

th June Las tbeing with Leu t . S tephens ; he was a Ranger in Capt . John S tark’s Company . BE N J N . BALLARD .

T o the H onbl e A udr ew O l i ver E sq . S ecy . in Boston .

[M assachusetts A rchives , LXXV I I , 7 2 2 ]

T o H is E xcel lency T homas Pownall E sq . Dec . 29 , 1 7 58 .

T he Pett ition of Phin ias Wilder of Lancas ter Humbley S hewingthat he I nl is ted himself In to his majes ties forces I n the Expedition agains tCannada in 1 7 58 under the Command of Capt . A sa Whitcomb in Col l0Bag ley’s Regimen t and was taken s ick aboute the firs t of S eptember las twith the Camp Dis temper w ith a Grate Dele of Deficul tey that I underwen t by being brough t some of the way in a Cart some of the way bywater to Green Bush whare I lay(1 aboute a fortnigh t as they tel l me I not

being in a pos ture to R ecolect the time myself and then I was Brough tpart of the way from Green Bush on a horse part of the way I n a horseLi t ter an arived at home but Jus t in Life Remained above S ix wekes

after I got home the Biges t part of I n Dout of Life the Cos t and ChargeI was at I n order to Get home after I got home amounts to s ix poundstwo shil l ings five pence as pr . accoun t . PH INEHAS W ILDER

[M assachusetts Arch ives , L xxvu l ,

In the sam e volum e as the last are s im ilar peti tions fromJohn Bail e y and Asaph Butler .

T he Pettition of Thomas Garey of Lancas ter HumblyS hewing to your Excel lency Honours that his son Jonathan Gary wasI nlis ted soulger under the Comand of Capt . A sa Wh i tcomb and as

my said Jonathan was a serving his King Countrey in ye Expedi tionagains t Cannada he was taken sick at Lake George was Brough t in a Cartor wagon as far as the ou termos t barn in hafe moon thare sen t me a

Letter earnes tly I ntreting me to Come or send some bodey to his Rel iefupon which Information I sen t a man Horse wi th N esecareys for his

Rel ief as soon as poss iable I could fix him away but my poor son was Deadbefore my man horse arived at the hafe moon .

THOMAS GEARY[M assachusetts A rchives

,L xxvu i

,

70 ANNA L S O F LANCASTER .

T he petti tion of Peter Lark in of Lancas ter his

Bro ther John Larkin was an I nlis ted soulger in the Expedi tionagains t Cannada in y6 year 1 7 58 , under the Comand of Capt . Whitne in ye

Regimen t of Col l0 Bagley . my said Bro ther J ohn was taken s ickat Lake George but w ith some help by the Carts wagons he got Downas far as S hefield could get no farther sen t for me to Come to his

ass is tance , according ly I wen t to him to S hefield set out go t him as

far as Wes tfield wi th much a Do thare taryed wi th him two or three Days ,

bu t he being unabele to T ravi l aney farther I was obl iged to Leve him and

he con tinued abou te ten or eleven Days Expired Died .

PETER LARK IN[M assachusetts A rchives , LXXVI I I ,

Chaplain John C leave land , before mentioned , was the

i nt im ate fri end of Lieutenan t-Co lone l John Wh i tcomb , andjoi nt tenant wi th him of a rude hut i n the encampment .

C leaveland’

s d iary and that of Surgeon Rea afford picture sof the l ife of the so ldiers i n the i n trenchm en ts upon LakeGeorge , detai l ing the superc il ious deportm ent of the Bri tishofficers , and the j ea lous dis l ike of them fe l t by the NewEngl and m en ; the dai l y pray ers and p salm s i nging , andthe Sunday exhor tation s among the provinc i a ls , con tras tedwi th the drunkenness , rib a ldry and p rofani ty of cam p ; theperpetua l de lving upon the fortificati ons the court marti a lsand infl ic tion of puni shm ents characteristic of rigid m i l i tar ydisc ipl ine . A s the autum n day s sped , the i ll cooked andtainted provis ions , and the unive rsal filthiness of the campsengendered fevers and dy sen tery to an a larm ing ex tent ,and the fort becam e one va st hospital . I t would doub tlessbe a harsh judgment , bu t on e can hard l y help suspecting ,

re ad ing the diary of the pious surgeon in connec tion wi ththe s tories of h is pat i en ts—the s ick so ldiers a l ready quo ted— that he interes ted h im se l f less i n his own bus iness thanin that of the Chapl ai n ; earnes t rather to ed ify spiri tua l l y ,than to appl y his energy and ski l l to the improvemen t ofsani tary condi tions . In the disaster of Ticonderoga he

sees the wra th of Providence towards “

the horrid curs ingand swearing there i s i n y e camp , m ore especi al ly among

ye Regulars . I can ’t but Charge our defeat on this sin .

He was tender of heart , however , for he wri tes :


A l th° there is almost every day more or less whiped or Piqueted orsome other ways punished I ’ve never yet had ye curios i ty to see

’m , the

shrieks and crys being S atisfactory to me without ye S ight of ye S trokes .

One b right ra y of sunshine rel i eved the gloom of the

s ituation i n theWest . Lieutenant-Co lonel John B radstreet ,ob taining the reluctant consent of his superiors , led threethousand provinc i al troops two hundred m iles through thewi lderness to the shore of Ontario , crossed the lake inboats , captured the important fort and naval stat ion of

Frontenac , and destroyed the French flee t . Soon afte r ,General Amhers t , wi th several regiments from Lou isbou rg ,

reached New York and joined Ab ercromb ie earl y in October ; but thei r jo in td el iberations evo lved no plan of actionunti l the frosts were upon them , and then al l that could bedone was to dism iss the arm ed y eom an ry to thei r farm s ,

and d istribute the regulars i n thei r win te r quarters .

The cam paign for 1 759 , as pl anned b y P i tt , contem pl ated a di rect attack upon Chi ebec b y a se lect arm y of

Engl ish troops comm anded b y Wol fe , to be seconded b y avigorous advance towards Montreal b y wa y of Lake Champlain . B y the end O f June Wo lfe was p lant ing his b a tteries oppos ite the Gibral tar of Am erica ; but Amhers tl ingered three weeks l ate r , adding to the superfluous earthworks O f Fort W il l i am Henry , before he ventured uponthe s ingle day ’s jou rne y down Lake George to the sceneof Abercromb ie ’s disgrace the preceding y ear . The co lonial troops had been long assem b led , awai ting orders .

The fol lowing l is t shows the Lancaster m en enrol led inMarch and Apri l :

R etur n of the M en en l isted or impr essed for his M aj est ies S erv i ce w ithinthe Pr ovi nce of the M assachusetts Bay in the R eg imen t wher eof O liverWi lder E sq . i s Colonel , to be put under the immed i ate Command ofH i s E xcel lency yefi

'

r ey A mher st E sq . Genera l Commander in Chiefof H is M aj est i es F or ces in A mer ica f or the I nvas ion of Canada .

John Wil lard,

Aged 1 9Jona. Hutch ins 20 S erved , 1 7 57 , at Lake George .

Robert Phelps 1 8

7 2

Jona. Ph il lipsWm

. PerhamJoseph TurnerThos . BarneyAbner O sgoodJ on

“. Townsend

Math ias LarkinJohn HeadleyPhinehas Bai lyJotham WilderJoshua ProuteeDaniel Al lbert , Jr.Peter LarkinFrederick A l lbertJohn BaileyJona . GoodnowS tephen KendallS am“ . KendallLevi KendallHenry WymanJoseph B ixpyJedediah CooperEphraim GossJohn M cCarty

Joseph S quirean0Eben’ . PikeJoseph BaileyS am“ . GoodenowDan iel CookReuben WalkerJohn M cBride

Joseph S tewartJohn DunsmoorGeorge Bush , Jr .John Cros lyJames Prat tPh inehas WilderIsaac EvelethMoses RedmanM icah Brian tNathaniel Wrigh tJoseph Turner

ANNA LS O F LANCAS TER .

S erved

1 7 58 , at Lake George6 6 6 6

(H ir ed )

1 7 58 , at Lake George .

1 7 58 , at Lake George.

1 7 58 , at Lake George .

6 6

1 7 58 , at Lake George6 6 6 6

(I mpr essed )6 6

(H ir ed )S erved , 1 7 58 , at Lake George .

6 6 6 6 6 6

(I mpressed )

(H i r ed )

74 ANNALS O F LANCAS TER .

LE O M IN STE R M E N

A sa Butterick , S erved , 1 7 58 ,Joshua PeirceAbe l WheelockBenjam in Wh itcombJoseph HarperEbenezer HarrisJames S ymondsRufus Hough tonE lias CarterRichard S tewartPaul Hale

[M assachusetts A rchives XCV I I I,

One hundred and forty-two m en i n al l were furn i shedfrom the Lancaster regim ent , those not here given being

chiefly from Lunenburg .

Co lone l Wi lder ’s account of se rvices rendered as mus

tering O fli cer is a curios i ty in i ts way , and is appendedunab r idged

Pr ovince of the M assachusets B ay I s Dr

T o oneWarran t I Received from his Excel lency Governor Pownell R eqiriring me to Raise one Hundred and fourtey two men and to apportion themas E qualey as I could to and amongs t the Respective Companys in myRegimen t in March the 2 6 , 1 7 59 .

T o fi l l ing a Leven warran ts and sending a Leven expresses to a g

Leven Captains . 1 5—0

T o Mus tering said 1 4 2 men Raised out of my Regiment wh ich sdserv is I attended two Days by R eson of the Captains not

making their Respective Returns ye firs t Day in seson 0—1 2—0T o what E xpences I was Nesesaryley at wh ile at tending servis o 6—0T o one Days servis more in mus tering the o ther Leveys Raised

out of my Regimen t that went under Coll°Abijah Willard o 6—0T o my E xpences in said servis o 3

—0T o one Journey to Bos ton to Receive the Bountey money for the

soulgers wh ich toke me thre DaysT o my E xpences in said JourneyT o two Days I went to Bos ton to make Return to the Adjutan t

General of the men I Raised according to the Governor’s order to R etourn 23 Retournes

T o my E xpences said JourneyT o two Days time I was obliged to spend in going over to Wor

s ter at the Reques t of the Expedition Captains who could


not make up their Bil leting Roles wi thout the Lis ting paperswh ich by an unhapey m istake was Never sent to me and Ihaving obtained the favour of Collo Chandler of some BlanckLis ting papers was firs t to be at the trouble of Lis ting the menall a new again 0—1 2-0

T o my E xpences on said affair

£5-1 6—o

OL IVER W ILDER , ColoLANCASTER , December y6 27 , 1 7 59 .

[M assachusetts A rchives,LXXX IX

, 432 ]

The above nam ed volunteers were divi ded b etween the

companies of Cap tains Aaron W il l ard of Lancaster andJam es Reed of Lunenburg . The form er led one hundredm en , the l atter ninety . and bo th were prob ab l y attached tothe regim ent of Colone l Tim oth y Ruggles , which included

two b attal ions . Captain Wil lard ’s Lancaster men were

Lieut . Jacob S ti les , Thomas Barney , Jonathan Ph illips ,S ergt . Jonathan Hu tchins , John Mccarthy , Joshua Proutee ,

Peter Wil lard , S ilvanus Johnson , Moses Redman,

Benjamin Atherton , Abner O sgood , James S quirean ,

John Bai ley , Wil l iam Perham , Joseph Turner ,Robert Phelps .

O f Bol ton were

S ergt . Jos iah Moore, Benjam in Marble , Edward Roach ,Benoni Bigelow , Jonas Pollard , Ahol iab S awyer,Jonathan Holman , Joseph Prat t , Ephraim Ward ,John L aw, Jos iah Pratt , John Wilder,Dennis L ocklyne , Josiah Pries t .

O f Harvard were

S ergt . John Burt , Jacob Emerson , Josiah Proctor,Corpl . S amuel Corey , Jacob Harr is , Ephraim Harris ,

John Daby, Isaac Holden ,William S anderson ,

Nathaniel Bray , John Hough ton , M icah S tone ,David Brown , Asahel N ickerson , S amuel Whipy,John Cole , Jonathan Pierce , Jonathan Wh ite ,John Conn .

O f Leom i nster R ichard S tewart .

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCV I I

,


Captain Jam es Reed ’s Lancaster m en were

Lieut . Til ley Wilder, I saac Eveleth , John M cBride ,

S ergt . Joseph Bailey , Jonathan Goodenough , Joshua Peirce ,

Dan iel Albert , S amuel Goodenough , Ebenezer Pike ,

Frederick Albert , John Headley , James Prat t ,Ph ineas Bai ley , Lev i Kendal l , Joseph S tewart ,Joseph Bixby , S amue l Kendal l , Jonathan Townsend ,M icah Bryan t , S tephen Kendal l [d i ed ] , Reuben Walker [d i ed ] ,George Bush [died ] , Peter Larkin , Jotham Wilder ,Dan iel Cook , Math ias Larkin , Ph ineas Wilder,John Dunsmore , Will iam L ee , Henry Wyman .

O f Leom i nste r were

A sa Buttrick , Joseph Harper , Benjamin Wh itcomb .

Jonathan Grout , Ebenezer Harris ,[M assachusetts A rch ives

,XCV I I

,

Samue l Kendal l and John Head l y presented pe ti tions tothe General Court for help , which are preserved in Massachusetts Archives , Lxx 1 x , 1 4 7 and 3 2 2 .

The regim en t of Co lone l Abij ah Wi l lard con tainede igh teen compan ies , com ing from al l parts of the comm onweal th . The complem en t of each com pany was fifty , rankand file .

A R ol l of the F i eld S e S tay?r Ofi cer s i n H i s M aj est i e

’

s S ervice of a R egi

ment wher eof A bij ah l/Vi l lar d E sq . i s Colonel . [April 1 7 to December 30 ,

Abijah Willard , E sq .

, Colonel , Lancas ter .S tephen M il ler , E sq L i eutenan t-Colonel , M il ton .

Richard Godfrey , M aj or ,Taun ton .

Caleb Wil lard , M aj or , Lunenburg .

Cyrus Fairbanks , A ay'

utan t,Lancas ter .

M anassah Divol , Quar termaster , Lancas ter .

Wil liam Crawford , Chaplai n , Worces ter .John Taylor, Ch i ef S urgeon ,

Harvard .

John Tappan , S urgeon’s IWate, Newbury .

John Pres ton , do . Harvard .

Jonathan Bowman , Comm issary , Dorches ter .

[M assachusetts A rch ives XCV I I , 37 2 ]


Captain Benjam in Hasti ngs led a compan y i n Wi l lard’sregim ent . These m en O f Lancaster were in h is comm and

Lieut . Thomas Beaman ,Joshua Baily , Jonathan Kendal l ,

2d Lieu t . Manasseh Divol l , Benjam in Chase , Jos iah Pren tice ,S ergt . John Warner, Nathan Eager, Joseph Pries t ,

Paul Richardson ,Ephraim Goss , Nathan Pusha,

Levi Woods , Thomas Hende rson Jeremiah S tewart ,Corpl . Ebenezer Knigh t , Nahum Hough ton , Jonathan Wheelock ,Drummer Levi Divol l , Joshua Johnson , Jason Wyman .

These were of Bo l ton

Capt . Benjamin Has tings , Cyrus Hough ton , James Townsend ,Corpl . John Richardson , Francis M cF adden , David Wh i tcomb ,Ephraim Butler , Andrew M cE lwain , Ezra Wilder .

These were of HarvardJonathan Gates , Ambrose Hale , David Taylor.Elias Haskel l , Gordon Hutch ins ,

O f Leom i nster . was Ebeneze r Rice .

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCV I I

,

Thom as Beaman succeeded to the comm and of the

compan y in Sep tem ber . JohnWarne r was prom oted to b eensign in the company of Captain El ij ah Sm ith , and PeterWi l lard to be ens ign in Captain Wil l iam Bay le y ’s com pan y .

Under Captain Thom as Cobb of the sam e regim entwere Joshu a Mosm an , Samue l Mosm an and A sa Rugg of

Lancaste r . Samue l Woods , according to the Lancaste rchurch records , was K i l led b y y e Enem y ” this y ear .

The orderl y book of Colonel W i l lard unfortunate l yclo ses Jul y 1 7 , four day s before the movem ent upon Ticonderoga began . H is first regim ental orders are da ted June2 6 , at camp near Fort Edward

I t is my O rder that the Commanding officer of Each Company S eethat their orderly S ergean ts turn ou t their Compan ies to Prayers everymorning by S ix O C lock and by S even in the Even ing ; and every Captainwi th his officers to lead their Companies on the Perade themse lves and

also to see that every man appears on the Perade for Guard that they areClean and S oldier-l ike ; and also that the officers appear in Camp l ike Gentlemen officers , for I observe that they are very Neg l igent in their Dress

and that the officers of my Regimen t Put O ff their H igh land


Caps , for it is Disagreeable to the Commanding O fficer [M ontgomery , col

onel of the R oyal H ighlander s] now at Fort Edward .

Lemuel Wood of Boxford , who served i n Captain Fran

cis Peabody ’s com pan y of Wi ll ard ’s regim ent during the

campaigns of 1 7 59 and 1 76 0 , kept a diary which has b eenpub l ished in the Essex Institute Col lections , X IX . He re

cords tha t “it Cam e out i n orders that no Office r i n

ye Regiment shoul d wear a Scotch bonne t .

” General l y

the officers onl y in provinc ia l regim en ts were uniform ed .

They usua ll y appeared in b lue coats faced with red , butdress for the m ost part was l eft to i ndividual taste and con

venien ce . From orderl y book and diar y we learn that i n

camp at Lake George , throughout June and Jul y , the troopswere kept constantl y drill ing , and prac tice i n firing was

dail y exacted . Frequent courts—m arti al were summ onedand fearful sentences were imposed upon those found gui lt y

of grave m il i tar y crim es .

“ One thousand lashes wi th a

cat of nine tai ls ” was one punishm ent for desertion ,al though executions for thi s o ffence took pl ace , the whol earm y b eing drawn up to witness the dism al ceremon y .

Wood re l ates that “

two sargants for not going to hearPray ers were sentenced to y

8 ranks b y Colone lWi ll ard ; but were sub sequent l y pardoned . Captain Benj am in Hast ings of Bol ton was during Septemb er “ Dismessed

y e Servis with Desgrace ” for m u ti nous b ehavior . Ab raham Aust in , Capt of the waggons ,

” be ing convicted of

steal ing som e too ls , was condem ned

to Receive thirty S ix lashes wi th a Cat of n ine tails at the head of Each ofthe four Regular Battallions and the seven Provincial l R egim t

s. in Camp ,

Beginn ing w ith Forb’s and Ending w i th S cuyler’s , and be then turned outof Camp and Deemed unworthy of ever S erving in the Army again .

Ten team sters who connived at the sam e theft were ordered to b e

marched Round the Camp, and see the Punishment above on Aus t i n , and

they all to be marched Back to S aratoga, from thence to Bring the toolsthat ware s tolen Back together.

CONQUEST O F CANADA . 79

Colonel Wi l lard , b y the evidence of his regim ental or

ders , appears an energet ic , soldierl y office r , exacting fi rm l yevery m i l i tary duty , but di l igentl y caring for the wel l-being

of h is men . He turned the captains out to dri l l thei r com

pan ies i n platoon exerc ise at five O ’

clock in the m orning ,

and had al l the ofli cers exerc ised in the sam e m anner b y

the senio r captains twice dail y . He orders

That every Tent shal l have one side Turned up every Fair Day fromEigh t in the morn ing un till ten i t being much for the heal th ofthe men . Likewise that every S ick man have his hands , fee t and leggswashed in warm water , and careful ly dryed every other Day .

Am herst’s immob il i ty al ready argued i l l for any aid fromhis column to Wolfe . A t the advance , final l y b egun Jul y

2 1 , Ticonderoga and Crown Poin t fel l wi th on l y the pre

tence of contest , as the y prob ab l y wou ld have done had

the movem ent been m ade a m on th earl i er . N i agara hadal re ad y been surrendered to S irWi ll i am Johnson . Instead

of push ing northward on Lake Cham pl ain at once , A mherst now set about rebu i lding the captured forts , constructing roadway s to them from various points , and p lanning anavy . Regardless of the pos it ive orders of P itt , whil eWo lfe was daring imposs ib i l i ti es , Amherst reso lved to takeno r isks . The glory of Wol fe was the greater , and al l

New Engl and , i n the general thanksgiving for his Victor yat Q

\uebec , m ourned him as thei r b enefactor . I t was not

until the m iddle of Octobe r that the newl y bu i l t flee t clearedLake Champl ain of the French . Soon the wintr y frostshad sealed the northern waters , and Co lonel Wi l lard , withh is townsm en , were again by thei r own firesides , re latingto interested l isteners thei r varied experience s upon the

front i e r , and preparing for the final campaign of 1 76 0 .

The en l istments recorded for Lancaster i n the springm on th s of the next year , as found in Massachusetts Archives , XCV I I I , areJohn Years , aged 29 (a F renchman) . Moses Redman , aged 37 (I r ish) .

Joseph Farrar, 1 7 John M cCarty, 29

Nathan Farrar, 1 8 James S quirean , 2 2

8 0 ANNA LS O F LANCASTER .

O l iver Power, aged 1 8 M ichael M cL ong , aged 24

John Pren tice , 1 9 Richard Wiles , 49

Jos iah Pren tice , 1 8 Benj . Hough ton ,2 0

S tephen Fos ter, 30 Ephraim Goss 2 6

Nathan Turner, 2 3

These were , however , not a fifth part of the town ’s sol

die rs actual l y i n service . Colone l Ab ij ah Wi l lard againl ed hi s regim ent to the front , having the sam e stafl

”

, exceptthat John Mi l le r of Mi l ton acted as chap lain , and S amuelWard , O f Worcester , l ater to b ecom e an honored ci t i zen of

Lancaster , served as adjutant . One com pan y was chiefl yof Lancas ter and adj acent towns , and served from Apri l toDecem ber . Levi Wi l lard i s recorded as sutler of the

regim ent . The Lancaste r soldiers of Captain Beaman ’scom pany were

Captain Thomas Beaman , Danie l Cook , John Richardson ,

Lieu t . S herebiah Hu n t , James Crosfield , Pau l Richardson ,

S ergt . Daniel Warner, I saac Evele th , Isaac S ol lend ineCorporal Nathan Gary , Thomas Fairbanks , Richard S tewart ,Drummer Eph raim Fairbanks , Ph ineas Goodel l , David Wilder ,Benjamin Atherton , Thomas Henderson , Ezra Wilder ,Charles Beam is , John Lock , Nahum Wilder,Joseph Bigsbey , Joshua Peirce , James Wil lard ,Jedediah Blaney , Ethan Phi l l ips , Levi Woods ,Wil l iam Brown , Amos Powers , Henry Wyman .

John Burroughs , Benjamin Pries t

O f Leom inster we re

S erg t . Benjam in Wh i tcomb , A sa Buttrick , Jonathan Kendal lCorpora l John Beaman ,

Francis Corey , John Wh i te ,

S imeon Butler, Joseph Daby , Jos iah Wh i te .

O f Bo l ton were

S ergt . Benoni Bigelow ,Andrew M cE lwain , Ezekiel S now ,

Jonadab Moore ,Francis M cF adden , Benjamin Townsend .

Richard Roberts ,

O f Harvard were

S ergt . Caleb Wrigh t S o lomon Haskel l , Benjam in Whit temore .

David Dickenson , Peter S now [died ] ,

Rufus Putnam , who becam e a b rigadi er—genera l and the


O f Harvard

S ilas Farnsworth , Jabez Keep, Coleman S anderson ,

Uriah Ho l t , Jonathan Reed , John S anderson .

O f Leom inster were

Barzillai Moore , Ab ijah S awyer .[M assachusett s A rchives

,XCV I I I

, 307—9 ]

Wi th Captain Wi ll i am Barron of Concord were e ightLancaster m en

S tephen Fos ter, Moses Redman ,

John M cCarthy, James S quirean ,

John Pren tice , N at . Turner,[M assachusetts A rchives XCV I I I

, 254—5 ]

Co lonel John Whitcomb ’s regim ent , of eigh teen com

panics , served in the campaign of 1 760 , and i n i t were afew m en of Lancaste r . I n the S outhboro

’

compan y of

Captain Nathaniel B righam were

Lieut . Ephraim S awyer , O bediah Gross ,Levi Divol , Joseph S tewart [drowned A ug .

[M assachusetts A rch ives,XCV I I I

,

W ith Captain Wi l l i am Wil l i am s of Marlborough were

Lieut . Henry Haskel l , Amos Atherton , Joseph Woods ,Corporal Joshua Johnson , Daniel Johnson , Jasher Wyman .

[M assachusetts A rchives,XCVI I I

,

With Cap tain Jonathan Rolfe were of Bol ton

Ens ign Joseph Hendrick , Robert Holdea, Thomas Mears ,S ergt . John Barnard , Mat th ias Larkin , James Townsend .

O bediah Gil l , Robert Longley ,[M assachusetts A rch ives

,XCVI I I

,247

In other com panies were of Lancaster

Ensign Jos iah Locke , John H inds ,John Bailey , Nathan iel Jones ,Gershom Flagg , Levi Kendall

,

Josiah Flagg ,[Colone lWhitcomb's O rderly Book , and M assachusetts A rchives

,XCV I I I

,23 1 , 24 8 ,

2 87 . 29 1 . 3 23 ]

During winter and spring and summe r General Amherststudied over and el abora ted the plan of a com b ined m ovement b y al l his forces upon Montre al the very m ethod b y

CO NQUES T O F CANADA . 8 3

which an ab le general would have swept the French powerfrom Canada the preced ing autumn . I t was the tenth of

August before the m ain arm y at Oswego , and ColonelWil l iam Havi land ’s force at Crown Point , began the ad

vance . From Colonel Whi tcom b ’s orderl y book we learnthat his own and the regim en ts of Colonel s Wi l lard andRuggles , under Haviland , proceeded leisurel y down LakeChamp lain in b atteaux . On the s ixteenth the expeditionlanded on the east s ide of the R iver S t . Johns , near theIs le aux Noix , and Colonel Whi tcomb was ordered to

throw up works under the direction of the engineers for theprotec tion of the fleet of b atteaux , whil e the res t O f the

arm y moved to the s i ege of the isl and which had long beenfortified . On the m orn ing of the twenty-eighth i t was dis

covered that the enem y had evacuated thei r works and fledin the night through the swamps . Q

\u ickl y pursuing , Col

onel Havil and issued the fol lowing order on arrival at

Therese

A s the army is now going into the inhabitable part of the Coun try ,therefore i t is ordered that none of the inhabitan ts are plundered or ill usedon any pretence . Whosoever is de tected disobeying these orders w il l behanged . M ilk , Butter or Provisions , or any thing e lse mus t be regularlypaid for ; th is to induce the inhabitan ts to s tay in their Villages , as goodusage wil l prevent their men from joining the French army .

I t was much to expect of the m en of New Ham pshi reand Massachuse tts , almost eve ry one of whom had rankl ing recol lections of loss b y som e b loody raid of demonswho spared neither age nor sex , that the y should enter asconquerors the terri tor y of those who had for years i nst igated thei r m erc iless spo i lers , without exhib i ting great exultation , and at l east an incl in at ion towards retal iat ion . I t

speaks wel l for these Pro testant soldiers quartered in the

ham lets of their pries t-ridden and treacherous enem ies ,that on Septemb er 7 th they should hear read upon paradethese words

I t gives Col l . Haviland pleasure to find the troops under his commandhave so s trictly compl ied w i th his orders of the 3 1 of Augus t , wi th respect


of not plundering the inhabitan ts and paying for such th ings as they getfrom them . I t is O bviou s to every one the good effects it has had on many .

Hundreds have de l ivered themselves up here and at Chambly .

On the eigh th General Am hers t announced in generalorders

T he Marquis Vaudreuil has capi tulated . T he troops of Francein Canada have laid down their arms and are no t to serve during the war .

T he whole coun try submi ts to the Dom in ion of Great Bri tain .

On the ten th , the Massachusetts m en were m archingb ack to Crown Point , and there for the next two m onthsthe y were bus i l y em ploy ed in extending and comp le tingfort ificati ons and barracks . The orders recorded rel a techiefl y to guard , fatigue duty , s ick ca l l , and rat ions—the

humdrum rout ine of ordinary camp l ife . There was , however , one vari at ion which to the soldier of toda y would bea nove l ty , thus set forth in spec ia l orders

S pruce Beer wil l be served out from Brewing , from 6 to 8 O ClockDaily wh ich is to be paid for as usual .

T he price of this arom at ic but no t too exhi larat ing b eve rage was one half-penny per quar t , and i ts u se throughoutthe arm y was greatl y favored for i ts supposed tonic value .

I t could not a l levia te hom es icknes s , however , and the pa tr iot ic yeom anr y , now that the purpose of thei r en l istm en twas accom pl ished , cou ld see no n eed for thei r further detention i n the western wi lderness . A grum b l ing disconten tbecam e epidem ic , and a few left for hom e wi thou t leave .

In Novem be r the ve teran Co lone ls Wi l lard and Whi tcom bm arched thei r regim ents through the woods across Verm on t to Charl estown Num b er Four , and thence to Luncaster , where the y arrived about Decem be r 1 . The jub ilat ionat thei r return we must im agine , for no goss i p of the periodhas preserved an y note s of the jo y ous even t for us . Morethan a m onth b efore , how eve r , the m ini ste rs from thei r pu lpits had voiced the unive rsa l j o y of victory , and these aresom e o f the utterances he ard i n Lancaste r :

Could we have though t , some years S ince , that we should at this Time ,

have celebrated a Thanksgiving for the en tire Reduction of Canada , the


compleat Conques t of the Coun try of our ancien t , inveterate and res tlessenem ies ? the S ource of mos t of our Wars and Troubles with the Natives ,

and the perpetual Impedimen t to our S et tlemen ts and the I n largemen t of

our Terri tories ? the O ccas ion of so much Bloodshed . M urder . M as sacre ,

Grief for butchered captivated Re latives . Impover i shmen t of Fam il ies ,

Desolation O f Towns , Fears , Alarm s , and end less E xpence and Damage ?

T he war with us has las ted s ix years ; Three of them Years of

Prosperity and Plen ty ; and three of them Years of Rebuke , M isfortuneand Drough t . O ur late decis ive Victories and val uable Acquis itions have no t been pu rchased wi th a S ong . though they occasion J oy and

S inging . They have been O btained at the E xpence of much Blood and

Treasure . Many a precious Life has been sacrificed to these gloriousA tchievemen ts . Brave Generals and noble Lords , accompl ished O fficers ,

and great numbers of fine sold i ers , have laid down their Lives . Many ofthe Bri tish Troops and Provincial Vo lunteers have fal len in Bat tle ,

and

died in the Bed of Honour . Many who could not be otherwise conqu eredhave been overcome by Disease and expired in fatal Hospi tals . What yearcan be men tioned that has not s ifted out some of the Flower of our Towns ,and thinned our rel igious As semblies ? H er e a fathe r has S acrificed a son

ther e ano ther h is Firs t-born one mourns the Loss of a Father, another aBro ther . and the vei led l/Vidows cloathed in S ackclo th , have come forth ina yearly success ion .

[R evd . John M e llen s S e rmon,O ctober 9 ,

1 7 6 0 ]

In the appendix to his serm on , Mr . Me l len records thenam e s of n ine teen m en b e longing to his pari sh who los tthei r l i ves during the war . These wi l l b e found scatteredthrough previous pages i n thei r prope r comm and s , but thel ist , which it would seem was i ntended to b e arranged inthe order of the so ldiers ’ death s , wi l l be given wi th the ad

dition of da te s

S amuel Fairbanks , kil led S ept . 8 , 1 7 55 . Will iam Brabrook , miss ing 1 7 5 8

Will iam Fairbanks , Ebenezer Bige low , d i edI saac Kendal l , S ergt . Jacob S mi th ,I thamar Benne tt , Jonathan Geary , died S eptL t .HezekiahWhi tcomb , died , 1 7 5 5 Ph il ip Geno , diedJohn Wh i tcomb , Reuben Walker,Jacob G lazier , S tephen Kendal l ,S imon Kendal l , 1 7 58 . George Bush , J r .

,

John Farrar, 1 7 56 . Joseph S teward ,Jeremiah Dickenson , drowned Aug . 1 4 ,

Unfor tunatel y , no s im i lar contem porar y s tatem ent of theloss in the F i rst parish exists . The fol lowing l ist , doub t


l e ss a ver y imperfect one , contains all deaths found anywhere recorded

O liver O sgood , killed S eptember 8 , 1 7 55John Rugg ,Joseph Robbins , Jr .Jos iah Prat t , J r . ,

Ph ineas Randal l ,Peter Kendal l ,David Atherton , died M ay 2 ,

Col . S amuel Willard , died O ctober,S ergt . James Hough ton , died O ct . 2 1 ,

Wil l iam Hudson , kil led in Acadia,

Andrew Goodfry, died 1 7 56 .

John Larkin ,1 7 58 .

S amuel Woods , killed 1 7 59 .

S ergt . Josiah Pren tice, died 1 76 0 .

The two y ears that fol lowed before the treaty of Parisconfirm ed to Eng land the fruits of the conquest of Canada ,were y ears of peace to the colonies , but the for ts at Hal ifaxand Crown Poin t were garrisoned b y New England m en .

Those of Lancaster servi ng on the weste rn fronti e r i n 1 76 1

and 1 76 2 , under Co lonel Richard S al stons tal l , were

Joseph Bixby , Abner H ibera, Timothy Powers ,Josiah Brown , Dole Johnson , Benjam in Pries t ,Nathaniel Gates , drummer , Joshua Johnson , Richard Prouty , J r . ,

S tephen Gates , S imeon Johnson , Benjamin S paulding ,George Hadley , Aaron Kilburn , David S timpson ,

John Hadley , Isaac Kilburn , John S ulandine ,John Had ley , J r . , Mat th ias Larkin , O liver Wi lder, J r . ,

Jerem iah Haskel l , Jonathan Lawrence , Jacob Winn ,

Henry Wyman .

O f Bol ton were

Thomas Barney , Joseph Prat t , Josiah Wood .

Ephraim Butler, Ezekiel S now,

O f Harvard were

James Burt , S amuel Fellows , Ephraim S tone ,

S ilas Corey , Jacob Harris ‘

, Paul Willard,

Thomas Daby , Uriah Hol t , Abijah Wors ter,Abel Farnsworth , James Reed , S amue l Wors ter ,

Thomas Wright .


O f Leom inster

Jedediah Cooper, Edward Joyner, Ab ijah S mith ,Joshua Johnson , John Rowe , A sa S m ith ,

Elijah Wheelock .

A t Hal ifax , with Captains James Reed and EdmundLawrence , were of Lancaster

Jos iah Brown , Thomas Henderson , Jonas Pol lard ,Jonas Carter, Joseph Jewet t , Wil l iam S wan ,

David Dufore , Dan iel Johnson , Elijah Woods ,L evi Divoll , Ephraim Moore , Abijah Wyman

,

Isaac Eveleth , Abner O sgood , Jasher Wyman .

O f Harvard were

Abijah Cole , S tephen Gates , J r . , Paul Wil lard .

S tephen Gates , John Harper ,[M assachusetts Archives

,XCIX .]

The second regim ent of m i l iti a i n Worceste r coun ty ,known as the Lancaster Regim ent , at this period was or

gan ized as follows

Joseph,

Wilder, E sq . , C0 10

. and Capt . of the firs t company in the Town of

Lancas ter .Peter Atherton , E sq .

, Lt . C0 10 and Capt . of the firs t company in the Townof Harvard .

John Carter , Major& Capt . of second company in the Town of Lancas ter.

L ancaster Co . L ancaster 2 417. Co .

James Wilder, capt .-l i eut . Elisha S awyer , 1 s t l ieut .

John White , 2 0! lieut . Elijah Hough ton , 2d l ieut .

Joseph Wh i te , ens ign . Til ley Moore , ensign .

L ancaster 34

. Co. L ancaster T r oop .

Caleb Wilder, capt . Hezekiah Gates , capt .

N athll S awyer, l i eut . Nath‘. Wil lson , l i eut .

Jos iah Bal lard , ensign . Jona. Wilder, cor net .

James Carter, quar termaster

L unenburg I I‘t Co. L unenburg 2 4 . Co .

Benjamin Goodridge , capt . Jonathan Wood , capt .

George Kemball , 1 st l i'

eut . Josiah Bailey , lieut .

David Goodridge , 2d lieut . John Buss , ensign .

Joseph Hartwell , ens ign .


H arvard Co .

Joseph Fairbank , J r ., capt . l ieut .

Benjam in S tow , l i e/ i t .

Peter Atherton , J r . , ens ign .

Bolton Co .

S amuel Baker , capt .

O l iver Barret t , l i eut .

Wil liam Wilder, ens ign .

l/Vestm in ster Co .

Nicho las Dike , capt . Moses Wilder,Benja Butterfield , l ieut . A ay

'

utan t ,

John Woodward . ens ign .

[M assachusetts A rch ives,XCV I I I ,]

In 1 76 6 , John Carte r had becom e colone l O f the regi

m en t ; Cal eb W i lder was l ieutenan t-co lonel , and J am e sW i lder and Levi W i l lard , m ajors . A F i tchburg compan y

had b een added . and in 1 76 7 , a second Bo l ton , a secondLeom ins ter and a fourth Lancaste r com pan y appear . I n

1 7 7 1 , Caleb Wi lde r was colone l Levi Wi ll a rd,l ieutenan tcolone l ; Jam es Richardson and Gardner Wilder , m ajors .

The regim en t at tha t time consisted of s ixteen infantr y

com pan ie s and two troops . as fol low : Lancaste r , four

com panie s ; Lunenburg , two ; Harvard , two Bo l ton , twoLeom ins te r , two We s tm inster , two F itchburg , one A sh

burnham , on e . The first troop was from Lancaste r , Harvard and Bol ton ; the second from Lunenburg , Leom in s terand F itchburg .

The Lancaste r companie s were ofli cered thus i n 1 77 1

Company .

Nathan iel Wh ite , capt . S amuel Ward , capt .

Will iam Phelps , l i eut . Ephraim Carter, l ieut .

Hooker O sgood , ens ign . Moses S m i th , 2d . l ieu t .Ph ineas Hough ton , ensign .

Ephraim Wilder , capt .

S amuel Pren tice , heat . Dan ie l Robbins , capt .

Thomas Gary , J r . , 261 l ieut . Enoch Gerrish , l ieut .

Jona . O sgood , ens ign . A sa Wilder, ensign .

H arvard 2a' C0 .

Ph ineas Fairbank . capt .

J erem . Laugh ton , l ieut .

Jason Russel l , ens ign .

L eom i n ster Co .

Benjamin Wh itcomb , capt .

Jona“ . Carter, l ieut .

O l iver Hale , ens ign .

I V .

T HE WAR F O R I NDEPENDENCE .

I . FRO M TO WN-MEET ING T O CO NT INENTAL CO NGRES S .

T he voice of O tis and of Adams in Faneuil Hal l , found its ful l andtrue echo in the l it tle councils of the in terior towns : and , if with in the

Cont i nen tal Congress patriotism shone more conspicuous ly , i t did not

there exis t more truly , nor burn more ferven tly ; i t did not render the daymore anxious , nor the n igh t more s leepless ; i t sen t up no more arden tprayer to God for succor ; and i t put forth in no greater degree the fulnessof i ts effort , and the energy of i ts whole sou l and spirit , in the common

cause , than i t d id in the smal l as sembl ies of the towns .

”

[Daniel Webster,in the M assachusetts Convention of

The pas tor of the second parish in Lancaster , Joh nMel len , pri nted a sermon ,

“ preached Octobe r 9 , 1 76 0 ,

on the Gene ra l Thanksgiving for the Reducti on of Montreal and To tal Conquest of Canada ,

” i n wh ich he rapturously predicts the glorious future awaiting the Engl ishcolonies forever re l i eved from the m achinat ions of papistsand the terrors of French i n va s i on . He estim ates the population O f these co lonies at that t im e to b e one m i l l ion ,and foresees that , b y the ordinary rate I f i ncre ase , onecentur y and a half wi l l peopl e the B ri tish Empi re in Am erica wi th upwards of S ixty Mil l ion Souls . This Vis io n of

one wiser than m os t of his generation is now m ore thanreal i zed . But even his cle ar prophetic s igh t prob ab l ycaugh t no gl im pse of the great po l it ical changes that hingedupon the expul s i on of the Bourbons from Canada ; norcould he have dream ed that the long struggl e then justclosed was but the fi rst ac t of a revolu tion which was to

b i nd thirteen weak and j e alous colonies , widel y separated

THE WAR F O R INDEPENDENCE . 9 1

not m ore b y distance than b y h istoric and re l igious s ympa

thies , into a stab le , i ndependent repub l ic , soon to b ecom ethe m igh ti est i n the history of governm ents .

New Engl and , in l avish l y expending b lood and treasure ,ostens ib l y for the aggrandizement of George II , was edu

cat ing herself i n warl ike arts and sel f re l i ance to throw O ff,

when the tim es grew ripe , all al legiance to kings ; and themore southern provinces , espec i al l y Vi rgini a , were fitting

themselves to fol low . Massachuse tts had alway s led i n thecon test . One m an out of her every four ab le for service

was kept i n the ranks of the provinci al regim ents , equ ipped ,fed and paid from the coloni al treasur y . When in 1 76 0

the Crown re-imbursed the colonies i n the sum of two hun

dred thousand pounds , allotting each a share propor tionateto its con tribut ions for the common cause , three-ten ths fel lto Massachusetts . Lancaster had not b een behind her sister towns i n sacrifice .

The distracted coun try was stained a long its i n land borders , from the r iver Ohio to Nova Scoti a , with the b lood of

helpless wom en and children , as wel l as b rave men , sav

agely s lain . Peace had com e at last ; pl enteous harvestshad been gathered from the rich soi l , and safel y housed .

Wi th reason the hearts of al l throughout the land went upin thanksgiving . But b e low the surface of joy ous calmslept the elem ents of a greater explos ion of popul ar wil lthan an y yet seen upon this continent , waiting onl y the excuse of som e petty tax , som e nagging encroachm ents uponchartered privi lege , to begin a new chapter in the histor yof m ankind . Unt il the occas ion shou ld arrive , the i nspi redleader was waiting read y . He had passed through the

stern preparatory lessons for his heaven-appoin ted task inthe wi lds of Pennsy lvania and V i rgini a . In every townw ere m en cl ad in homespun and busy in shop , at trade , oron the farm , who had led regim ents or comm anded com

pan ies under Winslow , Loudoun , Ab ercromb i e , and A mherst . Few of these but had rankl ing memories of super


ci l ious insolence rece ived from the gorgeousl y accoutre d

ofli cers of the ro y a l troops ,—whose contemptuous assumpt ion of superiority was rare l y b ased upon cam paign expe

r ience or pe rsonal worth . but begot of insul ar pride , fosteredb y m art ine t disc i pl ine , and supported b y parl i am entar yregul ations which ranked the king ’

s above the provinc i al

comm iss ion , regardless of precedence i n date .

Am ong other causes of disaffect ion in Massachuse ttswas the hereditar y rage of Puritanism against pre lac y .

which , though soon hidden from s ight i n the smoke of

actual confl ict , was none the l ess pervas ive and powerful .

But in this the y eom anr y had becom e m ore radical thanthe cl ergy . A schism i n the l i ttle Bol ton church grew ,

during 1 7 74 , in to a controvers y so b itter that i t ser iousl yshook the pulpi ts i n all the neighboring parishes . This ,widel y known as the Goss and Wal le y war , final l y turnedupon the quest ion of the churches ’ independence of c l erical counci ls . The m in i ste rs were united under the leader

ship of Reverend Z abd ie l Adam s . who won the sob riquet ," B ishop of Lunenburg ;

” while it is noteworth y that themost prom inent among thei r opponen ts were the men soonto b ecome the m i l i tar y and legis lat ive le aders of the com

muni ty i n pol it ical reb el l ion—the Whitcomb s , Fairbankand D r . Dunsmoor .

Little more than four m onths had passed s ince the thanksgiving day , on which , from hundreds of pulpi ts , there hadi ssued a flood of lo y al declam ati on adulator y of

“his gra

cious m aj esty King George I I ,” when Jam es Otis , advocat

i ng the peop les ’ privi lege , i nveighed w i th fier y e loquencei n open court agains t the arb i trary and restrict ive comm ercial po l icy adopted b y the m i n is try of George II I . Andspeedi l y , l ike an echo of the bold utterances of O tis , therecam e from aristocratic V i rgin i a the voice of the plebei anl awyer , Patrick Henry , proclaim ing that even the divineright of an anoin ted king is naught if not used sole ly forthe good and b y the consent of the governed .

THE WAR F O R INDEPENDENCE . 93

The S tamp A ct struck l ike a s tunning b low , and lo y al ty

seem ed to m an y no longer compa ti b le wi th patrio tism .

Hastened b y the heat of just wrath , remonstrance scorned

was fast ripening i nto revol t . Y et revol t against so power

ful an O ppressor , however wel l justified . seemed to the

sob er-m inded hope less ; and hopel ess i t was wi thout unan

im ity , long and secret preparation , and external aid . Therepeal of the stamp act avai led to qu i et the other coloni es ,but not Massachusetts . Here the pub l ic heart was fired

w i th patriotic frenz y , and would not b e restrained . An ysuggestion of a tem poriz ing pol icy m et wi th con temp t .Liberty po les were raised in eve r y vi l lage . A t ever y newattem pt to enforce roy al prerogative the spi ri t of re s istancebecam e more ou tspoken and determ ined , and the m ateri alsof revolution , ever ywhere abundant , b egan to flam e . Pur

itan i sm person ified i n Samuel Adam s , recognized the exi

gency and shrewd l y organ i zed reb e l l ion b y inspi ring the

Comm ittee s of Correspondence with courage and en thusi

asm . The newspaper sudden l y rose to great pol i ticalpower in the l and . The Massachusetts town-m eetingb ecam e at length the arena where were rehearsed the dram atic scenes soon to b e enacted by the various provinc i alcongresses . In the town-m eeting , the Vi l lage orator foundand improved his opportunity ; the local dem agogue andradical sti rred the pass ions of the peop le ; but the old m en ,

the captains and colonel s scarred in conquest of Canada ,del ay ed rash acti on b y thei r conservat ive counse l , weightywith the teachings of experience . Am ong the m ost honorable pages i n the records of Lancaster , is that uponwhich are engrossed the l i berty-b reathing resolutionspassed in town-m eeting the fi rst m onth of 1 7 73 ; resolutions bo ldl y protesting against the attempted encro achm entsof the Crown upon the constitut ional freedom of the Province , an d dem anding

“ radical redress of g r ievances ; res

olutions antic ip ating i n nobl y s imple phrase , b y three andone-half y ears , the grandest sen t im ents of the Declarationof Independence .


A war rant for a T own meet ing yefir st wednesday of 7 an . 1 7 73 .

WORCESTER,5 5 . T o the freeholders and other Inhabitan ts of the town of

Lancas ter legally qual ified to vo te in town affaiers , GreetingI n his majes tie’s name you are hereby requierd to meet at the meeting

house in the second precinc t in L ancas ter on the firs t wednesday in January Nex t at T en of the C lock in the forenoon then and there to act on the

Fo l low ing articles vizI IY . T o Chuse a moderator for the govermen t of sd . meeting .

2dly

. T o take in to cons ideration the Dangerous condition of our Publ ick affaiers in Pert icular the I ndependancy of our S uperiour Judges and

take such measures as shall then be though t proper .

T o chuse a Commi ttee to Draw up our greveances and Infringemen ts upon our Liberties and to L ay them before the Town when the Townshal l so order .

T o cons ider and act upon the Reques t from Bos ton Commi t tee .

T o give to our Represen tative such Ins tructions as the Townshal l th ink proper Relative to our Priveledges .

T o Chuse a Commit tee to return an answer to Bos ton Commi tteeand to correspond wi th aney o ther Comm it tee R elateing to our priveledge

and to Inform the Town of their Transac tions from time to time .

T o act and do any thing that the Town shall see proper to withs tand the Preasen t Progress of our Enem ies in I ndevering to take awayour Priveledges .

Dated at Lancas ter Decembr 2 2d 1 7 7 2 , and in the Thirteen th Year ofhis majes tie’s Reign .

By order of the selectmen .

E n tred by DAN IEL ROBB INS , T own Clerk .

A t the m eeting thus summoned , Deacon O l ive r Moorewas chosen moderator , and a comm ittee of seven , e lec tedunder article third , cons is ting of DoctorWi ll i am Dunsmoor ,John Presco tt , Aaron Sawy er , Jos i ah Kendal l , JosephWhi te , Nathanie l Wym an and Eb enezer Allen , were i hstructed to repor t on Tuesda y , the nineteenth of January ,

to which date the meet ing was adjourned . I t i s worth y of

note that the fi rst thre e n am ed upon this comm ittee cou ld

cl aim i nhe ritance of the b lood of John Presco tt , the founder of Lancaster , and the y proved them selves inheri tors of

h is b rave , i ndependent spi ri t . On the appo inted da y , the

town , at the m eet ing-house in the first prec inct , vo ted tohear the report of the comm i ttee , to report the town

’

s doings

ACT ION IN TOWN-MEET ING . 95

to the Boston comm ittee , and to i nstruct thei r representat ive

at General Court . Bo th resolves and instruct ions werepub l ished in the Boston Gazette for M ay 1 7 , 1 7 73

A t a legal M eeting of the F r eeholder s and other I nhabi tan ts of the T own

of L ancaster , by A dj ournment .

T he Comm i ttee appoin ted by the Town to take in to Consideration theS tate of publick Affairs beg leave to report the following Resolves andIns tructions

1 . R esolved ,That th is and every o ther Town in this Prov ince have

an undoubted Righ t to meet together and consul t upon all Matters in teres ting to them when and so often as they shal l judge fi t ; and i t is moreespecially their Duty so to do when any I nfringmen t is made upon theirCivil or Rel igious Liberties .

2 . R esolved , That the rais ing a Revenue in the Colonies wi thout theirConsen t , ei ther by themse lves or their Represen tatives , is an I nfringmen t

of that Righ t wh ich every Freeman has to dispose of his own Property .

3 . R esolved , That the gran ting a S alary to his Excel lency the Governor of this Province out of the Revenue uncons ti tutionally raised fromus is an Innovation of a very alarming T endancy .

4 . R esolved , That i t is of the highes t Importance to the securi ty ofLiberty , Life and Property that the publick Admin is tration of Jus tice shouldbe pure and impartial , and that the Judge should be free from every Bias ,either in Favour of the Crown or the S ubject .

5 . R esolved , That the absolute Dependancy of the Judges of the

S uperior Court of th is Province upon the Crown for their support , wouldif i t S hould ever take Place have the s tronges t T endancy to bias the M indsof the Judges , and would weaken our Confidence in them .

6 . R esolved ,That the Ex tens ion of the Power of the Court of Vice

Admiral ty to i ts presen t enormous Degree is a great Grievance and de

prives the S ubject in many Ins tances of that noble Privelege of Englishmen , Trials by Juries .

7 . R esolved , That the Proceedings of th is Town be transmi tted tothe Town of Bos ton .

DR . W ILL IAM DUNSMOOR ,JO HN PRESCOTT ,JOS IAH KENDALL , Comm i t t e

EBENEZ ER ALLEN ,NATHAN IEL WYM AN , Gr ievances ,

JOSEPH WHITE ,

AARON SAWYER ,Attes t DAN IEL ROBB INS , T own Clerk .

T o Captain A sa Whitcomb.

S IR : A s you are chosen to represen t this Town in the General A s


sembly of th is Province . we take th is O pportuni ty of informing you of our

S en timen ts relative to the unhappy S tate of our publick Affairs : Y ou wi llperceive by the Resolves which are herewi th sen t to you , the Ligh t inwh ich we View the encroachments made upon our Cons ti tu tional Freedomparticularly you wil l observe our serious O pinion of a Dependancy of theJudges of the S uperior Court on the Crown for their S upport . That theyare already so dependant , or that i t is in Con templation to render them so ,

we have great Reason to fear . Also an A ct passed in the late S ess ion of

the British Parliamen t enti tled A n A ct for the better preserving his Majesty

’s Dock-Yards &c . , does in a mos t essential Manner infringe the Righ ts

and Liberties of the Colon ies , as i t puts it in the Power of any wickedTool of Admin is tration , ei ther from Mal ice or Pol icy , to take any I nhabi

tan t from the Colon ies and carry him to Great Bri tain , there to be tried ;which , by the E xpence and long Deten tion from his O ccupation , would bethe Des truction of almos t any M an among us , al tho’ his Innocence m igh tfinally appear in the Cleares t Manner ; and further the late Commissionsfor taking Persons in our S is ter Co lony , Rhode-Is land , and sending themto Great Britain there to be tried upon S uspicion of being concerned inburn ing his Majes ty’s S chooner Gaspee ,

is an Invas ion of the Righ ts ofthe Colonies , and Ough t to excite the Atten tion of the whole Con tinen t .We expect that you wil l use your utmos t Efforts this S ession of our Gen

eral Assembly to obtain a Radical Redress of our Grievances , and we w ishyou S uccess in your Endeavours , and which we cannot but flatter ourselves from the late happy Change in the American Departmen ts , you wil lmeet wi th . We confide in your Abili ty and Firmness in all Matters whichmay come before the General Court , assuring you of the S upport of th isTown in al l your legal Proceedings , and earnes t ly praying that the greatGovernor of the World may direct and bless you in al l your Ways .

Attes t DAN IEL ROBB INS , T own Clerk .

O ther town-m eet ings , fo l lowing in quick success ion ,were cal led al ternate l y at the m ee ti ng-houses of the two

parishes , which were over five m iles apart . Captain Hezek iah Gates general l y acted as m oderator . The warran tfor a town-m eeting on Monda y , September 5 th , 1 7 74 , con

tained these articles

T o see if the Town w il l do any th ing towards the Rel ief ofthe suffering Poor of the Town of Bos ton occationed by a Late A ct of Parl imen t for Blockeing up the Port of said Town or to A ct or Transact anyth ing R elateing thereto .

T o see if the town will come into any agreemen t for non-Importation non-Exportation of Goods to or from Great Britain or to act or

Transact any thing R elateing thereto .


day the nineteen th of Sep tembe r , and at this adjournedm ee ting

2d

. Voted , That there be O ne Hundred men Raised as Volunteers to be Ready at a m inutes Warn ing to Turn out upon any Emergency ,and that they be Formed in to T wo Companys Choose their own officers .

3d

. Voted , that the said vol un teers shal l be Reasonably paid by theTown for any services they may do us in defending our Libertys Previ ledges .

4th

. Vo ted , that Doctr . Wm. Dunsmoor be Impower

d. to Enl is t 50

men in the old Parish to serve as Volun teers .

58 1

, Voted that Capt . A sa Wh i tcomb be I mpowerd . to Enlis t 50 menin the S econd Parish to serve as Vo lun teers .

6 11 . Vo ted to Buy one field peice for the use of the Town .

7ih

. Vo ted that the Gen tlemen Comm it tee of Correspondence for th isTown be a Comm i t tee to Purchase the said Field Gun .

A t a m eeting held b y adjournm ent , Wednesday , Septemb er 28

2d

. Voted to choose one man for the Proposed Provencial Conven tion to be held at Concord on the second Tuesday of O ctober nex t .

3d

. Vo ted . chose DoctrW1m Dunsmore for the Proposed ProvencialConvention to be held at Concord on y8 Tuesday of O ctober nex t .4i h

. Vo ted , that notwithstanding the Town Passed a vo te at their Las tmeeting to buy one field piece , yet if the comm i ttee appoin ted for thatPurpose thinks fi t they may buy T wo 2 Pounders in place thereof.

Lancaster was represented in th is first Provinci al Conven tion b y Captain A sa Whi tcom b and Doctor Wi l l i amDunsmoor ; Leom inste r , by Thom as L egato , E sq . , andIsrae l N ichol s ; Bol ton , b y Captain Samuel Baker andEphraim Fai rb anks Harvard , b y Reverend JosephWhee ler . I t was the last nam ed who , Oc tobe r 25 , presented i nthe convent ion a l ette r sugges ting that whi le the y wereattempt ing to save them selves from sl aver y , the y should“ a lso take into cons ideration the s tate and c i rcum stancesof the Negro S lave s in this Province .

”

LANCASTER , December 1 2 , 1 7 74 . A t a meeting of the Freeholderso ther Inhabitants of the town of Lancas ter by adjournmen t , the Meetingbeing O pened , Passed the Following Votes , vizVo ted , to choose a Commi t tee of 3 Persons to Draw up an Association

League Covenan t for Nonconsumption of Goods , &c . , for the I nhabi

tants to S ign .

ACT ION IN TO WN—MEET ING. 99

Voted , Chose Door . Wm. Dunsmoor , Capt . Hezh Gates Capt . A sa

Wh i tcomb a Commi ttee for the above purposeLANCASTER , O ctober 1 8m, 1 7 74 . A t a meet ing of the F reeholder s

by aaj‘

our nment .

Voted , to chuse a Commit tee to Reckon with the Cons tables and Col

lectors of Taxes and see what moneys they have in their hands and to

Direct them not to pay out any Publ ic moneys out of their hands w ithou tthe Town ’s order, and make Report to the Town of their Proceed ings as

soon as may be , and that Mese . Doctr . Jos iah Wilder, Aaron S awyerEphraim S awyer be a Commi t tee for the above Purpose .

T he Commi ttee appoin ted to Purchase F ield Peices , Reported to theTown that they had Purchased T wo 4 Pounders for Eigh t pounds , therefore voted to accept of what they had done in that Respect .Voted , to buy 5 hundred wt . of Bal l sui table for ye Field Peices .

Voted , to buy 3 hundred wt . of Grape S ho t t .Vo ted , that Mese . Aaron S awyer Ephraim S awyer be empowerd to

Receive the money due from the Town of Brook l ine to Pay for the fie ldPe ices , Ball Grape S hot t .Voted , that one Field Peice shal l be Kept in the old Parish the o ther

in the new Parish , and the Grape S hott Ball to be kept in the same

manner .LANCASTER , O ctober 3 1 , 1 7 74Voted to choose a Comm it tee to R eceve the Province Coun ty mon

eys from the several cons tables and to give the said cons tables Propperdischarges for the same so that they may be Indem nified from any demandsthat may be made on them hereafter by the Province Treasurer or Coun tyTreasurer .Voted and chose Messrs . Aaron S awyer , Ephraim S awyer Doctr .

Josiah Wilder a comm it tee for the above purpose , and they are herebydirected to Pay the said moneys as fas t as they may R eceve them to HenryGardner E sqr . of S tow , Receiver General .Vo ted that the above Comm i ttee be E mpower’d also to R eceve the

moneys Likew ise of the several Cons tables wh ich is Granted by the General Court now to be assessed , Pay the same to Hen ry Gardner Esql

‘

.

Voted to choose a Commi ttee to Pos t up all such Persons as con tinueto buy sel l or consume any Eas t Ind ia Teas , in some Public Place in Town ,

and that Doctr . Jos iah Wilder, Ephraim S awyer Aaron S awyer be a

Commi t tee for the above Purpose .

Voted to build T wo Carriages suitable for the Field Peices , thatDeacon O l iver Moor Aaron S awyer build one Carriage , and that El ishaWh i te Joel Phelps build the o ther Carriage .

LANCASTER , January 2d . 1 77 5

Vo ted to Choose a Comm i ttee to receive S ubscriptions Donations

1 00 ANNALS O F LANCAS TER .

for the S uffering Poor of the Town of Bos ton occat ioned by the Late Boston Port Bil l .

Voted Chose Doc”. Dunsmore , Deacon David Wilder , Ephraim Car

ter , Deacon A sa Wh i tcomb , Capt . Daniel Robbins Ephraim S awyer asa Commi t tee for the above Purpose .

Voted to Carry in the Donations to some one of the Comm it tee in a

Fortnigh t from th is day .

Voted to adopt abide by the spirit and sence of the Association of

the Late Con tinental Congress held at Ph iladelph ia.

Vo ted to Chose a Comm it tee to see that the said Association be keptobserved by the I nhabitants of said Town .

Voted , That the above Commit tee have no pay but do the Businessgrat is .

Voted Chose John Prescott , Capt . Gates , Deacon David Wilder,Ephraim Carter, Docf . Wilder, Doctr . Dunsmore , S amuel Thurs ton , E h

enezr

. Allen , Ephraim S awyer, Capt . A sa Whitcomb , Capt . Robbins ,Josiah Kendall J r . , Jone» . Fairbanks , David O sgood and Jonathan Wilderas a Commit tee for the above Purpose .

Vo ted Chose David O sgood as a Commi ttee man to Reckon wi ththe Cons tables Receive the moneys in the s tead of Aaron S awyerdeceasd .

Voted and Chose Lev i Moor Israel Moor as a Comm it tee to Compleat the Carriage for the Field Peice .

Vo ted Chose Capt . A sa Wh itcomb Docr

. Wm. Dunsmore to R ep

resen t the Town of Lancas ter in the said Provincial Congress to be heldat Cambridge on the 1 st day of Fchry . nex t

S A M . WAR D , T own Clerk .

Monday , March sixth , 1 7 7 5 .

Voted that the selectmen be a Comm i t tee to R eceve the Donations ofthe several gent’men of the Town to furnish the Poor of sd . town wi thgood arms for the use of said Town .

Voted the selectmen are Impowered to provide suitable Persons to use

the grate goonsDAN IEL ROBB INS , T own Clerk.

Third Monday of M ay, 1 77 5 .

Voted to Choose two men for the Provent ial Congress .

Voted and Chose Dea. Dav id Wilder Doc‘. Wm. Dunsmoor .

Voted to add two more men for Correspondancy for the Coun tyChose Dea . Thos . Fairbank Mr . Jonathan Wilder.Voted to Choose one man more Chose Docr Jos iah Wilder .Voted to recons ider th is meeting and Dismissed Deacon David Wilder

and Chose Dec . Thomas Fairbank as a member of Congress .

Monday , the seventeenth Day of July , 1 7 75 .

1 0 2 ANNALS O F LANCA S TER .

of the judges had refused to y ield to the au thority of the

Provinc i al Assem b l y , and retained his salary from the ro y altreasur y . This act of the jur ym en , in contempt of a courtwie lding almost unl im ited power to fine or imprison an yone disturb ing or ob structing i ts m andates , we l l i l lustratesthe tem per of the t ime s . Deacon Davi dWi lder of L an cas

ter was the forem an of this patriot ic jur y .

On Tuesda y , August 9 , 1 7 74 , a convent ion of the com

m ittees of correspondence and de legates of several towns ofWorcester county m et at the house of M rs . Mary S ternes ,i n Worces te r . Lancaster was there in repre sen ted b y Doc

tor W i l l i am Dunsmoor , Deacon David Wi ld'er , Mr . AaronSawy er , Captain Samuel Ward , Captain A sa Whi tcomb ,Captain Hezeki ah Ga tes , Mr . John Pre scott and Mr . Ephraim Sawy e r ; Harvard , b y Reverend Joseph Whee l er ;Bol ton , by Captain Samuel Baker and Lieutenant JonathanHolman ; Leom i nster had no de legate then present . Cap

tain S amuel Ward and Lieutenan t Jona than Holm an werem embers of the comm i ttee of ten who presented the patriot ic resolves which were passed b y the conven tion . A t the

adjou rned m ee ting of August 30 , convened at the courthouse , Captain Samuel Ward was elected one of a com

m i ttee of nine to present reso lut ions for the consideration

of the assemb l y . O n Septem be r 6 , the peop l e of the

county gathered upon Worces te r green to the num ber ofsix thousand , arm ed and under thei r m i l itar y leaders , read yto repe l , b y force if m ust b e , the B rit ish troops which Gagewas expected , and had proposed , to send to the protec tion

of the court and its roy a l ist offici al s . This dem onstration

of popular fee l ing had been foreshadowed in the d iscuss ions at the previous meeting of the de legates , and i t seem s

probab l e that the governor , knowing we l l the ce r tain ty ofa col l is ion , feared to carr y out his avowed i n tent ion . Thedel egates , m ee ting at the house of thei r Chai rm an , ad

journed to jo in the m ass convent ion on the green . A com

m ittee of three , Captai n A saWhi tcomb of Lancaster b eing

CO UNTY CO NVENT IO NS . 1 0 3

one , was chosen to wai t upon the justices and ob tain thei rs ign atures to the declaration al ready agreed to by the

judges . The forty-three protesting roy al is ts of Worceste rand the justices who had s igned the lo y al address to Governor Thom as Gage , were m arched between the paral lell ines of the arm ed assem b lage , thei r princip al s reading therecantat ion which they had s igned . O f these justices ,Joseph W i lder , Abe l Wi l lard and Ezra Houghton were ofLancaster . Captain Sam ue l Ward was the sam e daychosen chai rm an of a comm i ttee of nine , whose duty i twas m ade to arrange , with the he lp of the judges , m eansto prevent an y sta y in the cou rse of just ice . This dut ywas happi l y effected b y the acceptance of thei r report ,ofiered the fo l lowing day , retaining the services of suchoffic i als of the court as had not becom e too obnoxious tothe peopl e .

The convention of Septemb er 20 , 1 7 74 , was princ ipal l yengaged in organizat ion of the m i l iti a . Seven Worcester

county regim ents were estab l ished , the thi rd or Lancasterregiment to i nclude the com panies of Lancaste r , Bo l ton ,Harvard , Leom inster , Lunenburg , Fi tchburg , Ashburnhamand Westm i nster . A l l comm iss ions then in force were tohe res igned , and new e lect ions of l ine officers to take p laceat once . The com pan y officers chosen were to elect thefield O fficers . Many sub sequent m ee tings of the de legateswere he ld , but thei r records are b rief during 1 7 75 . Doc

tor Wi l l i am Dunsmoor of Lancas ter appears prom inen tl yas a leader in affai rs , hi s pronounced radica l views sui ti ngbetter the hot temper of the t im es than did the more prudent counsel s of his astute ne ighbor , Captain Samue lWard .

The recorded act ion of the delegates does not espec i all yconcern our local histor y .

The nature of the provocat ions that were fast seve ringthe co lonies from the m other-land are not alone Vis ib l e inthe grave protests against m in isteri al encroachm ent uponcharter rights , m ade b y town-m eeting and popul ar convem


tion . Outcri es of indignation from cl asses and ind ivi dualsare scattered through the diaries and prin ted j ournal s ofthe day . On Septemb er 8 , 1 7 74 , the b lacksm i ths of Worcester county met at the county S eat , and adjourned to

Novem b er 8 , when the y m ade declaration of thei r princ ipl es , in a series of reso lutions which were pub l ished in

the papers of the period . The y pl edged them se lve s to dono l abor which could directl y or ind i rec tl y b e held to aidor coun tenance an y person whom the y es teem ed “ enem i esto their coun try common l y known b y the nam e tories ,

”or

those “that shal l not s tr ictl y conform to the affil i ation or cov

en an t agreed upon and s igned b y the Con ti nental Congressl atel y convened at Phi lade lphi a . O f the forty-three sons

of Vulcan whose nam es are appended to the docum en twere Samuel Sawy er , J r . , Mark Heard , Eb eneze r Be lknap and Seth Heywood of Lancaster ; Job Spofford andJonathan White of Leom inster ; Thaddeus and John Pollard , and Samuel Jones of Harvard and Bol ton .

In the Boston Even ing Post for Monday , August 1 5 ,1 774 , may b e found the fol lowing notice , s igned b y a promincut i nnholder of Lancaster

T he subscriber finding that he could get no S atisfaction in a legalWay ,

takes the Freedom to acquaint the Publick w ith the Treatment that hemet w i th at the Bos ton Neck Guard , by the O fficer of the Guard , Lieut .

Wil lm Cochran of the 23d Regiment , and he does i t the rather on account

of the many Insul ts , Abuses and Wrongs that he unders tands have beendaily offered to others . O n the 1 2 th of this Ins tan t , driving his Waggonout of Town , wh ich was not loaded wi th any Con traband Goods , he was ,Contrary to L aw

,s topped and detained by the above officer near two

Hours w ith his Waggon , pu tting him under Guard , us ing him w ith roughand O fficer l ike Language , not suffering him to go out to give anythingto his Cat tle , some of the S oldiers at the same time taking a cag of R um

out of his Cart , which he was obliged to consen t to their doing , after theyhad propos

’d i t , to preven t greater Abuse and Vl rong &c . A nd when set

at Liberty by the O fficer of the Guard , demanding satisfaction for thiscruel Treatmen t , al l the satisfaction that I could get was , that if I did not

go abou t my Bus iness he would put me under Guard again .

Attes t , JONAS WYM AN , of L ancaster .

BOSTON , 1 3 August , 1 7 74 .

1 0 6 ANNALS O F LANCA STER .

notwi thstanding a m andate from the crown and the pers ist

en t d ictat ion of the ro y al governor— to resc ind the action

of the previous legislative sess ion , b y authori ty of whicha c i rcular l etter touching the sovereign’s encroachm ents

upon colonial r ights had b een sen t to the o ther provinc i al

assem b l ies i n Am erica . Both Whitcomb s had l arge farm s ,

were deacons i n thei r prec incts , and greatl y respected for

thei r ab il ity and prob ity . The y had b een left orphans at

a tender age , and upon thei r attaini ng m anhood the courthad ass igned to John the ancestral estate i n the easterl ypart of Bol ton , and to A sa l ands upon Wickapeket B rook ,

i n the west prec inct of Lancaster , now S terl ing . Uponthese the y res ided in 1 7 75 .

The “m inute m en

”at th is date differed l i ttl e from other

troops ; for the whol e adult m al e popul ation were arm edand i n traini ng for strife . The “ alarm l ist ” emb raced al l

able-bodied m en b e tween the ages of s ixt y-five and six

teen , save the few exempted b ecause of profess ion o r offic ial pos i tion . The “

training bands ,”as the m il i ti a com

pan ies were cal led , i nc luded al l m ales b etween fifty ands ixteen years of age , wi th the sam e exempts . The m in

ute m en”com posed about one-third of the m i l it i a , be ing

those se lected for their ski ll i n the use of arm s , exerc isedand equipped for acti ve service at short not ice . Thesed ist inct ions disappeared earl y i n the war . A regimen t atfirst was nom inal l y ten companies of one hundred m en ,

but the com plement varied in different states and from t im eto t im e . In the eight m on ths ’ se rvice of 1 7 75 , the com pan ycom pl em ent in Massachusetts was fifty

-nine privates , twomus ic ians , four corporal s , four sergean ts , one ens ign , al i eutenant and captain ; and the regiment was composed of

ten companies . The continental regim ent was final l y es

tablished to i nc lude e ight companies of ninety m en each .

Every soldie r at first was expected to b e ful l y arm ed andaccoutred at his own expen se , un l ess too poor to provideh is own equ i pm en ts , when the town was enjoined to suppl y

THE LEX INGTO N ALARM . 1 0 7

him . He was requ i red to carry (b es i des his gun , b ay onet ,b l anket and knapsack) a cutting sword or hatchet , a j ackknife , six flin ts , forty bu llets , one hundred buck-shot , apowder-horn and powder , som e tow for wadding , and awooden canteen holding a quart . Both powder and l eadwere scarce , and earl y i n the war the housewife ’s pewte rplatters , and even l eaden sash , were not se ldom m e l teddown in the hom e m anufacture of musket-bal ls .

The dress of the soldier was h is ordinar y hom espungarb . Even the offi cers rarel y h ad a d istingu ishing un i

form or arm s b y which they could be known , unti l Washington requi red them to wear cockade s i n thei r h ats . F i eldofficers wore red cockades , c aptains y el low , and sub alternsgreen ; sergeants had a red stripe , and corporal s a greenone , upon the righ t shoulder . I t must b e added , m oreover ,that the fa shions of the day perm itted much vari ety of

shape and co lor in m ascul ine atti re . This i s best seen fromthe personal description of deserters pub l ished in the weekly papers dur ing the si ege of Boston . Reading them , onei s i ncl ined to exclaim , parody ing the m el anchol y Jacques ,“ Motle y ’s the only wear .” Jam es B ridge of Bol ton i s describ ed b y hi s captain as having a large head of hairalmost b lack and very long which is commonl y cued witha b l ack ribb and , and as wearing “ an old b lue surtout ,cloth-colored coat and j acket , a pai r of Cotton breechesand two shirts , tow and l inen .

” John Chowen of the sam ecompan y , a m olatto but cal ls him self Indi an ,

” had on “ adark colored coat and a pai r of b reeches som ething l ighter . "

O ther com b inations thus advertised are as fol lowsA blue coat , red wais tcoat , blue breeches .

—A blue coat , black ves t ,and metal bu ttons on hat .

—A green coat , and old red great-coat .—A sad

red coat , pale blue ves t and dark brown thickset breeches —A green coatand th ick leather breeches —A blue coat wi th metal bu ttons , leatherbreeches , blue yarn s tockings and plated buckles .

-Buckskin breeches ,brown surtou t coat , and wh ite yarn s tockings .

—A blue coat faced wi th redand bound w ith yel low .

—A l igh tish colored cloth great-coat and shortsailor’s jacket , leather breeches and wh i te yarn s tockings .

From the note-book of Cap tain David Nourse , used

1 0 8 ANNALS O F LANCA STER .

whi le in service during 1 7 77 , i s this m emorandum of the

al lowance of rations to the soldier of that date

O ne Pound of beef or of Pound of Pork or one Pound of S al t fishPr : Day .

Three Pin ts of Peas or Beans Pr :Week or Vegetables at one Dol larPr : Bushel for Peasor Beans .

O ne Pin t of M ilk Pr : Day or at the Rate of of a Dollar.O ne half Pint of Rice or one Pint of Indian Meal Pr : Week .

O ne Quart of S pruce Beer or Cyder Pr : M an Pr : Day or n ine Gallonsof Molasses Pr : Company of 1 00 M en Pr : Week .

Three Pounds of Candles to 1 00 men Pr : Week for Guards .

Twen ty-four Pounds of S al t or eigh t Pounds of hard S oap for 1 00 M en

Pr : Week .

This d iffers but sl ightl y from the allowance in the M as

sachusetts arm y of 1 7 75 . The mone y commutation forvegetab l es not suppl i ed is O ften spoken of in the settl em en tof soldiers ’ accounts as sauce mone y . The troops at firstwere paid b y the week : a captain rece iving th irty shill ings ; a firs t-l ieutenant , twenty shi ll ings ; an ens ign orsecond—l i eutenant , seventeen shi ll ings six pence ; se rgeants ,twelve S hil l ings corporal s , e leven shil l i ngs ; and privates ,ten shil l ings . Each so ldier was paid a penn y per m i le foractual travel . going and returning .

The Lexington-Al arm rol ls for Lancaster and the townsform ed from i ts original te rritory give the fol lowing l ists of

nam es . The columns of dates , wages , etc . , as we l l as thesworn certificates of comm anding ofli cers appended to therol l s , and m os t of the headings , are om i tted as of m inor ihterest . In the spel l ing of nam es , that of the muster rol lsi s s trictl y copied

A l ist of M en the t ime they spent (of d istance they traveled in their

M arch to Cambr idge on the I gth day of Apr i l 1 7 7 5 , to defend the

Country against General Gage CS" hi s troops , under the command of

Capt . T homas Gates of L ancaster .

Capt . T ho . Gates , John Hawks, S hadrach Hapgood ,

L t . Jone

. Pries tWhitcom , James Goodwin ,Jona . Puffer,

L t . Ried . Townsend,

Joe l O sgood , E ben . A l len ,

S gt. Wm

. Hu tson , Phin . Fletcher, A sa Rugg ,S g

t. Peter Thurston , Reuben Gary , Jos . Blood ,

1 1 0 ANNALS O F LANCAS TER .

S erj . Joseph Beeman , Ichabod Garey , David Robins ,Corp . S eth S ergean t , A sa S terns , Jona . Atherton ,

Corp . J on“

. Wilder, Abiel Abbot , Eben . Flagg ,Corp. Wm : S haw , Luke Carter, Moses Brewer,Corp. Nath . Wh ite , John Maning , O l iver Houghton ,

Jona. Whi te , John Baker .

[M ass. A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

T his R oll contains the travel and service of Capt . yoseph White and theM i li tia men under his command in Colo A sa Whitcomb’s r egiment

who in consequence of the A larm on the nineteenth day of Apr i l last

mar ched f r om L ancaster in the County of Wor cester to Cambr idge

for the defence of this Colony against the M in ister ial tr oops .

Capt“

. Jos . Whi te , Corp. Moses Wilder, J on“

. Whitney ,1 Lt . Cyrus F airbanks , Priv . J no . Wh ite , Asel Phelps ,2 L t . Moses S awyer , N at . Wh i te , Jos . Fairbanks ,S erj . S am . Thurs ton , Wm

. Richardson , Jos iah Bennet ,S erj . Josh . Fletcher, Phineas Wilder, Wm

. Phelps ,S erj . John Clarke , Jos . Lew is

,Joseph Beman : 1 9

Corp . Peter Larkin ,

[M ass. A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

Provincial R idgement of f oot of m i lit ia men Commanded by Col l . A sa

Whitcomb, par t of the L ar ram Company whereof Cap. 7 onth . Wi lder Commanded , who marched to Cambr idge in consequence of an

alarm order of the Col l . and r etur ned again not li sted in the A mer i

can S ervice. [April 1 9 to

J onth

. Wilder, ser t ., J onth . Fairbanks , N athl . Jones .

Caleb Whi tney,Then by reques t of General John Whetcomb we marcht to Cambridge

again . [April 29 to M ay

J onath . Wilder, ser t . , J onath . Fairbanks , Caleb Wh itney .

We bore our own expenses both for ourselves and our horses all thetime we were from home .

[M ass. A rchives,R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

Provincial R eg iment of foot of M i lit ia M en Commanded by Cola. A sa

Whitcomb, Par t of the S econd and T hir tieth Compan ies wher eof Capt .

Dan iel R obbins Commands , who marched to Cambr idge in consequence

of an alarm by order of the Colo and r etur na’

again not L isted in the

Amer ican S ervice.

Dan iel Robbins , capt fl . Jos iah Wilder, Jun . , Ephraim Bowker,A sa Wilder, n l ieut . Abraham How,

Elijah Wilder,Fortunatus Eager , 2 4 l ieut . Joseph How,

David Whittecor ,Edward New ton , ens ign . John Robbins , S amuel Jewet t ,

THE LEX INGTO N ALARM . I I I

Jos iah Kendal l , 1 M l ieut . S eth Brooks , S amuel Holman ,

Jonathan Baley , ens ign . Gamal iel Beaman , A sa S m i th ,S amuel Baley , serg t . Benjamin Beaman , Hugh Moore ,

Nathan iel Wrigh t , Jr . Josias Baley , Timothy Wilder,John Dresser, Jonathan Thompson , Joshua Whitney ,Thomas Mears , John Kilburn , Elijah Dole ,S amuel Thompson ,

corp . Wil liam Palmer, David Gray ,Thomas Ross , Calvin Moor, Dan iel Farrar,S amuel Herring , James Hough ton , Noah Kendall ,S imeon Lyon ,

George H ibris , S eth Ross ,Benjamin Wh itemore ,

Joshua S awyer, Jonas Beaman ,

S eth Fairbank , Joseph Dunsmore , O l iver Fairbank ,Ephraim Wrigh t , Jonathan Prescot t , Reuben Moore , 53

Thomas Wrigh t , Thomas S awyer, quar termaster , as a pr ivate.

[M ass . Archives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

Provint ial R eg iment of foot of [Minute M en Commanded by Col . 7 ohn

Whitcomb, second Company of sd . R egiment whereof S amuel S awyer

was Captain ,not I n l i sted in the A mer ican S ervice.

S amuel S awyer, capt . Timothy Hawood , John Persons ,Manassa S awyer, l eut . Ephraim Powers , O liver Powers ,Joel Hough ton , ens ign . Jacob Robins , Ezra S awyer,Ebenezer Ross , corpor al . Aron Kilburn , A sa S mith ,Lemuel Fairbanks , John S pafford , Ephraim Wiman ,

Jabez Brooks , Thomas S awyer, Jun . O bediah Grose ,Jonathan Wilder, Junr . S ilas Rice , Abe l Bigelow .

S amuel Churchel ,[M ass. A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

ingaged in thefir ovintial service.

Ephraim Richardson , leut . Thomas Kleland , Isaac Tower,S eth Hawood , sergeant . Elijah Dresser, Ephraim Winsh ip,

Ephraim Bointon ,John Densmore , Jacob Wilder,

Ebenezer Pike , Aaron Gary , Roger Bartlet ,Lu ther Graves , Ephraim Goss , Nathaniel Brown ,

Jiles Wil ls , corporal . Joshua Kindal l , Mathias Larkin,

Timothy Brown , Israil Mann ing , S amuel Rice ,John Wheler, drummer . Jonathan Phil l ips , S olemon HolemanWi l l iam Kindal l , fif er . Elisha Prou ty , M enassa Powers

,

Ebenezer Belknap, pr ivate . Jacob Piper, John S awyer,

Thomas Blocki t , Josiah Person , Jude S awyer .Israel Coock ,

[M ass . Archives , R evolutionary R olls, X I I I ,Captain S awy er and most of his compan y were from

the second prec inct .

I 1 2 ANNALS O F LAN CAS TER .

T his R oll con tains the names and service of Capt” B enj am in H oughton 59°

the m inute men under his command in Colo . 7 ohn Whetcomb’s R eg i

ment

Capt“

. Benj . Hough ton , Jona. Kendall , Reuben L ipenwell ,2 d Lieut . S am‘. Josslyn , John Wil lard , John Bennet ,S erj . Nath . S awyer , Jona. Know l ton , Jonas Prescott ,S erj . S am . Wilder, S teph . Wilder, Nathan Es terbrook ,Corp. Aaron Johnson , Titus Wilder, Elisha Hough ton ,

Corp . Wil lm . Wilder, John Dana, S tan ton Carter,Drum . Wm

. Wheelock , Elijah Bal l Joseph Jones ,Drum . E ph . Kindall , Daniel Kn ight , Josh . Fairbanks ,Priv . Paul S awyer , John Thurs ton , Abijah Hough ton ,

Thomas Bennet , E dm . Larkin , Mathew James,

Abijah Hawks , Joseph Joss lyn , John Chowen .

Henry Wil lard Farmer, David Horseley ,T he following per sons did en l ist in to the Con t inental A rmy .

First Lt . A ndW. Haskell , Abel Wyman , S am . Adams ,S arg . Jona. S awyer, Benj . Bal lard , Thos . Goodwin ,

S arg . John Kendrick , J os . Beaman , Elisha Rugg,

Corp. John Farwell , Dan . Wyman , Jona. Ross ,Corp. Jere . Haskel l , John Baker , Jacob Phelps ,Fifer John Wheelock , Jos iah Bowers , Isaac Eveleth ,Priv . Mark Heard . Joseph Phelps , Abijah Ph il lips ,Jacob Wilder, Jos iah Phelps , Benja. Hough ton ,

Eber S awyer , Abel Allen ,

[M ass . Archives, R evolutionary R ol ls, X1 1 ,Three companies m arched from Leom inster at the Lex

ington Alarm ; ninety-nine m en i n al l . A s the nam es w i l lshow , ver y m an y of these soldiers were l ineal descendantsof the Lancaste r pionee rs

Captain 7 oshua Wood ’s Company of M i lit i a

Capt . Joshua Wood , Priv. E lisha Wh ite , Ebenezer O sgood ,Lieu t . Nathaniel Carter, John Jewe tt , Benjamin Hale ,

Lieut . Edward Phelps , Jonas Gates , Caleb Cummins ,S ergt . Joseph Beaman , Wil liam Boutel l , Jr . David Fleeman ,

S ergt . S amuel S tickney , Luke Richardson , Isaac Whi tman ,

S ergt . Phil lip S weetser, Abiathar Hough ton , John Bowers ,S ergt . Thomas Wilder, S amuel Hale , Jr . Abraham Houghton ,

Corp. Danie l Nichols , JosephWilder , Jr . Jese S lack ,Corp . El ijah Fairbank , John Bennet , Charles Eames ,Corp . Ephraim Carter

,Jos iah Wh i te , John Hale ,

Corp. Benjam in Perkins , James Boutel l , Dav id Hale .

Drummer John Wood ,[M ass . A rchives , R evolutionary R olls, mm,

1 1 4 ANNALS O F LANCASTER .

S erg t Isaac Holden . Joshua Bowers , Abijah Warner,A br ahzun Munroe. Benj . Robbins , N at li “ . Farnswo rth .

Corp . Benj “ . L numnce . Jacob \Vli itney. Ph i lemon Pries t ,Jos iah Jacob Pries t , O l iver Mead ,Prince Turner, Jos iah Davis , Daniel Furbush ,Josiah Gates . Ma nasseh S tow , Thomas Wh i te ,

Drummer Cyrus Fnirbanks . John Knigh t , I saiah \Vhitney,Jona . Davis . Fra ncis Farr , (deser ted) .

Fifer Ab ijah George G leason . 4 3

[M as s . A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X 1 1 , 36 , 4 1 , 4 8 ]

Captai n I saac Gates’

s Cou/bahy of J I i lit ia in Colonel A sa I f‘

hitcomb’

s

R egimen t

Capt . Isaac Gates .

Lieu t . Josiah Haskel l .Lieu t . Amos Fairbank .Ensign John Daby ,

S ergt . S im .-'

il lard .

S aml . H il l .John Hough ton .

John Duby .

Corp. GibsonI srael

Dr ummer Lem i.

‘Wil lard .

Pr iv . John S nwver .

Eben “ .

vWarner . Thos . Chaniberl in ,

S aml . Joel Finney. Harri s .

S am‘. Finney , Haske l l . Aaron Pries t .Bennet t . Ben j“ . S ani l . Furbush .

[M ass . A nch ives , R evolutionarv R oll s , x1 1 ,

t‘

tzj tui n fl u ff /”

1 E zfr bank’

s Ccm‘bany i n Cb lond A sa I I 7 u

'

tcomb'

s R egi

Capt . J os . F ai rban‘

5 , I srael Tay lor , E sq .

L t . Burt . I os . E sq .

L t . Phinea s

Ens ign Jos . J er“

. L augh ton ,

S gt Jona . Reed , S an derson ,

Jona . Clar k . J os . A t herton ,

“senja . Cu tl er Jos . Houghton .

"

c Abr . W'

i l lard ,Corp. John

'

es r_. J ena . Adams ,

Benja. Barnard ,L em‘. Farnsworth ,A sa Farnsworth .

Bar zi l lai \Vil lard .M albery Kingman .

Joseph Knigh t .S am‘. Farnsworth ,JosephPh ineas Fairbank ,Nicholas Patters on ,

John Atherton ,

L em‘. Has kel l ,

El ijah \Vil lard ,E dwd . Cheney .

Joseph Atherton ,

Zaccheus S tevens ,

Jos iah VVi I lard ,

Jereh . Bridge .

E phm

. Bar nard ,Jon

“. S awyer.

Levi Fairbank ,

A sa Haven .

Benja S tow ,

J on“

. S ymonds .

O l iverWhi tney ,Phineas Fairbanks .

J erh . Pries t .

El ijah Hough ton .

J es eph B lanchard .

Eben‘ . S urges ,

S tephen Randall .

Manas seh S awy er ,Isaac Hai le ,

THE LEX INGTO N ALARM . 1 5

Corp . Isaiah Whi tney , Ward S afford , James Perry ,

S am] . Meed , O l iver Whetcomb , O l iver Wetherbe ,

Timo . Wil lard , Aaron Davis ,[M ass . A rchives , R evolutionary R ol ls , X I I ,

Captain 7 ames B ur t’s Company .

Capt . James Burt , George Coon , David S terns ,Lt . Ph inehas Farnsworth , Co leman S anderson , Lemuel S tone ,

Lt . Jacob Robins , Aaron Wh i tney , Jona . Crouch , Jr .Ensign Caleb S awyer, S ilas Wh itney , Wil lis S ecomb ,

S erg t . Hezek . Whi tney , S am‘. Brown , Aaron Warner,Ephraim Davis , Dan . Hough ton , John S artell Farwel l ,Joel S tone ,

Moses Hale , Joseph Wetherbe ,

Charles Taylor, Timo . Phelps , Richard Whi tney ,Corp . James Whitcom , Timo . Crouch , Joseph Park ,

S i las Rand , Abijah Reed , Joseph Blanchard ,S imon Cooper , Wm

. Park , Jabez Keep , Jr .Abel Whitcom , David Farwell , J erem . Willard ,

Jotham Barnard , Abel Farnsworth , James Wil l is .

S imon Whi tney[M ass . Arch ives , R evolutionary R olls , X1 ,

Three companies from Bo lton ( i nclud ing Berl in d is

triot) m arched to Camb ri dge at the Lexington Al arm ;

one hundred and twenty-seven m en

Cafl az’

n Ben/ 22mm H artz’

ngs’s Company , Col . yobn W/zz

'

tcom é’s R egiment .

Capt . Benja . Has ti ngs , Abel Moore , Jonathan Wh i tcomb ,

Lieu t . Jonathan Hough ton , Wil liam Biglow , Abraham Wh itney ,

2 Lieut . Jonathan Merriam , Will iam S awyer, Josiah S awyer, 3d .

S ergt . Benjam in Gold , Israel S awyer, Jerem iah Wilson ,

John Wilson , Nathanie l Holman ,Nathan Bal l ,

Timothy Mosman , John Ross , Cyrus Gates,

David Moore , Hezekiah Gibbs , Joseph Amsden ,

Corp. James Townsend , Levi Meriam , Benjam in Marble ,Andrew Mcwain , Nathaniel Has tings

,Lemuel Bruce ,

S i las Welch , S amuel S tanhop , S amuel Wh ite ,

James E riges , Abraham Holman , W ill iam Wh ite ,

Jos iah Cooledge , Calvin Holman , N athl . O akes ,

Ephraim Fairbank , Joel Foshet , Elijah Fos ter,John Hough ton , S imon Hough ton , Jos iah Moore ,

John Has ting , S anderson Hough ton , Joshua Townsend ,Abner Moore , Jeremi ah Pries t , Will iam S awyer,Joseph Prat t , Jos iah S awyer, Jr . John Welch ,

1 1 6 ANNA LS or LAN CAS TER .

Jonathan Robins ,Will iam Ross ,Jonas Welch ,

Amos Fuller,Jacob Houghton . 58

Joseph S awyer ,Thomas Atherton ,

[M ass. A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I .

Captain A r temas H ow’s M i lit ia Company

Capt . Artemas How ,

Lieu t . Dav id N urss ,2 Lieut . Joseph How,

S ergt . Wm. Pol lard ,

Wm. Jones ,

Jotham Maynard ,Dav id Rice ,

Corp . Josh . Johnson ,

Timo . Bailey ,El isha Hodson ,

D rumr. Jabez Fairbank ,

Pif. S amuel Jones , Jr .

Eben . Worces ter,Nathan Jones ,John Bruce ,A sa F ay,

S ilas Bailey , Jr .Benj . Muzzy

,

A sa Johnson ,

S ilas Bailey , S en .

Jacob Moor,John Barnard

,

Robert Fife,S teph . Bailey .

[M ass . A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I I ,

S amuel Baker ,John Coolidge ,

Joseph Woods ,S olomon Jones ,Benj “ . Bailey ,Eben . Bailey ,George S awyer,Jonas Johnson ,

S amue l Jones ,Nath . Longley ,Thos . Pol lard ,Amos O sgood ,

Company of Captain R ober t L ong ley , Colonel A m Wnitoomo’s R egiment .

Capt . R ob . Longley ,Lieu t . Paul Wh i tcomb ,Lieu t . Thos . O sborn ,

S ergt . John Townsend ,O liver Barret t ,Ph in . M oore ,Abel Piper ,O liver Jewett ,

Drummer J on “ . Priest .Gabriel Pries t ,Jona Nurss

,

Isaiah Bruce ,

Beriah O ak ,

David S tiles ,Jabez Walkett ,

Thaddeus Pollard ,S am . Blood ,Bpm . Wh itney ,David S tratten ,

Jonas Whi tcom ,

S aml . Bruce ,

A sa Nurss ,Benj . N urss ,Israel Fos ter,James Flood ,Wm

. Cooledge ,

[Cyrus] Gates ,Jos iah Edwards ,

John Peirce , Richard Hazel tine ,Jona. Whi tcom , Jr . Jacob French ,S anderson Hough ton , E ph

m. Chamberlain

[M ass . A rchives , R evolutionary R olls , X I I , I 8 2 .J

F ield and S tafi’

of the reg iment of m inute men .

Colonel John Whi tcomb , of Bol ton .

Lieutenan t-Colonel Thomas Legate , of Leomins ter .Firs t-Major Wil liam Dunsmoor, of Lancas ter .S econd-Major Ephraim S awyer, of Lancas ter.Adju tan t Jeremiah Gager, of Wes tmins ter.Quartermaster David O sgood , of Lancas ter .


pursu i ts Colonel Seth Pom ero y , who had served as m ajorin Co lone l Samue l Wi llard ’s regim ent at Lou isbourg , nowseven ty y ears old ; Co lone l Wil l i am Heath , ski l led as yet

onl y in the theor y of war , but commander of the Anc ientand Honorab l e Artil ler y ; Co lonel John Thomas , Shirle y

’

s

stafi‘

surgeon , and comm ander of a regim ent i n 1 759 at

Crown Point . General Preb le decl ined service on accountof growing infirm ities . Artem as Ward w as m ade Comm ander-in-Chief, and General Thom as l i eutenant-general ,b y the Second Congress .

“ Honorab le John Whitcom b ,of Bo l ton , was , on Feb ruar y 1 5 , 1 7 75 , added to the

l ist of genera ls , and at the fi rst counc i l of war , convenedat Camb ridge the day after the Concord F ight , he was oneof the three general officers presen t . On the s ixth of Mayhe and Colonel Benj am i n Lincoln were appointed mus term asters . General Whitcomb decl in ed this service ,

“ onaccoun t of variou s avocat ions , and hi s y ounger b rother ,Colonel A sa Whitcom b , was three day s l ater chosen to fillthe vacanc y . J une

’

1 3th , John Whitcom b was e l ected“ fi rst

m aj or-general of the Massachusetts arm y ,” and the fol low

ing day J oseph Warren was chosen the “

second m ajor-general .

” A comm i ttee was appoin ted to wait upon bothofficers and des i re thei r imm ediate acceptance . GeneralWhitcom b hes itated , it i s said on accoun t of hi s hea lth , anda comm ittee was ordered “

to draw a complaisant lette r toGen . Whitcomb , to des i re a more expl ic i t answer ,

” whichletter fol lows

WATE R TOWN , June 1 6 , 1 77 5 .

S ir : Your let ter wherein you express yourself wil l ing to con tinue inthe S erv ice of th is Colony , un ti l the army is regulated and properly encamped and then rely on a discharge , was read wi th much concern by th isCongress , who earnes tly hope you wil l con tinue in office til l the conclus ionof the campaign , and mus t beg your further and more explicit answer .

On the next day was fought the b attl e of Bunker Hi l l ,and its chief m arty r , the second m ajor-general of M assachu

setts , is a fam ous nam e i n hi story ; while Major—GeneralJohn Whitcomb , second in command of the state forces at

BUNKER H ILL AND S IEGE O F BO S TO N . 1 1 9

Cam b ridge that day (al though he had n ot received his

comm iss ion ) , being he ld in rese rve at L echm ere Pointprobab l y by order of the comm ander-in-chief, who expectedthe British to attack Cam b ridge— had no opportuni ty towin l aurel s . In Massachuse tts Archives , CXLV I , 24 6 , i s

found his rep l y to the “

complaisan t letter

T o M e H onol e Congr ess

Whereas .you Des ire of me to Giue a more Expl ici t Answer as tomy opin tmen t , as the S urcumstances of the army is so Deficul t and the

Enemy so ner I excep the S ernis to Do my Duty as far as I shal l Be Able .

I am your ms t obedein t S er .

JO HN WHE T CO M B , Colo.

CAM BR IDGE , June ye 2 2d , 1 7 7 7 .

He was at once comm iss ioned m ajor-genera l of Massachusetts forces , to date from June 2 1 , and the comm i ss ionwas handed to him b y the Pres i den t of Congress June 26 .

The fol lowing letter indicates that h is lack of l i te rary at

tainm en ts did not prevent a generous appreci ation of his

m il itary services and ab i l ity

I n the HO US E O F RE PR E S E N TATIVE S , July 22 , 1 77 5 .

S ir : This house approv ing of your services in the s tation you wereappoin ted to in the army by the Congress of this Colony

, embrace th isopportunity to express their sense of them , and at the same time to des ireyour Con tinuance with the army , if you shal l judge you can do i t wi thou tImpropriety . ti l l the final determ ination of the Con tinen tal Congress shal lbe known with regard to the appoin tmen t of General officers . We assureyou that the Jus tice of th is House wil l be engaged to make you an ade

quate conpensation for your services .

s

We have such in tel l igence as

affords us confidence to suppose , that a few days wil l determine whetherany such provision shal l be made for you as is cons is ten t with your honorto accept and shall give you encouragemen t to remain in the service .

By order of the House .

[M assachusetts Archives,L V I I

,

S im il ar l etters were sen t to General s John Thom as andJam es Fry e . Much heart-burning had resu lted from the

selections made b y the Provinc i al Congress for the highes tm i l itar y officers , and the appoin tm ents of the Con tinentalCongress increased dissatisfac tion am ong the b attl e-s carredveterans of form er wars . No record shows that John


Whitcomb resented the s l ight put upon him— an y m orethan did the sturdy patriot , Pom ero y -al though he was the

senio r in y ears , m il itary experi ence and rank i n service , toeve ry one of the congress i onal appointees . June 5 , 1 7 76 ,he was comm iss ioned b rigadier-general i n the cont inentalarm y , and General Washington announced to Major-General Ar tem as Ward , upon res ignation of the l atter , that heproposed to order General Whi tcom b , so soon as he S houldaccept his comm iss ion , to assum e comm and of the forcesi n Massachusetts . [See Am erican Arch ives , I V , V I , 929 ]JohnWhitcomb , however , returned the comm iss ion ,

“ des i ring to b e excused on account of age and a diffidence of not

be ing ab le to answer the expectat ion of Congress .

” He

served for four y e ars an honored m ember of the council , towhich he was elected Jul y 25 . He had b een chosen to thesam e pos ition in 1 7 73 , but then decl ined the office , prefering to rem ain i n the House of Representatives . The historian , Frothingham , describ es h im as

“ one of the ste rl ing ,

di s in tere sted officers of the earl y revo lution , one whoappears to have enjoy ed to a great degre e the respect and

confidence of his contemporaries .

” He d i ed Novem ber 1 7 ,1 78 5 , i n the seventy-third y ear of his age . The epitaph

upon the unpretentious stone that m arks his grave in Bolton ’s o ldest buri al ground ignores his m il itar y honors ,giving on l y hi s c ivic t itl e .

The Lanc aste r regim ent was am ong the first fi lled . B yprovinc i al regulations the com pl ement requ i red ten com

pan ies of fifty-nine rank and file . On the twenty-fifth of

May , Colone l A sa Wh i tcom b repor ted e leven companiesencam ped at Camb ridge , containing five hundred and s ixtyvolunteers . The field and staff officers were as fol lows :Co lonel A sa Whitcom b of Lancaster , Lieutenant-ColonelJos i ah Whitne y of Harvard , Major Ephraim Sawy er of

Lancaster , Adjutant Jerem i ah Gager of Westm inster ,(h i ar termaster Jerem i ah Laughton of Harvard , SurgeonW il l iam Dunsmoor of Lancaster , Surgeon

’

s Mate Moses


Lancaster ; Burt’

s and Davis ’s O f Harvard ; Longl e y’

s of

Bol ton and Shirle y ; Hastings’

s O f Bo l ton ; Wilder’

s of

Leom inster and Ashburnham ; Ful l er’

s O f Lunenbu rg ;B em is ’s of Westm inster ; C ran son

’

s of Marlborough ; andWe l l s ’s of Greenfiel d , etc . The regim ent lost five ki l led ,e ight wounded , and two m iss ing i n the b attle of Bunke rHi l l , according to the O ffic i al returns . The histori an , Ban

croft , say s“from the regim en t of Whi tcomb of Lancaste r

there appeared at l east fifty privates , but wi th no higher

O fli cers than captains .

’ The loss as wel l as other factss eem to prove that m ore than twice fifty were at the front .

Richard Frothingham states that it was represented inact ion b y “ a few companies ,

” and , upon what au thority isnot d iscovered , adds that prob ab l y Captain Burts ’ andW i lders ’ com panies were of these . He also re lates that“ one account b y a soldier states that Captain Benj am i nHas tings led one compan y of thirty-four , and tookpost at the rail fence .

” Sergeant Robert Phelps of Has

kel l ’s Lancaster com pany was m ortal ly wounded'

and dieda prisoner in Boston and David Robb ins O f the sam e compan y was kil led . In Massachusetts Archives , C L xxx I , 73 ,i s a petit ion of El i sha Houghton , a Lancaster m an in Captain Hastings ’s compan y , al leging that he was i n the b attleand helped Jacob Davis , who was wounded , O ff the field .

This wounded man was of Harvard , belonged to Cap tainBurt’s compan y , and was discharged October 6 th , on ac

count O f his injur y . Am ong re solves passed b y the Houseof Represen tat ives , Feb ruar y 6 , 1 7 76 , for the paym ent O f

accounts for losses at Bunker Hill , were the following

T o the heirs , or Mas ter of David Robbins , who was killed , 2 1 2 0

T o Robert Phelps , wounded , 2 o 0

T o I srael Willard , 2 O 0

T o Joseph Wilder, I o 0

These nam es are al l found in the com pany rol l of Captain Andrew Haske l l .By casualti es in their ranks therefore we have proof

S IEGE O F BO S TO N . 1 23

that Haskel l ’s , Burt’

s and Hast ings’s companies were in thebattle upon Bunker Hil l . Judging from those recorded as

died and discharged afte r that day , i t seem s probab le thatLongle y ’s , Davis

’

s and Bem is ’s comm ands were a lso in ac

tion . There i s a tradi tion among O ld fam i l ies that one or

m ore companies of the Lancaster regim ent were c ross ing

the Neck towards the b attle-ground when the re treat b egan ,and that others had m arched to re-enforce Prescott earl ie r .The nam es of so ldiers who enl isted in the eight-months’

service O f 1 775 are found i n the so-cal led “ Coat Rol ls .

”

April 23d the Provinc i al Congress , i n estab l ishing the'

pay

of the troops , passed a resolve that , i n addition to the

month l y st ipend ,“ a Coat for a uniform b e given to each of

the Non-comm iss i oned O fficers and Privates , as soon as the

state of the Province wi l l adm it of it .

” Jul y 5 , thirteenthousand coats were ordered for the arm y , each town beingrequ i red to furnish a share of these proportionate to its l astprovinc i al tax . Lancaster ’s proportion was determ ined tob e one hundred and s ixteen Bol ton ’s , fifty-five Harvard ’s ,fifty

-six ; Leom inster’

s , forty-three . A certificate was or

dered sewn to the ins ide of each coat , giv ing the name ofthe town that furnished it , that of the m aker , and the nam e

of the weaver of the cloth , if hom e-m ade m ateri al was

u sed . Am erican cloth was to have preference . Soldiersproviding thei r own coats were entitl ed to receive twentyshi l l ings in mone y .

The Lancaster regiment , upon the organization of the

arm y for the s iege of Boston , was placed i n a brigade wi ththe Rhode Island troops , under Genera l Nathaniel Greene ,form i ng part of the Second— General Charles Lee ’sdivision . According to Paul Lunt ’s D i ar y , i t jo ined the

b rigade Fr ida y , Jul y 2 8 , and was posted on Prospect Hil l .I t was the l argest of the twenty-s ix Massachusetts regim ents before Boston . Tents were few , and each squadusual l y pl anned and constructed som e sort of but with suchm aterials as were most eas y to ob tain . Turf, stone , boards ,


b rick , logs and sail-cloth were wrought i nto rude form s of

she l ter , which , in the ir d isorderl y quain tness , may havebeen picturesque , but l acked m i l itar y convenience andc leanl i ness . A s an O fficer of the comm and has told us ,

the who le arm y , con s isted of less than fifteen thousandm il it ia ,

“ wi thout a shade O f unifo rm ity i n i ts organizati on ,pa y , dress , arm s or exerc i se , desti tute O f subordination an ddiscipl ine , and fluctuating from da y to day as the caprice

of the m en incl ined them to ab sent them selves or to rejoi nthe ir colors .

” General Greene , however , i s credi ted wi thh aving the neatest enc ampment and the best disc ipl inedb rigade in the patriot l ines . Wi th less than twen ty roundsO f powder per man , this motle y aggregation O f brave y eom en he ld Boston in close s i ege for ten m onths , and final l ycompel l ed the dilatory S i r Wi l l i am Howe to take refuge intheBritish fleet .

Captain A ndr ew H as/cel l’s Company of L ancaster

Capt . Andrew Haskel l Eber S awyer, Mat thew James ,Lt . John Kindrick , Elisha Rugg , Nathan Eas terbrooks ,Lt . Jonathan S awyer , Ebenezer Abbott , Pe ter A irs ,S er . John Hewi tt , George Richardson ,

Peter Manning ,Abijah Ph il lips , Gershom Flagg , S amuel Barret ,Robert Phelps , Israel Willard

, S tan ton Carter,Jeremiah Haskel l , Joseph Phelps , Thomas Goodwin ,

Joshua Fairbank , Jacob Phelps , Wil l iam Phelps ,Cor . Josiah Bowers , Jos iah Phelps , Wil l iam Deputron ,

Benjam in Hough ton , Jonathan Ross , David Robbins ,Ebenezer Al len , Jr . Joseph Wilder, S amuel Adams ,Jacob Wilder, Jacob Pike , John Baker ,

Drum . Nathan iel Whi te , Isaac Kilbourn , Wil l iam Cal ly ,Fifer John Wheelock , Isaac Eve leth , John Myres , sea/nan ,

S urgeon ’s Jonas Prescot t , Isaac Bailey , Dav id Hos ley ,

Waiters iAbe l Al len , John Fletcher , Joseph Beaman ,

Abijah Houghton , Jonathan White ,Will iam S haw ,

Abel Wyman , Jotham Wilder , Benjam in Bal lard ,Benjamin James , John Warner, Jr. John Bal lard ,Daniel Clark , Mark Heard , Winslow Phelps .

Dan iel Wyman ,

[M ass. Arch ives , Coat R olls , L VI , I 47 .]

Against Sergeant Rober t Phelps ’s nam e is recorded


of the service , taking , howeve r , no more than fou r froman y company . Speci al i nducem ents were al so given to

those volunteering for the expedi tion under Colone l Benedict Arnold , which , b y the route of the Kennebec andChaudiere rivers , traversed the wi lderne ss and joined General Montgom er y i n the disastrous attack upon Q4 1 ebec .

Those who thus en l isted from Lancaste r served in the com

pan y of Captain S amuel Ward . B rooks and B rown werewounded , but are again found in thei r coun tr y ’s service ,and El ij ah Dole , al though taken prisoner , returned insafety , as the following letter proves

T o tae Comm ittee for Clotlzing tne Continental T roops

Gen t lemen : T he Bearer Elijah Dole belonging to my Company inColo . A sa Wh itcomb’s Regimen t , engaga in the American S ervice immed iately after the l g

thof April 1 7 7 5 , marchd from Cambridge on S eptember

1 3th fol lowing to Quebec ; has never drawn a Coat according to the resolve

O f the Provincial Congress ; woud be g lad to have the amoun t of i t inmoney ; has apply (1 to me to inform your Honours in his behalf.

S ETH HE YWO O D , L ieut .

LAN CASTE R ,Decf . 2

,1 7 76 .

[M ass. A rchives, Coat R olls , L V I I , 1 5 .J

Captain yames B ar t’s Company , of H arvard , etc.

Jonathan Atherton , Lancas ter .Moses Brewer,

Captain James Burt , Harvard .

Lieu t . Ebenezer Wood , Fitchburg .

Jabez Keep, Harvard .

Adju tan t Isaac Holden ,Harvard .

S imeon Hemmenway, Bol ton .

John Bowers , Leomins ter .S ergt . M aj . Thos . Hovey , Lunenburg . Abiathar Hough ton ,

S erg t . Thomas H i l l , Fitchburg .

S amuel Finney , Harvard .

Corp. Wil l iam Haskell ,Benjam in Wil lard ,Wil l iam S afford ,Reuben Dodge ,

Joseph Blanchard ,S olomon Burges ,Dan iel Burt ,Thomas Chamberlain ,

Jonathan Clark ,Joseph F ay,John S artle Farwell ,Joel Finney

,

Jesse S lack ,Wil l iam S lack ,Jonathan Cummings , F itchburg .

David Goodel ,Thomas Harris ,John Hastings ,Edom L onnon ,

Joseph S imons ,John Woods ,Joseph Woods ,Uriah Hol t , Ashburnham .

Abraham Hager, S hrewsbury .

John Bennett , Westborough .

Nathaniel Tufts , Cambridge .

S IEGE O F BO S TO N . 1 2 7

Wil liam Harris , Abijah E veonden , S tough ton .

Joseph Park , Jonathan S tone , Mason .

James Turner , Thomas Harris , J r . , Bos ton .

Joseph Wetherbee , John Adam Rupp ,

Jerem iah Wil lard , Henry Rimer , Bos ton , d i sc/i d O ct . 6 .

James Wil lis , E dw. Holowel l , Lynn , deser ted M ay .

Andrew Park ,Quartermas ter Jeremiah Laugh ton , Harvard , died A ugust 1 1 .

S ergeant I srael Willard , Lancas ter, died S efitemoer I 3 .

Jacob Davis , Harvard , dzsc/zarged O ctober 6 .

Ebenezer Flagg , Lancas ter, en l isted in y e T ra in .

[M ass . A rchives , M uster R olls. L VI , I 43 .]

Captain yonat /zan Davis’s Company , of H arvard , etc.

Captain Jonathan Davis , Harvard . Thomas Prat t , Harvard .

Lieu t . El isha Ful lam ,Thaddeus Po l lard ,

John Mead , Benjamin R obens ,S ergt . Abraham Munro , James R obens ,

Jos iah Gates , Gideon S anderson ,

M ikel Ceary , Bos ton . Isaac S anderson ,

Will iam Kendal l . Townsend . Manasseh S tow ,

Francis Farr, Harvard . Ebenezer Warner,Corp . Charles Warner, Jacob Whitney ,

Thomas E theridge , Bos ton . S amuel Wors ter,Joshua Bowers , Harvard . Nathan O sgood , Lancas ter .S amuel Forbush Ephraim Whi tcomb ,

Jonathan Adams , S amuel Wh i te , Leomins ter .Ebenezer Davis , Jedediah Fel t , N . Rutland .

Jos iah Davis , Joseph Putney , Ashby .

Jacob Ful lam , Joseph Holden ,Barrington .

Reuben Garfield , Thomas Cogney, S andwich .

George Gleason , Francis Dizer, Charles town .

S olomon Haskel l , James Rand ,John M cCoy, An tony S hezzerel ,Aaron Pries t , Gilbert Coleworthy ,

Bos ton .

Jacob Pries t , Benjam in Dolbee ,

J ob Pries t , Ebenezer Gofe ,

Fifer Abijah Wors ter , deser ted . George Treat ,Corporal Benjamin Lawrence , Harvard , died A ugust 26 .

Drummer Cyrus Fairbanks , d i scharged S ept . I 1 .

[M ass . A rchives , Coat R olls , L V I ,

Captain Benj amin H ast ings’s Company ,

of Bolton , etc.

Capt . Benjam in Has tings , Jos iah Coolidge , Abner Moore ,Lieut . Jonathan Hough ton , Ephraim Fairbanks , David Moo re ,

1 28 ANNALS O F LANCA S TER .

Lieu t . Jonathan Meriam , John Has tings , Joseph Pratt ,S ergt . Benjam in Gould , Joseph Hoar, William Ross ,

Timothy Mosman , John Hough ton , Benjamin S awver ,Corp. Wil liam Bigelow , Joseph Hough ton , Jonas Welch .

Wil liam S awyer, Abel Moore , Wil l iam Whitcomb .

Israel S awyer , S ergt . S ilas Welch , died S ept . 8 .

James Bridges , Amos S outhgate , died S ept . 2 1 .

Isaac Buck , S eth Muzzy , Worces ter , d i ed .

John Chowen , E l isha:Houghton , Lancas ter.[M ass, A rchives , Coat R olls L V I

,

Hastings ’s compan y numbered fifty-six m en . Those nothere given were from various local iti es , el even be ing fromPutne y .

Captain R ober t L ongley’s Company , of B olton , S /i i r ley , etc.

Capt . Robert Longley , John Cool idge , John Longley , Jr .S ergt . O l iver Jewet t , Jos iah Edwards , d ied . Gabriel Pries t ,Corp. Gardner Moore , Jacob French , Joseph Woods ,

Joseph Blood , Richard Hazel ton , S imon Farmer , Harvard .

Thomas Burnam , S amuel Jones , Dan‘. Fleeman ,Lancas ter.

[M ass. A rchives, Coat R olls , L V I ,There are s ixty-three nam es upon this rol l , m ost of those

not here given b eing of Shi rle y .

Captain David Wi lder ’s Company , of L eom inster , A s/zbnrn/zam , etc.

Capt . David Wilder , Amos Brown ,A sa Kendal l ,

Lt . Jos iah Gates , Ashburnham . S tephen Chace , James Boute l l ,L t . Timothy Boutel l , Nathan iel Chapman ,

Josiah Co lburn ,

S ergt . Wil l iam Warner, Ebenezer O sgood , David Fleeman ,

Jos iah Carter, Dav id Clark , I saac Wh itmore,

Corp. Levi Warner, Joseph S mi th , Joshua Wh i te ,

S amuel Bus s , Benjam in S tearns , Luke John son ,

James Butler, John S tone , James Wood ,Drummer Thomas Rogers , Elisha Carter, David Hale ,

Fifer Abijah Haskel l , Benjamin Hale , Abel Bigelow ,

Charles Evans , d ied S ept . 2 7 . Joshua Prouty , Luke Wilson ,

Jonathan Kendal l , Zebedee S ymonds , A sa Pries t ,Jonathan Colburn , Reuben Gates , John Bat tle ,Jos iah Wh ite , John Hale , Lev i Blood .

[M ass. A rchives Coat R olls , L VI ,

There are s ixty-e ight nam es upon th is ro ll , the A sh

burnham nam es b eing here om itted .

1 30 ANN ALS O F LANCAS TER .

Captain Henry Haskel l , who led a Shirl e y compan y O f

eighty m en at the Lexington Al arm , i n Colonel Wi ll i amPrescott’s regim ent , was at Bunke r Hi ll comm anding acom pany O f sevent y m il iti a , and for m eri torious servicewas promoted to the l i eutenant-colonelc y of Colonel N ichol as D ike ’s , afterwards the F ifteenth Massachusetts regim ent of the Continental army . He removed to Lancasterat the close of the war .I t was general l y b e l i eved that the Acad i ans favored the

Am erican cause , and it was deem ed expedient to ascertainthe exact m il itary cond ition O f the province of Nova Scot i aand the dispos ition of its people , w i th the View of organ iz

i ng an expedi tion thither . The del icate ta sk of m akingthe invest igation was entrusted i n Novem b er , 1 7 75 , to

spec i al comm iss ioners , Aaron Wil lard of Lancaster andMoses Chi ld . Washington ’s in structions to them are to b efound in The Wri tings of George Washington , I I I , 1 69 .

Upon re aching the province the comm iss ione rs , l earningthat under recent procl am at ions of the Governor the y werel i ab le to arrest and summ ar y treatment as spie s , lost courage for further adventure and returned , reporting in February , upon hearsa y evidence , that the Acad i ans

“ wouldengage in the common cause of Am erica , could they b eprotected ,

” and that the defences of the province were ins ign ificant . [See Am erican Archives , i v , iv , Areport grounded upon such insuffic ient reconnoissancecould of course afford no bas is for m i l i tar y action .

December 1 , 1 77 5 , the arm y was seriousl y weakenedb y the departure of the Connecticut troops , who ins istedupon going hom e the day their term of en l istment expi red .

In order that the fortificat ions of Camb ridge and Roxbur ym igh t be properl y m anned , General Washington besoughtre-enforcem ents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire , tothe numb er of five thousand m en , whose service shouldend Januar y 1 5 th . The quota of Lancaster under this cal lwas forty-six . The fo l lowing accounts for e ighteen O f

S IEGE O F BO S TO N . 1 3 1

those who represented the town , but the others have not

been foundLAN CASTE R , March ye I I , 1 7 7 6 .

This may certify that wee whose Names are under written Have R ecev

d, y

e whole of our wages wh ile wee was under Capt . Whi te from the 8 th

of December 1 7 7 5 , to the 1 7thof January 1 7 7 6 , of Lieut . S amuel S awyer

we say R ecevd

.

EPHR AIM W ILDE R , NATHAN GE AR Y , JO N AS BALE Y,

T IM O THY W ILDE R , S ETH FAIR BAN K , EBE N E Z E R BUR PE E,

THO M AS M A Y , J r . , A S A RO PE R , JO HN S TUAR T,O LIV E R BOWKE R , PE TE R PR E S CO TT, W ILLIAM PALM E RLE V I W ILDE R , H IR AM PR E S CO TT, JO S E PH S E AVE R ,

O LIVE R MO O R E , S AM UE L THO M PS O N , MAR Y BR O O KS .

[M ass . A rchives , M uster R olls , L I I , 1 7 a.]

Again , in Januar y , General Washington ca l led uponMassachusetts , New Hampshi re and Connecticut for tem

porary re-enforcem ents of m il i ti a to emphas i ze an offens i vemovem ent upon Boston . Ten regim ents were asked for .

O f the six furnished b y Massachusetts , one was comm andedb y Colon el Jos i ah Whi tne y O f Harvard . Wil l i am Warner

of Leom i nste r served in this as adjutant . The quota of

Lancaster was forty-s ix , of Harvard twenty-five , of Bol tontwen ty-th ree , of Leom inste r thi rteen . N O rol ls of the

companies are found , but the O fficers’ names are preserved

Ofi cer s of a company of m i l it ia who r e—enforced the A mer ican A rmy F eh

rud ry I 3 , 1 776 : j oined Col . Whitney’s R eg t .

Nathaniel Whi te , capt . [Lancas ter .]JamesBurt , I “ lt . [Harvard ]Joseph How , 2

d lt . [Bol ton .]Ezra S awyer, ensign , deceased . [L ancas ten ]Jonathan Wh i tcomb , in room of Ezra S awyer deceased .

[M ass . A rchives , M uster R olls,XXVI I I

The service ended April 1 .

In the re-organizat ion O f the arm y bes i eging Boston , tob ring the provinc i al regiments to the s tandard cont inentalestab l ishm ent , consol idat ion b ecam e necessary , entai l ingthe discharge of m an y O fficers . Am ong the fie ld officersdropped b y the comm ander-in-chief after consul tation wi ththe divis ion and brigade comm anders , was Colonel A sa

1 32 ANNA LS O F LANCAS TER .

Whitcomb O f Lancas ter . The reason al leged for this re

t i rem en t was his advanced age . He was at this date in hisfifty

-s ixth y ear , and other cons ide rations m ay perhaps havehad m ore weight i n the advisor y counc il . Co lonel Whitcomb ’s great local popul ari ty seem s to have b een i n l argedegree due to nob le qual it i es of heart . He was evidentl ya lovabl e as wel l as ab l e man , a practical christ i an , an un

com prom is ing patr iot , a b rave and tri ed soldier . Whi l e hem ay have b een an unexception al l eader O f men i n day sl ike those of Lexington and Bunker Hil l , it needed but ab rief campaign to show that he was too am i ab le to b ecom ea m i l itary disc ipl inari an . This weakness is pl ainl y pointedat i n m ore than one of Washington ’s orders , is shownb y the record of the regim en t , and is i ncidenta l l y m en

tioned i n a letter from General Greene to Wash ington ,dated March 1 1 , 1 7 76 . The story O f Colone l Whi tcom b ’sre—i nstatem ent was told in the New London Gaze tte , andcopied i nto the N ew England Chron icl e for Thu rsday ,Januar y 1 1 , 1 7 76 , and other papers O f the period .

A N E CD O TE .

DE ACO N WHITCO M B of Lancas ter (who was a member of the Assemblyof Massachusetts Bay till the presen t war commenced , had served in former wars , and been in differen t engagemen ts) , served as Colonel in the

Con tinen tal Army ; but on accoun t of his age was left out upon the new

regulation . H is men h igh ly resen ted i t , and declared they would not lis tagain after their time was out . T he Colonel told them he d id not doubtthere were sufficien t reasons for the regulation , and he was satisfied withi t ; he b lamed them for their conduct , and said he would en l is t as a private .

A Colonel Brewer heard of it , and O ffered to resign in favour of ColonelWhitcomb . T he whole coming to General Wash ington’s ears

,he al lowed

of Colonel Brewer’s res ignation in Co lone l Wh itcomb’s favour, appoin tedthe former Barrack-Mas ter til l he could further promote him , and ac

quainted the army wi th the whole affair in general orders . L et an tiquityproduce a more s triking ins tance of true greatness of m ind .

Confirm ation and correction of thi s story is found in ape tition preserved in Massachusetts Archives , C LXXX I , 7 7T o theH on . Counci l 59° H ouse of R epr esentatives in Gen l . Cour t assemhled

at Water town , 7 am 4 , 1 7 76

T he memorial of Jonathan Brewer of Wal tham ,in the Coun ty O f M id


regim ents Colonel Whitcom b ’s had been the Twent y-thi rdunder the new es tab l ishment i t became the S ixth Foot ,there b eing twenty-seven infantr y regim ents i n all , O f eightcompanies each . Al though the favor of the comm anderin-chief had retained their old colonel i n the service , hism en nearl y al l returned to their hom es at the expi ration of

the e ight m onths for which the y had enl isted . I n the

weekl y re turn of January 8 . 1 7 76 , the regim ent numberedbut three hundred and forty-seven all to ld , and but a s ing leone of the o ld company O fficers , Cap tain Abner Cranson ,

continued i n the comm and .

The Lancaste r regim ent of m il iti a , now cal led the S econd Worceste r County Regim ent , was re-organized inMarch , Jos i ah Whitne y of Harvard b eing chosen colonel ,Ephraim Sawy er of Lancaster , l i eutenant-colone l , Si lasBaile y of Bol ton , firs t-m ajor , and Ebenezer Jones , second

m ajor . The l i ne O fficers were comm iss ioned as fo l lows ,the third and e ighth companies be ing O f Harvard , the

fourth and seventh of Bol ton , and the other S i x of Lancaste r

1 5

John Wh i te , J r . , capt . Daniel Goss , capt .

Dan iel Rugg , J r . , l ieut . S amuel Wilder, J r ., lieut .

S almon Godfrey , Levi Wilder , u

2

John M ay , cant .

Timo thy Heyward , l ieut .

S olomon S tewart ,

3 V

S amuel H il l , capt .

Amos Fairbank , lieut .

John Daby,

4 1,

Jonathan Hough ton , capt .

Richard Townsend , lzeut .

Thomas O sburn ,

6

Fortunatus Eager, capt .

Edward New ton , l ieut .

Jabez Fairbank ,

I

7

David Nourse , capt .

Joseph Howe , l ieut .

William Pol lard , l ieut .

Hezekiah Whitney , capt .

Ephraim Davis , l ieut .

Jabez Keep,

0

S IEGE O F BO S TO N .1 35

9 I o

Wm . Green leaf, capt . Manasseh S awyer,capt .

S amuel Jos l in ,l ieut . Elisha S awyer, J r .

, l ieut .

Nathanie l S awyer , l ieut . Ephraim S awyer , J r . , l ieut .

The nam es of m any O f these officers are found later i nvarious short service ro l l s , the m il it i a b eing frequen tl y

cal led upon to pr otect the New England s tates from threatened invas ion . In June , 1 7 76 , Ephraim Sawy er , J r . ,

received a comm i ssion as l i eutenant in the F ifteen th M as

sachusetts , Co lonel Tim othy B igelow’

s regim en t i n the

Conti nental arm y . Samuel Sawy er was m ade captain of

the second m i l iti a compan y , to fil l a vacancy caused b y theremoval of John May from town .

Colonel A sa Whitcom b ’s regiment , which had for sev

eral months been in the i ntrenchm en ts upon Prospect Hi l l ,was transferred to the b rigade of Genera l Thom as near theclose O f Januar y , and . on Februar y 2 2 , 1 776 , was orderedto Roxbur y , where it occupied the m ans ion known as GO V

cruor Shirley’

s res idence . Before dawn on March 5 , theann iversary O f the Boston Massacre , i t was m arched to re

l i eve the five thousand m en who had in one night , withan expedit ion equal to that of the geni i b e longing to Aladd i n’s wonderful lam p ”—as a Brit ish O fficer of distinctionwrote hom e— thrown up at Dorchester Heights two re

doub ts comm anding the c ity of Boston . These werewhol ly bu i lt of t im ber and fasc i nes , the earth be ing at the

t im e frozen to a great depth . Jam es Thacher , the sur

geon ’s m ate of the regim ent , has recorded how , upon thedi scovery of these frowning works at day l ight , the fortsand fleet of the enem y opened upon them with al l thei ravailab l e arti llery

Cannon shot are con tinual ly rol l ing and rebounding over the hi l l ; andi t is as ton ishing to O bserve how l i ttle our soldiers are terrified by them .

T he royal troops are perceived to be in motion , as if embark ing to passthe harbor and land on Dorches ter shore , to at tack our works . T he hil lsand elevations in th is vicini ty are covered w ith spectators to w i tness deedsof horror in the expected conflict . H is Exce l lency General Washing tonis presen t , an imating and encouraging the soldiers , and they in return


manifes t their joy ,and express a warm desire for the approach of the

enemy ; each man knows his place , and is resolu te to execute h is duty .

General Howe was prevented from the contemplatedassault b y a fierce easterl y storm that l ashed the waters O f

the harbor in to waves too form idab l e for heavil y l aden boatsto encounte r , and the m ettle of the m il i ti a was not tested .

The day passed , the works were enl arged and strengthened , and the t i red regim ents were rel ieved b y others .

The end of the long s i ege was eviden tl y near at hand .

Lancaster was to lose one m ore of her sons , however , before the Vic tor y . In the Mem oi rs of Major-General Heath ,unde r date March 9 , 1 7 76 , i s wri tten

This nigh t a s trong detachmen t wen t down to O pen a work on NookH i l l in Dorches ter s til l nearer to Bos ton . S ome of the men impruden tlv

kindled a fire behind the h ill previous to the hour for breaking of ground .

T he enemy discovered the l igh t of the fire ; and there was,during the

evening and nigh t , a con tinual roar O f cannon and mortars from the cas t leand guns on Bos ton Neck , south end O f that town ; as well as from the

Americans at Roxbury , Cobble H i l l and L eechmore’s Poin t at Cambridge .

T he second shot from the Britis h at the O ld fortifications south end of the

town of Bos ton kil led 4 Americans who were s tanding around the fire before men tioned at Nook H il l ; one of whom was Dr . Dow of Connecticut .

For D r . D ow shou ld here b e read D octor E n och D ole

of Lancas te r , surgeon of Colone l Ephraim Doo l i ttle ’s regimcn t , as an epi taph in the O ld cemetery at Li ttle ton te l lsHere l ies ye Body of Dr Enoch Dole of Lancas ter A . E . 33 Years 5

mo 3 days , he unfortunately fel l wi th 3 others ye 9th of March 1 7 7 6 bya cannon Bal l from our cruel and unnatural Foes ye British Troops wh ileon his Duty on Dorches ter Poin t .

N O warn ing giv’n ! Unceremonious fate !A sudden rush from Life’s meredian joys .

A wrench from all we are ! from all We loveWhat a change

From yes terday Thy daring hope S O near,

Long labour’d prize ! 0 how ambition flushedThy glowing cheek ambition truly great ,O f virtuous praise .

A nd O h ! ye las t , las t , what (can word expressThough t read) ye las t , last s i lence of a friend .

M ean ing his entrance into Boston which so soon took Place 81 on whi ch h i s Heartwas much sett.


outset of our l ate c ivi l war than it was i n the day s of 1 776 .

In that e arl i e r tim e , al so , the Northern sold i e rs were to theSouthern O fficer fanatics , clod-hoppers and mud-s i l ls ; and

the b etter uniform ed and m ore rigid l y discipl ined Sou thern

ers were to the Northern patriots “ buck-skins” and“m aca

ron ies .

” The hei rs of Puritan ism scoffed at the bumptiouscoxcom b r y O f thei r Southern al l ies , and were stung wi thretal i ator y snee rs at thei r own bumpkin w ay s and stinginess . The two cl asses O ften evinced for each other a d isl ike onl y l ess i ntense than that the y natura l ly fe lt for the“lob sters , as the B ritish regulars were n icknam ed . I t was

the old , O ld quarre l—S toic versus Epicurean , swaggeringCaval ie r j ostl ing against psalm-s inging Roundhead . TheNew England regiment was a voluntar y associ ation of

equals enl isted i n patrio tic duty for a few months , usual l y

l ess than a y ear . The O ffice rs , from co lonel down , werepractical l y e lected b y the votes of thei r ne ighbors— by

m en as wel l educated and of as good fam i l y as them selves .

To gain a captaincy popul arity with the m ass O f the peop lewas e ssent i al , and aris tocrat ic l ine age o r m i e n countednaught . A b rave , inte l l igent race , and pass ionatel y patriotic , the soldiers excel led as pioneers o r ski rm i shers , ori n defens ive warfare , and wherever independent actionand judgm ent could m ost avai l . Thei r disc ipl i ne was ,

however , of the loosest descrip tion . The Southern ofli cersusual l y s tood upon an enti rel y different plane— recogn iz

i ng no equal ity wi th thei r m en , accustom ed to deferenceand rigidl y exacti ng i t . These ofli cers , gen tlemen b y ac

c iden t of b i rth and general l y b y education , naturall yVi ewed with prejudice the soci al equa l ity disp lay ed am ongthei r northern al l i es , and the epithet , Y anhee , fel l fromthei r scornful l ips with provoking tone and frequenc y . AMary land subal tern wrote in his diar y

O n en tering the camp near Bos ton I was struck w ith the familiarity which prevailed among the soldiers and officers of al l ranks ; fromthe colone l to the private I observed but l ittle d is tinction ; and I cou ld notrefrain from remarking to the young gen tlemen w ith whom I made acquain t

CO LO NEL A S A WH ITCO MB . 1 39

ance , that the m il i tary discipline of the troops was not so conspicuous asthe civil subordination of the commun i ty in wh ich I had lived .

Colonel Whi tcomb i s described b y the surgeon of the

regim ent as a serious , good m an , but is more conversantwith the econom y of dom est ic l ife than the etique tte practised in cam p .

” Each O ffice r was enti tled to the services ofa private soldier as his waiter , and a regimenta l comm anderhad two . Colonel Whitcom b se lected his own sons for thisservice , and one of them wishing to turn an honest penn yb y pl y ing his trade of shoem aking , the good countr y dea

con saw no impropriety in al lowing the cobbl er ’s bench tob e set up i n the room he occupied as regim ental headquarters . This repub l ican s impl icity at once exc ited the

fiercest contempt of the O fficers of other organizat ions i n

the encampment , and one night the l ieutenant-colonel of

Wayne’

s regim ent , when half craz y wi th drink , m ade anassaul t upon the O ffen s ive bench , which h aving succumb ed

to his val i ant sword , he knocked the co lone l down , andended b y cal l ing out some of his own b attal ion and rais inga bloody riot . Sundr y papers i n Massachusetts Archives ,C LXXX I I , 2 0 5- 209 , give detail s of the shameful occurrence ,sel ections from which fol low

Deposi t ion of E nsign R alph H . Bow les .

I n the even ing of the 2 5thof Decr Las t I Pas t on the Parade of Col l°

Wh i tcomb’s Regt , to my Lodgings O bserved that the above Regt . wass ti l l Quiet Returned to my butt to Repose myself for s leep . But

after Being in Bed a few Momen ts I heard a Person Repeatedly say “ Don ’tkil l me ,

” then I heard a Person wh ich I Though t was Coll . Whi tcombsay

“ what is the Rout ?” then I s tarted up in O rder to Dress myselfthe nex t answer was , Dam you do you take his Part .” the above Co l l .said Don ’t s trike me ,” then I heard a Blow , I R epard to the Doorof the butt saw Col lo . Wh itcomb on the Ground L t Co l lo . Craigkicking him s triking him with his sword Drawn then I Looking towardM ajor Whi ting’s hut t saw two M en wi th Drawn S words in their handswhich was off ” . a Number of soldiers wi th them of the second Pennsylvan ia Battal ion some of them wi th Guns , their Language was “ Dam

the Y ankeys ,” Began to demolish the butt that I lodged in . But by

speaking to them they Quitted advanced to the hutt of Capt . Danforththen I R epared to the Markee of Doctor Townsend . But hearing L t


Col lo Craig say to the second Pennsylvania Battal ion ,

“ Darn you turnout ,

” in a very S hort Time a Number of Armed M en w i th Bayonettsfixt came from the said Bat tal ion headed by said Col lo . then en teringthe hutts O f O fe . soldiers Plundering Firing in to the same Dam ing

s tricking both off “ . soldiers that was Peacably in their hu tts . afterMarch ing several times acros t the Parade they Returned to their Habitat ions . RALPH H . BOWLE S , E nsign .

Deposit ion of Captain L emuel T rescot .

I Lemuel Trescott Late of Coll°Wh itcomb’s Regiment tes tify and declare that on the even ing of the 2 5

th day of Dec 1 7 7 6 , being at T iconderoga I was in my ten t heard a noise as of somebody figh ting wi th swords ,upon wh ich I turned out of my ten t saw L t . Col . Craige cal l ing upon hismen to turn out . I also heard h im order sd . men so turned out to fire

upon Col l Wh i tcomb’s encampmen t wh ich they accord ing ly did com

m it ted great disorder there , in a rio tous and hos tile manner passed thro sd

encampmen t abus ing al l they met wi th . T he deponen t further said thathe saw sd Craige personal ly abuse sd Wh i tcomb , cal l ing him “ damnedold scoundrel ,” that he took h im by the ear pul led him w i th his drawnsword or cutlass , as the deponen t supposed , cut the sd Whi tcomb’s ear ,o therwise so abused him as to leave him in a most bloody condi tion ,

and

al l th is outrage commi tted by said Craige appeared to me to be w ithoutany provocation from any person whatsoever .

LE M UE L T R E S CO T .

A t the clos e of a s im ilar depos i tion , from Major Dan ielWhitin g of Dedham , i s this statem ent

Col Wh itcomb immediately en tered a complaint agains t thesaid Thomas Craige to the Commandan t the said Thomas was ares ted ,

but as ColoWh itcomb was obliged to return home , the Tryal of the saidThomas was not l ikely to take place soon , the said Co lo Wh itcomb w i thdrew his complain t so far as concerned h imself received satisfaction forh imself of the said Thomas .

James Thacher gives a whims ical account of how thissatisfact ion was m anaged

Colonel C . sen t some soldiers in to the woods to shoot a fat bear, w ithwhich he made an entertainmen t , and invited Colone l W . and his officersto partake of it ; th is effected a reconcil iation ; and Co lonel W . was in

duced to overlook the h igh-handed assaul t upon his own person and on the

lives of his soldiers .

How m any and what Lancaster men fo l lowed the fortunesof the regim ent to the end of its service , the rol ls that are


this regim ent Captain Wil l i am Warner of Wi nchendoncomm anded a company , i n which were :

LAN CASTE R S O LDIE R SLieu t . Jonathan S awyer, Jeremiah Haskel l , Peter Mann ing ,S ergt . Abijah Ph ill ips , S amuel Jewet t , John Nichols ,

Drum t. John Wheeler, S amuel Johnson ,

Moses O sgood ,John Chowen , Thomas Kendal l , Edward Thomas ,Nathan E sterbrooks , John Manning , Robert Younger.

LE O M IN STE R S O LDIE R S .

S ergt . Benjamin S tearns , Nathaniel Evans,

Joseph Robbins ,Corp . Jonathan Kendall , Edward Fuller, S i las S mi th ,

Dav id C lark , I srael Hale , Ph il l ip S weetser,John Bowers , Robert Houghton , Wil liam Warner .

S ilas Carter, David Johnson ,

BO LTO N S O LD IE R S .

Lev i Gates , E zra Wh i tcomb , S ilas Whitcomb .

S imeon Gates ,HAR VAR D S O LDIE R S .

Joseph Fry , Wil l iam S tevens .

In Captain Aaron Guild’

s compan y of the sam e regi

m ent wereLAN CASTE R S O LDIE R S .

Benjamin Bal lard , Amos Rugg , Dan iel Wyman .

John Bowers , Jonathan Wheelock ,

BO LTO N S O LDIE R S .

Richard Hazeltine , Benjam in S awyer, Robert Townsend .

Wil lard Moore , Joseph S awyer,[M ass . A rchives , M uster R olls , XX I I I , 200 ; XX IV, 1 7—83 ; XXV,

In Colonel Thom as Marshal l ’s b attal ion , at Hul l , was a

compan y of seventy-nine m en , comm anded b y CaptainAndrew Haske ll of Lancaster , i n which were the fol lowing

LAN CASTE R M E N .

Capt . A ndrew Haskel l , Will iam Ball , Carter Kn igh t ,Lieu t . John Hewi t t , Thomas Bennett , Dan iel Kn igh t ,S ergt . Jonas Johnson , John Cool idge , Judah Piper,

David Hos ley , Francis Davis , Will iam Richardson ,

Corp. Elisha Rugg , Gershom Flagg , Levi Warner,John Wil lard , John Fletcher, John Warner ,

Drumf. Benjam in James , Will iam Flood , Enoch Wh itcomb ,

John Baker, Thomas Hough ton , Jotham Wilder,David Baldwin ,

James Willard .

THE CAMPAIGN O F 1 7 76 . 1 43

Benjam in S tewart ,John S tone ,

James Wilder.

S imon Farmer, Consider Turner.

Corporal Joseph Wood , John Barnard .

[M ass . A rchives M uster R olls , XXV.

John Whitcomb and Samuel Bai l y of Lancaster were

at the castle .

”

A resolve of the General Court , June 25 , 1 776 , respon

s ive to a request O f the Continental Congress for five thou

sand m i l iti a to co-operate wi th the arm i es at New Yorkand in the departm ent O f Canada , m ade it incumb ent uponLancaster to furnish seventy-two m en . T0 Harvard wereal lotted thirty-six , to Bol ton thi rty—three , to Leom inste rtwent y-four . A bounty of three pounds was prom ised eachvolunteer , and eigh teen shi l l ings were al lowed each soldie rfor the use of arm s and accoutrements , if furnishing themhim sel f. The term of service ended December 1 , 1 7 76 .

Four b attal ions were dest ined for Canada , and three , including al l companies from Worcester coun ty , were to

serve at New York in the b rigade of General John Fel lows .

Captain Samuel Sawy er of Lancaster with eighty , CaptainJabez Keep O f Harvard with eighty-two , and Captain Jonathan Houghton of Bol ton with seventy-five men m archedJuly 2 2 , to join thei r regim ent , which was comm anded b yColonel Jonathan Sm ith . The l ieutenant-colonel , Rob ertLongle y , and the surgeon , Dani el Greenl eaf, were c i tizensof Bol ton . These companies , en tering service for fourm onths , contained a few soldiers of experience , but con

s isted chiefly of a hasty levy O f farm ers fresh from the

furrowed fields , knowing nothing of camp discipl ine andl ittl e O f the value of sy stem and co-O peration . The y m ighthave defended intrenchm ents with success , but could not

withstand the onset i n open fiel d of the spl endidl y equ ipped

LE O M IN STE R M E N .

Abiathar Hough ton ,

M ichael Nichols ,Levi Phelps ,

HAR VAR D M E N .

Jonathan S imons ,

BO LTO N M E N .

1 44 ANNA L S O F LANCAS TER .

and d isc ipl ined Hess i an corps . The y part ic ipated in the

unfortunate aff ai r of Kips Bay , Septemb er 1 5 . CaptainS awy e r ’s order book has b een preserved in the statearchives . The rol l of hi s compan y , nearl y al l O f L ancas

ter , fo l low s

Capt . S amuel S awyer, Joseph Hough ton ,El ijah Wilder

,

Lieut . S almon Godfrey , Ephraim Cheney , John Jos lyn ,

2d Lieu t . N athl . S awyer, S imeon Burt , Nathan Parmiter ,Ens ign Ebenezer Belknap, Joseph Beaman , Jos iah Winn ,

S erg t . Benj “ . Parkings,

S amuel Holman , Jacob Piper,Elisha Allen , Levi Wilder, Will iam Fairbank ,Joseph Fairbanks , Calvin Moor , Abel Bigelo ,

Artemas Maynard , Hezekiah Whetcomb , Daniel Page ,

Corp . John Bennit t , David Hough ton , Jonas Rice ,

Amos Kn igh t , Jonathan Ross , Roger Bartlitt ,S amuel Chirchel , Joseph Wilder, Luther Rice ,Elijah Bawl

,Jacob Phelps , Thomas B lodget ,

Drummer S eth Ross , S amuel Bowers , S tan ton Brown ,

Fifer Calvin Kilburn , Joshua Rugg , Joseph Benn itt ,Peter Airs , John Bowers , Nathan iel Beaman ,

Jonathan Wilder, Thomas Mears , Joseph Wood ,S amuel Carter, Edmund Larkin , Jonathan EmersonJohn Brooks , A sa Priest , Aaron G lazier,Reuben L ipingwel l , Joseph Hoar, Abner Moors ,Timo thy S tearns , Thomas Hale , Ephraim Rugg ,David Whitcomb , Jasher Wyman , Nathaniel Wh i te ,Jacob S wear S amuel Flood , Jonas Wyman ,

Benjam in Priest , S hubal Bayley , Ephraim Powers ,James Clerk , Elisha Wh itney , Joseph Persons ,Jonas Brooks , Benjam in S mith , Abel Wright ,John Thurs ton , Nathaniel Jones , Jacob Robbins .

S amuel Johnson ,

Jacob P iper , David Houghton , S tanton B rown and Ephraim Rugg were reported m iss ing Septem ber 1 5 , on the

retreat from N ew York .

”A s thei r n am es do not again

appear during the war , i t is prob ab l e that the y were ki lledo r captured at K i p’s Bay . Benjam in Sm i th died October1 5 ; Jos i ah Wi nn and Hezeki ah Whitcomb on Novembe r8 ; and John Bennett at a date unrecorded . CorporalKnight and Joseph Beam an were discharged Novemb er 1 2 .


The General Court , Jul y 1 0 , 1 776 , ordered two regim ents to b e raised to strengthen the northern arm y underGeneral Phi l i p Schuy le r at Ticonderoga , b y drafti ng ever ytwenty-fifth m an of the train b and and alarm l ists . Whenthe Council sought co lonels for these regim ents , AaronW il lard and Samuel B rewer were sel ected . Captain AaronW i l l ard , J r . , scarred wi th the terribl e wound rece ived at theb attle of Ticonderoga in l i ved in Lancas ter , a nearneighbor to 11 1 8 noted cousi ns , Ab ij ah , Levi and Abel .

Un l ike them , however , he was an ardent patriot . He accepted the colone lcy proffered him , but b y acc ident

“

put

his knee ou t of j oi nt ,” and his comm and was led to i ts des

t ination b y other fie ld officers . (See Counc i l Records , X IX ,1 4 1 , 1 56 , 1 6 7 ,

The Lancaster m en were not , however , in that com

m and . August 1 8 , Captain Manasseh S awy er m archedwith ninety-two men , drafted under the orde r of Jul y 1 0 ,

from Lancaster and neighboring towns .. The compan y

served for e ight m onths , be ing for m ost of the tim e sta

tioned at Dorchester Heights , and attached to the regimen tof Colonel N icholas D ike , of which Henry Haskel l was

l i eutenant-colonel . Enrol led in this compan y were

O F LAN CASTE R .

Captain Manasseh S awyer, Nathan iel Burpee , David Pike ,

Corporal John Loring , S tan ton Carter, Nathan iel Roper,Elias Farnsworth , Reuben Geary , Thomas S aw tel l ,

Drummer Timothy Wilder, Darius Harvey , Abner S awyer,Fifer O liver Bowker, James Hough ton . Jr. Thomas S awyer,

El isha Wh i te , Nathanie l Hough ton , John S now ,David Bennett , Jr. Thomas Hough ton , Joseph Wheelock ,Wil liam Boardman , Joshua House , Ephraim Wilder,David Amory Boyn ton , Benjamin M ay, Joshua Wil lard ,Ebenezer Burpee , Lev i M ay, John Winn .

E lijah Burpee, S amuel Mosman ,

O F LE O M IN STE R .

Ensign Jos iah Carter, Thomas Josl in , Joseph S weetser,S ergean t Jeremiah Underwood , Jacob S pafford , Philemon S weetser,David Boutel l , John Whi tcomb .

THE CAMPA IGN O F 1 7 7 6 . 1 4 7

O F BO LTO N .

S ergean t Gardner Moore , David Hemmenway, John Powers ,

Abel Piper, Nathaniel Holman , Peter S tanhope ,Corporal Henry Powers , Jonas Hough ton , Abel Whi tcomb

,

Joseph Amsden , Jesse Jewet t , Richard Wh i tcomb ,John Barnard , John Moore , Abel Wilder,William Coolidge , Abel Pries t , Paul Wilson .

James Fife ,O F HAR VAR D .

S ergeant Daniel Laugh ton , Philemon Pries t , Abel Wetherbee ,

Corporal Reuben Conan t , Jonathan Puffer , Amos WetherbeeJoseph Atherton , Benjamin S tow , Jos iah Whi tney ,John H il l , Manasseh S tow , S almon Whi tney .

John Laughton ,

In Captain John Hartwel l ’s compan y O f the sam e regim ent were

O F LAN CASTE R .

S ergeant S am . Dickenson , Benjamin Farmer, John Pries t ,Nathan Eas terbrook , S imon Farmer, Benjamin Priest ,Wil l iam Flood , John Nichol ls , John Warner,Daniel Fleeman ,

Eleazar Pries t , Daniel Willard .

O F HAR VAR D .

S amuel Farnsworth , Joseph Farnsworth .

Joshua Johnson was in Captain Joseph S tetson ’s com

pan y,and Benj am i n Warner , of Harvard , i n Capta in

Bang’

s com pan y of th is regim ent . Ebenezer Prescott of

Lancaster died Octobe r 1 5 , 1 7 76 , at Dorchester , i n the

service .

[M ass. Archives , M uster R olls , I I I , 1 4 8 , 1 7 4 , 1 7 6 ,and XXV I

, 7 7 , 4 1 9—4 2 2 ]

A few Lancaste r m en are found c redited as serving i nthe Canada expediti on of 1 7 76 : Jacob Bennett and JohnJohnson in Captain Lamb ’s compan y : W i l l i am Flood andJohn Moore i n Captain Morgan ’s ; Sergeant Luther Fai rb anks in Captain T opham

’

s El ij ah Dole i n Captain

Ward ’s .

In the regim ent of m i l i ti a comm anded b y Colonel JamesConverse O f Brookfield , of which Ephraim Sawy er of

1 48 ANNAL S O F LANCA S TER .

Lancaster was l i eutenant-colonel , the fol lowing offi cerswere serving at Dobb ’s Ferry and Tarry town

Capt . Daniel Goss , of L ancaster . Capt . S amuel H ill , of H arvard .

Lieut . Jabez Fairbank , do . Lieut . S imon Cooper, do.

Lieut . Joseph How,of Bolton , Lieut . Luke Richardson , L eominster .

[M ass. A rchives , M uster R olls , L I I ,

No rol l of the ir companies is found .

Captain David Nurse , with a compan y of s ixty-fourmen , nine of whom were from Princeton , the rest fromBol ton and Harvard , served ,

“ i n the Jerse y s , from Decemb er 1 2 , 1 7 76 , to March 26 , 1 7 7 7 . The fol lowing is a cop y

of his rol l

Capt . David Nurse , T eamster s , O liver Mosman ,

Lieut . Ephraim Davis , S amuel Davis , John Cooledge ,Lieut . Thomas Mason , Wil l iam Parkis , Joseph S awyer ,S ergt . S imeon Wil lard , Joseph Fry , Carter Kn igh ts ,

David Moore , Jabez Keep, Josiah Maynard ,I saac Norcross , Pr ivates , Joseph Gibbs ,John Townsend , S olomon Haskell , William Chace ,

Corp. Ph ilemon Priest , S tephen Whitney , Abel Harrington ,

I saac Moore , Jos iah Hovey , Jonathan Farnsworth ,Charles Warner, Jotham Johnson , Benjamin Bridges ,Levi Fairbank , Dwel ly Turner. Jonathan S ymonds ,

Drumf. Jacob Norcross , Dan iel Gibbs , Abel Baker ,

Fifer Barnabas S awyer . Wm. S tevens , d ied . Abel Pries t ,

Carpenter s , James Burt , S imon Whitney , S amuel Atherton ,

Wil liam Burt , Joshua Mosman , Manasseh Farnsworth ,John Wilson , Jona . Wh i tcomb , Jonathan Hutch ins ,Phineas Warner, Jotham Wh itcomb , John Whi tney ,Joseph Hough ton , Jabez Fairbanks , Robert Townsend ,Will iam RO S S , John H il l , John Burnam ,

O l iver Wil lard , Joseph Woods , Thomas Burges ,T eamster s , John Trask , George S awyer, Luther Parmenter

,

Jeremiah Bridge , Joseph Keys , Joseph Ward .

Joseph Blanchard ,[Papers of Capt. David N urse.]

The inconveniences and serious dangers i nci dent to thes y stem of short enl istm ents popular in New Englandand at first favored general l y through dread of a s tandingarm y— had long been a source of d isqui et toWashington .


LA N CASTE R , F eb : ye: I “ : 1 7 77 .

Received of Levi More twelve Pounds for going in to the three yearservice . LUTHE R FAIR BAN KS .

LAN CASTE R , April 2 6 , 1 7 7 7 .

Th is may Certify that I have Recd of Mr. Pe ter Thurs ton the sum of

T en Dol lars for Doing two mon ths’ S ervice to Rhode Is land for him .

With es my hand JO S IAH PHE LPS .

Attes t LUKE WILDE R .

LAN CASTE R,January

Then Recd of Thomas Gates the sum of s ix pound th irteen S h il l ingsand four pence for Doing a turn in the Con tinen tal S ervis , Eigh teenmon ths from the Date hearof as Wi tnes my hand .

DAN E L WYM AN .

LAN CASTE R , June 2 1 Day, 1 7 7 6 .

These may S er tyfay whome it may Consarn that Danne l Wyman th isday have I nl isted under me I n the Ann e , I n behalf of Cap Thomas Gattsand E xsepted by the S ubscriber to do a turn for the above Cap Gat ts .

I n aknogemen t whairof TIM O MO S M AN , L ef tenant .

tes t . JO HN MO O R E JO S IAH WH ITN E Y Col .

LAN CASTE R , June 2 1, 1 7 7 6 .

I Received of Capt . Thomas gatts three pounds in fu ll for doing a turnfor him til l the firs t day of December next as witnes my Handtes t . JO HN MO O R E . DAN E L WYM AN

BO LTO N , Augus t the 1 1 7 7 6 . then R ec‘1 ofLieu t . James Goddard Eigh t pound for half a turn of S oldring a-going toCanaday . I say Recd By me E Z E KE I L FO S GA T .

Occas ional l y a learned m edical authority was i nvokedto aid som e c iti zen in escaping from m il itar y duty

this may S artify the Gentelmen whom i t may Concarn that Mr JohnNurse has a wicknes s in his E ye and is Lame and by R eson of them th ingsin my Judgemen t is no t fitt to DO Dui ty as a S olger in the malishea

S TOW Augt 2 1 rh 1 7 7 6 CHAR LE S WH ITM AN Phasihion

But John paid a subst i tute , i n spite of the Phasihion ,

and got this receipt

Th is may certify that I S olomon Jones Received two pounds twelveshil l ings and s ix Pence of John Nurse for doing a quarter of a turn in theCon tinental S ervice to be done at N ew York .

S O LO M O N JO N E S .

THE CAMPAIGN O F 1 7 76 . 1 5 1

BO LTO N ,July y8 1 7 7 6

Then Recd . of my Honoured Father S am11 Baker Twe lve pounds Including the Boun ty of three pounds From this Govrment F or my I n tring in tothe S ervice of 5 d Con t Govrment in an Expedi tion to N ew York in y0Room and S tead of Abel Baker a minor and S on of my said Father .Recd p me S A M L L

. BAKE R J R .

Occas ional l y the bondman ’s services were sold b y h ism aster in behal f of the nat ion

'

s freedom

WALTHAM , M ay 1 7 7 7

Then Received of Joseph How and Eliakim Atherton the sum of Th irtyP ounds l . m . for my S erven t negro man Named York Rugles who Has in

l is ted and passed mus ter Before Col l . James Barrat of Concord for thetarm of three years in Cap Ashley’s Company of Col l . Badison’

s [Pat terson

’s] R igemen t in the Con tinen tal armey . I further Promis and S ay that

myNegro York I sett to the aforsd How and Atherton to do a turn for B0 1ton in the Con tinen tal armey as witnis my hand . [S ignature m is s ing ]

To insure the correct apportionm en t of quotas through

out the comm onwea lth , a census of the m ale c i ti zens of

m i l itar y age was ordered , returns of which were m ade tothe Secretary of S tate and the comm ander of the m i l itaryd istrict to which the town b elonged .

LAN CASTE R , S ept . 8 , 1 7 7 7 , S tate of Massachusetts Bay .

According to a Resolve of th is s tate of Dec . 9 ,1 7 7 6 , Directed to the

S electmen to take the Number of their Male Inhabitan ts from s ix teenyears old and upwards , and Del iver the same in to the S ecretary’s O ffice on

or before the Las t Day of January 1 7 7 7 , in Compliance wi th orders Recd .from the general assembly Dated July 3 , 1 7 7 7 , Directed to the S electmen

to make a Return of all the male Inhabitan ts from s ixteen years O ld and

upwards , the amoun t of the whole of the male inhabitan ts in the town of

Lancas ter at Dec . 9 1 7 7 6 , was s ix Hundred and fifty-nine ; the selectmenwould inform the hon

’able court that we Never Recd any orders from the

assembly Before that Baring Date July 3 , 1 7 7 7 , therefore we Beg to be

excused from any Neglect in Regard to orders from said assembly .

E PH M. W ILDE R , l

S electmenWM . GR E E N LE AF ,foS O LO M O N JEWETT, j L ancaster .NATH . BE AM AN ,

[S worn to before “ Wm. Dunsmoor, Jus tice Peace .

”

[M assachusetts A rch ives,CL X I

,1 4 8 ,

There is added in the return to Colone l Jos i ah Whitney ,and thirteen negroes” .

1 5 2 ANNA L S O F LANCAS TER .

The revolutionar y action O f Lancaster town-m eeti ngs ,al l too b riefl y recorded b y the town c lerk , has b een copiedin form e r pages to the close of the y ear 1 775 . A t the an

nual March m eeting in 1 776 , am ong the ofli cers regularl ye lected were the Comm ittee of Correspondence andSafet y , cons isting of these nine m en

Cyrus Fairbank , Jabez Fairbank , David Wilder ,Josiah Kendal l , Jr . Ephraim S awyer, Jonathan Wilder ,Ebenezer Al len , Wil l iam Dunsmoor, E sq . Joshua Fletcher .

War rant for T own M eet ing on the L ast M onday of S epr . 1 7 7 6 .

WO R CE STE R CO UN TY , in the Colony of the Massachuset ts Bay . T o the

Freeholders and o ther Inhabitan ts of the Town O f Lancas ter—Greeting .

I n the Name of the people and authority of the American S tatesY ou are hereby Not ifyd and warnd to mee t at the Mee ting-house in the firs tparish in Lancas ter on the Las t of this Ins tan t S eptember at 9 O .Clock in

the forenoon then and there to A ct on the fol lowing Articles .

I sfly T o Chuse a moderator for the Govermen t O f said Meeting .

T o see if the Town w il l Raise money to h ire men to go in to theS ervice agains t our Enemies , whenever we have orders from the Congressand Gen‘. Court to turn out M en for that E nd .

3 . T o see if the Town will Vote to have the Money assesd and madein to a Rate as our other S ums are Raisa to Defrav Town Charges provided there shd . Be a S um R aisd for that purpose above men tioned .

4 . T o S ee if the Town wi l l Chuse a Comm i t tee to provide men fromtime to time wi th said Money if sent for . O r act any th ing Re lativethereto as the Town shall think proper .5 . T o see if the town w ill al low and Except of the Receipts &Certificates

of those that have paid out money to Get M en to go in to the S erviceagains t our Enemies L et Each man draw his Respective sum or sumsout of the Town Treasure when said money is Colected .

6 . T o S ee if the Town wil l Come in to any measure Concern ing thosethat have Done a Turn in th is War , Longer or shorter wi thou t being h irdw i thou t any Boun ty in Money for Encouragemen t from the province , thisbeing Reques t of Ph ineas Beaman and others .

7 . T o S ee if the Town wil l Chuse a person agreeable to a Late A ct ofthe Genl . Court providg a S peedy and Cheep Course for Receiv‘e’ of Debts .

8 th“ . T o S ee if the Town wil l Make Choice of a Coun ty Treasurer .9 . T o S ee i f the Town wi l l Make Choice of a Coun ty Regis ter .

DAN IE L RO BB IN S , T . Clerk .

Dated at LAN CASTE R , S epf1 2 t

h. 1 77 6 .

A t the m eeting thus warned the propos it ions of Beaman


all mat ters and th ings wh ich shal l appear for ye Peace and Prosperity ofthis Town—it being ye Reques t of Mr Jonathan Wilder and others .

When the town met , i t was

Voted , to Cons ider what Each man has Done in the war sence ye 1 9th

April 1 7 7 5 and make a Proper Allowance to each man for what he hasDone to th is time .

Voted to Chuse a Comm i ttee to E s temate what Each man has Donetowards ye war sence ye 1 9

thof April 1 7 7 5 to this time and also what they

w ill give a mon th for the F uter to Each man . Chose Capt . Wm.

Greenleaf, Capt . Wm. Putnam , S amuel T hus tin , Capt Jonathan Wilder,

Caleb Wh i tney to make ye above E s temation .

7 annary ye 20t it 1 7 7 7 then meet according to A dj our nment .

Voted , that the Commision officers be excluded from having anybounty from ye town .

Voted , to accept the E s temat ion of ye Comm ittee .

Voted to Chuse a Comm i ttee to Receive the Certificates of thosethat have Done S ervice .

4‘Y

. Voted that the Comm is ion officers be a Comm i ttee to Receivethe Diffran te Certificates R ecpt

I3of y

e men in servis .

A t adj our ned meet ing F ir st T uesday in F ehr .

Voted that those Persons that Belongeth to ei ther of ye Companys inLancas ter that have om it ted bringing in their Certificates R ecpts at th istime shall be Intitled to L ay their several Certificates R ecpts before theRespective officers .

Voted not to Raise a sum of money to encorage ye solders to go into

ye servis according to the Es timation Drawn up by the Commit tee Chosefor that Purpos

A t an aaj our ned meet ing held on T uesday the I 1 day of M arch 1 7 77 .

Voted and Chose CO ] . A sa Whitcomb , Capt Thomas Gates , JoshuaF letcher, Elisha Allen , Jabez Fairbank , as a Commit tee of Correspondenceand S afety in Lancas ter .

The warrant for the town-m eeti ng of November 24 ,

1 7 7 7 , had spec i al reference to two m atters of recent legislat i ve act ion , and the freeholders were

2nd15’

. T o take into Consideration the Late act made for PutingLarge S ums of the Bills of Credit Emi t ted by this S tate on I n tres t on or

before the firs t Day of January Next , and to act or Transact anything R elating said act as they shal l th ink Proper.

48 1 157

. to S ee if the town will act on a Resolve of th is S tate of S epr 291 7 7 7 of S upplying the famil ies of S uch Persons , N on Commis ioned offi

cers and S o ldiers in the Continental S ervice for three years or During thewar .

RHO DE I S LAND S ERVI CE . 1 55

The m eeting having expressed its hostil ity to the act

concerning the B ills of Credi t , chose Colonel A sa Whi tcomb , John Prescott , Frederick Albert , Jonathan Fai rb ankand Thom as Fai rb ank a comm i ttee to draw up a statem entof the m atter , and then

7th ”

. Voted to accept the Commi ttees Report , wh ich is as followethth is Town Taking into Consideration the Late act made for Put ting LargeS ums of the bil ls of Credit Emit ted by this S tate on intrest on or beforethe firs t Day of December Nex t , and for S inking in the hands of the Possesors all S ums Less than ten Pounds Excepting those bills Less than one

Dollar . Therefore this town are Clearly of oppinion that said act in Connect ion w ith a T ax we unders tand is soon to Come out is a grevence we

Look upon greater than to S ink S aid Money by a T ax or Taxes , as thePeople are Able to Bare ; and Further we Look upon i t Very E xtrodanarythat S aid Court S hould L ay a Fine on the Tendering sd money when at

the same time the face of sd bill saith i t shal l be of S uch Val ue , and R ec‘1in al l Paymen ts . Therefore R esolvd to Peti tion s

‘1 Court for Redress of

said A grevence .

A S A WH ITCO M B,Chairman of sa

’

Comm ittee.

F ebruary 5 , 1 7 78

Voted to accept the articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the Un i ted S tates of America.

M ar ch 2 , 1 7 7 8

Voted and Chose Capt . Jonathan Wilder, Jonathan Fairbank ,E lisha

Wh ite , Capt . Benjamin Hough ton , E phm Roper, a Commi t tee of I nspec

tion and S afety .

V . S HO RT S ERVICE ENL I S TMENTS , 1 7 77—8 2 .

I t wil l b e m ore convenien t , before giving a roster of

Lancaster sold i e rs enrol led i n the contin ental arm y for threey ears or dur ing the war , to compl ete the records of shortservice enl istments .

R HO DE IS L AN D S E R VICE .

In December , 1 776 , General S ir Henry C l inton andAdm i ral Sir Peter Parker , having been foiled b y GeneralLee in their attack upon Charleston , occupied Rhode Isl andwi th about six thousand troops . This was a convenient


point whence to attempt m arauding excurs ions when oppor

tun ity favored , or to m ake a dive rs ion in aid of Burgo y ne ’ssouthward m ovem ent from Lake Champlain . Congress ,recognizing the threatening danger , ordered the rais ing of

a corps of m il iti a in the three southern New Engl and statesto hold this hostil e force i n check or destro y it , and General Joseph Spencer was pl aced i n comm and . The m ovem ents of this officer were so de l ib erate that he becam efam i l i arl y known to his own troops as

“ Grann y Spencer .”

I t was Octobe r , 1 7 7 7 , b efore he was ready for a descentupon the island . On an appointed n ight the arm y wasdrawn up at Tiverton , but a sudden storm m ade the passage O f boats hazardous ; the expedi tion was delay ed , and

the cam paign final l y ended i ngloriou sl y without act ion .

Bes ides Colonel Thom as Craft ’s arti l ler y and half them il it i a of Massachusetts , drafted to serve dur ing Octob er

under General Hancock , three thousand troops , spec i al l yenrol led b y the state for this service , were present . Am ongthe last , servi ng In Co lonel Ab ij ah S tearn s

’

s regiment , unde r Captain Joseph Sergeant of Pri nceton , were the following

O F LAN CASTE R .

S ergeant Jacob Wilder , Thomas Grant , John S now ,

William Beman , S amuel Johnson , Nathaniel Taylor ,John Brooks , Jr . Joseph Jones , EphraimWiles ,Daniel Burdit t , Ph ineas Phelps , Elijah Wilder.

Josiah Phe lps ,

O F BO LTO N .

Corporal S amuel Baker, Thomas Burnham , Jos iah S awyer ,Benjamin Bruce , John Longley , John Whitcomb .

O F HAR VAR D .

Qr .-M . S ergt . Jacob Wh i tney , Jacob Robbins , Reuben Whi tney ,

James Burt , Jonathan S imonds , S olomon Wh i tney .

Joseph Fry ,O F LE O M IN STE R .

S econd-Lieut . Thomas Wilder, A sa Johnson , Benjam in S tevens ,S hubael Bailey , S imeon Perry , Jos iah Wh i te .

Ph ineas Carter .[M ass. A rchives M uster R olls , 1 1 1 , 1 6 2

1 58 A N N ALS O F LAN CA S T ER .

detachm ents won much praise . The next day the retreatwas ski lful l y com pl eted wi thout m ol estation , and thusended an expedit ion that for a t im e gave fai r prom ise ofputting a glorious end to the war .

The second Worcester regiment of m il i ti a , comm andedby Colon icl Jos i ah Whitney of Harvard , was one of thosede tai led for the Rhode Isl and cam paign , and was engaged

for one m onth and fifteen day s from August I , 1 778 . Cap

tain Manasseh Sawy er ’s company of this regim ent num

b ered s ixty-four rank and file , b elonging to Lancas te r ,Harvard and Bolton . I ts roste r , found i n MassachusettsArchives , XX I I , 20 7 , fol lows , Lancaster nam es being ini tal ics

Capt . M anasseh S awyer ,

Lieut . Richard Townsend ,Lieut . John Daby,S ergt . David S ampson ,

E benezer Pihe,

yonathan Wi lder ,

Wi lliam Phelps ,Corp. N athan iel R oper ,

_

‘

7oshua R ugg ,

David Whitcomb,A mos S ergeant ,

Dan iel A lber t ,

O liver A ther ton ,

John Brigham ,

E benezer B urpee,S tephen Cool idge ,Will iam Cool idge ,M icah Dav is ,7 ames D ivol ,

7 onathan F airbanh ,

Francis Farr,Phineas F letcher ,

In the regim ent of Colonel Nathanie l Wade , serving inRhode Isl and during the year 1 778 , i n the companies ofCaptains Ebenezer Belknap , Nathan F i sher , El isha Jackson , etc . were

7 ames F uller , Wi l liam Putnam ,

Elisha Fullam , Nehem iah Ramsdel l ,David Geary , T i l ley R ichardson ,

James Goddard , Ebenezer Ross ,_

'

7ames Goodwin , A aron R ugg ,

David Green leaf, Thaddeus S hattuck ,O liver H ale, yoshua S t i les ,A bner H ashell , Manasseh S tow ,S tephen Has tings , Jesse Walcot ,

S ilas Holman , Ebenezer Warner,John Hoppin , O l iver Wheelock,N athan iel H oughton , E noch Whitcomb,7 os iah Kendall , Phineas Whitcomb,Edward Martin , I srael Wh i tney ,John Mead , Richard Wh itney ,Wil lard Moore , Abel Wilder,7 0seph N i chols , A saph Wi lder ,

_

‘

7acab N orcross , David Wi lder ,

Wil l iam Pol lard , E l ij ah Wi lder ,Jacob Pries t , yoshua Wi llard ,

yohn Pr iest , 7 0se1 5h Wr ight ,

RHO DE I S LAND S ERVI CE .

S ergt . Wil liam Fairbanks ,John Wheelock ,

Corp. Thomas Kendal l ,Drummer Timothy Kendal lPeter Ayres ,L azarns Brabrook ,

Jonas Brooks ,BO LTO N M E N .

S ergt . Wil liam Whitcomb ,Nathan Bal l ,Nathan iel Holman ,

HAR VAR D M E N .

Corp . Phineas Warner ,O liver Edwards ,John Hale ,

Prince Turner,Calvin Warner ,


David Hale ,Joel Hale ,

Corp . Nathan Colburn ,

Thomas Follinsbee ,Calvin Hale ,

Jacob Houghton ,

Jonas Houghton ,

Wil l iam S anderson , Jr .

Robert Hough ton ,

1 59

Jacob S awyer,

Jonathan Wh i tcomb ,S amuel Wh i tcomb ,David Winch

,

John Winn ,

John Wyman .

Abel Wetherbee ,Jonas Wh itney , Jr.

Luke Johnson ,

Jacob S ymonds ,Zebedee S ymonds .

[M ass. A rchives , M uster R ol ls , L V,M . 5 6 , 59 ; XL I I , 1 0 ,

etc.J

A t atown-meeting in Lancaster , Sep tember 9, 1 779 , itwas

Voted to h ier the men to go to Rhod I sland , sent for by order of

Council 2 8 . August .

Capt . David M oor e’s company , Col . _7

’

ohn 7 acobs’r egiment ,

serving in R hode I s landf rom O ctober I , 1 779, two months .

LAN CASTE R M E N .

O liver Glazier,Dan iel Kn igh t ,Edmund Larkin ,

Ephraim Larkin ,

S ergt . S herebiah Hunt ,Fifer John Wheelock ,S tanton Carter,S olomon Fleeman ,

BO LTO N M E N .

Capt . David Moore,Joseph Houghton ,

John Moore ,

HAR VAR D M E N .

S ergt . John H il l ,Thaddeus B rown ,

James Furbush ,Nathan Garfield ,

[M ass. Archives , M uster R olls , I I I ,

Richard Townsend ,

Reuben L ipenwell ,Joseph S ever,James S now ,Jotham Wilder .

Jonathan Whitcomb .

Nathaniel Hazeltine,David S tone,Jonas Whitney .

LAN CASTE R M E N

Jos iah Cutting ,Jacob Glas ier ,Ephraim Houghton ,

Jonas Hough ton , Jr .Joshua Phelps ,Reuben Ross ,


Jul y 25 , 1 78 0 , i ntel l igence came that S i r Henr y Cl intonm editated an attack upon the French encampm ent at Newport , and the short service recru i ts raised for the re-enforcem ent O f the Cont inental arm y were ordered to RhodeIsl and . These Lancaste r ofli cers led them

Capt . Fortunatus Eager, Lieut . Timothy Hayward , Lieut . S amuel Wilder .[M ass . A rchives , M uster R olls , I ,

In Captain Joseph El l i ott’s compan y , Colonel Wi l l i amF urnas

’

s regiment , at Butt’

s Hil l , Decemb er 1 , 1 78 1 , werethe fol lowing

O F LAN CASTE R .

Lieut . Joseph Wh ite , Ephraim Hale , John Wh itcomb .

Corp . Abel Thayer, James Haten , Jr .

O F BO LTO N .

James Haten , David Wetherby , E lihu Vl hi tcomb .

O F HAR VAR D .

S amuel Haskel l , Nehem iah Ramsdell , S amuel Russell .O F LE O M IN STE R .

Benjamin Brown , Ephraim Lincoln , Benjam in Tarbox .

[M ass . A rchives, M uster R olls . 1 1 ,

R oll of Capt . David M oor e’s Company of M i li tia in L t .

-Col . E noch H al

let ’s R egt . 3 mos ., accord ing to an A ct of the General Cour t of the

2 2d yane last . R hode I s land , yuly 2 1 , 1 7 8 1 .

David Moore , capt . Edmund Lark in , S ilves ter Roper ,John Hough ton , l ieut . Calvin Wilder, Jonas Bailey ,Timo thy Bailey , l ieut . Ignatius Ful ler, Josiah Fairbank ,

Harry Rice , Rufus Moore , Lev i Robins ,Ephraim Fairbank . Benjam in Haskell , S olomon Holman ,

Jonathan Bush , Daniel Wilder, Nathaniel Taylor ,Daniel Carter, John Willson , Artemas Wil lard ,Moses Hudson ,

Benjamin Hastings , James Brown ,

Peter Fletcher, Wal ter Pollard , Thomas B lodget ,Jonas Hough ton , Daniel Harris , Benjam in Wheelock ,Abel Hough ton ,

Benjam in Gould , Will iam Park ,S tephen Ross , Benjamin S awyer , Abmah Wh i tcomb ,Joseph Parson ,

John Cooledge , Abel Wetherbee ,Reuben Wilder, William M cBride Benjamin Warner,Nathan Wilder, Eleazar Parker , O l iver Hail ,Benjamin Robins , Timothy S hattuck , Peter S tickney ,

1 6 2 AN NALS O F LANCAS TER .

and make Due Return—given under my hand th is 2 7 th Day of July 1 7 7 7 .

S ILAS BAILY , M aj or .

N . B . they are to be equipt according to L aw with S ix Days provis ion .

August 2 , heavy re-enforcem ents were again dem andedfor the i ncrease of the Massachusetts forces under GeneralBenj am in Lincoln , then harassing the re ar of Burgoyne

’

s

arm y . The Bol ton m ajor therefore i ssued this secondorde r

T o Cabtn . David N ur se, Gr i t ing .

I n Consequence of orders receved this momen t from Col . Wh i tneyI order you to corse one half of the traning band together wi th the al larm

l is t to march to Ben ington immediately with eigh t dayes provison and

arms and ammuni tion as the law directs agreabel to orders .

S ILAS BAILE Y , maj .

For several weeks the m echan ic was m issed from his

bench , the husbandm an from the fie lds , and the care of

cattl e and crops devolved upon the wom en and childrenwaiting in pray erful suspense . The Lancaster m en answering to the summons are found i n the muster-rol l s of Cap

tains John White and Solomon Stuart

Captain _

‘

7ohn White’s company which marched to Bennington on alarm

7 uly ,1 7 7 7 , and served one month eight day s under Col . 7 ob Cashing .

John Whi te , captain . Levi Larkin , John Fletcher,John Kenrick , l ieutenant . Enoch Roper, Nathaniel Houghton ,

Andrew Haskell , substitute. John S pofford , Ephraim White ,Luke Wilder, sergeant . Ph inehas Wilder, Jacob S awyer,Ruben Garey , John Robbins , El ijah Rugg ,David Hosley , Noah Kendall , Amos S awyer,William Fairbank , sergeant . Jacob Wilder, Josiah Phelps ,Jonas Powers , corporal . Abijah Hough ton , Joseph Jones ,Ebenezer Brooks , Nathaniel Taylor, S o lomon Fleeman ,

S olomon Holman , Will iam Goss , David Bennet t ,Joshua Rugg , Joseph Pearson , Thomas Wrigh t ,John Wheelock , dr ummer . Jonathan Knigh t , Ephraim Pike ,Calvin Kilburn , fifer , S amue l Jewitt , Peter Mann ing ,Abel Al len , Daniel Page , Joseph Beaman .

Amos A llen , Joshua Phelps , Elisha Woods ,Jotham Wilder, James Divol , O nes imusMoses Dickenson , Benjamin Bosworth , David Whitecar ,David Andrews , S hrewsbury .

[M ass. A rchives, M uster R olls, I I I,

BEN N INGTO N ALAR M . 1 63

S olomon S tuart , capt .

Edward New ton , I st lt .

Elisha S awyer, 2d lt .

S amuel Bayley , I “ ser t .

S olomon S tuar t’s Co. in Coll . 7 osiah Whitney

’s R eg

t : mar ched

on alarm at B ennington on A ugust ye 2 1 , 1 7 7 7 .

Caleb Whitney , Josiah Kendal l ,Ephraim Powers , S amuel Mason ,

Elijah Dresser, Thomas S awyer,S amuel S now , John Willard ,Moses Burpee , Wil l iam Palmer,S amuel Thompson ,

2d ser t .

Ephraim Willard , 3d ser t .

Cornel ius S awyer, 4”z ser t .

Ephraim Goss , IS t corp .

O l iver Fairbank , 2 4 corp .

Ephraim Bowker, 3d corp .

Aaron S awyer, 4 corp.

William Kendall , fif erDavid O sgood ,William Putnam ,

M icah Harthan ,

Ebenezer Buss , Jr.Jonathan Pierce ,Ephraim Wrigh t ,Abel Richardson ,

Augus t 2 1—2 5 .

Timothy Brown , David Wilder,Jonathan Nelson , Jr . Jonathan Presco t ,Joshua Willard , O l iver Moor ,Elihu Wilder, Peter Prescot ,Wil l iam Putnam , Jr. Joshua Brooks ,Manasseh Roper, S amuel Rice ,

John Roper, Elijah Wilder,Levi M ay, John Chandler

,

Nathan Burpee , Jr. Israel Cook ,S amuel Brown , Wil l iam Eaton ,

E athan Kendall , Calvin Moor,Ephraim Wilder, Jr . John Brooks ,Jonathan Thompson , Ti l ley R ichardson .

Ebenezer Ross ,[M ass. A rchives , M uster R olls, XX I I I,

Captain H ezehiah Whitney’s Company of Bolton ; Bennington alarm ,

Capt . Hezekiah Whi tney ,L t . Richard Townsend ,L t . Thomas Mason ,

S ergt . Jacob Moore ,

James Burt ,Wil l iam Haskel l ,

Corp . Uriah Moore ,Gabriel Priest ,

Fifer Isaac Crouch ,

7 2th 30 , 1 77 7

Richard Townsend , Wil liam Wil lard,

S ilas Whi tcomb , O liver Atherton ,

David Whitney , Jonathan S tearns ,S imon Hough ton , John H i ll ,Richard Whi tney , Josiah Wh itney ,Jonathan Clerk , Enoch Wh i te ,Thaddeus Pollard , Edward Martin ,

Jonathan S ymonds , Nathan iel Longley ,James Fife , S amuel Davis .

[M ass . A rchives, M uster R olls , XX IV, 25 and

L ieut . S amuel S tickney’s Company in Colonel A bijah S tearns

’

s R egiment

of M i lit ia , mar ched to S aratoga on the 9 of O ct . 1 7 77 , by order ofGeneral Cour t , to ass istance of General Gates . [of L eom inster .]

Left . S amuel S t ickney ,Left . Thomas Wilder.S argen t John Colburn ,

S argen t Levi Warner,Corp. Abijah Butler,

John Bowers , Ebenezer Houghton ,

Ebenezer Butler, David M ay,

Abijah Carter, Francis Parker,Josiah Carter, Jacob S paford ,Jonathan Colburn , Josiah S wan ,


Corp. Josiah Whi tcomb , Jonas Gates , Elisha Whi te ,

David Boutel l , S ilas Hail , David Wilder,William Boutel l , Abiathar Houghton , James Wood .

[M ass. A rchives , M uster R olls , XX I I I ,

R E—E N FO R CE M E N TS O F CO N TI N E N TAL AR M Y.

Capt .

.

‘

7 ohn Drury’s Co . , Col . E zra Wood , T iconderoga , M ay to

December , 1 77 8 .

John Drury , captain . S tan ton Carter, Jacob M iller,John Kindrick , lieut . Benjamin Farley , John More ,James Burt , l ieut Wil l iam Grout , Joseph Nowel lJames Burt , Jonathan Gale , Marshal l Newton ,

Noah Eager, S olomon How, S amuel Phelps ,

S pencer Maynard Ephraim Holland , Ephraim Parkiss,

Enoch Roper, Jonathan Hough ton , Lewis S mith ,Abraham Townsend , corp . Joseph Hough ton , Lemuel S hed ,Benjamin S awyer, Joseph Houghton , Jr . John S tacy ,John F ay, S amuel Jewett , Thomas S every ,Jonathan Knowlton , Joseph Jewet t , Jonathan S tearns ,Abijah Herrington , fif er . Ebenezer Lyon , Benjamin S ad ler,Nathaniel Andrews , Benjam in Larkin , Robert Townsend ,Amos Allen , Edmund Larkin , Jotham Wilder,Abel Amsden , John Larkin , John Wilson .

Joseph Beeman , Ebenezer Mann ,

[M ass . A rchives, M uster R olls , XL V I , 89, 1 0 1 , 1 1 5 , 1 29,N O res idences are given in the original , but most of the

l ist are of Bol ton and Lancaster .

Capt . Ephraim S tearns ’s Co. , Col . E zra Woods ’ R egt . 1 7 78 .

David Hemmingway , sergt . Benjamin Dolbear , Jos iah Wh ite ,James Wilder, Phineas Fn llam ,

John Whi temore ,

Joseph New ton , Jacob Hutchins , S olomon Wilson ,

Nathan iel Bosworth , corp. S amuel Hough ton , George Wood ,Daniel Harris , Thomas Lawton , Jonathan Wood ,Thomas Dodge , Joseph Pries t , S i las Wyman .

John Boutel l , John Thurston ,

[M ass . A rchives M uste r R olls , XL I ,A L ist of the M en Pr ocured f rom the County of Worcester for theterm of n ine M onths f rom the time of their ar r ival at F ish Ki lls .

A ge. S tature. Complexion.

John Todd , 2 7 5 ft . 6 in .

Elisha Wood , 1 9 5 6

Wil l iam Flood , 1 9 5 6

Jacob Wilder, 20 5 1 0


The Leom inste r men wereA ge. S tature.

S hubael Bailey , I 8 5 ft . 9 in .

A sa Buttrick , 3 1 5 8

David Johnson ,1 8 5 7

Thomas Page , 48 5 1 0

S imon Perrey , 33 5 9 Ligh t .Joseph S tuart , 20 5 8 Dark .

[M ass . A rchives M uster R o lls XXV I I I,

A t the town m eeting May 1 8 , 1 778 , the town clerk ,

Cy rus Fai rb ank—who , l ike his predecessor , NathanielBeam an , O bviousl y owed his O ffici al pos ition to the highorde r of hi s patriotism rather than to his l i te rar y ab i l it iesrecords tha t the town

Voted to Rais Four thousand and Fou rty-nine pounds seven shilings

F or to pay S olgers that was hyerd for eigh t mon ths and n ine mon ths thatwas to Join the Contenan tal army for the presen t year.Voted to see what methurds the town w il l Come into for to Rase thes

men that wair sent for to R einfors the Contenantal army .

Voted to Rase eighteen Contenantal men for nine months and pay themby the town and to asses sd town for the same as they have in all othertown taxes in tim pas t .Voted and Chosen a Comm it te to Rase the eigh teen men above

E xprest and that the Commi t te Concis t of the Commis ion officers of

Each Compiney and the S electmen and the Committe of S aftey for 5 d

town .

Voted to Rais Fourteen men mor and to pay them by a town tax as the

o ther above E xprest for to joine our armey .

Vo ted that the Comision officers‘of each Compi ney I n S d town w ith the

S electmen and Commi tte of S aftey be a Comm itte to h ire money to paythe eigh teen Contennatal men above E xpres t upon the town’s accoun t .

O ctober 26 1 7 7 8 .

Voted to Chus a Comi tey to supply the F am iley of thos that air Gonin to the Contenantal army .

Voted and Chos S ol lomon J ewet , Edward New ton , Josiah Kendal Jun .

E lisha Wh i te , Daniel Rugg , William Tucker for S d Comi tey.

The care of the sold iers ’ fam i l i es was kept up for sev

eral years . A t the town m ee tings above nam ed were a lsodiscussed two important po l i t ical questions : the acceptance

of the S tate Constitut ion , and the di v is ion of the town .

CO NT INENTAL R E—ENFO RCEMENTS . 1 6 7

M ay 1 8 . Voted to Receive the new Form of Govermen t andCons titution sen t to us by the Great and General Corte ; the number of

pols that Vo ted to Receive i t was one hundred and Eleven . Voted agains tR eceiveg the Cons titution , Forty-one .

Voted to S et of the S econd Precinct in Lancaster as a S eprat Town .

January 4 , 1 7 79 .

Voted to Rase three hundred pounds to S upply the F amileys of thosethat air Gon in to the Con tenan tal army .

March 1 779 Voted and Choose Col . Joseph Reed , Cyrus Fairbank , Nathan iel Wh i te , S olomon J ewet , Luke Wilder commi t tee of I nspect ion and S aftey .

M ay 1 7 , 1 7 79

Vo ted to have new form of government and Cons ti tu tion made ; present at said meeting voting on the first article in the Court’s direc tion to

the S electmen , 84 Yeas , 1 4 Nays .

Vo ted to accept the second article in the Court order Concern ing aN ew Consti tution wi th this addi tion . We do Impower our Represen tativeto give his vote for Choos ing a Conven tion for the purpose men tioned wi thProviso that the Cons ti tution S hall Return un to the hand of the peopleF or their approbation or Disapprobation .

LAN CASTE R , June 2 8 , 1 7 79

3dly

. Voted to raise the men sent for from the General Court (by the

Voted to pay the men Required by the General Court by a town

Voted to Chuse a Commit tee to Raise the men for the army .

Voted that the S electmen , Comm iss ioned officers and Commi t teeof Correspondence Be the above Commi t tee .

Voted and Impowered the Committee to h ire the men for the

mos t Reasonable sum and to pay in theproduce of the land or in money .

Voted to Impower the Commit tee to give the men 4 0 / pr . mon thto go in to the army and pay at the price of the produce of the land at aprice a ual to the above sum of 40 pr . mon th .

LAN CASTE R , A ugust 2 ,1 7 79 .

6 . Voted that the Captains now in being of the Respective Compan ies make a Return at our next adjournmen t of what has been done byturnes or in money in the S ervices of their Country from the firs t of thewar to this time .

A t an adjourned m eeting the captains presente d thei rreport , which was referred to an auditing comm ittee , bu tnot recorded . I t prob ab l y m et the fate of form er attemp tsto equal ize the burdens of patriot ism .


[Vine months’men en l i sted 7 une 25 , 1 7 79, mar ched 7 uly 1 4 .

A ge . He ight , A ge. Height .Will iam Flud , 2 1 5 ft . 7 in . Reuben Wilder, 1 8 5 ft . 1 0 in .

John Wyman , 1 7 5 2 Peter Putnam,

2 1 5 8

Elisha Woods , 20 5 7 Will iam Kilburn , I 7 5 3

Z imori Eveleth , 1 7 5 2 Jul ius Caesar , I 7 5 5S amuel S awyer, 30 5 1 0 Lemuel S hed

,1 7 5 3

Eber S awyer, 2 5 5 1 0 Abijah Rice , 1 8 5 9Jacob S awyer, 23 6 1 Ephraim Fuller, I 7 5 7

Abel S awyer, I 8 5 7 Levi Warner, 1 8 5 7

Calvin S awyer, 1 8 5 7 James Hough ton .

[M ass . A rch ives , M uste r R o lls , XL I , 352 ; XL I I , 4 1 ; XX IX ,This de tachm ent , it wi ll be seen , inc luded a l arger pro

portion of y outhful recru its , and those b elow the average

s tature , than Lancaster furnished at any o ther date . I t

wou ld seem that the whole contribution of the state was

s im ilarl y pecul i ar , for Washington , July 29 , wrote to Presi dent Reed that he had received no re-enforcem ents S ince

the l ast campaign ,“ except ing about four hundred recru i ts

from the S tate of Massachusetts B ay (a portion of whomI am told are children , hired at above fifteen hundred dollars each , for nine m onths

’

The Bol ton m en en l isted for nine m onths , i n 1 779 , wereA ge. Height. A ge. He ight.

John Barnard , I 7 5 ft . 7 in . Benj . Has tings , I 7 5 ft . 9 in .

Gordon Goddard , Rufus Moore , 1 9 5 1 0

Benjamin Haskel l , S amuel Moore , 2 7 6 2

Moses Haskel l , Paul Wilson , 2 1 5 8

Harvard men

A ge .

Adam Amsden , 1 7 Aaron Pries t ,Reuben Garfield , 2 5 S amuel Russel l ,America Ham l in , 1 7 John Todd ,Jona. Hough ton , 1 8 Reuben Wi llard ,Leom i nster men

A ge. Height. Height.S amuel Boutel l , Luther Marble ,

David Clark , 33 5 ft . 1 0 in . R obert M otterhead ,24 5 ft 6 in .

S amuel Hough ton , I 8 5 7 Calvin O aks , 20 5 6

S amuel Jones . S i las Perry .

Abner Livermore ,[M ass . A rchives , M uste r R olls

,XX IX

, 5 5 ; XL I , 35 2 ]


LAN CASTE R , March 6 , 1 7 80 .

I . Voted and Chose James Richardson , S amuel Thurs ton , Thomas

Gates , Capt. Luke Wilder and Capt . Benja . Richardson a Comm it tee of

Inspection and Correspondence .

33d

. Voted to Choose a Commi ttee to hire S oldiers for ye Future ,

when sent for by ye General Assembly .

March 88 . Vo ted that the Field O ffi cers belonging to this Town w i th the Com

manders of the respective compan ies , be for a comm i ttee to h ire S oldiersfor the future when sen t for by ye General Court .

LAN CASTE R ,M ay 2d , 1 7 80

6 . Voted that the S e lectmen and Treasurer settle with ye S oldiersthat have notes for Grain , upon the bes t Terms that they can .

In June , 1 78 0 , the governm ent cal l ed upon Lancasterto furnish forty m en for S ix-months ’ service , and at a townm eeting on the s ixteen th of that month the town

2 . Voted to h ire the men now sent for by the General Courtby a Town T ax.

4 . Voted to Choose a Committee for the Purpose of hireing them as

above .

6 . Voted and Chose Capt . S amuel Ward , John Prescott , Dea. CyrusFairbank , Capt . Nathaniel Balch , S amuel Thurs ton and Dea. Lev i Moor ofye I st Precinct and Thomas Brown , James Richardson , Nathan iel Houghton , I srael Moor, James Kendal Jr . and Jonas Wilder Jun . of ye 2d Pre

cinct for 5 d Commi ttee .

The sudden re-appearance of Captain Samue l Ward’snam e at the head of a L ancaster comm ittee , when for

nearl y five y ears he had been a lmost excluded from towncouncil s b ecause his pol itical utterances were not rad icalenough to su it the feverish t im es , is S ignificant ; and JosephW i llard , E sq . , has expl ained the c i rcum stances that b rough thim again to the front , where he natural l y belonged . Whenthe assemb led voters began the cons i derat ion of ways andm eans to O b tain the forty soldiers dem anded b y the General Court , Jos i ah Kendall , J r . , a prom inent pol i tic i an andinn-keeper of the second prec inct , whose patriot ism hadhi therto been of an espec i al l y flam boyant characte r , arose ,declaring it a hopel ess task to try to induce so large a numb er to enl ist , and seem ed incl i ned to advocate refusal of

CO NT INENTAL R E—ENFO RCEMENTS . 1 7 I

obedience to the order . CaptainWard saw his opportunit y ,urged i n a speech of gre at eloquence the duty of prom pt

compl i ance with the requ is ition , at an y sacrifice , and m oved

the appointment of a comm ittee to secure the men . W ithin

twelve day s the requ is ite numb er had b een hi red , rece ived

their bounty , and were on thei r way to the rendezvous .

Their nam es wil l be given on the fol lowing page .

LAN CASTE R , June 23d

O n the article in y9 Warrant , Voted to empower the Comm it tee

Chosen to hire the M en therein Mentioned on any Terms they thinkProper , and if the Committee or any of them S hall con tract with any

Person to Do the S ervice Required by the O rders wh ich are the occation

of th is Vote, that the Town w ill in all Respects indemn ify and make goodto each one of 5 d Commit tee severally al l Mon ies , Damages and E xpences

wh ich they or any of them shall incur by performing their Con tracts ,

and wi ll also pay them their reasonable E xpences and for their Trouble inand about the Prem ises .

June 26 at an adjournmentVoted to Accept the fol low ing Report of the Committee Viz : T he Com

mi ttee engage to each M an that wil l enl is t 1 400 L awl . Money , such Partas each M an may wan t to be paid Down . the Remainder, when paid , to bemade as good as i t now is ; or 1 3 5 . 6 8 . 8 d Lawl Money to be paid in the

O ld Way in Corn , Beef and live S tock or any Produce as i t formerly usedto be sold , or the value thereof in Continen tal Money . T he above S umofferd is a Bounty from the Town in Addition to the Wages alowd . by theCourt . A nd furthermore the Committee Engage that the Money whichmay be Due from the S tate for the S ix Mon ths S ervice the Town will getfor each M an that wil l produce proper Certificates .

Descr iptive L ist of 6 mos . men raised to re-enfor ce the Continental

army , 1 7 80 .

A ge. Height . A ge.

Ebenezer Flagg , 24 6 ft . 1 in . John Brooks , 2 1

Andrew Haskell , 33 5 1 1 John Parker, 2 1

S amuel Phelps , 23 5 1 1 Abel Richardson , 1 9S amuel Johnson , 2 2 Wil l iam Kilburn , 1 7

Joshua Phelps , 1 9 7 Elijah Burpee , 1 9Daniel Wil lard , 2 5 9 S amuel S now , 1 7

9 Ephraim Pike , 20

Jotham Woods , 28

Reuben Wilder, 20

S amuel Corey , 1 9

6 JonathanWhitcomb , 1 71 1 Ichabod Garey , 30

6

5

5

Jonathan Tenney , 2 1 5

5

5( 6

5 4 Ebenezer Burpee , 1 9


A ge. Height. A ge. Height.Jonathan Barnard , 1 7 5 ft . 2 in . Enoch Roper, 2 1 5 ft . 9 in .

Abel S awyer, 1 9 5 8 Wil l iam Pike , 1 6 5 8

Ezra Moore , 1 6 5 4 John Winn , 20 5 9

J eduthan S awyer, 1 7 5 4 John Dunsmore , 35 5 9

Thomas Moore , 1 8 5 1 0 John Wil lard,

1 9 5 9

O liver G lazier, 1 7 5 8 Pau l S awyer, 2 1 5 I IS amuel Wrigh t , 1 7 5 5 Jacob Al len, 22 5 I I “ ‘

Ephraim Houl ton ,1 9 5 1 1 Aaron Willard , 2 2 5 8

John Putnam ,1 7 5 6 Ph ilemon Al len , 2 2 5 9

Benjam in Roper, 29 5 7 O liver Wheelock , 1 9 5 8

James Wilder, 1 8 5 9

Bes ides the above , the nam es of s i xteen o ther L ancas

ter soldiers are found i n various rolls , se rving for s ix m onthsduring 1 78 0

Nathaniel Brooks , Wil l iam Flood , Lev i Phelps ,Ebenezer Burdit t , John Green . Rawson Phelps ,S tephen Corey , Thomas Hammond , John S ergean t ,Pardon Dolbee , Ephraim Larkin , Jacob S imonds ,John Drewmore , John Parker, Hosea S prague .

Isaac Eveleth .

[M ass . A rch ives , M uster R olls , XXXV , 1 95 ; XXV ,230 ; IV, 1 25 , etc.]

These men were paid thei r bounty i n various way s andwith a generous cons i derat ion of thei r ind ivi dual preferences . JosephWi l lard , E sq . , narrates that John Dunsm oorprom ised to enl ist if given a certain lot of l and belongingto Deacon Levi Moore O f the town ’s comm ittee .

“ Takeit ,

”said the deacon ,

“

take i t ; I’d rather part with that land ,

although'

tis the best I own , than lose the whole b y an yneglect in aid ing the cause of my countr y .

”

Descr ipt ive l ist of the s ix-months ’ men of Bolton , H arvar d , and L eom in

ster , rai sed for the Cont inental army in 1 7 80 .

BO LTO N M E N .

A ge. Height. A ge. Height.Nathaniel O aks , 1 8 5 ft . 7 in . John Barnard , I 7 5 ft . 9 in .

Abel Pries t , 20 5 8 Matthew Atherton , 1 9 5 6

E l i Longley , 1 8 5 6 John Burnham , 20 5 1 0

Rufus Hough ton , I 6 5 4 Ebenezer Bailey , 3 1 6 1

N athan’

l Wh i tcomb , I 8 5 3 William Ross , 33 5 9Moses Haskel l , 20 5 7 William Bigelow, 35 5 6

S tephen Coolidge , 1 8 5 1 1


Captain N athl . Wr ight’s Co. S ept . to N ov . 1 8

,1 7 8 1 , Col . Dru

ry’s R egt . of [M i li t ia [A t West Point . ]

O F LAN CASTE R A N D STE R LIN G .

Capt . Nathan iel Wrigh t , Ephraim Houghton , Jacob S awyer,Corp. Lev i Pries t , S tephen Houghton , S amue l S now ,John Clark , Jacob Kilburn , Jonathan Wh itcomb ,S amuel Corey , Enoch Roper , Levi Whi te ,Ebenezer Harris , Reuben RO S S , Aaron Wil lard .

Abel Houghton , Eber S awyer, Artemas Wil lard .

BO LTO N M E N .

S ergt . Daniel Harris , Nathaniel Holman , Rufus Moore ,Matthew Atherton , James Hough ton , Beriah O aks .

HAR VAR D M E N .

S imeon Conan t , America Hamblin , Benjamin Warner,Jacob Fairbank , S amuel Hutch ins , Phineas Warner .Israel Hale , Dav id S tone ,

[M ass . A rchives, M uster R olls , XX IV, 1 1 9

The second prec inct , during the revolution , grew morerapidl y than the first , and i n 1 7 8 0 outnumbered and out

voted the older part of the town . I t was final ly set O ff

from Lancaster , Apri l 25 , 1 78 1 , and named S terl ing (wi thnot unusual carel essness of orthograph y ) , i n honor of theb rave General Wi l l i am Al exander , the putative Earl of

S ti rl ing , wi th whom Lancaster m en fought at Long Isl andand Monmouth .

A t a town m eeti ng in Lancaster , July 1 3 , 1 78 1 ,

8 . Voted to raise the three and five-months’ men agreeable to GeneralCourt O rder .9 . Voted to Chuse a Committee to procure the said men .

1 0 . Vo ted and Choose Josiah Bal lard , Jerem iah Haskell and JoshuaFletcher as the above Commi ttee .

LAN CASTE R , July 23 , 1 7 8 12 . Voted to raise two hundred and seven ty five pounds to pay the

three and five months men

LAN CASTE R , S eptember 3 , 1 7 8 17 . Voted that the constable be directed to proceed imed iately to

col lect the money assesd . on the town to pay the sold iers their money forthe three mon ths service and particularly their marching money .

GUARDS . 1 75

LAN CA STE R , S ept . 1 0 , 1 7 8 1 ; Voted to desire the several Captains to

Cal l their Compan ies together on Fryday nex t at 9 o’

Clock A . M , at the

meeting house in S d town and the several cons tables are directed to exertthemselves to Collect as much money in S ilver as possible for paying thesoldiers their advance pay .

Many of the sold i e rs that served for three months i n

1 78 1 m ay b e found i n the Rhode Isl and rol l s given uponprevious pages .

GUAR DS .

Bes ides the frequent cal ls upon the m il it i a for troops togo be y ond the state l i ne upon sudden alarm s , or dur ing

som e temporar y em ergenc y , there were constant detai l sfor guard duty within the state ; and am ong the papers of

compan y comm anders i n the revolut ion are found m anyrequ is itions l ike the fol lowing

HAR VAR D , March 2 1 , 1 778 .

T o Capt . David N ur se. S r . in consequence of orders I Recd fromGenl l Warner he having Recd orders from the General Court of th is S tate‘

Baring Dai t the 9 of th is Ins tan t and I am ordered to Detach 4 6 men out

of my Regt . non-commis ioned officers and privi t sold iers to Do duty at ornear Bos ton till the 2 day of July nex t unl ess S ooner Discarged your cotais fore men wh ich you are to Detach from your company wi thout Delay ,men to be Equiped wi th arms and amonit ion acording to law and to be

at head-qurters at Boston on the 2 Day of Apri l next wi th out fail ther toRece further order i t is Resolved that if any noncomm issoned officer orprivi t soldier so drafted as aforesd shal l Neglect or Refuse to march in con

sequence heirof he shal l h ire an able bodyed man in his Rome or pay afine of T en pounds w i th in twenty-fore hours , or shal l be cons idered as asoldier in that detachment , and ye Capt or commanding officer of the company shal l cause others to be drafted in stead of those who pay their finesor o ther men to be h ired w i th said fines and you make Return of yourdoings and the names of the men so Drafted .

Y ou are ordered to View the arms of both Lis ts and their acotrementssee that they are Compleet acording to L aw and at a m in its warn ing and

make Return of the number you have on Both Lis ts of men : and therarms and ther Equipmen ts : these Returns must be made to me by the 20

Day of this Instant w ithou t fail .Yours to S erve . J . WH ITN E Y Coll .


A Pay R ol l of Capt . yohn White’s Company in Colo A bij ah S tearns

’ R egi .

ment of M i li t i a in the S tate of M ass . Bay . Doing Duty at and nea r

Boston f rom the fir st Day of Apr i l Unti ll the S econd Day of yuly1 7 7 8 .

John Whi te , captain . O liver Wheelock ,N athl . Beaman , lieut . Ph inehas Wilder,S amuel S now , serg t . Reuben Ross ,S amuel Johnson , corp . Thomas Moore,Abel S awyer, S amuel Brown ,

Abel Allen , Abraham Headley .

Elisha Woods ,


S ergt . John L OW, Joseph Johnson , Phineas Carter ,Benjamin Johnson , Jos iah Wh i tcomb , S amuel Boutwell ,Benjamin S tearns , Nathaniel Joslin , John Kidder .

There were s ixty-nine m en in the company , thoseom itted here b e ing of Ashburnham , Pr inceton and Lunenburg .

[M ass. A rchives, M uster R olls,XX IV

,

I n Colonel Nathan Sparhawk’s regiment , Captai n Jam esM irick

’

s compan y , near Boston , September to December ,1 778 , we re

O F LAN CASTE R .

S olomon Fleeman , Benjamin Hale , Ph ineas Phelps .

Reuben Gates , E lisha Johnson ,

‘

O P BO LTO N .

William Coolidge , Richard Townsend , Abel Wilder .Barnabas S awyer,

O F HARVAR D

David Baldwin ,Dan iel Page , Ephraim Wh itney ,

America Ham l in , John Parker, S tephen Whi tney .

O l iver Haskell , Walter Pol lard ,[M ass . A rchives M uster R olls , XX I , 1 25 ]

Extensive barracks were built at Rutland , and the Engl ish regim ents of General Burgo y ne ’s troops , prisoners O f

LAN CASTE R M E N .

Elisha Phelps ,Ephraim White ,Ebenezer Burditt ,John Wheelock ,James Wilder,Jonathan Whitcomb ,Levi Robbins ,


VI . CO NT INENTAL ARMY .

The returns of enl istments for three years or during thewar , m ade by the towns i n O bed i ence to an order of General Court passed Feb ruary 3 , 1 7 78 , are found in Massachusetts Archives , XL I I . A t that tim e few towns had fil ledtheir quotas under the first call , which requ i red one-seventhof the m al es above s ixteen ye ars of age

Lancaster . N O . of males 6 72 . O ne seventh 96 . I n service 9 1 . Wanting 5 .

Harvard . 34 1 49 4 8 1

Bolton . 299 43 4 2 1

Leominster . 2 1 6 3 1 32 0 .

The term s of service of these Con tinental s mostl yended i n the S pring of 1 78 0 , when new l evies were cal ledfor . Ten men were sent from Lancaster at that t ime .

The third requ is it ion cam e at the close of the sam e y ear .

R etur n of men pr ocur ed , agreeable to R esolve of 2d Dec . 1 7 80 , tahen

f rom the S uper intendent’s R eturns as well as f rom the R etur ns made

by the S everal T owns

Lancaster, 35 men d emanded , 34 procured .

Bol ton , 1 6 1 6

Leom ins ter, 1 3 1 3

Harvard , 1 5 1 5

In March , 1 78 2 , a cal l was issued unde r wh ich L ancaster’s quota was seven . The sum of Lancaster ’s three

years quota was therefore 1 4 8 and the records prove thatthe requ is it ions were fil led , al though at l ast enorm ousbount i es were i n a few cases paid to hi rel ing sub stitutesand “ bounty-jumpers and numerous contentions arosebetween towns over thei r r ival claims to particul ar so ldiers .

The three-y ears’ m en were al l volunteers , recourse beinghad to a draft on ly i n case of short-service cal ls .

Resolve , to s top proceedings on Execution vs . assessors of L ancas ter issued by m is take by late Treas’ . Gardner for not assess ing a class ,

for the rais ing one of the 3 years men for Continen tal army 1 7 8 1 : i t appears that the town had raised their ful l quota of men and that they hadactual ly joined the army when the Execution was issued .

[Court R ecords, XL IV, 244 ; N ov. 2 ,

CO NT INE NTAL ARMY . 1 79

O n pet“

. of Hon . J n°

. S prague on behalf of Lancas ter for the abatemen t of a fine and al lowance of a boun ty to sd . town for reasons set forthin sd . peti tion—Resolved , that the fine be abated and bountyal lowed , thetown having procured the whole of the men required by the resolve .

[A deficiency of one man had been reported under resolve of Dec .

2 ,

[Court R ecords , XL V,

the Class in L anf . of wh ich Jabez Fairbank was the head , hireda soldier for the Con tinental army for 3 years and liberated him from jailat expense of I O O£ , supposing they had an undoubted righ t to sd soldier ,but afterwards he was challenged and by mus ter-mas ter determined to belong to Rutland , and thus this class is deficient and l iable to the fine

annexed . Rutland was ordered to return to J . F . whose class isallowed 30 days to procure another man and execution is s taid meanwhile ,but to issue if they neglect to procure and mus ter a soldier and march himto S pringfield and procure a receipt therefor, beyond the town .

Court R ecords , XL I I I , 292 ; F eb . 20 ,

I n accordance with a custom of the period , the townhad been d ivided into as m an y “

squadrons ” or cl asses ” as

there were sold i e rs requi red for the quota— thirty-five andeach cl ass was expected to furn ish a volunteer for three

years . The am ount of bounty paid was regularl y assessedupon the c itizens O f the class , and by law was col lectab l el ike any other rate , the constab le taking the bod y of thedeb tor if the assessm ent was not speedil y forthcom i ng . I f

no person could be found wi ll ing to serve for such sum as

the class would agree to pay , lots were cast to dec i de whichm embe r of the class shou ld go . The man upon whomsuch lot fel l had l to enter the arm y for the rem ainder O f

that year , or suppl y a sub stitute .

The records of the continental soldiers serving for Lan

caster , or res i dents O f the town , 1 7 7 7 wil l be givenin order O f regiments , with dates of enl istment , names of

captains under which the y served , and such other facts ofinterest as have been ascertained . No representative of

the town i s found in the Fi rst or N inth Massachusetts Continen tal regim ents . The service was for three y ears unlessspec ified . Nearl y al l the Massachusetts regim ents part ic ipated in the b attl es that caused the surrender of Burgoyne ,


and were , during thei r remaining term s of service , for the

most part stat ioned along the Hudson .

S E CO N D MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L JO HN BAILE Y .

Joseph House , l ieutenant , Jan . I , 1 7 7 7 , to Augus t I , 1 7 7 8 ; resigned .

Perley Rogers , a negro , corporal , March 1 8 , 1 7 77 , Capt . Hugh Maxwell .Charles S tuart , a mulat to , deserted M ay 20 , 1 77 7 .

TH IR D MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L J O HN C R E ATO N .

Joseph Bailey , Jan . 1 , 1 7 77 , Capt . S amuel Foster.Jabez Beaman , F eb . 4 , 1 7 7 7 , Capt . Charles Colton ; claimed by H arvard .

Eleazar Priest , Jan . 1 7 , 1 77 7 , Capt . Job S umner ; “ wi th Qr . Mr . General .”

FO UR TH MAS S ACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L W ILLIAM S HE PAR D .

James Battels , Jan . 3 1 , 1 7 77 , Capt . GeorgeWebb ; claimed by L eominster .

John Bat tels , April 1 , 1 7 7 7 ;

FIFTH MAS SACHUS E TTS , CO LO N E L RUFUS PUTN AM .

Th is regimen t was promi nen t in the battles of S tillwater and S aratoga.

[ n Captain 7 ob Whipple’s Company

Cornelius Baker, corporal , F eb . 1, 1 7 7 7 .

Abel Bigelow , drummer, F eb . 1 0,1 7 7 7 .

Jonas Carter, Jan . 1 0 , 1 7 7 7 ; a Lunenburg man , hired .

Joshua Johnson , M ay 1 0 , 1 7 7 7 .

Jacob Kilburn , corporal , F eb . 1 0 ,1 7 7 7 ; promoted sergean t .

Wil l iam Pren tice , M ay 26 , 1 77 7 .

John Wheeler, March 26 , 1 77 7 .

Peter Wil lard,June I , 1 7 7 7 .

[ n Captain yonathan Goodale’s Company

James S awyer , June 20, 1 7 7 7 ; discharged March 9 ,

1 7 79 ; hired byPrinceton .

(Lemuel S hed and David Fleeman enlis ted in th is regiment but “never

joined .

” F or S hed , see Ten th regiment .)

S ixT H MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L THO M AS N IXO N .

Th is regimen t was present in bat tles of S tillwater, S aratoga, etc .

Z imori Eveleth , drummer, Dec . 1 9 , 1 7 79 , Capt . Benjamin Heywood .

Aaron Glazier, F eb . 1 2 , 1 7 7 7 ; served 4 6 m . 1 9 d . Capt . Adam Wheeler .Gershom Flagg , M ay 26 , 1 77 7 , Capt . S imon Learned .

Abijah Ph illips , F eb . 2 2 , 1 7 79 , Capt . S amuel Flowers .

Burpee Prouty , Dec . 1 9, 1 7 79 , Capt . Japheth Daniels .

Paul S awyer, Jan . 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; served four years ; Capt . William Toogood .


[ n Captain 7 os iah S m ith’s Company

S amuel Herring , corporal , Jan . 1 7 , 1 7 7 7 .

ELE VE N TH MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L EBE N E Z E R FR AN CIS , ki lled ;

CO LO N E L BE N JAM IN TUPPE R .

Lazarus Batherick , F eb . 2 8 , 1 7 80 ; in town returns , “enl isted with Capt .

Ezra Lunt for Col . Hen ley .

”

S tephen Thompson , by town returns , “en l is ted in Captain S teele’s com

pany , Colonel Francis not in pay cer t i ficates .

TWE LFTH MAS S ACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L S AM UE L BR EWE R ; LIE UT.-CO L .

E BE N E zE R S PR O AT.

John Whi ting . ensign , promoted to l ieutenan t , July 5 , 1 7 79.

Abiah Rice , corporal , Jan . 1,1 7 80 , Capt . John Pray .

TH IRTE E N TH MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L EDWAR D W IGGLE SWO R TH ;L IE UT.

-CO LO N E L CALV IN S M ITH .

[ n Company of Capt . Peter Page, successor to Capt . M atthew F air/field .

Winslow Phelps , ensign , Jan . I , 1 7 7 7 ; res igned Dec . 26 , 1 7 7 7 .

Benjam in Bal lard , sergean t , F eb . 1 9, 1 77 7 .

S amuel Ballard , F eb . 20 , 1 77 7 ; bounty paid by Bedford .

John Dol lerson , March 1 5 , 1 7 7 7 ; served 4 5 m . 1 6 d . ; claimed by Bolton

and S tow .

Peleg Rodman , F eb . 1 2 , 1 7 7 7 ; d ied June 2 , 1 77 8 .

[ i t Company of Captain Chr ist ian Woodbr i dge

Thomas Wrigh t , March 1 . 1 7 80 ; deserted O ct . 2 ,1 780 .

FO UR TE E N TH MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L GAM ALIE L BR ADFO R D .

I n Captain Z ebedee R edding’s Company

Jonathan S awyer , lieutenant , Jan . I , 1 7 77 ; kil led by Indians , July 1 9 , 1 777 .

S amuel Bennet t , corporal , J an , 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; discharged December, 1 778 ,Nathan Eas terbrooks , corporal , Jan , 9 , 1 7 77 .

Isaac Eveleth , April , 1 777 , re-en l is ted 1 78 1 aged forty-seven .

Wil l iam Eveleth , F eb . 2 , 1 7 7 7 ; died O ct . 6 , 1 7 79.

Lu ther Fairbank , sergean t , Jan . 1 0 , 1 77 7 ; discharged N ov, 20 , 1 7 7 7 .

Abel Fairbank , Jan . 9 , 1 7 77 ; died N ov, 2 6 . 1 77 7 .

George Richardson , corporal , Jan . 30 , 1 7 7 7 .

Benjamin Wheelock , April 4 , 1 7 77 .

Jonathan Wheelock , drummer, Jan . 2 . 1 7 7 7 ; promoted to drum-major.Joseph Wheelock , F eb . 4 , 1 7 7 7 ; died March 1 0 , 1 7 7 8 .

James Willard , F eb . 1 2 , 1 7 77 .

S amuel Woods . M ay 26 , 1 7 7 7 ; taken prisoner ; discharged 1 78 1 .

Daniel Wyman , Jan . 30 , 1 7 7 7 ; died Aug . 1 6 , 1 7 7 8 .

[ n Captain I saiah S tetson’s Company

Jabez Brooks , sergeant , Jan . 1 , 1 7 77 .

CO NT INENTAL ARMY . 1 8 3

FIFTE E N TH MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L T IM O THY B IGE LOW ofWorces ter.

Th is regimen t was engaged in bat tles of S tillwater, S aratoga and M on

mou th ; and s tationed at Verplank’s Point , Robinson’s Farms , N . J .

,

Peekskill , Val ley Forge , Wes t Poin t .Henry Haskel l , lieutenan t-colonel , Jan I , 1 7 7 7 , to July I , 1 7 79 ; mus tered

out as supernumerary ; d ied at Lancas ter, June 1 0, 1 80 7 .

Ephraim S awyer, J r . , lieutenan t , Jan . I , 1 7 7 7 , resigned O ct . 1,1 7 77 , to

accept captaincy in S ixteen th Massachusetts .

[ n Captain yoseph H odgkins’Company

James Arms trong . July 2 2 , 1 7 7 7 .

Ph ilip Branscomb , drummer, A pril 26 , 1 7 80 ; deserted ; cr ed ited to L an

caster on pay cer t ificates .

Thomas Cleland , corporal , April 3 , 1 7 7 7 ; promoted sergean t ; served 44m . 2 8 d .

A sa Farrar, M ay 2 7 , 1 7 7 7 .

S tephen Frost , March 1 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; discharged February , 1 7 7 8 .

Ebenezer Glazier , M ay 20 ,1 7 7 7 .

Joshua House ,by town returns enlis ted 1 7 7 7 notfound in pay cer tificates .

Reuben Kendall , a negro , S ept . 1 0 , 1 7 77 .

Israel Mann ing , corporal , April 1 , 1 7 7 7 .

Judah Piper , April 2 1 , 1 7 7 7 .

Luther Rice , F eb . 2 5 , 1 7 77 .

Abner S awyer, S ept . 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; died N ov . 1 0 ,1 7 7 7 .

O n is S imes , S ept . 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; died Dec . 1 , 1 7 7 7 .

Aaron Wil lard , M ay 2 ,1 7 7 7 .

Levi Wilder, M ay 24 , 1 7 7 7 .

Abel Wright , March 2 5 , 1 7 7 7 ; died July 2 , 1 77 8 .

[ i t Company of Captain S ylvanus S m ith

John Dresser, March 1 0 , 1 7 7 7 ; died June 29, 1 7 7 8 .

Elihu GO S S , M ay 20 , 1 7 7 7 ; died July 6 , 1 77 8 .

Mat th ias Larkin , sergeant , M ay 20 ,1 7 7 7 ; died April 1 3 , 1 7 7 8 .

Lev i Larkin , S ept . 3 , 1 7 7 7 .

Edmund M il l igen , enlis ted 1 7 7 7 , by town returns ; not f ound in pay cer

t ificates .

Nathan O sgood , S ept . 1,1 7 7 7 ; discharged April 2 ,

1 7 79 .

S eth Ross , drummer, M ay 2 ,1 7 7 7 .

A sa Rugg , en l is ted 1 7 7 7 , by town returns ; not f ound in pay cer tificates .

Caleb Wh itney , S ept . 1 , 1 7 7 7 ; died Dec . 1 0 , 1 7 7 7 .

I n Company of Captain Wi ll iam Gates Pier ce’s , later

Artemas Maynard,sergean t , M ay 29, 1 7 7 7 .

Matthew Wyman , M ay 1 6,1 77 7 ; credited to L unenburg .

JoshuaWhi tney , sergeant , Aug . 1 0 ,1 7 7 7 .


I n Company of Captain E dward M unroe, (Bowen , in town returns

Wil l iam Boardman , M ay 1 5 , 1 77 7 ; re-enlis ted 1 78 1 .

Thomas Gran t , March 7 , 1 78 1 , aged 52 ; hir ed by Pr inceton .

E lisha Hough ton , sergeant , M ay I , 1 7 7 7 , Capt . Joshua Brown ; claimedby H arvard .

Joseph Jones , N ov . 1 0 , 1 7 7 7 , Capt . Paul El lis .

S IXTE E N TH MAS SACHUS ETTS , CO LO N E L HE N R Y JACKS O N .

This regiment was form ed i n April , 1 7 79 , by comb in ing

the three b attal ions of Colonels David Hen l y , Wi ll i am R .

Lee and Henry Jackson , organized under a cal l for s ixteencont inental regiments i n addition to the original e ightye ight form ed early in 1 7 7 7 . None of the s ixteen regim en tswere fil led , and they were final l y conso l idated i n spite of

the great d issatisfaction caused both among men and ofli

ce rs . Among those enl isted espec i al l y for Colonel Hen l y ,were m an y so ldiers from the army of Burgo y ne , then prisoners of war . These for the m ost part deserted as soon asopportunity offered . Colonel Jackson ’s regiment was i n

the expedit ion against the British force at Newport i n 1 7 78 .

Ephraim S awyer, J r . , captain , Dec . 26 , 1 7 77 ; supernumerary April 9 , 1 7 79 .

Wil l iam Harris , pay-master, died O ct . 30 ,1 7 78 .

S erving in Company of Captain T homas T ur ner

A l ixus Bear , Jan . 2 1 , 1 779 ; deserted April 2 5 , 1 7 79 .

Nathaniel Brown , M ay 1 1 , 1 780 ; claimed by L eominster .

Nicholas Brune , M ay 2 7 , 1 7 77 ; deserted April 1 , 1 7 79.

John Kilburn ,July 1 3 , 1 7 7 7 ; enlisted by Capt . Ezra Lun t for Col . Henley .

John Newman , fifer , Jan . I , 1 7 79 ; claimed by Bolton .

William S taples , M ay 2 6 , 1 7 7 7 ; deserted April 1 7 , 1 7 79 .

Wil liam Taylor , S ept . 27 , 1 7 77 deserted O ct . 2 5 , 1 779 ; enlis ted by Capt .

Lun t for Col . Henley .

Peter T ew, Dec . 8 , 1 7 7 7 ; deserted April I , 1 7 79 .

Isaac Warren , S ept . 24 , 1 7 77 ; enl is ted by Capt . Lun t for Col . Henley .

MAS SACHUS ETTS AR TILLE R Y , AR TIFICE R S , E T C . CO L . HE N R Y KN OX(BR IG . GE N E R AL) CO L . JO HN CR AN E ; L1 E UT.

-CO L . DAV ID MAS O N .

E n listed in Capt . 7 ohn B ryant’s Company of A r t ij

‘z'

cer s

John Baker , March also w ith Capt . Benjamin Frothi nghamJoseph Bennet t , March 30 ,

1 7 7 7 ;

Josiah Bowers , S ept . 20 ,1 7 77 ; t e

-enl isted F eb . 2 , 1 7 8 1 also wi th Capt .

Benjam in Fro thingham .


LAN CASTE R , January 8 , 1 7 8 1 .

3 . Voted that above Commi tte Chosen to h ire the M en for 3 yearsservice be impowered in every Respect , as the Comm i tte Chosen ye las tyear to h ire ye 40 M en sen t for by the General Court .

4 . Voted to Dismiss Leut . Ballard from S erv ing in the above Committe and Chose M aj Gardiner Wilder in his Room .

LAN CASTE R , January 1 1 , 1 7 8 1 .

I . Voted to make an addition of S ix to ye above Comm i tte for hireing of S old iers .

2 . Chose Capt . Nathaniel Balch , Capt . S amuel Ward , Capt . TimothyWh iting

, Wm Dunsmoor, E sq . , James Richardson and Capt . FortunatusEager for Addition .

3 . Chose Jabez Fairbank as one of the above Comm itte in the Roomof T ho8 Brown who was Excused .

LAN CASTE R , Jany . 28 , 1 7 8 1 .

I . Voted to Raise ye S um of S ix Thousand five Hunda and S ixty twoPounds ten S hill ings N ew Emission Currency to hire ye S oldiers for theArmy .

2 . Voted that the above sum be A ssesed and Collected as soon as

may be .

LAN CASTE R ,February 5 , 1 7 8 1

2 . Voted to S ee if the Town w ill Class in O rder to get ye M en for ye

Army and it pass‘1 in ye Negative .

LAN CASTE R , February 8 th , 1 78 1 .

I . Voted to S ee if the Town would Class for ye Purpose of geting yeM en for ye Army and i t Passd in ye Negat ive .

LAN CASTE R , February 1 9 , 1 7 8 1 .

I . Voted to S ee if the Town would Class and it pass(1 in y8 Negat ive .

Voted to make an Addition of S eventeen to ye Committe for hiringM en

3d Voted and Chose for s‘1 A ddi tion ye following Persons Vi z : Capt .

David O sgood , Capt . Edward Newton , Nathan iel Hough ton , Dea . LeviMoore , Dea . Benjamin Hough ton , John Brown , Capt . E phr . Carter, S ilasHowe , James Kendal Jun Joseph Reed , Levi Wilder, Heman Kendal ,Capt . Thos . Gates , Joseph S ever, Capt . N athl S awyer Jun . , Capt . JohnWh i te Jun . , Gershom Flagg .

4 . Voted , that the town be d ivided into 35 S quadrons .

5 . Voted , that the Assessors Div ide ye Town as equal as they can intothe above S quadrons .

6 . Chose Aaron S awyer for aComm ittee M an ins tead of S ilas How.

March 1 6 Voted and Chose Dea . Ebenr Buss , Capt . BenjaRichardson , Capt . E phr

m Carter, Committee of Inspection and Correspondence .

CO NTINENTAL ARMY . 1 8 7

The two fi rst n amed be longed to Sterl ing ; after,

the

divis ion of the town , Joshua Fl etcher and Deacon Wi ll i amWillard were chosen in their places .

LAN CASTE R ,April 2 , 1 78 1 .

Voted to acknow ledge what the Assessors have done Wi th Regard toClass ing the Town as being agreable to ye A ct of Court .

Apri l 2 5 , 1 78 1 , Governor Hancock s igned the act whichcreated from Lancaster terri tory the town of S terl ing .

DE SCR IPTIVE LIST O F EN LISTM E N TS , 1 7 8 1 .

A ge . a:.H eight . Complexion . O ccupat ion . Date en l isted.

Clarck Gibbs , 5 1 5 ft . 9 in . ligh t . farmer : July 5 , for 3 yrs .

Paul Kilborn , 25 6 dark . joiner. March 2 ,Andrew Haskell , 33 5 1 1 dark . farmer. July 5Ephraim Wh ite , 20 5 6 light . farmer . July 6 ,J eduthan S awyer, 1 8 5 7 light . farmer . July 4 ,Ephraim Larkin , I 8 5 I I dark . farmer . July 2 ,

Thomas Gran t , 52 5 9 l ight . weaver . March 7 , 3 yrs .

S amuel Barret , 1 8 5 4 light . farmer . July 20 ,

John Carter , 30 5 I o black . farmer . March 7 ,Nathaniel Parkins , 2 6 5 6 l ight . farmer . Jany 2 1 ,Wm

. Gould , 1 6 5 6 dark . farmer. March 29 ,S eth S ampson , 34 5 7 l ight . farmer . F eby . 1 1 ,

Beckes Bos ton ,2 8 5 5 black . farmer . April 7 ,

Isaac Payne , 24 5 9 l igh t . farmer . S ept . 24 ,

N athll . Books , 2 1 5 1 0 dark . farmer . S ept . 29,

M icah Ross , 22 5 1 1 l igh t . March 2 7 ,Jonathan Barnard , 1 7 5 4 l ight . March 2 8 ,Patrick Neef, 4 5 5 9 light . June 1 9 ,

James Dunton ,2 1 5 4 l ight . March 1 ,

E phrm

. Wh itcomb , 33 5 8 ligh t . M ay 1 ,

ChederhomY Collins 1 7 5 3 dark . June 2 1 ,

E l i Lewis , 1 7 5 2 l ight . June 2 1 ,Josiah Bowers , 2 7 5 1 1

“cordwinder

” F eb . 20 ,

I saac Eveleth , 4 7 5 8 farmer . F eb . 1 2 ,

James Prat t , 4 2 5 5 M ay 2 7 ,

George M cBride , 20 5 7 F eb . 20 ,

William Flud . 2 2 5 7 March 2 6 ,Peter Zwear , 2 5 5 1 1 March 2 8 ,Jesse Wyman , 48 5 8 “ dish-turner” April 2 7 ,Ichabod Gary , 37 5 5 farmer . March 3 ,Calvin Piper, 1 8 5 5 tanner. March 1 5 ,TO psal Woodard , 1 6 5 4 black . farmer . F eb . 2 7 ,


A ge. H eight . Complexion . O ccupat ion . Date en listed .

Roger Bartlett , 4 1 5 ft . 8 in . l ight . farmer . March 5 , 3 yrs .

Nathan Tafi t , 2 2 5 9 sadd ler . F eb . 1 3 ,

Case Whitney , 37 5 5 black . farmer. March 5 ,Jotham Woods , 40 5 4 dark . March 8 ,Lemuel S hed ,A sa Knowl ton ,

23 5 1 1 dark ( 1 eye) “ March 5 ,[M ass. A rchives , M uste r R olls XXX I I I , 333—6 ; 3 86-8 ]

A l ist of recru its unfit for service include s O f the

above

Clark Gibbs , 6 0 years old . Rheumatic and decrepidWith age .

Lemuel S hed , infirm .

Jo tham Wood , 4 1 , bodily deformed .

O f the seven enrol led for three ye ars to fil l the quota ofLancaster under the final cal l , m ade March 1 , 1 78 2 , Will i am Deputin is the on l y one whose nam e is found , hisenl istment bei ng attested by the fol lowing

WO R CE STE R , M ay 1 0 th,1 7 8 2 .

Received of L t . Amos Allen , Chairman of Class No . for the town of

Lancas ter, the sum of Fifty-F our pounds L . Money as a Bounty to servein the Con tinental army for the term of three years . Witness my Hand .

W ILLIAM DE PUT I N .

The chief acts of the great revolut ionar y dram a , afterthe first year

’

s battles , were outs ide of New Engl and , andLancaster soldiers are more frequentl y found therefore inthe six and n ine-months ’ exped i tions—in the defence of

Rhode Isl and and Boston— in the re-enforcem ents sentupon eme rgenc i es to various points along the Hudsonamong the guards over pri soners O f war at Camb ridge orRutl and . Hence the recorded deaths upon the b attle-fieldare comparat i vel y few , whil e suffering and death fromsm al l-pox and wasting camp fevers form the text of m an ya sad petition during and afte r the long contest . A s t im ewent on and volunteers grew more reluctant , and persuas ive bounti es becam e l arger , new nam es were b rough t intoLancaster rol ls ; and , as is often the case with hirel ing

soldier y , against such nam es is som etim es set down thed isgrace of desertion . O f these , some were prob ab l y Bur

1 90 ANNALS O F LANCA S TE R .

tel lux , travel l ing through New England in 1 78 0 , says“ Am ong the m en I have met wi th above twenty years of

age , O f whatever condition , I have not found two who havenot borne arm s , heard the whistl ing of bal ls , and even re

ceived som e wounds .

The scant and unsy stem atic records extant , afford us thenam es of thi rty Lancaster soldiers , who l aid down thei rl ives for thei r country between the date of the battle of

Bunker Hil l and the close O f the y ear 1 7 79 . There weredoub tless o thers unrecorded . Neither the causes of death ,nor wounds received , are often m ent ioned i n the rol ls , andonl y five of the above th irty are known to have been k i l ledi n act ion .

Those who for various reasons could not bear arms ,

st inted no exertions , no sacrifices in the common cause . Inthe ab sence of the more stalwart b readwinners , the wivesand daugh ters took up their burdens with hands al re adyaccustom ed to toi l , and the food harvest knew l ittl e dim inut ion . The town fathers s y stem at ical l y cared for the needyfam i l i es of those in service , and th is care was conti nued tothe widows and orphans after the close of the war , suchexpenditure being refunded by the state . In the scheduleof dues to the towns “

for suppl i es to soldiers ’ fam il i es ,”

from 1 78 1 to 1 78 5 , con tained in Massachusetts Archives ,XXX I , 6 6 , Lancaster is c red i ted with expended .

BO LTO N CO N T IN E N TAL S O LDIE R S,1 7 7 7

-9 .

FIR ST RE GIM E N T.

Moses Buck , under Capt . Belcher Hancock .

James Campbell ,Wil l iam Cool idge , under Capt . Jeremiah M iller.M ichael Ferrin , under Capt . Jeremiah H il l ; deserted .

York Ruggles , under Capt . Moses Ashley ; a s lave h ired .

Joseph S al t , under Capt . Jerem iah H i l l ; deserted .

TH IR D RE GIM E N T.

John French , corporal , under Capt . Abraham Watrous ; a “s trol ler” h ired .

FO UR TH RE GIM E N T .

Moses Hudson , under Capt . S imon Learned .

CO NT INENTAL ARMY . 1 91

F IFTH RE GIM E N T.

Wil l iam Bigelow , sergeant , under Capt . Job Wh ipple .

Jerem iah Burnham ,

TE N TH RE GIM E N T.

[ n Captain S amuel K ing’s Company

Josiah Goddard , Andrew Mcwain ,

George Gideon , claimed for Lancaster .Abel Moore , Died April 1 , 1 7 77 .

Robert Vaughan , credited to Wes tminster.Robert S kinner, “

a h ired strol ler ;” died April 1 4 , 1 7 79 ; credited to L ancaster .

TWE LFTH RE GIM E N T.

John Chowen , mulatto , under Capt . Elisha Brewer ; notfound in pay cer

t ifi‘

cates .

TH IR TE E N TH RE G IM E N T.

Benjam in Bailey , under Capt . Ebenezer S m ith .

James Bridge ,under “ Capt . Whi te ,

” in town reports .

John Dol lerson , under Capt . Peter Page ; claimed for Lancas ter.Reuben Moore , u u

FO UR TE E N TH RE GIM E N T.

[ n Captain Z ebedee R edding’s Company

Joseph Hough ton ,

Abner Moore ,F I F T E E N T H RE GIM E N T.

I n Captain Dan iel Bar nes’s Company

John Barnard , J r . , John Burnham , Edward Johnson , J r .,

Abraham Brigham , sergt . , James Crosman , Jonas Johnson ,

Benjamin Bruce . Elijah Fos ter, J r . , S olomon Jones ,Daniel Bruce , corp . , A sa Johnson , Job Pries t ,

Joseph Woods , corp .

Edward Howard , sergt . , in Capt . Monroe’s Co . of Concord , hired .

S IXTE E N TH RE G IM E N T.

Richard Joy , drummer, under Capt . Langdon .

Daniel M cDonald ,

John Newman , fifer , under Capt . Thomas Turner .An tony Theron , under Capt . Thomas Hunt ; a Frenchman , hired .

CO LO N E L JO HN CR AN E ’S AR TILLE R Y .

Will iam Whybert , under Capt . Thomas Wel ls .

EN LISTE D 1 7 8 1 , F O R THR E E YE AR S .

Jonathan Ball , Levi Hazard , Jonathan Munger, sailor,Will iam Bigelow , John H i l l , Plato Negro ,


Timothy Curtis , Rufus Houghton , Abel Pries t ,Haran Eager, James M cI ntire , sailor, Thomas Wassels ,

Moses Haskel l , John Moore , John Wh itney .

HAR VAR D CO N TIN E N TAL THR E E -YE AR S S O LD IE R S,1 7 7 7—7 9.

S E CO N D RE GIM E N T.

John O aks , in “ 8 th company .

”

Aaron S ampson , not found in pay-rolls .

TH IR D RE G IM E N T.

Jabez Beaman , under Capt . Charles Colton ; claimed Lancaster .Elias Warner, under Capt . J ob S umner .James Willis ,

F IFTH RE GIM E N T.

Jacob Davis , corporal , under Capt . Job Whipple ; die\

d O ct . 23 , 1 7 79.

S IXTH RE GIM E N T.

Jeremiah Bridge , in Capt . Adam Wheeler’s company .

E IGHTH RE GIM E N T.

[ n Captain Benj am in B rown’s Company

S ergt . Jabez Keep,Ezekiel Cox , Jonathan Hutchins ,

Corp. Ph ineas Wh i tney , Jonathan Farnsworth , Jabez Keep, Jr.S amuel Atherton ,

Israel Hale , Jonathan S tearns ,S imon Blanchard , Wil l iam Harris , Luther Topliff,Thomas Burges , Joseph Frye , died February 1 , 1 7 78 .

Dan iel Burt , Abraham Munroe , died March 1 1 , 1 7 78 .

William S tone , killed July 1 7 , 1 7 79 .

TE N TH RE GIM E N T.

[ n Captain S amuel King’s Company

Thomas Chamberlain , Reuben Dodge , ensign , Isaac S anderson .

Reuben Conant , sergeant . S amuel Finney , corporal .

TWE LFTH RE GIM E N T.

Francis S aussure , under Capt . John Pray .

FI F T E E N T H RE GIM E N T.

[ n Captain yoshua B r own’s Company

S amuel Barret , Lev i Farnsworth , Wil l iam Proctor,Zadock Burnham , Manasseh Farnsworth , Consider Turner, corp .

Ti tus Coburn , S amuel Farnsworth , John Wh itney ,Elnathan Daby, Jesse Lund , Benjam in Willard , sergt .Jonas Davis , E leazar Parkers , S amuel Worcester.El isha Hough ton , sergeant ; claimed for Lancas ter.

1 94 A NNALS O F LANCA S TER .

EN LISTE D F O R THR E E YE AR S , 1 7 8 1 .

S hubael Bailey , David Johnson , James S mi th ,Levi Blood , Ephraim Johnson , Jos iah Wh itcomb ,A sa Buttrick , Dav id Jos l in , Caleb Wood ,E lisha Davis , J ob Pries t , S amuel Wood .

Ph ineas Rice ,

VI I . LANCAS TER LO YALI S TS .

The outburst of rebel l ion against B ritish ty ranny throughout Massachuse tts was so universal , and the controversyso hot with the wrath of a people pol itical l y wronged , thatthe term t ory com es down to us in histor y loaded with aweight of opprobium not l egi tim atel y its own . After thelapse of a hundred years the word is perhaps no longers y non ym ous with everyth ing tra itorous and Vi le , but i n it an ational hate has b een embalm ed , and when it is des i rab leto suggest possi b le respectab i l it y and moral rect itude inany m em ber O f the conservat ive party of Revolution aryday s , it must be done under the l ess historicall y d isgracedt i tle , —lo y al ist . In fact , in 1 7 75 , as always , two parti esstood contend i ng for princi ples to which honest convicti onsm ade adherents . I f among the conservat ives were tim i doffice-holders and corrupt sel f-seeke rs , there were al so of

the Revolut ionists , b l atant dem agogues and b igoted partisan s . The logic of success , though a success made possib le at l ast only b y fore ign aid , just ified the appeal to arms ,

begun in Massachusetts before revo lt was prepared orthought imm inent e lsewhere . Now , to the careful s tudentof the s ituat ion , i t S eem s am ong the most prem ature andrash of all the great rebel l ions in history . But for the prec ipitancy of the upris ing , and the pa triotic frenz y that firedthe pub l ic heart at news of the fi rst b loodshed , m any ripescholars , m an y soldiers of experience , m ight have beensaved to ai d and honor the bu i lding of the republ ic , i nsteadof be ing driven into ignom in ious exi le by fear of mob Vio

l ence and imprisonm ent , and scourged through the century

LAN CAS TER LO YAL I S TS . 1 95

in story as enem i es of thei r countr y . In and about Lan

caster the lo y al ists were an em inen tl y re spectab le m inority .

A t first , indeed , not onl y those natural ly conservat ive b yreason of weal th , or pride or b irthright , but the m ajority of

the i ntel l ectual le aders , both eccles i astic and civil i an , dep

recated revol t as downright su icide . The y denounced theStam p A ct as earnestl y , the y loved thei r countr y , i n whichtheir al l was at stake , as s incerel y as did thei r rad icaln eighbors . Som e of them , after the b loody nineteenth of

April , acqui esced with such grace as they could in whatthe y now saw to b e inevitab le , and tem pered wi th prudentcounsel the b l i nd zeal of partisanship ; thus abl y servingthei r countr y in he r need . Others would have awaited thei ssue O f events as neutral s ; but such the comm ittee of

safety , or a m ob , not unnatural ly tre ated as enem ies .

On the h ighest rounds of the soc i al ladder stood the

great-grandsons of Major S imon Wi llard , the Puritan com

m ander in the war of 1 6 75 . These three gentl em en hadlarge possess ions i n l and , were widel y known throughoutthe Province , and were held in deserved esteem for thei rprob ity and ab il ity . They were al l ro y al is ts at heart , andall connected b y m arriage with ro y al ist fam i l i es . Ab ij ahW il lard , the eldest , had just passed his fifti eth year . Hehad won a cap taincy before Louisbourg when but twen tyone , and was promoted to a co lonelcy in acti ve serviceagainst the French ; was a thorough soldier , a gen tlem anof statel y presence and dignified m anners , and a ski lfulm anager of affai rs . For his first wife , he m arried E l i zabeth , s ister of Co lonel Wi l l iam Prescott ; for his second ,M rs . Anna Prentice ; he had recentl y m arried a third partner , M rs . Mary M cKow

'

n , of Boston . He was the weal thiest citi zen of Lancaste r , kept six horses i n hi s stab les , andd ispensed l iberal hospi tal ity in the m ans ion inheri ted fromhis father , Colonel Samuel Wil l ard . B y accepting the ap

pointm ent of counc il lor—qual ify ing him self b y the requ isi te oath August 1 5 , 1 7 74

—he becam e at once O bnoxious


to the patriots , and , on the twenty-fourth of the month ,when Vi siting Connecticut on bus i ness connected with h isl arge l anded inte rests there , he was arrested b y the c itizensof the town of Union , who the next day conve y ed him to

Br imfield . There a mob of four hundred persons , after aninform al trial , condemned him to imprisonm ent in the

nearest j ail , and began the m arch thi ther , having first tarredand feathered Captain Davis of Brimfield , whose ind iscreetwords had espec i a ll y angered them . Whether thei r wrathbecame som ewhat cool ed by the colone l ’s bearing , or b y asix-m ile m arch , the y re leased him upon his s ign ing a paperd ictated to him , of which the fol lowing is a copy , printedat the tim e in the Boston Gaze tte and other papers

S TUR BR IDGE , Augus t 25 , 1 7 74 .

Whereas I A bij ah Wi llard , of L ancaster , have been appointed bymandamus a Counsellor for th is Province , and have without due Cons ideration taken the oath , do now freely and solemnly declare that I am heartilysorry that I have taken the said oath , and do hereby solemnly and in goodfaith prom ise and engage that I will not s it or act in the said Council , norin any other that shall be appoin ted in such manner and form , but thatI wil l , as much as in me lies , main tain the Charter Righ ts and Liberties of

th is Province ; and do hereby ask the forgiveness of all hones t , worthyGen tlemen that I have offended by taking the abovesaid oath ; and des ireth is may be inserted in the publick prin ts .

Witness my hand . AB IJAH WILLAR D .

[American A rchives , IV, I ,

From that tim e forward Colonel Wil lard l ived qu i etly at

hom e until the nineteenth of April , 1 7 75 ; when , setti ngout i n the morning on horseb ack to Vis i t his farm i n Beve rl y , where he had pl anned to spend some days i n superin

tend ing the pl anting , he was turned from his course by theswarm ing out of m inute—men at the summ ons of the cou riers bringing the al arm from Lexington , and we next findhim wi th the B ritish in Boston . He never saw Lancasteragain . I t is rel ated that , on the m orning of the seventeenthof June , standing with Governor Gage , i n Boston , reconnoi tring the bus y scene upon Bunker Hi l l , he recognized withthe gl ass his b rother-in-law , Colone l Wi l l i am Prescott , and


Levi Wil lard was three y ears the junior of Ab ij ah . Hehad b een col lector of exc ise for the count y , held the m il itar y rank of l ieutenant-colonel , and was justice of the

peace . W ith his b rother-in-law , Captain S amuel Ward , heconducted the l argest m ercantil e estab l ishm ent i n Worces

ter county at that date . He had even m ade the voy age toEngl and to purchase goods . Al though not so weal th y as

h is b rother , he m igh t have rival led him i n any fiel d O f suc

cess but for his broken heal th ; and he was as widel y es

teem ed for his charac te r and capacity . A t the ou tbreak of

host il i ti es he was too il l to take active part on ei ther s ide ,but his s ympathies were wi th his loy al ist k ind red . He diedon Jul y 1 1 , 1 7 7 5 . H is partner in bus iness , Captain Samue lWard , cast hi s lot with the patriot party ; but his son , LeviW i llard , J r . , graduated at Harvard Col lege in 1 7 75 , j oinedhis un cl e Ab ij ah , went to England and there rem ained unt il1 78 5 , when he returned , to die five y ears later .Ab el W il lard , though equall y graced by nature with the

ph y s ical gifts that d istinguished his b rothe rs , unl ike themchose the arts of peace rather than those of war . He was

born at Lancaster on January 1 2 , 1 73 2 , and was graduatedat Harvard Col lege in 1 75 2 , ranking third i n the cl ass .

H is wife was El i z abeth Rogers , daugh ter of the loy al istm inister of Li ttle ton . H is nam e was affixed to the addressto Governor Gage , June 2 1 , 1 7 74 , and he was forced to S ign ,with the other just ices , a recan tation O f the aspers ions castupon the peopl e , in that docum ent . He had the dist inction

of b eing cl aim ed as a personal friend b y the leading statesman of the Revolut ion , John Adams . So popul arly es

teem ed was Ab el W i l lard , and so wel l known his characte r

as a peacem aker and wel l-wisher to his countr y , that hem igh t have rem ained unm olested and respected am ong hisneighbors , i n spi te of his ro y al ist opinions ; but , whetherled b y fam il y t ies or n atural t im i dity , he sought refuge inBoston , and quick-com ing even ts m ade it impossi b l e forhim to return . A t the departure of the British forces for

LANCASTER LO YAL I S TS 1 99

Hal ifax he accompan ied them , and reached London inJul y , 1 776 . A letter from Edmund CLuincy to his daughter , M rs . Hancock , dated Lancaster , March 26 , 1 7 76 , con

tains this reference to him

I ’m sorry for poor M rs . Abel Wil lard , your S ister’s near neighbour Friend . S he’s gone we hear wi th her husband and Bro . and sons

to Nova S cotia, p’haps in such a s ituation and under such circums tances

of O ffense respecting their Wosr Neighbours as never to be in a pol i tical

capaci ty of returning to their Houses un less wth power inimical ViewswCh God forbid should ever be the case .

In 1 778 , the act of proscripti on and ban ishment i ncludedAbel W illard ’

s name . H is heal th gave way under accumulated troub l e , and he died , as recorded in the d iary ofPeter Oliver , of a S low fever in London the first week inN ov

”. The estates of Ab ij ah and Ab e l Wi l lard

were confiscated . I n Massachusetts Arch ives , C L IV , 1 0 , i s

preserved the anxious inqu i r y of the town authoriti es re

specti ng the proper disposal of the property the y ab andoned :

T o the H onourable Pr ovincial Congr ess now holden at Water town in the

Pr ovince of the M assachusetts Bay

We the subscribers do reques t and desire that you would be pleased todirect or Inform this prov ince in General or the town of Lancas ter in Partickeler what is best to be done w ith the Es tates of those men wh ich are

Gone from their Es tates to General Gage , and to whose use they shall I mprove them whether for the province or the town where Es tate is .

EBE N E Z E R ALLE N ,

CYR US FAIR BAN K ,S A M L L

. THUR STO N ,

LAN CASTE R , June 7 day, 1 77 5 . T he S electmen of L ancaster .

The Provinc i al Congress placed the property in questionin the hands of the selectm en and comm ittee of safety toimprove , and instructed them to report to future legislatu res . F inal l y , Cy rus Fai rb ank i s found act i ng as the

local agent for confiscated estates of ro y al ists in Lancaster ,and his annual statem ents are among the archives of the

S tate . H is accounts emb race the property O f“ Ab ij ah

Wil l ard , E sq . , Abel Will ard , E sq ., Solomon Houghton ,


Yeom an , and Joseph Moore , Gent . The final settlementof Abe l Wi ll ard’s estate , October 26 , 1 78 5 , netted his cred

itors but ten shi ll ings , eleven pence to the pound . Theclaim ants and improvers probabl y swal lowed even the

l arger possess ions of Ab ij ah Wil lard , leaving nothi ng to

the Commonweal th .

Joseph Wi lder , J r . , colonel , and judge of the court of

common pl eas of Worcester County—as his father had

been before him—was prom i nen t among the signers of theaddress to General Gage . He apologized for this indiscret ion , and seems to have rece ived no further attent ion fromthe comm ittee of safety . In the extent of his possess ionshe rival led Ab ij ah Wi l l ard , having increased a generous inheritance by the profits of ver y extens ive manufacture andexport of pearl ash and potash ; an industry which he andhis b ro ther Cal eb were the first to i ntroduce into Amer ica .

He was now nearly seventy years of age , and died in the

second y ear O f the war .

Joseph House , at the evacuati on of Boston , went wi ththe arm y to Hal ifax . He was a householder , but possessedno cons iderab l e estate i n Lancaster . I n 1 778 , his nam eappears am ong the proscr ibed and b anished .

Samuel S tearn s , a pensi oned loyal ist , who died i n 1 8 1 0

at Dumm erston , Ve rm ont , was a native of Lancaster , bornin 1 74 7 , though not there re s i dent at the breaking out of

the revolution . He is noted as having publ ished the firstnautical alm anac ever printed i n the United S tates , December , 1 7 8 2 . The famous astronom e r ,Wil l iam Hersche l , F .

R . S . , was his personal fri end , and m arri ed his s ister . Dr .

S tearns l ived for seve ral years in England , and O b tainedthe degrees of M .D . and L .L . D . in som e foreign col lege .

Bes ides his a lm anacs , he pub l ished other sc ientific works .

Wi ll i am Lincoln , i n his history of Worcester , speaks of

h im as an astrologer , alm anac m anufacturer and quack byprofess ion .

” During the Shay ’s Insurrection a num ber ofthe i nsurgen ts at Worcester , became alarm ingly nauseated


al teration in the towns ; nor have I counteracted the resolve of the Continental Congress in buying or selling tea at any time . How I have ren

dered myself in any other way odious to the inhab i tan ts of th is town Iknow not , and till an ins tance of that kind is poin ted out i t cannot be ex

pected that I should make any reply to that complaint . With regard tomy not appearing before the comm ittee agreable to their warning , I wouldob serve ,

that I was warned to appear the very day on wh ich I had engagedto set out on a journey to take the small pox ; when I returned I threwmyself in the way of the committee and wen t before them they demandedof me satisfact ion for my pas t conduct . I asked them in what particular ;they said on accoun t of my not appearing before the committee when or

dered . I told them the reason of my not appearing before them was on

accoun t of my going to take the smal l pox &c . Then one of the committee asked the chairman whether I should hear what the others had con

sented to , mean ing those whom they had examined for supposed tories ;they put it to vote , and i t passed in the negative . Then they gave meleave to make my own declaration , and I wrote what follows

Gentlemen of the Comm ittee, I am called before you this day to makeknown my polit ical principles , to answer for my pas t conduct ; what youhave against me I am not able to say, but as you insist upon somethingfrom me I make this declaration Vi z : I am w ill ing to s tand by charterrigh ts and priv ileges granted us by KingWilliam and Queen Mary , and totake up arms in the defence of my country when though t proper, and as

for treating the committee 111 when I wen t to have the small pox I had no

such design .

N ow I appeal to the public whether in jus tice I ough t to be deemed asan enemy to my country , and thus held up to publ ic od ium ,

for conductingas above . NAHUM HO UGHTO N .

LAN CASTE R , August 28 th ,1 7 7 5 .

In the Boston Gazette for March 9 , 1 778 , is the fol lowing communicat ion

With the troops that surrendered w ith General Burgoyne in O ctoberlast , was a certain Atherton (now provos t-mas ter in the Britishservice on Prospect H ill) , born in Lancas ter, in the coun ty of Worces ter ;has been in the service of the Uni ted S tates and having deserted thatservice , joined the British forces at or near S kenesborough and con tinuedto act against his coun try until made prisoner as aforesaid ; he s till con

t inues his traitorous inveteracy agains t the Un ited S tates , threaten ing thel ives of the good people , and branding them wi th the epi thet , “ damn

’

d

rebels ,

”and damn ing their rebel army ; notwithstanding th is is notori

ously known , he has been permitted for three mon ths pas t daily to passand repass from Prospect H il l to Wes ton , about twelve miles dis tance ,where he quarters w ith a profes t enemy to the l iberties of America

,sur

LANCAS TER LO YALI S TS . 20 3

rounded by an infamous junto of tories , one ofwh ich has lately made a veryprivate journey to Albany , North River, or as l ikely N ew York .

A spec i al town m eeting was cal led on June 30 , 1 7 77 ,

chiefly to act on a Resolve of the General Assemb l y R e

spect ing and Securing this and the other United S tatesagainst the Danger to which the y are Exposed b y the Internal Enem i es Thereof, and to Elect som e proper person toCollect such evidence against such Persons as shal l b edemeed by authority as Dangerous persons to this and the

o ther United S ta tes of Am erica .

”A t this m eeting Colonel

A sa Whitcomb was chosen to col l ect evidence against sus

pected loy al ists , and Moses Gerrish , Dani el Al len , EzraHoughton , Joseph Moor , and Solomon Houghton , werevoted “

as Dangerous Persons and Internal Enem i es to thisS tate . On September 1 2 of the sam e y ear , apparentl yupon a report from Colonel A sa Wh itcomb , it was votedthat Thomas Grant , James Carter , and the Reverend T imothy Harrington ,

“ S tand on the B lack List . ” I t was al soordered that the selectmen “ Return a List of these Danger

ous Persons to the C lerk , and he to the Just ice O f the Ch mrum as soon as may be .

” This action of the extrem i stsseems to have aroused the more conservat ive c itizens , andanother m eeting was cal led , on September 23 , for the purpose O f recons idering this il l-advised and arb itrary proscription , at which m eeting the cl erk was instructed not to

return the names of Jam es Carter and the Reverend T im

othy Harrington“ on the Black List t i l l after Next Mee ting

on the first Monday i n No vember .

”

Thom as Grant was an old sold i e r , having served in the

French and Indi an War , and , if a lo y al ist , probab l y condoned the offence b y enl isting in the patriot arm y ; h isnam e is on the muster-rol l of the Rhode Isl and expedi tionin 1 77 7 , and i n 1 78 1 he was mustered into the service forthree y ears . He was about fifty y ears O f age , and a poorman , for the town paid b ill s presented “

for provid ing forT om Grant’s Fam il y .

”

204. ANNALS O F LANCAS TER .

Moses Gerrish was graduated at Harvard Col lege in

1 76 2 , and reputed a man of cons iderable ab il ity . EnochGerri sh , prob ab l y a b rother of Moses , was a farm er inLancaster who l eft hi s hom e , was arrested and imprisoned

in York County , and thence removed for tri al toWorcesterb y order of the counci l , M ay 20 , 1 778 . The fol lowing letter uncompl im entary to these two lo y al ists is found in M as

sachusetts Archives , Cxci x ; 2 78 :

S ir . T he two Gerrishes Moses Enoch , that ware sometime s inceapprehended by warrant from the Council are now set at L ibberty by reason of that Laws Expiring on wh ich they were taken up. I would moveto your Honrs a new warrant might I sue , Direc ted to Docr . S ilas Hoges toapprehend confine them as I look upon them to be Dangerous personsto go at large . I am with respect your Hon

". mos t obedient Hum . S ert .

GR O TO N 1 2 of July 1 7 7 8 . JAM E S PR E S CO TT.

T o the H one 7 er eh . Powell E sq .

An order for thei r re-arrest was voted by the counci l .Moses Gerri sh final ly received som e pos ition in the com

m issar y departm ent of the B ritish arm y , and , when peacewas declared , O btained a grant of free tenancy of the isl andof Grand Menan for seven y ears . A t the expirat ion of

that tim e , if a settl ement O f forty fam il i es wi th schoolmas

ter and m inister should be estab l ished , the whol e isl andwas to b ecom e the freehold of the colonis ts . Assoc i atedwith Gerrish in this proj ect was Thom as Ross , of L an cas

ter . They fail ed i n O b taining the requis ite numbe r of set

tlers , but continued to res ide upon the island , and thereMoses Gerrish died at an advanced age .

So lomon Hough ton , a Lancaster farm er i n com fortab l ec i rcum stances , fearing the i nqu is ition of the patriot com

m ittee , fled from his hom e . I n 1 779 , the judge of prob atefor Worcester County appointed comm iss ioners to care forhis confiscated estate .

Ezra Houghton , a prosperous farm er , and recentl y ap

pointed justice of the peace , affixed his name to the addressto General Gage in 1 7 75 , and to the recantation . In May ,1 777 , he was imprisoned , under charge of counterfe i ting


charged . For nearl y forty y ears M r . Harrington haddoub tless never om itted from his fervent prayers i n publ icassem b l i es the form al suppl ication for d i vine b lessing uponthe sovereign ruler O f Great B ritain . I t is not strange ,al though he had y ielded reluctant subm iss ion to the neworder of th ings , and was anxiousl y striving to perform his

clerical dut i es wi thout offence to an y of hi s flock , that hisl ips shou ld som etim es l apse into the won ted formula ,

“ b le ssour good K ing George I t is related that on occas ions of

such inadvertence , he , without em barrass ing pause , added“ Thou knowest , O Lord , we m ean George Washington .

In the records of the town-cl erk , nothing is told of the

nature of the charges against Mr . Harrington , or of the

m anner of his defence . Two deacons , Benj am in Houghton and Cy rus Fai rb ank , were sent as messengers “

to in

form the R ev‘ll T im° Harrington tha t he has som ething i n

agitat ion Now to b e Heard in this Meeti ng at which he hasLiberty to attend .

” Joseph Wi l lard , E sq . , i n 1 8 26 , recording prob ab l y the rem in iscence of som e one presen t at thedram atic scene , say s that when the venerabl e cl ergym anconfronted his accusers , b aring his b reast , he exclaimedwith the l anguage and feel ing of outraged Virtue : S trike ,strike here with y ou r daggers ! I am a true fri end to mycountr y 1”

Am ong the m anuscr ipts left by Mr . Harrington there i sone prepared for , if not re ad at , this town-m eeti ng , con

tain ing the charges i n detail , and his repl y to each . I t i s

headed : “ Harrington ’s answers to y e Charges &c .

”I t i s

a shrewd and eloquent defence , be aring evidence , so far as

rhetoric can , that i ts author was i n advance of his peopleand his t imes i n respect of Christi an charity , if not of

pol itical fores ight . The charges were four i n num ber : thefirst being that of the Bol ton Wal ley ites al leging that hisrefusal to receive them as chu rch mem bers i n regul ar standi ng b rought him under ye censure of shutti ng up y e Kingdom of Heaven against men .

” T0 this , calm answer is

LANCAS TER LO YALI S TS . 20 7

given b y a review of the whole controvers y i n the Bol ton

church , clos ing thus :

Mr . Moderator, as I esteemed the Proceed ings of these Brethren at

Bol ton Disorderly and S chismatical , and as the Apos tle has given Dircet ion to mark those Who cause Divis ions and O ffences and avoid them , Ithought i t my Duty to bear Tes timony against ye Conduct of both yePeople at Bol ton , and those who were active in settling a Pastor over themin the Manner S pecified : and I s til l retain ye sen timent and th is not to

shut the Kingdom of Heaven against them , but to recover them from theirwanderings to the O rder of the Gospel and to the direct way to the Kingdom of Heaven . A nd I still approve and think them just .

The second charge , in ful l , was as fol lows

I t appears to us that his conduct hath ye greatest Tendency to subvertour rel igious Cons titution and ye Fai th of these Churches—I n his sayingthat the Quebeck Bil l was just—and that he would have done the samehad he been one of ye Parliamen t and also saying that he was in chari tywi th a professed Roman Catholick , whose Principles are so con trary to theFai th of these churches —That for a man to be in chari ty with them we

conceive that i t is impossible that he should be in Charity wi th professedN ew England Churches . I t therefore appears to us that i t would be no

bet ter than mockery for him to pretend to s tand as Pastor to one of thesechurches .

T O this , Mr . Harrington first repl i es by the pointedquestion : “

I s not Libert y of Consc i ence and y e right ofjudging for them selves in the m atters of Rel igion one grandprofessed Princ iple i n y e New Engl and Churches and oneCorne r S tone i n their Foundation ?” He then expl ic itlystates his abhorrence of the anti-Christi an tenets of Popery ,

” adding :“ However on the other hand they receive

al l the articles O f the Athanas i an Creed— and of couse

quence in thei r present Const i tution they have som e Gold ,Silver , and precious stones as wel l as much wood , hay , andstubb l e .

” He characterizes the accusat ion in th is pithyparagraph “

T O O much Chari ty i s the Charge herebrough t against me ,

—would to God I had sti ll more of iti n ye m ost importan t sense . Instead of a D isqual ificat ion ,i t wou ld be a m ost enviab le accompl ishm ent i n ye Pastor ofa Protestant New England Church .

” A sharp argumen

208 ANNALS O F LANCA S TER .

tum ad hom in em for the benefit of the u l tra-rad ical accusercloses this d i vis i on of his defence .

But , Mr . Moderator, if my charity toward some Roman Cathol icks

disqualifieth me for a Protes tan t M inis ter, what , what mus t we think of yehonorable Congress at tending Mass in a Body in ye Roman CatholicChapel at Ph iladelphia? Mus t i t not be equal mockery in them to pretendto represen t and act for the United Protes tan t S tates ?The thi rd charge was that he had declared him self and

one of the b re thren to“ b e a m ajor part of the Church .

This , l ike the first charge , was a revival of an old personalgrievance within the church , rehab il i tated to give cumulat i ve force to the pol itical complaints . The accusation i ssumm aril y d isposed of ; the accu sed condem ning the sentim ent “

as grossly Ty rannical , i ncons istent wi th commonsense and repugnant to good order and deny ing that heever uttered i t .

Lastl y cam e the pol it ical charge pure and s impl e .

H is despising con temning and setting at naugh t and speaking Evil ofall our Civil Ru lers , Congress , Continental and Provincial , of all our

Courts , Legislative and Executive , are not on ly subvers ive of good O rderBut we apprehend come under Predicament of those spoken of in 2 Pet .

I I . 1 0 , who despise governmen t , presumptuous , selfwilled , they are not

afraid to speak evil of Dign ities &c .

Mr . Harrington acknowledges that he once uttered to aMr . North this imprudent speech

“ I disapprove abhor anddetest the Resul ts of Congress whether Continental or

Provinci al , but adds that h e took the first opportuni ty toi nform Mr . North that I had respect onl y to two art icles i nsaid Resul ts .

” He apologizes for the speech , but at the

same t im e defends his cr it icism of the two articles as arb itrary m easures . He also confesses say ing that “ GeneralCourt had no Business to direct Comm ittees to se ize onEstates before they had been Confiscated i n a course of

Law ,

” and “that thei r Constituents never el ected or sent

them for that Purpose ,”but this sent im ent he cl aim ed that

he had sub sequentl y retracted as rash and improper to b e

spoken . These O bjectionab le express ions of opinion , heasserts , were m ade

“ before ye 1 9th of April

2 1 0 AN NAL S O F LANCA S TER .

whose popul at ion nearl y forty per cent is foreign-born , andthe average is but four and one-fifth persons . The colonial cen sus of 1 776 gives Lancaster— which included the

Chock sett Prec inct , now Sterl ing , as wel l as the territor ynow Cl inton , and part of the Boyl stons—a popul at ion of

2 746 . The returns of pol ls and estates requ i red by the

government in 1 769 , 1 770 , 1 7 7 1 , 1 78 1 , 1 78 4 and 1 78 6

afford a ful ler exhib it of the phys ical and financ i al ab il ityof the town during the outbreak and progress of revolution ,when every re source of the l and was cal led i nto se rvice .

The fol lowing compilat ion from the valuation return s of

1 77 1 , 1 78 1 and 1 78 4 wil l show the growth O f the townduring an important decade , and afford data for a comparison of the two prec incts of Lancaster at the t im e of their

final separation

Polls ,Dwel l ings ,S hops and S tores ,Tanneries ,Pot and Pearlash Works ,Barns ,Grist , S aw and Ful ling M ills , 1 7

Horses , 383

O xen , 529O ther Neat Cattle, I 1 24S heep, 23 1 0

S wine , 6 23

Pasturage , acres , 358 1

Til lage , acres , 1 983

Grain , bushels ,Cider , barrels , 2 6 89

Engl ish mowing , acres , 2 264

Engl ish hay, tons , 1 57 8

Meadow , acres , 1 957

Meadow hay, tons , 1 4 63

S laves between 1 4 and 4 5 , 6

[M assachusetts A rchives, XXX I I I CL X I I and c 1 .x1 1 1 .]

Flax , hemp , hops , tob acco , potatoes , turnips and other

roots , though not i ncluded in the valuation , were ver y im

S TAT I ST ICS , A N D S O CIAL ANN ALS . 2 1 1

portant item s in the farmers ’ crops . During this periodbut seventeen towns i n Massachusetts had a larger populat ion than Lancaster , ten of which were i n Essex county .

I t was the most populous town in Worcester county , B rookfield standing second in rank , and Sutton thi rd . The number of shops and m i l ls enum erated in the valuat ion indicatesthat Lancaster was then not only a comm erc i al centre forthe sparsel y settl ed towns at the west , but that its c i ti zenshad turned thei r attent ion l argel y to m anufactures and them echanic arts . A letter and the repl y , found in M assachu

setts Archives , CLXX I I I and CXL V I , of Counci l Records ,afford other confirma tion of this

LAN CASTE R , July 1 5 , 1 7 7 7 .

Gentlemen , We the selectmen O f Lancaster, have been informed byWm

. Dunsmore E sq . who represen ts the town aforesaid , that there is a

Quan ti ty of Gun Locks for the use of th is state at the board of War ; we

in behalf of said town make application for a Number of said Locks , asthere is a number of good Gun S m iths in th is town who canno t pursuethat importan t branch of bus iness for wan t of Locks , therefore we desirethat we may have what you think Necessary for said town of Lancas terGentlemen you wil l obliege your mos t humble servants in Complyance wi ththe above request .

E PHM . W ILDE R ,

S electmen WM . GR E E N LE AF ,of S AM UE L S AWYE R ,

L d flm fl‘ef S O LO M O N JEWETT,

T o the Gentlemen of the Board of War . NA T H BE AM AN °

S tate of Massachuset ts Bay, Council Chamber, July 1 7 , 1 77 7 .

O rdered that the Board of War be , and they hereby are directed todel iver to Doc . Will iam Green leaf Mr. S amuel S awyer and other S electmen of Lancaster four hundred wght Lead , one thousand Flints and s ix

Doz . Gun Locks for the use of said Town,they paying for the same .

A true ex tract from the M inutes of Council .A ttes t J N O . AVE R Y , Dpt . S ecy .

The manufacture of potash and pearlash had attainedgreat importance here , the b rothers Caleb and Levi Wildersome t imes export ing wi thin a twelve-month seventy-fivetons of potash and doub le that weight of pearl ash . Theslate quarry i n the north part of the town was worked in a


modest way , and near by it was a furnace for the cast ingof hol low ware . The cooper was one of the busi est of

men in every vil l age . But . al though boast ing a l argercapital invested in trade and manufactures than an y of thetowns about it , agriculture was the almost universal occupat iou of i ts people . Almost ten bushe l s of grain , chiefl yIndian corn , were annual ly harvested for every man ,

wom an and child of i ts population . I n 1 8 8 5 l ess than threebushel s of cereal s per inhab itant were raised in the sameterri tory , and l ess than six within Lancaster’s presentbounds . Even if we add the great root crop of thesel ater y ears , i t wil l not b ring the food product per indivi dualso high as the grain crop alone ave raged in the days of the ,

Revolution . The supply of beef, mutton and pork uponthe hoof was then very much greater per inhab itant thannow . In short , the community , after suppl y ing its ownw ants , had a l arge surplus of food for sale . The fol lowingb il l is i nte rest ing in this connect ion , giving the prices of

various provi sions dur ing the s iege of Boston . I t was

found among some loose fi les i n the MassachusettsArchives

T he Coliney of the M asachusets Bay Detor to the town of Lancas terfor Provisions that was sent Down to the armey at Cambrig for the use O fthe solders there is as followeth . Viz

L . S . D . Q .

the Poork 2 1 29 Pounds and }5 at Pr Pound 52 o 7 0

to 1 80 and one of Veal comes to 5 1 5 2 o

to 1 37 2 Pounds of Bread at Pr Pound comes to 5 1 4 o 0

to 1 4 5 Pound of Cheas at 4 d Pr Pound comes to 2 8 4 o

to three bushels and 6 Quarts of beans at Pr bushelcomes to

to seven bariels S ider at 7 / 8 Pr barielto 6 bushels Indian meal at 3 S h illingsto 50 bushels of Potatoes at 1 4 Pr bushelto 1 4 Pounds of Mutton comes to

to 4 7 Pounds of S alt Beaf comes toto 30 bushels and }5 bushel of R ey meal 4 rsto 8 Pounds of But terto 6 Bariels to Carry Don sd Provis ions into 1 8 1 Pounds of Flower at Pr Pound


by the c i rcul ation of num erous well executed counterfe its .

Forged paper wel l calcul ated to dece ive was even m anufactured i n the B ritish camps , and presum ab l y with the

sanction of the commander-in-chief. We often find town

ofli cials asking al lowance for b ad mone y received in the ircol lect ions of taxes or fines . In the warrant for townm eeting in March , 1 7 78 , two articles are of this nature

8 lb w. to see if the town will al low Mr Joshua Fletcher a Cons iderationin Regard of the Counterfeit Bills he Recd . at Worces ter of Mr Curtis asfines of those Persons that was Drafted to go to the J ers ies under Capt .

Eager1 4lb ”

. to see if the town w ill allow Jonas Wyman what Coun terfeitMoney he R eed . for Rates 1 7 77

The m ost i nnocent persons were at times accused of

pass ing counterfe i t money .

O n Tuesday the 24th

. ult . came on the trial of Capt . S amuel Ward ofLancas ter before the Hon . S uperior Court then s i tting in th is town ; hewas charged w ith uttering and passing three counterfei t 6 0 8 bills or notes ,of the S tate of N ew Hampsh ire , knowing them to be coun terfei t , and aftera fair and impartial hearing of the cause, he was acquit ted . I t clearly appeared from the tes timony of a great number of wi tnesses , as well on thepart of the S tate , as of Capt . Ward , that his m isfortune was that of manyother respectable merchants , who innocen tly received and paid large quantities of the same kind of bad money . T wo other persons were tried atsaid Court for pass ing counterfeit paper money and were found guilty .

[M assachusetts S py, M ay 4 ,

The Council , November 20 , 1 778 ,

O rdered , that a warrant be drawn on the Treasury for Twen ty poundsin favor of Ephraim Carter in full of the bounty al lowed by the GeneralCourt for detect ing Manasseh Divoll in pass ing coun terfeit money , as appears by a certificate s igned by Manchester S m ith , clerk of the S uperiorCourt .

The cl ergy , teachers , and others dependent upon sal aries for thei r m eans of l iving , were espec i al sufferers fromthe deprec i ation . The first donat ion party i n Lancas ter ofwhich we have any record is thus desc rib ed by a correspondent of the Massachuse tts Spy , Jul y 1 5 , 1 779 :

A respectable number of ladies in the first parish in Lancas ter assembled at the pastor’s and presented him wi th 208 skeins of l inen yarn

S TAT I S T ICS , AND S O CIAL ANNALS . 2 1 5

and other valuable donations ; and in the evening a worthy number ofgen tlemen assembled also and in wool and cash presen ted to the amountof 239 dollars ; all wh ich were gratefully accepted by the said pastor .

The fluctuation in the regular m ed ium of exchangem ade tim e contracts difli cul t , and trade becam e as much am atter of b arter as it had been in the earl i est day s O f thecolony . An example of ingenious avoidance of risk of

loss from a debased currenc y i s found i n the fo llowingprom issory note given to a hired so ldier :

We the subscribers belonging to Bol ton in the County ofWorces ter dopromise to pay unto John Wh itney of Harvard in said Coun ty or order incons ideration of his E ngageing in to the Con tinental S ervice for three yearsfor us , Eigh teen Calves , T en whereof are to be Heifers and Eigh t S teers tobe Delivered to him wi thin S ix weeks after his Discharge from the Con tineutal S ervice (provided it be within three years) viz : if he be Dischargedin one year after Date he is to Receive S aid S tock at one year and S ixweeks old and so for a longer or S horter time according to the S ame Ru le .

N . B . said S tock is to be S ix weeks older when he Receives them than thetime he is in the S ervice provided i t be no longer than three years . S aidS tock is to be of the m idling S ize , in w itness whereof we have hereuntoS ett our hands and S eals this Ten th Day of April A . D . 1 78 1 .

A true Coppy of the O bligation S igned by Nathanie l Holman JohnWh itney and S imon Houghton to me on accoun t of my E ngageing in to theContinental S ervice for three years for a Class in Bolton to which theybelong .

[Captain David N ourse's Papers ]Each of the s ixteen three-y ears men form ing the quota

of Harvard in the Continental arm y , under the cal l of 1 78 1 ,s igned a receipt s im ilar to the fol lowing :

HAR VAR D 7 , 1 78 1 .

Received of the Comm ittee for Class N o . 4 in sd Town nin

Dol lars and ye of a Dol lar and Twenty-five hundred paper Dollars and an

obligation for eigh teen head of three year old Horned Cattle as encour

agement for I nl isting and serving three years in the Con tinen tal army .

S AM UE L ATHE R TO N .

Through private boarding and exportat ion b y mer

chants , the precious m etal s soon total ly d isappeared fromthe ordinar y channel s of trade . A rapid increase fol lowedi n the prices of those commodi t ies which weal th y or shrewdspecul ators could so monopol ize as to forestall the m arket .


Thereupon , as is usual at such epoch , pl aus ibl e financ iers ,patriotic bu t purb l ind , re-inven ted the device of l egislatingthat prices should rem ain fixed , and be forever independentof the fickleness of suppl y and dem and , and of the downward sl id ing values O f a printed legal tender profess ing noce rtain day of redempt ion . An interest ing l ist of offic i alprices current at the close of the second y ear of the war ,

i s found in the town records beaut iful ly engrossed

RE GULATIN G A CT , 1 77 7 .

T he S electmen Commit tee for the town of Lancas ter having mettagreeable to the order of the General Court , proceeded to sett the price of

the Necessary Convenient Articles of Life as Fol lows , (Viz)Farming Labour in the S ummer S eason June , July August . 3 p day

S eptember. 2 2 p dayO ctober November. Do

December January February . I 6 DoMarch April . Do

M ay. 2/ 2 Do

Wheat good marchantable . 6 / 8 p bushelR ye marchantable . 4 / 6 Do

Indian Corn good Do . 3/ Do

S heeps’ wool Do . 2 p pound

Poork fresh , well fat ted . p Do

Ditto . S al t w ithout bone . 8 12 Do

Beef grass fed . 2%d Do

Ditto stall Do . Do

R aw H ides . 3d Do

Calve S kins . DO

S alt according to Court A ct 1 0 / p bushelR um S ugar Molasses Chocolate and Coffee according to Court A ctCheese good new m ilk p poundButter by the s ingle pound 9

d Do

Peas good Clean 6 / 8 p bushelBeans 5 /4 Do

Potatoes in Winter S pring 1 /6 Do

at all other seasons in proportionGood stokings , men

’s yarn 6 / a pair

S hoes according to Court A ct 8 Do

Pork beef salt , by the barral as d irected by Court A ctCotton O ates see Court A ctS hoes for women ware , ei ther Cloth or Leather 5 / 8 a pair


T o one good Desk maid of CherrytreeT o one Case of DrawsCommon Colourd ChairsO ne four feet Tableall other S hop Joinery in proportion

S pinning yarn warp woolS pinning fill ing for DittoS pinn ing Linnen 5 skain yarn 1 4 Knottsand al l o ther S pinn ing in proportionT o weaving wool or yard w ide Linning a yardand all o ther weav ing in proportionT o making men ’

s shoes at their shopT o Do Women

’s Do

T o S pecking shoes for men finding allT o Do Women

’s Do

and all other making and mending in proportionBricks well burn t Common S izeBarral s taves bes t k indand all other Cooper S taves in proportionT o a heart barral sap Do o ther coopering in proportionT o making a pair of Cart Wheeles 6 8 8 d

F or a good seed plough other ploughs in ProportionT o a good Fire arm Compleat wi th bayonetand al l other Gun S m i th ing in proportionA Good well made Man’s S adleA Good bridle w ith Common bittsand all other S addler’s work in proportionIron hollow ware 3

dp pound

Hard ware and all other Cast I ron Ware in proportonGood old CyderT o a yoke of O xen one day in S ummerT o a Draft Horse one day in S ummerand both in proportion in other seasons of the yearHemp well DressedS awing pine boards ChesnuttDO . O ake

and al l other sawing in proportionFlax seed fitt for oil m ill 3/ 6 p bushellFlax seed fitt for sowing 5/ p bushel lGood barly malt 3/ 6 p bushellGood R ye Do . Do

Grammer S chool Mas terj52 . .8 / a month

Good pair boots made of neat ’s Leather 6 8

Good Wool Hatt 8

3/

p pair2 /

a pair

Thousand2 5/ a Thousand

S TAT I S T ICS , AND S O CIAL ANNALS . 2 1 9

Good tryed tallowRough tallowRiding HorseA Woman to spin by the weekDoctor’s fees . Vomitt purge to a m iles travel 8 1 . pull

ing tooth 8 d . a Visit 8 1 . and all other Doctring in proportionGood oake or pine plank three Inch thick a thousand

A true Coppy s igned by Joseph Kilburn , Daniel Robbins , Joel Houghton , S amuel Thurs ton , Jonathan Wilder, Ebenezer Allen ,Wm Dunsmoor,Cyrus Fairbank , Joshua Fletcher, Jos iah Kendal l , Junr . and Jabez Fai rbank , S electmen and Commi ttee.

F or the town of Lancaster LAN CASTE R ,Feby 2 8 th . 1 7 7 7 .

Examined and Entered by me .

WM GR E E N LE AF , T own Clerk .

The attempt to fix immutab l y the value of a prom ise-topa y b ased upon no security but hopes of future prosperity ,met the fate h istoric of such financi al schemes . Now andthen the scale of prices had to be re-adjusted . May 1 7 ,

1 779 , the town voted to choose four persons as Inspectorsof the markett ,

” and David Osgood , Wil l i am Dunsmoor ,E sq . , Nathanie l Beam an and Captain Wil l i am Putnamwere elected . June 28 , the town in sol em n conclave ,

1 1 . Voted that the price of the comodityes of the farmer and any

other article do N ot Rise any hier than at this time .

1 2 . Voted to Chuse a Committee to assertain the prices of everyarticle of Life

1 4 Voted and Chosen Nathaniel Balch , Wm Dunsmoor E sq , Jos iahWilder E sq , Nath . Beaman , Capt . Wm

. Putnam , Joel Houghton , AaronS awyer and Thomas Brown as the above Commi ttee .

LAN CASTE R,July 1 2 , 1 7 79

9 Voted and Chosen Joseph Reed E sq . and Mr Ebenezer Al len to

attend at Concord the 1 4 . Ins tan t as deligates to set in a S tate Conven

tion 0 O O O

LAN CASTE R August 2 1 7 792 Voted and accepted the proceedings of the Conven tion lately held

at Concord

5 Voted that Joseph Reed E sq . and Ebenezer Allen be the Gentlemento at tend upon the Convention to be holden atWorces ter the second Tuesday of August .

2 20 A NNALS O F LANCAS TER .

Colonel Joseph Reed was chairm an of this convention

at Worcester , August 3 , 1 7 79 , which met

for the purpose of carry ing into effect the several interesting and important measures firs t recommended by Congress to the inhabitan ts of theUn ited S tates , and since to the inhabitants of th is S tate by a Conventionof their Delegates at Concord on the 1 4

th ult .

The convent ion adjourned to August 1 1 , when thirtytowns of the county were represen ted , and seve ral resolveswere passed , the chief be ing to fix the prices at which

merchand ise and country produce should be sold .

LAN CASTE R Augus t 1 6 , 1 7 79I . Voted and accepted the proceedings of the Late County Conven

tion held at Worcester .2 . Voted that the proceedings of the above Conven tion be posted at

Phelps’

, S awyer’s M ills , Thomas Gates’ , Pope’s , E l isha White’s and

Josiah Kendall ’s taverns .

3 . Voted to Chuse a Committee to Regulate prices w ith in the townand see the Proceedings of the late County Convention held at Worces terbe carried into execution .

4 . Voted to make an addition of ten persons to the s tanding Commi ttee .

5 . Voted and Choose Josiah Wilder, S amuel Thurston , ThomasGates , Peter Larkin , Thomas Brooks , Nathaniel Bal ch , Jabez Brooks ,S tephen Holman , S amuel Wilder Jr . and John Brown to be added to thestanding Committee for the above purpose.

On the first of September the conventi on for form ingthe con sti tution of the state met at Camb ridge , wherei nLancaste r was represented by W il l i am Dun smoor , E sqCaptain Ephraim Wilder and Captain Will i am Putnam .

On the firstWednesday i n October another convention met

at Concord to revise the price l ist again , and Lancastersent the same del egates as before .

LAN CASTE R Novr 8 ln 1 779I Voted and accepted the proceedings of the late Convention at Con

cord .Voted to Chuse a Comm ittee to see the Regulations of the Con

vent ion Complyd with wi th in this town411? Voted and Choose Dea. Cyrus Fairbank , Capt . Nathaniel Balch ,

Ebenezer Al len , Capt . JonathanWilder, John Prescott , Capt . Benja. Rich


Augus t 2 7 Assessed a Con tinental T ax of 3

A Town T ax of o

A Coun ty T ax of

F eb . 3 Assessed a S tate T ax of 4

A Town T ax of 638 1 o o

A County T ax of 2 1 1

8

A n A ccompt of the M oneys assessed on the T own 1 7 80 .

F eby 1 0 a Town Rate of J5 1 6 5000 0 0

2 2 a County Rate of 2 . .o

a S tate Rate of 6 8

S ept . 30 a S tate Rate (s ilver) 0 0

a Town Rate (H ighway) o 0

N ov. 4 a Town Rate (N ew Em ission) o . .o

Dec . 4 a S tate Rate 6 8

a County RateFeby . 5 a Town Rate (N ew Emission) o o

a Town Rate do .

The credi t of the continental currency had , during 1 7 79 ,

reached so low an ebb that the arm y comm issari es couldnot purchase sufli cien t food for the soldiers , and Congressi nvented the exped i ent of requi ring each s tate to supp l y i tsproport ionate share . Therefore in the warrant for a townm eeting , October 24 , 1 78 0 , appears this article

2 . T o see what me thod the Town w ill come in to respecting ye Resolution of the General Court , concerning the rais ing by a T ax or o therwisea Quantity of Beef, or act or transact any thing relative to Reso lution .

The town chose to pu rchase the beef, and elected as

purchas i ng comm ittee , Captain David Osgood , CaptainEphraim Carte r and Nathanie l Hough ton ; rais ing sevenhundred and fifty pounds for the purpose . David Osgoodbecame the commonweal th ’s agent .

LAN CASTE R November 1 4 . 1 7 8 0 .

Received of the Town of Lancas ter by the Hands of NathanielHough ton and Ephraim Carter, Junr . Nineteen Thousand wt of Beef, beingthe whole of what was sett in the S ch’dule by ye great and general Court .

DAV ID O S GO O D , Agent .

S econd Day of January A . D . 1 7 8 1

2 1 7 . Voted to raise the Town’s Proportion of Beef sent for by theGeneral Court .

Voted Chose Capt . David O sgood , Joseph Carter, Nathaniel

S TAT I S T ICS ,AND S O CIAL ANNALS . 2 23

Hough ton , Capt S olomon Jewett and Capt Ephraim Carter for a Commi ttee to purchase s

d Beef.Voted to raise the S um of Fifteen Hundred Pounds in ye N ew

Emission to purchase said Beef.LAN CASTE R January , 1 7 8 1 .

Received of th is Town by the Hands of the Comm ittee th irty-sixThousand 4 Hundred and 94 w

tof Beef being their full Quota as order‘1

by ye General Court Decbf . 4 , 1 7 80 .

DAV ID O SGO O D AgentLAN CASTE R July 1 3 , 1 7 8 13 . Voted to Comply with the General Court’s orders Respecting beef

for the army .

4 . Voted to Chuse a Committee for purchasing beef as above .

6 . Voted and Choose Thomas Gates and Dan iel Rugg as a Committee .

7 . Voted to Raise two hundred pounds for procuring the above beef.

I n m atters O f dress , which had greatl y deviated fromPuritanic s impl icity , i n the larger towns at l east , a r igideconom y becam e general ly compul sory from scarcity of them ateri al s as well as thei r cost . Si las R ice , however , continued to advertise in the Spy that he m ade and sold “

s ilve rshoe and knee-buckles at his shop near the second parishmeeting-house . The cen sus shows that eve ry farmerkept his l ittle flock of sheep , there b eing nearl y four thousand in the town . The cul t ivation of hemp and flax waseverywhere urged as a patriotic duty . B y every fire-side

the spinning-wheels bus il y humm ed , twirled by th e handsof the y oung , and the knitt ing needles constantl y cl ickedin the deft fingers of the aged . Ephraim Carte r i n histanner y , Pete r Thurs ton in his hat shop , Micah Har than in

his ful l ing m il l , Thom as Gran t wi th his loom , and m anyskill ed and strong-handed helpers wrought at thei r c raftsindustriousl y . Y et the soldiers often went half cl ad , andamong the bare-footed m en whose steps stained with bloodthe snows of Val le y Forge , were several of Lancaster andVici ni ty . When the knowledge of thei r press ing needcame hom e to thei r neighbors , the town-meeting waited forno form al i ty of requ is ition , but , Feb ruary 5 , 1 7 78 ,

4t‘1 15

'. Voted , that the S electmen and Commi ttee es timate the Cloath

ing Collected for the S oldiers and to be made a town charge with thetransporting .

2 24 ANNALS O F LA NCA S TER .

5th15'

. Voted , that the above Cloathing be sent to the ContinentalS oldiers in the S ervice for three years Belonging to th is town .

6M . Vo ted , that the S electmen and Committee Provide a man or

men to transport the above Cloathing to the S oldiers .

Joshua Houghton served the town as express m essenger ,and was i n due t im e paid 1 3

8. 1 0

d for such service .

A t a town-mee ting M ay

” gt“ ? Voted to allow the S electmen seven pound fifteen sh il lings

for Cloth ing they Found for the S olgers that F lead out of York in year1 77 6 .

Massachusetts , from the beginning of the confl ict , hadadopted the pol icy of requ i ring each town to furn ish itsproportion of the clothing dem anded for the sold ie ry , its

quota being determ i ned not by the number of m en it hadsent , but by i ts financi al ab i l ity . I n 1 7 75 , Lancaster was

requ i red to supply one hundred and s ixteen coats . Duringthe s i ege of Boston she was cal led upon for thi rty-threeb l ankets . I n February , 1 777 , a requ is it ion for clothing

was made , based upon one-seven th of the m al e popul ationabove s i xteen years of age . The following undated b il l

prob ably ind icates the cal l made upon Lancaster

S tate of M assachusetts Dr . to the S electmen of L ancaster ,

for s ixty-four S ummer S h irts at th irty-one Woolen Dittoat 50/

ninty-s ix pairs of S tockingsninty .six pairs of S hoes

By or . of S electmen

EBE N E Z E R ALLE NJO SHUA FLETCHE R ,

WILLIAM PUTN AM ,

LE V I MO O R E L ancaster

I S R AE L MO O R E ,

[M ass. A rchives , M uster R olls,XL I

,

The assessment of clothing for the army i n 1 780 , was

Lancaster 40 pairs of S hoes , 4 1 S hirts , 2 6 pairs of Hose , 1 7 Blankets .

Bol ton 1 8 do . 1 5 do . 20 do . 0

Harvard 28 do . 1 0 do . 27 do . 0

Leomins ter 22 do . 2 2 do 2 2 do. 1 1

[M assachusetts A rchives , CXL , 27 2-4 ]

226 AN NALS O F LANCAS TER .

r ion , a beveragemade of the dri ed l eaves of the raspberr y .

I n more southern l atitudes the s am e pu rpose was served bythe flowers of the sassafras and the fol i age of the yupon .

i lex g labr a ,— a shrub akin to that which furnishes the

Paragua y an y erva or mate. Even garden herb s and m i ntswere regul arl y util ized to appease the c raving for the imported stimul ant . Coffee was far m ore satisfactori l y re

placed,

by various hom e-m ade preparations .

From a series of prob ate inventori es fi led i n colonialday s can b e got ver y suggestive pictures of the i ndigenceor ascetic frugal it y of the pioneers , the s low acc retion of

household com forts , and the gradual changes i n dress ,soc i al hab its and domest ic l ife . In the times spec i all y under consideration we no longer find such i tem s as the fol

lowing , taken from som e of the earl i est property schedulesof Lancaster ’s deceased yeoman :

“the b edstead in the

parlour ”— “

ancker of strong wate rs i n ce l lar ” “ a pair ofquerns ” a posnet ”— “

a dozen trenchers ” one dozenalcomy spoons ”—“

a satin isco and a red tam i n y petticoat ”“ a green say apron

” a red se rge hood “ a fire sl icem atch lock halb ert jo i nt stool s a tumb ril ”

thatching tools In testamentar y dispos ition of estates ,

the great b ib l e or “ one s i lver spoon ” is not so frequentl ythe sol e b equest to a favori te daughter , and the e ldest son

no longer receives a doub l e portion as his b i rth-right . But

we con ti nue to note a st inted suppl y and scant varie ty inthe utensi ls of dom est ic econom y , even among fam i l i eses teemed we l l-to-do ; and always find sundr y chattel s , thenam es or u t il ity of which have long become unfam i l i ar ,such as the fol lowing : spinning-wheel s , b rake , swingle ,hetche l , wool-cards , loom , fire-stee l and t inder box , cob

i rons , b asti ng l adle , fire-fork , cottrel , tramm els , pot-hooks ,peel , b rander , trive t , i ron and b rass S ki l lets , locker , settle ,flock-b ed , warm i ng-pan , cheese-vat , b rewing tub , m altm i ll , powdering tub , piggin , noggin , keeler , rundle t , porringer , pewter p latters , tankards , bucksk i n b reeches , serge

S TATI S T ICS , AND S O CIAL AN NALS . 2 27

gowns and waistcoats , l insey-woolse y petticoats , pill ion ,pannel , sadd le—bags , froe . Hoops and furb elows , saffronhued lace , cocked hats , high-heeled sat i n shoes , ruffles andpowdered perukes , we know there were from trad it ions thatcom e down to us , but about them Lancaster adm inistratorsare s i lent .In 1 6 76 , when savage hordes swept down from Wachu

set , and with fire and tomahawk drove the settl ers from the

Nashua val le y to seek shel ter in the b ay towns , several ofthe hom e less pioneers found hospi tab le doors open to themin Boston and Charl estown . Nearl y one hundred yearshad e lapsed and five thousand poor peopl e of Boston , fleeing from the insul ts O f B ritish so ldier y and the sufferingsi nc ident to s i ege , were asking refuge and food . ThusLancaste r had her O pportunity to repay tenfold what she

had received . O f five hundred and thirt y-nine poor of

Boston ass igned b y the Provinc i a l Congress to the charit yof Worcester county , it was Lancaster ’s lot to provide forone hundred and three . Bol ton was expected to care forforty-eight , Harvard fifty , and Leom inster th irty-eigh t .To the quota of Lancaster were added thirty Charlestownexi les . The actual numb er who final ly sought refuge herecan never b e known , for al l attempts at a sy stem at ic distribution of the needy natura ll y fai led in the confus ion of the

t ime . N O l ists of the nam es of the benefic i ari es , and butfew references to them are found . Som e becam e suffic i entlyattached to thei r rural asy lum to remain perm anent residents . Among these was a l am e y outh of fifteen y ears ,the grand-nephew of Benj am in Frankl in . Thi s was Jos i ahFlagg , whose pl ain handwriti ng adorned the records of

Lancaster for thi rty-four y e ars , 1 8 00—1 8 36 . H is father ,Wil l iam Flagg , rem aini ng in the b eleaguered ci ty to proteet his personal effects , succumbed to hardship and d isease , l eaving h is crippled son dependent upon others .

When past the a l lotted age of man ,

’Squi re Flagg , as theveteran town-cl erk was general ly cal led , was wont to tel l

228 A NNAL S O F LANCAS TER .

of the hardships he endured as a boy i n revolutionary days ,and to S how with honest pr ide the fol lowing test imoni al

Th is is to certify whom i t may concern that Jos iah Flagg has hiredw ith me near Five Months , being employ

’d as a Clerk and Accoun tant ,and has behav

’d in his Employmen t with great Abili ty , Diligence and

Fidelity , so as to give me perfect S atisfaction .

Th is Testimony is given unask’d . PH ILADE LPH IA S ept . 4 , 1 7 8 6

B . FR ANKLIN .

The schoolmaster of Charlestown , W i ll i am Harr is , fleeing on foot with his fam ily of l i ttl e ones to escape the

devastat ing storm of flame in which his humb l e home was

soon after swept away , by chance found fri ends and a refugehere . He becam e paym aster in the regiment of Colone lDavid Henley , d i ed of fever O ct . 30 , 1 7 78 , and was bu riedwith m il i tar y honors i n the Second Preci nct cemetery . Theeldest of his chi ldren , a boy O f ten when orphaned , th rough

ye ars of struggl ing with penury , rose to d istinctionThaddeus Mason Harris , S . T . D . , A . A . S . , etc .

John Newman , a“clock and watch m aker ,

”set up his

shop ne ar the store of Captain Samuel Ward , and therehis descendants of two generations m ade steel tool s of so

excel lent workm anship that they were sought for i n al l the

country around .

The fol lowing documents te ll of a fam il y brought hitherfor temporary res idence

Massachusetts Bay to O liver Pollard Dr .1 7 75 July 1 7 bringing Richard Cartwrigh t and family 7 persons to L an

cas ter as per certificate 2 3 o

LAN CASTE R S ept . 1 1 1 7 7 5

Then Recd by the hand of David Moor R ebeccah Cartwrigh t a

Grandch ild of hers 7 years old who was not expressed in the s tificat .

Th is family was brought from Malden 4 2 miles . N . B . said Moor padfor expence for said Cartwright .

CYR US FAIR BAN K T he

S A M L L . THUR STO N 5 3 1 6”

EBE N E Z E R ALLE N ”

2?DAV ID O S GO O D L amas,”

The Boston refugees who came “to share the hom ely

banque t of peace ” in the Nashua val ley , were not al l crafts


ton , near and north of School street , in Boston , where here tailed hats , and original wittic ism s , which won him more

than urb an renown . He becam e so marked a favorite with ,and so i nseparab l e a companion to Governor Hancock , thathis rival town wits fastened upon him the t itl e O f “

the Gov

cruor ’s Jester .” H is nam e is prom inent in the war comm ittees of Lancaster in 1 7 76 .

In spi te of the pub l ic anxiety and private d istress , thearts were not banished , nor did the graces langu ish fromneglect , on the Nashua .

THE French Gentleman who taught DANCING and the FRENCHLANGUAGE grammatical ly , in Wor cester the last Winter and in L A N

CASTE R the S pring ensuing , begs leave to inform the Publick that he hasagain opened a S CHO O L in LANCAS TER , near the Meeting-House forthe same purpose : Where he w ill pay the greates t at ten tion to every Ladyor Gentleman who will honour him with his or her presence .

[M assachusetts S py, Thursday, N ovember 1 5 ,

Hasty inference drawn from a comparison of the O ftenil l iterate m anuscript of the town ’s offici al s during the revolution wi th that of the pioneers in Lancaste r , m ight lead tothe assumption that there had b een a decadence i n populareducation . The enforced costly sacrifice of m aterial i n terests dur ing long y ears of warfare prevented gen erousexpend iture for pub l ic school s , but the old custom was con

tinued of annual l y hi ring som e college graduate to pres ideover the gramm ar school , usual l y for two term s . Amongthe m ore noted of those thus employ ed were Joseph Warren the patriot , who taught in 1 759 and 1 760 , and JosephW i ll ard , l ater to becom e pres ident of Harvard Co llege ,who was a teacher here in 1 7 6 2 . After 1 76 7 the orders for“

schoo l ing ” were i ssued in favor of various townsm en act

ing as“ prudenti al m en

”for the several squadrons i nto

which the town was divided—the town treasure r no longerpa y ing the teachers d i rectl y , and thei r n am es be ing therefore seldom found i n town records . The nam es of “

schooldam es first appear i n these records about the close of therevolut ion .

S TATI S T ICS , AND S O CIAL ANNALS . 23 1

The two m inisters of Lancaster were ripe cl ass ical

scholars , and were wont to eke out thei r scant s tipends b yreceiving students preparing for college . A t least ten Lan

caster boy s , under their tu it ion prob ab l y , sought m atricul a

tion at Harvard during the twenty y ears next preceding

1 7 8 5 , and a Lancaster graduate , Samuel Locke , was president of that i nstitution during four y e ars , 1 7 70—1 773 . The

two res ident lawy ers of the revolutionar y period , Abe lW il lard and John Sprague , were men of col legiate educa

tion , as were al so two of the several phy s ic i ans of the town ,Israel Atherton and Jos i ah Wi lder .Books were too costl y to b e abundant , but i nventories of

the period prove that every fam il y possessed a few , m os tl yof a re l igious character . O f the working l ib raries of professional men we possess no ful l catalogue . The books of

Reverend John Prentice were , at his death in 1 74 8 , ap

praised worth 53£ 8S. 3

d. After this col lection was scat

tered , there was perhaps none rival l ing it unti l the founding

of the Lancaster Lib rary by an assoc i ation of c iti zens i n1 790 . Reverend Timoth y Harrington ’s books , as l isted inthe i nventor y of hi s estate , 1 795 , were as fol lows

M cKnight’s Harmony of the Four Gospels Doddridge

’s Family Ex

positor in s ix volumes Doddridge’s Lectures Bailey’s Dictionary

Bal l ’s Power of God l iness Watts ’ S ermons Bennet’s Chris tian O ratoryGordon ’s Geography Latin and Hebrew Psalms , two vo lumesTrumbull’s Moral Ph i losophy Grove’s Lord’s S upper Prideaux’s Con

nect ion of the H istory of the O ld and N ew Tes taments , four volumesA nnerson

’s Remons trance Calvin’s Ins titutes of Religion Kennet t’s

Roman An tiquities Bion ’s Works Cicero’s O rations Trail ’s S ermonsHomer’s I l iad S impl icius ’s Commen tary Ful ler’s Worthies of E ng

land Region of Parnassus Theological Works in Latin two volumesCruden’s Concordance Confessions of Fai th and Moral EssaysHorace S almon

’s English Nobility Eucl id’s Elemen ts Dialogues on

Eloquence Gul liver’s Memoirs Juvenal Parable of T en VirginsDr . Mayhew’s S ermons Dr . Wh i tby’s Natural Rel igion Trap’s TrinityChauncy

’s S tate of Religion Latin Bible Latin Grammar Greek

and Latin Tes tamen t—Prince’s Chronology of N ew England—F lavel ’sWorks S cot t’s Chris tian Life -Willard’s Body of Divini ty H is tory ofChurch of S cotland Perkins

’s Works Lord Chesterfield’s Exposition

Pole’s S ynopsis , Latin , fi ve volumes .


Doctor W il l i am Dunsmoor , a man of m arked ab il ity ,

the m ost prom i nent of Lancaster’s patr iots in 1 775 , hadi nherited his father ’s “ hats and wiggs , and one B ib le , and

al l his Physical l Books and Chirurgical Instruments .

”A t

hi s decease in 1 78 4 , the fol lowing volum es composed hisl ittl e l ibraryA large Folio Bible w ith cuts Henry Moore agains t Deism Robert

Morse’s S ermons , five volumes Burns’s Justice , abridged Bai ley’s

Dictionary—Perry’s Theatre of Phys ic , two volumes—Huxam’s Essay

on Fevers Brown’s A rt of Physic Allen’s S ynopsis Medicina S haw’sPractice of Physic S almon’s Practical Phys ic T he Marrow of S urgeryJohn Dayreel in Vindication of the Church—S nake in the Grass , three

volumes Tate and Brady’s Psalms A Bundle of Magazines and Pamphlets Y orrick’s S ermon’s , two volumes Humphrey Cl inker, three volumes -T he Devil on T wo S ticks M rs . Chapone

’s Letters .

From t im e to tim e various paroled prisoners were quartered i n and about Lancaster , occas ional gl impses of whoseimpati ence under re strai nt and consequent col l is ion wi thlocal authority have com e down to us . An inc ident whichdoubtless caused som e sti r for the day , was the passingthrough the town of a company of prisoners , as narratedin a journal kept by James S tevens of Andover , a soldierin the detachment of th irty-three m en under Captain JosephBaker , J r . , sent from Cambr idge in charge of those captured July 3 1 , 1 77 5 , during an attack upon Light HouseIsl and

T uesday A ugust 1 this morn ing there was thirty-for prisnors a goingtoWoster , twen ty-two regelers and twelve tories , we s tarted for Woster a

bout noon . We went to Concord and s taid all n igh t , we put the prisnorsinto jail , we got our super and sot sen try .

Wensday 2 4 ; this morning we got a dram set of ; we marcht aboutten m ile and then went to brekfast to won Gilbards in l i tt le town , we

marcht to Lanches ter and s taid al night , the town’s people s tod sentryover them .

T hursday 3d; th is morning we got a dram set of, we marcht to

S husbury and there went to brekfast , we s tarted and wen t to Woster ,

we marcht through the town , the tories with there hats under there arms ,

and we returned them to the prison , the tories wen t in to the dungeon , we

got some vitls and then sot of for home , we went to S husbury we s taid al

n ight .


l ives , calling them Demd Bastards , swearing by God if ever he heard themsay so again he would split their heads to attoms , therefore we th ink it ourDuty for the safty of the Un ited S tates that some Res traint be laid onthem ,

according ly we have Res tricted them to the l immi ts of twenty Rodesfrom their lodgings un till further order .

VVM S TE AR N SJO S E PH HAR TWE LL CO M W

'

We

ofBE N JN RE DIN GTO N

I nspect ionLUN E N BUR G Jany . 2 1 , 1 77 7 . JO S IAH S TE AR N SDAN IE L GAR DN E R

I n Counci l Jany 24 , 1 7 7 7 . Read Committed to John Wh itcombJohn Taylor E sq . to cons ider the same report what is proper to be donethereon . JO HN AVE R Y Dept . S ecy

The comm ittee advised

that in case the aforesaid Prisoners DO not observe the ordersDirect ion of said Comm itty that they be F ourthwith sent by said Committyto the Gould in Taunton in the Coun ty of Bris tol , and commi tt them to

the cos tada of the keeper of said Gould .

[M assachusetts A rchives,CL XXX I I

,

I n the adjo in ing town of Harvard were rusticated two

gentlem anl y B r itons , Captain Edward B arron of the K ing’

s

Own , and Surgeon Wal te r Cul len of the Seventy-secondFoot or Royal Fenc i b l es . They also got in to temporarydisagreem ent wi th their custodians b y once wandering be

yond the l im its ass igned them , and were rem anded to j ail ;but pe ti tioning to return to the pure r air of thei r countr yquarters , thei r request was al lowed .

O f those whose res idence i n this neighborhood duringthe Revolution was compulsory , the m ost noteworth y personage was an eccentr ic b achelor tory . There l ived inSouth Lancaster , but a stone

’

s throw apart , a s ister and adaughter of Judge John Chandle r ,

“the honest Refugee ”

of Worcester . They were the wives respect ivel y of LeviWi ll ard , E sq . , and Captain Samuel Ward . Mr . Wil lardd i ed i n the firs t year of the war , and there -came to res i dewith these estim abl e and accompl ished l adies an e lderbrother of M rs . Ward . He was about thi rty-two y ears ofage , pecul i ar in person , hab i ts and dress . Among otherodditi es of apparel , he was parti al to b right red small

S TAT I S T ICS , AND S O C IAL ANNALS . 235

clothes . H is tory principl es and s ingul ariti es cal led downupon him the gibes of the patriots among whom his lot was

temporaril y cast , but his read y tongue and caustic wit weresuffic i ent weapons of defence . In 1 7 74 , as town-clerk of

Worcester , he had recorded a protest of forty-three roy alis t c iti zens against the resolutions O f the patriot m ajority .

This record he was ob l iged i n open town-meet ing to deface ,and when he fai led to render it suffici entl y i l legib l e withthe pen , his torm entors dipped his fingers i nto the ink andused them to perfect the ob l iteration . He fled to Hal ifax ,but after a few months returned , and was thrown into Worcester j ail . The repl y to h i s petition for release is preservedin Massachusetts Archives , CL X IV , 20 5

Colony of the Massachusetts Bay. By the Major part of the Councilof said Co lony . Vl hereas Clark Chandler ofWorces ter has been Confinedin the Common Prison at Worces ter for holding Correspondence w ith theenem ies of this Coun try and the said Clark hav ing humbly peti tioned foran en largement and it having been made to appear that his health is great lyimpaired that the Publick w i l l not be endangered by his having some

en largement , and S amuel Ward , John S prague , and Ezekiel Hul l havingGiven Bond to the Colony Treasurer in the penal sum of one thousandPounds , for the said Clark’s faithful performance of the order of Councilfor his said enlargement , the said Clark is hereby permi t ted to go to L ancas ter when his heal th Will permi t , and there to con tinue and no t to go out

of the Lim its of that Town , he in all Respects conform ing h imself to theCondi tion in said Bond con tained , and the S heriff of said Coun ty ofWor

ces ter and all others are hereby Directed to perm it the said C lark to passunmoles ted so long as he shall conform h imself to the obligations aforemen tioned . Given under our Hands at ye Council Chambers in Watertown the 1 5 Day of Dec . Anno Domini 1 7 7 5 .

By their Honors ’ Command .

PE R E z MO R TO N , Dept . S ecry .

The salubrious air of Lancaster in t im e grew oppress iveto this lo y al ist b achelor , as is disclosed in his length y petit ion—to be found i n Massachusetts Archives , C LXX I I I , 546where i n he begs for a wider range , and especi al l y for

leave to vis i t the sea-shore . The m ed ical certificate of alocal practitioner accompanies it , and affords confirm ationof the statement made by the Marquis de Chastel lux , that

236 ANNA L S O F LANCAS TER .

the ph y s ic i ans i n Am erica pay much more attention thanours to qual it ies of the atmosphere , and frequentl y emplo y

change of ai r as an effectual remed y .

”

LAN CASTE R , O ct . 2 5 , 1 7 7 7 .

Th is is to inform whom it may Concern that Mr C lark Chandler,now residing in this Town ,

is in such a Peculiar Bodily Indisposition as in

my opinion renders it necessary for him to take a short Trip to the S altWater in order to ass ist in recovering his Health .

JO S IAH WILDE R Ph i z

Chandler was perm itted to vis it Boston , and thereafter

to wander at will within the bounds O f Worcester county .

He l i ved atWorces ter until his death , i n 1 8 04 . H is“Pecul

iar Bodil y Ind ispos ition ” proved high l y infectious , and thewhole communi ty becam e so inoculated with it that descendants of the thi rd and fourth generat ions periodical l y m igrateseaward to test the prescription of D r . Jos i ah Wi lder .

Occasional ly evidence is found , l ike that i n the fol lowingadvertisem ent , to prove that the spirit of independence hadno “

color l ine ” i n Lancaster

Whereas Cmsar my negro man has absen ted h imself from me, and i s

employed by several persons , w i thout my consen t : Th is is to caution al l

persons from harbouring or employing said negro , or trus ting him on my

account , from the date hereof. Those who en tertain him , may expect tobe deal t w ith according to L aw.

LAN CASTE R , M ay 7 , 1 7 8 1 . JAM E S W ILDE R .

Caesar doub tless had read the Decl arat ion of Rightswith a cleare r unders tand ing than James . and knew thatal l m en had been “

born free and equal ” i n Massachuse ttsmore than six months before . In Septem be r , 1 7 7 7 , the

sel ectm en reported thirteen m al e “ Negros ” i n Lancasterabove s ixteen years of age . Presum ab l y these were mos tl yfree , for i n the va luation return of 1 77 1 , there were recorded but s ix “ Servants for l ife between fourteen and forty-fivey ears of age one each be ing c redi ted to Doctor Wi ll i amDunsmoor , Captain Hezek i ah Gates , Pe te r Green , SamuelJosl i n , Jos i ah Moore , and David Osgood . Free negroesand sl aves fought at Bunker Hil l , and are frequen tl y found


each one-fourth ounce , for distances less than s ixty m iles ;e igh t pence for distances between s i xty and one hundredm il es , and one shi ll i ng for dis tances over one hundred andless than two hundred m i les . There were but twenty-eightpost-O ffices i n the whole country in 1 7 76 . The del ivery of

the m ai l to owners distant from the offi ces depended muchupon neighborl y courtes y or the news-carriers , who rodeover thei r estab l ished routes once a week . S ilent Wi lde ,or h is partner , Isaac Church , started from Boston on Mondays , passi ng through Lancaster , Rutland etc . to Northampton , Deerfield etc .

” In the New Engl and Chroniclefor O ct . 1 9 to O ct . 26 , is this advertisement byhim

S ILENT W ILDENews-carrier to Deerfield &c .

BEGS Leave to inform his Cus tomers , that the Time of his las t E ugagement ends on the 9

th Day of November next , when he earnes tlyhopes for punctual Payment at the usual Places of receiving their Papers .

H e likewise earnes tly des ires hereby to give publick Notice , that he proposes , ou suitable Encouragement to ride weekly , his usual Road for theterm of six months next ensuing the said 9th Day of November and to

supply each S ubscriber wi th one of the publick News-Papers at O ne Dollar each , provided each S ubscriber shall at the beginn ing of the said s ixMon ths pay the one Half of said Dol lar. He wou ld likew ise take thisO pportun ity to cal l upon those who are in Arrears with him for pas t serv ices , kindly to Consider that he stands in great Need of what is due tohim . S HUTE S BUR Y , O ctober 1 6 , 1 7 7 5 .

Joshua Thomas was the post r ide r from Worceste rthrough Shrewsbury , Lancaster , etc .

, to Londonderry ,

during the Revolution , and advert ised to take pay for hi sse rvices i n produce and paper-rags . There seem s to havebeen no pub l ic conve y ance for travel lers between BostonorWo rcester and Lancaster un til som e years l ater , al thoughan advertisem ent in The Boston Gazette , September 20 ,

1 7 73 , i nd icates that the enterprise was contempl ated

T o the PUBL I C

T he Concord S tage Coach sets out on Tuesday Friday Mornings at7 O

’clock from Common S treet near Liberty Tree . T he Price T he

S TATI S T ICS , AND S O CIAL ANNALS . 239

S tage to be con tinued to Lancas ter if sui table encouragement . A ll Favorsgrateful ly acknowledged , By their humble S ervant .

NATHAN IE L RUS S E LL .

In modern day s , at any pub l ic loss or s ignal Victorywon , the thri l l of sorrow or jo y runs through the nationalmost universal l y coincident wi th the event that causes i t ,however far distant . During the war for independence ,ne ither b ad , nor the b es t of good news travel led muchmore than fifty m i les i n twenty -four hours , and rarel y was

i t l ess than five day s c reeping from New York to Boston .

I t was a fortnight ’s journe y from New York to V i rgini a ,but the gl ad t idings of the capture of York town , however ,which set the chu rch bel ls ringing throughout the l and because of its eloquent prom ise of nat ional freedom , reachedLancaster in about a week , com ing by vessel to Newport .

The fest ivit ies consequent were at l ast reported a monthafte r the surrende r of Cornwal l is .

LAN CASTE R , November 1 9 ,

‘

1 78 1

O n Thursday morn ing las t , a considerable number of the mos t respectable inhabitan ts of th is place assembled at the S un Tavern to celebratethe capture of Cornwal lis , when after mutual congratulations on this happy event , the company conducted by Wil l iam Green leaf E sq . formed andmarched in process ion through the principal s treets of the town precededby an advance guard , field piece , and band of mus ick with American col

ours displayed ; having fired sundry salu tes fol lowed wi th three huzzas , thecompany returned to the S un , where an elegan t dinner was provided forthem,

and such gentlemen from the neighbouring towns as were pleased tofavour them wi th their company ; after dinner the following toas ts weredrank each being followed by a discharge of a field piece w ith three cheers .

Thirteen patriotic toasts then succeed , but are of no es

pecial interest now ; the l ast was the fol lowing snarl of

m etaphors

M ay peace , l iberty and un in terrupted commerce , break the jaws of

tyranny , and be wafted by the Gods through the realms of Neptune to thewelcome shores of the new world .

I n the evening , Mason ’s Hall was beautiful ly illuminated ; the greatestharmony , concord , sociability and good friendshipwere preserved throughthe Whole and crowned the fes tal day and evening .

[M assachusetts S py, N ov. 22 ,


With what the festive l i b ations were poured we are nottold , but ne ither the S un Tavern nor

“

the most respectab leinhab i tants ” were noted for thin potations on occas ionsl ike thi s .

This jub ilation of the peopl e over the Victory that presaged honorab le peace near at hand , was the first of m anyrecorded . The date of the annual festal comm emorationsoon , however , became that of the Decl arat ion of Inde

pendence . But at intervals the m il iti a companies of the

region around were wont to organize a cel eb ration of the

surrender“

of Yorktown ; when a motle y arm y of spectatorsgathered from far and near , regal ed them selves with unl im ited gingerb re ad , spruce bee r or more exciting beverages , derived amusement from the evolutions of grotesquely caparisoned troops i n a sham fight , and indulgedi n effervescing joll ity of various description s .

The l ast “ Cornwal l is ” in the Vic i nity of Lancaster washeld upon Burditt Hil l , Octob er 1 9 , 1 8 53 , when the t im eworn farce was re-enacted with a scenic displ a y tha t out

shone al l tradit ions . N ine uniform ed com pan ies of m il iti awere pre sent , one each from Berl i n , C l inton , Groton , L eomin ster , Marlborough , Oakdale , S terl ing , West Boy l s ton ,and Westm i nster . An equal numb er O f Continen tal com

panics un-un iform ed , i n al l m anner of dress , cam e fromBol ton , Cl inton , Harvard , Lancaster , Leom inster , Marl

borough , Rock Bottom , Shi rl e y and Westm i nster , and atrib e of Indians from Be rl in . Captain Jerem i ah Barnard

was i n command of the Cont inentals , Sewal l R ichardsonof Leom inster enacted the rol e of General Washington ,and Colonel Up ton of F i tchburg , that of Cornwal l is . Thegeneral parade of the troops occupied the m orning hours ,and a col lat ion was partaken of at noon b y fifteen hundred

soldie rs . After lunch the two arm i es were drawn up for

b attle on the hi ll , the B ritish l ines b e ing half-way up thes lope . The Continental s charged from Union s treet overthe valle y , and with more smoke and noise than that local


was quoted in the Vicin i ty as W ilder ’s trin it y . The m an

s ion and grounds were b ri ll i antl y i l lum i nated . The BoltonRifle Compan y , i n thei r new green uniform , stood guardover the hou se al l night . Lafa y ette could but be de l ightedwith the beautiful homestead and his recept ion , and he i sreported to have comp l im ented his graceful hostess at departure b y pl edging his l ifelong m em ory of the fai r y m istress O f the enchanted castl e .

”A t the earl y hour of hal f

past s ix , Frida y m orning , Lafay ette , escorted b y a compan yof caval r y and accompanied by his son , M . Levasseur , acomm ittee from Worceste r , Generals Jewett , Gregory andstaff , proceeded to the Lancaster l ine , over the turnpikeroad . The turnpike gate was covered with flowers andevergreen , and bore a legend ,

“ The Free welcome the

B rave .

” Here a nat ional salute was fired b y the art ill ery .

Nearl y oppos ite the m eet ing-house an arch thi rty feet i nheigh t , and of nearly the same wid th , had been erected ,and elaborately decorated . Upon it was the greeting

WELCO ME LA FAYETTE .

T he American Eagle in triumph shal l waveI ts pin ions of Glory to welcome the Brave .

This arch , with i ts inscription , is yet preserved i n theatt ic of the B rick church . The Leom inster Art i ll er y andthe Lancaster Infantr y h ad joi ned the escort . Pass ing

through long l ines of peopl e— an immense concourse having assem b led from al l the countr y around -the generaland his su ite came to the arch , where the y were met b y thetown ’s comm ittee and conducted to a pl atform upon thegreen . There he was addressed by Doctor Thay er , as

f ol lows

General Lafayette .—I n behalf of the inhabitan ts of Lancaster, I ofler

you their cordial congratulations on your arrival in a coun try whose wrongsyou fel t and resen ted ; whose liberties you valiantly defended ; and whoseinteres ts and prospects have always been clear to your soul .We all un i te w ith the few surviving veterans which were with , loved

and respected you on the high places of the field , in giving you a welcome

LAFAYETTE’S VI S IT . 243

to this v il lage , once the chosen residence of savages , and the scene of theirmos t boas ted triumph ; and rejoice that you Visit it under the improvemen ts of civilized life , in prosperity and peace .

I t gladdens us that we and our ch ildren may behold the man ,whom we

have believed , and whom we have taugh t our ch ildren to believe , was sec

ond only to his and our friend , the immortal WAS H IN GTO N . We par ticipate in your joy, on beholding our ins ti tu tions in v igor, our populationex tended , so that s ince you left us , from a l it tle one we have become m ill ions , and from a smal l band a s trong nation that you see our g lory ris ing ,our Republic placed on an immovable bas is , all of which are in part , underProvidence , to be ascribed to your sacrifices , dangers and toi ls .

We w ish you heal th and prosperi ty . We assure you that wherever youshal l go , you wil l be greeted by our fel low coun trymen as one of the ch iefdel iverers of America , and the friend of rational l iberty and of man . I tis especial ly our prayer, that on that day in which the acclamations andapplauses of dying men shall cease to reach or affect you, you may receivefrom the Judge of character and Dispenser of imperishable honors , as thereward of ph ilanth ropy and incorruptible integrity , a crown of glory wh ichshal l never fade .

L afayette , conquering with difli cul ty the emotion whichthe eloquence of the venerab l e pas tor had exci ted , repl i ednearl y as follows

Accept my thanks , sir , for the k ind welcome you have here offered mein the name of the inhabitants of Lancas ter . I n re turning to this countryafter so long an absence ,

in receiving such proofs of gratitude and affec

tion wherever I go , in witness ing the prosperity of the land , a prosperityyou are pleased to say I have been ins trumen tal in promoting , I feel emotions for which no language is adequate ; in meeting again my formerfriends , in seeing the ch ildren and grandchildren of those who were mycompan ions in the war of our revolution , I feel a gratification wh ich no

one can express . I beg you to accept , s ir, and to offer to these people myacknowledgments .

One who witnessed the i nspiring scene and recorded theaddress and repl y , continues thus

T he surviving soldiers of the revol u tion dwel l ing in town were thenintroduced to the general , who received them in the mos t cordial andtouch ing manner . He expressed h imself high ly gratified wi th the in terestwhich the ladies d iscovered , pressing forward with eagerness to greet thisdis tinguished friend of mankind . After remaining on the platform fifteenminutes receiving the various at ten tions and reciprocating the heartfeltdeligh t experienced by the assembly , he returned to his carriage am id cordial huzzas and the discharge of a national salute from the artil lery .


A t Sterl ing he was m et b y the art il lery companies of

that town and Princeton , and e scorted to the trium phal archwhich bore the inscription

WELCO ME LAFAYETTEAmerica’s adopted son ,

Brother and Friend of Wash ington ,

O ur Land in trouble found a Friend in thee ,We

’ll not forget thee in prosperity .

He here repl i ed to a bri ef address from I saac Goodwin ,E sq . , r eferring in term s of kindly rem em b rance to LordS t i rl i ng— in whose honor the town received i ts nam eand am id the boom ing of cannon and the accl am at ions of

the mul titude , rode on towards Worcester .

A correspondent from Lancaster is quoted i n the Colum

b i an Cent inel of Saturday , September 1 1 , 1 8 24

T he ceremonies here were not intended for idle display , norwas it wished to vie wi th those towns wh ich have greater means at com

mand . T he preparations were few and S imple . I t was a moral spectacleof no ordinary interes t , to see so large a col lection of the wel l dressed andintelligent yeomanry of the county deeply in teres ted in the proceedings O fthe occasion , O ffering the spon taneous homage of their hearts to him whos tood by their country in the hour of her dis tress and weakness . Therewas not an individual unmoved by what was pass ing before him , duringthe short Visi t of the General—and you migh t see in every part of the

crowd many of both sexes , and of all ages , whose mois tened eyes toldforth the s trong feel ing they neither wished nor were able to suppress .

S uch genuine heartfel t emotions have never before been so extens ivelyexcited amongs t us . T he praise of Lafayette swells in every heart , and isheard from every tongue .

T he en thusiasm has no limit but that of good order and decency . I t

is the overflowing of full hearts—the s trong expression of gratitude forservices and sacrifices we can never repay . I t gives me pleasure to be

able to s tate that the General ful ly appreciated the feel ings his presenceoccasioned . O n his way to S terling he repeated ly expressed to Mr . S . V .

S . Wilder , who accompanied him from Bos ton to Worces ter, the pleasurehe fel t at the reception he met w i th in Lancas ter, and men tioned in the

s tronges t terms how deeply he was affected with the address of ReverendDoctor Thayer . N or was he insens ible to the beau tiful scenery in L ancaster—i t came in for a ful l share of his praise


avail to m ake the indol ent industrious , to give employment

to the art isan , to i ns truct the ignoran t i n pol itical econom y ,to bestow farm s upon the l andl ess , or to fil l w i th s i lver thepockets of the impecun ious . D isappointmen t of exagger

ated hopes increased agrari an d iscontent . Dem agogicagitators nois ily advocated the turn ing of everything topsyturvy—the charl atan ’s cheap panacea for setting right

t im es out of jo int . D iscuss ion and convention multipl i edd issatisfact ion , and final l y degenerated into organized in

surrect ion . Then the comm on sense of the people asserteditself. The first s igns of d isaffection presaging the stormappeared even before the s igning of the treaty of peace .

The warrant for a town-meeting summoned April 1 , 1 78 3 ,contains this articl e

3 . T o see if the Town will chuse one or more persons to meet at a

Convention to be held at Worces ter the Tuesday of April next at 9O

’Clock in the Morn ing , there to take in to consideration the many Greiv

auces the good people of th is coun ty at present Labour under , and to petition the general Court for Redress , and to act or transact any th ing relativethereto .

The town sent as del egates to this county conventionCaptains Timo thy Whiting and Ephraim Carter , and Whiti ng was chosen its secretar y . Thi rty-four de legates werepresent from twenty-six towns , and afte r pass i ng a seriesof resolutions recomm ending certain instruct ions to the

representat ives i n General Court , which were orde redprinted i n the Spy , the conven tion adj ourned to the secondTuesda y in May , when a larger representat ion of the peo

ple assembl ed , and m ore resolves were pub l ished . Thenext convention i n Augus t and m eeti ngs sub sequent werenot reported in the newspapers , nor in Lancaster townm eetings . When the town was repres ented , i t was b y thede legates fi rst chosen . The Comm ittees of Correspondence , Inspection and Safety were regularl y e lected in 1 78 2

and 1 78 3 , with other town officers , at the March m eeting .

I n 1 78 2 this comm i ttee cons isted O f Timoth y Knigh t , Daniel Rugg , and Jerem i ah Haskel l ; i n 1 78 3 , of Captain

S HAYS ’ INS URRECT IO N . 24 7

Timoth y Whiting , Deacon Cy rus Fairb ank , and DoctorIsrael Atherton .

The following c i rcular letter gives i nd ication of oneform which the general unrest of the times took , a year or

two l aterLUN E N BUR G,

M ay 23d, 1 78 5 .

T o the S electmen of the T own of Bolton .

Gen tlemen , We have to acquaint you that on the n ineteen th ofM ay Instan t in Pursuance of a Circular Let ter from the Town of L eom in

s ter, Delegates from the following Towns viz Townshend , S h irley , Ashby ,Lancas ter, Harvard , Lunenburg , Leominster, and Fi tchburg convened atMr Wh itney’s in th is town , to take in to Consideration the Expediency ofapplying for a new Coun ty to be erected in this Quarter of the Goverment ,where i t was voted unan imous ly that i t is h igh ly Convenan t that a N ew

Coun ty be erected , and that a Comm i tte be Chosen to write to the Townsof Groton , Dunstable , Li t tleton , Wes tford , Pepperel and Boxboro and

Bol ton ,Berlin , S terl ing , Princeton , Westm ins ter, Ashburnham and

Winchendon , to inform them of the Proceed ings of the Conven tion , and

to Reques t them to join Herein at the adjournmen t wh ich is to be held onthe th ird Tuesday of June Nex t at Nine O

’Clock in the morn ing at MrWhitney’s Tavern in this town . We are Gen tlemen

Your mos t obed t and very Hule : S ervtsGE O R GE K IM BALLS AM L

. DE XTE R

A t a town-m eeting held Augus t 1 2 , 1 78 6 , EbenezerAl len was chosen “

to represent the Town at the proposedCounty Convention to be holden at Leicester the 1 5

th Inst . ,

and a comm ittee con s isting of Captain Timo th y Whi ting ,

Moses Sm ith , John Sprague , E sq . , Deacon Wi l l i am Wi llard , Deacon Benj am i n Houghton , Michae l Newhal l , andCaptain S amuel Ward were el ected “

to prepare instruct ions for the said A l len , and lay the same b efore the Town .

”

LAN CASTE R , Augus t 1 4 , 1 7 8 6T he Commi ttee appointed by the Town to prepare Instructions for

the Delegate to Conven tion laid the same before the Town and the same

being read Paragraph by Paragraph , and the Ques tion being put to see

Whether the Town would adopt them ,and i t Passed in the affirmative .

LAN CASTE R , Augus t 2 1 , 1 7 8 6 .

T he report of the Delegate from Convention being read and no objection being made thereto the Town then voted to adjourn to the firs t M on

day in O ctober nex t at 3 O ’clock P . M .


The instruct ions of the town to its del egate have not

been d iscovered . The convention adjourned from L eices

ter , where thi rty-seven towns appeared by del egates , toPaxton , at which pl ace for tV-one towns were represented ,and a pet ition to the General Court was agreed upon ,which Lancaster ’s de legate reported to the adjourned townm ee ting .

LAN CASTE R , O ctober 2 ,1 7 8 6

Then the Town went in to the Consideration of the doings of the Convention and after accepting such articles in the Peti tion to the GeneralCourt , and rejecting others , as the Town though t proper, (which are notedin the margin of the sd . Petition) , then voted to adjourn .

The proceed ings of this town-m eeti ng were more ful l yreported in the Worcester Magazine for the second weeki n Octob er , 1 78 6 :We hear from Lancaster on the 2d ins t . the delegate to convention laid

before the town for its cons ideration the petition agreed upon by thatbody , Which was then exam ined article by article . O n reading thearticle the delegate was asked what conven tion intended by “

a por table

r epresentat ion of proper ty”

and received no very satisfactory answerthey passed the article w ith an exception but no paper money be made.

O n the 4th artic le the delegate was called on to inform what officer of the

governmen t was therein al luded to ; the delegate informed i t was the

Attorney General ; the town were of the O pin ion that the O ffice of A ttor

ney General should be express ly named wh ich would more probably causean explanation of a motion not accurately unders tood and perhaps heal asore in the political body that o therwise m igh t remain festering for a longt ime . T he last c lause in the 8 th article wh ich says the gran t of the sup

plemen tary fund we conceive incons isten t w i th republican principles and

very grievous to th is people ,” the town would not adopt . T he 1 1 th articlerespecting regis try of deeds in the several towns in the coun ty , was disapproved by a great majori ty . T he 1 3

th and las t article viz : the scheme forrev ising and amending the cons ti tution (as i t was termed , ) was unan imous ly rejected . T he town having thus avowed the cons ti tution , wereincl ined to ins truct their Represen tative rather than peti tion the GeneralCourt through the ins trumen tal i ty of Conven tion ; and accord ingly directedthe Clerk to forward the doings of the town to Capt . Carter the R epresentative , by the earliest opportuni ty , as the ins tructions of his Consti tuents .

Afte r adjournm ent from Novem b e r 2 0 and December 1 Iat which m eeti ngs no bus iness O ffered , on January 4 , 1 78 7 ,


the requirements of government . Import and excise , we suppose , m igh tbe much further extended to the ease of the people in general , and weWish the legis lature to consider if the following articles &c . &c ,

may not

be proper subjects for such an extension —Clocks , time-pieces , watches ,s ilver plate , spermaceti cand les , tallow consumed in every family above acertain number of pounds , cyder, pain ted s leighs , glass windows beyond acertain number of squares in each house, commiss ions for a jus tice of

peace , and dogs .

2 d . That you endeavor the total abolition of the Courts of CommonPleas and General S essions of the Peace ; and that their jurisdiction betransferred to the S upreme Judicial Courts , and that all processes originated there , excepting some part of the business of sess ions , may betransacted by their Justices of the peace quorum unos ; th is indeed wil lmake i t necessary to increase the judges of the S upreme J udicial Court ,and ins tead of their clerk’s office being kept in Bos ton ,

i t must be kept inthe several courts ; S uch a change in that office we conceive , would beh igh ly beneficial to the people ; nor wil l the increase of the number ofJudges be a great increase of expense if two judges be made a quorum on

the circuit , and compared with the presen t expense of the Courts of Common Pleas and General S essions of the Peace , wi l l be a saving worthy ouratten tion , and by a power of reviewing or gran ting a new trial , in certaincases no great failure of Jus tice can be feared ; to make every necessarychange in the above transfer of jurisdiction , woul d be to furn ish a bil lrather than ins tructions , and improper here .

3d

. While we are burthened w ith so large a debt , we th ink the abil ities of the people of th is commonweal th w il l not admit of support ing thatcourtly dign i ty , wh ich in more affluen t circums tances m igh t be though tnecessary . Would it not therefore become us to cons ider our ch ief magistrate , as a s tate officer, under no further obligations to expense but whatarises from the discharge of his official duties : if our opinion in this re

spect is admissible you w il l use your endeavours to have the Governour’s ,

and al l other salaries , set as low as jus tice wil l admi t of.

4th

. T he demands against the commonweal th for services are general ly made with avidity . Y ou are therefore particularly ins tructed agains tgran ts wh ich heretofore have been too often made wi thout due caution ,

have exceeded the val ue of the service done , and have been a matter ofoffence and a burden to the people .

5 . I t has been sugges ted by some , that governmen t ough t to cal l intheir securities , at their presen t depreciated value ; We think that such anattempt would be inconsis ten t wi th jus tice and good pol icy ; neverthelesswe presume that if such as have loaned mon ies to governmen t would realize the present burden , the difficul ties of col lecting monies by taxation ,

the importance of supporting our credi t wi th foreign nations , and the

necess i ty of supporting our federal government , they would not complain

S HAYS ’ INS URRECT IO N . 25 1

if government should delay even the paymen t of their in terest for thepresent , especial ly when they reflect , that what they have thus loaned themhas been , and probably wil l be free from taxation -and we cannot th inkthat any one who has become a creditor to governmen t , by purchasing i tssecurities , could complain of such a measure w i th a good grace , if he cal lsto mind the amazing disproportion there is between the property he partedw ith

, and the claims he has on governmen t . I f necess i ty ever had a righttb claim indulgence , we th ink considering the circums tances of the people ,government are entitled to i t ; therefore we expect you wil l oppose the ap

propriating any part of our revenue to the discharge of ei ther the principalor in teres t of the domes tic debt , excepting the necess itous circums tancesof the original creditors O f governmen t shal l require i t .6 ih . Y ou are to endeavour that many fines wh ich have heretofore been

otherwise appropriated , be paid into the s tate treasury .

Al though we are persuaded that great advan tages may be derivedfrom a well regulated commerce , yet we th ink the commercial in teres t ofthis commonweal th ough t never to engross so much of the at ten tion of

the legis lature as to preven t their giving every due encouragemen t to our

own manufactures .

8 th . T he proportion of the taxes now laid on the pol ls is a burdenthat the poorer part of the people can very il ly support , you are therefore directed to endeavour a change in that proportion , and that i t bemade much ligh ter.

glb

. T he s i tting of the General Court in the town of Bos ton is a matter wh ich the ci tizens of this commonweal th are not general ly satisfiedwi th—We therefore wish further atten tion may be paid to that subject ,and that the Court may be removed to some other town , un til the proprietyof that ques tion may be determined from experience .

l oth . T he late outrageous and treasonable oppos i tion to governmen t ,demands the most serious atten tion , and greates t wisdom of the legislature .

T he late pardon to the insurgen ts was truly humane and benevolen t ; andal though the conduct of those people thenceforth was a high aggravationof their former offences , yet , cons idering them as a part of the whole wi thus , we w ish a further ex tens ion of mercy ; but we assure the legis laturethat we are ready to support our government according to our Cons ti tution ;and wh ile governmeht is suppressing the insurrections of a Wicked and

deluded party , we w ish that the righ t of the subject may be at tended to , in

al l their exertions , and if any of the servants or forces of governmen thave or shal l un lawful ly invade the person or property of any ci tizen ,

whatever may be his description , let such invader be punished with thesame jus tice that ought to overtake the v iles t trai tor .

By order of the Comm it tee .

S AM UE L WAR D , Chairman .

LAN CASTE R , Jany. 2 2 , 1 7 8 7 .


The convention of August 1 7 , 1 78 6 , at Leiceste r , unanimously vo ted to

“ bear test imon y against al l r iots and um

cons ti tut ional comb in at ions but ver y soon thereafter theofficers of various courts i n the commonweal th found thei rpath to the court-house ob structed b y b ay onets i n the hands

of riote rs , led b y the very men who in spired the action ofthat convent ion . The governm ent had pat i entl y conceded

much to the real distress and to the m isconcep tions of them alcontents . Serious offences against the pub l ic peacewere pardoned or ignored . Misunderstanding the qual ity

of this m ercy the offenders were emboldened to more opendefiance of authority , and it becam e necessary , in self preservat ion , for the execut ive to resort to Vigorous coerc ion .

The danger which the weak and distracted l egisl aturefail ed to m eet , fortunatel y culm inated when the state had aprudent and faithful governor , Jam es Bowdo in , who , thei nstan t the necess ity cam e , put forth the strong arm of the

commonweal th with such promp t Vigor that the i nsurgentsd isappeare d at m ere s igh t of the com ing b low .

LAN CASTE R , January 1 8 th , 1 7 8 7 .

O n Tuesday the 1 6 th inst ., Colonel Greenleaf waited on the two com

pan ies of m il itia in this town assembled agreeably to his orders , when he

commun icated to them w i th his usual propriety , the importance of shewing their disapprobation to the illegal measures which have been adoptedby the insurgents , and the necessi ty of evidencing their attachmen t to thegovernmen t . T he propriety of supporting the presen t measures of gov

ernmen t against every oppos i tion was urged as being necessary to enablethem w i th dign i ty to remove our presen t complain ts . After some calmdebates on the subject , the Col . , in order to discover their minds , requestedall who were friends to governmen t to fol low him , when , wi th very fewexceptions , the whole turned after him . He then informed them thattwen ty-eigh t men were required of the two companies to support the Courtto s it at Worces ter the 23

d. ins t . and gave them opportunity to engage

voluntarily under these res trictions , viz : whoever offers his services shal lbe held to march , or produce an able effective man to the acceptance of

the officer in l ieu of h imself ; when the following persons hereafter namedanswered the requisi tion ,

viz

Col . Will iam Green leaf, Jonas Lane , Cephas Prentice ,

Capt . Nathaniel Beaman , E l i S tearns , James O tis Prentice ,

Capt . John Wh iting , James Capen ,David S mith ,


peace , and was unanimousl y chosen the town’s representat ive during five y ears , 1 8 06—1 8 1 0 .

Colonel Wil l i am Greenleaf was sheriff of the count y .

On Wednesda y the twenty-second of November , 1 78 6 , hehad , from the cou rt-house steps in Worcester , read the riotact and harangued an arm ed mob there congregated to

prevent the s i tting of the Court of General Sess ions . One

of the orators of the insurgents , i n repl y , took the occas ionto state that among m an y grievances which they found tooO ppress ive for hum an endurance , and from which they wereresolved to have speed y re l ief, were the sheriff him sel f andhis exorb itant fees . Colonel Greenleaf cool l y rejo inedI f you deem my fees for execut ion oppress i ve , gentl em en ,

you need not wait longer for redress ; I wi ll hang you al l

for nothing , with the gre atest pl easure .

Captain s Nathan iel Beam an , Timothy and JohnWhi tinghad served as officers i n the arm y of the Revolution , andthe l atter attained the rank of b rigadi e r-general i n the m i l it ia . Honorab le John Sprague was at this time state senator . He served upon the staff O f the comm anding general .The regim ent of Co lonel S tearns having joined the

other sta te troops , under General Benj am i n Lincoln , at

Worcester , on the twenty-fifth of Januar y marched againstthe insurgents , who , to the numbe r of two thousand , wereat Springfield , but retreated to Pelham upon the approachof the m i l it i a , Januar y 2 7 . Lincoln led his forces to Hadl ey , whereupon Shay s judic iously and secretl y changed hisb ase to Petersham . Thither Lincoln promptl y pursued ,starti ng at eight O

’

clock on the evening of Feb ruary 1 3 ,

Colonel S tearns ’s regim ent be ing i n advance . From Hadley to Petersham , thirty m il es , the troops marched thatn ight , through an almost m ountainous country , and duringthe last part of the way facing a violent storm . The drifting snow impeded thei r steps , and it grew so intensel y coldthat the m ajority of the force were frost-b i tten . To thehardiest soldier , that terrib l e night

’

s m arch was som ething

S HAYS ’ INS URRECT I O N . 255

to be rem embered for l ife . Within twelve hours of the

order to move , the advance guard of the arm y had reachedthei r destination , it b e ing then Sunday morning . Shay sand his “ regul ators were comp lete ly taken b y surprise , andfled in hot haste , scattering in every di rection . The insurrect ion was prac tical l y at an end . No one was punishedfor sedi tion , and three y ears later the Vigorous financ i alpol icy of Alexander Ham ilton s i lenced the m ajority of the

grumb lers . The fi rst Federal Congress was persuaded to

pass a funding b i l l , and to authorize the assumpt ion of the

state war deb ts b y the n ational government . Taxes werecorrespondingl y l ightened ; trade revived ; m anufactureswere introduced and prospered ; numbers O f the l andlessm igrated to the val le y of the Ohio ; and in Apri l , 1 79 1 ,

Fisher Ames , writing of the peop le so latel y distracted b ythe prospect of b lood y c ivil war , say s : There is a scarc ityof grievances . Their mouths are stopped wi th white b readand roast meat .

Lists of the men from Lancaster and adjoi ning towns ,who served in the expedition against Shay s , and i n subse

quent guard duty , fol low . No res idences are given in theoriginal rol ls , and an enti rel y accurate determ ination of

them is not here poss ib le

Pay R oll of Capt”. N ath l . B eeman ’s Campy , Colo. Ephm . S tearns ’s R egi

ment , for services r endered to Commonwealth of M assi fs . in the

months of 7 any . and F eby . 1 78 7 .

[Chiefly men of Lancaster and S ter ling ; se rving from J an . 1 5 to F eb .

Capt . Nathaniel Beeman , Joshua Eveleth , Amos Pol lard ,Lieut . Timothy Brown , Jacob Fisher, Elisha Phelps ,Ens ign Nathaniel Hough ton , Manasseh Fairbank , J . O tis Pren tice ,S ergt . E li S tearns , S almon Godfrey , Thomas Richardson ,

Aaron Willard , John Gill , Joshua Read ,Jonas Lane , Wil liam Gibbs , Jacob Read ,Jacob Robbins , Benjam in Holden , Nathan Read .

Corp. Jos iah Phelps , Joseph Holden , Artemas Richardson ,

Elias Farnsworth , Andrew Haskell , Phineas Richardson ,


Corp. Joseph Reed ,Artemas Maynard ,

Drumf. Zimri Eveleth ,

Fortunatus Ager,Ammi Brooks ,Peter Beeman ,

William Bridge ,S ilas Buss ,Ebenezer Burpee ,Joseph Baker,James Capen ,

Bartholomew Cheever,E liphas Copeland ,James Curtis ,Dunsmore Dole ,Joseph Eveleth ,Joseph Eveleth , J r . ,

S amuel Haynes , A sa Rugg ,E l i Hough ton ,

David S mith ,Abel Kendall , Manasseh S awyer,Pearson Kendal l , Jonas S tearns ,A sa Knowl ton , Richard S mi th ,John Lit tlejohn , Israel Underwood ,S eth Lyon , Abe l Wheelock ,Abel Moore , Abijah Wheelock ,Paul Mason , S amuel Wheelock ,S ilas Mason , James White ,Artemas Manning , A sa Wh i tcomb ,A sa Maynard , Joel Wilder,Houghton O sgood , Andrew Wh itney ,Abijah Phelps , Lewis Woolson ,

David Phelps , Manasseh Wilder,Abner Pollard , A sa Wh itcomb ,

Joseph Wyman ,

[M assachusetts A rchives,CXCI

,

Pay R oll of Capt . N athaniel Beaman ’s Company , Col . N ewell ’s R egiment

in the service of Government , in l i'

sted f or four months f rom the 23d

of F ebry . 1 7 8 7 . [S erved to M ay

Capt . Nathan iel Beaman ,

Lieut . Timothy Brown ,

Ensign James Curtis ,S ergt . Jonas S tearns ,

Jacob Robbins ,Will iam Gibbs ,Joseph Wyman ,

Corp. O liver Fullam ,

Artemas Maynard ,Timothy Brigham ,

Reuben Kendal l ,Drumr

. Augus tus Kendall ,Fifer Joseph Chapl in ,

S amuel Rice ,Ph ineas Richardson ,

Abner M itchell ,John Butler,M itchel Richards ,James Wade M cDunn ,

Jonathan Clark ,

Benjam in Bailey , James Moore ,Wil liam Bigelow , John Harward ,John Ford , John Haskel l ,Raymond Hunt , John Whi tcomb ,

Joseph Eveleth , Ph ineas Warren ,

Abijah Hagar, Roderick M cKenzey,

Abel Wood , S amuel Burbank ,Abraham Eager, S ilvanus Holden ,

Bartholomew Brown , S tephen Torrey ,Dan iel Mixer, Theoph ilus Page ,Ephraim Whi tcomb , Thomas Cook ,Ephraim Adams , William De Putrin ,

E l iuda Bart lett , Wil l iam Barker,Joseph Hoar, Amasa Bigelow ,Jos iah Wh i te , Daniel Cowden ,

Joel Warren , Ebenezer F ay,Jacob Brown , Wil l iam Boardman ,

Isaac S tearns , Thomas Walcot ,

Joseph Hasty , Wil l iam F lood .

[M assachusetts A rchives,CXCI

,


Capt . L evi Warner’s Company , in Col . S tear ns

’s R egiment .

[O f Leom i nster ; serving January 20 to FebruaryCapt , Levi Warner, Jonas Johnson , Luther Hough ton ,

Lieu t . John Leach , Benjam in M il l iken ,Lu ther Phelps ,

Ensign John Bil l ings , Noah Harrod , S amuel Rugg les ,Clerk Timothy S tearns , Dan iel McGregore , John Richardson , J r .

,

S ergt . Thomas Legate , Joseph Knigh t , Jeremiah Chace ,

Benjamin S tuart , Dan ie l Carter, Joseph Darling ,Nathan iel Jos lin , John Bou tel , Jonas Jones ,

Corp . S amuel Kendal l , Heman Evans , Joshua Kimbal l ,O l iver Carter, Lev i Nichols , Peter Wilder,Abiathar Hough ton ,

Wil l iam Boutel , J r . , John H il ls ,Levi Phelps , Levi Jos l in , Wil l iam Burrage ,

Drumr Joseph Jos l in , Will iam Jepson , S tephen Wood ,Fifer Joseph S now , John S hed , Abel Wood ,Robert Legate , Wil liam Warren , James Carter

,

Will iam Legate , Jesse Lincoln , Benjamin Peirce .

Jabez Fairbank , Thomas Lincoln ,

[M assachusetts A rchives,CXC I I

,

O f the fie ld and staff officers of Colonel S tearn s’s regiment were : Lieutenant-Colonel Timoth y Boutel l , of

Leom inste r ; O p artermaster-Sergeant W il l i am Greenleaf,

J r . , Drum-Major Jonathan Whee lock , and Surgeon’

s MateCephas Prent ice , of Lancaster . John Whi te and Gershom

Flagg , of Lancaster , served with a detachment of artil leryunder Major Wi l l iam Stevens , from Jan . 1 5 to Feb . 9 .

Capt . A ndrew Putnam ’s Cavalry Company , in Col . E benezer Cr af t

’s

R egiment .

[S erving January 23 to FebruaryCapt . A ndrew Putnam , Will iam Hobart , I srael Thayer ,Lieut . John Whi tney , Peter Hunt , A sa Warner,Lieut . John Ballard , Timothy Goldsmith , Manasseh Knigh t ,Cornet Robert Townsend , Thomas Chace , Will iam Putnam ,

Trumpf . John Lock , William Bal lard S amue l S argean t ,S ergt . Jonathan Prescott , Nahum Ball , Josiah Divol .Edmund Heard was l ieutenant-colonel of the regiment .

[M assachusetts A rchives,CXCI I

,

The only person i n the Lancastri an towns known to

have b een arrested on suspic ion of treasonab le com pl ic ity

DEATH O F ANDREW HAS KELL . 2 59

wi th the insurrect ion , was B rigadier-General Jos i ah Whitne y of Harvard , whose services du ring the Revolutionhave b een set forth in form er p ages .

In the Indian War of 1 790—1 794 , upon the northwest

fronti e r , but one of Lancaster’s c i ti zens i s known to haveserved his countr y in the field , though there ver y probab l ywere others . Andrew Haske l l . who com m anded a com

pan y O f his ne ighbors in the b attle of Bunker Hi ll , andfought in various capac iti es , from captai n to private ,throughout the war of the revolut ion , en l isted in the l ittl earm y which m arched unde r General Arthur S t . C lai ragain st the Miam is , and was slain in the d isastrous fight ofNovembe r 4 , 1 79 1 . Haske l l was a fearless and effic i entsold ie r , but uneducated , rough in manners , and prob ab l yincapab le of sel f-restraint . Joseph Wi ll ard , E sq . , records ,doub tless from the authority of his companions i n arms ,

that Haske ll ’s conduct as an ofli cer on June 1 7 , 1 7 75 , wouldhave enti tled him to reward , but that he was kept fromprom otion b y h is want O f dignity and se l f-respect .

” He isdescrib ed as we l l proportioned , wi thin an inch of s ix feeti n he ight , with b lack hai r and e y es . A t his death he wasfor ty-three y ears of age .

WAR S WI TH ENGL AND A N D ALGI ER S .

1 8 1 2—1 8 1 5 .

URING the desperate confl ict that raged in the fi rstdecade of the cu rrent centur y , between Engl and and

the Emperor Napol eon , nei ther bel l igerent was restrained b yany respect for the rights

/

of weaker n ations , and neutralssuffered i n thei r comm erc i al i ntere sts almost equal l y wi ththe comb atants . Orders in council and imperial decreesthreatened and O bstructed the m ercanti le navies of the

world , and the m erchants of the United S tates , having bu i l tup an extens ive and profitab l e carry ing trade , were especial ly sufferers . In revolutionary day s Am erican patrio tism had met Great B ritain ’s arb itrar y trade restriction s withthe se lf-den y ing pol icy O f non-intercou rse . The sam e re

tal iatory m easure approved i tse lf to the Jeffersoni an adm i nistration , and a general emb argo was proclaim ed . But i nthe changed cond it ions of the body pol i tic the O peration of

this m easure was now cl aim ed to b e sectional . I t workedgrievous d istress to the Northern states . Ships soon layrotti ng at the deserted wharves , and , al though bread was

abundant , m echanics g rew gaunt with hunger b ecausethei r labor would not purchase food . The Southern andMidland states , chiefly devoted to agricul ture , control ledthe government by vi rtue of sl ave representation . Withthem the embargo was popul ar for a tim e , and perhaps not

the less so , that i t struck a dam aging b low at the prosperity


deeply lamen t , that by annihilating the customary incentives to virtuousindus try and by mul tiplying the temptations to violate the laws and to

comm i t fraud and injus tice , a s tate of things may be in troduced which canscarcely be equal led by the desolations of war . T he changes wh ich haverecent ly taken place among the bel l igeren t nations and the prospect someof them presen t , of emancipation from the dom inion of the Common

Usurper , and the consequen t scarci ty promised to the Commerce of the

Un i ted S tates we presume are sufficien tly apparen t . T he relaxation of the

British orders in Council as respects neutral trade w i th those parts of S painwh ich are s truggling for self governmen t opens to the Un i ted S tates an

ex tens ive commerce . S outh America and the Wes t Indian Is lands also ,

offer safe and profi table markets for American produce . Indeed thereappear to us many other S ources of profitable trade . invi ting the en terpriseof the merchan t , wh ich to the Pres iden t need not be men tioned . Couldthe commercial advantages they offer be engaged even under the res tric

tions the Presiden t is authorized to require, the labors of the husbandmanand mechan ic would again be encouraged and they rescued from thosed is tresses wh ich threaten to des troy that competency their indus try hasacquired , and those blessings wh ich the wise po l icy of former measureshad prom ised . We therefore earnes tly en treat the Pres iden t to exercisethe power ves ted in him by Congress , to suspend the whole or in part theact laying an Embargo ,

and the several acts supplemen tary thereto , or to

convene that honorable body as soon as may be ,fo r the purpose of ter

m in ing the sufferings those acts have occasioned . S eptr

. 3 , 1 8 08 .

Feb ruary 1 , 1 8 09 , the town met

2 , T o take in to Consideration the alarming si tuation of our

Public affairs , and to Petition or address the Legis lature of this S tate onthe subjec t of our grievances , or to do or transact any mat ter and th ingsrelative thereto wh ich the town may deem expedien t and necessary .

T he town voted—to commi t the subject matter of the second articlein the warran t to a commit tee of five .

Voted , and Chose : Joseph H il ler, Moses S m ith , J r . , Jonathan Wilder,S amuel Ward , John Thurs ton , Commi t tee .

The comm ittee’s report was acc epted , but not recorded .

The chai rman of this and the b efore-nam ed comm i ttee ,Major Joseph Hil l er , was a venerab le ex-co llec tor of Sal em ,

who cam e to Lancaster to res ide i n 1 8 04 , and purchasedthe W i lder farm , so ca l led , now occupied by the state ’s Industrial School for Girls . This pl ace had for about fifteeny ears been in the possess ion of Burril l Carnes , CaptainBenj am i n Lee , and other Engl ish gentlemen , who had

MAJO R JO S EPH H ILLER . 263

lavished large sums upon it to give i t the sem b lance of

an old-countr y b aroni al estate . The spacious thre e-story

m ans ion of b rick , b egun b y Colonel Ca leb Wi lder in the

day s of the revolut ion , had its m ilk ce l l ar and wine closets ,spac ious gue st chambers , and al l the appointments of anel egant hom estead . A sem ic i rcular corridor nine feet i nwidth and seventy feet long adjoined the house , and bounded a garden where i n grew Engl ish strawberries and o ther

sm al l frui ts , flowering plan ts and shrubs i n great variety .

About i t was a lawn of three acres adorned with choicetrees , and near at hand a farm house , extensive b arns andoffices , and a fine coach house in which was kept the onl yfam il y coach in the town . The rel ics of a paled deer-parkalso told of the taste and weal th of earl i e r owners . JosephHil ler was a j ewe l ler b y trade , Maste r of the Essex MasonicLodge , a thorough patri ot and a pub l ic-spirited Christi an

c itizen . A t the Lexington Al arm he led a compan y fromSalem to Cam b ridge , and served l ate r i n the Rhode Isl andexpedition . He was m ade m ajor of the Fi rst regim ent ofm il i ti a i n 1 778 . Washington showed hi s esteem for him

b y m aking h im the first col l ector at Beverl y and Sa lem .

In the custom house at the latter pl ace hangs his portrai t .The m ajor h ad an enthus i astic adm i ration for Washington ,and d ispl ay ed i t b y wearing an agate seal upon which was

a portrait head of the father of his countr y , beautifull y cut

i n Engl and for its wearer , at a cost of twenty guineas .

Having lost his wife , two accom pl ished daughters pres i dedover his hom e .

With these valued imm igrants from quaint old Sal em ,

there cam e into the green m eadows of Lancaste r a spic yperfum e O f Eas t Indian commerce , a novel flavor of nautical rom ance b reathing of

“

the mystery and m agic of the

sea .

” Cap tain Richard J . Cleve l and— O n e of Major Hil ler

’

s sons-in-law , and one of the most high l y esteem ed O f

Lancas ter ’s c itizens— lost one ship and i ts valuab le cargo ,unjustl y confiscated b y the rapacious Engl ish adm i ral ,


Cochrane , under the pretence of authority derived fromorders i n counc il . He was soon afte r robbed of anothervessel by Napol eon

’

s agents . The dram at ic narrative of

Cleve land ’s daring comm erc i al enterprises has been told b y

his own modest pen , and pub l ic i nte rest i n them has beenquite recentl y renewed b y a son’s loving tribute to his fath

er’

s m em or y , ent itl ed : Voy ages of a Merchant Navigator .

The fri ends of Jefferson ’s adm inistrat ion , the Frenchparty , as the Federal ists stigmat ized them , were very fewi n Lancaste r . The m ost prom i nent of these were two

brothers , Timoth y and John Whiti ng , who , had the y been

of the pol it ical faith then dom inant i n the commonweal th ,m ight have gained influence and fam e proport ionate to

thei r ab i l ity . A s boy s of eighteen and s ixteen y ears the y

m arched bes ide thei r fathe r— who was a veteran soldierand served Lancaster in 1 755 , at Lake George— at the

head of the compan y of m i nute m en who hurri ed fromB i ll erica on the nineteenth of April , 1 7 75 , to take part i n

the pursui t of the B ri tish from Lexington . During the

revolution the fam ily cam e to Lancaster to res i de . Theelder son , Timoth y , J r . , succeeded his father as tavernkeeper upon the O ld Common , was the second postm aster

of Lancaster , holding the office for twenty -two y ears ,1 8 0 3

—1 8 2 5 , and l ike h is b rother , became assoc i ate justice

of the Cou rt of Sess ions . A t a spec i al elect ion , Octobe r8 , 1 8 1 0 , he was the Jeffe rsonian candidate for Congress , i npl ace of Wi ll iam S tedm an of Lancaster , who had res ignedhis seat ; and again was the unsuccessful nom i nee for thesam e office at the regul ar e lect ion in Novembe r of the

same y ear .John Whi ting served under Arnold and Gates in 1 7 76 ,

and display ed such m i l itar y ab i l i ty that he received the

comm iss ion of ens ign in the Twe lfth Massachusetts Continental Regim ent , and when but nineteen years O f age was

promoted to a first-l ieutenanc y , with which rank he servedon staff duty during the war . He was highly esteemed i n


substituting for it a m ilder non-i ntercourse act , which provedinefli cient and unsatisfactor y to both Democrats and Feder

al ists . In brief, the adm inistration was anxiousl y s tr iving

to preserve peace , but never pursuing the onl y peace m eas

ure that could win respect at hom e or ab road— dil igentpreparat ion for war . Both England and France pers istedin insolent aggress ion but near the close of the year 1 8 1 0 ,

Napol eon revoked al l decrees in im ical to the United S tates .

Engl and , bes ides her plundering of defencel ess Am ericanm erchantm en under various pretences , added the grosseroutrage of man-steal ing under cover of the exerc ise O f ar ight of search upon the high seas . No sai lo r upon anAmerican vessel was safe from impressm ent and slavishservice i n the B riti sh navy , unl ess he could satisfactoril yprove to the kidnappers that he was born on Am ericanso il . B y the B ritish naval ofli cer— fam i l i ar with the nu

scrupulous m ethods of the press-gang and l ack i ng ab leseam an— nobl e b rawn and thoroughbred sea-dog bearingwere too often held to be ample proof of al l egiance dueK ing George . A strange commen tar y upon the arrogantenforcement . i n 1 8 1 0 , of thi s al leged right over neutralcomm erce , was the noisy wrath of Engl ishmen in 1 8 6 1 ,

when an Un ited S tates naval comm ander arrested two traitors ou board the Trent . There was also much reason tosuspect that Bri tish influence was bus il y i nstigat i ng the

powerful Ind ian trib es both of the West and the South tobegin host il iti es . Subm iss ion to such insul ts and injurieshad long d ishonored the nation . Wi thout navy or arm y ,m i l itary l eaders or financi al resources adequate to the em ergenoy , June 1 9 , 1 8 1 2 , war was declared . The vote inCongress that decided the quest ion was pract ical l y dividedon geographic l ines , and so fierce was the heat of po l i ticalpartisanship that the opponents of the adm i n istration un iversal ly protested against the war as suic idal and unneces

sary , and decl ared that onl y O ffice-holders , ofli ce-seekers ,b ankrupts and a Jacob in mob favored it .

THE WAR O F 1 8 1 2 . 26 7

On Wednesday , June 24 , 1 8 1 2 , at a spec i al town-meeting called i n Lancaste r to rem onstrate against the declaringO f war with Engl and , Jonathan Wilder , Moses Sm ith , E l iS tearns , Jacob Fisher , Joseph Wales , Jos i ah Flagg andJonas Lane were chosen a comm ittee to present suitab l eresolutions . The report of this comm i ttee , made after anhour ’s adjournm ent , was read and accepted , one hundredand fifteen voting for , and fifteen against it . I t was ordered

that a copy should b e transm itted to the Pre s ident of theUni ted S tates , and that i t should b e pri nted in the Co lumb ian Centinel . In that paper it appeared as fo llows , i n theissue of July 4

A t a numerous meeting of the Freeholders and o ther Inhabitants of

the town of Lancas ter legal ly convened for the purpose of considering thealarming s tate of the coun try ,—T he following REPO RT of their Commi ttee was almost unan imous ly adopted .

T he righ t of expressing our opinion of public men and measures , is a

privilege guaranteed and secured to us by our National as well as S tateCons titutions . A nd at this alarming crisis of national concerns whenrecen t intel ligence confirms the belief that we are now upon the eve of a

British war i t is impossible for good ci tizens anxious for their general welfare not to feel deeply in teres ted in so great an even t . A nd sensiblyaffected by that in teres t i t is an indispensable du ty to God and theircoun try to give expression to their feel ings and sen timents on a measurewh ich involves everyth ing dear and valuable in S ociety . But al thoughsuch a cause of procedure may have no immediate influence on the plansand measures now adopting by the General Governmen t , yet when com

bined wi th S imilar express ions of other towns and sections of the coun try ,it w il l ev ince to Congress and the world , that the great mass of the people ,

especial ly in the Eas tern S tates , are utterly averse to a war , in the prosecution of wh ich they are unable to discover anything but ruin to themselvesand misery to their posterity . Were i t probable in the view of governmen t that th is would have been the issue , good pol icy it S hould seem ,

would have dictated a state of preparation adequate to the exigency of thecase —Agains t such a day of darkness and of danger a wise and prudentadmin is tration would have laid up something in store to have softened andal lev iated the afflictions and dis tresses inciden t to such a s tate . But i t is

a melancholy consideration and one that mus t s icken and damp the courage of even the s toutly brave , that we are now to be pl unged into a war

w ith the mos t powerful maritime nation on the globe without any adequatem eans of attack or self defence .


From th is concise v iew O f the subject , and considering the defencelesss tate of the nation the inadequacy of means to annoy the declared enemy—the wan t of resources to prosecute the war w ith effect—the uncertain tyof its duration—and almos t certainty O f its terminating whether sooner orlater in our own disgrace and ruin , a picture is presen ted fraugh t w i thscenes the bare imagination of wh ich shock human i ty and fil l the soul wi thawful gloom . From these considerations connected wi th many others thatnaturally crowd upon our minds , and in compl iance with the views and

wishes of the patriotic town of Bos ton , your Commi ttee are induced torecommend to the town for their discussion and adoption the fol lowingresolu tions .

Resolved—as the sense of th is town that al though we deem i t a dutyto subm it to the w ise and wholesome laws of the governmen t , s till underexis ting circumstances we are cons trained to declare that we cons ider aBritish War as neither founded in jus tice, necess i ty or good pol icy , and ascalculated only to bring an endless train of evils upon ourselves , and involve our pos terity in ruin and disgrace . That in the prosecution of a

War agains t England we can discern nothing but a total destruction of

the remnant of our maritime righ ts—a pros tration of the agricul tural andmechanic interes ts—an enormous increase of the publ ic debt—unparal

leled taxes and a hos t of tax gatherers following in the rear . I n the eventof such a war , we also perceive in the background an al liance wi th France ,whose embrace experience of the pas t foretells w ill be our political death .

Resolved—That we consider it the true interes t of our nation to maintain a neu tral pos ition , and pursuing the Washington pol icy not to departtherefrom w ithout the mos t urgent necess i ty—That to suffer the nation tobe drawn in to the vortex of European politics , and of course participatein their con tes ts and Wars , w ill inevitably prove the downfall of our infantrepublic .

Resolved—That if the in teres t or honor of the nation demanded a

sacrifice of our l ives and fortunes in carrying on an offensive War againsteither of the belligeren ts yet we can neither perceive the pol icy or jus ticein selecting England as the mos t suitable object of our resen tmen t . Thatif the Decrees of France and the O rders in Counci l of England have operated an infringement of neutral righ ts , documen ts and facts abundantlyS how that England was not the firs t aggressor—A nd that i t is an undeniable fact that England has uniformly declared her O rders in Councilrepealed whenever France should ful ly revoke her decrees .

Resolved That we view the res trictive sys tem , in all the forms i t hasassumed , as inconsis ten t w ith the gen ius and habits of the people , as re

pugnant to the true spirit and meaning of the cons ti tution—as tending toimpoyerish the nation and even tually , if pers is ted in , to weaken and finallydes troy the governmen t . That we deem i t a solemn obligation imposedon every ci tizen by a true and genuine patriotism to use al l fair and hon


Samuel Manning , were chosen , and the same day thei r report , which fol lows , was accepted :

T he Comm ittee appoin ted by the Town at the meeting held this day ,

for the purpose of Considering the second article in the Warrant , haveattended to that subject and report that considering the presen t sess ion of

the General Court is near clos ing , and also the smal l g limmering prospectthat a peace may take place , and the oppress ive res trictions on commercebe removed : We therefore recommend to the Town to refer the furtherconsideration of the Ar ticle to the firs t Monday in M ay next at 3 O

’Clock

in the afternoon .

The subject was not again agitated . Dur ing the sum

mer the depredation s of the B rit ish navy along the coastc re ated gre at al arm throughout New Engl and . When , onSeptember 1 , 1 8 1 4 , the force of S ir John Sherb rook cap

tured Casti ne , fears of an attack upon Boston were awakened , and a procl am ation was issued convening the l egislature . Governor S trong al so , i n a general order datedSeptember 6 , cal led upon the m i l it i a to hold them selves i nre ad iness to m arch at a momen t’s not ice , and summonedthe artil lery and several l igh t-infantr y com panies to reportat Boston for imm edi ate service . The appearance of the

hosti le fleet off Gloucester and Cape Cod , exact ing heavyransom from various towns , kept the publ ic excitem ent atfever heat . Extens i ve earth-works were thrown up uponNodd le ’s Isl and and at South Bos ton , b y volunteer worki ng parti es of the inhab itants of the c i ty and adjo ining

towns . Benj am i n Apthorp Gould , a nati ve of Lancaster ,was at that date m aste r of the Boston Lati n School , andone day led hi s flock of bo y s to be ferried over and aid in

the work . More than fifty m il iti a companies were en

camped about the c i ty b efore the end of the m onth .

Am ong the first to arrive were the Light A rti l ler y and aLight Infantry Com pan y of Lancaster . The cannon andother m il i tar y property of the state i n this town were thenkept at the North V illage in a structure the origin of whichi s given in the orders of counc il , June 1 2 , 1 8 0 1

O ne hundred and twen ty dol lars in favor of Captain JacobFisher commander of a Company of Artil lery in the Town of Lancas ter,

THE WAR O F 1 8 1 2 . 27 1

in full for erecting a gun house for the depos i ting their field pieces andother mili tary apparatus therein agreeably to the Resolves of the GeneralCourt .

This artil ler y compan y was commanded b y CaptainJohn Ly on , who , on Sunday , September 1 4 , 1 8 1 4 , afte r aservice at the church , led it to Camb ridge . The traditioni s that he retu rned to his home before the next morning .

Certainl y his O fli cial duti es speed i l y devolved upon another .

Several of the privates were temporary sub st itutes procuredb y those who were unab l e or unwil l ing to do duty as

soldiers . The l ist of those who actuall y served for two

m on ths follows

R ol l of detached Company of A r t i llery of Captain S i las Parker f r omL ancaster and vicini ty in L ieut . Col . E dward ’

s R egt

. in service at

Boston , f rom S ept . 8 th to N ov . 5th

, 1 8 1 4 .

S ilas Parker,Captain . John Taylor , Lieut . Abraham Mal lard , Lieut .

S ergean ts : Abijah Brown , Hannibal Laugh ton , Artemas H . Brown ,

Nathaniel Thayer .Privates Edward Brown , Gardner Maynard , Israel Haskel l

,

Thomas S afford , Apol lus O sgood , Benjamin S . Rice ,

S amuel Damon , Thomas Phelps , Calvin Wheeler,Jonathan O sgood , A sa Goddard , Prosper Randall ,Titus Wilder, S amuel M epee , Alvin Randal l

,

Nathan iel Gould , O del Brown , Ebenezer Wilder ,Josias Johns ton , Henry Hough ton , Robert Hewson ,

Reuben Blood , Liberty B . Moses , John Lynn ,

S amuel Church ill , John Lynch , Ebenezer Taylor,William M cL alen , Ephraim C . Fisher, George Phelps .

Ephraim Walden , Phinehas S awyer ,

The infantr y compan y , having b een ordered ou t throughsome m isunderstanding , returned after an ab sence of lessthan a week . I t was comm anded b y Capta in Ezra Sawyer ,but no rol l of its m en has been found .

Nathan Puffer served during the war as an artificer inthe Uni ted S tates artil lery . Among the death records ofthe town is the nam e of Henry Moore ,

“ k i lled i n a b a ttlewith British troops and Indians at Brownstown , August [4 ]1 8 1 2 ; and Jos i ah Rugg ,

“ i n the arm y ,” d i ed of fever ,

aged twenty-nine , November 2 2 , 1 8 1 3 . Two sons of


General John Whit ing , who attained d is tinction i n their

countr y ’s service , won their first m i l itary honors i n the

campaigns of 1 8 1 2—1 8 1 4 . Henry Whit ing was born inLancaste r , 1 78 8 , and died at S t . Lou is , September 1 6 ,

1 8 5 1 . H is army record is as fol lows

Cornet Light Dragoons 20 O ct . 1 80 8 ; second-l ieutenant S ept . 1 809 ;

firs t-l ieutenan t , 20 Aug . 1 8 1 1 aid to Brigadier-General Boyd ; brevet captain ,

1 7 March 1 8 1 4 , for meri torious service ; transferred to Fifth Infantry ,1 7 M ay,

1 8 1 5 ; captain , 3 March , 1 8 1 7 ; transferred to Firs t Artil lery . 1

June, 1 8 2 1 ; brevet major, 1 7 March , 1 8 24 , for ten years faithful service ;brevet l ieutenan t-colonel , 30 June , 1 834 , for fai thful andmeritorious service ;major, quartermaster , 23 F eb . , 1 835 ; l ieutenant-co lonel , deputy quartermas ter-general , 7 July , 1 838 ; colonel , assis tan t quartermas ter-general , 2 1Apri l , 1 84 6 ; brevet brigadier—general , 23 F eb . 1 84 7 , for gal lant and meritorious conduct at the bat tle of Buena Vis ta.

Fab ius , a y ounger b rother of Henry— born 1 792 , d i edM ay 1 6 , 1 8 4 2

—has the following record

S econd-Lieutenan t Artilleris ts , 1 0 Feh .,1 8 1 2 ; in Firs t Artil lery March ,

1 8 1 2 ; firs t-l ieutenan t 20 June , 1 8 1 3 ; transferred to Corps Artil lery , 1 2

M ay, 1 8 1 4 ; captain ,1 0 S ept . , 1 8 1 9 ; transferred to Firs t Artil lery , 1 June,

1 8 2 1 ; brevet major , 1 0 S ept . , 1 8 29, for ten years fai thful service in one

grade .

Levi Whiting— son of Timoth y . and cousin of Henr yand Fab ius— born in Lancaster , 1 790 , al so won honorab l erank in the regul ar armyS econd-lieutenant Artil lerists , I o F eby . 1 8 1 2 , in First Artillery , March

1 8 1 2 ; transferred to Corps Artil lery , 1 2 M ay, 1 8 1 4 ; firs t-lieutenant , 1 4

June 1 8 1 4 ; transferred to Fourth Artillery , 1 June , 1 8 2 1 captain , 22 M ay ,

1 8 2 2 ; brevet major, 2 1 M ay , 1 832 , for ten years fai thful service in one

grade ; major Firs t Artillery , 1 9 March , 1 84 2 ; l ieutenant-co lonel 1 April ,1 8 50 . Died 3 Augus t , 1 8 52 .

Other men of Lancaster , whose names are und iscovered ,

doub tless served either in army or navy . The bri ef, unpopular war ended i n a treaty that d id not pretend to adjustthe grievances that caused it , and ne ither natio n has causeto rem ember it with pride , save for the valor shown in thedesperate conte sts upon the ocean and lakes . The proclamat ion of peace was received wi th universal joy . Soon

274 ANN ALS O F LANCA S TER .

expectation of private l etters , but to stare curiousl y at the

passengers and get an i tem of gossi p from the city .

Un ti l A . D . 1 8 00 , Lancaster was the term inus of the

Boston , Concord and Lancaster m ail l i ne ,” and Jonathan

Whitne y , its proprietor , sent the m ai l and chance passengershence to Leom inster and be y ond b y spec i al conve y ance .

N ot m an y years later the m ail route was extended andm ade dail y . The fare from Lancaster to Boston was two

dol lars , and each passenger was al lowed fourteen poundsof b aggage free . Taverns abounded , some times numberi ng one to the m i le along the m ore frequented highway s ,and the y were not too m any for the hungry and thi rstywayfarers . N ightl y there congregated in each bar-rooma jol l y company , and , i n the cold season , around the b l azing fi re of logs th at roared and crackl ed i n the widethroated chimne y , m an y a m err y catch was sung , m an y atough y arn spun , m an y a l aughter-provok ing joke cracked .

In the red coal s upon the hearth lay the pokers conven

ien tly hot for the b rewing of fl ip , and the toddy stick beatcont i nual tattoo upon the tum b l ers ’ bo ttom s . A grizzledrevolutionary soldier O ften sat in the chim ne y corn er

som e veteran l ike Wil l i am Deputron or Jacob Z wears ,

alway s read y to “ fight his b attles o ’er ,” o r accept a treat .

Against his nam e upon the sl ate hanging behind the b arusua ll y grew a lengthening score rarel y wiped out ; but forwhat he had been and done and suffered i n “

the da y s thattri ed m en ’s soul s ,

” no one grudged the old soldier the warmnook b y the fires i de , and h is m aud l in repetitions of cam pstories were pat ientl y endured . The zE gis o r Spy once aweek opened for the l and lord and his guests a gl impse ofthe world’s progress . In these dim inutive and i l l printedsheets they b y turn could con the

“latest news from

Europe— two m onths old— and a despatch just arrivedfrom Washington” —dated a week previous to pub l ishingday .

In the harvest season , husk i ng bees b rought together

LANCAS TER‘

S AUGU S TAN AGE . 275

y oung and O ld , m ale and female , and , with jovial din , qu ickhands would clean the barn floor of a huge obstructivemound of corn ; then refreshed with unl im ited pumpkinpi e and sweet cider , ever y Jack would find his Jil l , andrespons ive to the summons of some Fi ddl er John , the rusticb al l began , and joy ous act ivity m ade amends for an y l ackof cul tured grace . Now and then a “ rais ing ” b rought outall the stout arm s of the town to he lp in the setting up of anew roof-tree , where the common th irst exc ited b y muchhal looing and emul ati ve l ifting of heavy tim ber , was satedwi th a compound fab ricated wi th mol asses , gin , and amodicum of water , known as b lack-strap .

But an auction b y adm in istrator or sheriff was an eventO f excel l ing interest i n the communi ty , for attendance at

which al l ord inary duti es were m ade to give way , and evenb ar-room s were deserted . A t a pub l ic vendue , b etter thanat al l other assemb lages , were to b e studied the quainterspec im ens of Lancastri an eccentric ity . There , rough diam onds jostl ing together threw out scint i l la tions of rude ,spark l ing w it . Thither cam e the deacon’s one horseshay ,

” nearl y ripe for its logical c atas trophe , drawn b y aworth y descendant of that veritab le quadruped which , under the nam e O f R oz inante , the genius of Cervantes hasimm ortal ized . There m ight be seen ever y m anner of

wheeled vehicl e that had been invented i n Am erica b eforeA . D . 1 800 , i n ever y stage of picturesque dilapidat ion .

Every fashion of dress known of Yankeedom had there itsvotar y . The ’

squi re and the m inister , wi th pig-tail queuest i ed w ith b lack ribbon , b l ack b reeches , s ilk stockings andgl ittering paste buckl es at the instep of thei r low shoes ,there took snuff with other clean-shaven gentlemen of the

old school , who wore thei r long hai r clubb ed , sportedruffl ed shirt fronts and Hess i an boots wi th tasse ls pendentfrom the tops , and carr ied s i lver-headed canes . Yeom en ,

i n leather b reeches and coats m ade of a coarse

sat inet that h ad been home-spun , hom e-woven and home


dyed , chaffered with vil lagers cl ad in cass im ere pantaloons ,b rass buttoned , blue b roadcloth coats with swallow tai ls ,and buff vests . Individual ism had not then been crushedout by ty ranny of fashion in dre ss , the dic tat ion of soc i alarb iters , or the ave raging processes of com pul sory education ; and queer folk were not as now segregated for S howin cheap museums or h idden in lunatic as y lum s and hospital s , but walked about among their kin unabashed . Jovi ality re igned over the scene , and warm ing pans , tal l clocks ,b rass and i rons , flag-bottom ed chai rs , spinning wheels andb lue crockery were knocked down to the di latory b idders ,at prices which no sane modern aucti oneer would deign toaccept as a first bid 1 0 1 such aesthe tic hei rloom s .

The m echanics of the town were wide l y known for thei rversatil it y and superior workmanship . Peopl e came fromlong d istances to the whitesm ith , Gowen B . Newm an , forhis consci ent ious work , and som e of his tool s even nowrem ain to testify to his ski ll . Tanners , ful l ers and batterspl i ed thei r handicrafts , and eve ry l ittl e Vi l lage had its b lack

sm ith , wheelwright , cobbler and cooper . Here and therewould be found som e ideal m echanical genius , a genu ineYankee j ack-at-al l-trades , l ike John B igelow who pl ay edthe Viol in i n the choi r on Sunday s , and on week day s de

veloped such a knack for successful l y ti nkering re fractor y

clocks and watches that he qu ite spoil ed the bus i ness of theregular watch repaire r , Major Jacob Fisher , and finall y

found his proper career at the head of a noted Bos ton firm

of j ewel lers .

The story of the obscure shoem aker who m ade sl ippersfor Paris i an bel les , deserves tel l ing for its m oral i f nothing

more . On a cross-road i n the southern part . of Bol tonstood a hum b l e cottage wi th a l ittl e unpainted shop nearb y , wherein l ived and worked a wake r cordwainer , bynam e Holder . He was no comm on cobb ler . The sur

pass ing excel lence of his work gained the attent ion of the

weal thie r ladie s of Lancaster and vicinity , and soon the y


carried neither doub l e-b arrel ed shot-gun nor b reech-loader ,nor spl i t bamboo rod with invis ib le l ine and artific i al b ait .

Their weapons were a fl in t-lock smooth—bore , hom e-wroughtpowder-horn and shot-pouch , hom e-m ade flax fishing l i nes ,and traps fashioned b y the owner . With an intel l igencealway s alert , the y had al so an inborn facul ty for acqu i ringan int im acy w ith the occul t hab its of beast and b ird andfish , such as i nsures success in thei r pursuit ; and theirhab its of ob servation were joined to such quickness of

vis ion and hearing that if fortune had so directed the y

m ight have become fam ous natural ists .

Types of the b e tter class of yeomany were common ;men who dail y delved with thei r own hands i n all the

arduous duti es of the farm ; l egi tim ate sons of the soi l , bu tno groundl ings in the pol itical or soci al theatre . A s earl yi n spring as the retre ating frost left the fields m e l low , the ywere seen b arefoot , wi th trouse rs rol led to the knees ,b eh ind thei r oxen in the furrow ; and al l the months of

summ e r and autum n thei r toilsom e l ives were a practicalorat ion upon the d igni ty of l abor . The y were d il igentreaders , or studen ts rather , of the few choice books attainab le ; thought much about the various prob l em s O f humanl ife , and showed abundance of hard common sense in discuss ing the pol itical or soci al questions of the period wi ththe i r neighbors or the m in ister . A t town-m eeti ng oftenone of them , wi th shrewd , Socrat ic argum ent , would prickthe bubb l e schem e of a dem agogue , or pluck the palm of

forensic Victor y from the’

squ i re h im self.From farm i ng to the calculus seem s a long step ; but a

m ajori ty of the farmers of the day had impl ic it faith i nlunar influence upon most mundane m atters , from the boili ng O f pork in the pot to the success of important enterpri ses ; and the alm anac took rank next to the B ib l e in thefrequency with which i ts counsel s were sought . Thephases of the m oon m ay alm os t be said to have governedthe sowing of seed and the gathering O f harvest . A local

LANCAS TER’S AUGUS TAN AGE . 2 79

alm anac-m aker even was not want ing . A sa Houghtonbegan pub l ishing as tronom ical calcul ations about 1 796

and for twenty y ears at l east “ The Gentlemen ’s and LadiesD i ar y and Alm anac had an extended patronage . Houghton , ih his annual address to the pub l ic , som etimes indulgedin som ewhat sti lted rhetoric about the “ awful l y sub l im eideas ” i nspired in the alm anac-maker b y the study of thatD ivine and Heavenl y Sc ience , As tronom y ; but his m ath

ematical deductions seem to have been suffic i entl y accurate ,and his pages of m isce l lan y of ful l y average interest andusefulness . A rival alm anac was pub l ished for a fewy ears i n Harvard .

I t was m an y y ears later that the use of lead or i ron pipefor conducting water into dwel l ings b ecame common here ;but two acqueduct companies , one incorporated as earl y as

1 797 , util i zed the famous springs of Chi asapon ikin andGeorge Hil ls , b ri nging water to the inhab itants of the

Neck and the Vil lage of New Boston i n bored logs , spec im ens of which in perfect preservation occas ional l y even

yet com e to the surface .

Sectarian differences existed , but had not eng enderedb itterness in discuss ion , nor lessened the general harmonyof soc i al rel ations . There was but one m ee ting-house , onerel igious soc i ety ; and the deservedl y revered pastor , Nathaniel Thay er , was the prom i nent central figure of the

town— i ts very centre of gravity . Nor was he prized b ythe community on l y as the competent pub l ic teacher of

d ivine truth , and sought for as a benignan t presence tob less occas ions of rejoicing and to comfort i n great sorrow .

The pray e r from his l ips was the never-fail ing pre lude tobus i ness at the town-m eet ing . The y oung bashful l y , theo ld unreservedl y confided thei r hopes , soul experience s , andtroub les to him , assured of hearty s ym path y and wisecounsel . He was the repos i tory of fam i l y secrets ; the

compose r of neighborhood disputes ; the ultim ate refereei n mooted points of tas te and opinion the universa l arb iter .


Though hedged about with such nati ve dignity as woul dbecom e a prince , yet he was b eloved of children , and h isaffab il i ty knew no difference between those who sat exal tedin the choice pews and the hum b lest i n the congregat ion .

Before five o ’clock in the summ er mornings he could b eseen t il l ing h is own garden , and in the after part of theday he rode over his parish , stopping with ever y one hemet for greeting and kindl y inqu i r y .

T O this era b e longs the honor of found i ng the Lati nGramm ar School , long known as the Lancaste r Academ y .

Captain Richard J . Cleveland and his accomp l ished wife ,anxious abou t the educat ion of thei r own sons , proposedi ts e stab l ishm ent , contributed l ibe ra l l y to i ts support , andat the recomm endat ion of thei r fri end , Pres ident K i rkl and

of Harvard Col lege , secured the services of Jared Sparksas its i nstructor , i n 1 8 1 5 . The experim ent proved ful l of

prom ise , as the fol lowing advertisem ent from the Columb i an Centinel O f April 26 , 1 8 1 7 , gives evidence

LANCAS TER S CHO O L .

T he Latin Grammar S chool in Lancas ter wil l commence on the

M ay nex t , on an improved plan . A commodious house is erecting for thepurpose , and an approved ins tructor is provided . Tu i tion is five dol larsa quarter, and board may be had in respectable families near the school ,at two dol lars a week , including washing , fire , &c . Lancas ter is a pleasan t and heal thy town , 34 miles from Bos ton , and combines as manyadvan tages for a school of th is description as perhaps any town in the

coun try . A s tage runs between th is town and Bos ton every day . I t isbel ieved that parents des ign ing to fi t their sons for col lege or for active lifein any employmen t , wil l find th is school perfectly adapted to their Wishes .

F or further particulars inquiry may be made of R ev. PRES IDENT K IRKLAND , or of Mr. J . S PARKS Tutor at Cambridge , or of Dr . JACKS O N ,

S ummer S treet , Bos ton .

This edifice of 1 8 1 7 was a sm al l , low wal led , squarestructure of wood , pain ted red , wi th a hipped roof. In itthe l ate George B . Em erson , LL . D . , beg an his career asa teacher . The res idence of the Clevel ands was near b y ,a home rich in music , good books and pure taste . M rs .

Dorcas Hi l ler Cleveland would have b een a queen in


yard , and there were but two or three sm al l cotton factori esi n New England . B y the close of the war the sam e grade

of cloth had more than doub l ed in price , and over fiftym anufactories of textile fab rics had been organized i nMassachusetts alone . The enterprise of a Frenchm an hadgi ven prom ise of add ing greatl y to the m ater ial prosperity

of Lancaster . In 1 8 09 , a dapper , b ald-headed man , wear

ing a queue and carry ing a gold-headed cane , appeared intown , investigating the m eri ts of i ts various water-powerprivil eges . Soon it was known that David Poignand , anative of the i sl and of Jersey , and his son-in-law , SamuelPl ant , an Engl ishm an b y b irth , had purchased the s i te of

the Prescott m il l i n the south part of the town ; and there

they set up a cotton factory , one of the earl i est successful l yope rated i n the state . In recognition O f the value , andd ifficul ti es of e stab l ishing , a n ew i ndustr y , PoignandPl ant’s m i l l was temporari l y exempted from local taxation .

In peaceful later years this enterprise attained great pros

perity . K ing Cotton had begun his long and arb itraryreign in Am erica . The war of 1 8 1 2 so stimulated m anufactures that when peace agai n opened the m arke t forcheap foreign m erchandise , a protective tariff became apatriot ic necess ity . The revolut ion of 1 7 75 ensured the

United S tates pol it ical freedom ; the war of 1 8 1 2 was the

cradle of her i ndustri al independence .

WAR WITH ALGIERS .

Hardl y had the treaty of Ghent been consumm atedwhen the Uni ted S tates sen t Commodore S tephen Decatur ,with a powerful naval force , to Vis it Algie rs wi th re tributivejustice for its insolent Violations of neutral i ty during the warwith Engl and , and its pi rat ical depredat ions upon Am ericancomm erce . Accom pany ing Decatur , whom he adm i rab l yseconded b y his diplom atic skil l and personal daring indeal ing wi th the barb arous court of Algiers , to which he

THE WAR W ITH ALG IERS . 28 3

was credited as consul general and ch ief comm iss ioner ,wasWil l i am Shaler , for som e y ears a c i ti zen of Lancaste r .In the y ear 1 8 0 0 , Captain Richard J . Cl evel and and Will i am Shal er m et for the first tim e at the Isl and of Maurit ius ,be ing both y oung and akin in amb itious energy and m an l yworth . This casual m eet ing upon a fore ign strand deve loped into commerc i al partnership , and ripened into a fri end

ship that closed onl y with their l i ves . Mr . Sha ler Vis itedCaptain Clevel and at his Lancaster hom e , and , charmedwith th e lovel i ness of the Nashua va l le y , purchased a housenear his fri end , i n wh ich , b eing a confirmed b achelor , beins tal led a widowed s ister , wi th her chi ldren , about 1 8 20 .

He was rich in al l those personal gifts that m ark the n at

ura l rulers of m en ; a man whom those who could boasthis fri endship used to recal l as the peer in soc i al and phy sical graces of Dani el Webster in the fulness of hi s man

hood . One who saw the first com ing of this statel y gen

tlem an i nto the assem b lage awaiting the opening of the

m ail at the post-office one da y , was won t to descr ib e thetab l eau thus : “ Wh y , they opened righ t and left , and

shrunk out of his way as though a deser t l ion had walkedin upon them .

Upon a wal l of the Engl ish church in the Moorish cap

i tal has been pl aced a m emori al tab le t in honor of “ MrWi l l i am Shaler Con sul-General of the United S tates , whoduring al l the troub lous times preceding and sub sequent toLord Exm outh ’s O perat ions , when the B ritish consul wasi n chains , and when he and his fam i l y were sub sequentl yexpel led b y the De y , rendered most em inent S ervice to

them and to the B ri tish nati on .

” In October , 1 8 23 , the

Kab y les in the mountains revol ted , and Hussei n Pashaordered that any and all m em bers O f that trib e should beseized , wherever found , and dragged to s laver y or a dungeon . I t so happened that m any of them , the race be inge steemed for their cl eanl iness and fidel ity , were the dom est ic servants of the foreign ambassadors . The em issaries


of the Dey , contemptuous of al l protests , bore away thei rvict im s from the consul ar res idences of other nations , butwhen the y cam e to the Am erican consul ate they encountered upon its threshold , standing under the stars and

s tr ipes , sword in hand , the stalwart consul him se lf ; and

as he told them that they should take his se rvants from the

protection of that flag onl y b y pass i ng over his body , thelook of stem resolution in his grey e y e spoke more forc ib l ythan words even . The scowl ing barb ari ans quail ed , andfinal ly withdrew , foi led of their pre y . W i l l i am Shal er ,re turning from Africa to Lancaster , pub l ished an octavovolum e , entitl ed Sketches of Algiers ,

” which was favorabl y rece ived . He had deserved so wel l of his coun tr ythat , al though a thorough whig in pol itical faith , he was i n1 8 29 selected by Andrew Jackson for the post of consul atHavana , then , wi th the exception O f Liverpool , the mostremunerat ive d iplom atic pos it ion in the pres ident’s gift .The United States had h itherto been represented i n Cub aon l y by a comm erci al agent , and to gain S haler

’

s acceptance , this office was raised to the rank of that he ld by him

at Algiers .

Before l eaving Lancaster he purchased the Clevel andestate , and Captain and M rs . Cleve land accompanied himto Cuba .

‘In the spring of 1 8 33 , Havana was vis i ted by afearful epidem ic . The cholera in a s ingl e day num beredfive hundred Victim s . About five O

’

clock one evening ,W i ll i am Shaler cam e in from the street and took to his bed .

A t seven the next morning he was dead .

V I I .

T HE R E BE L L I O N

1 8 6 1 —1 8 6 5 .

HE constitu tion of the U n ited'

S tates , as ratified i n 1 78 7 ,was a comprom ise . O f the patriot ic s tatesmen who

fram ed it , m an y s igned thei r assent with m isgiving , andeven wi th protest . Som e , esteem ing i t too dem ocrat ic ,

pred icted the dism em berment of the confederation , sooneror l ater , because of the l ack of a sufli cien tly strong centralpower . Others were d isturbed by forebodings

'

of mon

archial poss ib i l iti es , and ins isted that b y its provis ions thesovereign statesWere Called upon to surrender too much tocongress and the executive . A phrase of two of elastics ign ificance , adm itted for the purpose Of harmoniz ing localprejud ices at the t im e , becam e l ater a ferti le source of acrimon ious deb ate . The b itterest apple of discord was the

provis ion which protected property in hum an be ings , at thes am e t ime recognizing these so cal led chatte ls as threefifths human , and allott ing to the proprietors of them inseve ral states a proport ionate pol itical representation innat ional counci ls . This sanctioning of sect ional and aristocratic privi lege in a governm ent cl aim ing to be basedupon the principl e of natural democrat ic equal ity , at oncegave b i rth to an “ i rrepress ibl e confl ict ” b etween North andSouth— ol igarchist and republ ican . From the outset thisantagonism was , b y the wise , foretold to be inevitabl e . I t

began wi th the fi rst congress and grew more fierce andungovernabl e year by y ear . Washington , himsel f a slaveholder , in prophetic spi rit wrote to a friend : “ I can clearlyforesee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can per


petuate the exis tence of our Union , b y consol idati ng it in acommon bond O f princi pl e .

” D isruption , often threatened ,was long evaded b y concess ion and sub te rfuge ; but thei nsol ence and u su rpat ions of the privi leged ol igarchists

final l y culm i nated in open rebe ll ion . Beaten at the b al lotbox , the y appealed to the sword . That appeal resul ted inem anc ipation , rad ical amendm ent of the con stitution , and— logical l y consequent upon the pol itical and m i l i tary V ic

tor y of free labor— a revolut ion in the m oral sen timent ofthe nat ion , even yet not ful l y consumm ate . A brief Ske tchof the part taken b y Lancaster i n this struggle for nat ionali ntegri ty , and a roste r , reasonab l y complete and correct , ofLancastri an s who ral l i ed round the i nsul ted flag , i s al l thatis con templated i n the fol lowing pages .

No sooner was i t known th roughout the nat ion thatAb raham Lincoln had been const i tutionall y el ected Pres ident , than the pol i tica l hacks and b ar-room bul l i es , wholed , or seemed to lead , pub l ic sentim ent in the states southof Mason and D ixon ’s l ine , pl i ed al l thei r arts and energiesto work destruction to the governm ent which Southernpol ic y had largel y control led , unt il that day , during threefourths O f a centur y . The North , slow to wrath , rem ainedfor a t ime alm ost apathetic , scornful l y bel i eving the boastful threats and m i l itary preparations of the southern “ firee aters ” to b e “

full of sound and fury , s ignify ing nothing .

”

The cannon of Sum ter proc laim ed the audac ity of the con

spirators and patriotism awoke to the imm inent danger .Treason , sagac iousl y planned and bold l y led , effic i entlyarm ed and equ ipped at the nation ’s cost , was al read y onthe march to the capital , and must be m et . The free stateswere al l unread y for the encounter . Massachusetts was

almost s ingular i n possess ing a m il iti a o rganized and capa

ble of speedy mob i l i zation . On Monday , Apri l 1 5 , 1 8 6 1 ,

the Pres ident cal l ed for seventy-five thousand volunteers toserve for three months . Four day s later , on the ann iver

sary of the b attles of L éxington and Concord , the Massa


On the designated day the voters fil led the town hal l ,and elected as pres id ing ofli cer , Solon Whiti ng , E sq . ,

b rother of two noted soldiers whose record has been giveni n previous pages . The comm ittee appointed at the c i tizens’ m eeting of April 2 2 , presented thei r reports

R epor t of Comm i ttee on Business .

T he Committee would recommend that a Comm it tee of seven be chosenby the Town to have charge of such funds as may be voted by the Town ,

and that said Comm i ttee have ful l power to expend any portion , or all of

such appropriation for the above purpose as they may deem expedientThat the Town pay each Volun teer from the time cal led for un til dischargedth irteen dol lars per mon th , in addition to Governmen t pay, and one dol larper day for each day devoted to drill not exceeding th irty days , and not

less than six hours to be considered a day .—That the Town Treasurer is

hereby authorized to borrow on behalf of the Town , any sum that may be

needed for the above purpose not exceed ing Five Thousand Do l lars , subject to the order of the above Commit tee, and that George W . Howe ,George Dodge , John M . Washburn , John Bennett , A n thony Lane , J . L .

S . Thompson and J . Marshal l Damon cons titute said comm i ttee .

Respectfully submitted ,C . L . W ILDE R ,

JACO B F IS HE R .

After the re ad ing of the Report the several parts wereseparatel y cons idered and the report unanimousl y adopted ,Jacob F isher and C . L . Wilder be ing added to the com

m ittee .

R epor t of Comm ittee on Gut/it f or Volunteer s .

O utfit for forty men2 S hirts apiece ; 8 0 sh irts , at2 Flannel Waistcoats ; 8 0 waistcoats , at

40 Wool len Blankets , lined wi th brown drill ,40 Rubber Blankets , at 1 . 50 ,

8 0 pr . S ocks , at 50 ,

4 0 ligh t colored soft Fel t Hats , at

1 540 00

HE N R Y C . K IM BALL , for Comm ittee.

R epor t of Committee on Volunteer Company .

Your committee appoin ted on Monday , the 2 2d inst . , to inquire in tothe practicabili ty of rais ing a company of Volun teer M ilitia, and to take

THE R EBELLIO N . 289

such measures for so doing as they may deem necessary , respectful ly begleave to offer the following report : That they have canvassed the townw i th a rol l of enlistment and the result is that about forty names of s teadyand able bodied young men have been enrol led to serve in the Volun teerM ili tia, wi th the understanding that they are liable at any moment to be

called in to active service .

Your committee further report that they have conferred w i th a s imilarcomm ittee of the citizens of the town of S terling , w i th a view to unitewith said town in raising an efficient company for immediate service ; andthat the committee of the town of S terl ing have given assurance that theywould appear to make all necessary arrangemen ts for a union company ator immediately after the presen t town-meeting .

Your commit tee would respectful ly recommend that the town of L an

cas ter raise and equip for active service one-half of said union company ,and that an armory be obtained free of expense to the s tate , as a depository of the arms of the Lancas ter members of said company .

A ll of which is respectful ly submi tted , byW . WH ITTE M O R E ,

C . A . PO LLAR D ,for Comm ittee.

After l is tening to the patriotic speeches of several c i tizens , upon the importance of m aking every sacrifice forthe support of governm ent , the m eet ing adjourned .

A legal m eet ing , June 8 , Henry C . Kimb al l b eing mod

c rator , heard a verb al report from the comm i ttee O f nine ,and after some discuss ion , deem ing no in structions neces

sary , left the comm ittee to take such further action as theym ight deem advisable . A t the town-m eeting of Novemb er1 4 , a report was presented b y the comm i ttee , showing thatthey h ad expended for outfit of the volunteers the fo llowing sums

Paid for drill ing—Volun teers ,Dril l-master,E . Ballard , for prin ting ,Cobb , Whi ttemore , Burbank , for swords ,Comm ittee of ladies ,George Dodge , for towe ls ,F . B . F ay, for cash advanced ,

Balance due at expiration of 90 days ,

290 ANNA LS O F LANCAS TER .

An independent m i l itar y compan y , organized i n May ,

1 8 53 , we ll dri ll ed and equipped , exi sted i n C l in ton , cal led

the Cl inton Light Guard , several m embers of which , andal l the O fficers , were nat i ves O f Lancaster . This companyat an earl y date O ffered its service s to the governm ent , andi t was understood would b e attached to a Worcester countyregim ent , to b e comm anded by Colone l Charles Deven s ,

J r . , and called the F ifteenth Massachusetts Infantr y . I t

was resolved to use the for ty men enl isted i n Lancaster asthe nucleus of a second compan y to be raised for the sam eregiment . Bol ton and Harvard j oined Lancaster i n i tsform ation , and the organizat ion received the name , F ayL ight Guar d , i n respect for Honorab l e Franc is Bal l Fa y .

A t an election of O fficers and non-comm iss ioned ofli cers ,

Thom as Sherwin , J r . , then princ ipal of the HoughtonSchool i n Bol ton , was chosen captain . The compan y , recruited to the numb er of seven ty-eight men , after threeweeks’ dil igent dri ll in Lancas ter , wen t to Cam p Scott , at

Worcester , and was joined to the F ifteenth Massachusettsas Compan y I . Fo r som e re ason never sat isfactoril y expl ained to those m ost deepl y interested , Sherwin was denieda comm iss ion as comm ander of the company , and AlfredF . Walcott of Salem was appointed its captain . I f, as thenbel i eved b y the volunteers , Governor Andrew was inspiredwi th distrust of Sherwin ’s fitness for that office b y a sec retcommunication unfavorab le to him , from som e c i ti zen of

Lancaster , the war record of that gal l ant officer , i n connect ion wi th the Twenty -second Massachusetts Infantr y , of

which he b ecam e l ieutenant-co lonel , was a s ignificant re‘

proach for such unwise m eddl ing . H i s m en i ndignan tlyrefused to b e sworn into service unless given the ofli cers of

thei r choice , i n accordance with prom ises m ade and the

general custom of that tim e . They proved pers istent i nthi s resolve , and had to be d isbanded . Several of the Lancaster vo lunteers at once enl isted i n the C l i n ton LightInfantry , known as Company C , and nearl y all sooner or


Private Charles E . Gould ; mechan ic .

James M . Gray ; pump-maker . Fifteen th Mass Infty .

Gilbert W . Greene ; mechan ic . Fifteen thGeorge H . Hardy ; farmer. Twenty-firs tThomas Has tings of Berlin ; mechanic. Fifteen thCharles R . Haven of Bol ton ; mechanic . Twen ty-firs tHenry H . Hos ley ; pain ter . FifteenthAlbert C . Hough ton of Bolton ; mechan ic . S ix teen thEmory H . Houghton ; mechanic .

W . W . Ingerson of Harvard ; farmer . Twenty-firs tJohn James ; farmer . Fifty-th irdWilliam E . Johnson ; mechan ic .

James Kennedy of Bolton ; mechan ic . Twen ty-firstJoseph W . Kingsbi i ry ; farmer. FifteenthGeorge C . Mann ; mechan ic . FifteenthCharles H . Maynard of S terl ing ; mechan ic . Thirty-fourthJames Mon tgomery of Harvard ; farmer. T wen tV-firs t

Rol la Nicholas of Bolton ; farmer. Th irteen thHenry J . Nourse of Marlborough ; mechan ic . Fifteen thO liver L . Nourse of Bolton ; mechanic . S ixteen thLuke O l l is ; farmer . Twen ty-firs tNelson Pratt of Bolton ; mechan ic . Fifteen thJohn Quinn of Cl in ton ; mechanic . Twen ty-firs tThomas W . Reid of Clin ton ; mechanic . Fifty-th irdEben W . Richards ; mechanic . Twenty-firs tHenry H . Rugg ; farmer . Fifteen thJames Ryan ; mechanic . Th irty-fourthWill iam H . S avage of Harvard ; farmer . Fifteen thWil l iam S chumaker ; mechanic . Fourth U . S . Cavalry .

Patrick S hanley .

Charles H . S inclair ; mechanic . Twen ty-firstFrancis E . S mith of Cl inton ; manufacturer . Fifteen thJonas H . S pencer of Clinton ; manufacturer. Fifteen thJohn B . S tanley of Bo l ton ; mechanic . Fifth U . S . Cavalry .

Wil l iam S tone of Bolton ; s tuden t . Nineteen th Mass In fty .

William Thompson ; teamster. S ixteen thJohn Whalen of Clinton .

Harrison Willard ; farmer .George Will is of S tow ; farmer .John S . Will iams of Bol ton ; mechanic . Fifteen thO liver M . Wise ; store-keeper . Died 1 8 6 1 .

Arch ibald D . Wright of Clinton ; mechanic . Fifteen th

Before the close of August , 1 8 6 1 , nearl y forty volun

tee rs represent ing the town were in the deb atab le land ,

THE REBELLIO N . 293

mostl y serving in the F ifteenth , Sixteenth and Twenty-firstMassachusetts regiments . Am id huzzas and the wavingof handkerchiefs and s ilken b anners the y went forth , s inging as the y m arched , thei r faces flushed wi th hope , bel ieving the Lord on the i r s ide and dream ing l ittle of the tri al sbefore them . Before Octob er ended , four O f those in theF ifteen th sl ept their last sl eep in graves upon the banks ofthe Potom ac ; and their surviving com rades were writinghom e details of the hai r-b readth e scapes and try ing experien ces of the ir first b attle— the crushing defeat of Bal l ’sBluff. These earl i est m arty rs of Lancaster were GeorgeWright Cutler , Wi l lard Ra ym ond Lawrence , James Gardner Warner and Luther Gerry Turner . The captain O f

the Cl i nton and Lancaster com pany , and several of h is

m en , were prisoners of war . The first-l i eutenant , AndrewL . Ful ler , had reached hom e but a few day s before , havingres igned b ecause ph y s ical l y unab le to perform m i l i tar yduty . He imm ediatel y returned to the regim ent , bearingwords of cheer and sub stanti al comforts , and brough thom e a de tai led report of the casual ties and condition O f

the survivors . T he war that to the community had hithertoseem ed far away— a form less , dark shadow in the horizonbecam e thenceforward a perennial l y present and defined

horror .The exc itement at thi s period was i ntense , and m il i tar y

enthus iasm took form during November in the organiza tionof a compan y of hom e guards , which i ntrenched itselfbehind the form idab l e nam e of “

T he Lancas ter I ndependent Phalanx .

” One hundred nam es were enrol led , of old

and y oung , and m eetings for dri l l were held ever y Mondayevening at the town ha l l , each m em ber b ringing his ownarm s . Hon . F . B . Fay was the firs t captain e lect , andSolonWhit ing , E sq . , the second in comm and . Upon thei rdecl in ing O ffice , D r . Reuben Barron was m ade comm ander ,and Lym an Moore ' l i eutenant . On the first of March ,1 8 6 2 , Thomas B . Warren succeeded Doctor Barron . The


platoons of the Phal anx , after the first few m eetings , wererarel y of a l ength unm anageab l e i n the hal l , the olderm emb ers becom i ng ver y i rregul ar i n attendance . Themotle y outfit and sty l e of dri ll at tim es cal led up amus ingrecol l ection s of the annual May Training under the old

m il iti a law , when the stree t evo lutions of the “

S lambangs

were the onl y Vis ib le rel ic of m il itary glor y left to inspirethe rural patriot . A t these dri l l m eet ings , however , m an ya voluntee r , who afterwards did good service i n the field ,rece ived h is fi rst l essons in the school of the so ldier .Decem b er 2 , 1 8 6 1 , a c i tizens’ m eet ing , of which G . F .

Chandle r was chai rm an and J . Presco tt Wi lder secretar y ,afte r discuss ing the needs of the soldiers i n the winter ’scampaigning , chose a comm ittee to ascertain and providefor thei r wants . This comm i ttee was organized as fol lows

M iss Mary G . Chandler, Dr. J . L . S . Thompson ,

M rs . Emily Leigh ton , G . F . Chand ler ,M rs . Joseph H . Dud ley , S pencer R . Merrick ,M iss Mary T . Humphrey , Horatio D . Humphrey ,

George Dodge .

The sel ectmen and town-clerk , after corre spondencewith officers i n the F ifteenth and Twen ty-first regimen ts ,reported that about thi rty Lancaste r m en were in the field ,m an y O f whom were in need of warm er clothing . The

comm ittee at once col lected b y popular sub script ion the

sum of one hundred and s i xty-s ix dol lars , wi th whichunder-garm ents and other art icles of apparel were pur

chased , and forwarded togethe r wi th num erous spec i aldonat ions . After the town ’s m en were wel l supp l i ed , aurplus rem aining was transferred to the Sanitary Comm is

s ion . A l ist of the articles contributed is preserved

20 pairs boots , 1 5 flannel shirts , 23 pairs m ittens ,30 blankets , 1 8 pairs drawers , 2 5 towels , etc .

1 4 quil ts , 5 1 pairs s tock ings ,

July 8 , 1 8 6 2 , a pub l ic m ee ting , ca lled to plan m easuresfor the rel i ef of the s ick and wounded , o rganized b y the


tuted exempt provoked b road hint that the eloquence of

service far outshines that of words . Ver y few , however ,shi rked or attempted to evade thei r proper share in the

grave respons ib i l iti es of the hour , and the active patriotism

of the y oung and stalwart onl y kept step wi th the generosity and se lf negation of those whom sex , the burden of

years , or infirm i ty , or apparent duty , held at hom e . Thoseenl isted at th is date entered the T hir iy

-fourth M assachu

setts I nfantr y , organizing at Camp Wool . The act ion of

the town at a legal mee ting Jul y 23 , 1 8 6 2 , is thus recorded

Voted , that the selectmen be a comm i t tee to pay each recruit , whensworn in to the United S tates service , the sum of O ne Hundred Dollars .

Voted , that recruits at Camp Wool who shall be accepted by the Adjutan t General as a part of the quota of seven teen required from th is town ,

he paid the sum of one hundred dollars .

Voted , that the comm i ttee chosen at a citizen’s meeting be requestedto act with the selectmen in procuring recrui ts .

The fol lowing day a c it izens’ m eet ing e l ecte d GeorgeW . Howe , Dr . J . L . S . Thompson and Christopher A .

Po ll ard a comm ittee to provide for the fam il i es of those ahsent as soldiers , and look after the gathering of their cropsand o ther farm work in proper season . On August 4 , was

procl aim ed a cal l for three hundred thousand m i l i ti a tose rve for n ine months , and soon after Lancaste r receivednot ice that her quota was twenty-one men . August 25 ,

1 8 6 2 , action was taken by the town as fol lows

Vo ted , that the town pay to each vo lun teer, one hundred dollars , provided the ful l quota (2 1 ) for n ine months is furnished .

Vo ted , that the above sum b e paid whenever said volunteers are mus

tered in to the United S tates service .

Voted , that the selectmen and treasurer be authorized to borrow suchsums as may be necessary to pay volunteers , and the s tate aid to families .

Previous to this date the wom en O f Lancaster had beenindefatigab le in labors for the i r fel low townsmen ab sen tfighting the b attles of freedom , and in the nam e of the

existing chari tab l e soc ieti es of the two churches , had forwarded to them B i b le s , m oney , and several boxes fil led

THE REBELLIO N . 297

with b lankets , clothing , reading m atter , and m isce llaneouscom forts . August 2 7 , 1 8 6 2 , the Soldiers

’ Re l ief Assoc i at ion was organized . I ts ofli cers were : M rs . Harriet W .

Washburn , pres ident ; Miss Mary Anderson , Miss MaryAnn Thay er and Miss Mary Whitney , Vice-pres iden ts ;Miss El i zabeth P . Russe l l , secretar y and tre asurer . I t

soon becam e a b ranch of the New England sect ion of the

Sanitary Comm iss ion . I ts weekl y m eetings were uniform l ywel l attended . From m onth to m onth , under its auspices ,pub l ic en tertainm ents of varied character were given infurtherance of its Christi an aim s . A vast amount of beneficent work of incalcul ab l e value was qu ietl y accompl ishedby these true and tender-hearted l aborers , nei ther seekingnor reaping any recompense , save the grateful pray e rs of

thousands m aim ed , s ick and dy ing— pra y ers m os tl y inaudib l e to human senses , but all recorded above .

September 1 0 , a c i tizens’

m eeting cons idered the need

of s y stem at ic aid for soldiers and thei r fam il i es , and especial ly for those s ick or wounded . I t was dec ided to establ ish a Sold i e rs ’ Rel i ef Fund , to be used by a comm i tteecomposed of the sel ectm en and such others as the y m ightse lect to assist , at thei r discre tion , for the com fort of thetown ’s soldiers , and those dependent upon them , whenfound in want or distress . A sub scription was opened andfive hundred dol lars were pledged at once . The sel ectmensoon after organized the comm ittee , cal l ing to thei r aid thefol lowing c iti zens : Nathanie l Thay er , Hon . Franc is B .

Fa y , George S tratton , Charl es L . Wi lder , George Cumm ings , Rev . M . C . Stebb ins , Dr . J . L . S . Thompson ,Charles J . Wilder . A t sub sequent weekl y m eet ings the

fund was i ncreased b y the l ib eral ity O f various contr ibu tors

to the sum of twelve hundred and n inety-one dol lars , and ,b y addit ions of interest and dividends upon investm ents , to

s ixteen hundred and s ixty-six dol lars and twenty-seven

cents , including expendi tures . U ltimatel y the purpose of

this local rel i ef fund was sub served b y state aid , the expen

20


d iture of the town being refunded under estab l ished regul a

t ions from the tre asur y of the comm onweal th . Upon thetreasure r of the comm ittee , George W . Howe , E sq . , devolved the care and jud ic ious disbursement of the con tr ibutions , a duty O ften onerous and perp lexing , bu t cheerful l yperform ed wi thout recom pense . Januar y 5 , 1 8 7 2 , a m ee ti ng of the contr ibutors recorded thei r thanks for Mr .Howe ’s faithful se rvice , and tran sferre d the balance rem aini ng in his hands , the sum of e ight hundred do llars , to thetrustees of the Lancaster Chari tab l e Fund .

A t two of the m eet ings he ld duri ng Sep temb er , theReve rends Merri l l Richardson of Wo rceste r . George Putn am , S . T . D . , of Roxbur y , and Mr . Edward R . Wash

burn of Lancaste r , gave addresses no teworth y for thei rpatriotic eloquence . Mr . Washburn was at this time engaged in recruiting for the F ifty-third Massachusetts Iufan

try , and was succe ssful in en l isting from his neighborsenough men to fill the town ’s quo ta for the nine m onths ’

se rvice , going himself as thei r captain . The shorte r term

of enl istm ent gave popul arity to the cal l of August , andseve ral m ore than the quota dem anded went from L ancas

ter in this and o ther nine months’ regiments . The vote ofAugust 25 , onl y authoriz ing the paym ent of bounty to thetwen ty-one requi red , a speci al town-m eeting October 1 5 ,

1 8 6 2 , voted“

to pay a boun ty of One Hundred Dol lars to

those who have enl isted and who shal l be mustered andaccep ted into the United S tates service .

A s i n qu ick success ion cam e news from the b attlefield s ofNew Berne , Shi loh , Fai r Oaks , Chant il l y , Anti e tam , Fred

er icksburg , Chance l lorsvi lle and Port Hudson , Lancasterknewthat her sons were do ing thei r duty , and fam i l y afterfam i l y mourned thei r unreturning b rave .

Under date of October 1 7 , 1 8 6 3 , a ca l l was issued bythe Pres i dent for three hundred thousand m en for threey ears . Lancaste r’s quota was estab l ished as fou rteen . Thegovernm ent bounty offered for voluntee rs was now four


On Feb ruary 1 , 1 8 64 , a draft for five hundred thousandm en , to serve three years or during the war , was ordered

to take place on the tenth of March ; but this number in

cluded the three hundred thousand called for October 7 ,1 8 6 3 . On the fifteenth of March , 1 8 64 , cam e a cal l for

two hundred thousand m en , to b e raised b y vo lunteering ordraft ; and on the fourth of Jul y the Pres iden t summonedfive hundred thousand more to enl ist , for one , two or three

years , as the y m igh t elect . This hum an avalanche from

the North soon began its crushing progress southward ,down the val le y s of Georgia and Vi rgini a .

The town , at i ts legal m ee ting April 4 , 1 8 6 4 ,

Voted , that the town pay the sum of one hundred and twen ty-five dollars for each man required to fill the quota [ 1 5] of Lancas ter under thelas t call of the Pres iden t .Voted , that the Assessors be authorized to abate the pol l taxes of n ine

mon ths men assessed in 1 8 6 3 .

The legisl ature had recen tl y e stab l ished the m aximum

bounty that could be offered b y town or c i ty at one hundredand twenty-five dol lars . On the sam e day tha t the abovevotes were passed , at an adjournm ent O f the March m eeti ng , it was

Voted on motion , that the se lectmen and treasurer be authorized toborrow or appropriate any money in the treasury not o therwise appropriated , and pay the sum of one hundred and twen ty-five dol lars for eachman under the presen t or any future cal l before the firs t of March

,1 8 6 5 .

Voted , that they pay the same sum to any enrolled man who shal l sendan al ien subs titute on any quota between the firs t of March

,1 8 64 , and the

firs t of March , 1 8 6 5 ; provided , that in the opin ion of the selectmen suchsubs titu te shal l be good for the quota of the town .

June 7 , 1 8 6 4 , at a spec i al town m eet ing , of whichGeorge W . Howe was moderator , i t was

Voted , that the selectmen be ins tructed to procure the necessary number of men which , in their opin ion , may be required to fi l l the an ticipatedcal l for more troops , on the bes t terms poss ible .

Voted , that the se lectmen and treasurer be au thorized to borrow a sum

not exceeding three thousand dol lars , to be used by the selectmen for recruiting purposes .

THE REBELLIO N . 30 1

October 6 , 1 8 6 4 , at a m eeting of voters des i ring the re

e lection of Ab raham Linco ln to the pres idency , the o rganization of a Union C lub was perfected . Doctor John L .

S . Thompson was chosen its pres ident , and twelve vicepres idents were elected . Meetings were he ld on Wednes

day and Saturday evenings of each week . The m em bers

were pl edged

to support , sustain and defend the Governmen t as at presen t adm in is tered , to prosecute the war agains t traitors , and not to relax our effortsun til treason and rebel l ion are conquered , the un ion restored and freedomv indicated .

From t ime to t ime speakers were procured hy:the direction of the club to address the pub l ic upon the topics of theperiod . Octob er 24 , Rev . Merril l Richardson of Worces

ter spoke ; Novemb er 2 , Rev . Mr . Fai rchi ld de l i ve red anaddress upon Sherm an ’s campaign ; and Novembe r 3 ,

Hon . Edwin Bai le y of Boston spoke effectivel y upon the

issues of the el ection pend ing .

A t a legal m eeting June 2 2 , 1 8 64 , the ac ti on of the

previous town-m eet ing was resc i nded , and it was

Vo ted , that the selectmen and treasurer be au thorized to borrow thesum of two thousand dollars for the purpose of refunding the money contributed by individuals for the purpose of fi l l ing the quota of the townunder the cal ls for troops made by the Presiden t on O ctober 1 7 , 1 8 63 , and

February 1 , 1 8 64 ; provided such money shal l be put in the hands of therecruiting commit tee for the purpose of procuring more troops .

The re-en l istm ent of el even veterans , who , havingserved thei r countr y three years , did not fal ter but held up

thei r hands to be counted again as soldiers for Lancasterduring the war , greatl y ass isted in m eet ing the dem andsupon the town . Three other res i dents enl isted for the war ,and , Congress at length having recognized the grave ihjustice done in refus ing to al low enl istments in the navy tostand on a par wi th those in the arm y , four sai lors wereadded to Lancaster’s credit . Hal f a dozen c i tizens of the

town joined the regiments sent to Washington for garrisonduty i n Jul y , 1 8 64 , to serve one hundred da y s . These l ast ,


howeve r , though exemp ted from the O peration of the draft ,were not credi ted to the town ’s , or the state

'

s , quota . I t

was seen to be hopeless to expect further avoidance of

conscrip tion . Should the quota not be filled by Septem ber

5 , the law m ade personal service ob l igator y upon thosethat chanced to be drafted . Unt il that date a m one y com

m utation of three hundred dol lars re l i eved the conscriptfrom m il itar y dut y save b y sub stitu te . Accordingly onJul y 1 8 , 1 8 6 4 , a lot decreed that ten of Lancaste r’s c i ti zens

should joi n the arm y or buy exemption . Each of the ten

paid the requ i re d fee , and fought b y proxy . This was theon l y draft i n Lancaster . A few non-res idents were h i redto serve the town , and all national cal ls upon i ts patrio ti smwere much more than satisfied .

The first pres iden t of the So ldiers’ Rel i ef Associ a tionin Lancaste r , who had lost two gal l ant sons , stricken downin the fron t of battl e , sought earl y i n 1 8 6 5 to b e re l i evedfrom the post she had honored , and M r s . Mary G . Warewas chosen to the office . M rs . Jane Humphrey becam eVice-pres ident , succeeding Miss Mary Ande rson . Thesoc i ety despatched i ts last invoice of hospi tal s tores on May1 0 , 1 8 6 5 , but retained i ts organ ization unt il August 30 ,

when , having com p leted the th i rd year of its nob l y beneficen t existence , it was reorganized as a b ranch of the NewEngl and F reedmen

’

s Ai d Soc ie ty , retaining the O ld office rs .

The following summary of the work of the Rel i ef Assoc iation is derived from the quarterl y reports of i ts secretar y ,Miss El i zab e th P . Russe l l , to whose enthus i asm and unre

m itting energy much of its effici ency was due

Proceeds of ten public en tertainments ,Donations from individuals ,O btained by sale of sundry articles ,

Total cash receiptsTotal expendi tures for materials , etc . ,

Balance in treasury , transferred to Freedmen’sA id S ociety $370 0 6


Pil low-cases , 1 1 2 Condensed m i lk , cans ,Towels , 1 7 8 T ea, coffee , cocoa, chocolate ,

Napkins , 298 packages ,Table-cloth , 1 Farina, arrowroot , corn s tarch ,Pil lows and cush ions , sundry gelatine, sago ,

tapioca,

kinds , Irish moss , etc., packages , 6 4

A rm s lings ,

The generous give rs who he lped our lo y al wom en-workers to ach ieve such rem arkab le resul ts need not be enum er

ated , for the l i st of them would b e but a census of the

fam i l i es of Lancaster ; al l in unity of spirit b estowing thei rm i tes or lavish bounti es , accord ing to ab i l i ty . The warhistori an of the commonweal th records the contributions ofthe Lancaster wom en to the Sanitary Comm iss ion as i nvalue about three thousand five hundred dol lars . Thiscertain l y , at war prices , was not too l i b e ral an appraisal .The lad y assoc i ates , in cont inu ing their charitab le laborsafter the return of peace , had spec i al l y i n View the m aintenance of a teacher of freedm en . Miss Ab igail JaneKnigh t , one of thei r own c i rc le , a l ad y we l l qual ified b yher attainm ents and heartfel t sympathy for the cause ,taught for fou r y e ars under the auspices of the soc i ety , atEdisto Isl and , South Carol in a . I nc luding the sum whichit i nherited at the start , the soci ety raised and expended insupport of Miss Knight ’s schoo l , the sum of two thousandthree hundred and forty-six do llars and s ixty-two cents ,most of which was derived from serie s of en tertainm ents ,emb rac ing concerts , fai rs , readings and lectures b y hom eand foreign talent , danc i ng parti es , etc .

Accurate l y to cl assify or sum such expend itures of the

town in i ts corporate capac ity as were strictl y chargeab leto the war , would be difficul t , if not imposs ib l e . The

yearl y paym en ts to the needy soldiers and thei r fam i l i es ,refunded as

“

state aid ,” were given b y the state ’s histori an

as fol lows

1 8 6 1

S O LD IERS ’ RELIEF AS S O CIAT IO N . 305

The selectmen’

s books , however , differ from this , showing a total of The tota l of m i l itary expense sother than this aid has been stated at b y oneauthority , and at by another . The lat ter isprob ab l y not an exaggerated e st im ate .

Upon the executi ve and financ ial officers of the townduring the c ivi l war , nove l and perplexing duties devolved ,and labors for which the ir unaided strength would havebeen whol l y insuffic i ent ; bu t seconded b y the comm itteeshereinbefore m entioned , the y pe rform ed the varied workentrusted to them b y the confidence of the pub l ic , withsuch earnes tness and fai rness as to receive general commendation . These ofli cers were

S electmen

1 8 6 1 . James Ch ilds , Jeremiah Moore ,Warren Davis .

1 8 6 2—3 . Jerem iah Moore , Jonathan Buttrick , S pencer R . Merrick .

1 8 64 . George W . Howe , Jonathan Bu ttrick , S pencer R . Merrick .

1 8 6 5 . Jonathan Buttrick , S pencer R . Merrick , Levi W . Farwel l .

A ssessor s .

1 8 6 1 and 1 8 6 2 . Warren Davis , S olon Wh iting , S ilas Thurs ton .

1 8 6 3 . Warren Davis , S tedman Nourse ,Charles S afford .

1 8 64 . Warren Davis , S ewel l Day ,Jerem iah Moore .

1 8 6 5 . S tedman Nourse , S ewell Day, Charles J . Wilder .

J . L . S . Thompson , M . D 1 8 6 1—1 8 6 5 .

T r easur er s .

1 8 6 1 . John M . Washburn . Died December 26 , 1 8 6 1 .

1 8 6 2—4 . Chris topher A . Pol lard . Died .

1 8 6 5 . S olon Wilder .


DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER OF SOLDIERS OF LANCASTER,

IN C LUD IN G N AT IVE S A N D R E S I DE N TS O F T H E T O W N , A N D

T HO S E H I R E D F O R H E R CLUO T A .

S E CO N D MA S S ACHUS E TTS I N FAN T R Y .

Under the cal l for five hun dred thousand addit ionalthree years troops , m ade by Pres ident Lincoln , Octob er 1 7 ,1 8 6 3 , and February 1 , 1 8 6 4 , seve ral non-res i dent substi

tu tes were hi red for the town , and received a state boun ty

of three hundred and twenty-five dol lars each . Six of

these are found mustered as recrui ts for the Ve teran S econd Massachusetts , then comm anded by Colonel Wi l l i amCogswel l , attached to the Arm y of the Cumb erl and , andengaged i n the Atlanta campaign .

Company A .

John Dupee . aged 36 ; mus tered in , July 2 , 1 8 64 ; transferred from 33 M .

V . I . ,June I , 1 8 6 5 ; mus tered out , July 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 .

Company G .

John Mayo , 24 ; July 2 ,1 8 64 ; deserted Augus t 1 0 , 1 8 64 .

Company 1 .

Joseph Clinton , 22 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out July 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 .

Unass igned .

David H . Tracy , 29 ; July 2 ,1 8 64 . Never joined regiment .

George Watson , 32 ; July 2 , 1 8 64 .

Peter Zahn , 24 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 .

F I FTH MA S S A CHU S E TT S IN F AN T R Y . 9 Months [Mil it i a] .

This regiment , George H . P i e rson , colonel , left Bostonin transports for New Berne , N . C . , Octobe r 2 2 , 1 8 6 2 .

Ki nston , Whitehal l and Goldsboro are inscribed upon its

banner . A history of the regiment , b y Frank J . Rob inson ,was pub l ished i n 1 8 79 .

Company E .

Benjamin F . Wyman ,23 ; S ept . 1 6 , 1 8 6 2 ; mustered out July 2 , 1 8 63 .


SE VE N TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN F AN TR Y .

This regim ent . under Colonel Darius N . Couch , reachedWashington Jul y 1 5 , 1 8 6 1 .

Company B .

Wil l iam Harrison Farnsworth , 20 ; June 1 5 , 1 8 6 1 ; deserted S ept . , 1 8 6 2 ,

at Alexandria, Virginia .

N IN TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN F AN T R Y .

Henry Hol ton Ful ler, M . D ., who had been res iden t of Lancas ter for three

years , was comm iss ioned ass is tan t surgeon of th is regiment , July 7 ,1 8 6 2 , having served w i th i t in camp for a time , but declined commiss ion .

ELE VE N TH MA S S ACHUS E T T S IN F AN T R Y .

Abner Wheeler, 2 5 ; June 1 3 , 1 8 6 1 ; deserted June 23 , 1 8 6 2 . This man ,

a teams ter, in the Records of Massachusetts Volun teers is credited toLancaster . He may have been a temporary res iden t here , bu t doesnot appear in the town ’

s quota list .

F IFTE E N T H UN ATTACHE D CO M PAN Y , MA S S ACHU S E TT SIN FAN T R Y . 1 00 Days .

N ine companies of one hundred day s men were recru it~

ed for garrison duty in forts on the coas t . This compan ywas commanded b y Captain Isaac A . Jennings .

Bartholet F ahay, 2 1 ; July 28 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out N ov . 1 5 , 1 8 64 . R e

ceived a bounty of s ix ty-four dollars s ix ty-s ix cen ts . [Bar t lett F ay ,

in M ass . R ecords . ]

F I FTE E N TH MA S S A CHUS E TT S IN F AN TR Y .

This regiment , comm anded success i vel y b y Colone lsCharles Devens , J r . , George H . Ward , and George C .

Josl i n , l eft Camp Scott , Worcester , where it had been sta

tioned about six weeks , August 8 , 1 8 6 1 . I t m et wi th

severe loss i n the unfortunate b attl e of Bal l ’s B luff, October2 1 , 1 8 6 1 was i n the b attles of Fair Oaks , Savage S tat ion ,An ti etam and Fredericksburg during 1 8 6 2 ; Chancel lorsv i l le , Ge tty sburg , Bristoe S tation and Robertson

’

s Tavernin 1 8 6 3 ; the Wi lderne ss , S pottsylvan ia , Petersburg , etc . ,

in 1 8 64 .

DES CR IPTIVE RO S TER . 309

Company A .

Thomas H . Davidson , 2 5 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; d ischarged for disability April2 5 , 1 8 6 2 . He died of consumption short ly after the close of the war .

Fordyce Horan , 20 ; Dec . 24 , 1 8 6 1 ; en l is ted N ov. 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 , in Firs tU . S . Arti l lery , Co . I ; died insane in hospital at Wash ington , N ov .

3 , 1 8 64 .

Joseph W . Kingsbury , 1 8 ; Aug . 1 , 1 8 6 1 ; taken prisoner ; d ischarged fordisabil i ty N ov. 27 , 1 8 6 2 .

Henry T . Taylor, 2 7 ; July 1 2 ,1 8 6 1 ; discharged on account of rheuma

tism ,April 2 5 , 1 8 6 2 . Died O ct . 1 8 ,

1 8 68 .

Company C .

Nathaniel Alexander, 40 ; Dec . 1 7 , 1 8 6 1 ; discharged for d isabili ty , O ct .

1 5 , 1 8 6 2 .

Charles H . Balcom , 33 ; Dec . 1 4 , 1 8 6 1 ; trans ferred to Ve teran ReserveCorps , April I 5 , 1 8 64 . [Balcomb and Balam in Mass . Records .]

Henry Bowman , captain , 26 ; Aug . 1,1 8 6 1 ; captured O ct . 2 1

,1 86 1 , at

Bal l ’s Bluff , Va . , and held in Libby Prison , Richmond , as hos tage forConfederate privateersmen condemned for piracy , he with twelve oth

ers hav ing been selected by lot for th is purpose , N ov . 1 2,1 8 6 1 ;

paroled F eb . 2 2,1 8 6 2 ; exchanged Augus t , 1 8 6 2 ; commiss ioned ma

jor 34 M . V . I . , Aug . 9 , 1 8 6 2 ; colonel 36 M . V . I . , Aug . 2 2 , 1 8 6 2 .

He was a ci tizen of C l in ton , but born and bred in Lancas ter .George W . Cu tler , 2 2 ; July 1 2 ,

1 8 6 1 ; shot through the head at Bal l ’sBluff , Va O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 . Brother of nex t , and of Henry A .

, 53 M .

V . I . ,and Francis B .

, 35 N . Y .

Isaac N . Cutler, 20 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 severely wounded in left ank le at A ntietam , S ept . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; discharged for disabil i ty , March 20 , 1 8 63 .

Francis Henry Fairbanks , 2 5 ; July 1 2 ,1 8 6 1 ; discharged on accoun t of

as thma ,April 1 0 ,

1 8 6 2 re-en l is ted in 34 M . V . I . Brother of CharlesT .

,1 N . H . Cav. [Mass . Records report Fairbanks ki lled at F a i r

O ohs .]Frank l in Hawkes Farnsworth , 1 9 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; sho t through the body

and ki l led at Fair O aks , M ay 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 . Brother of John E . and

George W . , 34 M . V . I .Andrew L . Ful ler, firs t-l ieutenan t , 37 ; Aug . 1 , 1 8 6 1 ; res igned O ct . 7 ,

1 8 6 1 , on accoun t of feeble heal th , and died of consumption , S ept . 1 0 ,

1 8 6 7 . He was a manufacturer, of C l in ton , but born and bred in L ancas ter .

James M . Gray , 23 ; July 1 2 ,1 8 6 1 ; d ischarged for disabili ty , F eb . 1 6 ,

1 8 63 , being lame . [Mass Records say F eb. Brother of S tephenW . , 34 M . V . I .

Henry H . Hos ley , 1 8 ; July 1 2,1 8 6 1 ; enl is ted N ov . 1 2 1 8 6 2

,in Firs t U .

S . Artil lery , Co . I , known as Flying Artil lery .

”


Adelbert W . Johnson , 23 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; discharged for rheumatism ,

M ay , 1 8 6 2 ; re-en l is ted in 53 M . V . I .

S umner Russe ll Kilburn , 1 8 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; re-enl is ted as ve teran , F eb .

1 8 , 1 8 64 . He received two or three wounds in the bat tle of the Wilderness , M ay 6 , 1 8 64 , and died at Fredericksburg , M ay 1 6 , 1 8 64 .

[Mass . Records say 7 nne 1 0 , an error .]S olomon Kittredge , 4 2 ; Dec . 1 7 , 1 8 6 1 ; transferred , because of rheuma

t ism , to Ve teran Reserve Corps , M ay 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; re-en l is ted as veteran .

Wil lard Raymond Lawrence , 2 8 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; shot through the abdomen and ki l led at Bal l ’s Bluff , Va O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 .

Robert Roberts Moses , 24 ; Dec . 1 7 , 1 8 6 1 shot through the lungs at A n

tietam , S ept . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 , and died O ct . 3 , 1 8 6 2 . [Mass . Records say

O ct .

George F . O sgood , 2 1 Aug . 1 2 , 1 8 6 2 ; taken prisoner at Antietam , S ept .

1 7 ,1 8 6 2 ; killed at Ge t tysburg , July 3 , 1 8 63 . A soldier of Clin ton ,

but born in Lancas ter .Henry H . Rugg , 2 1 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 shot in shoulder at Bal l ’s Bluff, Va.

,

O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 discharged because of wound , M ay 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; re-en l is ted

later in the 53 , and 4 2 , M . V . I .Luther Gerry Turner, 23 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 wounded in righ t arm at Bal l ’sBluff, Va . , O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 , and died N ov . 1 , 1 8 6 1 , mortification havingsupervened . Buried in church-yard at Poolesvil le , Md .

James Gardner Warner, 3 1 July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ki l led by bullet , or drowned ,at Bal l ’s Bluff, Va .

, O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 .

Edwin H . Wil lard , 2 3 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 mus tered out July 2 8 , 1 8 64 .

Company D .

Joseph Copeland , 2 1 April 29 , 1 8 64 ; July 27 , 1 8 64 , transferred to 20 M .

V . I . A non-res ident h ired ; bounty $325 .

Company F .

Warren El l is , 20 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 ; wounded at Antietam , S ept . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 ;

trans ferred to U . S . S ignal Corps , O ct . 2 7 , 1 8 6 3 . [Mass . Recordssay Veteran R eserve Corps ; an error . ] Died July 2 1 , 1 8 8 0 , of con

sumption , at Fitzwi l l iam , N . H .

George C . Mann , 2 1 ; July 1 2 ,1 8 6 1 ; taken at Bal l ’s B luff , O ct . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 ,

and in prison at Richmond un til February , 1 8 6 2 ; wounded in righ tleg at Get tysburg , July 2 , 1 8 63 ; mus tered out July 28 , 1 8 64 . Died1 8 8 7 .

G ilbert W . Greene , I 8 ; July 1 2 , 1 8 6 1 discharged for disabil ity , Jan . 1 7 ,

1 8 63 . A member of F ay Ligh t Guard in Lancas ter , but en l is ted forLeomins ter when that company was disbanded . R e-enlis ted in 4

Mass . Cavalry .

George C . S hean . Th is man was enlisted , according to Lancas ter R ecords , in the Fifteen th Massachuset ts , but the name is not found inmus ter-rol ls of that or other regimen t .


Company F .

A sa Vl hi tman Green , 22 ; J an . 30 , 1 8 6 2 ; wounded Dec . 1 3 , 1 8 6 2 , at

Fredericksburg , Va ., in left leg ; transferred S ept . 26 , 1 8 63 , to Ve ter

an Reserve Corps . En l is ted in Haverh il l ; native of Lancas ter , andbrother of the fol lowing ; d ied 1 8 8 5 .

Frank l in Webs ter Green , 2 1 Jan . 2 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; wounded June , 1 8 6 2 ,in left

leg ,during the seven days figh ting before Richmond ; d ischarged be

cause of wound , F eb . 1 9 , 1 8 63 . Credited to Clin ton .

TW E N T IE TH MA S S A CHUS E TT S IN FAN TR Y .

This regim ent was l ed success ivel y b y Colone ls Wi l l i amR . Lee , Franc is W . Pal frey , Paul J . Revere and GeorgeN . Mac y ; and was engaged at Bal l ’s B luff , Fa ir Oaks ,S avage S tation , Glendal e , Malvern Hil l , Chant il l y , An tictam and Fredericksburg , 1 8 6 1—2 Chance llorsvil le , Getty sburg , B riston S tation , 1 8 6 3 ; Wi lde rness , S pottsylvan ia ,

Co ld Harbor , Pete rsburg , etc . , 1 8 6 4 .

John Louis M oeglen ,

“

36 Aug . 29 , 1 8 6 1 discharged for disabili ty , April29 , 1 8 6 2 ; served later in Co . M

,2 Mass . Cavalry . A Pruss ian resi

den t of Lancas ter , probably over fifty years of age .

Company D .

Thomas E . Burditt , 2 2 ; S ept . 4 ,1 8 6 1 mus tered out S ept . 1 4 , 1 8 6 4 .

Company E .

Joseph Copeland , 2 1 ; April 29 , 1 8 64 ; transferred from Co . D,1 5 M . V .

I .,July 27 , 1 8 64 , to complete term of enl is tmen t ; died a prisoner at

S al isbury , N . C . , Dec . 2 1 , 1 8 64 . N on-res ident employed by L ancaster ; bounty $325 .

Unass igned .

Charles Wilkinson , 30 ; July 1 8 , 1 8 63 ; mus tered out June , 1 8 6 5 . A boatman ,

non-res iden t , hired subst itute for George E . P . Dodge .

TWE N TY-F I R S T MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN FAN T R Y .

This Worceste r County regim ent left camp August 23 ,1 8 6 1 , comm anded b y Colone l Augustus Morse , and was

for four months stationed at Annapo l is , Md . I ts b attle ex

perience was as fol lows : Roanoke , New Berne , Camden ,Second Bul l R un , Chan til l y , South Mountain , Ant ietam ,

DES CR IPT IVE RO S TER . 3 1 3

Fredericksburg , during 1 8 6 2 B lue Springs , Tenn . , S iege

o f Knoxvil le , 1 8 6 3 ; Wi lderness , S pottsylvania , Coal Harbor , Petersburg , etc . , in 1 8 6 4 . A h istory of the regim entb y t . B rig -Gen . Charl es F . Walcott was pub l ished in1 8 8 2 . A ll but twenty -four of the regim ent re-en l istedDecemb er 29 , 1 8 6 3 , and came hom e on V

’

eteran furlough ,January 8 , 1 8 6 4 . August 1 9 , 1 8 64 , the surviving vete ransof this organizat ion were transferred to the 36 M . V . I .

Company A .

Wil liam H . Robbins , 39 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 member of band , and dischargedby a special order of War Dept . , A ug . 1 1 , 1 8 6 2 , mustering out al l

regimental bands .

Company B .

Dennis Mahar, 2 1 Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 discharged for disabil ity Jan . 1 6 , 1 8 63 .

Credited to Clinton .

Company D .

George H . Hardy , corporal , 2 1 Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 wounded in leg at Roanoke Island , N . C . , F eb . 8 , 1 8 6 2 , and again in body before Petersburg

,

June , 1 8 64 ; re-enlisted for Leomins ter, Jan . 2 , 1 8 64 , and transferred

to 36 and 56 M . V . I . S tation agen t at Lancaster , when en lis ted .

Daniel W . Rugg , 32 ; July 1 9 , 1 8 6 1 ; discharged for disabil i ty Dec . 20,

1 8 6 2 . Lancas ter born and bred, but res ided in Fitchburg when en

lis ted . Died 1 8 7 6 . Brother of James , 53 M . V . 1 .

Company E .

Will iam W . Bigelow enlis ted , but was rejected by surgeons ; he afterwardsen l is ted for West Boyls ton in 2 5 M . V . I .

James E . Burke , 2 6 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 ; kil led at Chanti l ly , S ept . 1 , 1 8 6 2 .

Edwin F . Field , 29 ; A ug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 ; sergean t ; promo ted to second-lieutenan t Dec . 1 8 , 1 8 6 2 ; resigned M ay 8 , 1 8 63 .

Wil l iam L . F ox, 1 9 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 corporal ; wounded in arm at Chantil ly , S ept . 1 , 1 8 62 ; promoted to sergean t ; re-en l is ted Jan . 2 , 1 8 64 ;

discharged as supernumerary sergean t , S ept . 24 , 1 8 64 .

Charles E . M cQuillan , corporal , 20 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 ; wounded at A ntie

tam , S ept . 1 7 , 1 8 62 ; transferred to 2 U . S . Cavalry , Co . K , O ct . 30 ,

1 8 6 2 ; re-en l is ted veteran . Also in Hancock’s U . S . Vet . Vols . , Dec .

9 , 1 8 64 , to Dec . 9 , 1 8 6 5 . Found in Mass . Records as M agui l lon ,

M acqui llen and M agwi l liam

Luke O l l is , 1 9 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 ; transferred to 2 U . S . Cavalry , Co . K,

O ct . 23 , 1 8 6 2 . R e-en l is ted .

Frank E . Pierce , 20 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 transferred to 2 U . S . Cavalry , Co .

K , O ct . 23 , 1 8 62 . Bro ther of W . D . Pierce , 5 M . V . I .21


Ebenezer Waters Richards , 35 ; Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 kil led at Fredericksburg ,Va. , Dec . 1 3 , 1 8 6 2 , by a shel l .

O liver B . S awyer, 2 1 ; Aug . 23 ,1 8 6 1 ; discharged for disabil ity resul ting

from smal l-pox, June 30 , 1 8 62 . S erved again as sergean t , Co . B , 4 0

M . V . I .Charles H . S inclair, 2 1 A ug . 23 , 1 8 6 1 shot in head and killed , at N ewBerne ,

N . C . , March 1 4 , 1 8 6 2 . O f Leominster, resident in Lancas terwhen en l is ted .

Woodbury Wh i t temore , 33 ; A ug . 2 1 , 1 8 6 1 ; second-l ieu tenan t ; promotedfirs t-l ieutenan t , March 3 , 1 8 6 2 ; captain , July 2 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; res ignedO ctober 29, 1 8 6 2 . When en l is ted , was foreman of the shoe manufactory in Lancaster .

TWE N TY—TH I R D MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN FA N T R Y .

Colone l John Kurtz comm anded this regiment when itleft the state , Novem b e r 1 1 , 1 8 6 1 . After rem aining en

camped for two months at Annapol is , Md . , it was attachedto the Burns ide Expedi tion , and took part in b attles of

Roanoke , New Berne and Raw le’

s Mil l s , 1 8 6 2 ; K inston ,Goldsboro , Wi lcox

’

s B r idge and W i nton 1 8 6 3 ; Drewry’

s

Bluff, Cold Harbor , etc . , 1 8 6 4 .

S ewell T . Lawrence , 3 1 O ct . 5 , 1 8 6 1 discharged for disabil i ty , Aug . 1 1 ,

1 8 6 2 .

Caleb Wood S weet , 23 ; S ept . 28 , 1 8 6 1 re-en l is ted Dec . 3 , 1 8 6 3 ; wounded and taken prisoner at Drewry’s Bluff , Va. , M ay 1 6 , 1 8 64 . H is

wound was in the flesh of left arm , but gangrene supervened , and hedied at Richmond , A ug . 3 , 1 8 64 .

TWE N TY-F O UR TH MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN FA N T R Y .

The s ix Lancaster m en i n Compan y G of thi s regimentwere transferred to i t from Compan y H of the Thirtyfourth , June 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 , to com pl ete thei r term s of enl istm ent , after the latter organization had b een mustered out

at the end of three y ears ’ service .

Charles E . B lood ; mus tered out J an . 20,1 8 66 .

Joseph N . Day ; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps , M ay 2,1 8 6 5 .

David W . Mat thews .

George W . Mat thews ; discharged for disabil ity , June 1 , 1 8 6 5 .

Patrick S heary ; mus tered out J an . 20 , 1 8 6 6 , wi th the regimen t , at Richmond , Va . [S hary and S her ry in Mass . Records .]

George E . Wiley ; discharged because of wound , June 26 , 1 8 6 5 .


Company A .

Wil l iam Atch inson , 2 2 ; Aug . 1 0,1 8 6 3 ; mustered out June 30 , 1 8 6 5 . A

boiler-maker, h ired subs ti tu te for Charles L . Wilder, Jr .George H . True , 2 1 ; O ct . 8 , 1 8 6 1 ; member of band ; discharged by

special order of War Dept . , Aug . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 . Died in O hio ,Aug . 30 ,

1 8 6 3 .

James G . True , 2 5 ; O ct . 8 , 1 8 6 1 ; member of band ; discharged by special order of War Dept . , A ug . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 . Died in Californ ia, N ov .

27 , 1 8 63 , of consumption con tracted in service .

John S mith , 23 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out , June 1 5 , 1 8 6 5 ; boun ty $325 .

Unass igned .

M ichael O ’Brien , 23 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 . N o further record .

Wil l iam S mith , 2 5 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 . N o further record .

TWE N TY-N IN TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S I N FAN TR Y .

Two non-re s ident sub stitutes , recruits to the Thirty-fifthM . V . I . , were transfe rred to this regim ent , June 9 , 1 8 6 5 ,to compl e te the unexpired term s of thei r enl i stm ents .

Edward Pierce . Dropped as a deserter .John Krum . Deserted June 6 , 1 8 6 5 .

TH I R T IE TH MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN FAN T R Y .

In this regim ent , John Edwin Dud le y , cred i ted to Bos ton ,was a native of Lancas ter . He had previousl y served as

sergeant i n the F i rst Ca l ifornia Vols . He was comm iss ion ed second-l i eutenan t , Decem ber 7 , 1 8 6 4 ; first-l ieutenan t , December 8 , 1 8 6 4 ; captain , Apri l 2 1 , 1 8 6 5 ; musteredout Jul y 5 , 1 8 6 6 . H is b rother , Nathan A . M . Dudle y , colonel of this regim ent , and b revet b rigadier-general , thoughnot born in Lancaste r , l ived here i n boy hood .

TH I R TY-S E CO N D MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN F AN TR Y .

Company D .

Will iam F . Murphy , 22 ; S ept . 7 , 1 8 6 3 ; transferred M ay 3 , 1 8 64 , to U . S .

Navy . A non-res iden t , subs titute for E lbridge W . Hosmer .

DES CRIPT IVE RO S TER . 3 1 7

TH I R TY-TH I R D MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN F A N T R Y .

Colone l Adin B . Underwood , who succeeded ColonelAlbert C . Maggi in the command of this regim ent , publ ished i n 1 8 8 1 ,

“ The Three Years Service of the Thirtythird Mass . Infantr y Regim ent .

”I t went to the front A ug .

1 4 , 1 8 6 2 , and was engaged at Frederick sburg , Chancel lorsvi l le and Getty sbu rg whi le i n the Arm y of the Potomac ;and at Lookout Mountain , Miss ionary R idge , Resaca ,Cassvil le , Dal las , Kenesaw , Atlanta , etc . , after joining thewestern arm y under Gener al W i l l i am T . Sherm an .

Company E .

Roswell Atherton , 30 ; A ug . 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; d ischarged for disabil ity , N ov . 30 ,

1 8 6 2 . Born and bred in Lancas ter, en l is ted in Groton .

John Dupee , 36 ; July 2 ,1 8 64 ; transferred to 2 M . V . I . , June I , 1 8 6 5 , to

complete term of service . A h ired subs ti tu te ; boun tv $325 .

Henry Jackson Parker , 2 7 ; Aug . 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; firs t-sergean t ; sergean t-major

F eb . 1 8 , 1 8 63 ; second-l ieutenan t , March 29 , 1 86 3 ; firs t-l ieutenan t ,

July 1 6 , 1 8 63 ; kil led at Resaca, Ga., M ay 1 5 , 1 8 64 , while command

ing skirmish line . He served in the “old S ix th ” three mon ths .

Res iden t of Townsend , but born and bred in Lancas ter.

TH I R TY-FO UR TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN F AN TR Y .

This regiment l eft the s tate August 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 , commanded b y Colonel George D . We ll s . I ts second in comm and ,Colonel Wi l l i am S . Lincoln , in 1 8 79 pub l ished a history ofthe regim ent . I t partic ipated in the Shenandoah Val leycampaign of 1 8 64 , being in the b attles of Newm arke t ,P iedmont , Lynchburg , Snicker

’

s Gap , Martinsburg , Hal ltown , Berry ville , Winchester , F isher

’

s Hi l l and CedarCreek . In Mar ch . 1 8 6 5 , it was joined to the Arm y of the

James , and fought at Hatcher’

s R un , and in the capture ofBattery Gregg .

Henry Bowman , before named in 1 5 M . V . I . , was commiss ioned major ofthis regimen t , Aug . 6 , 1 8 6 2 , but did not join i t , being promo ted tocolonelcy of 36 M . V . I .

Company A .

Charles B . Flagg , corporal , 23 ; June 23 , 1 8 6 2 ; mustered out June 1 6 , 1 8 6 5 .

Brother of Albert , 53 M . V . I .


John Patrick Wise , 2 1 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 62 ; died at home of consumption ,

March 1 5 , 1 8 64 ; [M arch 1 6 in Mass . Records , by error .] Companyclerk .

Company C.

O ren Hodgman , 1 9 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; taken prisoner M ay 1 5 , 1 8 6 4 , at N ew

market , Va.,and died at Charles ton , 8 . C . , S eptember 30 ,

1 8 64 .

Cred i ted to S terl ing .

Henry W . Willard , 2 1 Aug . 2 , 1 8 6 2 ; discharged for d isabil ity F eb . 2 6 ,

1 8 63 . Credited to Leomins ter .

Company F .

Edward M . Ful ler. corporal , 20 ; A ug . 9 , 1 8 6 2 ; appoin ted captain in 39U . S . Colored Troops , by S . O . 1 23 , March 2 1

,1 8 64 . Credited to

C l inton .

Horatio Elisha Turner , 1 8 ; A ug . 2 ,1 8 6 2 ; died a prisoner at Anderson

vil le , Ga . , S ept . 8 , 1 8 6 4 . (Cenotaph in middle cemetery has S ept . 5 ,

by error .) Credited to Cl in ton .

Company H .

Charles E . Blood , 2 1 ; Dec . 1 9 , 1 8 6 3 ; boun ty $32 5 ; taken prisoner at

Cedar Creek , O ct . 1 3 , 1 8 64 , bu t escaped at nigh t ; trans ferred June1 4 ,

1 8 6 5 ,to Co . A ,

24 M . V . I .James Andrew Bridge , 1 8 ; Dec . 1 9 , 1 8 63 ; boun ty $32 5 ; shot in forehead

at Newmarket , Va .

,M ay 1 5 , 1 8 64 , and d ied of wound .

Jonas H . Brown , 4 1 July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out June 1 6 , 1 8 6 5 .

Levi B . Burbank , 43 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; discharged for d isabil i ty , F eb . 2 7 ,

1 8 64 .

S olon Wh iting Chaplin , corporal , 38 ; July 3 1 , 1 86 2 ; kil led at Piedmon t ,Va .

, June 5 , 1 8 64 .

Wil l iam L . Cobb , 2 2 ; July 1 8 , 1 8 6 2 ; second-l ieu tenant ; firs t-l ieu tenan t ,Aug . 23 , 1 8 6 2 ; commiss ioned captain F eb . 1 8 , 1 8 6 5 , but mus teredout M ay 1 5 , 1 8 6 5 , as firs t

-l ieutenan t ; wounded severe ly in foreheadat Ripon , O ct . 1 8 , 1 8 6 3 ; O ct . 1 2

,1 8 64 , captured in S henandoah

Val ley , he having volun tarily remained to aid Co lone l George D .

Wel ls , mortal ly wounded ; in ‘Libby and Danville prisons five mon ths .

Died M ay 1 7 , 1 8 79 , at Hot S prings , Arkansas , of brain fever , resu l ting from his wound .

George B . Coburn , 1 8 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; shot himself through foot beforePetersburg , and discharged for disability , M ay 1 6 , 1 86 5 . Brother ofCyrus E .

, 5 M . V . I .James Dailey , 1 8 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; mustered out June 1 6 , 1 8 6 5 .

Daniel M . Damon , 2 5 ; July 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; first-sergean t ; commiss ioned sec

ond-l ieutenan t , M ay 1 5 , 1 8 6 5 , bu t mus tered out as firs t-sergean t , June1 6

,1 8 6 5 ; taken prisoner at Winches ter , S ept . 1 9 , 1 8 64 .


muste r ou t of the organization after its three y ears ’ serviceh ad expired . were transferred to the 29th M . V . I . , to

comple te thei r te rm of enl i stm ent . Both deserted . MajorS idne y Wi l lard , who was shot through the bod y , b eing i ncommand of the regiment , at Fredericksburg , Va . , Decemb er 1 3 , 1 8 6 2 , and died the next day , was the son of J osephWi l lard , E sq . , historian of Lancaster , and born i n thistown , A . D . 1 8 3 1 .

Company B .

Edward Pierce , 2 1 June 29 ,1 8 64 .

Company K .

John Krum ,24 ; June 29 ,

1 8 64 .

TH I R TY-S IXTH MA S S ACHU S E TTS IN FA N TR Y .

Lieut .-Col . J ohnW . Kimb al l of the 1 5 th M . V . I . , was to

have rece ived the comm and of this regim ent . The WarDepartm ent not consenti ng to his discharge , Henry Bowm an was comm i ss ioned its colonel , he b e ing then m ajor ofthe 34 th M . V . I . The regimen t left the state Septemb e r2 , 1 8 6 2 . I t part ici pated in the b attles o f Fredericksburg ,

1 8 6 2 ; Jackson , Miss . , B lue Springs , Campbe l l’

s Stat ion ,Siege of Knoxvi lle , Tenn 1 8 6 3 ; W i lderness , S pottsy lvani a , Cold Harbor , Pete rsburg , Hatcher

’

s R un , etc . ,

1 8 64—5 . A histor y of the regim ent was pub l ished in 1 8 8 4 .

Henry Bowman , 2 8 ; Aug . 2 2,1 8 6 2 , co lonel ; res igned July 2 7 , 1 8 6 3 ; re

commissioned in O ctober, 1 8 6 3 , and ch ief of s taff of General Wilcoxat Cumberland Gap, Tenn . , N ov . 2 1 to Dec . 2 5 , 1 8 63 ; rejoined theregimen t Dec . 26

,1 8 63 , but unable to be mus tered in as colonel , the

regimen t being below the m in imum appointed captain and ass is tan tquartermas ter O f volun teers , F eb . 29, 1 8 64 , and on duty w i th ThirdDivis ion ,

Nin th Army Corps mustered out as brevet major , Aug . 1 5 ,

1 8 6 6 . Bowman commanded the Th ird Brigade of Firs t Divis ion ,

Nin th Army Corps , June and July , 1 8 63 . Brother of LieutenantS amuel M irick Bowman of 5 1 M . V . I .

Company G.

John Chickering Haynes , 29 ; Jan . 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; d ied of diseaseat Camp Nelson ,

Ken tucky , March 1 9 , 1 8 64 .

George Henry Patrick , 2 1 O ct . 1 4 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty transferred to56 M . V . I . , June 8 , 1 8 6 5 . Credited to Worces ter ; served for L ancas ter in 53 M . V . I .

DES CRIPT IVE RO S TER . 3 2 1

Company I .

George H . Hardy , 23 ; Jan . 2,1 8 64 ; re

-en l is ted veteran in 2 1 M . V . Ifrom wh ich he was transferred to 36 M . V . I .

, Aug . 30 , 1 8 64 ; transferred to 56 M . V . I . , June 8 , 1 8 6 5 . Credited to Leomins ter .

Unassigned .

Charles F . Burdi tt , 43 ; Dec . 2 6 , 1 8 6 3 ; rejected by surgeon , Jan . 2,1 8 64 .

A veteran soldier of the S em inole War .

Leonard H . Parker , 2 1 Dec . 29, 1 8 6 3 ; boun ty $325 ; mus tered out June8 , 1 8 6 5 . Bro ther of Lieut . Henry J . Parker .

FO R T IE TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN F AN T R Y .

Company B .

O l iver B . S awyer, sergean t , 2 2 ; Aug 2 2,1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out June 1 6

,

1 8 6 5 . Credited to S tow . S erved before for Lancas ter in Co . E,

2 1 M . V . I .

FO R TY-S E CO N D MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN F A N T R Y . 1 00 Days .

A history of this regim ent was pub l ished in 1 8 8 6 .

Company E .

Henry H . Rugg , July 2 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty mus tered out N ov .

1 1,1 8 64 . S erved before in 1 5 and 53 M . V . I .

Horace Worces ter, 20 ; July 1 8 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $7 5 99 ; mustered out N ov .

I I , 1 8 64 . Cred ited to Bos ton . Bred and d ied in Lancas ter . Diedof consumption engendered in service , M ay 2 2 , 1 8 6 6 .

FO R TY-F IFTH MA S S ACHUS E TT S I N F AN T R Y . 9 Months .

Company F .

Henry Maynard Putney , 20 ; S ept . 2 6 , 1 8 6 2 ; sho t through the head at

Dover Cross Roads , N . C ., April 28 , 1 8 63 . Credi ted to Fram ingham .

FO R TY-S E VE N TH MA S S ACHU S E TT S IN FAN T R Y . 9 Months .

Company K .

George D . Weld, 44 ; O ct . 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out S ept . 1 , 1 8 63 . Kil led

in Lancas ter, Dec . 1 , 1 8 6 5 , being run over by his own team .

F IFTY-F I R S T MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN FAN TR Y . 9 Months .

This regim ent , comm anded b y Colone l A . B . R .

Sprague , left the state November 25 , 1 8 6 2 , b y tran sport

from Boston , and served in North Carol in a .


Company A .

S amuel M irick Bowman , sergean t , 2 5 ; S ept . 2 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out July2 7 , 1 8 6 3 . Cred ited to C l inton ; born and bred in Lancas ter . S ervedlater in 57 M . V . I . Bro ther of Col . Henry Bowman , 36 M . V . I .

Company C.

Frank E . Nourse , 2 1 ; S ept . 2 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out July 2 7 , 1 8 63 .

Brother of Fred F . , 5 M . V . I .Edwin A . O tis , corporal , 1 9 ; S ept . 2 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out July 2 7 , 1 8 6 3 .

S imon M . Plaisted , 24 ; S ept . 2 5 , 1 86 2 ; mus tered out July 27 , 1 8 6 3 .

Credi ted to Worces ter . S erved later in Co . F , Firs t Bat tal ion , HeavyArti llery .

F IF TY-TH I R D MA S S ACHU S E T T S IN FAN T R Y . 9 Months .

Thi s regim ent was comm anded b y Colon el John W .

Kim b al l of F itchburg , and left Camp S tevens , ne ar Groton , Novem ber 29 , 1 8 6 3 . I t was transported b y steame rfrom New York to New Orl eans , and was engaged invarious severe m arches and ski rm ishes i n Lou is i ana . I ts

most important record was m ade dur ing the s i ege of PortHudson . In the assaul t upon that stronghold , June 1 4 ,1 8 6 3 , it won much cred it and experienced he avy l oss .

Each so ldier of Lancaste r i n this regim ent received abounty of one hundred dol lars from the town . The dateof en l istment of the Lancaste r men was September 2 , 1 8 6 2 ,

i n nearl y every case .

Company C .

Thomas Augustus H ills , 2 1 ; N ov . 6 , 1 8 62 ; mustered out S ept . 2 , 1 8 63 .

Credi ted to Leomins ter ; clerk in Lancas ter . S erved later in 5 M . V .

I ., 1 00 days .

Adelbert W . Johnson , 24 ; N ov . 6 , 1 8 6 2 ; wounded in knee at Port Hudson , L a .

,July 1 1 , 1 8 63 , and d ied at Baton Rouge abou t three weeks

later. Credi ted to Leom ins ter . Had served Lancas ter in 1 5 M . V . I .George Thompson , 2 1 ; N ov . 6 , 1 8 6 2 ; died of disease at Brashear City ,

L a. , M ay 30 ,1 8 63 . Credited to Leomins ter, but Lancas ter born and

bred . Brother of Will iam ,1 6 M . V . I .

John G . Albee , I 8 O ct . 1 8 , 1 8 6 2 taken prisoner at Th ibodeaux , L a. , and

held in rebel prison for a month ; mus tered out S ept . 2 ,1 8 63 .


Company K .

A lber t'

F lagg ,1 8 ; O ct . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; mustered out S ept . 2 , 1 8 63 . Residen t

of Lancas ter, but en l is ted for S terling .

S tephen Adams Keyes , 1 8 ; O ct . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; died on transport whi le on the

way homeward , and buried at sea , off Florida coas t , Aug . 1 0,1 8 6 3 .

[Brother of S umnerW . , 5 M . V . I .Henry H . Rugg , 2 2 ; corporal , O ct . 1 7 . 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out S ept . 2 , 1 8 63 .

Rugg had served before in 1 5 M .V . I and en l is ted later in 4 2 M .V . I .James Rugg , 4 2 ; O ct . 1 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out S ept . 2 ,

1 8 63 . Brother ofDan iel W . , 2 1 M . V . I .

F I FTY-S IXT H MA S S ACHU S E T T S IN FA N T R Y .

Company G .

George H . Hardy was transferred June 8 , 1 8 6 5 , from 36 M . V . I . ; mus

tered out July 1 2 , 1 8 6 5 . Credi ted to Leomins ter .George Henry Patrick ; transferred from 36 M . V . I . ; mus tered out Aug .

7 , 1 8 6 5 . Credited to Worces ter.

F IF TY-S E VE N TH MA S S ACHUS E TT S IN FAN T R Y .

Thi s regim ent , under Co lone l Wi l l i am F . Bartlett , leftthe state Apri l 1 8 , 1 8 6 4 . I t was engaged in the b attles of

the W ilderness , S pottsylvan ia , Cold Harbor , Pete rsburg ,

Hatcher ’s R un , e tc .

Company C .

S amuel M irick Bowman , 2 6 ; firs t-lieutenant , Dec . 2 6

,1 8 6 3 ; terribly

wounded in body and limbs by fragments of a shel l , when in his ten tbefore Petersburg , Va . , July 24 , 1 8 64 , and d ied two days after . H e

had before served in 5 1 M . V . I . Credi ted to Worces ter . H is name

is inscribed upon the memorial tablets of Lancas ter , Cl in ton and

Worces ter .Frank B . Leroy , 1 8 ; F eb . 1 8 , 1 8 64 ; bounty $32 5 ; mus tered out June 2 2

,

1 8 6 5 . A non-res ident h ired for the town .

Edwin S ykes , 29 ; F eb . 1 8 , 1 8 64 ; deserted July I , 1 8 64 . A non-res iden th ired for the town ; boun ty $325 .

F I R S T MA S S ACHUS E TT S CAVA L R Y .

Francis Washburn , 24 ; second-lieutenant , Dec . 26 , 1 8 6 1 ; promoted to

firs t-l ieutenan t March 7 , 1 8 6 2 ; transferred to 2 Mass . Cavalry as captain , Jan . 2 6 , 1 8 63 . Brother of Capt . Edward , 53 M . V . I .

Company G .

Charles A . Robinson , 2 1 O ct . 5 , 1 8 6 1 discharged for disabili ty F eb . 6,

1 8 6 3 . Native of Lancas ter , en l is ted for Lowell .

DES CR IPT IVE RO S TER . 3 25

SE CO N D MA S S ACHUS E TTS CAVA L R Y .

This regim ent , comm anded b y Co lone l Charles R .

Lowe l l , J r . , left the state May 1 1 , 1 8 6 3 , and was i n the

Department ofWashington during that y ear . During 1 8 64i t was chiefly i n the Arm y of the Shenandoah , and con spic

uou s in num erous engagements .

Francis Washburn , 2 5 ; captain , Jan . 2 6,1 8 63 ; promoted l ieu tenan t

colonel 4 Mass . Cavalry,F eb . 4 , 1 8 64 .

Company H .

John Coyle , 2 2 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; deserted F eb . 1 5 , 1 8 6 5 . N on-res identh ired ; boun ty $32 5 . [Coye in Mass . Records .

Wil liam Ross , 2 7 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; deserted M ay 1 2 ,1 8 64 . N on-res i den t

h ired ; boun ty $325 .

Company L .

John Goodwin ,1 8 ; S ept . 1 3 , 1 8 64 ; deserted Dec . 1

,1 8 64 . N on-residen t

h ired ; boun ty $50 .

Company M .

John Louis M oeglen , 43 ; F eb . 2,1 8 64 ; died S ept . 2 8 , 1 8 64 , of bul let

wound received in S henandoah Val ley campaign . A Prussian ,res i

den t of Lancas ter, who had served before in 20 M . V . I . Credi ted toBos ton in Mass . Records ; boun ty $32 5 .

Unassigned .

John Bell , 2 5 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; non-res iden t hi i ed . N o fur

ther record .

James Langley , 2 2 ; M ay 7 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; non-res iden t h ired . N o

further record .

John M onyer , 35 ; Dec . 2 7 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; non-residen t h ired . N o

further record . [M ongen in Mass . Records

TH I R D MA S S ACHU S E TT S CAVA L R Y .

Company A .

Wil l iam S . M cKay, 24 ; sergeant , April 8 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 ; promo tedsergean t-major July 2 6 , 1 8 6 5 ; mus tered out S ept . 2 8 , 1 8 65 . N on ~

resident subs titute .

Unassigned .

Albert Bergmann,2 6 ; July 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 ; a h ired subs titute , of

Jersey Ci ty .


FO UR TH MA S S ACHU S E TT S CAVA L R Y .

This regiment was organized b y consol idation of the

Third Battal ion of the F i rst Massachuse tts Caval r y wi thtwo b attal ions of vete rans recrui ted in the S pring of 1 8 6 4 .

Colonel A . A . Rand was its first comm ander . The S econd Battal i on served with the Arm y of the South ; the F i rstand Third partic i pated in the m i l i tar y ope rations beforeRichm ond , and the guidons of Companies E and H werethe first Union co lors ra ised upon the capi tal of that c ity ,Apri l 3 , 1 8 6 5 . The desperate charges of Companies I , Land M , at High B ridge , Va .

, led b y Colonel Franc i sWashburn , de lay i ng the advance guard of Lee ’s retreat ingarm y , essential ly hastened the final col lapse of the Confede racy .

Francis Washburn , 2 5 ; lieutenant-colonel , F eb . 1 , 1 8 64 ; colonel , F eb . 4 ,

1 8 6 5 ; wounded at H igh Bridge , Va . , April 6 , 1 8 6 5 , wh ile leading a

charge agains t a vas tly superior force . Being engaged in a hand-tohand encoun ter wi th a Confederate officer, he received a pis tol S hot inthe face from ano ther, and fel l s tunned from his horse . Lying on theground , he was fatal ly wounded by a sabre s troke upon his skul l , inflicted by a ruffian to Whom , wh ile engaged in despoiling his person ,

he made some motion of remons trance . H e d ied at Worces ter, Mass ,

April 2 2 ,1 8 6 5 . Brevet brigadier-general vols .

, April 6 , 1 8 6 5 . [S eeAppend ix]

Company C.

Henry F . Bal l , 24 ; Dec . 3 1 , 1 8 63 ; promoted hospital s teward S eptember,1 8 64 ; discharged N ov . 1 4 ,

1 8 6 5 . Credi ted to C l in ton .

Company E .

Will iam S chumaker , 2 1 ; corporal , Jan . 27 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; died a

prisoner at Andersonvil le , Ga ., S ept . 1 3 , 1 8 64 . Credi ted to S outh

bridge .

Company F .

John Veret , 28 ; Jan . 5 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 ; mus tered out N ov . 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 .

En l is ted as a farrier .

S E VE N TH BATTE R Y MA S S ACHU S E TT S L IGHT AR T I L L E R Y .

Shortl y after the Lancaste r recru i ts j oined th is battery ,

it proceeded b y steamer from Bal timore to the Departmen t


Company G .

John O llis , corporal , 1 8 ; Dec . 3 , 1 8 63 ; bounty $32 5 ; wounded in foot bys hell , at Petersburg , Va . , June 2 2 . 1 8 64 ; mustered out as supernu

merary July 3 1 , 1 8 6 5 . Credited to Bos ton . Brother of Luke , 2 U .

S Cavalry .

SE CO N D MA S S ACHU S E TT S HE AVY AR T I L LE R Y .

This regim ent was stat ioned i n North Caro l in a during

its ful l term 0 1 se rvice . Companies B , C , F , I and M , un

der comm and of Lieuten an t-Colone l A . B . R . Sprague ,took part i n the b attle of K i nston , N . C .

Frank Mi ller , 2 7 ; July 2 , 1 8 64 ; bounty 325 ; died M ay 1 2,1 8 6 5 , at N ew

Berne ,N . C . N on-res iden t h ired .

Louis N eu , 2 2 ; July 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 ; d ied N ov . 2 2, 1 8 64 , at Ply

mouth , N . C . N on-res i dent hired .

Company M .

S anford B . Wilder, 24 ; Dec . 24 , 1 8 63 ; boun ty $325 ; mus tered out S ept .3 , 1 8 6 5 . Had enlis ted before in 53 M . V . I .

, but il lness preventedserv ice w i th that regiment .

Unass igned .

John Kern , 2 2 ; July 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $32 5 . N o further records . N on

res ident substitu te . [yeah Kern in Mass . Records .]

TH I R D MA S S A CHUS E TT S HE AVY ART I L LE R Y .

Company L .

Wil liam M cCarron . 23 ; M ay 30 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 ; discharged for disabili ty S ept . 30 , 1 8 64 . N on-residen t .

VE TE R AN VO L UN TE E R RE S E R VE CO R P S .

Charles H . Balcom , 33 ; transferred from 1 5 M . V . l . , Co . C ,April 1 5 ,

1 8 64 ; re-en l isted M ay 1 4 ,

1 8 64 , and credited to Randolph ; mus teredout N ov . 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 .

Joseph N . Day, 2 2 ; transferred from 34 M . V . I Co . H , and 24 M . V . I . ,

Co . G , M ay 2 , 1 8 6 5 ; mus tered out July 2 5 , 1 8 6 5 .

A sa Whi tman Green , 2 2 ; transferred from 1 9 M . V . I ., Co . F , S ept . 2 6 ,

1 8 63 .

S olomon Kittredge , 4 2 ; transferred from 1 5 M . V . I . , CO . C , M ay 1 , 1 8 6 2 ;

re-enl is ted veteran July 1 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out N ov . 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 .

William H . Mellor, 1 8 ; transferred from 34 M . V . I . , Co . H , Jan . 1 9 , 1 8 6 5 .

DES CR IPTIVE RO S TER . 3 29

O l iver W . Moore , 20 ; transferred from 1 5 M . V . I . , Co . C , S ept . 8 , 1 8 63 ;re-en l is ted for Lancas ter, July 2 1 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out N ov . 1 7 ,

1 8 6 5 .

S erved the firs t three years for Lowel l .George K . Richards , 39 ; transferred from 1 6 M . V . I . , Co . C ,

Aug . 1 1 ,

1 8 63 ; re-enlis ted for Provincetown , N ov . 30 , 1 8 64 ; mus tered out

N ov . 1 4 , 1 8 6 5 . Died March 1 7 , 1 8 79 .

U . S . VE TE R AN VO LUN TE E R S , HAN CO CK ’S CO R P S .

Charles E . M cQuillan , 2 3 Dec . 9 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $240 ; mus tered ou t Dec .

9 , 1 8 6 5 . S erved before in 2 1 M . V . I . and 2 U . S . Cavalry .

U . S . CO L O R E D TR O O P S , TH I R TY-N IN TH RE G IM E N T .

Edward M . Ful ler , 2 1 appoin ted captain by S . O . 1 23 ,transferred from

34 M . V . I . , Co . F ; wounded in head at Petersburg , Va . ,July 30 ,

1 8 64 ; major U . S . C . T ., June I , 1 8 6 5 ; mus tered out December, 1 8 6 5 .

U . S . S IGN A L CO R PS .

Henry H . Elden , 23 ; Dec . 2 , 1 8 64 ; boun ty $325 . A non-res iden t hired .

[E lder in Mass . Records .]Warren El l is , 20 ; transferred from 1 5 M . V . I .

, Co . F , O ct . 2 7 , 1 8 6 3 .

SE CO N D U . S . CAVA L R Y .

Company K .

Charles E . M cQuillan , 20 ; en l is ted from 2 1 M . V . I Co . E, O ct . 30 , 1 8 6 2

S erved later in U . S . Veteran Vols . , Hancock’s Corps .

Luke O l l is , 1 9 ; en l is ted from 2 1 M . V . I . , Co . E , O ct . 23 , 1 8 6 2 ; re—en l is ted

veteran F eb . 29, 1 8 64 ; wounded in arm when in pursuit of Early inthe S henandoah Val ley , and died of wound O ct . 1 3 , 1 8 64 .

Frank E . Pierce , 2 2 ; en l is ted from 2 1 M . V . I . , Co . E, O ct . 23 , 1 8 6 2 ; re

en l is ted F eb . 29 , 1 8 64 .

F I R S T U . S . AR T I L LE R Y .

Company I .

Fordyce Horan , 20 ; enlis ted from 1 5 M . V . I ., Co . A

, N ov. 1 7 ,

died insane , in hospi tal at Washington , N ov . 3 , 1 8 64 .

Henry H . Hos ley , 1 9 ; enl is ted from 1 5 M . V . I . , Co . C , N ov . 1 2,

mus tered out July 1 2 , 1 8 64 .

22


U . S . NAVY .

Frank W . Barnes , 1 8 ; S ept . 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 ; en l is ted on receiving sh ip O hio , at

Charlestown ; O ct . 1 , 1 8 6 2 , transferred to supply s teamer RhodeIs land ; January , 1 8 63 , on blockading frigate M innesota ; dischargedS ept . 1 5 , 1 8 6 3 .

John Gould ; O c tober, 1 8 6 2 , was on supply s teamer Rhode Is land . N o

other record found .

Ephraim Mackrel l , 1 8 ; Aug . 26 , 1 8 6 3 , enlis ted at Charles town ; servedone year, ch iefly on the gunboat N ipsic, in blockading Charles ton .

Bro ther of fol lowing .

William J . Mackrel l , 2 1 Aug . 1 2 , 1 8 6 2 , en l is ted at Charles town ; wounded by concussion of shel l , causing con tusion of thigh , F eb . 1 , 1 8 63 ,

at S tono I n let , S . C . , and captured ; paroled March 1 , and sen t north .

Wil liam F . Murphy , 2 2 ; M ay 3 , 1 8 64 , transferred from 32 M . V . I . N on

residen t subs ti tu te for Elbridge W . Hosmer .

TWE N T IE TH CO N N E CT ICUT IN FA N T R Y .

Company F .

David Wilder Jones , 46 ; Aug . 1 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; enlis ted at Newtown , Ct . ;

wounded at Chancel lorsv il le , M ay 3 , 1 8 6 3 , and died the same day .

Native and long residen t of Lancas ter .

F I R S T CO N N E CT ICUT HE AVY AR T I L LE R Y .

Company F .

James Homer Newman , 27 ; M ay 23 , 1 8 6 1 ; en l isted at N ew Haven ; re

en l is ted veteran ,Dec . 1 0 , 1 863 ; mus tered out S ept . 2 5 , 1 8 6 5 . Born

and bred in Lancas ter .

EL E VE N TH RHO DE I S LA N D I N F AN TR Y . 9 Months .

Company D .

Charles T . Wiley ; enl is ted at Providence , O ct . 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out

July 1 3 , 1 8 6 3 . Residen t of Lancas ter .

Company G .

James T . Fletcher ; en l isted at Providence , O ct . 1 , 1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out

July 1 3 , 1 8 63 . Born and bred in Lancas ter. Dead .

F I R S T N E w H AM PS H I R E IN F AN T R Y . 3 Mon ths , etc .

Charles Timothy Fairbanks , 23 ; M ay 2 ,1 8 6 1 , en lis ted in Co . F , at

Nashua ; mus tered out Aug . 6 , 1 8 6 1 , and enlis ted S ept . 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 , in

the N ew Hampsh ire Battalion of N ew England Cavalry , Co . M ; shotthrough the body in a skirmish , June 1 8 , 1 8 63 , and died the nex t day .

Born and bred in Lancas ter . Brother of Francis Henry , 1 5 and 34M . V . I .


N IN TH IO W A IN FTY . A N D TH IR D BATTE R Y L . A R T

Jerome Bradley , 2 8 ; S eptember , 1 8 6 1 , commissioned junior second-l ieutenant of the Dubuque Battery L . A . ; promoted sen ior second-l ieutenant S ame bat tery , cal led 3 Iowa, F eb . 28 , 1 8 6 2 ; promo ted firs tlieu tenan t and quartermas ter 9 Iowa V . I . , March 1 6 , 1 8 6 2 , but

decl ined commission ; appoin ted captain and a . qm . U . S . vols . , F eb .

1 9 , 1 8 6 3 ; resigned Jan . 9 , 1 8 6 5 . From infancy to manhood , of L ancas ter .

Richard Jeffrey Cleveland , 40 ; enlis ted in Co . B , Jones coun ty , Iowa, O ct .

9 , 1 8 6 1 discharged Apr il I , 1 8 6 3 . Born and bred in Lancas ter .

ELE VE N TH I L L IN O I S CAV A L R Y .

This regim ent fough t i n b attles of Shi loh , Corinth , Iuka ,Lexington , V icksburg , etc .

Charles Lowell Bancroft , 34 ; of Farmington , I l l . ; commiss ioned secondl ieutenan t Co . B , Dec . 20 ,

1 8 6 1 ; promoted firs t-l ieutenan t July 6 ,

1 8 6 2 ; mus tered out Dec . 1 9 ,1 8 64 . S l igh tly wounded in S kirmish at

Meridian , M iss . Born and lived un til manhood in Lancas ter . DiedApril 1 6 , 1 8 8 8 , at Yank ton , Dakota.

TH I R TE E N TH I L L IN O I S I N F A N T R Y .

This regim ent was in the F ifteenth Arm y Corps , and inbattles of Chickasaw Ba y ou , Arkansas Pos t , V icksburg ,

Jackson , and Miss ionary Ridge .

Edward Russel l Jos lyn , 2 1 ; en l is ted in Co . B , at S terl ing , I l l . , M ay 24 ,

1 8 6 1 died at S t . Louis , M o ., April 1 3 , 1 8 6 5 , from effects of s tarva

tion in m ili tary prison at Florence ,A la.

, having been taken prisonerM ay 1 7 , 1 8 64 , in the Georgia campaign . Native of, and credited toLancas ter .

F I FTY-F IFTH I L L I N O I S IN FA N TR Y .

A history of this reg iment was printed in 1 8 8 7 . The

two Lancas te r m en serving in i t en l isted at Cam p Douglas ,Chicago , and enrol led them se lves in aid of the quota of

thei r nat i ve town . The regiment was of General W . T .

Sherm an ’s original d ivis ion in the F ifteenth A . C . , and losti n kil led and wounded nearl y forty per cent of its num be rsengaged at Shi loh , its first battle . I t partic ipated later inthe battles of Russel l ’s House , Chickasaw Bay ou , Arkansas Pos t , Champion

’

s Hi l l , Miss i onary Ridge , Kenesaw ,

DES CR IPTIVE RO S TER . 333

Atl anta , Ezra Church , Jonesboro , Fort M cA llister andBen tonvil le ; and the S i eges of Corinth , Vicksbu rg , Jackson , Atlanta and Savannah . I t marched 3 240 m i les , andtravel led during its fou r y e ars of service , m iles .

Henry S tedman Nourse , 30 ; O ct . 23 , 1 8 6 1 , began service as clerk of regimen t ; adjutan t , March 1

, 1 8 6 2 ; captain of Co . H , Dec . 1 9 , 1 8 6 2 ;

sen ior O fficer in command of regiment after bat tle of Jonesboro’ ,S ept . 1 , 1 8 64 ; appoin ted commissary of mus ters S even teen th A . C . ,

O ct . 24 , 1 8 64 ; S ligh tly wounded in leg at S hi loh , by shel l ; decliningcommiss ion as lieutenan t-colonel then due , mus tered out at expirationof service , March 29 , 1 8 6 5 .

George L ee Thurs ton , 30 ; O ct . 3 1 , 1 8 6 1 , adjutan t ; promoted captain Co .

B , March I,1 8 6 2 . G iven leave of absence by Gen . Gran t , July 1 ,

1 8 6 2 , on surgeon ’s certificate “ that such absence is necessary to savehis life .

” Died at Lancas ter , Dec . 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 , of consumption engendered by fatigue and exposure during bat tle of S hiloh , Apri l 6 and 7 ,1 8 6 2 . S ee Appendix.

VE TE R AN R E -E N L I S TM E N T S .

Charles H . Balcom , 1 5 M . V . I . and Veteran Reserve Corps .

Frank Carter Bancroft , 8 N . H . V . 1 .

Jonas H . Beard , 2 5 M . V . I .Will iam L . F ox, 2 1 M . V . I .George H . Hardy , 2 1 M . V . I .Martin Kel ly , 6 0 N . Y . V . I .S umner R . Kilburn

,1 5 M . V . I .

S o lomon Kittredge , 1 5 M . V . I . and Veteran Reserve Corps .

Charles E . M cQuillan , 2 U . S . Cavalry and U . S . Vet . Vo ls .

O l iver W . Moore , 1 5 M . V . I . and Veteran Reserve Corps .

James Homer Newman , 1 Conn . Heavy Artil lery .

Luke O l l is , 2 U . S . Cavalry .

Frank E . Pierce , 2 U . S . Cavalry .

George K . Richards , 1 6 M . V . I . and Veteran Reserve Corps .

Caleb W . S weet , 23 M . V . I .

O f the comm issioned officers , Bancroft , Henry Bowman ,Brad ley ,

Cobb , Ful ler, Nourse , S awyer and Francis Washburn served throughou tthe war .

DR A FTE D JULY 1 8 , 1 8 6 4 , A N D PA ID $300 F O R SUB S T ITUTE S .

M iron H . Brewer, George E . P . Dodge , Horatio D . Humphrey ,O liverWarner Carter, Jos iah Harris , Henry S towe ,

Henry C . Cutting , E l i E . Howe , Charles Lewis Wilder, Jr .Elbridge Warren Hosmer,


S UMMARY .

T he population of Lancaster , by census O f 1 8 6 0 , was

I ts valuation in 1 8 6 0 was

Lancas ter’s quota under all cal ls wasCredi ted to the town by s tate authorities ,

S urpl us , 1 0

Individuals named in preceding l is ts , 2 1 5O f these , actual res iden ts or natives were 1 6 8

non-residen ts employed as subs ti tu tes 36

drafted ci tizens paying $30 0 1 0

re-en l is ted veterans for three years were 1 5

serving in more than one organ ization , 24

comm issioned , 2 0

kil led in action or died of wounds , 2 7

d ied of disease before 1 8 6 7 , 2 3

wounded o ther than mortal ly (so far as, recorded) , 3 1

The Cutler fam il y furnished four b rothers to the Unionarm y , three of whom l aid down thei r l i ves , the fourth beingsevere l y wounded . Two fathers , Benj am in Farnsworthand Jonathan Puffe r Nourse , each sent three sons to thewar . One father , Thom as A . G . Hunt ing , gave two sonsand fought for the Union him se lf. N ine teen other fam i l i eshad each two b ro thers in the service .

Several soldiers born in Lancaster , but whose b i rthplaceand res i dence were i n that part of the town which in 1 8 50

was incorporated as C l inton , wi ll not b e found nam ed inthe preceding l ists . Doub tless severa l other natives of thetown , not he rei nbefore m en tioned , fought during the c ivi lwar to the credit of other places , where they had made forthemse lves new hom es ; but the m i l itar y experience of

such has not com e to the knowledge of the wri ter .

Adjutant General Schouler , in his History of M assachu

se tts in the Civi l War , says :“ Lancaster furnished one

hundred and eighty-one m en for the war , which was a surplus of ten over and above al l dem ands . S ix were comm i ss ioned officers .

” This statem ent coinc ides with the

original quota l ist of the selectm en , and from that it was

probab l y de rived . I t i s , however , as the roster proves , anundervaluation of the contribution of m anhood m ade b y


T o com rades and fe l low townsmen , this effort to preservei n m ore ful l and convenient form than hitherto existed ,

honorab le record of our act i ve patriotism during a periodof great national peril , is respectful ly subm itted b y oneproud to c a l l him se l f a Lancaster so ldier .

The arm y of the West , under Sherm an , had sweptdown from Atl anta to the sea , and now , jub il ant and in y inc i b le , was advanc ing northward , hal f way on its tr iumphalm arch towards R ichmond . The arm y of the East had at

l ast compl etel y enve loped i ts stubborn antagonist i n gigant ic coi ls , and crushed it in to subm iss ion . The joy of peaceassured and the nation regenerated il lum i ned the faces of

the lo y al m i l l ions . Suddenl y a brief e lectric m essageflashed east , west , north, south , that hushed all voice of

rejoic ing , carri ed dism a y and indignation every where , andsaddened each northern hom e . For “ Father Ab rahamhad becom e a household word , and the loss b y tragic deathof Pres ident Lincoln was fe l t even more as a private thana pub l ic grief, now that the great m iss i on of his l ife hadbeen b rought to grand conclus ion . A t a m eeting of the

town convened May 20 , 1 8 6 5 , resolut ions express ive of itsprofound sense of this calam i ty were recomm ended for

adoption , and it was unanimousl y voted that the y be re

corded in the town ’s book .

On Jul y 4 , 1 8 6 5 , the people of Lancaster ce leb rated thevictory of free insti tut ions , assemb led en masse i n the fie ldand adjoin ing grove at the Meeting of the Waters . Pro

fessor Wil l i am Russel l read the Em anc ip ation Proclam at ion , and the m in ister of the F i rst Parish m ade an address .

I t was in i tsel f one of the b righ test and most b eautiful of

day s . I t was an immortal date ,“ wearing a doub le c rown

of Providenti al honors , as the comm emoration not on l y of

the first , but of the second B i rth of the Repub l ic— not onl y

S O LD IERS ’ GRAVES I N LANCAS TER 337

of the Dec laration of the fathers , but of its re-affirmation

and pract ical confirmation for al l t im e .

”N ot the l eas t

grateful duty of the occas ion was to we lcom e so m any as

had returned of those who went forth wi th the b less ingsand pray ers of the town upon them , to s tand or fal l i n them ighty struggle . Their ranks had been thinned b y diseaseand vio lent death . Som e had not com e back , and neverwil l— bu t the y are not dead— for that which inspi red themdies not w i th the phy s ica l form s i n which i t was embodied .

“ Ah no ! the l ife they gaveI s not shut in the grave .

T he valorous spiri ts freed ,Live in the vi tal deed !Marble shal l crumble to dus t .

Broken and covered w ith s tains ,

T he crossed s tone swords mus t yie ld ;But the great deed remains .

”

A bu i lding comm emorat ive of the patr iot ic se l f-sacr ificeof these unreturning brave ,

” b egun i n 1 8 6 7 , was com

pleted and dedicated in the spring of the fo l lowing y ear ;and extens ive improvem en ts upon i t are go ing on as thesepages pass through the hands of the printer .

S O LD IERS O F THE REBELLIO N HAVING MEMO RIAL S TO NESIN LANCAS TER CEMETERIES— 1 8 89 .

N O R TH V ILLAGE CE M ETE R Y .

Charles Cool idge , Co . E , 2 1 M , V . I . Died March 29 , 1 8 6 2 , aged 34 .

Frank lin Hawkes Farnsworth , Co . C ,1 5 M . V . I . Kil led M ay 3 1 , 1 8 6 2 ,

aged 1 9 . [Cenotaph ]Henry M . Putney , Co . F , 4 5 M . V . I . Kil led April 2 8 , 1 86 3 , aged 20 .

James G . True , CO . A,2 8 M . V . l . Died November 2 7 , 1 8 6 3 , aged 2 7 .

[Cenotaph . ]Will iam Dus tin Carr, Co . G

,1 3 N . H . I . Died of wound June 20 ,

1 8 6 4 ,

aged 40 .

Edward R . Washburn ,Co . I

,M . V . I . D i ed of wound S eptember 5 , 1 8 64 ,

aged 2 8 .

George W . Divol l , 7 Battery M . L . A . Died S eptember 2 1 , 1 8 64 , aged37 . [Cenotaph . ]


Francis Washburn , 4 Mass . Cav . Died of wound Apri l 2 2 ,1 8 6 5 , aged 2 6 .

George D . Weld , Co . K , 4 7 M . V . I . Died December 1 , 1 8 6 5 , aged 53 .

Wal ter C . Rice , Co . I , 53 M . V . I . Died Ju ly 30 , 1 8 6 7 , aged 4 5 .

James Mon tgomery , Co . D , 2 1 M . V . I . Died January 2 2 , 1 8 70 , aged 53 .

Wil l iam N . S pencer, Co . J , 98 N . Y . Vols . Died March I 1 , 1 8 7 1 , aged 2 2 .

Joseph C . S tevens , S urgeon Wash ington hospi tal . Died Augus t 7 , 1 8 7 1 ,aged 39 .

George W . Mat thews , Co . H , 34 M . V . I . Died November 24 , 1 8 7 6 ,

aged 29 .

Charles G . S tevens , Asst . S urgeon 1 9 Maine Vo ls . Died March 1 , 1 8 7 7 ,aged 33 .

George K . Richards , Co . C ,1 6 M . V . I . Died March 1 7 , 1 8 79 , aged 59 .

George A . Foss , Co . I , 4 4 M . V . I . Died April 1 6 , 1 8 8 5 , aged 43 .

M IDDLE CE M E T E R Y .

Ebenezer W . Richards , Co . E , 2 1 M . V . I . Kil led December 1 3 , 1 8 6 2 ,

aged 37 . [Ceno taph . ]George L ee Thurs ton , Co . B , 55 I I] . V . I . Died December 1 5 , 1 8 6 2

aged 32 .

Horatio El isha Turner, Co . F, 34 M . V . I . Died S eptember 8 , 1 8 64 ,

aged 20 . [Cenotaph . ]Fred Fordyce Nourse , Co . E , 5 M . V . I . Died S eptember 1 3 , 1 8 64 ,

aged 2 2 .

HoraceWorces ter , Co . K, 4 2 M . V . I . Died M ay 2 2 , 1 8 6 6 , aged 2 2 .

Henry T . Taylor, Co . A,1 5 M . V . I . Died O ctober 1 8 ,

1 8 6 8 , aged 34 .

Charles H . Wilder , Co I , 53 M . V . I . Died November 30 , 1 8 8 5 , aged 6 6 .

O L D CO M M O N CE M ETE R Y .

John James,Co . I

, 53 M . V . I . Died M ay 2 5 , 1 8 8 4 , aged 4 2 .

E ASTWO O D CE M E TE R Y .

Wil l iam L . Cobb , Co . H, 34 M . V . I . Died M ay 1 7 , 1 8 79 , aged 39 .

Harris C . Harriman ,Co . I , 53 M . V . I . Died February 4 , 1 8 8 8 , aged 59 .

CA P T A I N GE O R G E L E E T H U R S TO N

A PPE N D I X

I . JO HN PRES CO TT , THE FO UNDER O F LANCAS TER .

1 60 5—1 6 8 1 .

HE facts that have come down to us whereupon to

bui ld a b iograph y of John Prescott are scanty i ndeed ,but enough to prove that he was that rare ty pe of m an , the

i deal pioneer . N ot one of the famous front i e rsmen , whosefigures stand out so prom inentl y in earl y Am erican history ,was b e tter equ ipped with the m an l y qual iti es that win heroworship in a new country , than was the father of the Nashaway Plan tation . Had Prescott , l ike Danie l Boone , beenfortunate in the favor of con temporary h istori ans to perpe tuate anecdotes of his dai l y prowess and ferti l ity of resource ,or had he left grateful successors wi thal to keep his m em

ory green , his nam e and roman t ic adventures would , l ikeBoone ’s , adorn Co lonial annals . Persecuted for his O pinions , he went out into the wi lderness with his fam i l y to

found a hom e , and for forty y ears thought , fought andwrought to m ake that hom e the centre of a prosperouscommun itv. Loaded from his first steps wi th discou ragem ents that soon appa l led eve ry other of the original co

partners i n the purchase of N ashaway from S howanon ,

Prescott alone held to h is purpose , and death found him at

his post . H is grave i s in the O ld buri al fie ld at Lancaster ,

yet not ten c iti zens can point it out . A t i ts head stands arude fragmen t from some ledge of slate rock , faintl y i ncisedwith characters which few e y es can trace

JO HN PR E S CO TT DE S A S E D

No date ! no comment ! That i s his on l y m emorial

stone— his on l y epitaph in the town of which , for i ts first


forty y ears , he was the very heart and soul . But this fair

township— now divided am ong nine towns— and al l i t has

been and is to he , m ay be justl y cal led h is m onum ent .

The House of Deput i es i n 1 6 5 2 voted i t to b e rightl y his ,and m arked it b y incorporati ve enactm ent wi th his nam e

P r escot t . Unfortunatel y , however , som e y ears before thishe had favored Doctor Rob ert Childe ’s critic ism s of the

Colonia l sy stem of taxation wi thout representat ion ; eri ticism s that grew , and bore good fruitage when the tim eswere riper for ind ividual freedom , when Samuel Adam s

and Jam es O tis took up the peop les’

cause where S ir HenryVane and Robert Chi lde had left it . Therefore when , i n1 6 5 2 , what had been known as the N ashaway Pl antationwas fairl y named for i ts founder i n accordance wi th the

pe ti tion of i ts i nhab itants , som e on e of influence , whe therm agistrate or higher O ffic i al , perhaps bethought himse lfthat no Governor of the Colony even had been so honored ,and that it m igh t be we l l , before dignify ing this bus y b lacksm i th so much as to nam e a town for h im , to see if he couldpass exam in ation in the catechism deemed orthodox at thatdate in Massachusetts Ba y . Al as ! John Presco tt was not

a freem an . Having a consc i ence and fixed rel igious con

vic tion s of his own , he had neve r given pub l ic adhes ion tothe estab l ished church covenant , and was therefore b y lawdeb arred from ho ld ing an y c ivil ofli ce , and even from the

privi lege of vo ting for the m agistrates . There was ay ear’s de la y , and , i n 1 6 53

—jus t after the Rump Parl i am enthad disappeared , fleeing the wrath of Cromwel l and his

musketeers Prescott ” was expunged from the Court ’sgrant , and L an cas ter b egan its h istor y .

A s i n the b road are a of the township various centres of

population grew into vi l lages and were one b y one exc isedand m ade towns , i t wou ld be supposed that each of themwou ld have been eager to honor i tse lf b y adopt ing so eu

phon ious and appropri ate a . nam e as P r escott . But no !The first candida te for a new de s ignat ion , i n 1 732 , was


on i ts we stward m arch from the shores of Massachuse ttsBa y . The pos ition had awaited the m an . When he set

up his anvil and with ski lful b lows hamm ered out the firstplough-shares to compel the Virgin soi l of the N ashaway

val le y to its proper fru i tfulness , he was al l unwittingl yhe lping to forge the des ti nies of this great repub l ic — was

i n his humb l e sphere a true bu i lder of the nation . H is

ne ighbors and fri ends , John Tinker , Ralph Houghton , andMajor S imon Wi ll ard , doub tless exce l l ed him i n culture ,but no neighbor surpassed him in natural personal force ,whether ph y s ical , m ental or moral .

Alas ! no contem porar y has wi th penc i l or pen l imnedfor us the persona l i ty of the N ashaway pionee rs . WhetherPrescott was b y s ymm etr y of form and com e l iness of feature a fit figure to grace the pedim ent of a Grec i an temp le ,or was moulded after a much more rugged northern ty pe ,we do not know . He is now a m ere n ame , b ereft b y tim eeven of ghostl y shape and vesture . But his career m akesus su re that his gifts and traits were those of a born leade rof men ; that he was we l l dowered with brain , thew ands inew ; was m asterful and s ti rred to restlessness b y usefulenergies . We may there fore trust the tradit ion which fay swith these facts , tel l ing that he was of comm anding stature ,ste rn O f m i en and s trong of l im b , and had a heart devoidof fear , great phy s ical endurance and an unbending wi l l .These qual i ti es his savage ne ighbors earl y recognized andbowed before in deep respect , and because of these noLancaster enterprise but cl aimed him as its head . H is

m anua l ski l l and dexte ri ty must have been great , his m en

tal capacity and bus iness ene rgy rem arkab le , for we findhim not onl y a farm er , trader , b l acksm ith and hunter , buta surve y or and bui lder of roads , bridges and m i lls . Therecords of the town show that he was seldom free from the

conduct of som e pub l ic labor . The greates t of his benefactions to h is neighbors were his corn-m i ll erected in 1 6 54 ,

and his saw-m il l i n 1 6 59 . No event could rival in its vital

JO HN PRES CO TT , THE FO UNDER . 343

i nterest to every fam i l y in that l i ttle ham le t the com ing of

the first m i l lstone . Unt i l the m i l ler announced his readi

ness to take tol l of their grain , every gris t had to be borneon horse-back to Watertown , nearl y thirty m i les away , orwas prepared for b read b y fatigui ng labor at hand-quernand m ortar , or m ade fit for hum an food b y s low , crudeprocesses copied from savage l ife . Before the starti ng of

his saw-m i l l , the rude houses must have been of logs , stone ,and clay , for i t was an imposs i b i l i ty to b ring from the lowertowns , on the existing

“ Bay road and wi th the prim i t ivetumb ri l , an y large amount of sawn lumber .We have the authority of Camden , the antiquary , writ

i ng in 1 58 6 , that i n the northern counti es of England m an yof the sm al ler towns gave nam es to fam il ies having freeho ldstherein . Thus originated the Lancashire n am es so fam i l i aramong us Atherton , Farnsworth , Houghton ,More , Rigb yand Prescott . In West Derb y Hundred , about e ight m ilesto the eastward frOm Liverpool , is the very anc i ent town ,Prescot , one of fourteen townsh ips form ing Prescot pari sh ,where in certain m anori al rights were granted b y EdwardIII

,i n 1 333 , to S ir W i ll i am de Dacre , then its rector . I ts

nam e is O bviousl y com pounded of two Anglo-Saxon words ,

pr eos t and cote , hence m eaning the priest’

s dwe l l ing p lace .

In the adjoining parish of S tandish , John Presco tt— the

y oungest son of Ralph and El len of the ham le t of S hev

ington ,and the great-grandson of Sir Jam es Prescot of the

m anor of Dryby—was bapti zed in the y ear fam ed

in Engl ish histor y for the Gunpowder Plot . I t was about

this tim e al so thatWi ll i am Shakespeare , com edi an to KingJam es I , reti red from the stage . January 2 1 , 1 6 29 , being

then a land-ho lder of Shevington , Prescott was m arried toMary Platts at Wigan . Prob ab l y wi thin the y ear he re

moved to Sowerb y , Hal ifax parish , i n the We st Rid ing of

Yorkshire , where he l ived for about seven y ears . I t has

often been al leged that he c rossed the ocean to escape fromprel atica l ty rann y , but this statem ent may rest upon infer


ence or tradi tion on l y , no evidence b eing given in proof ofi t . I f indeed he fled from Angl ican b ishops , i t was anirony of fate that he soon found him sel f subj ect to the ih

qu isi torial despoti sm of the M assachusetts Prec is i ans . H is

fi rst haven was Barb adoes , where he is recorded as owning

l ands in 1 6 38 . For reasons now unknown that prol ific buthurricane-swept island did not prove a sat isfactory res idence , and in 1 640 Prescott l anded in Boston . He at once

chose a hom e in Watertown , and became possessor of sixlots of l and , aggregating one hundred and twen ty-sixacres . In 1 6 4 3 his nam e is assoc iated wi th those of Tho

m as K ing of Wate rtown , Henr y S ymonds of Boston , andothers , the first proprietors of the N ashaway purchase .

O f Prescott’s wife we know onl y he r name ; but herdaugh te rs were sought for i n m arri age b y m en of whomwe know nothing that is not praiseworthy and her sons al lhonored their mother’s m emor y b y useful and unb lem ished

l ives . H is chi ld ren were e ight i n number , and al l were

m arried in due season . The y were1 . Mary , bapti zed at Hal ifax Parish , Feb ruar y 24 ,

1 6 30 , m arri ed Thom as Sawy er in 1 6 4 8 . The bridegroomwas fourteen y ears o lder than his y oung bride . The coup le

sel ected thei r hom e lot adjo in ing Prescott’s in Lancaster ,and there e leven sons and daughte rs were born to them .

The husb and d ied September 1 2 , 1 70 6 , his wife survivinghim seve ral y ears .

2 . M artha , baptized at Hal ifax Parish ,March 1 1 , 1 6 3 2 ,

m arried John Rugg in 1 6 5 5 ; and these twain began l ifetoge ther in s ight of her paternal home i n Lancas te r . Shedied with her twin b abes in January , 1 6 56 .

3 . John , baptized at Hal ifax Parish , April 1 , 1 6 35 ,

m arri ed Sarah Hayward at Lancaste r , Novem ber 1 1 , 1 6 6 8 ,

and had five chi ldren . He was a farmer and b lacksm ith ,

l i ved wi th h is father , and succeeded him at the m i l ls .

4 . Sarah , baptized in 1 6 37 , at Hal ifax Parish , mar

ri ed Richard Whee ler at Lancaste r , August 2 , 1 6 58 , and


Loker of Sudbury , Decem ber 1 4 , 1 6 7 2 . The m arri age

took pl ace i n Lancaster , and here their fi rst child was born— the y had twelve ch ildren in al l— but l ater they rem oved

to Groton , where J onas becam e captain , S el ectm an and just ice . He d ied in Groton , Decembe r 3 1 , 1 7 23 . O f h is

m ost i l lustr ious descendants were ColonelWi l l i am , and theh istorian W i l l i am H . Prescott .

I n May , 1 6 44 , John Winthrop records that Many of

Watertown and other towns joined in a pl antation at Nashaway and Reverend Timoth y Harrington in his Centur ySerm on states that the organ ization of this com pan y of

plan ters was due to Thom as Ki ng . The imm ed i ate andfinal disappearance of this o rigin al proprie tor has seemed

to our historians good warran t for charging that K ing andh is partner , Henry S ymonds , were but land specul ators ,who bought the Indians ’ i nheri tance to re tai l b y the acre toadventure rs . I b el i eve this an unjust assum ption . A t the

date when Winthrop recorded the incept i on of the Nashaway Compan y , Henry S ym onds had al read y b een deadseven m on ths . He was that energe tic con tracto r of Bos tonnoted as the leader i n the proj ect for estab l ish ing ti de m i l l sat the Cove , and was no doub t the capi tal is t of the tradingfirm , S ym onds K i ng , who set up thei r trucking houseas earl y as 1 6 43 on the sunny slope of George Hi l l . S ymonds

’

s widow , a few m onths after his death , marri ed IsaacWa lker , who i n 1 6 4 5 was active among the N ashaway pro

pr ietors . I f K i ng sold h is S hare of the Indi an purchase ,may it not have b een therefore because , his senior partnerbeing dead , he had no m eans to cont inue the en terprise ?He too died b efore the end of the y ear 1 6 4 4 , not yet thi rtyy ears of age . The inventor y of his estate sum s but onehundred and fifty

-eight pounds , i ncluding his house andl and i n Watertown , his stock in trade , and seventy -threepounds of deb ts due him from the Ind ians , John Prescott ,and sundry o thers . Ki ng’s widow m ade haste to be con

so led , and her second husband , Jam es Cutle r , soon appearsin the ro le of a N ashaway proprietor .

JO HN PRES CO TT , THE FO UNDER . 34 7

The direction of the company was at the outset in the

hands of men whose nam es were , or soon becam e , of som enote throughout the Co lon y . Doctor Rob ert Chi lde

,a

schol ar who had won the degrees of A . M . and M . D . at

Cam bridge and Padua , a m an of sc i ent ific acqui rem ents ,but i nc l ined to som ewhat sangu ine expec tat ions of m i neraltreasure to b e discovered in the New England hi l ls , seem s

to have been a l eading spir i t i n the adventure and unfor

tunately so , s ince his views about certain inal i enab le rightsof m an , which now l ive and are honored in the Con stitu

t ion of the Comm onweal th , natural ly seem ed Vicious republ ican ism to the eccles iastical aristocrac y then rul ing the

Colony of the Massachusetts Bay ; and the odium thatdrove Childe across the ocean , attached also to his com

panion planters , and perhaps through the prejudice of thosein authori ty unfavorab l y afiected for several years the progress of the settlem ent on the N ashaway . Certain l y suchprejudice found express ion i n al l action or record of the

government respecting the propri e tors and their peti tions .

The eccles i astical figure-he ad of the compan y—wi thou twhich no body corporate could have grace with the Colon y

was Nathanie l Norcross . O f him , if we can surm iseaugh t from his earl y return to England , i t may be sa id thathe was not imbued wi th the m arty r ’s spirit , and his defect ion was , som e t im e late r , m ore than m ade good b y theaccess ion of the b e loved Rowlandson . But far m ore importan t to the en terprise than these two graduates from the

Engl ish Univers i ty— Childe the radical , and Norcross thepre acher— were two m echan ics , the restless pl anners andbus y promoters of the company . both workers in i ronS teven Day the locksm ith , and John Prescott the b lacksm ith . S teven Day was the first in America , north of

Mexico , to set up a prin ting-press . The Colon y hadwise l y recognized in h im a pub l ic benefactor , and sealedthis recognit ion b y substanti al grant of lands . He enteredupon the N ashaway schem e with charac teristic zeal and

348 ANNA LS O F LANCAS TER .

energy , if we may bel i eve his own m anuscript testimon y ;but Day ’s zeal outran his discretion , and h is energy devoured his scant m eans , for i n 1 644 we find him i n j ai l fordeb t , rem onstrating pi teous l y against the i njus tice of ahard-hearted c red itor . He parted wi th all rights at Nashaway before m any years , and final ly delved as a j ourneym an at the press he had founded .

John Prescott , deserted b y al l his earl y co-partners , was

suffic i ent for the em ergenc y , a host i n him se l f. He se l l shis one hundred and twenty-six acre s and house at Watertown , puts his al l into the venture , prepares a rude dwel l

i ng in the wi lderness , moves th ither his cattl e , and chat te ls ,and fina l l y , mounting wife and ch i ldren and h is few re

m aining goods upon horses ’ b acks , b ids his old neighborsgood-b y e , and threads the narrow Indian tra il through thefore st we stward . The scorn of m en high in authority isto fol low him , but now the m ost form idab le en em y in his

path i s the swol len Sudbur y Ri ve r and i ts bordering m arsh .

We find the aristocratic scorn m ingl ing wi th the s tor y of

Prescott’s dearl y bought victory over th is natural O bstacle ,told in W i nthrop

'

s History of New England among whatthe author c lasses as rem arkab le spec i al providence s

Prescot another favorer of the Peti tioners los t a horse and his loadingin S udbury river, and a week after his wife and ch ildren being upon an

o ther horse were hard ly saved from drowning .

That the kindl y-hearted Wi nthrop could cooll y chargethe pit i ab le disaster of the b rave pioneer to the wrath of

God towards the Erasti an l i b e ral ity or suspected Presbyter ian ism of Robert Childe and his assoc i ate peti tioners ,pictures vivid l y the b igo try natural to the age and race , ab igotr y which culm i nated i n the horrors of the persecutionfor witchc raft . This Sudbur y swam p was the l ion in thepath from the b ay westward during m any a decade . In1 6 4 5 , an earnest pet ition went up to the counc i l from Prescott and h is assoc i ates , complain ing that much tim e andmeans had been spent i n discovering N ashaway and pre


to the lot of i nterva le land which Harmon Garrett and oth

ers of the first proprietors had fenced i n to serve as a nigh tpasture for their cattl e . Bal l had l eft his chi ldren and theirm other in Watertown , she be ing at t imes insane . Prescott’sfirst lot emb raced part of the grounds upon which the publ ic buildings i n Lancaster now stand , but this he soonparted with , and took up h is abode a m i l e to the south-west ,on the sunn y slope of George Hil l , where , b es ide a l ittl eb rookl et of pure , cool water , which then doubtless cam erol l icking down over i ts gravel l y b ed wi th twice the flow ithas today , there had been buil t , two y ears at least before ,the trucking house of S ymonds K ing . This tradingpost was the extrem e outpost of c ivi l izat ion ; b eyond was

i nterm i nab l e forest , t raversed on l y b y the Ind ian tra il s ,which were but narrow paths hard to find and eas y to loseun less the trave l ler h ad been bred to the arts of wood-craft .

Here passed the un ited trail s from Washacum , Wachusett ,Chi aboag and other Indian Vil lages of the west , leading tothe wading pl ace of the N ashaway River near the presentAtherton B ridge , and so down the B a y Path over Wata

quadock to Concord . The l ittl e pl ateau half way downthe she l tering hil l , wi th fertile fields S loping to the southeast and its never fai l ing springs , was and i s an attract ive

spot ; but its materi al advantages to the pioneer of 1 6 4 5were far greater than those apparent to the Lancastri an of

this nineteenth centur y in the changed condi tions of l ife .

Wi th the privi lege of first choice therefore , it is not strangethat Pre scott and his sturdy sons-in-law grasped the richi ntervales , and warm , easi l y-t i l l ed slopes , s tretch ing a longthe N ashaway south branch from the meeting of the wa tersto John ’

s Jump on the east , and extending west to the crownof George Hi l l— l ands now covered b y the vi l lage of South

Lancaster .

I n 1 6 50 John Prescott found h im se lf the on ly m emberof the company res i den t at N ashaway . O f the co-partners .

Symonds , K ing and John Hi ll were dead ; Norcross and

JO HN PRES CO TT ,THE FO UNDER . 35 1

Ch i lde had gone to Engl and Cowdal l had sold h is righ ts

to Prescott ; Chand ler , Davis , Wa lker and others had for

m al l y abandoned thei r rights ; Garrett , Shawe , Day , A d

am s , and perhaps two or three more , retained thei r claim s

to al lotments , m aking no improvem ents and contributingnoth ing b y the ir presence or t i thes to the growth of the

settlem ent , thus becom ing effectual stumb l ing b locks i n theway of progress . Prescott , very reasonab l y , he ld this agrievance , and , having no other m eans of redress , askedequitab l e judgm ent i n the m atte r from the m agistrates in apetition which cannot b e found . H is answer was the following ofli cial snub

Whereas John Presco t others , the inhabitan ts of N ashaway pferd apeti tion to th is Courte des ir inge power to recover al l common charges of

al l such as had land there , not res idinge wlh them , for answer whereun to

this Court , unders tand inge that the place before men tioned is not fi t tomake a plan tation , (so a minis try to be erec ted and mayn tayned there , )which if the peti tioners , before the end of the nex t sess ion of th is Courte ,shal l not sufficien tly make the sey ’d place appeare to be capable to answerthe ends above men tioned do th order that the pties inhabi t inge thereshalbe cal led there hence , suffered to live wi thout the meanes , as theyhave done no longer.

This dire threat of the c los ing sentence may have beensimpl y “

sound and fur y , s ign ify ing nothing ,

” or Prescottm ay have b een ab l e to prove to the authorities that Nashaway was fit and waiting for i ts S t . John , but found nonewi l l ing for the service . In fact , i ts S t . John was then ajunior at Harvard Col lege writing a pasqui nade to postupon the Ipswich meet ing-house , and N ashaway was suf

fered to l ive wi thout the m eanes ”wai ting for him unt i l 1 6 54 .

John Prescott retained ownership of his earl y hom ethe s ite of the trucking house which he had purchased of

John Cowdal l— as long as he l ived . but did not res ide therem an y y ears . No sooner had the p lantat ion attained the

digni ty of a town under the class ic nam e of Lancaster ,than its founder bent al l his energies towards those enterprises best calcu lated to promote the com fort and prosperi tyof its then inhab itan ts , and to attract b y m ateri al advantages


a des i rab le and perm anent imm igrat ion . H is practical e y ehad doub tless long before m arked the b est s ite for a m il l i nal l the region round about , and on the sl ope scarce a gunshot away he se t up a new hom e , afterwards wel l knownto fri end and savage foe as Presco tt’s Garrison . Thosewho rem ain of the generat ion fam il i ar wi th th is region before the i nvent i on O f the power loom m ade such town s as

C l i nton poss i b le , rem em ber the depress ion that told wherePrescott dug his ce l lar . The o ldest wate r m i ll i n NewEngl and was scarce twenty years old when Presco tt con

t racted to grind the corn of the N ashaway pl ante rs . H is“ Covenan t to bu i ld a Corone m i l l ” has b een prese rvedthrough a copy m ade b y Ralph Hough ton , Lanc aste r

’

s fi rstC lerk of Writs , and is as fo l low s

Know al l men by these presen ts that I John Prescot t b lackesm ith , hathCovenan ted and bargained wi th J no . ffounel l of Char lestowne for the building of a Corne m il l , with in the said Towne of L anchas ter . This wi tnes seth that wee the I nhabitan ts of L anchas ter for his encouragemen t in so

good a worke for the behoofe of our Towne ,vpon condi tion that the said

in tended worke by him or his ass ignes be finished , do freely and fu lly gine ,

gran t,enfeoffe , confirme vn to the said John Presco t t , th irty acres of ih

tervale Land lying on the north r iuer , lying north wes t of Henry Kerly ,and ten acres of Land adjoyneing to the mi l l ; and forty acres of Land onthe south eas t of the mil l brooke and N ashaway riner in such place as the

said John Prescot t S hal l choose w ith al l the priui ledges and appurtenancesthereto apperteyneing . T o haue and to hold the said land and eurie par

cel l thereof to the said John Prescot t his heyres assignes for euer , tohis and their on ly propper vse and behoofe . Also wee do couch an tpromise to lend the said John Prescott fiue pounds in curren t money oneyeare for the buy ing of Irons for the mil l . A nd also wee do couenan t and

gran t to and w i th the said John Presco t t his heyres and ass ignes that thesaid m il l , with all the aboue named Land thereto apperteyneing shal l befreed from al l com

’on charges for seuen yeares nex t ensueing , after the firs t

fin ish ing and setting the said m il l to worke .

I n Witnes whereof wee haue herevn to put our hands this 20 th day of

the 9mo . I n the yeare of our Lord God one thousand s ix hundred fifty andthree . THO M AS JAM E S

W ILLM KE R LY S E N K . LAWR E N CE WATE R SJ N O PR E S CO TT EDM UN D PAR KE RJ N O WHITE , R ICHAR D L IN TO N ,

RALPH HO UGHTO N R ICHAR D S M ITHJ N o LEWIS JAM E S ATHE R TO NJACO B FAR R E R WI L L M KE R LY JUN R

.


land butted bounded as aforesaid , to be to him his heyres and ass ignesfor euer wi th all the priuiledges and appurtenances thereon , and therevnto

belonging to be to h is and their owne propper vse and behoofe as aforesaid , and the land and eurie part of i t to be free from al l rates vn til i t or

any pt of i t be improued ,and also his saw, sawes , and saw-m ill to be free

from all towne rates , or min is ters rates , prouided the aforemen tionedworke be finished compleated as abouesaid for the good of the Towne ,

in some convenient time after this presen t con tract covenan t and agreemt

.

A nd the said John Prescot t d id and doth by these psents bynd h imself,his heyres and ass ignes to set vp a saw-mi l l as aforesaid Wi thin the boundsof the aforesaid Towne , and to supply the Towne wi th boords and othersawne worke as aforesaid and truly and fai th ful ly to performe , fullfil l ,

accomplish , all the aforemen tioned p’m isses for the good of the Towne as

aforesaid .

Therefore the S electmen conceiuing th is saw-m il l to be of great vse tothe Towne , and the after good of the place , Haue and do hereby act torat tifie and confirme al l the aforemen tioned acts , covenan ts ,

gifts , gran ts ,im

’

un ityes , in respec t of rates , and what euer is aforemen tioned , on

their owne pt , and in behal fe of the Towne , and to the true performance

hereof, both partyes haue and do bynd themselves by subscribing theirhands , th is twen ty-fifth day of February , one thousand s ix hundred and

fifty n ine . JO HN PR E S COTTT he worke aboue mencConed was finished accord ing to th is covenan t

as Wi tnesseth RALPH HO UGHTO NS igned Delivrd THO M AS W ILDE RI n presence O f THO M AS S AWYE R

RALPH HO UGHTO N

Monday , the seven teenth of Feb ruary , 1 6 59 , the Com

pany granted him to fal l pines on the Com ’ous to suppl yhis saw-m i l l .I n Apri l , 1 6 59 , Ens ign Noy es cam e to make O ffic i al

surve y of the e igh ty square m i l es granted to the town , andJohn Presco tt was deputed b y the townsm en at thei r Marchm ee ting to aid him and “

m ark the bounds .

” Among hisvaried accom pl ishm en ts natural and acqui red , Prescottseem s to have had som e pract ic al skil l i n survey ing , the

l ay ing out of highway s and the cons truction of bridges .

I n 1 6 4 8 John Winthrop records :“ This y ear a new wa y

was found out to Connecticut by Nashua which avo idedmuch of the hi ll y way .

”A s appears b y a late r petition

Presco tt was the pioneer of this new path . In 1 6 5 7 he


was appo inted b y the government a m em ber of a comm i ttee upon the bu i lding O f b r idges “

at B il l irr iky and M ist icke . In 1 6 5 8 be , wi th his son-in-law Jonas Fai rb ank ,

was appointed to surve y a farm of six hundred and fi ftyac res for Captain R ichard Davenpor t , the western part ofwhich is now the most dense ly peop led port ion o f WestBoy lston .

To the General Court which m et Octobe r 1 8 , 1 6 59 , the

fo l lowing pe tition was presented

T he humble pe tition of John Presco t of Lancas ter humblve S hewe th,

That whereas yr pe ti tioner about nine or ten yeares since , was des ired bythe late bou’red Governour Mr . Win throp , w

thO ther Magis trates , as also

by Mr . Wilson of Bos ton , Mr . S hephard of Cambridge wi th many o thers ,d id lay marke out a way at ye north syde of the great pond soe byLancas ter, wh ich then was taken by Mr . Hopkins many others to bee of

great vse Th is I d id meerly vpon the reques t of these honored gent lemen ,

to my great detrim’

t , by being vpon i t part of two summers not on ly myselfe but hiring others alsoe to helpe mee , whereby my family sufferedmuch : I doe not ques tion but many of ye Court remember the same , as

alsoe that th is hath not Iaine dead al l this wh ile , but I haue formerly ment ioned i t , but yet haue noe recompence for the same ; the charge whereofcame at 2 8 p day to abou t 1 0 1 ; i t is therefore the desire of y

r

peti tioner yt

you would bee pleased to gran t him a farme in some place vnd isposed of

wh ich wil l engage him to you and encourage him and others in publicqueoccas ions y" peti tioner shal l pray etc .

One hundred acres of land were granted him , and laidout near the Washacum ponds where now stand the ra i lroad bui ldings at S terl ing Junct ion .

We get very few gl impses of Prescott from the m eagrerecords of succeeding y ears , but those serve to show thathe was bus y , prosperous and annual ly honored b y hisneighbors with the pub l ic duti es for which h is sturdy in tegrity , shrewd bus i ness tact and wise l y di rec ted ene rgy peculiar ly fi tted him . He had taken the oath of fide l i ty in 1 6 5 2 .

Such owning of al legiance was b y law prerequ is i te to theholding of real estate . Refus ing such oath he m ight bet

ter have been a N ipmuck so far as c ivi l rights or privi legeswere concerned . He was not ye t a m ember of the recogn ized church , however , and there fore l acked the po l i tica l


digni ti es O f a freem an ; a l though his intimate rel ationswith Master Joseph Rowl andson , and his personal connect i on with the earl i e r cases of church disc ip l i ne i n L ancas

ter , suffici entl y attest the austeri ty of his re l igious Views .

Doub tless Governor John W inthrop , i n h is hasty and harshdictum respecting the N ashaway planters , classed JohnPresco tt am ong those “

corrupt i n j udgment . But i t must

be rem embered that i n the Puri tan ’s Vis i onary comm onweal th— repub l ican as it was i n theory — there was noroom for l ib e rt y of consc i ence . A ll were e s teem ed corrupti n judgm ent or even profane , whose re l igious bel i efs , whentested al l about b y the ecc les i astic cal l ipers , proved not to

have been cast in the doctrin al mould prescribed by the

sel f-sanctified founders of the Massachuse tts Bay Co lon y .

N O known fact in any way warran ts even the conjecturethat Prescott was not a s incere Christ i an , earnestl y pursuing his own convic tions of duty wi thout fear and wi thoutreproach . The doub ts and dogm as by which his soul wasbound are voice less to us , and cou ld the y b e brought tol igh t would seem to the m odern m ind but dead ashes and

dross .

Presco tt’s m echanical ski l l and bus iness ab i l ity hadmore than a loca l repu tation . In 1 6 6 7 , we find him con

tracti ng wi th the authoriti es of Gro ton to erect a good andsuffic i en t corne m i l l or m i l ls , and the sam e to finish so as

m ay b e fitting to grind the com e of the said Towne .

” Forthe fulfilm ent of this agreem ent he received five hundredand twenty acres of l and , and m i l l and lands were exemptedfrom taxat ion for twen ty y ears . Ass istance towards the

bu ilding of the m il l was al so prom ised to the amoun t'of

two day s worke of a m an for every house lott or fam i l ywi thin the l im itts of the said Towne , and at such t im e ort im es to b e done or perform ed , as the said John Prescott

shal l see meete to cal l for the sam e , vpon reasonab le not icegiven .

” The covenant was fulfil led b y the com pl etion of

a m il l at N onaco iacus , then in the southern part of Groton .


Prescott , had wandered from h is father’s forge in Lancasterdown the Bay Path to Sudbur y . Mary and he had m e t ,

and the l ingering of their parting boded i l l for any predest ination not s tam ped wi th thei r j oint seal of consent . W i th

that l ack of astuteness proverb ial l y exhib ited b y parentsdisappointed in m atch-making des igns upon thei r chi ldren ,the vexed father and mother began a course of vigorousrepress ion , and thereb y riveted m ore firm l y than ever thechains which the e rran t y oung b lacksm ith and his appren

t ice Cupid had forged . In due t im e , the y perforce learned

that love ’s flam e bu rns the b righ ter fed upon a b read andwate r d i et ; and that confinement to an attic m ay be qu i teendurab l e when Cupid ’s m essages fly i n and out of its lat

t ice at pleasure .

F i nall y Mary was secre tl y sent to an out-of-the-wayne ighborhood in the vain hope that the chil l of ab sence

m ight hinder what hom e rule had on l y served to he lp . But

one day Jonas on a hun ti ng excurs ion m ade the acqua in tance of som e y outh , who , among other chitchat , happened

to b reak into ecstatic praise of the graces of a certain fai rdam se l who had recentl y com e to l ive i n a farm-house near

the i r hom e . O f cou rse the anvi l m issed Jonas for the nex tday

,and the nex t , and the next , whi l e he experienced the

hospital iti es of his new-found fri ends— and their neighbors . I t was tim e for a recognit ion of the i nevi tab le b y al l

concerned , but when , and wi th What grace Mary’

s stubborn

paren ts y i elded , if at al l , is not recorded . But what m at

tered the i r consent ? O ld John Prescott instal led Jonas at

the N onacoicus Mill and endowed h im with al l his Gro tonl ands , and in Lancaste r , December 4 , 1 6 7 2 , Jonas andMary were m arried . For ove r fifty y ears fortune sm i ledupon thei r union . Four sons and e igh t daughters gracedthei r fires i de , and the father was trusted and clo thed wi thlocal digniti es . In afte r t im e the m emory of Jonas andMary has been honored b y m any worthy descendants , ande spec i a l ly by the ga llant se rvices of Colone l W i l l iam Pres


co tt at Bunker Hil l , and the l i terary renown of Wi l l i amHickl ing Presco tt , the h istorian .

In 1 6 6 9 , John Prescott was proclaimed a freem an . Hemay have been long a church m embe r , or m ay not even at

this date have y ie lded the consc ien tious scrup les that had aquarter of a cen tury earl i e r subjected him to Win throp ’sreproach . The laws , in re luctant O bedience to the letter ofCharles I I , dated June 2 8 , 1 6 6 2 , were so modified b y theGeneral Court of 1 6 6 4 , that ci tizens , al though not

“

m em

bers of som e Church of Christ and in ful l Communion ,

”if

freeholders of a suffic i ent estate and guaranteed b y the

loca l m in ister to be Orthodox in Re l igion and not Viciousi n thei r l i ves , m igh t be adm itted to the freedom of the

comm onweal th b y a m ajori ty vo te i n the General Court .

Prescott had the true Engl ishman ’s love of l anded possess i ons , and about this tim e added a l arge tract to his

acreage b y purchase from his Indi an ne ighbors . Thistransaction gave cause for the fo l lowing pe ti tion , in the

terse , straight-forward d iction and the dignified tone of

which , we may , I think , re ad some thing of its au thor ’scharacter

T o the honorable the Gov r. the Deputy Got/ r . mag i

s Deputyes assembled

in the genr al l Cour t

T he Peti tion of J uo Prescott of L anchas ter , I n mos t humble wise shewe th . Whereas ye Pe ti tion ’ hath purchased an Indian righ t to a smal l parce l l of Land , occas ioned and circum s tanced for quan tity qual i ty according to the deed of sale herevnto annexed and a pt . thereof not being legal lyse tled vpon mee vnlesse I may ob teyne the favor of th is Court for the Confirmat ion thereof, These are humbly to reques t the Court

’

s favor for thatend ; the Lord hauing deal t gracious ly wi th mee in giue ing mee many ch i ldren I accoun t i t my duty to endeauor their provis s ion setl ing and do

hope that this may be of some vse in yt kind . I know not any claime

made to the said land by any towne , or any legal l righ t yt any other persons haue therein , and therefore are free for mee to occupy subdue as

any other, may I obteyne the Court’s approbation . I shal l not vse furthermotines , my condi tion in other respecks wt my trouble expenses hauebeen according to my poor abil i ty in my place being no t al toge ther vnknowne to some of ye Court . That ye Lord

’

s pfseuce may be w i th his

bless ing accompany all yor

psons , Counsel ls , endeauo’s for his honorye weale of his poor people is ye prayr of

Y or suppl ian t , JO HN PR E S CO TT S E N R


This request was refe rred to a spec i al comm i ttee com

posed of Edward T yng , George Corwin and Humphre yDavi e , who reported as fol lows

I n R efference to this Pe ti tion the Comi ttee being wel l informed thatthe Petr is an ancien t Plan ter and bath b in a vseful helpful l and publiquespirited man doinge many good offices ffor the Coun try , R elatinge to theRoad to Conecticott , marking trees , d irectinge of Passengers &c , and thatthe Land Petitioned for beinge bu t abou t 1 0 7 Acres L yinge not veryConven ien t for any o ther Plan tation , and on ly accomodable for the Pe t r ,we judge it reasonable to confirme the Indian Gran t to him his heyres

if ye honored Court see meete .

This report was approved b y the m ag istra tes May 29 ,

1 6 7 2 . Jam esW iser a l ias O p anapaug , the Christi an Nashaway chief who appears as grantor of the l and , was awarrior whose b raver y had b een tested in the contest between the Nipmucks and the Mohawks , and was so firm afriend of his white ne ighbors at Lancaster , tha t whenPhi l ip persuaded the trib e with Sagam ore S am to go upon

the war path , Jam es refused to joi n them . He even se rvedas a spy and betra y ed Phil i p

'

s pl ans to the Engl ish at greatrisk of his l ife , doing h is utm ost to save Lancaster fromdes truction . Genera l Dani e l Gooki n acknowl edged that

Q p anapaug’

s inform ation wou ld have averted the dire m as

sacre of Feb ruary 1 0 , 1 6 76 , had i t b een dul y heeded . The

fact of the frie nd l y rel ations exist ing between Presco tt and

the tri b e Who se fortified res idence stood be tween the two

Washacum ponds is i nteres ti ng , and confi rm s tradi tion . I t

is related that at his fi rs t com ing he soon won the respec tof the s avage s , not onl y b y his fearl essness and greatstrength , but b y the power of h is e y e and his dignity of

m i en . They soon learned to stand in awe of h is long

musket and unerring ski l l as a m arksm an .

i

He had nodoub t seen som e m i l itary service in England , for he cam e

of a soldierl y race , h is grea t-grandfather having beenknigh ted for gal lan tr y in b attle . He had brought wi thh im from England a su it of m ail— he lm e t and cu i rassprob ab l y such as were worn by the so ldiers of Cromwel l .


I n 1 6 73 Presco tt had nearl y attained the age of three

score and ten . The weight of y ears that had been ful l ofexposure , anxiety and toi l rested heavi l y upon even his

rugged fram e , and som e sharp touch of bodil y ailm entwarning h im of his m ortal i ty , he m ade his wil l . I t is

s igned wi th his m ark , al though he evidentl y tried to force

his unwi l l ing hand to its accustom ed work , his pecul iar Jbe ing plain l y written and fol lowed b y characters meant for

the o ther letters of his first name . To earl i e r docum entshe was won t to affix a s impl e , ne at s igna ture , and al though

not a clerk ly penm an l ike his fri ends John Tinke r , MasterJoseph Rowl andson and Ralph Hough ton , his writing is

superior to that of Maj or S imon Wi l lard .

J O H N PR E S CO TT’

S W I L L .

Theis presen ts witneseth that John Prescot t of_

L ancas ter in the Count ie of M idlesex in N ew England Blaksmith being vnder the sencible de

cayes of nature and infirm it ies of old age and at presen t vnder a greatdeale of anguis h and paine but of a good and sound memorie at the wri ti ng hereof being moved vpon considerations aforesaid togather wi th advisof Christian friends to set his house in order in Reference to the disposeof those outward good things the lord in mercie hath betrusted him with ,theirfore the said John Prescott doth hereby declare his las t will and tes tamen t to be as fol loweth , firs t and cheifly Com i ting and Comending his

soule to alm ightie god that gaue i t him and his bodie to the comon burying place here in Lancas ter , and after his bodie being orderly and decen tlyburyed and the charge theirof defrayed togather wi th al l due debts discharged , the Res t of his Lands and es tate to be disposed of as followethfirs t in Reference to the Comfortable being of his louing w ife during thetime of her natural l Life , it is his w i l l that his said w ife haue that end of

the house where he and shee now dwel leth togather w i th halfe the pas tureand hal fe the frui t of the aple trees and al l the goods in the house , togath

er w i th two cowes which shee shal l Chuse and medow sufis iant for Win tering of them , out of the medowes where she S hal l Chuse , the said Win terpvis ion for the two cowes to be equaly and seasonably pvided by his twosons John and Jonathan . A nd what this may fal l short in Reference toconvenien t food and Cloathing and o ther nesesaries for her comfort ins ickness and in heal th , to be equaly pvided by the aforesaid John and Jon

athan out of the es tate . A nd at the death of his aforesaid louing w ife i tis his wil l that the said cowes and household goods be equal ly deuidedbetwene his two sons aforesaid , and the other part of the dwel l ing house ,

out housing , pas ture and orchard togather w i th the tenn acres of house

JO HN PRES CO TT , THE FO UNDER . 36 3

lot t lying on Georges h il l wh ich was purchased of daniel l gains to be

equaly deuided betwene the said John and Jonathan and alsoe that part ofthe house and outhousing what is Convenien t for the two Cowes and the irw in ter pvis ion pas ture and orchard w il led to his louing w ife during her l ife ,

at her death to be equaly deuided alsoe betwene the said John and Jonathan . A nd furthermore i t is his wil l that John Prescot t his eldes t sonhaue the I n tervaile land at John ’

s J umpe ,the lower M i l le and the land he

longing to it and halfe the saw mil le and halfe the land belonging to i t andall the house and barne theire erected , and alsoe the house and farme at

Washacomb pond , and all the land their purchased from the ind ians and

halfe the medowes in al l deuis ions in the towne acept sum l itle part at barh il l wh . is after wi l led to James S awyer and one halfe of the Comon Righ tin the towne , and in Reference to second deuis ion land , that part of i twh ich lyeth at danforths farme both vpland and in teruaile is w il led to Jonathan and s ixt ie acres of that part at Washacom l i t le pond to James S awyer and halfe of sum brushie land Capab le of being made medow at the

side of the great pine plain to be wi thin the said James S awyers s ixt ie

acres and all the Res t of the second deuis ion land both vpland and I n ternaile to be equaly deuided be twene John Presco t t and Jonathan aformen

tioned . A nd Jonathan Prescot t his second son to haue the R yefeild and

al l the in teruaile lott at N ashaway Riner that part wh ich he bath in posesion and the other part joyneing to the h ighway and alsoe his part of sec

ond deuision land aforemen tioned and alsoe one halfe of al l the medowes

in all deuis ions in the towne not w i l led to John Presco tt and James S awyeraforemen tioned , and alsoe the other halfe of the saw mi l le and land belonging to i t , and i t is to be vnders tood that al l timber on the land be longing to bo th Corne M il le and S aw M il le be Comon to the vse of the S aw

M il le . A nd in Reference to his third son Jonas Presco tt i t is herby declared that he hath Received a ful l ch ilds port ion at nonecoicus in a Cornem il le and Lands and other goods . A nd James S awyer h is granchild and

S ervan t i t is his wil l that he haue the s ixt ie acres of vpland aforemen tionedand the two pelces of medow at bare h il l one being part of his seconddeuis ion the upermos t peic on the brook and the o ther being par t of histh ird deuis ion lying vpon N ashaway River purchased of goodman Allin .

Prouided the said James S awyer carie i t be ter than he d id to his said granfather in his time and carie so as becoms an aprent ic vn til he be one

and twen tie years of age vn to the executors of th is wil l nam ly John Prescot t and Jonathan Presco tt who are alsoe herby engaged to pforme vn to

the said James what was pm ised by his said granfather , wh ich was to en

deauor to learne h im the art and trade of a b laksm ith . A nd in Case the

said James doe not pforme on his part as is afor expresed to the sat isfac

tion of the overseers of th is wil l , or o therwise , I f he doe no t acept of the

land aformen tioned ,then the said land and medow to be equaly deuided

betwene the aforsaid John and Jonathan . A nd in Reference to his three


daugh ters , namly Marie , S ara and Lydia they to haue and Receive curieof them fiue pounds to be paid to them by the execu tors to eurie of themfiftie shi l l ings by the yeare two years after the death of theire father to bepaid out of the mouables and Martha Ruge his granchild to haue a cow at

the choic of her granmother , A nd i t is the express w il l and charge of thetes tator to his wife and all his Children that they labor and endeauor to

preserue loue and uni tie among themselves and the vphold ing of Churchand Comonweal th . A nd to the end that th is his las t w il l and tes tamen tmay be truly pformed in al l the parts of it , the said tes tator hath and herbydoth cons ti tut and apoynt his two sons nam ly John Prescot t and JonathanPrescot t Joyn t executors of th is his las t wil l . A nd for the preuen tion of

after trouble among those that suruiue abou t the dispose of the es tateacording to th is his wi l l he hath hereby Chosen des ired and apoyn ted the

R euerend Mr . Joseph Row landson , deacon S umner and Ralph Hough tonoverseers of th is his wi l l ; vnto whom al l the parties concerned in th is hisw il l in all dificult Cases are to Repaire , and that nothing be done wi thou ttheir Consen t and aprobat ion . A nd furthermore in Reference to the mou

ables i t is his wil l that his son John have his anvil ] and after the debts and

legacies aformen t ioned be truly paid and tru ly discharged by the execu torsand the special ] trus t pformed vu to my wife during her l ife and at her

death , in Respect of, s icknes funeral] expences ,the Remainder of the

mouab les to be equaly deuided betwene my two sons John and Jonathanaforementioned . A nd for a further and ful ler declaration and confirmationof th is wil l to be the las t wil l and tes tamen t of the afornamed John Presco tt he hath herevn to put his hand and scale th is 8 of 2 mon th one thousand s ix hundred seaventie three . JO HN PR E S CO TT

his yohn markS ealed signed owned to be the Last will and tes tamen t of the tes tator

afornamed I n the presence of JO S E PH RO WLAN DS O NRO GE R S UM N E R

Apri l 4 : 8 2 . RALPH HO UGHTO NRO GE R S UM N E RRALPH HO UGHTO N Appearing in Court made oath to the above

wil l . J O N ATHAN RE M IN GTO N , Cler ic.

But John Prescott ’s pi lgrim age was far from ended , andseverer chasten ings than an y ye t experienced awaited him .

He had l i ved to see the settlem ent that ca l led him fatherstruggl e upward from di scouraging beg i nnings to becom ea thriving and happy community of over fifty fam il ies .

Where at his com i ng al l had been path less woods , nowfenced fie lds and orchard s y i elded annual l y thei r go ldenand ruddy harvests ; gardens b loom ed ; m echanics pl i edthei r various crafts ; herds wandered in lush m eadows ;


grasping the imp lemen ts that had fal len from the nerve l essho ld of the earl i est b read-winners , with hopeful and pertinac ious purpose to extend the paternal dom ain seeing too ,

m ay we not trust , from the P isgah height of prophetic vis

i on the glorious prom ise awai ting this his Canaan thesesoftl y rounded hi l ls and b ro ad va l leys dotted wi th the winsom e hom es of thousands of freemen ; churches andschoo ls , shops of artisans , and busy marts of trade c lus

tered about hi s m i ll s i te ; and , above al l , seeing the asse rtion of po l itical freedom and l i b e rty of consc ience , whichGovernor John Win throp had reproached him for favoringi n the petition of Rob ert Chi lde . b ecom e the corner-stoneof a giant repub l ic .

No record of John Prescott’s de ath is found ; but whenupon his death—bed , fee l ing that the changed condi tion of

his own and his son Jonathan ’

s affairs requ i re d som e mod ification of the wil l m ade in 1 6 73 , he summoned two of his

townsmen to hear h is nuncupati ve cod ic i l to that docum ent .

The date of the afli davit here appended m akes it certainthat his death occurred about the m i dd le of December ,1 6 8 1

T he Deposi tion of Thos : W i lder aged 37 years sworn sayth that beingw i th J no : Prescot t S enr About S ix hours before he died he ye sd J uo . Presco tt gaue to his e ldes t sonn J uo . Presco tt his house lot t wi th al l be longing to ye same ye two m i l ls , corn m il l saw m il l wi th ye land belongingthere to three seor Acors of land nere S ou th medow and fourty Acorsof land nere Wonches ix a pece of en terui le caled Johns Jump Bridgemedow on both s ids ye Brook . Cyprian S teevens T es t ifieth to all ye tru thAboue wri ten .

DE CE M . 20 . 8 1 . S worn in Court . J . R . C .

Though three y ears short of fourscore at the t im e of h isdeath , he was Lancaster ’s oldes t inhab i tant . H is fe l lowpioneer , Lawrence Waters , who was the e lder b y perhapsa y ear , survived , though b l i nd and helpless ; but he dwe l t

with a son i n Charlestown afte r the destruc t ion of his home ,and never returned to Lancaste r . John and Ralph Houghton , much y ounger m en , were now the veterans of the

town .

CAPTA IN S AMUEL WARD . 36 7

I I . CAPTAIN S AMUEL WARD .

Bor n in Wor cester , S ept . 2 5 , 1 7 39 . D ied at L ancaster , A ug . 1 4 ,1 8 26 .

T he death of S AM UE L WAR D ,E sq .

, late of Lancas ter , at the advancedage of 8 7 , has been noticed in several of the publ ic prin ts . By that even tsociety has los t one of i ts s trong pil lars , his town an active and l iberalci tizen ,

and his relatives and associates a long-tried and valuable friend .

He was endowed w i th rare qual ities both of m ind and heart , and these heretained to the c lose of his l ife . We too O ften l inger around the agedon ly in token of our remembrance of times and services wh ich are pas t .But in the evening of his days his society los t l i ttle of i ts charm . Eventhen his facul ties had much of their original brigh tness . H is deep in teres t in the varying appearance of men and th ings was unquenched . H is

social powers were in ful l exercise . H is venerable features greeted with asmi le the old and the young , and all fel t blessed by his presence . H is

speech l iterally dis til led as the dew, for to the las t i t came rich ly fraugh tw i th en tertainment and ins truction . S eldom d id any one leave him without something new and worth remembering .

He was born in Worces ter, where he enjoyed the teaching of the latePresiden t ADAM S . He served for some time in the old French War , as i t

is cal led , and as a so ldier , was firm and faithful i n the service of his country . Though he was not of the number , who from the beginning wereconfiden t of the success of the Revolu tion , yet he cheerfu lly con tributedof his treasure toward main taining our righ ts . He was wi l l ing to leave tothe jus t who would s trugg le for i t the poor and hard-earned palm of pol i tical em inence , and therefore s tudious ly avoided a public career . Mos t ofthe active portion of his l ife was devoted to mercan tile pursuits . T he las ttwen ty years of i t he spen t in superin tending an ex tensive farm , in readingand reflection , and in deeds of friendsh ip and benevolence .

He was remarkable for a quick and accurate discernmen t of character .He seemed to read i t in every line and every change of the coun tenance .

Before him the mean migh t wel l quail , and the guil ty tremble for none

ever saw more clearly than he the dark windings of their hearts . He had

too the judgmen t and virtue to make the nobles t use of his know ledge of

man . He made i t the foundation of an elevated and ph ilosophic prudence ,that Chris tian prudence which is not bound up in sel f, but which sends

forth i ts cheering and res toring influence to neighborhood , community ,coun try ; building them up w ith holy caution and care .

His memory wil l long be revered for the l iberal ity be manifes ted in all

the relations of l ife . His subs tance was always ready at the cal l of deserving need—for upholding good governmen t and giving s trength andefficiency to ins ti tutions . A s the though t of doing good was to him sat is

faction enough , he was ever anxious to vei l his benefactions in silence .

At his death he left a generous legacy to the Evangel ical M issionary


S ocie ty of wh ich he was a member , and to the poor of the town in wh ichhe hved .

A nd now he is gone— the many Whose tears he has wiped away shal lweep over his grave . They whose wan ts he has fe l t and suppl ied , wil lrise up and bless him . T he s trangers ,

who found a welcome shel ter underthe shades of his hospi table mans ion wil l remember him . T he compan

ions , who were glad in his company Wi l l sigh for his cheeri ng accen ts .

A nd the Chris tian , who bowed as his venerable form en tered the house of

God , wil l Wh ile he mourns cherish the consol ing hope ,that his alm s and

all which was excel len t in his l ife have gone up for a memorial in Heaven .

[Columb ian Centi ne l , Wednesday,August 30 ,

I I I . CAPTA IN GEO RGE LEE THURS TO N .

B or n i n L ancaster , 7 annary 1 6 ,1 8 3 1 . D ied December 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 .

Am ong the m en of Lancaster who in 1 8 6 1 girt themse lves wi th the we apons of s trife that the nati on m igh t havelast ing peace , the one m os t experienced in the m im i c warfareof the c i tizen so ldier y , and apparen tl y b y nature the bes tequ i pped wi th taste and ap ti tude for arm s , as wel l as inspi red with that patriot ic en thus i asm , fearl essness and am

b i tiou which deserve and win high comm and , was CaptainGeorge Lee Thurston . He was the son of Honorab le JohnGates , and Harrie t Lee , Thurs ton . H is father as adjutantof the O ld Lancaster regim en t was no ted for effici enc y andsoldier l y bearing . George p la y ed so ldier wi th the pate rn al accoutrem en ts i n h is tender y ears , and alway s assum edcomm and of the bo y m i li t ia companies that were casua l l yim provised at schoo l , or n oi s i l y organized and paradedduring vacat ions . I n earl i e st m anhood , whereve r his bus iness located him , he at once became a leading spiri t i nsom e i ndependent m i l i tary organizat ion of the vic in i ty .

A t Boston he w as a m ember of the “ Tigers ; at Ogdensburg he was l i eutenan t in an i nfan tr y compan y ; at Chicagohe was se rgeant in the fam ous

“ Ligh t Guard .

” Returning

to his b irthplace shortl y be fore the ci vi l war , he jo ined theC l inton Ligh t Guard , as l ieutenant . Remunerat ive em

plo ym ent fai l ing him i n Massachusetts , during the winter


was drawn up, on the crest of a deep ravine . One il l

officered regim ent of his brigade , as the shel ls of the enem yb egan to burst over it and the m ini e bul le ts to hiss throughits ranks , rapid l y me lted away into the forest-shadowedval ley to the rear . The o ther two , as though each so ldierful l y understood that the safety of the who le Federal arm ydepended upon a m anl y defence of this natural l y strongpos iti on guard i ng its flank , fought S tubborn ly , desperate l y ,against overwhe lm ing odds . For over fou r hours from the

fi ring of the first gun the y struggled successful l y , holdingCha lmers ’ brigade in check until about three o ’clock inthe afte rnoon . Ammunit ion be ing enti re l y exhausted , evenfrom the cartridge-boxes of the slain , and another brigade ,Jackson ’s , having jo ined the Confederates , the survivorssul l enl y ret i red from the ridge now strewn wi th thei r deadcom rades , and unpu rsued m arched towards the steamboat

l and ing for cartridges and orders .

Captain Thurston was conspicuousl y b rave during the

act ion . H is company suffered more severe l y than an yother of the F ifty-fifth . The total loss i n the regiment wasfifty

-one ki l led , one hundred and ninety-seven wounded ,and twent y-seven captured , out of much l e ss than six hun

dred men i n l ine of ba ttle . Captain Thurston ’s com pan yhad nine ki l led outright and thirty-two wounded— oneS i xth of the regim ental loss . But one other Federa l regim ent engaged at Shi loh lost so great a number . In Grant’sarmy were seven ty regiments and twenty batteri es , bes i desseveral thousand caval r y . The casua lt i es i n the F ifty-fifthI l l i nois were nearl y one-thi rti eth O f the whol e loss of thatarm y in the two day s ’ fight ing . Captain Thurston , thoughuntouched b y bullet , was utterl y exhausted b y the l abors ofthe day . He lay upon the ground that night among his

men , d renched with the pouri ng rain that came down withthe darkness upon the b lood y fie ld , unab l e to get food orother refreshment , debarred from sl eep b y exci tem ent , thefierce thunder storm , and the roar of the heavy ordnance

CO LO NEL FRANCI S WAS HBURN . 37 1

hurl ing from the gunboats every five m inutes a huge she lla lmost ove r the heads of the be leaguered patriots . to crashthrough the tree s and burst i n the neighborhood of the

Confedera te bivouacs .

Early in the morning ammuni tion and rat ions were O h

tain ed , and the regimen t rece ived orders to advance agai nto the confl ict . Captain Thurs ton walked at the head of

hi s company for a whi le , but was sudden l y seen to stagger ,and had to be he lped fainting to the way s ide . He neverrecovered from the shock to

'

b is cons ti tution , but unti l Jul yrem ained with the advancing arm y . though unab le to perform any m il itary duty . Genera l Grant then g ave h iml eave of ab sence upon surgeon ’s ce rtificate that such ah

sence was necessar y to save his l ife . H is strength b arel ysufficed to enab l e him to reach Chicago . There , with the

tender care of fri ends and qui et re st , he w as in tim e suffi

c ien tly recuperated to endure the j ourne y hom e , where ,gradual l y growing weaker , he peacefu l ly c losed his honorab le earth l y caree r , December 1 5 , 1 8 6 2 .

IV . CO LO NEL FRANC I S WAS HBUR N , FO UR TH M A S S A CHU

S ETTS CAVALRY .

Bor n i n L ancaster , 7 uly 6 , 1 8 38 . D ied at Wor cester , Apr i l 2 2 , 1 8 6 5 .

Companies 1 , L and M ,commanded by Colonel Francis Wash

burn,marched to Burkesvil le , arriving on the nigh t of the 5 th of Apri l .

Early on the fol lowing morn ing , in compl iance with orders received thenigh t previous , Colone l Washburn , wi th two regimen ts of infan try , eachabou t 400 s trong , and a part of his own force of cavalry , numbering 1 3

officers and 6 7 men,s tarted to des troy H igh Bridge , 1 8 miles dis tan t , and

of great importance to the retreating rebel army . T he bridge was reachedabou t noon , the enemy offering feeble res is tance to his advance . T he

infantry were hal ted in the vicinity of the bridge , wh ile the cavalry pushedon about two mi les further , mee ting a superior force of the enemy

’s cavalry

with art i l lery . A short time before the bridge was reached , Brevet Brigadier-General Theodore Read arrived , with orders to hold and not des troythe bridge . He took command . T he cavalry retired to the bridge ,

and

found the infan try warm ly engaged with another force of the enemy’s cavalry, and showing signs of breaking . I t was soon eviden t that the enemy


was superior in numbers , and that a figh t at long range could no t be maintained un ti l General O rd should be apprised of their si tuation , and shouldsend infan try the on ly troops he had— to their rel ief.

Thus s i tuated between two forces of the enemy—the larger betweenhim and the Army of the James to charge and break through the enemy ,if possible , seemed the on ly honorable course for General Read to take ;no other was sugges ted . Twice the cavalry charged , breaking throughand dispersing one line of the enemy , reforming and charging a second ,which was found in a wood too dense to admi t of free use of the sabre .

I n vain , however ; eigh t of twelve O fficers engaged were put hor s de combat ;three kil led and five severe ly wounded . T he l i t tle band was hemmed inand overpowered by two divisions of cavalry— Rosser’s and Fitz HughLee’s the advance of General Lee’s army .

Colonel Washburn , Whose in trepid bravery in this figh t endears hisname to his associates ,

and adds the crown ing glory to a life e levated bythe pures t patriotism , d ied a few weeks afterwards from the effects of his

wounds .

Because of the influence of the affair upon the resul ts of the campaign ,

I have dwel t upon i t .

T o the sharpness of that figh t ,” says a rebel co lonel , inspector-general on Lee ’s s taff , to General O rd ,

“the cutting off of Lee ’s army at

Appomat tox Court House was probably owing . S o fierce were the chargesof Colonel Washburn and his men , and so determined their figh ting , thatGeneral L ee received the impression that they mus t be supported by alarge part of the army

,and that his retreat was cut off.

” Act i ng underth is impression , be hal ted his army , gave what the “ inspec tor general ”

cal ls s tampeding orders , and began to throw up the l ine of breas t-workswhich were found there the nex t day . Three trains of prov is ions , forageand clo thing which had been sen t down from Lynchburg . on the S ou thS ide road , were sen t back to preven t them from fal l ing in to our hands ,

and h is army wh ich was on third rations , and those of corn only , was thusdeprived of the provis ions , the wan t of wh ich exhaus ted them so much .

Moreover , by the delay occasioned by the hal t , General S heridan wasenabled to come up w i th Ewel l ’s Divis ion at S ay lor’s Creek . When L ee

d iscovered h is m istake , and that the figh ting force in h is fron t was on ly asmal l detachmen t of cavalry and infan try , General O rd , wi th the Army ofthe James , had already profi ted by the de lay , and so closed up w ith himthat a re treat d irect ly sou th was no longer practicable ; he was obl iged tomake the detour by way of Appomattox Court House . General Rosserconcurs in this opin ion , and s tates that the importance of the figh t hasnever been appreciated .

That Lieutenan t-General Grant and General O rd appreciate i ts importance and confirm the principal facts s tated above , is shown by the fo l lowing ex tract from General Grant ’s Report of the Armies of the Un itedS tates


Firs t Massachuset ts Cavalry . T he comm ission was cheerful ly bes towed .

I t was all the young gen tleman asked for . By the course of his s tudiesand practice in Germany he had acquired pecul iar fi tness for the cavalryservice , and seemed worthy of a h igher rank , wh ich was sugges ted to himbut he modes tly decl ined , remarking that he preferred to s take the chancesof his promo tion on the merits of his service . He had returned fromEurope at the firs t in tel l igence of the war , to offer h imself to his coun try ,as some others had done , and preferred to pass upward through the gradations of her service to the honors of the field , if he migh t win them . He

was soon made captain in the S econd Cavalry , all the wh ile remaining athis pos t . When the Fourth Cavalry was organized , w i thout solici tation ,

but not wi thou t reason , he was selected by the governor for the l ieu tenan tcolonelcy . Upon the resignation of Co lonel Rand of this regimen t , Washburn was promptly promoted to his rank . That rank he dis tinguished i n

the eyes of al l his men and his superior officers ; and that sadd le , saveonly a few days of furlough in which to wi tness the burial of his soldierbrother , he cons tan tly fi l led un til he fel l from i t to die . He fough t inS outh Carolina and in Virginia ; he led his men under S heridan , in the

presence of O rd and of Gran t ; and the bes t proof of his fidel ity and his gallan try was in the special recommendation of the Lieutenan t-General , forwarded to Wash ington after his las t bat tle , and when his wounds were no t

supposed to be mortal , that he should be brevetted brigadier—generalwh ich reques t was no doubt complied wi th before his death . At al l timesand on all fields he received the respect and confidence of his men for

bril lian t action , for kind and affectionate treatmen t . I n al l the engagemen ts of three years and a half, he never received a wound un ti l he re

ceived the las t .H is fatal encounter was in that las t critical bat tle which enforced the

surrender of L ee . While endeavoring to des troy the H igh Bridge , overwhich i t was feared Lee’s army m igh t escape , Colone l Washburn was surrounded by Rosser and F . H . L ee , and fough t them t i l l he fel l , i n the oddsof eigh t men to one . He was conspicuous through the figh t , and twicew i th impetuous charge broke through the rebe l l ines and threw them in toconfusion . He m igh t at ei ther of these times have passed on w i th hiscavalry and escaped . Bu t he refused to leave the infan try wh ile their remained the s ligh tes t chance of rescuing them from their S i tuation . A c

cord ingly he made his third charge ,and in th is , wh ile cross ing sabres w i th

a rebel officer whom he had nearly d isarmed , he was s hot in the head byanother, and af ter fie kaa

’

fal len received a sabre cut upon the skul l wh ichfinished his work . He was two days a prisoner, duri ng which , notwiths tanding the gal lan try he had displayed , and which even the enemy affectedto ex tol , they d id nothing for his wounds , and robbed him of his horse ,

his sword and his money ![Hon . A lexander H . Bullock , in the Worceste r S py.]

CO LO NEL FRANCI S WAS HBURN . 375

I t should be said that Colonel Washburn was perhapssubj ec ted to no worse treatm ent by the Confederates thanthei r own wounded rece ived , he being then in the m idst ofan il l-appointed and fl ee ing arm y . H is sword , which hadbeen taken b y General Rosse r , was recovered in due tim e ,but his watch and the other ar ticles of which he was

despoi led have never b een restored . The sab re stroke ofa coward l y ruffi an caused his death but the pistol bul le t ,which , en ter i ng h is cheek , passed down into his lungs ,

exci ted an i rri tati on that i n tim e would prob ab l y haveproved fatal .

378 ANNA L S or LANCA S TE R .

Confiscated royal i st estates , 1 99 .

Conquest of Canada, 63-8 9 .

Const i tution ,state

,d iscussed , 1 53 ,

1 6 7 , 1 7 3 .

Con ti nental Congress , acts of approved ,Conti nental money, depreciation of

,1 49 ,

2 1 3—2 1 6 .

refused for taxes , 2 2 1 .

Continental regiments of M ass .,

1 8

Conven tifms at Cambridge ,1 00 , 2 20 .

at Concord , 98 , 2 1 9 , 220 .

at Lei ceste r , 247 , 248 , 25 2 .

at Lunenburg , 24 7 .

at Paxton ,24 8 .

at Wo rcester,1 0 2

,1 03 ,

1 04 ,2 1 9 ,

2 20

24 6 .

Corn-m i ll,first i n Lancaster , 34 2 , 35 2 .

Cornwallis celebrati ons , 239—24 0 .

Co rporal puni shment, 7 1 , 7 8 , 1 45 .

Cotton factory, first in Lancaster, 2 8 2 .

Counterfe i t money, 2 1 4 .

County, proposed divi sion of, 247 .

C rown Po int exped i t ions , 30 , 5 2 , 59.

“

Culliver gun , 1 0 .

DAN CI N G and French taught in L . ,230 .

Declaration of independence ,1 37 ,

1 53Dedham

,1 40 .

Deerfie ld, 4 2 ,

238 .

Depreciation in papermoney, 1 49 , 2 1 3—2 1 6 ,

Doctors' fees . 2 1 9.

Domesti c utens i ls, Colon ial , 2 26 .

Donat ion party, first in L .,2 1 4 .

Dorchester, 7 6 ,

1 35 ,1 46 , 1 4 7 .

Draft,the

,of 1 8 6 4 , 30 2 .

Dress of so ld iers,etc . , 1 07 , 2 23 ,

27 5 .

Dunstab le,247 .

E M BAR GO ,260 ,

2 6 1,26 2

,26 5 .

E quali zat i on of bount i es,etc . ,

1 5 2 ,1 54 ,

1 6 7 .

E quipmen ts of sold i ers , 1 0 , 1 06 ,1 0 7 .

Excise of 1 7 54 , 3 1 .

F AM ILI E S ,average S i ze of

,209 .

sold i ers'cared for , 1 54 ,1 6 6

,1 90 .

F ay Light Guard , 290 ,29 1 , 292 .

Fi e ld p ieces bought, 98 , 99 ,1 00 .

F i tchburg,8 8 ,

1 03 , 1 2 6 , 240 , 24 7 , 3 1 3 , 32 2 .

Flogging,in army

, 7 1 , 7 8 , 1 4 5 .

Fort Beau S ejour, 45 .

Cumberland , 44 , 4 8 , 49.

Dummer,2 8

,29.

E dward , 5 6 , 59. 7 7 .

Hali fax, 32 .

W ill iam Henry, 59 ,

60, 7 1 .

Framingham,1 3 , 37 , 4 2 , 44 , 3 2 1 .

F reedmen’

s A id S oc ie ty, 302 .

Free trade,1 1 .

French and Ind i an wars, 30—89 .

French N eutrals, 4 8—5 2 .

GATE S'tavern

,1 09 .

Goss and Walley war, 92 , 20 5 .

Grafton , 1 3 , 4 3 , 327 .

Gram notes , 1 70 ,1 7 1 .

Greenfield, 1 2 2 .

Groton,1 3 , 2 6 , 4 2 , 43 , 44 ,

6 5 , 6 6 ,

Guard i ng pri soners , 1 7 5—1 7 7 .

H AR DWICK , 5 2 .

Harvard , 3 1 , 98 , 1 0 2 , 1 03 ,1 04 ,

240 ,247 ,

27 9 ,290 ,

29 1 , S ee also in

dex of so ld i e rs'names .

Hemp and flax rai s i ng,2 1 0 ,

2 23 ,2 29 .

H ighland pr isoners at Lunenburg , 2 33H ighland bonnets forbidden , 7 7 , 7 8 .

Ho lden, 37 , 6 5 .

Holli ston,1 29.

Home-guards , 2 8 7 ,293 ,

Hubbardston , 1 29.

Hull , 1 4 1 , 1 4 2 .

Husk i ng bees,27 4 ,

2 7 5 .

Hyperi on tea, 2 25 .

I M PR E S S M E N T of seamen 2 66 .

Indian rai ds,24 ,

29.

Inspecto rs of market,2 1 9.

Instruct i ons to delegates,etc .

, 95 , 24 8 , 2 49 ,

25 1 .

Insurrection of 1 7 8 7 , 245 , 2 5 8 .

E R S BY tea,2 2 5 .

j esui t vs. Puritan ,1 6

,2 6 .

Jurors'protest vs . Judge O liver , 1 0 1 .

KI N G Geo rge's war

,1 6—29 .

“ K ing George ’

s rights d i splayed 1 0 1 .

K ip'

s Bay, retreat at , 1 44 .

LAFAY ETTE '

S Vi sit,24 1

-4 .

Lake George ,battle at

, 36 , 37 .

L ancaster, N . B

, , 50 ,1 97 .

Lancaster,

"

E arly R ecords of, 9 .

first m i l i tary company of, 9.

Independen t Phalanx , 293 .

Peti tion of 1 80 8,26 1 .

R egiment,8 7 ,

8 8 ,1 20

,1 23 .

Troop,8 7 , 89 ,

1 09 .

Lei cester,247 .

Leominster,26

, 3 1 , 1 0 2,1 03 . 1 04 ,

240 ,

3 22 , 327 , 34 1 . S ee also i ndex of 5 0 1d i ers 'names .

L exmgton , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 25 .

Lexington alarm,1 0 1

,1 05 , 1 1 7 , 264 .

Liberty po les , 93Librari es

,ear ly

,i n L . ,

23 1 , 232 .

Li nen manufacture , 3 1 .

Li ttleton , 1 3 , 4 2 , 4 4 , 5 7 , 6 5 , 1 29 , 1 36 ,1 98 ,

232 ,247 .

Loui sbourg , S i ege of, 1 6—23 .

L ovewell'

s war , 1 1,1 4 ,

1 9 , 27 .

Loyalists , Lancaster , 1 94—209 .

L unenbui g , 24 ,26

,27 ,

2 8 , 35 , 4 2 , 43 , 4 4 , 5 2

5 7 . 59. 69. 7 4 . 7 5 . 7 b . 8 1 . 8 7 .8 8

. 92 .

1 03 , 1 22 , 1 26 , 1 7 6 , 1 80 ,1 83 , 233 ,

24 7 .

Lynn,1 2

,1 2 7 .

M ALDE N , 43 , 2 2 8 .

M anufactures i n L 200,2 1 1 , 2 1 2 ,

27 3 .

2 8 2 .

M arine servi ce , 1 7 7 .

INDEX .

M arlborough. 1 3 . 35 . 37 . 6 5 .

66 ,8 2

,1 2 2 . 240 .

M ay traini ngs , 294 .

M echanics in L . ,2 1 1

,2 2 8

,27 6 .

M i l i tary equipments 1 6 53 ,1 0 .

I 7 7 S . 1 06 .1 07

M i lton, 7 6 ,

80 .

M inute men,1 06 .

M oney,depreciati on of, 1 49 ,

2 1 3—2 1 6

,2 2 1

2 2 2,2 50 .

counterfei t . 2 1 4 .

N AR R AGAN S E T N o . 2,25 , 2 6 , 6 6 .

N eedham,1 4 .

N egro so ld i ers,237 .

N ewbury, 7 6 . I

N ewport , 1 3 , 1 57 ,1 60

,1 7 7 ,

1 8 4 ,239 .

N ews carriers,238 .

N ewspapers become a power , 93 .

N ewton, 57 ,

1 1 7 .

N i chewaug,25 ,

2 6 .

“

N inety-two

,the patriot i c ,

1 05 .

N on-consumption agreemen t, 96 , 98 .

N on-in tercourse act,260

,2 6 6 .

N orthern and S outhern so ld ie rs con t i astedN o rthborough, 1 29, 1 4 5 .

N orthampton ,67 , 238 .

N utfield, 45 .

OFFICE R S,enm i ty between Br i ti sh and

Am eri can, 4 1 , 4 6 , 70 , 91 .

O rigin of Lancaster names, 343 .

PA QUO A GE ,2 5 .

Pepperel l , 24 7 .

Petersham. 35 . 37 . 4 2 . 43 . 44 .

205 .254

Pe ti cod i ac,tight at

, 4 4 .

Po ll taxes of so ld i ers abated, 300 .

Post-offices,237 .

Pos t-r iders,238 .

Potash manufacture i n L 200,2 1 1 .

Prescot pari sh, 343 .

Prices of labo r,1 9 ,

2 1 7 ,2 1 8

,2 1 9 ,

2 2 1,299 .

merchand i se ,e tc .

,2 1 2

,2 1 6—2 1 9 ,

2 8 1 .

voted immutable,2 1 9 .

Pri nceton , 1 25 ,1 29 ,

1 4 1 , 1 4 8 ,1 56 ,

1 7 6 ,1 80

,

Pri soners of war in L .,232—235 .

Prophecy of R ev. John M el len, 90 .

Provmmal Congress,delegates to , 98 , 1 00 ,

1 53 .

O UA KE R H i ll,R . I batt le of

,1 57 .

H Quebec exped i t i on 1 690 ,1 0

,

Q uotas of L. in revo lut i on,1 23 ,

1 43 , 1 49 ,1 7 8 .

i n rebelli on,295 , 296 ,

298—302 , 334 .

P A I S I N G bees,27 5 .

R ations of so ld iers 1 7 7 7 ,1 0 8 .

R ebellion of s lave states,2 85

-338 .

R ece ipts of subst i tutes , 1 50 ,1 5 1 , 2 1 5

R egulat i ng prices ,2 1 6—2 1 9.

R emonstrance against war of 1 8 1 2,26 7

-2 69 .

R eso luti ons passed 1 7 7 3 , 93—95 .

R eturns of polls and estates 1 7 7 1—84 ,

2 1 0 .

R evolutionary war, 90—244 .

379

R hode I s land se rvi ce,1 55—1 6 1 .

R oxbury, 1 30 , 1 35 .

R oyal i sts of Lancaster,1 94—209 .

R ut land,2 6

, 37 , 1 2 7 , 1 7 6 ,1 7 7 ,

1 79 ,238 .

ALE M,1 3 ,

1 25 , 26 3 , 290 .

S andvvich,1 27

S ani tary Comm i ss ion,294 ,

297 , 303 , 30 4S aratoga

, 5 6 , 67 ,1 6 1

,1 6 3 .

S auce money,1 0 8 .

S aw-m i ll,first in L . , 34 3 , 353 .

S choo ls,230 ,

2 80, 2 8 1 .

S em ino le war, 32 1 .

S hays ' insurrect i on, 200 ,

24 5—25 8 .

S heep-rai s ing

,2 23 .

S heffield, 39 , 4 0 , 54 , 7 0 .

S hi rley, 36 , 44 , 6 5 ,

6 6,1 2 2

,1 25 ,

240 . 24 7S hort-se i Vi ce en li stments

, 1 5 5—1 7 7 .

S hrewsbu i y , 36 , 37 , 4 2 , 43 ,6 5 , 6 6 ,

1 2 5 ,1 26

S iege of Boston,1 23—1 37 .

of Carthagena,1 2 .

of Louisbourg,1 6—23 .

S late quarry,2 1 1 .

S lavery i n L . , 98 . 236 ,237 .

S mall—pox, gomg to take, 20 2 .

S o ld i ers ’

R e lief Association,297 , 30 2

—4 .

S o ld iers' R el i ef Fund,297 ,

298 .

S ou thborough,8 2 .

S outhbr idge, 326 .

S pani sh war , 9—1 5 .

S pr ingfi e ld , 43 ,60

,6 1

,254 .

S pruce beer , 84 ,1 0 8 .

S quadrons or classes,1 7 9 ,

1 8 6 .

S tamp act, 93 .

S tati sti cs,dur ing revolut ion

,209 .

S terl ing , 1 6 7 ,1 7 4 ,

1 87 ,2 1 0

,240 ,

244 ,247 ,

S tow , 35 , 1 29 ,

S toughton , 1 27 .

S ubs ti tutes' rece ipts , etc. ,1 50 ,

1 5 1 , 2 1 5 .

S ud lm i y ,1 3 ,

1 4 . 34 6 , 34 8 , 349 .

S un tavern,239 ,

24 0 .

S urdody’

s revenge, 24 .

A VE R N S ,2 20

,2 39 ,

2 40 ,24 7 ,

Taunton, 7 6 ,

234 .

Taxes 1 7 7 9—80

,2 2 1

,2 2 2 .

T ea and i ts substi tutes , 3 1 , 5 5 , 99 ,20 1

,2 25 .

T hanksgivmg 1 7 60 ,84 , 90 .

T iconderoga,6 4 ,

67 ,6 8

, 69 , 7 0 , 7 7 , 7 9 ,1 37 ,

Tides in M inas Bas i n, 4 7 .

Tor i es , 1 94—209 .

Town-mee tings ,records of, etc . , 93 , 94

—1 00,

1 5 2—1 55 ,

1 66,1 6 7 ,

1 6 9, 1 7 0 ,1 7 1 , 1 7 3 ,

1 7 4 !1 7 5 1

1 85 11 86

: 24 6 :24 8 ,

26 1,26 2

,267 ,

269 ,2 8 7—9 ,

296 , 300 ,

30 1 .

Townsend , 37 ,1 27 , 24 7 ,

29 1 ,Train ing bands

,1 06 .

Treaty of A n: L a Chape lle , 30 .

of Ghent,2 8 2 .

of Pari s,8 6 .

S . confederat i on rat i fied , 1 55 .

Utens i ls of colonial t imes, 22 6 .


VALLEY FO R GE ,

223 .

Valuation returns 1 7 7 1—84 , 2 1 0 .

Veteran re-enlistments , 30 1 , 333 .

WAGE S of soldiers , 1 9, 1 0 8 , 1 43 ,

1 67 ,1 7 1 .

of labo re rs , etc .,1 9 ,

2 1 7 , 2 22 ,299.

Waltham, 5 7 ,

1 32 .

War,King Phi l ip’

s, 9.

L ovewe ll's , 1 1 , 1 4 ,

1 9, 27 .

Wi th S pain , 9- 1 5 .

King George ’

s , 1 6—29.

French and Indian , 30—89 .

Indian of 1 7 90 , 259.

revolutionary, 90 -244 .

of 1 8 1 2 ,2 60—27 2 .

Wi th A lgi e rs,2 8 2 .

Florida, 32 1 .

INDEX O F PERS O NS .

I . Co lon ial sold iers of Lancaster. VI I . S oldiers of Harvard in R evolut ion .

1 1 . Co lon i al soldiers of Bo lton . V I I I . S old i ers of Leom inster do.

I I I . Co lon ial so ld i e rs of Harvard . IX. S oldiers dur i ng S hays'Insurrection .

I V. Co lonial sold iers of Leom inste r. X. S o ldie rs of Lancaster , 1 8 1 2—1 8 1 4 .

V. S o ld iers of Lancaster in R evo lution . XI . S old i ers during the R ebellion .

VI . S o ld iers of Bolton do . XI I . Index of misce llaneous persons .

1 . CO LO N IAL S O LDIE R S O F LAN CASTE R .

ALBE R T ,Dan iel

,23 , 1 4 . Blaney

,Jedediah

,8 0 . Cumm ings , S amue l , 34 .

Dan iel, jr . , 7 2 , 7 6 . Brabrook

,W i lliam

, 65 , 8 5 . DEXTE R,Joseph , 33 .

Frederick, 7 2 , 7 6 . Bridgman

,Hen ry

, 57 , 5 8 . D i ckenson,Jerem iah

A the rton,Amos , 8 2 . Brooks

,John

, 37 , 6 5 . 5 7 , 8 5 .

Benjam in ,6 5 ,

Brown ,John

, 5 8 . D ivo ll,E nsign John , 9 .

Davi d, 33 , 4 2 , 44 ,

8 6 . Jonathan, 4 2 . Josiah

, 57 , 5 8 , 60 .

Joseph , 1 0 . Jos iah,86

,8 7 . Levi , 7 7 , 8 2 ,

87 .

Phineas, 4 2 , 59. Wi lliam

, 67 , 80 . M anasseh , 6 1 , 7 6 , 7 7 .

BA ILEY,Bayley , John ,

66,Bruce

,Abraham

, 36 . Phineas, 43 .

6 9, 7 2 , 7 5 , 8 2 . Bryant,M icah

, 4 2 ,6 5 , 7 2 , 7 6 . Do le , Thomas , 35 .

Joseph, 4 2 ,6 8

, 7 2 , 7 6 . Burpee , Jerem iah , 89. D resser,Aaron , 25 , 35 , 38 .

Joshua, 37 , 6 1 , 7 7 . N athan,2 8

,6 1 . O l iver , 37 , 6 6 .

M oses,60 . S amuel , 25 . Dufore ,

David,8 1

,8 7 .

Phineas , 6 7 , 7 2 , 7 6 . Burroughs,John ,

80 . Dunsmoor, John , 7 2 , 7 6 .

S hubael , 66 . Bush,George

, 7 2 , 7 6 , 85 . O live r, 6 6 .

Ballard,Capt. Benjam i n

, 37 , Buss , E benezer , 25 . Will iam, 60 .

40 , 55 , 56 57 , 5 8 , 69 . Jonathan ,60 . Dupee ,

John,25 .

Joseph , 5 8 . Butler , Asaph , 6 6 , 69 . E AGE R ,Ag er , N athan ,

6 6,

E nsign Josiah , 8 7 . S imon, 6 1 . 67 .

S amuel, 37 , 57 , 60 ,6 8

,69. CA N ADY, Gi lbert, 5 8 . E veleth

,Isaac ,

6 8,

80 ,

S herebiah,25 , Carter , E phraim , 8 1 , 8 8 . 8 7 .

Barney,Thomas

, 7 2 , 7 5 . James,6 1

,8 7 , 89. F A I R BA N K

,Cyrus , 60 , 7 6

Barron,Wi ll iam , 37 , 5 7 , 5 8 . Co l. John ,

60,6 1

,87 , 8 8 . E phraim ,

6 1,8 0 .

Beaman or Beman,E lijah

,Jonas

, 8 1 , 87 . Capt. Jabez, 1 1 .

57 , 6 1 , 6 8 . Josiah, 6 1 . Jonathan

,1 0 .

Joseph , 2 8 , 33 ,6 7 . Phi neas , 34 . Jos iah , 37 ,

60 .

Capt. Thomas, 4 2 , 7 7 ,

80 . Chand ler,M oses , 60 . S amuel , 37 ,

8 5 .

Beckford,Thomas

, 6 1 . Chase ,Benjam in , 7 7 . Thomas

,25 , 37 , 8 0 .

Bem is,B eamzs

, Charles , 80 . Co le , Ab ijah , 36 . W i ll i am, 37 , 8 5 .

Bennett,I thamar

, 37 , 85 . Cook , Danie l , 7 2 , 7 6 , 80 . Farmer,Wi lli am

,66 .

Jacob , 6 1 . Cooper , Jeded iah, 6 6 , 7 2 , 8 1 , Farnswo rth , Abe l , 4 3 , 8 1 .

Bigelow,E benezer , 66 ,

85 . 8 7 . Joseph, 4 2 .

B ixby,B ig sby ,

Joseph, 6 6 , Crosfield ,James

, 36 , 57 , 63 , Zachariah, 5 8 .

7 2 , 7 6 , 80 ,86 . 80 . Farrar

,David

,1 5 .

S amuel,6 6 . Crosley, John, 7 2 . Jacob

, 1 0 .

War,M exican

, 27 2 .

of rebellion,2 85 .

Watertown.1 3 . 44 .

1 1 7 . 344 . 345 . 346Westborough

, 37 , 4 3 , 44 ,1 26

,1 45 .

West Boylston , 3 1 3 , 3 1 5 .

Westfo rd , 24 7 .

Westm inster, 8 8 , 1 03 , 1 1 6 , 1 1 7 , 1 2 2 , 1 9 1 , 240 ,

24 7Weston

,1 2

, 20 2 .

Weymouth , 5 1 , 5 2 .

Winchendon , 1 29 , 1 8 1 , 237 .

Woburn,1 3 , 1 4 , 44 .

Wooden horse , 46 .

Worcester,1 3 , 4 3 , 44 , 7 4 , 7 6 ,

80,1 2 8

,2 1 9 ,

2 20 . 232 .234 . 235 . 237 . 238 . 244 .

253 .254 1 320 1 32 6 '

Y A N KE E vs . M acaroni,etc .,

1 38 .

Yorktown surrender,239 , 240 .

38 2 ANNALS O F LA N CAS TER .

7 9.8 2 .

R ichardson,James

,8 8 .

John, 36 ,

80 .

Joseph, 29.

Paul, 7 7 ,

80 .

W i ll i am,25 , 39 .

Wi ll i am, j r.

, 35 , 5 8 ,6 0 .

R obb ins,Dan ie l , 6 1 ,

8 8 .

E dward,6 1

,8 1 .

Jonathan,6 1 .

Joseph ,Joseph , j r. , 36 , 86 .

R oss,James

,6 1 .

S amuel , 57 ,8 8 .

R ugg,Amos

,60 .

A sa, 7 7 .

Dan ie l,6 1 .

John i 37 1 4 5 1 8 6 ‘

Joseph ,25 .

N athan , 44 .

R euben,60 .

S amuel , 60 .

SAM PS O N ,John

,6 6 .

S aunders,David

, 44 ,

S argent,John

,2 8 .

S awyer,Caleb

,8 2 .

E lijah,2 5 , 89 .

E l i sha,8 7 .

Capt. E phraim ,23 , 33 ,

E phraim , j r . ,8 2 .

J O S Ial i , 60 .

Joshua, 36 .

M oses,60

,66 .

N athan iel,60 ,

8 7 .

Paul, 34 ,

Ph ineas,25 ,

6 1 .

Thomas, 2 5 .

S m i th,Jacob, 6 1 , 6 5 ,

8 5 .

M oses,8 8 .

Thomas, 5 8 .

S now,E benezer

, 36 .

E zek i el,6 1

,6 6

,80

,8 6 .

S amuel,6 1 .

S olend ine,

Isaac,

4 4 , 80 .

John,8 6 .

S pauld ing, Benjam in ,8 6 .

O l iver , 1 2 . 1 4 .

S pear , R obert, 8 1 .

S qui rean ,James

,6 6

, 7 5 , 7 9 ,

82 .

Joseph , 6 8 , 7 2 .

S tewart, Jerem iah

, 7 7 .

John,6 0 .

Joseph , 6 8 , 7 2 , 7 6 ,8 2

,85 .

R i chard,80 .

S t i les, Jacob , 44 , 6 1 , 7 5 ,

8 1 .

S t impson ,David

,8 6 .

S tone,Dan ie l

,8 1 .

S o lomon, 33 .

S wan,W i ll iam

,87 .THUR S TO N

,Davi d

, 57 .

66 .

S amue l,6 1 .

Townsend,Jonathan

,6 6

, 7 2 ,

7 6 .

Tucker,Uriah

, 32 .

Tufts,Aaron

,6 1

,6 6 .

Turner,Joseph , 7 2 , 7 5 ,

8 2 .

Lemuel, 44 .

N athan,80

,8 2 .

N athan ie l, 44 .

W i lli am, 44 .

WALKE R ,Hezek iah

, 36 .

R euben, 7 2 , 7 6 ,

8 5 .

Ward, Capt . S amue l, 80 ,

8 8,

36 7 .

Warner,Dan iel

,80 .

Capt. John ,1 8

,2 2 .

John , j r. ,2 2

,27 . 44 , 7 7 .

O liver, 34 .

S amue l, 35 .

S ilas, 6 6 .

W i lliam, 44 , 4 5 .

Whee ler,Darius

,1 3 ,

1 4 .

George,60

,67 .

John, 36 .

S amue l , 1 0 .

Whee lock,Jonathan 7 7 .

Joseph, 34 'Timothy

,1 0 .

Whi tcomb, Capt.A sa,

2 8, 37 ,

A sa,6 1

, 67 .

Hezek iah,John

, 35 ,8 5 .

Jonathan Pr iest, 37 .

Capt . Joseph , 1 8 , 36 , 39 ,67 .

Joseph , j r . ,6 7 .

Wi ll iam,1 4 ,

1 5 .

Wh i te,E l isha

, 37 .

Capt. John ,1 1 .

John, j r .,

23 ,6 0

,8 7 .

Joseph , 6 0 ,87 .

Josiah ,8 2 .

N athanie l,23 , 34 , 8 8 .

Thomas,60 .

Whi ting , Timothy, 37

Whi tney,Jonathan

,6 1 .

W i lde,David

, 4 5 .

W i lde r,Aaron

, 44 .

Abe l,6 0 .

A sa,8 8 .

Benjam in, 34 .

Caleb,8 7 ,

8 8 .

David,80 .

E phraim ,25 ,

6 1,8 8 .

E zra, 80 .

Gardner, 57 ,

6 1,8 8 .

Jacob,1 3 , 1 4 .

James,8 7 ,

8 8 .

John , 2 8 , 60 .

Jonathan,25 , 6 1 , 8 7 .

Joseph , 8 7 .

Jotham,6 8

,

M oses,6 1

,8 8

N ahum, 80 .

O l iver, 5 8 , 7 4 .

O liver , j r . , 8 6 .

Phineas,6 6

,6 9 , 7 2 7 6 .

Ti lley,6 7 , 7 6 .

Thomas, 9 .

Wi les, R i chard , 80 .

Wi llard , Aaron , 6 8 , 69 ,8 1 .

Abijah,1 8

,2 1

,2 2

,

50, 5 2 , 7 4 , 7 6 , 7 8 , 80 ,

83 .

4 .

Benjam in,1 0 .

Caleb, 60 .

Davi d,60 .

E phraim ,60 .

Jacob , 23 , 32 , 4 2 .

James, 44 ,

80

John, 7 1 .

Joshua

, 4 2 .

em, 2 1 , 8 0 ,

8 8 .

N athan ie l,6 8 .

Peter,63 , 7 5 , 7 7 .

Ph i neas,25 , 34 .

C0 1. S amuel,1 1

,1 7 to 3 1 .

C0 1 S amue l, j r .

, 34 , 35 ,8 6 .

M aj . S imon, 9 .

S imon, 34 .

Thomas, 4 2 .

Wi lliam , 6 1 .

W i l li ams, Jacob , 8 1 .

Wi lson , Benjam i n, 5 8 .

John, 44 .

N athanie l, 87 .

Winn, Jacob , 8 6 .

Woods ,Wood,E lijah

, 32 , 37 ,

Jeded iah,6 6

Joseph , 32 , 37 , 6 6,

8 2 .

Levi, 44 , 6 1 , 7 7 ,

8 0 .

S amue l, 57 , 7 7 ,

8 6 .

Wr ight , N athanie l, 7 2 .

Wyman , Ab ijah , 6 1 , 8 7 .

Hen ry , 67 , 7 2 , 7 6 , 8 0 , 8 186 .

J asher,8 2

, 8 7 .

Jason , 7 7 .

M atthew , 29 , 44 ,6 1 .

U i iah, 44 .

YE A R S

,John

, 79 ,8 2 .

INDEX . 38 3

I I . CO LO N IAL S O LDIE R S O F BO LTO N ( IN CLUDIN G B E R LIN ) .

BA ILY,B ay ley ,

Benjam i n,

27 .

Josiah,6 1 .

S i las , 6 1 .

Baker,S amuel , 8 8 .

Ball,Thomas

,27 .

Barnard , John , 36 ,8 2 .

Barnes,N athan

, 32 .

Barney , Thomas,8 6 .

Barrett, O l ive r , 8 8 .

Beers,Jabez

,6 2

,66 .

Bigelow,Benon i

,66 ,

80 .

Brooks,Isaac

,6 6 .

Browne,E phraim ,

6 5 .

Bruce,Abraham

, 5 7 ,6 6 .

Benjam i n,65 .

Dan iel,27 , 33 .

S amuel,27 ,

6 2 .

Butler , E phraim , 7 7 , 86 .CAR R UTH , James, 5 7 ,

66 .

DUN N ,Henry

,8 1 .

F A IR BAN K ,Jabez

,25 .

Fi fe,Jonas , 6 1 .

Fullam , F rancis , 35 .

ATE S ,Paul , 25 .

G ibbs,Hezek iah

,

6 8 .

Gill, O bed iah , 6 1 ,

8 2 .

Glazier,Zachari ah

, 57 .

Goodale,DavI d

,6 6 .

Goss,E phraim ,

8 1 .

Gould , Jacob , 6 1 , 6 8 .

Green leaf, S tephen ,6 1

,6 5 .H ALE

,Joseph ,

6 5 .

Ham i lton,M armaduke

J o. 57Hast ings ,Benjami n

, 36 ,6 1 ,

N athaniel,6 1 .

Hazelt i ne,Amos , 6 2 .

Joseph ,6 8 .

I I I .L L E N ,Dani e l, 6 2 .

A the rton,Benjam in

, 4 2 .

John,6 2 .

Peter,87 .

Peter, j r. ,

8 8 .

BABCO CK ,W i ll iam , 37 .

Barnard , Benjam in ,6 2 .

Blanchard,S imon

, 34 ,6 3 .

Bowers , Timo thy , 8 1 .

Bray,N athani el , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Br idge,Benjam in

, 34 , 57 .

Brown , David , 6 6 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Jabez,6 2 .

Jonas , 6 2 .

Burt,James

,8 1

,8 6 .

Johni6 6

1 7 3 1 7 S °

Wi ll iam ,6 2 .

C L A R K , J udah , 36 ,

Cob le igh ,John

,6 3 .

Hemenway,M oses

,6 1 .

Hendr ick , Joseph , 8 2 .

Holden,R obert

,8 2 .

Holman , Abraham , 35 .

Char les , 32 , 37 .

Jonathan,6 2 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Houghton,Abraham

,2 7 .

Cyrus, 7 7 .

E phraim , 34 .

Jacob,6 1 .

John,27 ,

6 5 .

Jotham,6 5 .

S tephen , 32 .

I lmo thy. 32 . 34 . 55 . 56 . 57

KEYE S,Joseph , 6 5 .

Knight,M atthew

,

Knowlton,Abraham

, 3 2 , 36 .LAR K I N,M atth ias

,6 5 , 8 2 .

L aw, John , 7 5 .

L oeklen,L ocklyne, Denn i s ,

36 1 7 3'7 5 °Longley

, N athaniel, 35 , 6 1 .

R obert, 57 ,

8 2 .

cBR I DE, James , 6 2 .

M cF adden , F ranC I S , 35 ,

S7 .6 6

. 7 7 .80 .

M cwain,E lwam

,Andrew

,

M arble,Benjam in

,27 ,

7 5M ears

,Thomas

, 8 2 .

M er ri am,Amos

,6 6 .

M oore,Jonadab

, 80 .

Jonas , 4 5 .

Joshua ,25 .

Josiah , 7 3 , 7 5 .

S amue l , 25 , 6 1 .

I CHO L S ,S amue l , 5 7 .

N urse,S amuel

,6 1 .OAK , S eth , 34 .

O sburn , E phraim ,6 1 .

IPE R,John , 6 2 .

Po llard ,John

,6 2

, 7 3 .

N athaniel, 34 .

Co le ,Ab ijah , 5 7 ,

John .67 . 7 3 .7 5 .

Conant , Jonathan ,6 2

, 6 7 .

Conn , John ,6 8

,

Corey, S amuel , 7 5S i las ,

8 1,8 6 .

Creasy,Jonathan , 4 3 , 6 8 .

DA BY,John

,67 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Thomas ,8 6 .

Davidson,John

, 36 ,6 2

,67 .

DaVi s,Aaron

,63 .

Abel,

Barnabas,63 .

Del iverance ,6 2 .

E benezer , 2 7 .

John ,2 7 .

Jonas,6 6 .

Joseph ,

Jonas , 7 3 , 7 5 .

O liver , 2 5 , 34 , 6 1 .

W i l li am,6 2 .

Pratt,Abijah

,27 ,

6 2

Joseph , 6 6 , 7 3 , 7 5 , 86 .

.Jos l ah , 7 3 » 7 5 °

Pri est,Gabrie l

,27 , 35 , 6 1 .

Josmh. 3 2 . 35 . 57 .

7 5 .

R I CHA R DS O N ,J O hn , 7 7 .

R oach,E dward

, 7 5 .

R oberts ,R i chard

, 66 ,80 .

SAWY E R,Aho l iab

,6 6

7 3 . 7 5S i lvanus , 35 .

W i ll iam,2 5 ,

6 6 .

S now, E zek ie l , 80 ,

8 6 .

James,6 2 .

Joseph, 6 8 .

S tearns,John

,27 .TOWN S E N D

,Benjam i n

,

6 6, 8 0 .

James, 35 , 6 1 , 7 7 , 8 2 .

John, 7 3 .

R i chard, 57 .

WAR D , E phraim , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Whee le r, John ,

6 5 7 3 .

Thomas,2 7 .

Wh i tcomb,David

, 7 7 .

E leazar,

6 1 .

I srael,25 .

Gen. John ,2 5 , 32 , 34 , 3S

John , j r . , 35 , 57 ,

Jonas : 25 : 34 16 1

1 7 3 ’

Levi,

S i las , 5 7 .

Wi lder,E zra

, 7 7 .

John. 7 3 . 7 5 .

10 1 1 3 5 . 2 7 . 57 .

W i ll iam,6 1

,8 8 .

Wi lson,E l ijah

,6 2 .

Woods, J oS Iah ,

66,8 6

Worster , E benezer 27 .

CO LO N IAL S O LDIE R S O F HAR VAR D .

Jos iah,27 ,

Zadock, 34 .

Day,Isaac

,

D ickenson,David

,80 .

E M E R S O N , _Jacob ,

E ve leth,Joseph , 6 2 ,

66 .

A I R BA N K ,Amos , 6 2 .

Joseph , 8 8 .

Phineas,

Farmer,W i lliam

,2 7 ,

6 2,6 6 .

Farnsworth,Abe l

,6 2

, 86 .

John , 4 3 .

Ph ineas,6 8 .

S i las ,8 2 .

Farr,Dan ie l

, 2 7 .

S amue l,6 2 .

Fe l lows , S amue l , 6 3 ,6 6

,8 6 .

Finney, S amuel , 6 2 .

F ox,Peter

,6 3 .

38 4

Timothy, 6 1 .

ATE S ,E lisha,

2 7 ,6 2 .

E ph raim ,2 7 .

Isaac ,

Jonathan , 7 7 .

Jos iah ,2 7 .

S tephen ,6 6 ,

8 1 , 8 7 .

S tephen , j r . , 8 7 .

A L E,Ambrose

, 7 7 .

Benjam in, 34 ,

63 .

Gershom, 5 7 .

Israel,6 7 .

Harpe r, Dan iel , 43 .

John ,8 7 .

S amuel , 27 .

W i lliam ,27 .

Harris,E phra1m , 7 5 .

Jacob. 7 3 . 7 5 . 8 6 .

Haskell , E lias , 33 ,

E zekiel,6 3 .

James,6 6 .

S amuel, 60 , 6 2 .

S olomon,6 6

, 80 .

S tephen ,27 .

Holden,Isaac ,

Justinian , 27 , 5 7R ichard , 32 .

Ho lman,N athan ie l

, 6 3 .

Holt,Abne r

,2 7 .

Uriah, 35 , 57 , 8 2 ,

8 6 .

Houghton , A retus , 67 .

Dani el. 34 . 39. 6 3 .

John.6 2

. 7 3 . 7 5Joseph.35 . 6a. 67N athaniel

,63 .

Thomas,6 3 .

W i l liam,

Hutch i ns , Benjam i n,

57 . 5 8 .

Gordon, 3 2 , 34 ,

AR VI S ,Luke

, 34 .

Jewett,David

,

M axim i lian, 8 1 .

Wi lliam,6 2

,6 7 .

E E P,Jabez

,8 2 .

Keyes, E lkanah , 35 .

LAUGHTO N , Jerem iah ,8 8 .

E A D,S amuel

, 36 ,6 2

,6 6 .

S amuel , j r. ,6 2 .

M err iam . John ,6 3 .

M etcalf,Joseph, 4 3 .

I CKE R S O N ,Asahe l

, 6 6 ,

O S BUR N ,Thomas

,6 2 .

PA RgHU R S T

,Jonathan ,

6

Pei rce,Jonas , 63 .

Jonathan, 7 3 , 7 5

Zebulon , 6 2 .

Pratt,Phi neas

,27 , 36 .

Preston ,John

, 7 6 .

Priest,Josi ah

, 6 2 .

Proctor , Joseph , 7 3 .

Jos i ah, 7 5 .

RA N D,Aaron , 63 .

Dani el , 6 2 .

R ay, Amos ,R eed , James

,8 2 .

Jonathan,6 3 ,

8 1,8 6 .

R obbi ns,E phraim ,

R ugg,John

,6 6 .

R usse ll,Jason

,8 8 .

SAM PS O N,Benjam in

,27 .

David,6 6 .

Jonathan, 6 2 .

S anderson, Coleman

, 8 2 .

David,6 6 .

John,8 2 .

S amuel,6 8 .

W i l liam, 6 2 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

S awyer, Caleb , 34 ,

6 1,63 .

J O hn ) 35 )6 3 ‘

S ki nner, Wi lliam,27 .

S now,Peter

, 8 0 .

S tone , Amos, 27 ,

6 6, 7 3 .

E l i as, 6 2 .

E phraim , 8 6 .

Isaac , 36 , 6 2 ,6 8 .

M icah, 6 2 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

O liver , 6 2 .

ANNALS O F LANCAS TER .

S tow,Benjam in

, 8 8 .TAYLO R ,Davi d

, 7 7 .

Israel,

D r. John ,67 , 7 6 .

Phineas,6 2 .

Tenney, O l iver , 34 , 63 .

Tuttle,S amuel

,6 2 .

S tephen , 34 ,63 .

AR N E R,N athan

, 6 2 .

Wetherbee ,Joseph

27 , 6 2 .

Jos iah , 27 .

S amuel , 67 .

S i las , 27 , 44 ,6 2 .

Wheeler,Jonathan

,63 .

Wh lPPY !S amuel

, 7 3 ! 7 5 ‘

Wh i tcomb , R obert, 34 ,6 3 .

Whi te,Jonathan

, 6 8 , 7 3 , 7 5 .

Thomas , 67 .

Whi tney,Abraham

, 7 3 .

Daniel , 27 , 6 2 .

Hezek iah, 6 2 ,

6 7 .

Jerem i ah,6 2

Jonathan , 27 ,66 , 6 7 .

Josiah ,M oses , 34 ,

63 .

R i chard, 6 2 .

S almon,6 6 .

Whi ttaker,John

,6 2 .

Whi ttemore,Benjam in

, 80 .

W i llard,Abraham

,6 2

, 66 .

A sa,6 2

, 6 7 .

Charles , 6 2 .

Hezek i ah, 27 .

Peter,6 3 .

Paul,8 6

,87 .

Phineas, j r. ,

6 3 .

S i las ,W i th i ngton

,William

,6 2 .

Wors tei,Ab ijah

, 8 6 .

S amuel , 8 6 .

Wr ight, Caleb , 37 , 80 .

Thomas, 63 ,

8 6 .

IV . CO LO N IAL S O LDIE R S O F LE O M IN STE R .

BALLAR D . James , 6 1 ,Beaman

,John

, 67 ,80 .

Bennett,N athan

, 6 1 .

Boutell , Kendall , 6 2 .

Timo thy,6 7 .

Wi lli am , 35 .

B i own , Aaron , 37 .

Butler,S imeon

, 8 0 .

Buttri ck,A sa, 7 4 , 7 6 , 80 .

John, 4 5 .CAR TE R ,

E l i as, 35 ,Jonathan

,8 8 .

N athan i el,2 8 .

O l iver , 2 8 .

C lark , James, 36 .

Co lburn,N athanie l

,6 2 .

Cooper , Jeded iah, 8 7 .

Corey, Franc i s , 80 .

B ABY,Joseph , 8 0 .

Dodge, S eth , 6 1 .

Zebulon,6 2 .

Dutton, S i las , 6 2 .

R O UT ,John

,6 2

,67 .

Jonathan , 7 6 .

A L E,O liver

,6 1

,8 8 .

Paul , 7 4 .

Harper , Joseph , 8 1 .

Harr i s,E beneze r

, 7 4 , 7 6 .

Hodgk in, S amue l , 6 2 .

Ho lt,Jonathan

,6 2 .

Houghton,Abiathar

,25 , 37 ,

6 1 .

Gershom ,2 8 .

Jonathan , 57 .

Peter.

67 .

R ufus,6 2

, 7 4 .

Howe ,Jesse

, 45 .

O H N S O N ,A sa

,6 2 .

Davi d , 57 .

Jonas, 36 .

Joshua,8 7 .

N athan ie l, 4 5 .

Joyner, E dward , 8 1 , 87 .

E N DALL,Amos

,6 2 .

E dward , 8 1 .

Jonathan, 80 .

K imball,W i l liam

,6 2 .

Kn ight,E benezer

, 36 , 7 7 .LE ACH,John

,6 1 .

M E S S A R D ,Jonathan

,6 2 .

M oore,Barmllai

,8 2 .

PAGE ,Jonathan ,

6 2 .

J onathan , j r. , 6 1 .

38 6

A N A,John ,

1 1 2 .

Davenport, Is rael, 1 29.

Davis,Franci s , 1 4 2 .

D eputron ,W i lliam

,1 24 , 1 8 8 ,

27 4D ickenson ,

M oses,1 6 1

,1 6 2 .

S amue l , 1 47 .

D ivoll , James,1 5 8 , 1 6 2 .

John ,1 7 7 .

Do lbear,Benjam in

,1 6 4 .

Dolbee ,Pardon ,

1 7 2 .

Do le,E lijah , 1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 2 6 ,

E noch , 1 29, 1 36 .

Do llerson ,John

,1 8 2 , 1 9 1 .

D resser,Aaron .

E lijah,1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 63 .

John,1 1 1

,1 83 .

O liver, 1 6 1 .

Drewmore,John

,1 7 2 .

Dunsmoo r , John , 1 1 1 , 1 25 ,

Joseph , 1 1 1 .

Wi ll iam,1 1 6

,1 20 .

Dunton ,James

,1 8 7 .

AGE R , Fortunatus , 1 1 0,

N oah,1 6 4 .

E asterbrooks , N athan, 1 1 2

,

1 24 ,1 4 2 ,

1 47 ,1 8 2 .

E aton,Wi ll i am

,1 63 .

E merson ,Jonathan

,1 44 .

E veleth,Isaac

,1 1 2

,

W i l liam ,1 8 2 .

Z imori,1 6 8

,1 7 7 ,

1 80 .

A I R BA N K,Abel , 1 8 2 .

Calvin ,1 25 .

Cyrus,1 1 0 ,

Jabez,1 34 ,

1 4 8 , 1 7 7 .

Jonathan ,1 1 0 ,

1 5 8 , 1 69 .

Joshua,1 1 2

,1 24 .

Josi ah , 1 60 .

Joseph, 1 1 0 , 1 44 .

Lemuel, 1 1 1 .

Luthe r,1 47 ,

1 50 ,1 8 2 .

O liver, 1 1 1 , 1 63 .

S eth , 1 1 1 , 1 3 1 .

W i ll iam,1 44 , 1 59 , 1 6 2 .

Farm er,Benjam i n

, 1 47 .

Henry W. ,1 1 2 .

Farnswo rth,E l ias , 1 46 .

Farrar,A sa, 1 25 , 1 83 .

Daniel,1 1 1 .

Farwe ll,John

,1 1 2 .

Joseph , 1 69 .

Leonard,1 69.

Flagg, E benezer, 1 1 0 , 1 27 ,

Gershom,1 24 , 1 4 2 ,

1 80,

1 85 .

Fleeman, Adam ,

1 09.

Dan i el,1 2 8 , 1 4 7 .

David,1 80 .

S olomon ,1 59, 1 6 2 ,

1 7 6 .

Fletcher, John ,1 24 ,

1 4 2 , 1 6 2 .

Joshua ,1 1 0 .

Peter,1 60

,1 7 7 .

ANNA L S O F LANCAS TER .

Phineas,1 0 8

,1 09, 1 5 8 .

Flood, S amuel , 1 44 .

W i ll iam,1 4 2 ,

1 47 ,1 64 ,

1 6 8

1 7 2 ,1 8 7 .

Frankli n,Peter

,1 8 1

,237 .

Frost,S tephen , 1 83 .

Fulle r,E phraim ,

1 65 ,1 6 8

1 8 1

Ignatius,1 60 .

James,1 09 , 1 5 8 .

John , 1 8 5 .

GARY,Geary ,

Aaron,1 1 1

1 25 .

David,1 5 8 .

Ichabod,1 1 0

,Jonas,1 57 .

N athan,1 3 1 .

R euben , 1 0 8 , 1 46 , 1 6 2 .

Gates,Lemuel

, 1 29, 1 85 .

R euben,1 7 6 .

S amue l, 1 85 .

Thomas,1 0 8 , 1 09 ,

1 50 ,

Georges , G i deon ,1 8 1 , 1 9 1 ,

237 .

G ibbs, Clark , 1 87 , 1 8 8 .

Glazier , Aaron ,1 25 , 1 4 4 , 1 80 .

E benezer,1 83 .

Jacob,1 59.

O liver, 1 59 , 1 7 2 .

Godfrey, S almon ,

1 09 , 1 34 ,1 44 .

Goodwm,James

,1 0 8

,1 09 ,

1 5 8 .

Thomas,1 1 2

,1 24 ,

1 85 .

Goss,Daniel

,1 34 , 1 48 , 237 .

E lihu,1 83 .

E phraim ,1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 63 .

W i lliam, 1 6 2 .

Gould,W i lli am

, 1 87 .

Grant,Thomas

, 1 5 6 , 1 841 87 , 203 , 2 23 .

Graves,Luther

,1 1 1

,1 25 .

Gray,Davi d

,1 1 1 .

Green,John , 1 7 2 .

Green leaf,Wi lliam

,1 35 .

Gross, O bediah , 1 1 1 .

Grout,W i lliam

,1 64 .H ALE

, E phraim ,1 60 .

O l iver , 1 5 8 , 1 60 , 1 6 9.

Thomas,1 44 .

Hall,John

,1 69 .

Hammond,Thomas

,1 7 2 .

Hapgood , S hadrach , 1 0 8 .

Harri ngton,Ab ijah

,1 64 .

Harri s,Dan ie l

,1 60

,

E benezer , 1 7 4 .

Wil li am ,1 8 4 .

Harthan,M i cah

,1 63 .

Harvey,Darius

,1 4 6 .

Haskell,Abne r

,1 09, 1 5 8 .

Andrew,1 1 2

,1 2 1 , 1 2 2 ,

1 231 24 , 1 4 2 , 1 6 2

,1 6 5 , 1 69,

Hen ry,1 30 ,

1 4 6 , 1 83 .

Jerem iah,

1 1 2,1 24 ,

1 25 ,1 4 2 .

Hawks,Ab ijah

,1 1 2 .

John ,1 0 8 , 1 09.

Hayden,H aten

,James

, jr1 60 .

Head ley,Abraham

,1 75 .

Heard,M ark

,1 04 ,

1 1 2, 1 24 .

Henderson, T homas

,1 6 9.

Hen ry, Charles , 1 65 ,

237 .

Herring, S amuel , 1 1 1 , 1 8 2 .

Hewi tt,John , 1 24 , 1 4 2 , 1 8 1 ,Heywood , S eth, 1 04 ,

1 1 1,

Timothy, 1 1 1 , 1 34 , 1 6 0 .

H ibri s,George

,1 1 1 .

H i nds,Benjam i n

, 1 25 .

Hoar,Joseph , 1 2 8 , 1 44 , 1 93 .

S amue l, 1 7 7 .

Ho lman, S amuel , 1 1 1 , 1 44 .

S olomon , 1 1 1 , 1 60 , 1 6 2 .

Holt, Ab i al , 1 69.

Hos ley,David

,1 1 2

,

Houghton,Abel

,1 60

, 1 7 4 ,

1 7 7 .

Ab ijah,1 1 2 , 1 24 , 1 62 .

Benjam i n,1 1 2 .

Benjam i n, jr.,

1 1 2,1 24 .

David,1 44 .

E li sha,1 1 2

,1 2 2

,1 2 8

,1 84 .

E phraim , 1 59 , 1 7 2 ,1 7 4 .

James , 1 1 1 , 1 46 , 1 6 8 .

Joel,1 1 1 .

Jonas,1 57 , 1 59 ,

1 60 .

N athani e l,1 46 , 1 5 8 , 1 62 .

O l iver, 1 1 0 .

S amue l,1 64 .

S tephen ,1 7 4 .

Thomas , 1 4 2 ,1 46 .

House,Joseph , 1 80 .

Joshua,1 46 ,

1 83 .

Howe ,Abraham

,1 1 0 .

Joseph , 1 1 0 .

Hudson,Wi lliam

, 1 08 .

Hun t,S hereb i ah , 1 59.

AM E S ,Benjam i n

,

1 4 2 .

M atthew,1 1 2

,1 24 .

Jewett, S amuel , 1 1 0 ,1 4 2 , 1 6 2 ,

1 64 .

W i l li am ,1 09.

Johnson,Aaron

,1 1 2 .

E l i sha,1 7 6 .

John , 1 47 .

Joshua,1 47 ,

1 80 .

S amuel , 1 4 2 , 1 44 ,1 5 6 ,

1 7 1 .

1 7 6 .

Jones , E benezer , 1 34 .

Joseph ,1 1 2

,1 5 6 , 1 6 2 ,

1 84 .

N athanie l,1 1 0 ,

1 44 .

Josl i n,E l ias

,1 7 7 .

John , 1 44 .

Joseph, 1 1 2 .

S amuel , 1 1 2 ,1 35 .

I E N DA L L ,Bathan

,1 63 .

E phraim ,1 1 2 .

Jonathan ,1 1 2 .

Joshua, 1 1 1 , 1 25 ,1 6 5 .

Jos i ah,1 1 1 , 1 5 8 . 1 63 .

N oah, 1 1 1 , 1 6 2 .

R euben ,1 8 3 , 237 ,

Thomas,1 42 ,

1 59.

Timothy,1 59 .

Wi ll iam,1 1 1

,1 25 ,

1 63 .

Kendri ck,John

,1 1 2

,1 2 1

,

Kilburn,Aaron

,1 1 1 .

Calvin ,1 44 ,

1 6 2 .

Isaac,1 24 .

Jacob,1 25 ,

1 7 4 , 1 80 .

John,1 1 1

, 1 84 .

Paul , 1 8 7 .

S amuel, 1 6 1 , 1 7 7 .

W i lli am,1 6 8

,1 7 1 .

N IGHT,Amos , 1 44 .

Carter, 1 4 2 ,1 4 8 .

Dani el, 1 1 2 ,1 4 2 , 1 59.

Jonathan ,1 6 2 .

Knowlton ,A sa

,1 8 8 .

Jonathan ,1 1 2

,1 29, 1 64 .

A CY , J ohn ,1 69.

Lark in,Benjam in

,1 6 4 .

E dmund,1 1 2 ,

1 44 ,1 59,

1 60,1 64 .

E phraim ,I 59,John

,1 6 4 .

Joseph . 1 7 7 .

Levi,1 6 2

,1 83 .

M atthias,1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 83 .

Peter,1 1 0 .

Lewi s,Cain

,1 85 , 237 .

E l i,1 8 7 .

J ob ,1 8 1

,237 .

Joseph , 1 1 0 .

L ippenwe ll , R euben,

1 1 2,

Loring,John

,1 46 .

Loudon ,E dom

,1 2 6

,

Lyon,E benezer, 1 6 4 .

S imeon,1 1 1 .

MAN N ,

E benezer,1 64 .

M ann ing, Israe l , 1 1 1,

John,1 1 0

,1 4 2 .

Peter,1 24 ,

1 4 2 , 1 6 2 .

M ason,Paul , 1 69.

S amue l , 1 6 3 .

M ay, Benjam in,1 4 6 .

Johni1 091 1 34 i 1 35 ‘

Levi , 1 46 , 1 6 3 , 1 69.

Thomas,1 3 1 .

M aynard , Artemas , 1 44 ,1 83 .

S pencer , 1 64 .

M cBr ide ,George

,1 87 .

M ccoy, John ,1 27 ,

1 85 .

M c I n tyre ,G i lbert

, 1 85 .

M ears,M yres , John ,

Thomas,1 1 1

,1 44 .

M i ller,Jacob

,1 64 .

M i ll igan ,E dmund

,1 83 .

M oore ,Abel

,1 8 1 .

Calvin ,1 1 1

,1 44 ,

1 63 .

E zra,1 7 2 .

Hugh ,1 1 1 .

John,1 47 .

Jonathan ,1 7 7 .

O liver , 1 3 1 , 1 6 3 .

R euben ,1 1 1 , 1 25 .

INDEX.

R obert,1 69.

Thomas,1 7 2 ,

1 7 6 .

M osman,S amuel

,1 46 .

N E E F,Patrick

,1 8 7 .

N elson,Jonathan

,1 63 .

N ewman,John , 1 84 ,

1 9 1 .

N ewton ,E dward

,1 1 0

,1 34 ,

1 63 .

Jonathan,1 69.

Joseph , 1 6 4 .

M arshall , 1 6 4 .

N i chols,John . 1 4 2 ,Joseph , 1 5 8 .

orcross,Jacob

,1 5 8 .

N owell,Joseph , 1 64

S tephen ,1 7 7 .O S GO O D , David ,

Joel,1 08 .

M oses,1 29 , 1 4 2 .

N athan,1 2 7 ,

1 83 .

PAGE ,Dani el

,1 44 ,

1 6 2 .

Pa lmer,Wi l li am

,1 1 1

,

Parker,Jacob L 1 8 1 .

John,1 7 1 , 1 7 2 .

Park i ns,Benjam in ,

1 44 .

E phraim ,1 6 4 .

N athani e l,1 8 7 .

Parmenter,N athan

,1 44 .

Patterson, J oseph, 1 65 .

Payne,Isaac

,1 87 ,

Pearson,John

,1 1 1

,1 7 7 .

Joseph ,1 44 ,

1 6 0 , 1 6 2 .

Josi ah,1 1 1

,1 25 .

Pei rce,Jonathan

,1 63 .

Phelps , Aaron ,1 69.

Ase l, 1 1 0 .

E l i sha,1 7 6 .

Jacob , 1 1 2 ,1 24 . 1 44 ,

1 8 1 .

Joseph , 1 09, 1 1 2 ,1 24 ,

1 7 7 .

Joshua,1 59 ,

1 6 2 .

Jos iah ,1 09, 1 1 2

,1 24 ,

1 50 ,

Levi,1 7 2 .

Ph inehas , 1 5 6 ,1 7 6 .

R awson ,1 7 2 .

R obert, 1 09 ,1 2 2

,1 24 .

S amuel , 1 64 , 1 7 1 .

Wi lli am,1 1 0

,1 24 ,

1 5 8 .

Wins low ,1 24 ,

1 8 2 .

Phillips , Ab i jah ,1 1 2

,1 24 ,

1 4 2 ,1 80 .

Jonathan ,1 09, 1 1 1 , 1 25 .

Pike,David

,1 25 ,

1 46 ,1 57 ,

1 69.

E benezer,1 1 1

,1 25 ,

1 5 8 .

E phraim ,1 25 ,

Jacob,1 2 4 .

Wi lliam , 1 7 2 .

Pipe r , Calvin ,1 8 7 .

Jacob , 1 1 1 ,1 25 , 1 44 .

Judah ,1 4 2 ,

1 83 .

Powers , E phraim ,1 1 1

,1 44 ,

1 63 .

Jonas , 1 6 2 .

M anasseh ,1 1 1

,1 25 .

O liver, 1 1 1 .

Pratt, James,1 87 .

Prentice , E lisha,1 25 .

John,1 6 9.

S amuel,1 7 7 .

W i l li am,1 80 .

Prescott,E benezer

,1 47 .

H i ram, 1 3 1 ,John

,1 09 .

Jonas,1 1 2

,1 24 .

Jonathan,1 1 1

, 1 63 .

Peter , 1 3 1 , 1 63 .

Pri ce ,E dward

,1 69.

Pri est , Benjam i n ,1 44 ,

1 4 7 .

E leazer,1 47 , 1 80 .

E lijah,1 6 1 .

John , 1 47 , 1 5 8 , 1 69 , 1 8 1

1 85 .

Levi,1 6 1

,1 7 4 ,

1 8 1 .

Prosser,Thomas

,1 25 .

Prouty,Burpee ,

1 80 .

E li sha,1 1 1

,1 57 .

Puffer, Jonathan ,1 08 .

Putnam,John

,1 7 2 .

Peter,1 57 ,

1 6 8 .

W i l liam, 1 63 .

Wi lliam, j r. , 1 5 8 , 1 63 .

RICE , Abi jah , A h a/z,1 6 8

,

Dan i e l, 1 7 7 .

J onas , 1 44 ,1 57 .

Luther , 1 25 ,1 44 ,

1 83 .

S amuel,1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 93

S i las , 1 1 1 .

R i chardson,Abel

,1 63 ,

1 7 1 .

Benjam in, 1 6 1 .

E phraim ,1 1 1

,1 2 1

,1 25 .

George,1 24 ,

1 8 2 .

James, 1 6 1 .

R eso lved,1 69.

R obert,1 8 1

,

Ti lley,1 5 8 , 1 63 .

Wi l liam,1 1 0 , 1 4 2 ,

R obbins,Benjam i n

,1 60 .

Dani e l, 1 1 0 .

David,1 1 0

,1 2 2

,1 24 ,

1 2 5 .

Jacob,1 1 1

,1 44 .

John,1 1 0

,1 6 2 .

Levi,1 60

,1 7 6 .

R odman,Peleg

,1 8 2 .

R ogers,Perley

,1 8 0

,237 .

R oper , A sa,1 3 1 .

Benjam in,1 7 2 .

E noch,1 6 2 , 1 64 , 1 69, 1 7 2 ,

1 7 4 .

John , 1 6 1 , 1 63 ,1 7 7 .

M anasseh,1 6 3 .

N athani el,1 4 6 , 1 5 8 .

S ylves ter,1 60

,1 7 7 .

R oss,E benezer

,1 1 1

,Jonathan, 1 1 2 ,

1 24 ,1 44 .

M icah,1 87 .

R euben , 1 57 , 1 59 ,1 7 4 ,

1 7 6 .

S eth , 1 1 1,1 25 , 1 44 ,

1 8 3 .

S tephen ,1 60 .

Thomas,1 1 1 .

R ugg,Aaron

,1 5 8 , 1 6 1 .

Amos,1 4 2 .

A sa,1 0 8

,1 2 5 , 1 5 7 , 1 83 .

Dan iel , 1 34 .

38 8

E lijah ,1 6 2 .

E l i sha,1 1 2

,1 24 ,

1 4 2 , 1 6 1 .

E phraim ,1 44 .

Joshua,1 44 , 1 5 8 , 1 6 2 .

R ussell , James,1 8 1 .

SADLE R ,Benjamin ,

1 64 .

S ampson ,David , 1 5 8 .

S eth , 1 87 .

S argen t , Amos , 1 5 8 .

John ,1 7 2 .

S eth, 1 09.

S avage ,Joseph, 1 25 , 1 29.

S awte ll , S olomon ,1 6 1 .

Thomas,1 4 6 .

S awyer, Aaron , 1 63 .

Abel , 1 6 8 , 1 7 2 ,1 7 6 .

Abner,1 46 , 1 83 .

Amos,1 6 2 .

Calvin , 1 6 8 .

Co rnelius , 1 63 .

E ber , 1 1 2 ,1 24 ,

1 6 8 , 1 7 4 .

E li sha,1 35 , 1 63 .

E phraim ,1 1 6 , 1 20

,1 34 ,

1 47 .

E phraim , j r., 1 25 ,1 84 .

E zra, 1 1 1 , 1 3 1 .

Jacob,1 59 , 1 7 4 .

James , 1 2 5 , 1 80 .

J eduthan ,1 7 2 , 1 87 .

John ,1 1 1 .

Jonathan ,1 1 2

,1 2 1

,1 24 .

Joseph, 1 27 .

Joshua,1 1 1 ,

Jude,1 1 1 , 1 25 .

Lemuel , 1 09 .

M anasseh,1 1 1 , 1 35 , 1 46 ,

1 5 8 .

M oses , 1 1 0 .

N athani el , 1 1 2 ,1 35 , 1 44 .

Paul,1 1 2

,1 69, 1 7 2 , 1 80 .

S amue l , 1 1 1 , 1 3 1 , 1 35 , 1 43 ,1 44 .

S amuel , jr. , 1 09 , 1 6 8 .

Thomas,1 1 1

,1 4 6 .

Thomas, jr. ,

1 1 1 1 63 .

S eaver , Joseph , 1 3 1 , 1 5 8 .

S every, Thomas , 1 64 .

S hattuck , Timothy , 1 60 .

S haw,William ,1 1 0

,1 24 ,

1 25 ,1 85 .

S hed , Lemuel, 1 80,

S imes, O nis

,1 83 .

S k inner , R obert, 1 8 1 , 1 9 1 .

S mith,A sa

,1 1 1 .

A sa, jr. ,1 1 1 .

Benjam in , 1 25 , 1 44 ,1 65 .

Lewi s , 1 64 .

T homas , 1 25 .

S now,John , 1 46 , 1 56 .

S amuel , 1 63 ,1 7 1 , 1 7 4 , 1 7 6 .

S poffo rd , John ,1 1 1

,1 6 2 .

S tacy, John ,1 64 .

S prague , Hosea,1 7 2 .

S taples , Wi lliam , 1 84 .

S tearns , A sa, 1 1 0 .

A N N A L S (N 7 L A N CA S T E R .

Benjamin ,1 6 5 .

Timothy, 1 44 .

S ti les , Jacob , 1 85 .

Joshua,1 5 8 .

S tuart , Charles , 1 80 , 237 .

John ,1 3 1 .

S o lomon ,1 34 , 1 63 .

A F T ,N athan ,

1 57 , 1 8 8 .

Taylor, N athani e l, 1 56

Wi lliam,1 84

Temple ,Franc i s , 1 57 .

Tenney, Amos,1 7 7 .

Jonathan , 1 7 1 .

O liver, 1 6 1 .

T ew,Peter , 1 84 .

T hayer , Abel, 1 60 .

Thomas,E dward, 1 4 2 .

Thompson ,James , 1 7 7 .

Jonathan ,1 1 1 , 1 63 .

S amuel , 1 1 1 , 1 3 1 , 1 63 .

S tephen ,1 8 2 .

Thurston,John

,1 1 2 , 1 44 ,

1 64 .

Peter, 1 0 8 .

S amuel, 1 1 0 ,

Tigh, Cornelius , 1 8 1 .

Tower , Isaac , 1 1 1 , 1 25 .

T ucker , Jonathan ,1 7 7 .

WALL,James

,1 25 .

Ward , Uriah, 1 09.

Warner,John ,

1 24 , 1 4 2 , 1 47 ,1 8 1 .

Levi,1 4 2 , 1 6 8 .

Warren,Isaac, 1 84 .

Wheeler, John ,1 1 1 , 1 25 , 1 4 2 ,

1 80 .

Whee lock,Benjamin

,1 60 ,

1 8 2 .

Davi d,1 7 7 .

John.1 1 2

.1 24 .

1 29. 1 59.1 60

,1 6 9.

John 2d ,1 59, 1 6 1 ,

1 85 .

Jonathan ,1 29, 1 4 2 , 1 8 2 .

Joseph ,1 4 6 , 1 8 2 .

O liver , 1 5 8 , 1 69, 1 7 2 , 1 7 6 .

W i lliam ,1 1 2 .

Whitcomb,Abner , 1 60 .

A sa ,1 05 , 1 1 4 , 1 1 7 ,

1 1 8 , 1 1 9 , 1 20 , 1 2 1,1 2 6 ,

1 3 2 , I 33 . 1 34 . 1 35 . 1 37 10

1 4 1 .

Davi d,1 44 , 1 5 8 , 1 8 1 .

E noch , 1 42 , 1 5 8 .

E phraim ,1 27 , 1 87 .

Francis , 1 8 1 .

Hezek iah,1 44 .

John ,1 43 , 1 60 .

Jonathan,1 3 1 , 1 59, 1 7 1 ,

I 7 4 . 1 7 6Jonathan P 1 08 .

Phi neas,1 5 8 .

S amuel,1 59 .

Whitaker , David , 1 1 0 ,1 6 2 .

Whi te,Ab ijah , 1 6 1 .

E lisha,1 4 6 .

E phraim ,1 6 2 ,

1 7 6 , 1 87 .

John,1 1 0 .

John , jr. , 1 09 , 1 34 , 1 6 2 ,1 7 6 .

Jonathan , 1 1 0 ,1 24 .

Joseph , 1 1 0 ,1 60 .

Levi , 1 7 4 .

N athani el,1 1 0 ,

1 44 .

N athaniel 2 d ,1 1 0

,1 24 ,

1 3 1 .

Whit ing , John , 4 ,1 8 2 .

Timothy, 1 85 .

Whi tney,Caleb, 1 1 0 ,

1 63 ,1 83 .

Case , 1 8 8 .

E lisha,1 44 .

Hanam iah,1 7 7 .

Jonathan , 1 1 0 .

Joshua ,1 1 1

,1 25 , 1 83 .

Whi ttemore,Benjam in

,

1 1 1 .

John ,1 64 .

W i ldernA saph ,1 5 8 .

A sa,1 1 0 .

Calvin ,1 60 .

Daniel,1 60 .

David,1 5 8 , 16 3 .

E lihu,1 63 , 1 69.

E lijah ,1 1 0

,1 44 ,

1 6 3 .

E ph raim ,1 46 .

E phraim , j r. , 1 3 1 , 1 63 .

Jacob , 1 1 1 , 1 24 .

Jacob 2d‘

1 1 2,1 25 , 1 56 ,

James,1 64 , 1 7 2 ,

1 7 6 .

John , 1 85 .

Jonathan ,1 1 0 .

Jonathan , jr. , 1 1 0 ,1 1 1

,1 44 ,

1 7 7 .

Josiah,1 1 0 .

Jotham , 1 24 ,1 6 2

,

1 6 4 .

Levi,1 3 1 , 1 34 , 1 44 ,

1 83 .

Luke,1 50 ,

1 6 2 . 1 69.

Luther,1 7 7 .

M oses , 1 1 0 .

N athan,1 60 .

Phineas,1 1 0

,1 7 5 .

R euben ,1 60 , 1 6 8 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 7 .

S amuel , 1 1 2 ,1 34 , 1 60 .

S tephen ,1 1 2 .

Timothy,1 1 1

,1 3 1 , 1 46 .

1 8 1 .

Titus,1 1 2 .

Wi lli am , 1 1 2 .

Wiles , E phraim , 1 56 .

Wi lls , J i les or Falls , 1 1 1 , 1 28 .

W i llard,Aaron ,

1 30 .

Aaron 2d ,1 7 2 ,

1 7 4 , 1 83 .

A rtemas,1 60

,1 7 4 .

Dan iel,1 47 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 7 .

David,1 09 .

E phraim ,1 09 ,

1 63 .

I srae l , 1 09 ,1 2 2

,1 24 , 1 27 .

James, 1 4 2 ,

1 8 2 .

John,1 1 2

,1 4 2 , 1 63 , 1 69 ,

1 7 2 .

Joshua,1 46 ,

Pete r , 1 80 .

390

Jones , N athan ,1 1 6 .

S amuel,1 1 6

,1 2 8 .

S amue l , j r .,1 1 6 .

S olomon , 1 1 6,1 29 ,

1 45 ,

Wi lliam,1 1 6 .

J oy,R ichard

,1 9 1 .

KEYE S , Joseph , 1 45 ,1 4 8 .

LO N GLEY,Abram , 1 69.

E li,1 69 , 1 7 2 .

John,1 2 8

,1 45 , 1 56 .

N athan i e l , 1 1 6 , 1 45 , 1 63R obert, 1 1 6 , 1 2 1 , 1 2 2 ,

1 2 8,

1 43 .

M CBR IDE,Thomas

,1 09.

Wi ll i am,1 6 0 .

M cDonald ,Dan iel

,1 9 1 .

M c I nt i re,James

,1 92 .

M cwai n, Andrew,

1 1 5 , 1 9 1 .

M arble ,Benjam in

,1 1 5 .

M arti n,E dward

,1 5 8 ,

1 63 .

M ason,Thomas

,1 4 8 , 1 6 3 .

M aynard,David

,1 45 .

Josiah,1 4 8 .

Jotham,1 1 6 .

M eri am,Levi

,1 1 5 , 1 45 .

Jonathan,1 1 5 , 1 2 1 , 1 28 .

M oore , Abel , 1 1 5 , 1 2 8 , 1 8 1 ,1 9 1 .

Abner,1 1 5 , 1 27 , 1 44 ,

1 9 1 .

David, 1 4 8 , 1 59,

1 60 .

Gardner, 1 09 , 1 2 8 , 1 47 .

I saac , 1 4 8 .

Jacob,1 1 6

,1 63 .

John,1 47 ,

1 59, 1 64 ,1 92 .

Jos iah,1 1 5 .

Phineas,1 1 6 .

R euben,1 9 1 .

R ufus,1 60

,1 6 8

,1 7 4 , 1 7 7 .

S amue l,1 65 ,

1 6 8 .

Ur i ah,1 63 .

Wi llard,1 4 2 . 1 5 8 .

M osman,Joshua

,1 4 8 .

O liver , 1 4 8 .

Timothy,1 1 5 , 1 2 8 , 1 50 .

M unger,Jonathan

,1 9 1 .

M uzzy,Benjam in

,1 1 6 .

N EWM AN,John ,

1 84 ,1 9 1 .

N ourse,A sa

,1 1 6 .

Benjam in,1 1 6 .

VI I .ADAM S ,

Jonathan 1 1 4 ,

1 27 .

Amsden,Adam

,1 6 8 .

A therton,Joel

,1 93 .

John.1 1 4 .

1 7 3 . 1 7 7 .1 93Joseph ,

1 1 4 ,

Joseph 2d ,1 1 4 ,

1 47 .

S amuel , 1 4 8 , 1 92 ,2 1 5 .

BALDWI N ,David

, 1 4 2 ,

1 7 6 .

Barnard,Benjam in ,

1 1 4 .

David,1 07 ,

1 4 8 ,1 6 2 .

John,1 50 .

Jonathan,1 1 6 .

A KS ,Beri ah

,1 1 6

,1 7 4 .

N athani el,1 1 5 ,

1 7 2 .

O sburn ,Thomas

,1 1 6

,1 34 .

O sgood,Amos

,1 1 6 .

I E R CE,John

,1 1 6 .

Piper , Abel , 1 1 6 , 1 47 .

Plato, N egro

,1 9 1 .

Po llard,Thaddeus

,1 1 6 .

Thomas,1 1 6 .

Walter,1 60

,1 7 7 .

William, 1 1 6 , 1 34 ,

1 5 8 .

Powers,Hen ry

, 1 47 .

John,1 47 .

Pratt,Joseph , 1 1 5 , 1 2 8 , 1 9 1 .

S tephen ,1 4 5 .

Pri est,Abel

,1 47 ,

1 4 8 , 1 59 ,

Gabr i el,1 09 ,

1 1 6,Jerem i ah

,1 1 5 .

Job ,1 27 ,

1 9 1 .

Jonathan ,1 1 6 .

I CE ,David

,1 1 6 .

E li akim,1 4 5 .

Harry,1 6 0 .

R obbins,Jonathan

,1 1 6 .

R oss,John ,

1 1 5 .

Wi lli am,1 1 6

,1 2 8 . 1 45 ,

1 4 8 ,1 7 2 .

R ugg , Joseph , 1 45 .

R uggles,York

,1 5 1 . 1 90 .

SALT, Joseph , 1 90 .

S awyer , Ben jamin ,1 2 8

,

Barnabas,1 4 8 , 1 7 6 .

Geo rge,1 1 6

,1 29, 1 45 , 1 4 8 .

I srael,1 1 5 , 1 2 8 .

Joseph , 1 1 6 , 1 4 2 ,1 4 8 .

Josiah ,1 1 5 , 1 5 6 .

J osrah , j r .,1 1 5 , 1 6 5 .

W i lli am,1 1 5 ,

1 2 8 .

W i lliam,1 1 5 ,

1 2 8,

S kinner,R obert

,1 8 1 , 1 9 1 .

S now,James

,1 59, 1 9 1 .

S m i th, S ilvanus , 1 2 1

,1 83 ,

E phraim ,1 2 1 .

S outhgate , Amos,1 2 8 .

S tanhope ,Peter , 1 47 .

S amuel , 1 1 5 .

S ti les, David , 1 1 6 .

E phraim ,1 1 4 .

Jotham,1 1 5 .

M oses,1 2 1 .

Barret, S amue l, 1 92 .

Beaman,Jabez

,1 80 ,

1 92 .

Bennett,Wi ll iam

,1 1 4 .

Blanchard,Joseph, 1 1 4 , 1 1 5 ,

John ,1 7 7 .

L ysaias , 1 6 5 .

S imon,1 92 ,

ANNALS O F LANCA S TER .

S tratton ,David

,1 1 6 .THE R O N ,

Antony,1 9 1 .

Townsend,Abraham

1 6 4 .

James,1 1 5 .

John,1 1 6

,1 4 8 .

Joshua,1 1 5 .

R i chard,

1 6 3 .

R i chard 2d,1 63 ,

1 7 6 .

R obert , 1 4 2 ,1 4 8 , 1 6 4 .

VAUGHAN , R obert, 1 9 1 .

WALCO TT , Jabez, 1 1 6 .

Jesse,1 45 , 1 5 8 , 1 65 .

Wasse ls , Thomas,1 92 .

Welch,John

,1 1 5 .

Jonas , 1 1 6 ,1 2 8

,1 59, 1 6 1 .

S i las,1 1 5 ,

1 2 8 .

Wetherby,Davi d

,1 60 .

Whee le r,Deliverance

,1 45 ,

Wh i tcomb,Abel

,1 47 .

E l ihu,1 60 .

E zra,1 4 2 .

John ,1 05 , 1 06

,1 1 0

,1 1 2

,

1 1 3 ,1 1 5 , 1 1 6 , 1 1 7 ,

1 1 8,

John, jr. ,

1 5 6 , 1 6 5 .

Jonas,1 1 6 .

Jonathan, 1 1 5 .

1 4 8 , 1 59 ,Jotham ,1 4 8 , 1 6 1 .

N athaniel,1 7 2 .

Paul,1 1 6 .

R i chard,1 4 7 .

S i las , 1 4 2 ,1 63 .

Wi ll i am,1 09 ,

1 2 8,

Whi te , E noch , 1 63 .

S amuel,1 1 5 .

W i lliam,1 1 5 .

Whitney, Abraham ,1 1 5 .

E phraim . 1 1 6,1 45 , 1 69 ,

1 7 6 .

John ,1 92 .

Whybert , Wi lliam,1 9 1 .

Wi lder , Abel, 1 4 7 , 1 5 8 , 1 7 6 .

W i lson , Je rem iah,1 1 5 .

John,1 1 5 , 1 4 8 , 1 60 ,

1 64 .

Paul , 1 47 ,1 6 8 .

S olomon,1 6 4 .

Wood , Joseph, 1 1 4 , 1 1 6 ,1 2 8

Worcester, E benezer , 1 1 6 .

HAR VAR D S O LDIE R S I N RE VO LUTIO N .

Bowers,Joshua

,1 1 4 , 1 27 .

Bridges,Benjam in

,1 4 8 , 1 69 ,

1 7 3 .

Jerem iah , 1 1 4 ,1 4 8 , 1 92 .

Brown, S amue l , 1 1 5 .

Thaddeus,1 59 , 1 7 3 .

Burbank,Isaac

,1 6 1 .

Burges, E benezer , 1 1 4 .

S olomon,1 2 6 .

Thomas,1 4 8 , 1 92 .

Burnham,Thomas , 1 93 .

Zadock , 1 92 .

Burt,Dan i e l, 1 2 6 , 1 92 .

James,1 1 5 ,

1 2 1,1 2 2

,1 23 ,

1 2 6,1 3 1 , 1 4 8 , 1 64 .

James,1 5 6 , 1 63 ,

1 64 .

W i ll i am,1 1 4 ,

1 4 8 .

HA M BE R L A I N , Thos1 1 4 ,

1 26,1 92 .

Cheney , E dward , 1 1 4 .

C lark ,J onathan ,

Coburn ,T i tus

,1 92 .

Cole,A b ijah

,1 7 3 .

Conant , R euben ,1 47 , 1 92

S imeon,1 7 3 ,

1 7 4 .

Coon ,George

,1 1 5 .

Cooper, S imon ,1 1 5 , 1 4 8 .

Cox,E zek iel

,1 1 3 , 1 92 .

C rouch , Isaac ,1 63 .

Jonathan,1 1 5 , 1 6 5 .

Timothy,1 1 5 .

Cutler,Benjam i n

,1 1 4 .

DA BY, E lnathan ,

1 92 .

John, 1 1 4 ,

1 34 ,1 5 8 , 1 69.

John ,1 1 4 .

Davi s,Aaron

,1 1 5 .

E benezer,1 1 3 ,

1 27 .

E phraim ,1 1 5 ,

1 34 , 1 4 8 .

Jacob,1 1 3 , 1 2 2 ,

1 27 ,1 92 .

Jonas , 1 92 ,1 93 .

Jonathan ,

Jonathan 2 d , 1 1 4 .

Josiah,1 1 4 ,

1 27 .

M icah,1 5 8 .

S amuel , 1 4 8 , 1 63 .

Thomas , 1 6 9.

Dodge,R euben

,

Thomas,1 64 .

Dudley,John

,1 6 1

,1 93 .

E DWA R D , O li ver, 1 59.

F A IR BAN K ,Amos

,1 1 4 ,

1 34 .

Cyrus , 1 1 4 ,1 27 .

J acob .I 7 4 . I 7 7

Joseph, 1 1 4 .

Levi,1 1 4 ,

1 4 8 .

Phineas , 1 1 4 .

Farmer, S imon ,

1 2 8,

Farley,Benjam in

,1 6 4 .

Farnswo rth,A bel

,1 1 5 .

A sa,1 1 4 .

Harbour,1 6 5 .

John,1 1 3 .

Jonathan,1 4 8 , 1 92 .

Joseph , 1 47 .

Lemue l,1 1 4 .

Levi,1 92 .

M anasseh,1 48 , 1 92 .

N athan iel,1 1 4 .

Ph i neas,1 1 5 .

S amuel,1 1 4 ,

1 4 7 , 1 92 .

Farr,Franc i s

,1 1 4 ,

1 27 , 1 5 8 .

Wi lliam . 1 6 9 ,

Farwe ll, David , 1 1 5 ,John S . ,1 1 5 , 1 2 6 .

F ay, Joseph , 1 2 6 .

Finney,P lzzmzey ,

Joel,1 09,

INDEX .

S amuel,1 1 4 ,

1 26,1 92 .

Fry, Joseph , 1 4 2 , 1 4 8 , 1 561 92 .

Fullam,E lisha

,1 27

1 5 8 .

Jacob,1 1 3 ,

1 27 .

Phineas,1 64 .

Furbush,Dan iel

,1 1 4 .

Jam es,1 59.

S amue l,

GAR F IE LD , N athan,1 59.

R euben,1 1 3 ,

1 27 , 1 6 8 .

Gates,Isaac

, 1 1 4 .

Jos i ah,1 1 4 , 1 27 .

Gleason,George

,1 1 4 , 1 27

HALE,Benjamin

,

1 93 .

Isaac,1 1 4 .

Is rael,1 6 1

,1 7 4 , 1 92 .

John,1 59.

M oses,1 1 5 .

Ham lin,America

,1 6 8

,1 7 3 ,

I 74 . 1 7 6 .

E urope ,1 65 .

H arri s,Wi ll iam

,Haskell,James

,1 1 3 .

Jos iah,1 1 4 .

Lemuel,1 1 4 .

O l iver,1 6 9, 1 7 3 , 1 7 6 .

S amuel,1 60 .

S olomon,1 1 3 , 1 2 7 ,

1 4 8 .

W i ll iam,1 1 4 ,

1 26,1 6 3 .

Haven,A sa

,1 1 4 .

Hazlet i ne, N athan iel

,1 59,

I 7 3 . 1 93 .

H i ll,John

,1 47 , 1 4 8 , 1 59 , 1 63 .

S amuel , 1 1 4 , 1 34 , 1 4 8 .

Holden,Isaac

,1 1 4 , 1 2 6 .

Houghton,David

,1 1 5 .

E lijah,1 1 4 .

E li sha,1 84 , 1 92 .

John,1 1 4 .

Jonathan ,1 6 8

,1 7 3 .

Joseph , 1 1 4 ,1 48 .

Hutchins , Jacob , 1 64 .

Jonathan ,1 4 8 , 1 92 .

S amuel , 1 7 4 .

KE E P,Jabez

,1 1 3 ,

1 92 .

Jabez» jr. , 1 1 5 ! 1 34 )1 43 !

1 4 8 , 1 92 ,1 93 .

Kingman,M alberry, 1 1 4 .

Kn ight,Dan i el

,1 93 .

John ,1 1 4 .

Joseph , 1 1 4 .

Laughton,Daniel

,1 47 .

Je remiah,

John,1 47 .

Thomas,1 64 .

L awrence Benjam in ,1 1 4 ,

1 27 .

Longley, Joseph , 1 93 .

Lund,Jesse

,1 92 .

M CCO Y ,John ,

1 27 .

M ead,A sa,

1 93 .

Jason ,1 93 .

John,1 1 3 , 1 2 1 , 1 27 ,

1 5 8 .

39 1

O liver , 1 1 4 .

S amuel,1 1 5 .

M un roe , Abraham ,1 1 4 ,

1 27 ,

1 92 .OAKS, John ,

1 7 3 , 1 92 .

A GE,Daniel

,1 7 6 .

Park,Parks

,Andrew

1 27 .

Joseph , 1 1 5 , 1 27 .

Wi l li am, 1 1 5 ,

1 4 8 ,Parker

,David

,1 93 .

E leazar, 1 60 ,

1 92 .

John,1 7 6 .

Patterson,N ieholas

,1 1 4 .

Peabody,Thomas

,1 6 1 .

Perry,James

,1 1 5 .

Phelps , Timothy, 1 1 5 .

Pollard , Jonathan ,1 1 3 .

Thaddeus,1 1 3 , 1 27 ,

1 63 .

Walter,1 7 6 .

Pratt,Thomas

, 1 1 3 ,1 27 .

Priest , Aaron ,1 1 4 ,

1 2 7 , 1 65 ,

1 6 8 .

Jacob,1 1 4 ,

1 27 , 1 5 8 .

Jerem iah,1 1 4 .

John ,1 1 4 .

Joseph , 1 64 .

Phi lemon,1 1 4 , 1 47 ,

1 48 .

Procter , W i l liam, 1 92 .

Puffer,Jonathan

,1 47 ,

AM S DE LL, Freedom1 6 5 .

N ehem i ah,1 5 8 , 1 60 .

R and, S i las , 1 1 5 .

R andall, S tephen ,

1 1 4 .

R eed,Abijah

,1 1 5 .

Jonathan,1 1 4 .

R obbins,Benjam in

,

Jacob,1 1 5 , 1 5 6 .

James , 1 27 .

R ussell,S amuel

,1 60

,1 6 8 .

SAFFO R D , Ward,1 1 5 .

Wi ll i am,1 1 4 ,

1 2 6 .

S ampson ,Aaron

,1 92 .

S anderson , Coleman ,1 1 5 .

Gideon,1 27 .

Isaac,1 27 ,

1 92 ,

Wi lli am,1 1 4 ,

1 59.

S aussure , F ranCis , 1 92 .

S awyer, Caleb , 1 1 5 .

John,1 1 4 .

Jonathan,1 1 4 .

M anasseh,1 1 4 .

S collay, John , 1 7 3 , 1 7 7 , 1 93 .

S ecomb ,W i llis

,1 1 5 .

S hattuck , Thaddeus , 1 5 8 .

S tearns , David , 1 1 5 .

Jonathan ,1 63 , 1 64 , 1 7 3 .

1 92 .

S tevens , Luther , 1 69 .

Wi l liam,1 4 2 ,

1 48 .

Zaccheus , 1 1 4 .

S ti ckney, Pete r, 1 60 .

S tone ,Davi d , 1 59, 1 7 3 ,

1 7 4 ,1 7 7 .

Joel , 1 1 5 .

Lemue l, 1 1 5 ,

392

W illiam ,1 92 .

S tow,Benjam in

, 1 1 4 ,1 47 .

M anasseh, 1 1 4 , 1 2 7 , 1 4 7 ,

S watr idge , Joseph , 1 2 8 , 1 93 .

S ymonds , Jonathan ,

TAYLO R , Char les, 1 1 5 .

Israel , 1 1 4 .

Todd,John , 1 64 ,

1 6 8 .

Topl i ff, Luther , 1 92 .

Turner , Consi der , 1 43 , 1 92 .

Dwe lly, 1 4 8 .

James , 1 27 .

Prince, 1 1 4 , 1 59 .

Tuttle,Titus

, 1 93 .

WAR N E R ,Aaron ,

1 1 5 .

Abijah, 1 1 4 .

Benjam i n,1 47 , 1 60 , 1 7 4 .

Calvin , 1 59.

Char les,1 1 3 ,

1 27 , 1 4 8 .

E benezer , 1 1 4 , 1 27 , 1 5 8 .

E lias,1 92 , 1 93 .

John , 1 7 3 .

Phineas , 1 4 8 , 1 59 , 1 7 4 .

Wentwo rth,E dmund

,1 93 .

VI I I .ALDR ICH ,

L uke, 1 1 3 ,

1 93 .

A ILEY, S hubae l ,

Barret,S amuel

,1 7 3 .

Battles,James

, 1 80 ,1 93 .

John,1 2 8 , 1 80 ,

1 93 .

Beaman,Joseph , 1 1 2 .

Bellows , Joseph, 1 1 3 ,Bennett

, John , 1 1 2 .

Tolham,1 1 3 .

Blood , Levi , 1 94 .

Boutell, Davi d , 1 1 3, 1 46 , 1 64 .

James,1 1 2

,1 2 8

,1 43 .

John , 1 64 .

S amuel, 1 6 8 , 1 7 3 , 1 7 6 .

Timothy,1 1 3 , 1 2 1 , 1 2 8 .

W i lli am, 1 1 2 , 1 64 .

Bowers , John ,1 1 2 , 1 26 , 1 4 2 ,

1 63 .

Brown , Amos,1 1 3 ,

1 2 8 .

Benjam in, 1 60 ,

1 7 3 .

N athani el, 1 84 .

Buss , E phraim ,1 1 3 .

John.1 43 .

1 93S amuel . 1 1 3 , 1 2 8 .

But le r , Abi jah ,1 1 3 , 1 63 .

E benezer, 1 63 .

James,1 2 8 .

Buttr i ck,A sa

,1 6 6

,1 94 .CAR PE N TE R , Wi lliam

1 93 .

Carter, Abijah, 1 63 .

E l i sha,1 2 8 .

E phraim , 1 1 2 .

Josiah, 1 1 7 .

Josiah, jr. , 1 1 3 , 1 2 8 , 1 46 ,1 63 .

1 56 ,

Wetherby,Abel

,1 29, 1 4 1 ,

1 59 , 1 60 .

Amos,1 4 1 , 1 69.

Caleb , 1 29.

Joseph , 1 1 5 , 1 27 .

O liver , 1 1 5 .

Wheele r , Joseph , 1 1 4 .

Whitcomb , Abel , 1 1 5 .

James , 1 1 5 .

O liver, 1 1 5 .

Wh i te ,Thomas

,1 1 4 .

Whi tney, Aaron , 1 1 5 .

David,1 1 3 ,

1 63 .

Hezekiah,1 1 5 , 1 34 , 1 63 .

Isaiah, 1 1 4 ,1 1 5 .

Israel , 1 1 4 , 1 5 8 .

Jacob,1 1 4 , 1 27 , 1 56 , 1 69.

Joel,1 6 9, 1 7 3 .

John ,1 4 8 , 1 92 .

Jonathan,1 7 3 .

Jonas , 1 59.

Josiah 2 d , 1 1 4 ,1 47 , 1 63 .

Josiah , 1 1 7 ,1 20

,1 3 1 , 1 34 ,

O liver , 1 1 4 .

Phineas,1 29 , 1 92 , 1 93 .

R euben,1 5 6 .

N athaniel,1 1 2 .

Phi neas 2 d , 1 1 3 ,Phi neas

,1 1 3 .

S i las,1 4 2 , 1 93 .

Chapman, N athaniel

,

1 2 8 .

Chase , E noch , 1 1 3 .

Jonas,1 77 .

S tephen ,1 1 3 , 1 28 .

Clark , David , 1 1 3 ,1 28

,1 4 2 ,

1 6 8 .

Colburn ,Dan iel

,1 93 .

John,1 1 3 ,

1 63 .

Jonathan,1 1 3 , 1 2 8 , 1 63 .

Jos iah , 1 1 3 ,1 2 8 .

N athan,1 1 3 , 1 29, 1 59.

Cuffreer, Pomp,1 93 ,

Cumm ings, Caleb , 1 1 2 .

DAR LI N G ,Dan i e l

,1 93 .

Davi s,E lisha

,1 93 , 1 94 .

Durham, N i cho las

,1 93 .

Dodge,N oah

,1 1 3 .

“ AM E S , Charles , 1 1 2 .

E vans , N athan ie l,1 1 3 ,

1 29 ,1 4 2 . 1 93 .

Charles , 1 2 8 .

F A I R BAN K ,E l ijah

,1 1 2 .

F leeman ,David

,1 1 2

,

F ol l insbee,Thomas

,1 59.

Fowler,R i chard

,1 1 3 .

Fuller , E dward , 1 4 2 .

GA F F I L,E l ijah

,1 1 3 .

Gary,Benjam i n

, 1 1 3 .

Thomas,1 1 3 .

Gates,Jonas , 1 1 2 , 1 64 .

Jonathan,1 2 1 .

R euben,1 1 3 , 1 2 8 ,

1 1 3 ,

ANNA L S O F LANCAS TER

R ichard, 1 1 4 , 1 5 8 , 1 63 .

S almon,1 47 ,

1 7 3 .

S i las , 1 1 5 .

S imon,1 1 5 , 1 4 8 .

S o lomon,1 5 6 .

S tephen ,1 4 8 , 1 7 6 .

Wi llard , Abraham . 1 1 4 ,1 6 5 .

Barml li ai,1 1 4 .

Benjam i n,1 1 4 ,

1 2 6, 1 92 .

Benjam i n W . ,1 6 9.

E l ijah,1 1 4 .

G ibson, 1 1 4 .

Jerem iah , 1 09 ,1 1 5 , 1 27 .

Joseph , 1 1 4 .

Josiah , 1 1 4 .

Lemuel,1 1 4 .

Lemuel 2 d,1 1 4 .

O l iver , 1 4 8 .

Phineas,1 1 4 .

R euben,1 6 8 .

S imeon,1 1 4 , 1 4 8 .

Timothy,1 1 5 .

Wi lliam , 1 63 .

W i lli s,James

,1 1 5 , 1 92 .

Woods,John

,1 1 3 .

Worcester,Abijah

,1 1 4 , 1 2 7 .

S amue l , 1 1 4 ,1 27 ,

1 92 .

LE O M IN STE R S O LDIE R S I N RE VO LUTIO N .

Goodnow,Abraham

, 1 1 3 .

Graves, 1 43 .H ALE

,Benjam in

,

1 2 8 .

Calvin ,1 59 .

Davi d,1 1 2

,1 2 8

,1 59.

Is rae l,1 4 2 .

Joe l.1 59. 1 7 3 .

John , 1 1 2 ,1 2 8 .

S amue l,1 1 2 .

S i las,1 64 ,

1 73 .

Harkness,Thomas

,1 1 3 .

Haskell,Abijah

, 1 1 3 , 1 2 8 .

Hoar, Joseph, 1 93 .

Houghton,Ab iathar

,

Abraham,1 1 2 .

E beneze r,1 29 ,

1 63 .

O l iver,1 1 3 .

R obert,1 4 2 ,

1 59.

R ufus,1 1 3 .

S amuel,1 6 8 .

EWE T T , John , 1 1 2 .

Johnson ,A sa

,1 5 6 , 1 7 6 .

Benjam in,1 7 6 .

David,1 4 2 ,

1 6 6,1 94 .

E phraim ,1 7 3 , 1 94 .

Joseph , 1 7 6 .

Luke,1 1 3 , 1 2 8 , 1 59 .

N athan , 1 1 3 .

1 1 2

1 1 2

Jones,S amuel

,1 6 8 .

Josl i n ,Davi d . 1 94 .

James,1 1 3 .

John 2 d,1 93 .

John , 1 1 3 .

Joseph , 1 1 3 .

N athan i el,1 7 6 .

Thomas,1 46 .


M anasseh , 25 5 , 257 . R euben ,256 .

Farnsworth , E lias , 255 . S amuel,2 5 8 .

F ay, E benezer , 25 6 . Kilburn ,W i lliam

,257 .

F i sher, Jacob , 2 5 3 , 2 55 . K imbal l

,Joshua

,25 8 .

Flagg,Gershom

,2 53 , 25 8 . Ki ttel l

,Andrew

,257 ,

Flood , W i lliam ,2 5 6 . Knight

,Joseph , 25 8 .

Ford,John ,

25 6 . M anasseh , 25 8 .

Fullam,O live r, 25 6 . Knowlton ,

A sa, 256 .

GAR F IE LD , Dani e l , 257 . LAN E ,

Jonas,25 2 ,

2 54 .

G ibbs ,W i l liam ,Leach , John ,

25 8 .

G i ll,John ,

2 55 . Legate,R obe rt

,25 8 .

Goddard , E ber, 25 7 . Thomas,25 8 .

Godfrey , S almon,25 5 . Wi ll i am

,25 8 .

Goldsm i th,Timothy

,25 8 . Lincoln , Jesse ,

25 8 .

Goss,Gustavus ,

257 . Thomas,25 8 .

Green leaf,W i ll iam

,2 5 2 . Littlejohn

,John ,

256 .

Wi ll i am , jr. ,253 ,

2 5 8 . Lock,John

,25 8 .H AGAR ,

Ab ijah,25 6 . Longley

,E li

,257 ,

Hamb lin, Cyrus , 257 . Lyon ,

S eth,256 .

E leazar, jr. ,257 . AN N I N G

,A r t e m a 5

E urope ,25 7 . 256 .

Harrod , N oah,25 8 . I srael

,257 .

Harwood , John , 25 6 . M ason , Paul, 256 .

Haskell,Andrew,

25 5 . S i las , 25 6 .

John ,25 6 . M aynard , A rtemas 256 .

Has t i ngs,Abel

,257 . A sa ,

25 6 .

Benjam in,2 5 7 . John ,

257 .

Wi lliam ,257 . M cDunn , JamesWade

,25 6 .

Hasty,Joseph ,

25 6 . M cGregore ,Daniel

,25 8 .

Haynes , Joseph, 257 . M cKenzey,R oderick

,25 6 .

S amue l, 25 6 , M i lliken,Benjam in

,25 8 .

Heard,E dmund

,25 8 . M i tche ll , Abne r , 2 5 6 .

Hem ingway, Joshua,257 . M ixer, Dan ie l, 25 6 .

S imeon,25 7 . M oore, Abel, 256 .

H i l ls, John ,

2 5 8 . E benezer,25 7 .

Hoar , Joseph ,2 56 ,

257 . Isaac , 257 .

Hobart , W i lli am,25 8 . James , 25 6 .

Hobbs , E l i sha,257 . R ufus, 257 .

H olden ,Benjamin , 25 5 . M yri ck

,E phraim , 257 .

Joseph,25 5 . N ICHO LS , Levi , 25 8 .

S i lvanus , 256 . N urse,David

,257 .

Ho lman, Charles , 257 . S tephen , 257 .

Jonathan ,2 57 . O S GO O D , Houghton ,

2 56Houghton ,Abi athar

,25 8 .

E li,25 6 . PAGE ,

Theophilus , 256 .

James,257 . Palmer , Wi lli am ,

257 .

Jonathan,257 . Parker

, Caleb , 25 7 .

Joseph , 257 . Pei rce, Benjami n ,25 8 .

Luther,25 8 . Pet igrew,

Andrew,

N athaniel,255 Phelps , Ab i jah, 25 6 .

S i las , 257 . Davi d,256 .

How,Benjam in ,

257 . E lisha,253 , 255 .

S amuel , 257 . Josiah , 255 .

Hunt,Jam es

,257 . Levi

,25 8 .

Pete r , 25 8 . Luther,25 8 .

R aymond , 2 5 6 . Pike,E benezer , 25 7 .

E PS O N ,Wi ll i am

,25 8 . Pollard , Abner, 253 , 256 .

Johnson ,Jonas

, 25 8 . Amos , 2 5 8 , 255 .

Jones , Jonas , 25 8 . Powers , Hen ry, 257 .

M arti n Cox,257 . Pratt, Abijah , 257 .

S i las , 257 . Prent i ce , Cephas ,Joslin , Joseph , 25 8 . James O t is ,Levi

,25 8 . Prescott, John ,

257 .

N athan i e l,25 8 . Jonathan

,258 .

I< E N DA L L ,Abel

, 256 . Joseph , 2 57 .

Augustus,

Pri est, S hadrack , 25 7 .

N athan ie l,257 .

Pearson,256 .

Putnam,Andrew

,25 8 .

W i lliam,25 8 .

RE AD , Jacob , 255 .

Joseph , 25 6 .

Joshua ,255 .

N athan,25 5 .

R ice,M err ick

,2 53 .

S amuel,25 6 .

R ichards , M i tchell,25 6 .

R ichardson , A rtemas,255 .

John, 257 .

John, jr. , 25 8 .

Phineas,25 5 , 2 5 6 .

Thomas , 253 , 255 .

R obb i ns, Jacob , 254 , 25 6 .

R oss, R euben ,

257 .

Wi lliam,25 7 .

R ugg, A sa,

256 .

E lisha,257 .

R uggles , S amuel , 1 5 8 .

SAR GE N T , S amuel , 25 8 .

S awyer, M anasseh,25 6 .

Thomas, jr . ,

25 7 .

Thomas 3d , 257 .

U ri,25 7 .

Wi ll iam, 25 7 .

S hed , John ,25 8 .

S m i th , David , 2 5 2 , 256 .

R ichard,256 .

S now, Joseph , 25 8

S pofford , J ob ,2 57 .

S prague , John ,253 , 254 .

S tearns , E li , 25 2 , 253 , 257 .

Isaac, 25 6 .

Jonas , 256 .

Timothy, 25 8 .

S tewart, Benjam in, 25 8 .TE M PLE

,Hen ry

,25 7 .

Thatcher, M oses

,257 .

Thayer,Israel

, 25 8 .

Torry,S tephen ,

25 6 .

Townsen d,Levi

,25 7 .

R obert, 25 8 .

N DE RWO O D ,I srael

2 56 .

WALCO TT , Thomas

25 6 .

Wales, Joseph , 253 .

Ward, S amuel , 257 .

Warner,A sa

,25 8 .

Levi, 25 8 .

Warren , Joel , 256 .

Phineas , 25 6 .

Wi lliam, 25 8 .

Watson,John

,257 .

Welch,Jonas , 257 .

Thomas,257 .

Wheelock,Abel

,253 .

Ab ijah,253 , 256 .

Jonathan ,258 .

Jonathan, jr. , 253 .

S amue l, 253 , 25 6 .

Whitcomb , A sa,25 6 , 25 7 .

David,257 .

E phraim ,256 .

John,25 6 .

Jonathan,257 .

8 1 12 5 , 257 .

White, James , 253 , 2 56 .

John,25 8 .

Josi ah,25 6 .

Wh i t i ng,John

,25 2 . 254 ,

25 7 .

Timothy, jr. ,

2 53 , 254 .

Whitney, Andrew,2 56 .

John,25 8 .

W i lder,E l ihu

,257 .

Joel,25 6 .

INDEX .

John.257 .

Joseph. 257 .

Jos iah,253 .

Joshua,25 7 .

Levi,2 57 .

M anasseh,256 .

Phineas,25 7 .

Peter,25 8 .

395

Wi llard,Aaron

, 254 .

Joseph , 257Levi

,253 .

Wood,Abel , 25 6 , 25 8 ,

S tephen ,2 5 8 .

Woodbury,W i l li am

,257 .

Woolson,Lewis

,25 6 .

Wyman,Joseph ,

2 5 6 .

Thomas,257 .

X . LAN CASTE R S O LDIE R S , 1 8 1 2- I 4 . PAGE S 2 7 1-2 .

Blood,R euben

Brown ,Abijah

A rtemas H .

E dwardO del

Churchi ll,S amuel

Damon, S amuel

Fishe r, E ph raim Carte r

Goddard,A sa

Gould, N athani el

Haskell,Israel

Hewson,R obe rt '

Houghton,Henry

Johnston,Josias

Laughton ,Hann ibal

Lynn,John

X I .ALBE E

,John G. , 32 2 .

A lexander,N athan iel

,

309°

Atchinson,William , 3 1 6 .

Atherton,R oswell , 3 1 7 .

Ayers,John Curtis , 29 1 , 299,

3 2 3BALCO M , Charles HBall

,Hen ry F ., 326 .

Bancroft, Charles L ., 332 ,

333Frank Carter , 33 1 , 333 .

Barnes , George A . ,29 1 , 3 1 1

FrankW. , 3 1 1 , 330 .

Beard , Jonas H . , 3 1 5 , 333 .

Bell,John

, 325 .

Bergmann,A lbert

, 325 .

Blood, Charles E . , 3 1 4 , 3 1 8 .

Bigelow,Will iam W. , 3 1 3 ,

3 1 5 .

Bowman,Henry

, 309 , 3 1 7 ,

S amuel M iri ck , 320 , 32 2 ,

324Brad ley

,Jerome , 332 .

Bridge,James A . , 3 1 8 .

Brooks,Walter A . , 323 .

Brown ,Jonas H . , 3 1 8 .

Burbank , Lewis B . , 3 1 8 .

Burd i tt, Charles F . , 32 1 .

Thomas E . , 3 1 2 .

Burke,James E . 3 1 3 .CAR R ,W i ll i am D . 33 1 ,

337Chaflee ,

George E . 323 .

Chandler , Frank W ., 323 .

Lynch,John

Lyon , JohnM cL alen

, WilliamM allard

,Abraham

M aynard,Gardner

M epee , S amue lM oore

,Hen ry

M oses , Liberty B.

O sgood , ApollusJonathanParker

,S ilas

Phelps , GeorgeThomas

Puffer,N athan

R andall,A lvm

Prosper

Chapl in , S olon W. , 3 1 8 .

Cleveland , R i chard J . , 332 .

C linton ,Joseph , 306 ,

Cobb , W i ll i am L . ,2 89 , 29 1 ,

Coburn ,Geo rge B. , 307 , 3 1 8 .

Cyrus E . , 307 , 3 1 8 .

Copeland , Joseph ,Coyle ,John

, 325 .

Cutler , Franc is B. , 33 1 .

George W. ,29 1 , 293 , 309.

Hen ry A . , 323 .

I saac N . ,29 1 , 309.

A ILY,James , 3 1 8 .

Damon , Dan ie l M ., 3 1 8 .

Davidson , Thomas H . , 309.

DaVi s , George W . , 3 27 .

Day. J oseph N 3 1 4 . 3 1 9.

32 8 .

D i llon ,James

, 3 1 9.

D ivo ll,George W . , 327 , 337 .

Dupee ,John

, 306 , 3 1 7 .

Dudley, John E dwin , 3 1 6 .

L DE N ,Hen ry H .

, 3 29.

E ll i

z

s, Warren

,29 1 , 3 1 0 ,

F A H3A Y

,Bartho let , 30 8

Fai rbanks,Franc i s H

Charles T . , 330 .

Farnsworth ,Frankl i n H

George W . , 3 1 9.

John A . , 3 1 9.

John E . , 3 1 9.

W i lliam H . , 30 8 .

F leld ,E dwm F 29 1 , 3 1 3 .

R ice,Benjam in

R ugg,Jos iah

S afford,Thomas

S awyer, Capt. E zra

Phi neasTaylor

,E benezer

JohnThayer

,N athan ie l

Walden,E phraim

Whee ler, CalVi n

Wh i t ing,Hen ry

Fab iusLeviWilder

,E benezer

Ti tus

LAN CASTE R S O LDIE R S I N CIVIL WA R .

F i nnessy,James

, 33 1 .

Fi sher,W i ll i am H . , 323 .

Flagg , A lbert , 324 .

Charles B . ,29 1 , 3 1 7 ,

Fletcher,James T . , 330 .

F ox,W i ll iam L . ,

29 1 , 3 1 3 ,

333Thomas

, 327 .

Frary, O scar, 323 .

Fuller,Andrew L.

Henry H . , 30 8 .

E dward M . , 3 1 8 , 329, 333 .

Fury,M i chael

, 3 1 9.

GO O DWI N , JJ ,ohn 3 25 .

Gould,John

, 330 .

Gray,James M . 309.

S tephenW . , 3 1 9.

Green,A sa Whi tman

, 3 1 2 ,

32 8 .

Dani el Webster , 3 1 2 .

Greene , Gi lbertW.,29 1 , 3 1 0 .H AR DY

,George H . ,

29 1 ,

3 1 3 . 3 2 1 324 . 333Harriman,Harri s C . ,

338Haynes, John C. , 320 .

H i lls , Thomas Augustus,

307 1 322 °

Hodgman, O ren , 3 1 8 .

Horan ,Fordyce

,

Hosley, Henry H . ,292 , 309 ,

329.

Hunting,A lbert G . , 3 1 1 .

Joseph W. , 3 1 1 .

Thomas A . G. , 3 1 9, 334 .

ACKS O N ,DavidW. ,323James

,John , 292 , 323 , 33 8 .

293 , 309

323 ,

396

Johnson ,Adelbert W ., 3 1 0 ,

22 .

Jonegs , David Wilder , 330 .

J yosl 11 , E dward R ., 332 .

KE LL Y,M artin

, 33 1 , 333 . 0 111 5 , John , 32 8 .

Ke rn ,John

, 32 8 . Luke ,Keyes , S tephen A . , 307 , 324 . O sgood , George F.

S umner W. , 307 , 324 . O ti s , E dwm A . , 3 22 .

K ilburn , S umner PAR KE R ,Hen ry Jack

Kingsbury,JosephW.,

292 , son ,2 87 , 307 , 3 1 7 .

Leonard H . 32 1 .

3 1 0 , Patrick , George Henry, 320 ,

,323 » 324 »

Plaisted , S imon M . ,

Pierce,E dward , 3 1 6 , 320 .

Frank E ., 3 1 3 . 329. 333Wi lliam D ., 307 , 3 1 3 .

Priest,Henry S . , 3 27 .

Puffer,Char les

, 3 1 5 .

Putney,Hen ry M . , 32 1 , 337 ,

RICE ,Walter C .,

R ichards,E benezerW. ,

Fred Fordyce , 307 , 338 .

Henry S tedman,1, 333 .

R oscoe H . , 307 , 323 .O ‘BR IE N,M ichael

, 3 1 6 .

09 .

Ki ttredge, S olomon ,

Krum,John , 3 1 6 , 320 .

L A N GL E Y , JJames, 325 .

LawrenceWillard R . 3 1 0 .

Leroy F,rank B.

M CCA8

R R O N ,William

M cKay,Wi lliam S . , 325 .

M cQui llan , Charles E ., 3 1 3329. 333 292 . 3 1 4 . 338 .

M cR e ll,E phraim , 330 . George K.,

29 1 ,W i lliam , 330 . 333 , 338 .

R obbins, Wi lliam H . , 3 1 3 .

R obinson , Char les A ., 324 .

R oss, Wi lliam , 325 .

R ugg,Dan ielW. , 3 1 3 .

M ahar,Denn is

, 3 1 3 .

M ann,George C . ,

M atthews,Davi d W . , 3 1 4 ,

3 1 9Geo rge W. ,

Henry H . , 292 , 3 1 0 , 32 1 ,M ayo

,John

, 306 . 324 .

M ellor,Willi am H . ,

James , 324 .

M i ller,Frank

, 32 8 .

M oeglen ,John Louis

, 3 1 2 ,

3 25 .

M onyer , John , 325 .

M oore,Joseph B ., 323 .

O liver W., 329. 326 .

M oses , R obert R . , 3 1 0 . S heary, Patri ck , 3 1 4 , 3 1 9.

M urphy, Wi lliam F ., 3 1 6 , S hean ,George C . , 3 1 0 .

330 . S inclai r , Charles H . ,

N E U , Louis , 32 8 . S mi th , John , 3 1 6 .

N ewman,James H O W i lliam

, 3 1 6 .

mer, 330 , 333 . Wi ll iam N O . 2 , 327 .

N ourse,Adrian T . , 307 . S ouveur

,Charles L . , 3 1 5 .

Byron H ., 323 . S weet, Caleb Wood , 3 1 4 ,Frank E ., 307 , 32 2 . 333 .

SAWTE LL , E dwin , 323 .

S awyer,Frank O . , 33 1 .

N athan iel C ., 33 1 .

O l iver B., 3 1 4 , 32 1 .

S chumacher, Wi lliam ,292 ,

X I I .ABE R CR O M B IE , Gen . E lisha,

1 54 .

Jos ., I 7 , 4 7 , 53 , 59 ,63 , Ames , Fisher , quoted , 255 .

64 , 6 5 , 7 1 , 9 1 . R ev. M arcus,299.

Adams , Henry C . ,29 1 . Amherst

, Gen . Jeffrey, 63 ,John .1 98 . 7 1 . 7 9. 8 2 .

Anderson,M i ss M ary

,297 ,

30 2 .

Andrews,Davi d

,1 6 2 .

S amue l , 90 , 93 , 340 .

R ev. Zabdiel,6 2 .

A lbe rt,Frederick

,1 55 .

A lden , C0 1. Ichabod , 1 8 1 . Anvi lle,Duke de

,23 .

A ldridge , Luke , 4 2 . Apthorp ,M r .

, 53 .

A lexander,L t. E benezer , I 8 . A rbuthnot

, Capt . , 59.

Gen . W i lliam,1 7 4 . A rnold

,Bened i ct

,1 26

,1 6 1 .

A llen , Aaron , 4 2 . Ash ley,John , 54 .

Dan iel,203 , 205 . Capt. M oses

,1 5 1 , 1 90 .

David , 37 . Atherton ,Dr. Israe l, 23 1 ,

E benezer, 94 , 95 , 1 00 ,

1 0 1,

247 .

1 5 2 ,1 73 , 1 85 , 1 99, 2 1 9, Galen P.,

29 1 .

2 28, 24 7 . Atherton ,

a tory,20 2 .

ANN ALS O F LAN CA S TE R .

S ykes , E dwin , 324 .TAYLO R ,Henry T . , 309 ,

338 .

Thompson ,George

, 3 2 2 .

W i lli am,292 , 3 1 1 , 32 2 .

Thurston ,George L ee

, 333 ,

Tisdale,Charles E .

, 3 1 9.

Toole,John

, 32 7 .

Tracy,David H . , 306 .

True,George H ., 3 1 6 .

James G., 3 1 6 , 337 .

Turner,Horati o E ., 3 1 8 , 338 .

Luther G.,293 , 3 1 0 .

Walter S . H ., 323 .

VALDE Z , Joseph, 327 .

Ve ret,John

, 32 6 .

WAR N E R,James G

293 . 3 1 0

Warren,

33 1 .

Washburn,E dward R ich

morzd . 4 . 323 . 337 .

F ranms. 323 .324 . 325 . 326 .

Watson ,George , 306 .

Weld,George D . , 32 1 , 338 .

Whee ler, Abner, 30 8 .

Whitney, E dmund C ., 323 .

Whi ttemore , Woodbury,2 8 7 ,

2 8 8 , 29 1 , 3 1 4 .

W i lder,Charles H 323 , 338 .

John Prescott, 294 , 327 .

S anford B . , 32 8 .

Wi ley, Charles T . , 330 .

George E ., 3 1 4 , 3 1 9.

Wi lk i nson, Charles , 3 1 2 .

Willard,E dwm H . , 3 1 0 .

Hen ry W. , 3 1 8 .

S idney, 320 .

Wise ,John Patrick

, 3 1 8 .

Worcester , Horace ,Wyman

,Benjam in F . , 30 6

Z AH N ,Peter, 306 .

Thomas Hen ry ,

PE R S O N S , M IS CE LLAN E O US .

Austin , Abraham , 7 8 .

L t. Ben ijah ,2 1 .

Avery , John ,234 .

BAGLEY, Col. Jona . , 5 6

6 4 ,

Bai ley,E dwm

, 30 1 .

Co l. John ,1 80 .

Capt . Wm. 7 7 .

L t . Josiah, 87 .

Baker , Capt . Joseph , 232 .

Capt. S amuel , 8 8 , 98 , 1 0 2 .

Timothy, 4 2 .

Balch, Capt . N athaniel

,1 7 0 ,

1 86,2 1 9, 2 20 ,

229 . 230 .

Baldwm, Capt. J eduthan , 34 ,

8 .

Bal l,3L t. Thomas, 27 .

Ballard , Josiah, 1 7 4 ,

98

D ivol l , M anasseh,2 1 4 .

D izer , Francis , 1 2 7 .

Dodge ,George ,

2 88 , 2 89,294 .

Geo rge E . P., 3 1 2 , 333 .

Dolbee , Benjam i n ,1 27 .

Dole ,Amos

,1 25 .

E noch , epitaph of, 1 36 .

Donnel, CO L , 2 1 ,Capt. N athan iel , 1 85 .

Dooli tt le,Co l . E phraim ,

1 29.

Douglas ,A sa

,1 3 .

D r. W i lli am,quoted , 1 2 .

D raper , M r . , 5 3 .

D rury, Capt . John ,

1 64 .

Dud ley, M rs .J oseph H . ,294 .

Gen . N . A . M . , 3 1 6 .

Dunsmoor , D r.W i lli am, 94 ,

95 . 97 . 98 . 99.1 00

.1 0 2

.

1 03 ,1 5 1 , 1 5 2 ,

1 53 , 1 8 6 ,2 1 3 ,

2 1 9 , 2 20 ,232 ,

236 .

Hen ry,1 4 .

E AGE R ,Capt. Fortunatus1 8 6 .

Zachar i ah, 36

E aton , Gen . Wm quoted ,2 65 .

E dwards,L t.-Col ., 27 1 .

E ll iott, Capt . Joseph ,

1 60 .

E ll is ,E dward B .

, 2 9 1 .

Capt . Pau l, 1 84Emerson

, Geo . B 280 ,2 8 1 .

nglish ,John ,

1 25 .

E staing, Charles

compte de ,1 5 7 .

E theredge , Thomas,1 27 .

E veleth, Joseph,

E veonden,Ab i jah

,1 2 7 .

F A I R BAN K , Cyrus ,1 5 2 ,

1 6 6,1 6 7 , 1 7 0 , 1 85 , 1 99 ,

E ph i aim , 98 .

Jabez,1 5 2 1 1 54 1

1 79 11 8 6

:

2 1 9.

Jonathan ,1 00

,1 5 5 .

Joshua, 5 1 .

Dea. Thomas , 1 00 , 1 55 .

Fai rfi eld , Capt .M atthew,1 8 2 .

Farnsworth,Benjam in

, 334 .

Farwell, W . , 299 , 305 .

Farrar,M ary

, peti t ion of, 39.

F ay, Franu s Ball , 2 87 , 2 89 ,

290 .293 . 297 . 299.

ellows, Gen . John ,

1 43 ,

Felt, Jeded iah , 1 2 7 .

Fi sher,M aj . Jacob , 26 7 ,

27 0 ,

2 7 6 .

Jacob,2 87 .

Capt. N athan ,1 5 8 .

F i tch , John ,2 4 , 43 .

Fitzgerald,John

,1 3 .

lagg,Gershom , 1 86 .

Josiah,2 27 ,

2 28,26 7 , 2 69 .

Wi ll i am, 2 27 .

Fletcher , Joshua,1 5 2 , 1 54 ,

1 7 4 .1 8 7 . 2 1 4 . 2 I 9

Fl i ng,David

, 4 3 .

Fl int,L t . James , 233 .

Hector

A N N A L S (H7 L A N CA S T E R .

Flood , Benjam in , 37 .

Flowers , Capt . S amuel , 1 80 .

Forbes , Gen . John , 64 , 7 8 .

Forre,Theal

, 50 .

Foss , George A ., 338 .

Foster, David , 1 2 1 .

E zekie l,1 2 1 .

Joseph . 43N athanie l , 4 2 .

O bed i ah , 1 2 .

S amuel , 43 ,1 80 .

Foye , John , 54 .

Francis, Col. E beneze r , 1 8 2

Frankl i n , Benjam i n ,

237 .

French,N athan

,29.

Frost, John ,29.

Frothingham , Capt . BenjR ichard , jr . ,

quoted , 1 201 2 2 .

Frye, Gen . James

,1 8

,2 1

1 1 9 .

Lt. John ,2 1 .

C0 1. Joseph , 59 .

Fuller, Capt. Andrew, 5 6 .

Capt . J O hn , 1 2 1

Furnas , CO I . Wi l liam,1 60 .

A GE, Gov. Thomas , 1 02

Gager , Jerem iah, 1 1 6,1 20

1 2 1 .

Galbreth,M atthew

,1 3 .

Gardner, Capt . Benj . , 1 93 .

Daniel,234 .

Hen ry, 99, 1 7 8 .

Gates, Capt. Hezekiah , 5 5 ,

5 6 , 96 , 97 , 99 ,1 00 , 1 0 1

Gen . Ho ratio ,1 6 1

,1 6 3 .

L t. Josiah ,1 2 8 .

M icah, 36 .

S amuel , 43 .

Capt. Thomas,1 5 4 ,

1 7 0

Capt.W i lliam,1 83 .

Gay, L t . Jotham , 53 .

Gerri sh, E noch , tory, 204 .

M oses , tory, 203 , 204 .

Gilbert, Capt . S amuel , 1 29

232 .

Gi ll, Capt. John ,

1 93 .

Glazier , Benjam i n, 1 25 .

Godfrey, M aj . R i chard , 7 6 .

Goffe , Capt. Dani el , 1 1 .

E benezer , 1 27 .

Goodale , Davld,1 26 .

Capt . Jonathan , 37 ,1 80 .

Joseph , 6 6 .

Goodenough,Levi , 43 .

Goodhue , M rs . Anna, 1 97 .

Goodman,David

,6 5 .

Goodridge,Capt. Benj " 87 .

Dani e l,237 .

Lt. David , 87 .

Goodwm ,Isaac

,244 .

Luxford , 43 .

Gore , Peter, 43 .

Gorham, Col . S hubae l , 2 1 .

Goss, Capt . Dani el , 2 49 .

Jonas,299.

R ev. Thomas , 205 .

Gould,Benjamin A . ,

2 7 0 .

Charles E 29 1 .

N ehem iah, 43 .

Gould ing , L t. Palmer , 1 8 .

Gourden , John . 6 6 .

Grant, Geri . U . S . , letter of,37 3

Graves , Peter , 56 .

Greaton , Col . John ,1 7 8 .

Green , Peter , 236 .

Greene , Gen . N athan iel,1 23 ,

Green leaf,Col.W i ll i am , 1 5 1 ,

1 54 , 2 1 1 , 2 1 9 ,2 29, 239 ,

25 2 ,254 .

Gregory,Gen .,

24 2 .

Grid ley, Col. R i chard , 5 8 ,1 29.

Grout, Peter, 1 4 .

Gu i ld , Capt . Aaron ,1 4 2 .

AGE R,Abraham

, 1 2 6 .

Hale,Co l. R obert

,1 7 ,

2 1 .

Timothy, 65 .

Hallet, L t .-CO l. E noch , 1 60 .

Hamamt, Capt. Timothy, 8 1 .

Ham i lton ,A lexander

, 25 5 .

Hancock, Gov. John ,

1 56 ,

Capt . Be lcher , 1 90 .

Harmer, Capt. Geo rge , 56 .

Harrington,Abe l , 1 4 8 .

R ev. Timothy, 203-20 8

2 1 4 !23 1 : 34 6 ‘

Harr i s, J ob ,

6 5 .

Josi ah , 333 .

S tephen ,1 25

Thaddeus M 2 2 8 .

Thomas,1 2 6

,1 2 7 .

Wi ll iam,2 2 8 .

Harthan ,M i cah

,1 7 3 , 2 23 .

Hartwel l, Capt. E phraim,

1 7 7 .

Capt . John ,1 47 .

E ri s . Joseph , 5 8 , 87 , 234 .

Capt. Thomas, 57 .

Harvey, D r. , 38 , 40 .

John , 37 .

Haskell,Andrew

,death of

,

259 .

Jerem i ah,1 7 4 , 24 6 .

Hast i ngs , John , 1 2 6 .

Thomas,292 .

Haven, Char les R . , 292 ,

Haviland,Col . Wi l li am

,83 .

Haywood , Capt. Benj . , 1 80 .

Capt. E ph raim ,

Jonathan ,1 2 .

S eth , 1 04 .

Heard,M ark , 1 04 .

Heath , Gen . Wm . ,quoted ,

Henley, Co l. David ,Hen ry,Patrick , 92 .

INDEX .

Herschel , Wi ll i am,200 . I N GE R S O N ,

W . W . , 292 .

H i de,Joshua, 37 . Ingoldsby

,E benezer , 37 .

H i ll, Capt . Jerem iah

,1 90 . John , 65 .

Thomas, 1 2 6 . ACKS O N

,Capt . E lishaH iller

,M aj . Joseph , 1 5 8 .

2 63 ,269. Col . Henry , 1 84 .

H inds,Jacob . 37 . D r . James

,2 80 .

H i nks,Col . E dw. W ., 3 1 1 . Jonathan ,

I 3 .

Hoar , L t . John ,1 2 1 . Col . M ichael

,1 8 1 .

Hodges,M aj. , 2 2 . Capt. Thomas ,

1 8 5 .

D r . S i las , 204 . acobs, Co l. John , 1 59.

Hodgk i ns , Capt.J oseph ,1 83 . efferies

, James,1 5 .

Holden,Joseph , 1 27 . cfierson , Pres . Thomas

Holder , Quaker shoemaker, peti t ion to ,

26 1 .

27 6—7 . Jenni ngs , Joseph , 24 .

Holman, Calvm ,

299. Capt . Isaac A . , 30 8 .

L t . Jonathan , 1 0 2 . Jewett , Gen . , 24 2 .

N athan iel,2 1 5 . S olomon

,1 5 1 , 1 6 6

,1 67 ,

S i las H . ,29 1 . 2 1 1

,2 23 .

S tephen , 2 20 . Johnson , George A . ,295 .

Holowel l , E dward , 1 27 . Jotham ,1 4 8 .

Holt , Josi ah ,1 3 . Thomas

,1 3 .

Uriah,1 2 6 . L t . Timothy , 1 8 .

Hosmer,E . Warren

, 3 1 6 , Gen . Wi lli am,

330 , 333 . W i l liam E . , 292 .

Capt. S tephen , 35 . Jones , Co l. E dward F 307 .

Houghton,A lbert C . , 292 . Henry, 1 4 .

A sa, 27 9. Capt . John , 53 ,1 29.

Capt. Ben) " 1 55 , 1 7 3 ,1 8 6

,S amuel

,1 04 .

20 6,22 1

,24 7 . Joslin , Co l . George C ., 30 8 .

Emo ry H . ,292 ,

S amuel , 236 .

E zra,tory

,1 03 ,

203 ,204 . E N DA L L

, Heman,1 8 6

Joel,1 7 3 ,

1 85 , 2 1 9 . James , 1 7 0 , 1 8 6 .

Joshua , 2 24 . Josiah , 94 , 95 ,1 00 , 1 5 2 ,

N ahum , 20 1 , 202 . 1 6 6,1 7 0 ,

1 7 3 ,1 85 ,

2 1 9 ,

N athani el,1 7 0 ,

1 8 6,2 2 2 . 2 20 , 2 2 1 .

S imon , 2 1 5 . S tephen ,1 3 .

S olomon,to ry

,1 99, 203 ,

Wi ll i am,1 2 7 .

204 . Kennedy,James

,292 .

House,Joseph ,

tory , 200 . Keyes,E l i

,6 5 .

Howe,E li E . ,

295 , 333 . Hen ry , 36Lord Geo. Augustus , 6 3 ,

R euben , 37 .

64 . i lburn,Joseph ,

2 1 9.

George W 2 8 8, 295 , 296 ,

K ilham , S amuel , 43 .

293 , 300 , 305 . K imball , L t . Geo. ,8 7 , 247 .

N ehem iah , 4 3 . Hen ry C .,2 87 , 2 8 8 , 2 89 .

S amuel , 43 . Col . John W . , 320 , 322 .

S i las,1 8 6 . mg ,

E ns . Davi d , 1 8 .

Capt . W i ll i am,1 85 . R euben ,

1 8 .

S i r W i ll i am,1 24 . S amue l , 1 3 .

Hovey,Josiah

,1 4 8 . Capt. S amuel , 1 8 1

,1 9 1

Thomas,1 26 . 1 92 .

Hubbard,Jonathan ,

1 8,2 1

,Thomas , 344 , 346 .

2 2 . i rkland,John T . ,

2 80 .

T speaker , 5 2 . n ight, Ab igai l J ., 304 .

Hudson,E nos

, 4 3 . T imothy , 24 6 .

E zeki el,6 5 . Knox

,Gen . Henry , 1 84 .

Hull , E zekie l , 235 . urtz, Co l John , 3 1 4 .

Humph rey, H . D .,294 , 333 . LAFAY E TTE ,

M arqu i sM rs . Jane , 302 . de , 1 57 ,

24 1—4 .

M i ss M ary T .,294 . Lamb

,Capt . , 1 4 7 .

Hunt , Capt . S amue l , 35 . Lampson ,E benezer, I 3 .

Capt . Thomas ,1 9 1 . Lancaster

,Joseph ,

2 8 1 .

Hun ti ng . S tephen H .,29 1 . Lane , An thony, 2 8 8 .

Hus ton, Capt. John ,

1 8,2 1 . Jonas

,2 6 7 ,

269 .

Hussein,Pasha

,2 83 . Langdon , Capt . , 1 9 1 .

Hutch i ns,Andrew

, 43 . Larkin , Peter , 2 20 .

E l iakim, 43 . Laughton

,Thomas ,

299 .

399

Lawrence ,R ev . Amos E .

’

295 .

Gov. Charles, 4 1 .

M ajor, 23 .

Learned , Capt. S imon ,1 80

,

1 9 1 .

Leach , James , 43 .

L ee , Capt. Benjam i n, 26 2 .

Gen . Charles ,1 23 .

Co l . W i ll iam R . , 3 1 2 .

Legate , Thomas, 98 .

Le ighton,M rs . Em i ly

,294 .

Levasseur, M . ,

24 2 .

Lincoln , Abraham ,death of

336 »

Gen . Benjam i n,1 1 8 , 1 6 2

254 .

Levi,2 29.

Capt. R ufus , 1 8 1 .

W i ll iam, quoted , 200 .

Col . W i l liam S . , 3 1 7 .

Livermore, S amue l , 5 4 .

Longley,Joseph,

6 6 .

W i lli am, 6 6 .

Zachari ah , 6 5 .

L oudoun , E ar l , 1 7 , 53 , 59 ,

63 . 9 1 .

Lovel , Gen . E benezer,257 .

Lowell , Col. Charles R , , 325 .

Lunt , Capt. E zra , 1 8 2 ,1 8 4 .

Paul , his d i ary, quoted ,1 23 .

Lyman,Gen . Ph i neas

, 36 .

E ns . W i ll iam,1 8 .

M CCLE LLA N ,B an d

4 3M cKown

,M rs . M ary , 1 95 .

M cL ean,L t . A rch i e

,233 .

M acy, Col . George N .

, 3 1 2 .

M agg i,Col. A lbert C . , 3 1 7 .

M ann,Horace

,2 8 1 .

E ri s John ,1 8 .

M ann ing, D r. S amuel , 27 0 .

M arb le , Abner , O 6 .

M arshall, Co l. Thomas

,1 4 1 ,

M art in,S amuel

, 43 .

M ason,L t.-Col . David , 1 84 .

M aynard , Charles H .,292 .

M axwell , Capt . Hugh , 1 80 .

M e lanson , Benoni , 50—5 2 .

M e llen,R ev. John ,

quoted ,M elvm ,

Benjam in, 1 3 .

Capt . DaVld , 1 8 .

Capt . E leazar , I 8 , 32 .

M erri ck,S pencer R . ,

294 ,

305 .

M eshervey, Col 20 .

M i les , S o lomon R ,2 8 1 .

M i ller , Capt. Jacob , 1 29 .

Capt. Jerem i ah,1 90 .

Chaplain John, 80 .

Capt . Joseph , 1 8 , 2 2 .

L t .—Col . S tephen . 7 6 .

M i r i ck,Capt . James

,1 7 6

M onckton,Col . R obert , 4 6 ,

400

M onroe , Capt. E dmund,N athani el , 1 3 .

M ontcalm , M arquis de , 59,6 0

,64 .

M onte i th, Col. Wm. , 3 1 5 .

M ontgomery, Gen. R ichard ,

James»292 1 338 ’

M oody,Daniel , 43 .

M oore,David , 2 2 8 .

I srael , 1 00 , 1 70 , 1 85 .

Jeremiah , 305 ,Joseph , 97 , 200 , 203 , 205 .

Josiah, 236 .

Capt . Joseph , 1 29.

L evi ,1 8 6 , 22 1 .

Lyman,293 .

O liver, 94 , 99.

M organ , Gen . Daniel, 1 6 1 .

M orse , Col. Augustus , 3 1 2 .

R ev. E benezer , 205 .

Uriah, 43 .

M orton ,Perez, 235 .

M oulton , Co l. Jeremiah, 1 7 ,2 1 .

M urray , CO L , 54 .

M uzzy,S eth , 1 28 .

N E A GUS , S amuel , 43 .

N elson , Capt. , 55 .N eve rs , R ichard , 1 4 .

N ewe ll, CO L , 25 6 .

N ewhall , M ichael, 24 7 .

N ewton , E dward, 1 6 6 , 1 86 .

N ewman ,Gowen B., 27 6 .

John , 2 2 8 .

N i cho las , R olla, 292 .

N ichols,Israel

, 98 .

N ixon , CO L John ,1 29.

John ,1 3 .

Col. Thomas , 1 80 , 253 .

N orcross,Isaac

, 1 4 8 .

Jabez, 43 .

Jacob , 1 4 8 .

John,1 3 .

N athani el , 347 .

ourse, Capt. David , 1 4 8 ,1 6 2 , 1 7 5 , 2 1 5 .

Henry;lJ., 292 .

Jonat an F ., 334 .

O l iver L . ,292 .

S tedman, 305 .OAKS

, Capt., 1 85 .

O liver , S ergt. Andrew,5 2 0

M athusala, 1 3 .

Judge Peter , 1 99.

O lmstead , Capt. Jabez, 1 8 ,2 2 .

O sburn , John , 54 .

O sgood , Capt. David , 1 00 ,

1 8 6 , 2 1 3 , 2 1 9, 22 1 , 2 22 ,

Capt. Phi neas , 32 .

O ti s , Benjam i n B., 299.

James. 90 . 92 .340 .

ANNALS O F LANCA S TER .

PAGE , John ,1 3

Capt. Peter, 1 82 , 1 9 1 .

Palfreyp .Col F rancisW. , 1 23Parks , Capt.Wi lliam , 1 8 1 .

Parker,John, 1 3 .

John, jr ., 1 3 .

Joshua,1 3 .

S ir Peter , 1 55 .

Capt. Phi neas, 1 85 .

Parmenter , Luther , 1 4 8 .

Partridge, Col. O live r, 6 8 .

Patch, E benezer, 36 .

Capt. S amuel, 36 , 1 29.

Patten , Capt . Thomas , 1 85 .

Patterson , Joseph, 43 .

CO L , 1 5 1 .

Payson , S t. John , 1 8 .

E 1 15 . N athaniel , 1 8 .

Peabody, Capt. Franci s , 7 8 .

Pepperre ll , S i rWm ., 1 7 , 20

Perki ns,M oses

, 29.

Pestalozzi , 2 8 1 .

Pettingi ll,N athaniel

,2 1 .

Phelps , Barney S . , 299.

Joel. 99

Phillips , Chaplain , 45 .

E benezer , 43 .

M ajor, 4 8 .

Capt. Thomas,1 1 .

Phips , S ir William ,

Pierce, Capt. Joseph,

1 83 .

Capt.Wi lliam, 36 .

Pierson , Col. George HPi ke , Jonathan , 1 4 .

Pi tt,Wi lliam , 47 , 6 3, 7 1 , 79.

Pi tts, L i .-Col 2 2 .

Plant , S amuel , 2 8 2 .

PO ignand , David, 2 8 2 .

Pollard , Christophe r A ., 2 87 ,

John , 1 04 .

O liver , 2 2 8 .

Thaddeus , 1 04 .

Pomeroy,Gen . S eth , 1 8 , 2 1

1 1 8, 1 20 .

Poole , L t . Jacob , 1 2 1 .

Thomas , 1 2 .

Popkin ,Capt. John, 1 29.

Porter ,Wi ll iam , 36 .

Pownall , Gov. Thomas , 7 4 .

Pratt, L t. E dward, 2 2 .

Capt. E lias , 1 7 7 .

N elson,292 .

Pray, Capt. John , 1 8 2 , 1 92 ,I 93

Preble , Gen. Jedediah , 1 1 7 ,1 1 8 .

Prenti ce,M rs. Anna,

1 95 .R ev. John , 23 1 .

Prescott,James

,204 .

John I st, 9 , 339

—366 .

Capt. John , 97 , 1 00 ,

1 02, 1 55 , 1 70 ,

20 1 , 2 20 .

Capt. John of Concord,Jonas , 35 7 .

Col. Wi lliam , 1 29, 1 30 ,

Prince , R ev. Thomas , quoted , 1 9.

Putnam , R ev. George, 298 .

Col. R ufus, 80 ,1 80 .

Capt. Wi lliam , 1 54 , 2 1 9,220 .

Putney, Joseph , 1 27 .

QUA N A PA UG, 360 .

Queen , Thomas , 1 3 .

Quinn , J ,ohn 292 .

Quincy, E dmund , quoted ,RAN D , CO L A . A . 326

37 4James , 1 27 .

M aj . John , 1 1 7 .

R ay, Amos,R ea

, Caleb, diary of,R eid , Thomas W.

R eddi ng , Capt. Zebedee1 8 2 ,

1 9 1 .

R edington , Benjam in , 234 .

R eed , Capt. James, 57 , 67 ,CO L Joseph, 1 67 , 1 86 , 2 1 9 ,220 ,

2 2 1 .

Gen. Theodore, 37 1—3 .

R evere , CO L Paul J ., 3 1 2 .

R ice , S i las , 2 23 .

R ichardson , Capt. BenjJames , 1 70 ,

1 8 6 .

R ev. M erri ll, 298 ,

S ewall , 240 .

wuham. 32 . 5 1 . 53 . 54 . 55 .

R ichmond, Co l. S ylvester,

1 7 , 2 1 .

R igbee , Timothy , 1 3 .

R imer , Henry, 1 27 .

R obb ins , Capt . Daniel, 94 ,1 00 ,

R ob inson ,A sa , 1 25 .

Capt. E benezer , 233 .

R ogers , E li zabeth , 1 98 .

R o lfe, Capt. Jonathan, 8 2 .

R oper , E phraim ,1 3 , 1 55 .

R oss, Thomas ,204 .

R ugg, Dame],S amuel , 299.

R uggles , Col. Timothy, 36 ,5 7 . 8 1 . 83 ~

R upp, John Adam , 1 27 .

R ussell , M iss E li zabeth P297 , 302 .

N athan iel, 239.

John , 44 .

Prof. Wi lliam, 336 .

R yan ,James 292 .

SAFFO R D , Charles , 305 .

S t . Clai r , Gen . Arthur259

S altonstall, Col . R ichard , 86 .

S argent , Capt. Joseph , 1 56 .

Col. Paul D . ,1 37 .

S avage, Wi l li am H ., 292 .

S awyer. Aaron. 94 . 9s. 97 .

0 2 .ANNALS O F L ANCA S TER .

Col. George D. , 3 1 7 .

Capt . Thomas , 1 8 5 , 1 9 1 .

West‘

,E ns . Benjam in ,

1 2 1 .

Wetherby,Jonathan

, 44Whalen

,John , 292 .

Whee ler, Capt. Adam ,1 29,

1 80,1 92 .

R ev. Joseph, 98 , 1 0 2 .

R i chard,1 3 .

Whetcomb , Col. A sa, 95 , 98 ,

99 ) 1 32- 1 4 1 1 1 54

—1 55 120

Gen . John ,1 1 8—1 20 , 234 .

Whipple , Capt. J ob , 55 , 1 80

White,E l i sha

, 99, 1 55 , 1 66 ,2 20 .

Capt. Hatfield , 1 93 .

Capt. John , 1 7 3 ,1 86 .

Jonathan,1 04 .

Joseph. 94 . 95N athaniel , 1 67 ,

2 2 1 .

Whitefield,R ev. George , 1 9.

Whiting,M aj . Dan iel , 1 39.

M aj . Fabius , 4 ,272 .

Gen . Hen ry , 4 , 27 2 .

Gen . John , 4 , 2 64—5 , 27 2 .

R ev. John ,1 0 .

S olon,2 8 8 , 293 , 305 .

Capt. Timothy, jr. ,1 86

,

24 6 . 247 .249. 264 . 27 2 .

Whitman,D r. Charles , 1 50 .

Whi tney,R ev. Andrew,

205 .

Caleb , 1 54 , 1 7 3 .

John , 6 6 , 2 1 5 .

,Jonathan

,253 , 27 4 .

Col . Josiah, 259.

M iss M ary, 253 , 297 .

Wigglesworth , Col. E dward ,1 8 2 .

W i lde , Barnard , 44 .

S i lent,238 .

Wilder, Caleb , 200 ,

2 1 1,263 .

Charles L . ,28 8 , 297 , 299,

333 »Charles J . ,

297 , 299 , 305 .

Dea. David , 97 , 1 00 ,1 0 2

,

1 52 .

Capt. David , 1 29.

E ph raim ,1 5 1 , 1 85 , 2 1 1

,

2 20 .

M aj . Gardner , 1 86 .

James,236 .

Jonas, jr. ,

1 7 0 .

J onathan ,1 00 ,

1 5 2 ,1 54 ,

2 20,249 , 2 6 2 , 2 67 ,

2 69 .

Judge Joseph , 30 , 3 1 .

C0 1 . J oseph ,jr. ,

Dr. Josiah, 99,1 00 ,

2 1 9,

L ev1,1 8 6 , 2 1 1 .

Luke,1 6 7 , 1 7 0 .

S ampson V . S . , 24 1 , 244 ,

2 77 .

S amuel,2 20 .

S olon , 305 .

Wi llard , Aaron , 1 30 .

Abel,1 03 , 1 98 , 1 99 ,

200,

Col . Abijah , 45—49, 1 29,I 9S—7 . 200

M aj . Caleb , 6 8 , 7 6 .

Harrison,292 .

Capt. Jonathan ,27 .

Joseph, quoted, 1 2,1 4 ,

1 09, 1 7 0 , 1 7 2 , 20 6 , 259.

Joseph , 230 , 320 .

S ecy. Josi ah ,2 3 , 49.

Col. Josiah , 2 8 .

Col Levi , 2 1 , 80 . 1 98 , 234 .

Levi, jr .,

1 98 .

Dr. R obert, 45 .

C0 1. S amuel,1 8—2 8 , 30 .

S amuel,1 97 .

Dea. Wi lli am, 1 8 7 , 247 .

Wi lli ams, C0 1 . Israel,John S . , 292 ,

Capt.Wi ll iam, 8 2 .

Willi s,George

,292 .

Wi lson , Davi d , 44 .

Capt . Francis , 1 5 7 .

Winship, E phraim ,1 25 .

Joshua,1 3 .

Wi nslow, CO L John , 32 , 4 1 ,

W inthrop, Gov. John , 347 .

W ise, O liver M .,

292 .

Wi tt, S amuel , 39.

Wolfe , Geri . James,6 3 , 7 9.

Wood , L t. E benezer , 1 2 1

1 26 .

Col. E zra, 1 64 .

Hannah, 40 .

John,1 26 .

Capt. Jonathan ,8 7 .

Joseph, 1 26 .

Lemue l,d i ary O f, 7 8 .

Levi P. ,299.

Capt. S amuel , 1 29 .

Woodbridge, Capt, Chris

tian,1 8 2 .

Woodward , E ns. John ,8 8 .

Woolly,Joseph , 37 .

Wright,A rchibald D ., 292 .

Capt. N athaniel, 1 74 .

Wyman, Capt. Abijah, 1 29.

L t. John ,1 2 1 .

Jonas,1 04 , 1 85 . 2 1 4 .

N athan iel, 94 . 95 .

C0 1. Powe ll T . , 3 1 1 .

Z EWE R S ,R obert, 44 .

Militaryannalsof Lancaster - Forgotten Books

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