• / W* A A ♦a ^^ ^ • Vj. a* ^>^* ^^^ ^^^ --^1^* 'ft.^ "^.^ ^•- Committee." Daniel Morrill ) Two of the committee from the settlers had made a journey to Amesbury in the fulfilment of their mis- sion with regard to settling a minister. They met the committee of the proprietors, on the day above written, and then and there signed the contract in behalf of the settlers. It was in the words following : ''Almsbury, March 13, 1771. We the subscribers, Isaac Wal- dron Joseph Sawyer and Isaac Chase, committee of the settlers in New Almsbury in New Hampshire in our capacity Do by these presents bind and oblige ourselves in the sum of 108 pounds lawful money, to Dr. Nehemiah Ordway Simeon Bartlett, and Deacon Daniel Morrill of Salisbury, to be paid on or before De- cember, 1772 : The conditions of the above obligation are such CONTRACT BETWEEN THE PARTIES. 153 that if the above said Isaac Waldron Joseph Sawyer and Isaac Chase or the inhabitants of New Almsbury shall settle a Learned Orthodox Gospel Jlinister in New Almsbury as above expressed on or before December in the year 1772, then the above obliga- tion to be void and of none effect, or else to stand in full force and virtue : In witness whereof we have set our hands the day and date above written : In presence of — Samuel Barnard Joseph Sawyer ) _, .,, ,, -r, • • -T^ T \-M ' i Committee." Benjamin il,vans Isaac Chase ) This contract needs no explanation, as there is no ambiguity about it. It was reHgiously observed by the two contracting parties. The inhabitants of the township settled their " learned orthodox minister" ten months before the expiration of the time in which they had bound themselves to do this, in order to se- cure the stipulated sums from the proprietors to sup- port preaching, and the proprietors on their part promptly paid over every dollar, according to con- tract. To be prepared to meet the conditions of this con- tract, the proprietors were obliged to levy additional taxes on the rights, and they, at their annual meeting in March, 1771,— " Voted to raise 4 dollars on each right to defray the charges of the year. "Voted, also, that Seth Goodwin have 28 acres more of land, if he will accept it in lieu of the 15 dol- lars voted him at a former meeting, under his distress- ed circumstances." 154 HISTORY OF WARNER. What the distressed circumstances of Mr. Goodwin were, there is no hving witness to tell. He may have been disabled by an accident; his family may have been sick ; perhaps his buildings were burned, or his " cattle died, and blighted was his corn ; " or his gift- lot did n't " pan out " as well as he expected. But we may console ourselves with the reflection that it could not have been a very grave matter, for the proprie- tors, who were alive to every cry of distress, evidently thought that about fifteen dollars would make him whole. He lived at the Moulton place in Schoodac. At a meeting, May 29, 1771, — " Chose Capt. Benjamin Evans, Nathan Currier, and Benjamin Osgood a committee to prosecute Trespass- ers on lands, or for cutting timber." At a meeting, July 30, 1771, ordered, — £ s. d. q. To Mrs. Tarbiatha Barnard, for expenses of propri- etors' meetings — 0- 6-4-0 To Mrs. Esther Colby, for meetings at her house, 2- 2-6-0 To Nehemiah Ordway, Jr., for preaching, 1-10-0-0 For preaching in 1771— 16-10-0-0 At the same meeting. — Chose a committee to renew the bounds of lots, so that they might be recorded in the proprietors' book ; and to see if those persons who had engaged to be- come settlers had complied with the terms of their agreement, and if not, to make a demand of their lots. A CHURCH ORGANIZED. 155 STEPS TOWARDS INC0RP0RATI0:N'. At Amesbury, October 24, 1771, — Chose Ezekiel Evans and David Bagley a commit- tee to get the town incorporated. At another meeting, held November, 1771, — "Voted that Eliphalet Danford have the Interval laying in his Lot." (This intervale and lot belong to the Bagley farm, which is now owned by Samuel H. Dow.) At the same meeting, — " Voted that there shall be laid out a 40 acre lot for 'the first ordained minister,' near the Meeting House, and also, a 40 acre parsonage Lot and a 40 acre School Lot." A CHURCH ORGANIZED. A church was organized, and Rev. William Kel- ley was ordained and settled in New Araesbury (Warner), Feb. 5, 1772. A biographical sketch of Mr. Kelley will be found in a subsequent chapter. His home in Warner was on the road that leads up southerly from the Parade. He built his house after his settlement in town. It was a small, one-story building. After living in this several years, he added a two-story front, it being the first two-story frame house built in town. That front now stands in War- ner Lower Village, opposite John Aiken's. It was for- 11 156 HISTOEY OF WARNER. merly occupied by Capt. Joshua Sawyer, and is now occupied by his grandson, Herbert Sawyer. Let him who can appreciate the grandeur of a perfect landscape go up from the guidepost, at the Parade, to the site of Rev. William Kelley's house. It will be on his left hand. He must not come to this place from the opposite direction, nor in the middle of the day. It must be at the hour of sunset, for all views are comparatively tame at any other hour. Standing there, on the strong foundations of the Kel- ley house, facing the north, he will catch a view that transcends in some respects all other views to be had in Warner. THE SURVEY. The town was surveyed in August, 1772, as stated in the second chapter. The work was done under the supervision of Hubertus Neal, of Penacook, deputy surveyor. William Perkins and Zebulon Davis were the sworn chainmen ; Francis Davis and Ezekiel Evans were the committee for conducting the survey. This party, failing to find an unappropriated territory six miles square, and corresponding with the terms of the grant, found an equivalent by extending the town- ship westward. Zebulon Davis was the oldest son of Capt. Francis. He was at this time 24 years of age. When he set- tled down in life, he lived at the Charles P. Sawyer place. His sons were Stephen, Alpheus, and Zebulon. FIRST BRIDGE. 157 At a proprietors' meeting, September, 1772, — £.s. Ordered for the proj)rietors' part for preaching, 18- 6 Ordered to Hubertus Neal for running out the town, 6-13 FIRST BRIDGE. In the warrant for a meeting, October 13, 1772, the following article appears : " To see if the proprietors will assist the inhabitants in building a bridge over Amesbury River, near Mr. Daniel Flanderses, and in repairing road to Perrys- town." At the meeting which followed, David Bagley and Ezekiel Dimond were chosen a committee to repair said road, but no mention is made of the bridge, in the records of this meeting. Still, it is probable that some provision was made at that meeting, or at one which soon followed, for building the bridge. A bridge was built the next year (1773), and it stood about twenty rods down the river from the present bridge by the brick school-house. At the annual meeting, March 24, 1773, — Voted that the assessors raise five dollars on each right to de- fray charges : £. s. (I Voted to allow Ezekiel Evans for 11 days service running out the town, 2-17-0 Voted to allow Francis Davis, self and son, for the same service, 2- 2-6 Ordered to pay to the settlers' committee for preaching, 18-0-0 At the same meeting, — Chose Benjamin Evans and Simeon Bartlett a committee to proceed in the law and eject Jonathan Parmer off his lot of Land, and all other trespassers in the township. OHAPTEE XII. PEOPEIETORS' RECORDS — THE RYE GRANTEES — BOARD OP ARBI- TRATORS THEIR AWARD " PARMER" AGAIN. T the annual meeting in March, 1773, " Chose a committee to meet a number of Gentlemen belonging to Rye, upon their desire, and hear their proposals and make report at the adjournment of this meeting — then the meeting adjourned to the 5th day of May." No business was transacted at the adjourned meet- ing ; but at another, held June 3, 1773, "Voted, that Nehemiah Ordway, Nathaniel Currier, Benjamin Evans, Simeon Bartlett, Henry Morrill, Samuel Bar- nard, Daniel Morrill, Theodore Hoyt, Peter Sargent, and Thomas Barnard, or any five of them, be a com- mittee to proceed with the Rye committee and have the case submitted to men for Arbitration, unless the Rye committee propose to take a sum of money which our committee shall deem reasonable and think proper to pay." Said Rye committee consisted of Richard Jenness, BOAED OF ARBITRATORS. 159 Richard Jenness, Jr., Samuel Jenness, Francis Jenness, Nathaniel Rand (cordwainer), and Ozam Doust. BOARD OF ARBITRATORS. The proprietors' committee met the Rye committee in conference, and July 20th, 1773, the two commit- tees agreed to submit all matters in dispute to a board of arbitrators. Each party gave bonds in the sum of 1000 pounds, lawful money of the province of New Hampshire, to abide the judgment of this board. Their agreement was in the words following : " All disputes and controversies that have been and still are existing between sundry persons who, under the name of Jen- nestown Proprietors, claim title to lands within the bounds of New Amesbury in the county of Hillsboro' and Province of New Hampshire, and the Proprietors of said New Amesbury, are submitted for final determination, to Thomas Waldron, Ben- jamin Chadbourn, Benjamin Greenleaf and Woodbury Langdon." After due deliberation, the arbitrators announced the following AWARD. " Know all men by these presents : That, whereas, the above named Richard Jenness, Richard Jenness Jr., Francis Jenness, Samuel Jenness, Nathaniel Rand and Ozam Doust Nehemiah Ordway, Daniel Quimby, Simeon Bartlett, Nathaniel Currier and Benjamin Evans, have, by their Bonds of even date with these presents by them respectively executed, submitted to our final determination the controversies and disputes in the condi- tion of the foregoing obligation mentioned : having taken upon us the Burden submitted to i;s, and heard the parties and their evidence thereupon, — We do, for the putting an end to the said 160 HISTOEY OF WARNER. Controversy and Dispute make and publish this our Award, in manner following ; "That, within six months from the date of these Presents, the said Proprietors of New Amesbury shall pay unto the Proprietors of Jennestown, the sum of 140 pounds Lawful money of the Prov- ince of New Hampshire, with interest for the same sum from this day until paid ; And that the said Proprietors shall, upon the receipt thereof, release unto the said New Amesbury proprie- tors all their Eight, Title, and Interest in and unto all the Lands lying within the bounds of said Township of New Amesbury, and shall free them from the claims of all persons claiming right un- der the said Jennestown Grant, and the said Proprietors of Jen- nestown shall indemnify them of all damages that may accrue by such claims — and that this Award shall be a final end of all said controversies and disputes between said parties to us submitted. "Witness our hands and seals this twentieth day of July Anno Domini, 1773. Thomas Waldron Benjamin Chadbourn Benjamin Greenleaf Woodbury Langdon." The proprietors met at the Widow Esther Colby's, in Amesbury, July 27, 1773, and voted to raise eight dollars on each right, to sustain the action of the com- mittee in relation to the settlement of the difficulties with the Rye proprietors. December 2, 1773,— £. s. d. q. Ordered to committee for settling dispute with Rye pro- prietors— 143-3-8-0 Ordered to Benjamin Evans for services and money, paid— 14-3-8-2 "PARMER" AGAIN. At the annual meeting, held March 10, 1774, Ben- jamin Evans and Simeon Bartlett were chosen a com- ACTION AGAINST TRESPASSEES. 161 mittee to " eject Jonathan Parmer," or any other per- son on land in New Amesbury, claiming under the Jennestown proprietors, in case the said Jennestown committee neglect to remove the said trespassers. At the same meeting, voted to lay out and allot all the common land in the township. Voted that Isaac Chandler, Joseph Pudney, and Dea. Kimball, of Hopkinton, be a committee to exam- ine and see whether the settlers " have fulfilled ac- cordino; to ag-reement." At the same meeting, voted to raise four dollars on each right, to defray the charges for the year. The Jonathan Palmer case seems to have been a perfect " Pandora's box " to the proprietors of War- ner. A multitude of evils sprang from it, and much litigation grew out of it. It appears that Palmer was from Chester; that he came to Warner about the year 1765; that he came when the town was techni- cally the property of the Rye grantees ; that he came under their auspices, and took up a 40-acre lot, and made certain improvements upon it. It appears, fur- ther, that the Amesbury proprietors made repeated at- tempts to drive him out, taking the ground, first, that the Rye people had no jurisdiction ; and, second, that, even if they had jurisdiction, Palmer had failed to comply with their conditions of settlement. He had selected an ordinary lot to make a farm of, though it was very fair for pasture land. It was a half mile 162 HISTOEY OF WAENER. long, and forty rods wide. It has for a great many years constituted a part of the Joshua Bagley farm, which is now Samuel H. Dow's. It heads on the Ori- gen Dimond lot, and stretches along northward, on the upper side of the Dunbar farm, across Ballard brook, the north-east corner running over the main road and just reaching the railroad. At that point is the corner bound, a little below the buildings on the said Bagley farm. On this lot Palmer cleared, or partly cleared, three or four acres, and built something that he called a house, though the Amesbury proprietors called it a " frame." The new Joppa road runs very near the site where this frame stood. The Amesbury proprie- tors allowed that if Palmer had complied with the terms of settlement prescribed by the Rye grantees (even though they had no authority), he should go unmolested. But they denied that he had done this, and claimed that he was simply a trespasser on land not his own. They therefore voted, in March, 1767, " to give Increase Morrill a 40 acre Lot near where Parmer built a/r«me, he [Morrill] complying with the terms and settling as other settlers." This meant that Morrill was to have the very lot that Palmer had pre- empted, and the first step was to drive Palmer off. The law was appealed to for this purpose, and Ports- mouth was the theatre of the conflict. But the law's delays and the law's uncertainties were again exem- ACTION AGAINST TRESPASSERS. 163 plified. Palmer still " held the fort." Seed-time and harvest came, years passed on, and, in August, 1770, a meeting was called at Amesbury " To see if the pro- prietors will choose a committee to carry on the Law- suit commenced by Increase Morrill, against Jonathan Palmer, of Chester, for Trespass ;" and Ezekiel Evans and Jonathan Barnard were chosen to take the advice of the Lords' proprietors in relation to the law-suit against said Palmer. Then, after another long delay intervened, the pro- prietors, March 24, 1773, chose a committee to proceed in this law-suit, and eject this man from the lot he had selected. And, finally, this latter vote is repeated and emphasized at the annual meeting, March 10, 1774. Justice requires the presentation of the grounds on which Palmer stood and claimed a verdict. He con- tended he was rightfully there, because he entered upon the lot under the sanction of the Rye grantees. He contended further, that even if he had acquired no rights under the Rye people, he had acquired a perfect title under the Amesbury proprietors by ful- filling every obligation which they demanded of set- tlers. This the Amesbury people denied. They rep- resented, in court and elsewhere, that he had not com- plied with a single condition ; that the land he had pretended to clear was" covered with logs and with standing trees, and that the house he had built " was unfit for a pigeon-roost." 164 HISTORY OP WARNER. Palmer fought valiantly, single-handed, and against great odds. He evidently lost the field in one en- counter, but he seems to have regained it in another. The records of Hillsborough county show that this redoubtable Jonathan, of New Amesbury, in May, 1774, sold and deeded to his brother, James Palmer, of the same place, for the sum of fifteen pounds, lawful money, a tract of forty acres of land, described by him as follows : " It being a Lot that was laid out to me by my right, and afterwards recovered to me by law." Thus the contest with this individual seems to have ended in a victory for him, whatever may have been the fate of the one who held under him. He was not ejected. He sold his lot, and took his money and his departure from the scene of action. CHAPTEE XIII. THE TOWN INCORPORATED — MILLS AT GREAT FALLS — MORE TROUBLE WITH RYE BURYING-YARD AND PARADE CAPTAIN FRANCIS DAVIS — NEARING THE END — FINAL MEETING. T the annual meeting in March, 1774, the pro- prietors took further action by choosing Moses Flanders, Ezekiel Evans, and Francis Davis as a com- mittee for getting the town incorporated. This com- mittee attended to their duty, and in the month of September following the town was incorporated by the name of WARNER. £ s. d. October, 1774, Ordered to Capt. Francis Davis for getting tlie town incorporated — 24-13-6 Ordered to committee in Warner, for preaching — 18- 0-0 At the same meeting, Francis Davis and Ezekiel Evans were appointed " to allot all the undivided land in the township into Lots to each Proprietor in Divi- sions as it will hold out." In November following, this committee reported as follows : " In pursuance of the above vote, We the subscribers have been on the Township of New Amesbury (now Warner), and 166 HISTOEY OF WARNER. have layed out all the undivided land, and find it to make (with what lots were drawn and thrown up) an 80 acre Lot, a 60 acre Lot and a 40 acre Lot, to each Proprietor, reserving the County Road (main road), that goes through any part of the above Divi- sion of 40 acre Lots, and any other roads that may be wanted for the use of the town and that may be laid out by the Select- men ; also reserving the mill privilege belonging to Capt. Davis from damage of flowing the 40 acre Lots according to the true intent of the Proprietors in granting said Privilege. Francis Davis ) p^^^^^ee " Nov. 1774. Ezekiel Evans f ^^"^^^"ee. MILLS AT GREAT FALLS. At the annual meeting, March, 1775, at Amesbury? the proprietors chose their officers for the ensuing year, and then, — " Voted that the collector give notice by News Pa- per in Newbury Port, Mass. and in Portsmouth, N. H. at what time the taxes must be paid by the Proprie- tors, and that said collector shall have sixpence per pound for gathering the Rates." At the same meeting. — " Voted to empower the assessors to sell the mill privilege at Great Falls in the upper part of the town to any person that will pay $100, one half of the purchase money to be paid next December, and the other half to be paid one year after ; said assessors to give a Deed to the purchaser and take security for the money." Voted to raise $3 on each rightj to defray the necessary expenses of the year. MILLS' AT GREAT FALLS. 167 Other business was transacted at this meeting, as was usual at most meetings, in reference to lines, lots, and divisions. Constant changes, in these particulars, were being made. The great falls, mentioned above, are the falls at Waterloo village. Nothing occurred at the annual meeting of the proprietors, in March, 1776, worthy of note, but at the annual meeting of 1777, a committee was chosen " To guard against encroachments upon the proprie- tors' lands." Said committee were authorized to see, when in Warner, that no person had taken possession of any lot of land without grant or purchase. At the annual meeting in March, 1778, John Barn- ard and Simeon Bartlett were chosen "to advertise and make sale by auction of the Mill Privilege at the Great Falls, and to give the buyer a lawful convey- ance, and oblige him to build a Saw Mill in one year and a Grist Mill within three years from the time of his purchase, and to keep the mills in repair." Yoted $2 each to a committee who had settled a land difficulty between Christopher Gould and Chris- topher Flanders. " Voted to give Charles Barnard 4 acres if there be so much of Common land at the end of Carter's Lot — as Sawyer must have 4 acres from said Barnard's Lot or have a law-suit." 168 HISTORY OF WARNER. MORE TROUBLE WITH RYE. At the annual meeting, March, 1779, nothing but routine business was transacted ; but at a meeting held at Amesbury, April the 29th of that year, Simeon Bartlett and John Barnard were chosen " to confer w^ith a committee of the Proprietors of Jennestown, so called, and see if they will remove the encroach- ments in the township by persons acting, or claiming under said Jennestown Grant." In case of a failure of this committee to get a fair settlement, they were instructed to take counsel, and appeal to a court of law for redress of their wrongs. It is difficult, in the absence of any records of their own, to understand this conduct of the Rye people. According to the award of the commissioners, they were to relinquish " all their right, title, and interest in and unto all the lands in the township of New Amesbury." To this award they submitted (as did the other party), but such records as are in existence show that they did not in good faith abide by it. The head man of the Rye grantees, or proprie- tors, was Richard Jenness. Perhaps this trouble is chargeable to his door. Perhaps it was lands in War- ner that he conveyed to parties by fraudulent papers, and if so, these difficulties are accounted for. This Richard Jenness, representative for the towns of Rye and Newcastle, was expelled from the assem- BUEYING-YARD AND PARADE. 169 bly of the province, at Portsmouth, May 12. 1773, for the forgery of deeds of conveyance of lands. The inhabitants of Rye and Newcastle, after this action of the assembly, were called upon to elect another representative to take the place of the ex- pelled member, and Amos Seavey, of Rye, was chosen. This man was the ancestor of all the Seaveys of War- ner. His son Andrew settled between the Mink hills and Bradford pond ; and the three sons of Andrew, — Burns, Harden, and James, — are well remembered by the people of Warner. BURYING-YARD AND PARADE. At their annual meeting in March, 1784, the pro- prietors took steps for having ample grounds set off from the meeting-house lot, for a cemetery and a per- manent training-field. Simeon Bartlett and David Bagley were appointed a committee to carry forward this project. They attended to their duty, and report- ed that they had " set off from the Meeting House Lot about thirteen acres of land for Burying- Yard, Train- ing-Field [or Parade] and Highways." The metes and bounds of this tract are given in detail in the report of the committee, but they would not interest the reader, and are therefore not present- ed here. It is sufficient to say, that this tract of land is at the old cemetery, heading on the Gould road, and extending back north to the river. It is forty- 170 HISTORY OF WARNER. one rods in width on the road, and some sixty rods deep. It is now mostly covered with a thrifty pine growth; but in 1784, and for twenty years before that, it was a beautiful slope, carpeted with greensward down to the river's edge. Here, on this tract, was erected the first house of worship within the town- ship, and here the second house also. Here all classes, ages, and conditions were wont to congregate on the k5abbath day. They toiled up the long ascent from the east ; they came in from the north, crossing the river almost under the shadow of the church edi- fice ; they came down the Gould road from Waldron's hill and the Minks ; they poured in from the south in great numbers, passing the residence of their minis- ter, and often receiving kindly recognition from him on the way. The young and gay assembled at that sacred place ; and the aged pilgrims, leaning upon their staves, were there also, waiting for the consola- tion of Israel. During the intermission, these vener- able fathers and mothers, on bright summer days, " gathered at the river " to recount the past, and to recall the graves of their kindred, far away. Here, also, was planted the first " city of the dead " within the township. Here, year after year, were the town elections held, and here the class, embracing Warner, Fishersfield, Perrystown, and New Breton, assembled annually, to make choice of a representa- tive to the general court. Here the town militia, CAPTAIN FRANCIS DAVIS. 171 both under the king and under the United States, met on parade for disciphne and drill. Here Captains Davis, Flood, and others, in the exercise of lawful authority, drew the sword and took command. Here the men were warned to meet on parade ; and, before the independence of the country, they were sometimes " notified and warned to assemble at the King's Parade for military drill and exercise." CAPTAIN FRANCIS DAVIS. As Francis Davis was the first man to be put in command of the soldiery of Warner, his authority, in the shape of a commission, is herewith presented. Province of ) John Wentworth Esq., Captain General and New Hampshire ) Governor in Chief, in and over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, in New England, To Francis Davis Esquire — Greeting. By virtue of the Power and Authority, in and by His Majes- tj^'s Royal Commission to Me granted to be Captain General, &c. over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire aforesaid, I Do, by these Presents, reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage, and good Conduct, constitute and appoint You the said Francis Davis, to be Captain of the 22d Company of Foot, in the Ninth Regiment of Militia, in the Province of New Hampshire, of which John Goffe Esq. is Colonel. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of a Captain in leading, ordering, and exercising said company in Arms, both inferior Officers and Soldiers, and to keej) them in good Order and Discipline ; hereby commanding them to obey you as their Captain, and yourself to observe and follow such Or- ders and Instructions as you shall from time to time receive from Me, or the Commander in Chief for the time being, or other your superior Officers for His Majesty's Service, according to Military Rules and Discipline, pursuant to the Trust reposed in You. 12 172 HISTORY OF WARNER. Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Portsmouth the Ninth Day of March, in the thirteenth year of the Eeign of His Majesty King George the Third. Annoque Domini 1773. J' Wentworth. By His Excellency's Command, Theodore Atkinson, Sec'y. As the cemetery in those days did not extend so far down towards Levi Bartlett's as now, Captain Davis often paraded his company on ground now within its enclosure. At other times the company was paraded in the road, by the ledge, and at other times on the gentle slope just at the north-east corner of the cemetery. These grounds are the property of the town to-day, but time has wrought great changes there. Unbroken silence now reigns on that venerable spot. The voice of prayer and the voice of command will be heard there no more forever. The dead only sleep there. But with what unrivalled poetic beauty Longfellow says,— " There is no death ! what seems so is transition ; This life of mortal breath Is but the suburb of the life elysian, Whose portal we call death. " In that great cloister's stillness and seclusion, By guardian angels led. Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution, They live whotn we call deacV NEARING THE END. As the work of the proprietors of Warner drew towards a close, it naturally became less and less NEARING THE END. 173 important. The record of proprietors' meetings, from about 1785 onward, becomes yearly less interesting. From 1784 to 1792 the proprietors met annually, to keep their organization intact, and to transact what- ever business must necessarily come before them, but they did little in those years except to confirm titles, to rectify the boundaries of lots, to make trifling grants to certain settlers, for one reason and another, and to divide up and draw the last remnants of their lands. Having become, to a large degree, residents of Warner, the proprietors, from 1792 onward, held all their meetings in old township Number One. On the 13th day of April, 1792, the following warn- ing was posted up at two public places in Warner : " In the name of the State of New Hampshire, we Do Hereby Notify and warn all the proprietors of the township of Warner in the County of Hillsboro' in this State that are legal voters in proprietors' meetings, to assemble and meet together at the house of Doct. John Currier in Warner on thurs Day the 24th Day of may next att one of the clock in the P. M. to act as followeth, viz. : firstly to chuse a moderator to govern said meeting : 2 ly to see if the proprietors will vote to Ratify and Confirms the proceeding of the former proprietors meetings which ware warned and held out of this State or any part thereof : 3 ly to See if the proprietors will vote to chuse a committee to Bring an action or actions against any person or persons that are in possession of lands in the town of Warner not having any title to the same from under the proprietors of the township of said Warner. 4 ly to See if the proprietors will chuse any committee to settle with the former Collectors and all other persons indebted to the 174 HISTORY OF WARNER. proprietors or that have any demand against them ;• and to Dis- pose of the Remaining Common Land or any part thereof. James flanders ) ^ •,, „ m -pi ^ Committee, lappan Jivans j The proprietors met agreeably to the above warn- ing, May 24, 1792, and chose Nathaniel Bean, Esq., moderator. " att the same meeting voted to chuse a committee of three to Examine the former votes of the proprie- tors and See what part of them is Necessary to be Ratified and make a Report at the adjournment of this meeting." Nathaniel Bean, Lt. Wm. Ring and Richard Bart- lett were chosen said committee. " att the Same meeting, voted to chuse a committee to Bring an action or to Support one in Behalf of the proprietors with those on Lands not claiming them under almesbury proprietors." Simeon Bartlett, James Flanders, and Nathaniel Bean were chosen. " att the Same meeting, voted that James flanders Esq. and Mr. Tappan Evans be a committee to Dis- pose of a gour of land by Mr. Moses Clements." FINAL MEETING. The last legal meeting of the proprietors was at the house of Levi Bartlett, in Warner, March 29, 1830. The record of this meeting is in the words following : FINAL MEETING. 175 "Met according to warning and chose Dea. David Heath, Moderator, and Levi ])artlett, Clerk. '•'On motion of Benjamin Evans Esq. — " Resolved, That it is expedient to discontinue the proprietors' meetings in Warner, and to choose an agent to take the notes and collect the funds of the proprietors, pay all demands against them, and divide the money that remains equally among the legal proprietors. " The above Resolution was carried in the affirmative, and Stephen Bartlett was chosen to take the funds and dispose of them as directed above. " Then the meeting adjourned. Levi Bartlett, Clerk." Thus ended the work of the proprietors of Warner. Much of shadow and but little of sunshine had been found in it. Ninety-five years had elapsed since the first grant of the township had been made. All ot the original grantees, and most of the men and women of the next generation, had gone to " That undiscovered counrry, from whose bourne No traveller returns." Many of those grantees, unlike the prophet of old, never so much as beheld the promised land ; but their descendants, generation after generation, have caused the hills and valleys of Warner to teem with plenty, and to echo the voices of contentment and gladness. OHAPTEE XIV. THE INTERMEDIATE STATE FIRST MEETING OP THE SETTLERS FAST DAY REV. MR. KELLEY CALLED HIS SALARY HIS ORDINATION THE FIRST JURYMAN TOWN CHARTER. AVING pursued the proprietors of township Number One, in the line of towns, through their many tribulations, to the end of their authority and the termination of their existence as a legal or- ganization, the reader is now invited to go back and consider the transactions of the settlers in the town- ship. In December, 1770, the inhabitants, — the settlers of the town then generally called New Almsbury, — met together for the first time to take action concern- ing their affairs. Hitherto all their municipal matters have been managed by the proprietors of the town- ship, most of whom lived in another province. Now the occupants of the soil begin to be heard. The pro- prietors may control their own jpro'perty in the town- ship, whether held by them in common or individ- ually, but may not longer control the general affairs of the settlers. THE INTERMEDIATE STATE. 177 There is yet, however, no legal town organization. No act of incorporation has been passed. Hence no tax can be collected, no road or bridge can be built, no school can be supported, except by voluntary con- tribution. This period, from 1770 to 1774, may be called the intermediate state. It stands between the legal authority of the proprietors over the inhabitants on the one hand, and the legal town organization on the other. The town is not only not yet organized, but it has no 7ia?ne, — no legal name. It was granted by Massachusetts as township Number One, but that grant fell for want of jurisdiction on the part of the grantor, and another grant, from another party, had to be obtained. The proprietors, being residents of Amesbury, Mass., and that vicinity, generally called the town New Almsbury (spelling the name, for some unaccountable reason, with an I ). But in convey- ances of land and other legal documents, up to the time of its incorporation in 1774, the town is called " New Almsbury or township Number One." It is probable that the Rye proprietors (if they had gone forward, settled, and organized the town) would have given it the name of Jennestown. But the town has never absolutely been known by that name, though it may have been indifferently called by it in certain cases. So it was called, occasionally, by the Masonian proprietors, " Rye Town." And on an old English map, made from the survey of Mitchell and 178 HISTORY OF WARNER. Hazzen in 1750, it is distinctly marked at the foot of "Kjasage," and there called Rye Town. But the only established legal name that the town ever had is the one it now bears. FIRST MEETING OF THE SETTLERS. The first public meeting of the settlers of the town was held in the meeting-house at the Parade, Decem- ber 27, 1770. This meeting took action only in re- gard to the religious affairs of the parish. At that time the town and church were one. The record of the proceedings of that meeting is given below, in full, and is as follows : " Whereas the Proprietors of a tract of land usually known by the name of New Almsbury in the Province of New Hampshire, by Nehemiah Ordway, Simeon Bartlett, and Daniel Morrill, their committee, have promised and engaged to pay ninety Dollars for the first year, and sixty dollars a year for the four years next fol- lowing, and thirty dollars for the sixth year, to be applied to the support of a Gospel Minister in said New Almsbury and to sup- plying the same place witli preaching till such Minister can be settled therein, provided such Minister be ordained and settled within two years from this time ; ''And Whereas, said Proprietors have further engaged a right of Land as a Proi)rietors' Share in said New Almsbury, to the first Ordained Minister in the same place, and also the Improve- ment [use] of an other Right or Share in said New Almsbury, as a Parsonage during his continuance in the Ministry there ; in consideration of said promises and engagements of the Proprie- tors aforesaid, and in consideration also that Isaac Waldron, Isaac Chase, and Joseph Sawyer, a committee chosen and appointed by the majority of the inhabitants of said New Almsbury will use their best endeavors that an Able and Learned Minister of the Gospel, approved by the Pastors of the neighboring Churches, FIRST MEETING OF THE SETTLERS. 179 may be settled and ordained in said New Almsbiiry according to said proposal of the Proprietors aforesaid : We whose names are hereunto subscribed being inhabitants of said New Almsbury and being willing to encourage and promote so laudable a design ; Do promise each for himself to pay to the said Isaac Waldron, Isaac Chase, and Joseph Saw3^er, or to the survivors of them our just and ratable proportion, according to our respective estates, of whatever sum or sums of money shall be needed to defray the charges of hireing some Preacher qualified as aforesaid to preach in said New Almsbury on probation for settlement, and also for the settlement and Ordination of said minister, and also for his yearly Salary or allowance afterwards ; Said Minister to be chosen and his Salaiy appointed b}' the majority of the inhabi- tants of said New Almsbury, and the allowance per day to Preachers as by custom to be the price to be paid, and if any- thing further be given for the encouragement of a Minister to settle among us the same shall be by agreement by the inhabi- tants, and all charges or sums of money to be paid by us as afore- said shall be assessed by the said Waldron, Chase, and Sawyer, or their survivors in the same manner as the Province Taxes are by Law assessed, and paid by each of us respectively our said Tax within one calendar month from the time we are notified of the same ; provided the Proj)rietors aforesaid shall well and faith- fully perform all of their several promises and engagements, and that we shall and may have the full benefit of the money which thereby shall be paid by said Proprietors, the same shall be de- ducted, when paid, out of the Salary of said Preacher or minister, and our several assessments abated in proportion to the money so paid by said Proprietors, and that all of the money paid b}^ us and the said Proprietors shall be faithfully applied to the support of the Gospel in said New Almsbury. And in case no minister of the Gospel shall be Ordained in said town within the space of two years, or in case the Proprietors aforesaid shall neglect to pay any sum by them promised for the term of one year from the time said money was to be paid, in either case the promise by us made shall be Void as to all time to come, but shall stand good against us for all debts due any Gentleman for preaching in said town by us engaged. Provided further that this writing shall be of no force against any Subscriber of the same unless Nine Tenths 180 HISTORY OF WARNER. in number of the present inhabitants of said New Almsbury shall subscribe the same ; and in case of failure of performance by either of us subscribing, of any of the articles according to the true intent and meaning of the writing, then we are each of us to for- feit for each and every such failure of his own, ten pounds, Law- ful money, to be collected by the said Waldron, Chase and Saw- yer, said money to be applied to the support of the Gospel as above directed. '^In consideration of all the articles above written, we have hereunto subscribed our names, this 27th da}^ of December, 1770." Though the meaning of the above bond or obliga- tion is somewhat obscured by verbiage, the reader will probably be able to comprehend it. It has been thought best to give it in full here, as it is em- braced in the proceedings of the Jirst meeting of the settlers. Forty-five names are appended to the docu- ment. They are substantially the names that appear on a former page, in the list of early settlers, and they need not be repeated. At a meeting of the inhabitants of the township, held Feb. 14, 1771, Joseph Sawyer acting as moder- ator, — "Voted that Mr. Nehemiah Ordway stay one day more. " Voted that the committee designated in the Bond for provid- ing preaching, shall send for Mr. Wm. Kelley to preach here three Sabbaths, and that Mr. Joseph Sawyer shall board the min- ister." At another meeting of the inhabitants, held May 14, 1771, Francis Davis acting as moderator, — " Voted to hire three days preaching ; " Also, voted that Mr. Daniel Flanders shall keep the Settlers' Bond, taken from Daniel Gale's of Concord." FAST DAY. 181 This was a bond given by the settlers to the pro- prietors of the town, for the fulfilment of their obli- gations in relation to building houses, clearing lands, and making improvements generally upon their gift- lots. It had been several years in the custody of Mr. Gale. At another meetins; of the inhabitants and free- holders of New Almsbury, held at their meeting-house Sept. 26, 1771, Francis Davis acting as moderator, and Daniel Flanders as clerk, — '^ Voted to hire Mr. Kelley six Sabbaths from this date, and that Joseph Sawyer board Mr. Kelley during said term of time." FAST DAY. At the same meeting, — " Voted that Mr. Kelley appoint a Day of Fast, and that Mr. Isaac Waldron go to the neighboring Ministers and invite them to attend said Fast." There is no evidence on record going to show that Isaac Waldron saddled his horse and pushed off to Salisbury, to Boscawen Plain, to Hopkinton, and to Henniker, to invite the ministers of those towns up to this fast, — no evidence, in fact, that Mr. Kelley appointed such a day in accordance with the above vote. Fasting has, in all ages and among all nations, been resorted ' to in times of mourning and sorrow. Joshua and the elders of Israel remained prostrate before the ark from morning until evening, without eating, after the Israelites were defeated by the men 182 HISTORY OF WARNER. of Ai. The king of Nineveh, terrified by Jonah's preaching, made an order that not only the men, but the beasts also, should continue without eating or drinking. The Jews, in times of public calamity, made even the children at the breast fast. But no good reason appears for this Fast day in Warner. The inhabitants had got through the Ked sea. Neither war, pestilence, nor famine stalked abroad in the land. The harvests of 1771 were abundant. The infant town of New Almsbury was rapidly filling up with substantial settlers. The second meeting-house had been just erected, and all the people were attending upon the ministrations of the sanctuary. The young clergy- man, who was soon permanently settled over the parish, was popular in the pulpit and fascinating in manner out of it. There was every reason for thanks- giving, but none whatever appears iov fasting. MR. KELLEY CALLED. The inhabitants met at their meeting-house Nov. 4, 1771, and after choosing Francis Davis, moderator, and Daniel Flanders, clerk, — " Voted to give Mr. William Kelley a Call to Settle in the Ministry in this place, and that our said committee, Waldron, Chase and Sawyer, shall extend the call to Mr. Kelley in behalf of the Inhabitants." At this and a subsequent meeting, held Dec. 17, 1771, the salary and maintenance of Rev. Mr. Kelley were fixed by the following votes : MR. KELLEY CALLED. 183 " Voted to give Mr. Kelley for the first year 40 pounds, lawful money, and to rise one poitnd ten shillings a year, for 13 years and four months, or till his Salary shall amount to sixty pounds a year, lawful money. '' Voted, also, to give Mr. Kelley $100, in labor at two and six- pense per day, or if dinners are found, the work to be performed at 2 shillings per day. " Voted, also, to give Mr. Kelley 20 cords of Wood annually to be cut and hauled to his door. " Voted, also, to cut down and clear the trees from three acres of land each year, for three years, on Mr. Kelley's Lot — and that said nine acres of land shall be cleared by a tax on the Inhabi- tants at the rate of $7.50 per acre — workmen to be hired at 2s. Qd. per day and commence their day's work at 7 o'clock in the morning." This salary looks small to the people of the. present day, but, if it was paid promptly, it was sufficient. It afforded the family of Mr. Kelley ample support. Money was money at that time. The regular salary was forty pounds a year, which was $133.33. Then they added $100 a year in labor at " two and six" a day, the laborer "finding himself." This was laid out about his buildings, and in general farm work. Then they added twenty cords of wood annually, cut and hauled to his door; and then, again, in addition to all this, they were to clear three acres of land a year on his farm for three years. These payments, in the aggregate, amounted to not less than $275, which was as good as $800 or $1000 now. But this is not all, for they voted to rise $5 a year 184 HISTORY OF WARNER. for thirteen years and a third, or until the direct sal- ary should amount to sixty pounds, or $200, a year. While this (if paid) yielded Mr. Kelley a fair support, the settlers were not ground down by heavy taxation. The pro2}rietors paid $90 of this sum the first year, sixty dollars a year for the next four years, and thirty dollars for the sixth year. After the sixth year they left the inhabitants to go alone. ORDINATION. Rev. William Kelley was ordained and settled in New Amesbury, Feb. 5, 1772. This appears among the records of the proprietors in a former chapter. A church was organized at the same time, a full account of which, and of its several pastors, will be found un- der the head of " Ecclesiastical History." The only record in the books of the inhabitants, referring to the ordination, is found in their doings at the annual meeting, held March 25, 1772. At this meeting, Isaac Chase acting as moderator, and Par- menas Watson as clerk, — " Voted to allow Mr. Isaac Waldron's account for pro- vision lie made the Ministers at the Ordination, — " Voted to allow Isaac Chase's account for board of Min- isters and other services performed for the town, — " Voted to allow Mr. Joseph Sawyer for board of Mr. Kelley, and other services for the town, all lawful money — " Voted to raise to defray the necessary charges of the year, lawful money — 52-10 £ s. 2- 1 1- 11 £ s. d. 3-3- 3 £ s. ORDINATION. 185 At this meeting, Daniel Flanders, Seth Goodwin, and Daniel Flood were chosen assessors, and Jacob Tucker collector, for the year. Their duties had reference simply to the matters of the church. No selectmen or other officers were chosen for the g-en- eral management of town affairs during the continu- ance of this intermediate state. The sale of the pews in the meeting-house, which occurred in September, 1772, has already been set forth among the transactions of the proprietors. At the annual meeting of the inhabitants, March 30, 1773, Isaac Chase was chosen moderator, and Dan- iel Flanders, clerk. Dea. Parmenas Watson, Francis Davis, and Dea. Nehemiah Heath were chosen asses- sors "to take Invoice and make out the Rates." Jacob Tucker was again chosen collector. The assessors were instructed to carry the town inventory to the office of the secretary of state. This was done under the direction of the royal government of the province. A meeting of the inhabitants was held June 17, 1773, by virtue of a warrant from John Goffe, Esq., for the purpose of raising a province tax. The sum required of the town of New Amesbury was £3 16s. lawful money. At the annual meeting of the inhabitants, March 29, 1774, Isaac Chase was chosen moderator, and Daniel Flanders, clerk. Capt. Daniel Flood, Lieut. 186 HISTORY OF WARNER. Jacob Waldron, and Isaac Chase were chosen asses- sors, and Jacob Sawyer, collector. "Voted to raise £54 lawful money, to defray all expenses of town and for preaching above the 18 pounds to be received from the proprietors for preaching." " Voted that we should be glad to have the town Incorporated and that the Assessors send a letter to the Proprietors to see what they will do about having it incorporated." The condition of affairs was not satisfactory during this period. Perhaps there was not much actual dis- order in town, but there was wanting that wholesome fear of law which has been found essential in all com- munities. There could be no compulsion, for the town government that then existed was simply the voluntary association of men. Hence the inhabitants would be " glad to have the town incorporated." The proprietors, it will be recollected, had already initiated steps looking to this end. THE FIRST JURYMAN. At a meeting held June 14, 1774, — "Voted to allow Dea. Nehemiah Heath's account of Eight Shillings, and nine pence, Lawful monej'-, for his services as Jury- man to Amherst." In the account of this meeting is the following record : " This day Stephen Edmunds appeared at town meeting and acknowledged it to be the first time that he ever appeared at a town meeting in this town." CHARTER. 187 It is not quite clear whether this fact was an- nounced by Mr. Edmunds in a feeUng of exultation, or confessed in a spirit of contrition. At the next meeting of the inhabitants, which was held July 14, 1774,— " Voted that the Records which have been destroyed by JFire^ in consequence of the burning of the present Clerk's house, shall again be recorded as he has collected them, and stand good." "Voted that Captain Francis Davis shall go and get the town Incorporated, if the Proprietors will find the money to do it with," [The proprietors did find the money.] " Voted that Captain Daniel Flood shall keep the Covenant Obligation, for us, the inhabitants of New Almsbury." [This is supposed to refer to the Church Covenant, and this is the last vote ever given by the town in its inchoate state.] In September, 1774, Francis Davis went on his mission to the seat of the provincial government at Portsmouth. There he was joined by Ezekiel Evans, of Salisbury, Mass. (agent for the proprietors), whose mission, like his own, was to get the town incorpo- rated. They found no insurmountable obstacles in their path, but were entirely successful in their un- dertaking. They obtained the following CHARTER. Province of ) George the Third by the grace of God of New Hampshire j Great Britain France and Ireland King De- fender of the Faith, &c. To all People to whom these presents shall come — Greeting. Whereas our loyal subjects Inhabitants of a Tract of Land within our Province of New Hampshire, aforesaid, commonly called and known by the Name of New Almsbury, containing by 13 188 HISTORY OF WARNER. estimation about six Miles square, have humbly petitioned and requested Us that they may be erected and incorporated into a Township and enfranchised with the same powers and privileges which other Towns within our said Province by Law have and enjoy, and it appearing to us to be conducive to the general Good of our said Province as well as to the said Inhabitants in particu- lar, by maintaining good order and encouraging the culture of the Land that the same should be done — Know ye that We of our special grace, certain knowledge, and for the encouragement and promotion of the good purposes and ends aforesaid, by and with the advice of our trusty and well be- loved John Wentworth Esq. our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province and of Our Council of the same, have created and ordained, and by these presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors, do will and ordain that the Inhabitants of said Tract of Land and others who shall improve and inhabit therein hereafter, the same being butted and bounded as follows, viz : — Beginning at a place called and known by the name of Contoo- cook, thence running North fifteen degrees West six Miles, then running from each end of the Line, West five degrees South, six miles, then crossing and running over on a Straight Course from one end of these last mentioned lines, at the end of the said six miles, to the other, so as to make up the quantity of six Miles square and no more, Be and they are hereby declared to be a Town Corporate, by the name of — WARNER, To have continuance forever, with all the Powers and authorities, Privileges, immunities and Franchises which any other Towns in our said Province by Law hold and enjoy, to the said Inhabitants or those who shall hereafter inhabit there, and to their successors forever, always reserving to Us Our Heirs and Successors, all White Pine Trees that are or shall be found being and growing upon the said Tract of Land fit for the use of Our Royal Navy. Reserving also, unto Us our heirs and Successors the power of dividing said Town when it shall appear necessary and conven- ient for the Inhabitants thereof — Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby declared that this Char- CHARTER. 189 ter and Grant is not intended and shall not in any manner be construed to affect the private property of the soil within the limits aforesaid : — And as the several Towns within our said Province are, by the Laws thereof, enabled and authorized to assemble, and by Major- ity of the voters Present, to chuse all officers and transact such affairs as in the said Laws are Declared, we Do by these Presents nominate and appoint Captain Francis Davis to call the first Meeting of the said Inhabitants to be held in the said Town at any time Avithin sixty Days frome the Date hereof. Giving Legal Notice of the time and Design of holding such Meeting, after which the annual Meetings for said Town shall be held for the choice of said officers and the Purposes aforesaid, on the First Tuesday in the month of March annually. Li Testimony whereof We have Caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness our aforesaid Governor and Commander in Chief, this third day of September, in the 14th year of our Reign Annoque Domini 1774. J' Wentworth. By His Excellency's Command, Theo. Atkinson, Sec'y. CHAPTER XY. NAME OF THE TOWN DANIEL WARNER COL. SETH WARNER — HIS CHARACTER AND SERVICES. IHE names of towns are often brought by the first settlers from the homes they left. Thus, to hun- dreds of towns in New England and to thousands in the country, English names have been applied. Thus Hopkinton, Salisbury, and Bradford came by the names they bear. Towns are also frequently named for persons of character and worth. Boscawen takes its name from Lord Boscawen of the British navy ; Webster takes the name of the foremost man of America ; Wilmot received its name from Dr. Wil- mot, an Englishman, who at one time was supposed to be the author of the celebrated Junius papers ; Hen- niker received its name from Gov. Wentworth, who conferred it upon the town in honor of his friend, John Henniker, a merchant in London, and a mem- ber of the British parliament when that town was incorporated. Warner, New Hampshire, was the only town by NAME OF THE TOWN. 191 that name in the United States till a recent date. There is no other now east of the Alleghany Moun- tains, and but one west of those mountains by that name. The author of this volume has no doubt that this name was conferred upon his native town in recognition of the services of Colonel Seth Warner, the champion of the New Hampshire Cause in the mem- orable contest between this province and that of New York. The late B. E. Harriman never entertained a doubt that the town received its name from this source. The writer never heard such doubt ex- pressed till a few years since; so, in 1870. he pre- pared so much of this chapter as relates to Col. War- ner, to be woven into a history of the town, which the late H. H. Harriman, at that time, had some thought of writino;. But it is found that differences of opinion exist. There are those who believe that the town received its name from Daniel Warner, of Portsmouth, who was in the provincial council from 1753 to the com- mencement of the Revolutionary strife. The tradi- tion seems to be, that this Daniel Warner came into the township before its incorporation, and, finding no bridge over the river, promised to contribute forty dollars towards building such a structure if the inhab- itants would call the town by his name, and that the town accepted the proposition. With the utmost respect for those who entertain 192 HISTORY OF WARNER. , this belief, the author must dissent from it, and for the following reasons : 1. It is evident (for the records everywhere have been searched) that Daniel Warner never owned an acre of land in the township before or since its incor- poration ; and there is no evidence, and but little probability, that he ever set foot upon its soil. In other sections of New Hampshire this man held large landed estates, and his honors would naturally have come (if at all) from a section where his interests were, instead of from one where he had no interests, and where he was probably entirely unknown. 2. According to the tradition, it was "Co?. Warner" who proposed to contribute the forty dollars. But Daniel Warner, of the council, was never a colonel at all, and was never known by that title. Seth Warner was a colonel, and if either one of the Warners rode through the township and found no bridge, this is probably the man. He was in close correspondence with Gov. Wentworth during the " border war," at the very time the town was incorporated, as well as for several years before. His name was as familiar in New Hampshire at that time as a household word. Ethan Allen made journeys to Portsmouth to consult with the government of the province during the bor- der difficulty, and why should not Seth Warner have done this ? He was the stern defender of the New Hampshire Grants, and he had the confidence of the NAME OF THE TOWN. 193 New Hampshire government more than Allen. If he ever made this journey, his true course was through the ioimi of Warner. 3. Daniel Warner never 2Kdd a dollar towards build- ing or repairing any bridge in town ! The silence of the records is proof of this, and the believers in the " tradition" admit that nothing was ever paid. Yet Daniel Warner was a man of great wealth through life, and he left at his death a large estate. What shall be said of this act of bad ftiith on his part ? As the story runs, the people of the town promptly per- formed their part of the contract, and then he refused to perform his. It was a downright swindle ! — and the voice of every man and woman in town, if the name came from that source, would have demanded a chanore. 4. Daniel Warner was not loyal in the great strug- gle for national existence. He followed in the foot- steps of his chief, the royal governor. In short, he was a tory, and he fell under the ban of an exacting public opinion. The Committee of Safety of the colony of New Hampshire sent out, in April, 1776, to the seve- ral towns of the colony, the following pledge or test : " We, the subscribers do hereby solemnly engage and promise, that we will to the utmost of our Power, and the risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms, oppose the hostile proceedings 194 HISTORY OF WARNER. of the Britisli Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies." This was New Hampshire's declaration of indepen- dence. It preceded the national declaration of July 4th. Eight thousand one hundred and ninety-nine (8199) persons signed it, and seven hundred and sev- enty-three (773) refused to sign. Among those who refused to sign this patriotic test were Daniel Warner and Jonathan Warner. In the list of persons in Portsmouth, reported to the Committee of Safety as " notoriously disaffected to the Common Cause," is the name of Jonathan Warner. The Committee of Safet}^, in 1777, ordered the sheriff" of Rockingham county to seize from Jona- than Warner two hogsheads of rum, for the use of the American army, " as he would not sell it to the army at a reasonable rate." Daniel Warner, the father, was the chief member of this firm, and it was his property that was thus confiscated by order of the Committee of Safety. These two Warners (father and son) clung to the fortunes of Gov. Wentworth, who was compelled to flee the country. They both refused to sign the Association Test. They both had their property confiscated. They were both on the side of the enemy in the supreme struggle of the col- NAME OF THE TOWN. 195 onies for independence, and the public odium rested severely upon the heads of both. In that day of intolerance and hate, when the un- faithful were pursued ; when they were driven from the town, the state, and even across the seas ; when they were tarred and feathered ; when their printing- presses were destroyed, and their houses were sacked and burned ; when their names were hissed, and their persons treated with indignity, — is it probable that the patriotic citizens of Warner had so little . self-respect as to tolerate this name, if derived from the quarter claimed ? Is it probable that Capt. Francis Davis, who had three sons in the Revolutionary army, two of whom were in the battle of Bunker Hill, — Francis Davis, the first representative, elected the year that gave the nation birth, — is it probable that he w^ould have submitted tamely to this dishonor, when the mere expression of a wish on his part would have caused an immediate repudiation of the name ? Is it probable that John Langdon, Meshech Weare, Josiah Bartlett, John Sullivan, or any of their com- peers, would have permitted the name to stand, if bestowed to honor one who proved unfaithful in the "■ time that tried men's souls" ? Assuming: that the town takes its name from Col. Seth Warner, a brief sketch of his character and ser- vices wnll be useful and interesting to the reader. His life, though short, was an active one, and full of 196 HISTORY OF WARNER. incident ; but space will not permit any extended reference to his public career. He was born in Roxbury, Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 17*43. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Warner, who in 1763 removed with his family to Bennington, in the New Hampshire Grants. This was the second year after the settlement of that town. In 1765, Seth Warner, at the age of 22, went back to Connecticut, and married a young lady who had been his school-mate, and of whom it is said, " She was always his first choice at the spelling-school." Their home in Bennington was opposite " The Wild- Cat Tavern," which became famous in history as the head-quarters of the Vermont patriots during the bor- der struggle, and also during the subsequent struggle for independence. An air of romance seems to hover over this whole region. It is a magnificent country, and the stirring events which transpired there have made it memorable forever. The hotel took this name from the fact that on the large sign which creaked in the wind there was a full-sized painting of a fierce wild-cat. The Council of Safety held a per- petual session in that tavern during the first years of the Revolution, and Gen. Stark was not an unknown guest in that house. He mounted his horse at its front door on the morning of August 16, 1777, and rode to the battle. Benning Wentworth, the royal governor of New SETH WARNER. 197 Hampshire, granted Bennington to Connecticut and Massachusetts proprietors in 1749. He granted many other townships in the present state of Vermont (which territory was called the New Hampshire Grants), claiming that the province of New Hamp- shire extended westward to within twenty miles of the Hudson river. The New York authoHties dis- puted this claim, and contended that their jurisdiction extended eastward to the Connecticut river. A bitter controversy grew up betw^een the two colonies, the settlers upon the grants generally siding with New Hampshire. New York made attempts to drive these settlers out, or to compel them to pay for their lands again, and to pay to New York. When the execu- tive officers of New York came to eject the settlers from their possessions, they were resisted. At the head of these settlers stood Seth Warner, — a man of noble physique, two or three inches above six feet tall, straight as a hickory tree, and compactly built. In the History of Vermont, by Samuel Williams, ll. d., it is said of Warner, " He was cool, steady, resolute, and fully determined that the laws of New York respecting the settlers should never he carried into execution^ The government of New York, early in this contro- versy, offered a reward of £20 each for the arrest of Warner and several others, but that offer did not in the least weaken the firmness of these patriotic men. 198 HISTORY OF WARNER. They continued, without wa\'^nng, to defend the set- tlers under the New Hampshire Grants, and to resist, with force when necessary, all attempts of the New Yorkers to drive them out. To show still further the heat of the controversy, and the hazard of opposing the New York authorities, the follo\^ing enactment of that government is pre- sented : " If any person or persons ojipose any civil officer of New York in the discharge of his official duty, or wilfully burn or destroy the grain, corn or hay of any other person ; or if any j^ersons, un- lawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assembled together to the disturbance of the public peace, shall wilfully and with force, de- molish or pull down, or begin to demolish or pull down, any dwelling-house, barn, stable, grist-mill, or outhouse, within either of the counties of Alban}^ or Charlotte, then each of such offences shall be judged felony, without benefit of clergy, and the offenders therein shall be adjudged felons, and shall suffer death, as in case of felony, without benefit of clergy." , A copj^ of this law was forwarded to the sheriffs, and was posted up by them in public places, with the following clause added : "And in case such offenders shall not respectively surrender themselves, he or she, so neglecting or refusing, shall, from the day appointed for his surrender as aforesaid, be adjudged, deemed, and (if indicted for a capital offence hereafter to be perpetrated) convicted of felon}', and shall suffer death, as in case of persons convicted of felony by verdict and judgment, without benefit of clergy." At the same time the governor of New York issued a proclamation, offering a reward oi fifty 'pounds each for apprehending and securing Setli Warner, Ethan SETH WARNER. 199 Allen, Remember Baker, and several others. And yet these undaunted men remained true to their convic- tions. This " bloody code," and this additional re- ward, failed to move them. Though they might, in a figurative sense, have adopted the words of Paul, " In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft," yet they never swerved. It appears that Albany and Charlotte counties were made, by the New York authorities, to cover the whole of the New Hampshire Grants. It appears further, from the spirit of this law, that the settlers generally stood boldly by their rights, and did not quietly tolerate the partisans of New York who were in their midst. They undoubtedly made the water rather hot for them. Various associations were formed among the set- tlers for the protection of their rights, and a conven- tion of representatives from the several towns on the west side of the Green Mountains was called. In the meantime the s^overnment of New York was makino; grants and establishing courts in this territory. The sheriff of Albany county being required to execute a writ of possession against James Breckenridge, of Bennington, called to his assistance, by order of the New York government, a posse of 750 armed men. The settlers, having timely notice of his approach, prepared for resistance. Seth Warner was at their 200 HISTORY OF WARNER. head. He formed his men just west of the Wild-Cat Tavern, in two ranks, facing the enemy. They stood, with grounded arms, in silence, Warner at the front. The sheriff, having approached to within ten rods of Warner's line, with his army, halted, and, after a few minutes' consultation with his officers, beat a hasty retreat. Not a gun was fired on either side. John Munro, a sheriff under New York authority, moved, perhaps, b}' a hope of reward and a desire for notoriet}^, on the 22d day of March, 1772, resolved to attempt the arrest of Warner. He soon found his opportunity. Warner, in company with a single friend, was riding in the vicinity of Munro's resi- dence, and being met by Munro and several of his dependents, a brisk conversation ensued, in the midst of which Munro seized the bridle of Warner's horse, and commanded those present to assist in arresting him. Warner instantly struck Munro over the head with a dull cutlass, and levelled him to the ground. In the History of Vermont, by Williams, already referred to, it is said, — "In services of this dangerous and important nature Warner was engaged from the year 1765 to 1775." And it may be added, that, dur- ing this whole period often years, he was on intimate relations with the government and people of New Hampshire. John Wentworth, and those in authority with him, would have been guilty of base ingratitude SETH WAENER. 201 if they had not, in some manner, acknowledged or recognized his services. In the Revohition, Col. Warner's record, though cut short by wounds and disease, was a brilliant one. He was in at the tap of the drum. He commanded the small force that took Crown Point. A regiment of ^* Green Mountain Boys " was raised, and Seth War- ner, as lieut. colonel, was placed in command. In the Life of Ethan Allen, by Jared Sparks, referring to this matter, it is stated that, after the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, "Allen and Warner set off on a journey to the Continental Congress, with a design of procuring pay for the soldiers who had served under them, and of soliciting authority to raise a new regiment in the New Hampshire Grants." In both these objects they were successful. By an order of congress they were introduced on the floor of the house, and when they had each addressed the house they withdrew. It was resolved by congress that a regiment should be raised, not exceeding 500 men, and to consist of seven companies. A lieut. colonel was to be the highest officer. The commit- tees of safety of several townships assembled at Dor- set to choose officers for the new regiment. The choice fell on Seth Warner for lieut. colonel, and on Samuel Safford for major. A portion of the commit- tee ^Vanted Allen for the commanding officer of the regiment : he received five votes, and Warner forty, 202 HISTORY OF WARNER. In September, 1775, Warner is foimd at the head of this regiment during the siege of St. John's by Gen. Montgomery. Their term of service having expired on the 20th of November, Montgomery dis- charged them with thanks for meritorious services, and they returned to the New Hampshire Grants. In the attack on St. John's, our force under Gen. Mont- gomery was completely successful, as the British army was captured and destroyed. Warner and his regi- ment bore a conspicuous part in that engagement. Warner, in dead of winter, raised another force, and marched to join Gen. Wooster at Quebec. This winter campaign in Canada proved extremely dis- tressing. In the spring of 1776 a large body of British troops arrived at Quebec, and the American army was compelled to make a hasty retreat. Col. Warner took a position exposed to great danger, and requiring the utmost vigilance. He was always at the rear, picking up the wounded and diseased, drum- ming up the stragglers, and keeping just before the advance of the British army. Congress, on the 5th day of July, 1776, resolved to raise a regiment, consisting of new troops and a por- tion of those who had served with so much reputation in Canada, to be commanded, as before, by a lieut. colonel. Warner was again appointed, but the New York people were bitterly hostile to him. The Pro- vincial Congress of that state demanded his removal SETH WAENER. 203 from the command, " especially as this Warner hath been invariably opposed to the legislature of this state, and hath been, on that account, proclaimed an outlaw by the late government thereof" But Warner was not interfered with. He raised his regiment and repaired to Ticonderoga, where he remained till the close of the campaign. When the American army fell back from Ticonderoga, it was hotly pursued by the British. Warner again took position at the rear, and had several fierce engagements with the advance line of the invading army. From the History of Ver- mont, by Henry W. DePuy, the following facts may be gathered. At Hubbardton the advanced corps of the British army overtook the rear of the American army, on the 7th day of July, 1777. The larger part of this army had gone forward. All that was left of it was a part of Hale's, a part of Francis's, and a part of Warner's regiments. The enemy attacked them with superior numbers and the highest prospect of success, but our army opposed them with great spirit and vig- or. No officers or troops could have displayed more courage and firmness than ours displayed through the whole action. Large reinforcements of the enemy arriving, it became impossible to make effectual op- position. Francis fell in rallying his men for a fresh onset. Hale was captured with his regiment. " Sur- rounded on every side by the enemy, but calm and undaunted, Col. Warner fought his way through all 1^ 204 HISTORY OF WARNER. opposition." He brought ofl' the troops that were not captured with Hale, checked the enemy in their pur- suit, and, contrary to all expectation, arrived safely with his troops at Manchester. To the northward of that town the whole country was now deserted. Bur- goyne, with his disciplined army, was moving down through there, as Sherman moved, at a later day, in his march to the sea. But at Manchester, Warner determined to make a stand. And DePuy says, in conclusion, " Encouraged by his example and firmness, a body of the militia soon joined him, and he was once more in a situation to protect the inhabitants, harass the enemy, and break up the advanced parties." Col. Warner, in obedience to Gen. Schuyler's com- mand, scoured the country, up and down, west of the mountains, to gather up and bring to Bennington such property as the British might supply themselves with. Large droves of -cattle were thus brought in and sold, under the direction of the Council of Safety. What tories there were in that region escaped and joined the enemy. Through the whole of this un- pleasant business, just recited, the firmness and hu- manity of Warner were conspicuous. Only one per- son was killed by the scouts during the summer. Schuyler, who at first had contented himself with granting the Vermonters half a ton of powder, sent to Warner, a few weeks before the battle of Bennington, $4,000, and an order for whatever clothing could be SETH WARNER. 205 procured at Albany. He also ordered all the troops from New Hampshire, which were then marching towards the camp, to miite with Warner. The corre- spondence between Stark and Warner at this point is voluminous and intensely interesting. About the first of August, 1777, Gen. Stark arrived at Manchester, on the New Hampshire Grants, with 800 New Hampshire militia, on his way to the seat of war on th6 Hudson. The battle of Bennington, in which Stark deservedly won great renown, was fought the 16th day of August, 1777. Col. Warner rode with Stark to the field, and was with him through the whole engagement. Ex-Governor Hiland Hall, in his admi- rable history of Vermont, says, — " Warner's residence was at Bennington ; he was familiarly ac- quainted with every rod of ground in the neighborhood of the posts which had been occupied by Baum, and their approaches ; he was a colonel in the continental army, superior in rank to any offi- cer in the vicinitj' ; and he had already acquired a high reputa- tion for bravery and skill, — all which naturally made him the chief counsellor and assistant of Stark in his deadly struggle with, the enemy." Warner's efficiency was felt throughout the coming battle. In discovering the position and strength of the enemy, in arranging the disposition of the troops, in determining the time and point of attack, and in the execution of every design, his services were inval- uable. Warner's regiment was at Manchester on the 15th 206 HISTORY OF WARNER. under command of Major Safford, who brought it up to participate in the second engagement on the 16th, and to save the day. This is not the place for a full description of that important battle, — a battle in which New Hampshire played a most prominent part. Bm^goyne, who had believed that "six hundred men could march from the Hudson to the Connecticut, subjugating all the intervening region, without any risk of loss," and who had boasted that his should be a triumphal march down through the country to the sea-board, found an impassable barrier at Bennington, His army of 1,500 men, under Col. Baum, was routed and destroyed. Bauui was mortally wounded. Burgoyne hurried up Col. Breyman, in the afternoon, to reinforce Baum, but Warner's intrepid regiment came up in hot haste, swung into line on the double-quick at the opportune moment, and put Breyman and his force to flight. The day was ours. The field was ours, and the can- non, and the munitions, and the rum ; and certain historians have asserted that our army, the rest of that day, gave humble heed to 1 Timothy, 5:23. New Hampshire was proudly represented on that battle-field, for, in the first place. Gen. Stark, the hero of the day, was New Hampshire's favorite son; and in the second place, fully one half of his men were New Hampshire soldiers. Col. Moses Nichols, of Amherst ; Col. David Hobart, of Plymouth ; and Col. Thomas SETH WARNER. 207 Stickney, of Concord, each with his regiment, was conspicuous in that engagement. Capt. Ebenezer Webster (the father of Daniel) was also in this battle. His company constituted a part of Col. Stickney's regiment, and he fought with distin- guished bravery. Stark, in speaking of Webster, said, " His face was so dark that gunpowder wouldn't black it." The town of Warner was well represented at Ben- nington. In Capt. Webster's company there were five of our men, viz., Paskey Pressey, sergeant, Robert Gould, Abner Watkins, Francis Davis, John Palmer. Asa Patney, who went into the service from Hop- kinton, but who, immediately after the war, became a permanent resident of Warner, was severely wounded in this battle. THE DAY BRIGHTENS. The Colonies had long been depressed by disaster and defeat, but the decisive victory at Bennington turned the tide of success, and brought light out of darkness. The American cause looked up. A change of officers took place at this time. Gates took com- mand of the army of the north. Arnold, who up to this period had been faithful, and whose career had been brilliant, was also with that army, as was the patriot of Poland, the accomplished Kosciusko. There was a grand uprising of the people through the whole 208 HISTORY OF WARNER. country in consequence of this staggering blow to Burgoyne's army. Doubt and fear gave way to con- fidence and courage. The halting became bold, and the timid became aggressive. " Then Freedom sternly said, ' I shun No strife nor pang beneath the sun, When human rights are staked and won.' " Col. Warner at this time was but 34 years of age, yet the credit due to him for the triumphant result at Bennington is second only to that due to the general commanding. In reporting this battle to Major-Gen. Gates, Gen. Stark recognizes the solid merits of War- ner, and pays him this proud compliment : " Colonel Warner's superior skill in the action loas of extraor- dinary service to me." Soon after the battle of Bennington, Warner was promoted to the full rank of colonel by the Conti- nental Congress, but his active service did not long continue. He is reported sick at Hoosac, the latter part of August. The indefatigable exertions which he had made in the cause of right, " as God gave him to see the right," and the constant exposure and fatigue to which he had been subjected from his early manhood, undermined his constitution and hastened his death. Disease in an aggravated form struck its fangs into his system, and totally unfitted him for active service. His limbs became paralyzed, and he suffered intense pain. He did not, however, relin- SETH WARNER. 209 quish the field at once. In a memorial to Congress in 1786, asking a pension for the family of Col. War- ner, and signed by Gov. Thomas Chittenden, Ethan Allen, Samuel Safford, Gideon Brownson, and seven others of the foremost men of Vermont, the following statement appears : ''After the battle of Bennington, Col. Warner began sensibly to decline, so that there remained but little prospect of his future usefulness. He, however, grappled with his disorder, and contin- ued in the service at intervals, until, receiving a wound from an ambush of Indians near Fort George, in September, 1780 (at which time the only two of his officers that were with him fell dead at his side), he was obliged to retire from the service." In 1782, Col. Warner returned to Roxbury. Conn., his native town, in hopes of obtaining relief from the painful disorders under which he was suffering ; but his hopes proved fallacious. He gradually wasted away until the 26th of December, 1784, when an end was put to his sufferings. He was 41 years of age at the time of his death. He died poor ; but in October, 1787, the legislature of Vermont generously granted to his heirs two thousand acres of land, in the north- west part of the county of Essex. One sketch of his short life closes with these words: " Col. Warner was buried with the honors of war, which were justly due his merits. The Rev. Thomas Canfield preached from the text, ' How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished.' An immense concourse of people attended his funeral, and the whole was performed with uncommon decency and affec- tion. He left an amiable consort and three children to mourn their irreparable loss." 210 HISTORY OF WARNER. A modest white shaft marks the place of his rest, in tlie old cemetery of his kindred, at Roxbury. And Oh ! where can dust to dust Be consigned so well, As where Heaven its dews shall shed On the martyred patriot's bed, And the rocks shall raise their head Of his deeds to tell. OHAPTEE XVI. Warner's first meeting — town records — war-notes — the census — sage tea — the crisis at hand — convention op the people — governor wentworth. ARNER is now a body corporate, having a legal name. A new era in its history here com- mences. The public interests, which have been main- ly controlled by the proprietors, are now conducted by the town. Hereafter taxes are levied not simply upon lands, but upon all estates, both personal and real. Under the town organization every man is a man, whether rich or poor; every one is permitted to have a voice in the management of public affairs. The warrant for the first meeting of the legal town of Warner is in the words followins; : Province of ^ By power and authority Received from His New Hampshire ) Excellency, John Wentworth, Esq. these are to notify and warn the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the town of Warner to assemble and meet together on Tuesday ye fourth Day of October next insuing at the meeting house at ten of the clock in the forenoon To act as followeth — 1 ly to chuse a moderator To Regulate said meeting 2 ly to chuse a Town Clerk 3 ly to chuse a constable 4 ly to chuse Selectmen 212 HISTORY OF WARNER. 5 \y to chuse other Town officers as the law Directs 6 Ij to see if the town will Except of the Kev. mn Wm Kelley for their minister and confirm all their former votes and Proceed- ings 7 ly to see what method the town will come into for mending the highways in said town 8 ly to see if the town will Build a Bridge over the River in said Town 9 ly to see if the Town will get the Books that are wanting and consider what some or somes of money the town shall think Proper to be Raised to Defray the charges of the present year 10 ly to act on any other Business the town shall think Proper to he done when met Dated Warner Sept, ye 17th day ) Prancis Davis, and in the year 1774. i By appointment. WARNER TOWN-MEETING. . Under the above warrant the town of Warner met for the first time. At the hour of ten, Francis Davis stood up in the majesty of the law^ and called the assemblage to order. Rev. Mr Kelley invoked the Divine blessing. The warrant was then read, and the town proceeded to business, a record of which is here given verbatim and in full : At A Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of this Town of Warner Legely Warned and held at their meeting House In said Town on tuesday the 4th Day of October 1774 at ten of the clock in the forenoon of which meeting Mr. Isaac Chase was Chosen moderator — Voted at Said meeting that Daniel Flanders Should be Town Clerk for the Present year — Voted at said meeting that mr. Stephen Edmunds Should be Constable for the present year — Voted at the same meeting that Capt. Daniel Flood should be the first Select man for the present year — WARNER TOWN-MEETING. 213 Voted at said meeting that Lt. Jacob Waldron Should be the second Select man for the Present year — also voted that Mr. Isaac Chase Should be the third Select man the Pi'esent year — Voted at said meeting that Capt. Daniel Flood be a tything- man for said year — Voted at said meeting Capt. Francis Davis be a tythingman for said year — Voted at said meeting that mr. Daniel Annis, sen. Should be a Seveare of the highways for the Present year — Voted at the same meeting that mr. Isaac Waldron, sen. be a sevare of highway the Present 3'ear — also Voted at the same meeting that Deacon l^ehemiah Heath Should be the third seveare of highway the Present year — Voted at said meeting that abner Watkins Should be a seveare of Highway the Present year — Voted at same meeting that Daniel Currier should be a Fence Vewer for the said Present year — also Voted at said meeting that Isaac Waldron, Junior, should be Hogg Reaf for the present year — Voted at said meeting that Moses Clark should be Leather Sealler for the Present year — also voted that Mr. Daniel Annis should be Sealler of waits and measures for the present year — also voted that Paskey Pressey should be Field Driver for the present year — also voted at said meeting to Recieve the Rev. mr. Wm Kelley as the town's minister and Establish all the former votes and Records of said Inhabitants — also voted at said meeting that the highways should be cleared and mended the present j^ear — Voted at said meeting to build a Bridge over the River this fall- also voted that the Select men should procure a Book to keep the Records of the town and to record the Children and the mark of the Beast in also voted to Raise 24 pounds Lawful Money to repair highways also voted that men and oxen shall work at 2 shilling lawfull money per Day. 214 HISTORY OF WARNEE. Thus closes the record of the first Warner town- meeting. It has no signature, but it stands in the hand-writing of Daniel Flanders, who that day was chosen the first clerk of the town. It thus appears that the persons who had the honor of being the first civil officers in the legal town of Warner were, — Isaac Chase, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Daniel Flood, ') Jacob Waldron, ^ Selectmen. Isaac Chase, ) These officers were well distributed over town, — Chase at the Stephen George place, Flanders at the Lower Village, about opposite the present blacksmith shop. Flood on Denney hill, and Waldron on the Gould road. These officers were elected for only the fraction of a year (five months), but the election was none the less important on that account. It was the first under the charter. It was the initial step in the new-born town. The election was held under author- ity, directly descended, of George the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. It was held on a bright, autumnal day, in the little humble frame church at the Parade, which cost sixty dollars. The town was out in full force, the number of voters at that time being about 45, and the population of the town about 225. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1775. 215 There were no national parties then ; all were sub- ject to the Crown. There were no whigs or tories, no democrats or republicans, no slavery-propagandists or free-soilers. There were no local parties, — no prohi- bition or license party, no cranberry or hoop-pole par- ty. There were no caucuses, no rallying-committees, no vote-distributors. No pledges were made, to be broken, — no promises, to be forgotten. " Everything was lovely, and the goose hung high." ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1775. Daniel Flood, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Daniel Annis, sen., ^ Abner Watkins, > Selectmen. Joseph Sawyer, ) At this meeting a full complement of highway sur- veyors, hog-reeves, tythingmen, fence-viewers, field- drivers, sealers of 'leather and of weights and meas- ures, cullers of staves, and corders of wood, was chosen. " Voted that Ebenezer Eastman being chosen sevear of the highways should be Reconsidered and he not serA^e. "Voted at said meeting that Samuel Trumbull should be a seveare of the highways for the year Insuing." PALMER ONCE MORE. At an adjourned meeting, held May 2, 1775, the record says, " Capt. Daniel Flood stood moderator." " Voted at said meeting that all the rates of Mr. Jonathan Palmer for his own head for years past and for the Present year should be Blotted out of all Rates." 216 HISTORY OF WARNER. WAR-NOTES. " At the same meeting, voted that the Selectmen should provide Powder, Lead, and flints for a Town Stock, and as many Fire- arms as should be found Wanting In Town." At a legally called meeting of the inhabitants of Warner, held at their meeting-house Aug. 3, 1775, Capt. Francis Davis, Capt. Daniel Flood, and Daniel Annis, sen., were chosen a committee of safety. THE CENSUS. The Provincial Congress or Convention, held at Exeter, issued, on the 25th of August, 1775, an order to the several towns and places in the province for taking a census, in which the inhabitants should be classified ; and also for taking an account of the num- ber of fire-arms, the quantity of powder, &c., in each town and place. In answer to tliis requisition, the authorities of Warner made the foUowina: return : Males under 16 years of Age, 78 Males from 16 years of age to 50 not in the Armj', 45 All males above 50 years of age, 6 Persons gone in the army, 6 All Females, " 126 Negroes and Slaves for Life, 1 262 Guns in town fit for use, 21 Guns wanting in Town, 26 Powder in Town, none Warner, Sep. ye 9th, 1775 Then the above named Daniel Annis one of the Selectmen for THE CENSUS. ^217 the Town of Warner after being Duly cautioned made Solom oath To the Truth of the above account Before me Daniel Flanders Town Clerk. The reader will not infer from the above that War- ner once had a slave : she had not, though the state, at one time, had more than six hundred. " Negroes and Slaves " were put into one column. When Dan- iel Annis, senior, made the above return (but omitted to sign it), Warner had one colored man (not a slave). His name was Ichabod Twilight. From our neighboring town on the north came the following report : The exact account of the number of the Inhabitants of Perryes Town Males under 16 years of Age 39 from 16 years of Age To 50 years of age 22 from Fifty years of age and upwards 5 gon in the army 4 Females — two without any age 2 Females 58 Negroes and Slaves for life 130 Guns fit for use, 12 Guns wanting for Town, 17 Powder for Town, none Benj. Wodley Warner, Sept. ye 9th 1775 then the above named Benjamin Wodley aceseser for Perryes Town Personally appeared and after Being Duely Cautioned made Solom oath To the Truth of the above account Before me Daniel Flanders Town Clerk. 218 . HISTORY OF WARNER. This Benjamin Wodley was the father of the late Judge Wadleigh, of Sutton. He Hved on the farm that Judge Wadleigh occupied after him through Ufe. Among his grand-children are Erastus and Gilbert Wadleigh. SAGE TEA. In the Bill of Indictment which Jeflferson drew with so strong a hand against the Crown of England, is the following article: '■'•For imposing 2\ixes on us with- out our consents But this hardly expresses the popu- lar feeling of that time. The people of the colonies did not object to taxation; they were ready for that. It was " taxation without representation" that inflamed their passions, and representation was sternly denied them. The ships of the East India Company, laden with tea, were arriving in the American ports. If the tea was landed, the duties must be paid. As early as December, 1774, three of these ships, which had been sent to Boston by this company, were boarded by a party of armed men disguised as Indians, and their cargoes were thrown into the dock. " As the Mohawks kinder thought, The Yankees had n't ought To drink that are teaP It was the exorbitant tax which the British govern- ment imposed upon this luxury that so enraged the colonists, "\yhen the report of this transaction reached THE CRISIS. 219 the infant settlement of Warner, one resigned old lady said, — " Well, for my part, I 've never seen no China tea yet, and I 'm sure sage is good enough for me !" THE CRISIS AT HAND. This is not the history of the country, nor even of the state. It will not therefore be proper to set forth, to much extent here, matters of a general character. The causes of discontent in the colonies, the acts of the British government which hastened forward American independence, the measures adopted by the delegates from the several colonies in Congress assem- bled, — these are subjects that do not legitimately be- long to a local history like this. Nor is this the appro- priate place to speak in detail of the battles of the Rev- olution, of the strength of the armies, of the gallantry of commanders, or of the endurance of men. These things can only be mentioned incidentally here. It is the purpose of the author to make a just record of whatever the people of Warner have done ; and in order that such record may be made intelligible, brief allusions to general history become necessary. As the year 1775 is ushered in, it becomes evident that a rupture between the colonies and the mother country is at hand. On the 19th day of April, the skirmish at Lexington and the fight at Concord take place. The car of the Revolution is rumbling on. The provincial governor of New Hampshire, John 15 220 HISTORY OF WARNER. Wentworth, labors zealously in his sphere to prevent the threatened rupture ; but the spell of royal influ- ence is broken. In an earnest message to the council and assembly of New Hampshire, May 5, 1775, Gov. Wentworth says, — " We cannot but view with inexpressible concern the alarming Pitch to which the unfortunate Dispute between Great Britain and her Colonies is daily advancing. Connected as we are with our Parent State by the Strongest Ties of Kindred, Religion, Duty and Interest, it is highly incumbent upon us, in this Time of General Disquietude to manifest our Loyalty and attachment to the best of Sovereigns, and our firm and unshaken Regard for the British Empire." But Gov. Wentworth entirely mistook the spirit of the times, and his fight was simply a fight against destiny. Separation was inevitable. CONVENTION OF THE PEOPLE. The assembly desired a short recess, that the mem- bers might consult with their constituents, and the governor adjourned them to the 12th of June. Be- fore that day a convention of the people had been called, and was in session at Exeter. (Reference has already been made to this convention.) The dele- gates had come freshly from their constituents, and the voice of the convention was regarded as the voice of the people. The assembly met at Portsmouth, pursuant to ad- journment, on the 12th of June. The governor made a renewed efibrt for conciliation, but it was entirely PROCLAMATION. 221 unavailing. Some of his opponents were rash, and some of his adherents were very imprudent. A bit- ter feeHng grew up. Violence was threatened. The governor retired to Fort William and Mary, and his house was pillaged. He afterwards went on board the Scarborough, and sailed for Boston, having ad- journed the assembly to the 28th of September ; — but it met no more. In September, he issued from the Isles of Shoals the following PROCLAMATION. Whereas the General Assembly is now under adjournment to Thursday the 28th Instant, and it appearing to me no way con- ducive to His Majesty's service or the welfare of the Province, that the Assembly should meet on that day, but that it is expe- dient to prorogue them to a farther time, I have therefore thought fit to issue this Proclamation, proroguing the meeting of the Gen- eral Assembly to be held at Portsmouth on the 28th of Septem- ber, instant, to the 24th of April next, at ten o'clock in the fore- noon ; and the General Assembly is hereby prorogued accordinglj^ to that time, then to meet at the Court House in Portsmouth aforesaid. And hereof all persons concerned are to take notice and Gov- ern themselves accordingly. Given at Gosport, the 21st day of September, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Third, &c., and in the year of our Lord Christ, 1775. J' Wentworth. By His Excellency's Command, Theodore Atkinson, Sec'y. This was the closing act of Gov. Wentworth's ad- ministration. It was the last receding step of royalty. Henceforward the people bear rule, and the chief 222 HISTORY OF WARNER. magistrate of the state, instead of coming with a com- mission from king or potentate, comes armed with the credentials of the popular will. Gov. Wentworth was born in Portsmouth in 1736. He was a son of Mark Hunking, and a nephew of Gov. Benning Wentworth. He graduated at Harvard ; en- gaged in mercantile business, with his father, in Ports- mouth ; visited England in 1760, and became ac- quainted with the king and others in authority. He was appointed governor of the province of New Hamp- shire on the resignation of his uncle in 1766. He was very popular in this oflftce for some years. He cleared and cultivated a fine farm on Smith's pond, in Wolfe- borough, to encourage the settlement of that region ; obtained a charter for Dartmouth college ; made grants of land, built bridges, cut roads, and fostered every enterprise for the benefit of the province. But the Revolution could not be stayed, and he gave way to it without dishonor. Though Gov. Wentworth never set foot on New Hampshire soil after issuing his proclamation from the Shoals, he continued in the country two years after hostilities commenced, expecting the subjugation of the colonies. He wrote to friends from Nantasket road, in March, 1776. He wrote from Halifax in April, '76 ; from Long Island, November, '76 ; from New York, January, '77 ; and again, in June of the same year. SIR JOHN WENTWORTH. 223 He sailed for England in February, 1778, and made his home in London. After peace was declared, he removed to Nova Scotia, and entered upon the duties of the office of " Surveyor of the King's Woods," to which he had long before been appointed. In 1792 he was appointed lieut. governor of Nova Scotia, and in 1795 was created a baronet. Sir John Wentworth continued in office till 1808, when he retired with an annual pension of £500. He died at Halifax, April 8, 1820, aged 83. ■ ' CHAPTER XVII. THE EXETER CONVENTION NOT A COLONY, BUT A STATE — FIRST REPRESENTATIVE — TOWN AND CLASS RECORDS. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1776. Isaac Chase, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Joseph Sawyer, ") ^ Daniel Flanders, y Selectmen. Parmenas Watson, ) " Voted at said meeting that a man should work out their high- way Rate at 2 shilling lawful money a Day. " Voted to hire no school for said year. *' Also voted not to move the meeting house, nor Build a Bridge over the River against Where said meeting house now stands." THE EXETER CONVENTION. The reader is invited to turn back to the Exeter convention. The royal government and authority having disappeared from New Hampshire, the people proceeded to perfect, as far as possible, their pro- visional government. The convention, which had as- sembled at Exeter in May, was elected but for six months. Previous to its dissolution in November, pro- visions were made, in accordance with the recommend- ation of the congress of the colonies at Philadelphia, THE EXETER CONVENTION. 225 for calling a new convention. Copies of these pro- visions were sent out to the several towns, and then the convention was dissolved. Many of the small towns and places in the colony felt unable to send delegates (the towns being obliged to pay such delegates for attendance). This call for delegates came to Warner. The inhabitants of the town were notified to meet the 4th day of December, 1775, "to choose a delegate to a Convention to be held at Exeter, for the formation of a Constitution or form of government for the colony." Under this call a meeting was held, but no delegate was chosen. The record says, — " The Inhabitants of Warner met at their Meeting House, in order to choose a man to Represent the town in Congress in Exe- ter passed a vote in the negative not to send any." A convention, however, was chosen, consisting of seventy-six members. It assembled at Exeter, Dec. 21, 1775. Matthew Thornton was made president of said convention. He was a physician, and his resi- dence was at Londonderry. He was one of the three New Hampshire men who subsequently became sign- ers of the Declaration of Independence. There were many able men besides Thornton in that body. It continued a convention or congress till January 5, 1776 (sixteen days), and then, by leave of the Conti- nental Congress, resolved itself into a House of Repre- sentatives, or Assembly, for the colony of New Hamp- 226 HISTORY OF WARNER. shire. It drew up a temporary form of government, adopted a constitution, appointed committees of safe- ty, and exercised all the functions of a government of a free people. This constitution provided for annual elections, and coordinate branches of government, each having a negative upon the other. The council was to consist of twelve members, any seven of whom were to be a quorum. The members of this branch were to elect their presiding officer, as the members of the house were to elect theirs. But this system had a material defect. It provided for no executive. The two houses assumed the executive duty during the session ; and they appointed a committee of safety, to sit in the recess. NOT A COLONY, BUT A STATE. This congress or convention of delegates from the people, having held several sessions at Exeter, having assumed the name of the House of Representatives, adopted a constitution, and chosen twelve persons to constitute a distinct and coordinate branch of the legislature by the name of the Council, took up the subject of the DECLARATION, on the 10th day of September, 1776. The record says,— The Declaration of the Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776, for Indepen- dency Being read and Published in this House — FIRST REPRESENTATIVE. 227 Voted and Resolved, That this Colony Assume and take upon themselves the Name and Style of the State of New Hampshire, and that all Commissions, writs, Processes, and all Law Proceed- ings which heretofore were made and issued in the Name and Style of the Colony of New Hampshire, shall henceforth be made and issued in the Name and Style of the State of New Hamp- shire, and not otherwise. Sent up by Samuel Dudley Esq. Concurred. FIRST REPRESENTATIVE. On the 18th day of September, 1776, this body, now the legislature of the state, took steps for a new election, the first under the state government, and the first after the people, through their representatives at Philadelphia, had declared their independence of the Crown. The legislature instructed the secretary to issue precepts to the several towns of the state for the choice of representatives, and prescribed their form. In the month of October the precepts were issued. Warner received hers, which was in the words following : State of New Hampshire. The Government and People of said State To the Selectmen of Warner in said State Greeting : You are hereby required to Notify the Legal Inhabitants pay- ing taxes in the town of Warner, giving them fifteen days notice, to mieet in some convenient place, in your town, to elect one per- son, (having a real Estate of the value of Two hundred pounds Lawful money in this State,) to Represent them in the Assembly to be held at Exeter on the third Wednesday in December, and to Empower such representative for the term of one year from 228 HISTORY OF WARNER. their first meeting, to transact such Business and pursue such measures as they may Judge necessary for the ])ublic good. And the person who shall be elected, you are to Notify, that he attend at time and place above mentioned. And at said meeting Every Voter as aforesaid, on one paper is to bring in Votes for two Persons, being reputable Freeholders and Inhabitants within your County, having a Real Estate of Two hundred Pounds, to serve as members of the Council for the year ensuing. By order of the Council and Assembly. The town acted promptly, and its record here fol- lows : By order from the Council and assembly of the State of New Hampshire to us we Do hereby Notify and Warn all the free- holders and Inhabitants of this town of Warner that they assem- ble themselves and meet together at the meeting house in said Warner on Tuesday ye Nineteenth Day of November next at one of the clock in the afternoon, To Proceed as followeth. Viz lly to chuse a moderator to govern said meeting — 2d to chuse one man as Representative for one year from the third Wednesday in December next — 3d to chuse two men within this County to Sett as members of the Council for the aforesaid Term and to act on any other Business that may be thought Proper. Dated Warner October ye 29th day, 1776. Josejjh Sawyer % Daniel Flanders > Selectmen. Parmenas W^atson / Thus w^arned, the leo;al voters of Warner met in the humble church at the Parade, Nov. 19, 1776 : Chose Isaac Chase, Moderator. — Voted, at said meeting that Capt. Francis Davis should go as Representative for said Town for one year to Rej^resent said town in the assembly at Exeter. Voted at Same meeting for Joshua Bayley of Hopkinton and Jeremiah Page of Dunbarton for members of the Council. FIRST REPRESENTATIVE. 229 There were seven sessions of the legislature this year for Mr. Davis to attend, — six at Exeter and one at Portsmouth. Although Warner was settled in 1762. and was a dutiful subject of the royal government for a dozen years, she never had a representative in the '• King's Assembly," nor any direct voice in the government of the Province. She had not risen to sufficient strength and importance for that, and perhaps she had no desire for it. But, events crowd on apace. Lexington and Concord have gone into history. The battle of Bunker Hill has been fought. The sons of Warner, with the other New Hampshire soldiers, un- der Stark and Reid, behind the rail fence, have stood the brunt of the British onset. The immortal Decla- ration has been proclaimed. The country is indepen- dent, and the state is no longer a colony. In this first legislative body chosen by the suffrages of a free people, Francis Davis appears the accredited representative from the town of Warner. It is a dis- tinction and an honor to be remembered with pride by his numerous descendants. Capt. Davis, at this time, was in the vigor of ma- ture manhood, being 53 years of age. He took his seat in the assembly at Exeter among the influential men of the state. John Langdon, of Portsmouth, was chosen speaker of the assembly, and Meshech Weare, of Hampton Falls, was president of the council. It 230 HISTORY OF WARNER. was a legislature of rare ability, and the impress which it made upon the polity of the state will never be effaced. After this first election of representative, in which Warner stood alone, a class or representative district was formed, consisting of Warner, Perrystown, Fish- ersfield, and New Breton. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1777. Daniel Flood, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Daniel Flanders, ) Jacob Hoyt, >- Selectmen. Parmenas Watson, ) Voted at said meeting to raise Twelve Pounds lawful money to hire a school for the current year. They had but one school in town for several years. A recital of the other business which was transacted at this meeting would not interest the reader. Jacob Hoyt, the new selectman, was the individual who run the potash and the hotel at the Lower village. At a meeting held May 10, 1777, — Voted to give the two men we should hire to serve in the Con- tinental Army for three years, one hundred dollars each man this Day hired. They hired Philip Rowell and Aquila Davis that day. CLASSED TOWNS. In December, 1777, the inhabitants of Warner, Perrystown, Fishersfield, and New Breton, having TOWN AND CLASS EECORDS. 231 been classed as a representative district, and having been previously warned, met at the house of Daniel Flood (on Denney's hill), and made choice of Daniel Morrill, of Warner, for representative for one year. Mr. Morrill served during two sessions, both at Exeter, one of seventeen and the other of thirty-one days. This was Deacon Daniel Morrill, who was one of the proprietors of the town, and whose residence be- fore coming to Warner was in Salisbury, Massachu- setts. He came to Warner about the year 1774, and settled on Pumpkin hill, on the first farm north of the Sally Bradley place. He had two sons, certainly, — Enoch and Richard, — who are yet well remembered by the people of Warner. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1778. Parinenas Watson, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Jacob Tucker, ^ Zebulon Morrill, v Selectmen. Thomas Annis, ) This board of selectmen is entirely new. Not much is known of Jacob Tucker, the chairman, ex- cept that he came from Amesbury, was in the Revo- lutionary army, and lived for a time, at least, on the present Harris land, on Tory Hill road. Zebulon Morrill came from Amesbury, also. He settled in Joppa, on the farm that Capt. Matthew D. Annis now occupies, and remained there through life. 232 HISTORY OF WARNER. His son Samuel lived and died on the same farm. His other sons were Daniel, father of William K, and John, who lived on Burnt hill. Thomas Annis, the third selectman, has already been introduced to the reader as the son of Daniel Annis, senior, one of the first two settlers of Warner. REPRESENTATIVE. At a meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of Warner, Perrystown, Fishersfield, and New Breton, held at the meeting-house in Warner, April 9, 1778, — Chose Ebenezer Keyzer of Perrystown, Moderator, — Voted, at said meeting that Capt. Daniel Flood should Go Representative for the above said towns, for one year. This Ebenezer Keyzer, who served as moderator at the little church on the Parade, was originally from Haverhill, Mass. He settled on the shore of the pond at North Sutton, which has always borne his name. His father, at the Duston massacre at Haverhill in 1697, hid the girl, whom he afterwards married, under a pile of boards, and thus saved her life. Capt. Flood served as representative at three ses- sions of the legislature: one session commenced in. May, one in August, and one in October. They were all held at Exeter. It was the Revolutionary period, and the pressing wants of the army demanded un- usual legislation. The time for electing representa- tives was changed back to December from April, and TOWN AND CLASS RECORDS. 233 another representative was chosen, December, 1778. The records show that the inhabitants of the classed towns met at the inn of Jacob Hoyt, in Warner, Dec. 7, 1778, and after choosing Daniel Flood moderator, — " Voted that Thomas Rowell should be Representative for the above-said towns for the year insuing." The writer has been unable to gather much infor- mation in regard to this Thomas Rowell, except that he originally belonged in Amesburj, and was one of the proprietors of Warner. He is believed to be a brother to the great-grandfather of George S. and Charles P. Rowell. Mr. Rowell attended four sessions during his year, — all at Exeter. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1779. Daniel Flood, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. David Bagley, \ William Ring, ^ Selectmen. Tappan Evans, ) Another entire new board of selectmen is here pre- sented. David Bagley was a son of Joshua Bagley, of Ames- bury. The two came to Warner together, and settled at Bagley's Bridge, where Joshua, son of David, lived and died. Lieut. David Bagley held the office of town-clerk thirty-nine years. He was undoubtedly a very worthy man, but his education did not fit him 234 HISTORY OF WARNER. for a recording officer, and the records of the town are disfigured by many imperfections. VVilliam Ring was from Amesbury, and was a son of Jarvis Ring, one of the original proprietors. He settled at the North village, where Gideon D. Wheel- er resides. Abner R. and James G. Ring were his sons. Tappan Evans was from Salisbury, Mass. He set- tled on the Moses F. Colby farm, on the Pumpkin Hill road. He afterwards exchanged farms with Isaac Chase, and moved to the Stephen George place. His sons, whose homes were in Warner, were Capt. Nich- olas and Hon. Benjamin Evans. In December, 1779, the classed towns met, and elected Isaac Chase, of Warner, for representative. He attended, during his year, four sessions, — three at Exeter and one at Portsmouth. During his term of service, the valuation of the several towns was fixed for the apportionment of the public taxes. Chase thought they were getting the valuation of Warner too high, and in addressing the house he stated that Warner was a poor, hard town, and that the inhabi- tants had all they could do to keep soul and body to- gether. Upon this a member from the present Sulli- van county jumped up and said, " Mr. Speaker, the gentleman tells the truth. I've been in Warner, and its a God-forsaken spot!" Chase yelled out, "It's a lief" TOWN AND CLASS EECORDS. 235 ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1780. Tappan Evans, moderator. Daniel Flanders, town-clerk. Parmenas Watson, \ Thomas Rowell, > Selectmen. Zebulon Morrill, ) At most of the meetings from 1776 to 1782, action was taken in regard to raising, paying, and supplying men for the Continental army. A meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of Warner, Perrystown, Fishersfield, and New Breton, was held at the house of Jacob Hoyt, innholder in Warner, Dec. 12, 1780, and, after choosing Nathaniel Bean, moderator, — Voted that Capt. Tappan Evans should be the man to Eepre- sent the above said towns the ensuing year.- During his year, Mr. Evans attended five sessions of the legislature, all at Exeter. Nathaniel Bean was from Amesbury. He came to Warner about the year 1775, and settled on Pumpkin hill, where Capt. Joseph Jewell now resides. He died there, and was buried in the old cemeterv to the northward of the Timothy Davis place. Mr. Bean built the first mills that were erected at the great falls (Waterloo). The names of his sons and daugh- ters were as follows : Nathaniel, Daniel, John, Susanna, David, Anna, James, Richard, Dorothy, Molly, and Oilman. 16 236 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1781. Nehemiah Heath, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. William Ring, \ Francis Davis, \ Selectmen. E/ichard Bartlett, ) Dea. Nehemiah Heath was from Hampstead. He settled in Warner, on the main road, at the place where John Tewkesbury now lives. His son, Dea. David Heath, followed him on the same farm. Richard Bartlett was from Amesbnry, a son of Sim- eon Bartlett, one of the proprietors of Warner. He settled on Burnt hill, where Stephen lived and died. He was a man of superior intellect and extensive reading. His sons were Stephen, Thomas H., and Col. Simeon. CHAPTEE XYIIl. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS — TOWN AND CLASS EECORDS — PRESIDENT OF THE STATE LOCATION OF MEETING-HOUSE. T a meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of the town of Warner, held at the Parade, May 7, 1781, Nathaniel Bean serving as moderator, — Voted, at said meeting to send one man to set in Convention at Concord, on the first Tuesday of June next, to form a system or Plan of Government for this State. Voted, at said meeting to give the man that should Be here after Chosen to set in Convention 4s 6d per day, new emission. Voted that Capt. Francis Davis Should Be the man for the above purpose. A brief history of the numerous constitutional con- ventions which were held in the early days of the state will not be out of place here. 1. The first constitution of New Hampshire was adopted soon after the Revolution began, namely, Jan. 5, 1776. It was framed by the Exeter conven- tion. It was not designed or understood to be per- manent, but was to continue during the unnatural contest in which the country was then engaged. This is believed to be the^rs^ constitution adopted by any of the colonies. 238 HISTORY OF WARNER. 2. A convention was called for the " sole purpose of forming a permanent Plan or system for the future Government of the State," to meet at Concord, June 10, 1778. (Neither in the first convention, ^lor in this, was Warner represented.) This convention of 1778 formed a plan of government, and sent it out to the people. It was rejected. 3. The same convention reassembled at Concord in June, 1779. Another constitution was agreed upon, and sent out to the people. This, also, was rejected. (Warner was not represented in this convention.) 4. Another convention was called. It met at Con- cord, June, 1781. Francis Davis was in this conven- tion. It framed a constitution which provided for " a supreme Executive Magistrate, to be styled the Governor of the State of New Hampshire — whose title should be His Excellency." It provided for a senate of twelve members, to be elected by districts : "And the several Counties in this State, shall, until the General Court shall order otherwise, be districts for the election of Senators, and shall elect the follow- ing number, viz., Rockingham 5, Strafford 2, Hillsboro' 2, Cheshire 2, and Grafton 1." A house of representatives was provided for, to consist of fifty members, apportioned to the counties as follows: Rockingham, 20; Straflbrd, 8; Hillsboro', 10 ; Cheshire, 8 ; Grafton, 4. This constitution was sent out to the people, and rejected. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS. 239 5. The same convention reassembled at Concord in August, 1782, and made some changes in the preced- ing constitution, one of which was, to have representa- tives chosen by the towns, — such towns as had 150 ratable polls, to have a representative ; smaller towns, to be classed. This was sent out, and rejected. 6. The same convention reassembled at Concord, June, 1783; formed their constitution, sent it out, .and it was accepted by a vote of the people, October 31, 1783. It was carried into full effect June 10, 1784, and, with but slight amendments, was in force till 1878, a period of ninety-four years. At a meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of Warner, Perrystown, Fishersfield, and Andover (New Breton no more), held at the meeting-house in War- ner, December 22, 1781, Francis Davis acting as moderator, — Voted tliat Nathaniel Bean of Warner shall represent the above said towns for the year ensuing. There were five sessions of the legislature during the year for which Mr. Bean was elected, three in Concord, one in Exeter, and one in Portsmouth. The record next says (its exact words being quoted), — The inhabitants and Freeholders of Warner held a meeting at the house of Jacob Hoyt in said town, January 16, 1782, to exemen and perruse the New Constitution or Plan of Government at which meeting Capt. Francis Davis was moderator voted that the meeting Be a jorned too Monday ye 21st Day of this instant 240 HISTORY OF WARNER. Januarj^ at 12 o'clock, on the Day two persons at said meeting accepted of the new Constitution or Plan of government in full as it now stands, 3 persons at said meeting Rejected the above plan in full. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1782. Tappan Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Abner Watkins, \ Philip PlanderS; \ Selectmen. Thomas Annis, ) Voted at said meeting that the Selectmen should serve in theire office the present year free from any Cost to the town. This annual meeting, on account of some informal- ity, was pronounced illegal ; another was called and held at the meeting-house, July 11th, and the follow- ing officers were elected : Nathaniel Bean, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Parmenas Watson, \ Thomas Annis, \ Selectmen. Philip Flanders, ) At a meeting held November 26, 1782, at the meet- ing-house, Isaac Chase acting as moderator, — Voted to chuse a Committee to peruse the new plan of Gov- ernment and make theire Keport at the a Jornment of this meet- ing. Voted that Esqr. Sawyer, Capt. Davis, Capt. Flood, Daniel Morrill and Tappan Evans should be the above Committee. Voted at said meeting that those persons that Call themselves Baptis in this town should Be Rated theire proportion to Mr. Kelle3^'s sallery Rate this present yeav. TOWN AND CLASS RECORDS. 2-il It is evident from the foregoing that certain of the citizens of Warner had ah^eady become restive under the burdens of the " minister tax," and that they sought to escape it by claiming not to belong to the " established order." Voted at said meeting to pay Wm. Lowell nine pounds this present year to Be Reducted out of the obligation he has against the town that was given to his sons for Ingaging in the Conti- nental Army for this town. At the a Jornment of the meeting from the 26 day of Nov. 1782 to the 10 Day of Dec. 1782, Isaac Chase Stood Moderator. Voted not to Receive the new plan of Government as it now stands. Voted to Receive the plan with some amendment and the meet- ing was Ree a Jorned to the 20th Day instant at the meeting house. Att the Ree a Jornment of the meetting from the 10th Day of Dec. to the 20th instant, of which meeting Isaac Chase was Mod- erator, Voted to chuse 3 men to Jone the above Committee in porusing the new plan of Government and to make objection against any part of said plan in writing. Voted that Wm. Ring, Nehemiah heath and paul thorndick be the men ; also voted Nathaniel Bean should Jine the above com- mittee. Voted that David Bagley should provid a book too Record Beaths of children. att the a Jornment of the meeting from the 20 Day of Decem- ber too the 26 Day Instant 1782, Nomber of voters present 32 — one voted to Recive the plan of Government in full as it now stands, 31 against it as it now stands — Nineteen Recived the ob- jections which the Committee Drafted against the plan of Gov- ernment — Eleven against the objections — twent}^ nine objected a Gainst a Governor and prevey Council and the meeting was Diss- mesed. The classed towns elected no representative in the 242 HISTORY OF WARNER. year 1782. There is no evidence that the inhabitants were called together that year for the purpose of electing one. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1783. Isaac Chase, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Parmeiias Watson, \ David Bagley, > Selectmen. Tappan Evans, ) Att the a Jorntoent of the annual meeting from the 4th day of March, 1783, to ye 18th Day of this Instant march, voted that the Laws and Coarts of the State Should Stand in full force as theay now are untel the 10th Day of June 1784. Voted to chuse a Committee of three men to settle the law sute or Cary it on that is Commenced against the town by Mr. Nathaniel Been. Voted that Daniel Flood, Tappan Evans and Isaac Chase Should Be the above Committee. The presumption is, that the committee settled this " sute," for nothing more is heard from it. The classed towns met at the meeting-house in Warner, March, 1773, and elected Nathaniel Bean as representative. The time for holding this election, it will be seen, has again been changed. Mr. Bean at- tended at three sessions this year, all in Concord. THE CURRIER BRIDGE. At a meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of Warner, held at the meeting-house, April 28, 1783, Tappan Evans acting as moderator, — Voted to Bild a Bridge over the River on the Road that leads from the Meeting House to Mr. Benjamin Currier's. TOWN AND CLASS. RECORDS. 243 Who this Benjamin Currier was the writer knows not. The place referred to was the " Ensign Joseph Currier jDlace." This was the second bridge on the river at this point. Voted to raise 15 pounds Lawful money toward Bilding the Bridge above mentioned to Be worked out at 3 shilling per Day. Voted to allow Aquila Davis, Hubbart Carter and Amos Flood as much money as was stoped out of theire wages and was alowed to the town out of the state tax for the year past 1782 by the Treasurer of the State. Voted to allow Capt. Davis his account for setting on the Convention for times past which was one pound five shilling and 8 pence. The convention that Capt. Davis had the honor of " setting on," was the constitutional convention which is spoken of on a former page. The legal voters of the town were warned by the selectmen to assemble at the meeting-house, Nov. 3, 1783, to choose a moderator, and, among other things, " to see if the inhabitance of the town will vote to pertition the honorable General Court for a menment of our Incorporation with a New one according to Neals Bound ree." The meeting was held. Tappan Evans was chosen moderator, and then an adjournment was made to the 10th day of the same month. At the a Jornment of the meeting voted Not to pertition for an amendment of our Incorporation. 244 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1784. Tappan Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town- clerk. David Bagle}^, ^ E/ichard Straw, \ Selectmen. Zebulon Morrill, ) This is the first appearance of Richard Straw, but not the last. He was a prominent man in town for many years. He came from the neighboring town of Hopkinton, and settled in Schoodac, on the farm that his son Richard occupied through his life. He was a colonel in the state militia, was one of the selectmen of the town several years, was a " licensed taverner," and a good farmer. His sons were Richard, Jonathan, and James. He died in 1840, aged 85, and was buried at the Parade. At tlie same meeting voted not to Repaire the meeting house. Voted to raise one hundred and sixty j&ve pounds lawful money to pay William Lowell, Isaac Lowell and Stephen Colby's town bounties for service Down the town as Solders. Voted to chuse a Committee to Consist of five men to Settle with the Baptis for the settlement and sallery Rate for the year 1782. Voted that the meeting Should be a Jornd too the 9th Day of this instant month. At the adjourned meeting, — Voted to Give in the Sallery Rate for the year 1782 too all those persons that Breaight theire sertificats too sertify that theay had Joined the Baptis Society. Voted to pertion to the General Coart for a new Incorpora- tion of our town according to McNeals Boundree. PRESIDENT OF THE STATE. 245 At a second adjournment of this meeting, which took place the 30th of March, — Voted too Reconsider the vote past to cliuse a Committee to Settle with the Baptis. According to the foregoing it appears that there was dissatisfaction with the act of incorporation (the charter of the town). As chartered, the town was to be six miles square ; but the surveyors, acting under the proprietors, could find no open territory of just such dimensions, but they took an equivalent, and more too, and took it where they could. And what the discontented ones now wanted was, to have the terms of the charter so changed as to correspond with Neal's actual survey. PRESIDENT OF THE STATE. At a meeting of the freeholders and inhabitants of Warner, Perrystown, and Fishersfield (Andover has now joined New Chester), held at the meeting-house in Warner, March 30, 1784, Captain Daniel Flood acting as moderator, — Voted tliat Capt. Francis Davis should go Representative for the above mentioned towns. 'Voted for President^ for 3Ieshech Weare, 12. The people of New Hampshire never voted for their chief magistrate till this election of 1784. The temporary constitution of 1776 provided for a coun- cil of twelve members, and a house of representatives 246 HISTORY OF WARNER. to be elected by the people. These two branches of the government conducted the affairs of the state. That constitution remained in force till June, 1784, when the new constitution went into effect. This new constitution, among its many provisions, had the following : There shall be a supreme executive magistrate, who shall be styled, The President of the State of New Hampshire ; and whose title shall be, His Excellency. The president was to be chosen by the people. Warner cast but 12 votes at this election for chief magistrate of the state, — all for Meshech Weare. The vote was unaccountably small, as the population of the town at that time must have been 600, and the number of legal voters about 120. Capt. Francis Davis was chosen to office at this election for the last time. He served at two sessions of the legislature of 1784, — one at Concord in June, and one at Portsmouth in October. There was anoth- er session, held at Concord in February, which he did not attend. His work had been finished before that day. November 26, 1784, he was drowned in Beaver brook, at Derry. A storm had swollen the stream : the bridge, which at dark was perfectly safe, had been swept away before eight o'clock in the evening, and both horse and rider were plunged into the strong current and drowned. The body of Mr. Davis was carried far down the stream, and was not recovered SECOND PRESIDENT OP THE STATE. 247 till three days after the accident. It was then brought to Warner, and committed to the earth near his cho- sen home at Davisville. His age was 61. At a legally warned meeting, which was held Nov. 8, 1784, at the meeting-house in Warner, — Voted to chuse one man as a Defendant in behalf of the town against an action commenced against Daniel flood and Joseph Currier as a Committee in behalf of the town by Earned lowell of almsbury. Voted that tappan Evans shovild be a Defendant against the above action and is Impowered to Carry on the case. ANI^UAL MEETING, MARCH, 1785. Isaac Chase, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Isaac Chase, "^ Nehemiah Heath, V Selectmen. Paul Thorndike, J Paul Thorndike lived at the John Hardy place on Tory hill, but did not remain in town a great many years. At an adjourned meeting held April 12th, — Voted to except thomas Annis to serve constable for the cur- rent year for Jonathan Smith. Voted not to alow Gideon Davis and Joseph hunt Solder Rats for their heads for the year 1784. Voted to alow Zebulon morrill one pound ten shilling for his service as one of the Select men in the year past 1784. SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE STATE. At a meeting legally called, and holden at the meeting-house in Warner, March 29, 1785, to vote for 248 HISTORY OF WARNER. president of the state, John Langdon received 24 votes. No other candidate was voted for. Warner, Sutton, and Fishersfield, in 1785, elected Matthew Harvey, of Sutton, representative. Mr. Har- vey went from Deerfield, and settled on the large farm at North Sutton which Jonathan Harvey came into possession of, and occupied through life. The sons of Matthew Harvey were Jonathan, who served in congress, Matthew, who served in congress and who was governor in 1830, John, Philip, and perhaps others. Mr. Harvey, during his year, served at three ses- sions of the legislature, — two at Portsmouth and one at Concord. At a meeting held October 11, 1785,— Voted that the Selectmen should settle with Mr. Tai3pan Evans on account of his Carrying on the law sute Commenced against the town by Barnet Lowell. Voted to Sell the howling of the Rev. Mr. Kelley's Sellary wood for the current year to the loest Bider. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1786. Isaac Chase, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. David Bagley, \ Richard Straw, ^ Selectmen. Zebulon Morrill, ) Voted that Thomas Annis Constable Should not Collect the minister tax he has a Gainst those people that have Brought theire sertificates to sartify theay have Joined the Baptis Society and also those people Called Sheaker. SECOND PRESIDENT OP THE STATE. 249 There were people in town at this time professing to be Shakers, a denomination which was introduced into this country in 1774. One or two of the follow- ers of this sect in Warner (and perhaps there were no others in town) lived on the Tory Hill road. One of the leading principles of this religious denomination is opposition to war. An adjourned meeting was held March 28, 1786, and of this meeting the record says, — Whereas Isaac Chase, Moderator of the above meeting Hesined his seat, Voted to Chuse another man as a moderator in his sted. Voted that Joseph Sawyer should he moderator of this meeting. Voted to Kais 18 pounds for Schooling for the Current year. Voted that the Sellect men Should Divid the School money into Districts. Vote for President. Jolm Sullivan, None. John Langdon, 29 Sullivan is here placed ^r.*?;, because he was elected, though Warner did not give him a single vote. This rule, of placing the successful candidate at the head will be adhered to throughout this volume. Voted the Select men with a sever Should preamble the County Eoad and make such alterations and exchanges as theay shall Judge Best. Warner, Sutton, and Fishersfield elected Zephaniah Clark, of Fishersfield, for representative, in the year 1786. He attended three sessions during the year, one at Concord, one at Exeter, and one at Portsmouth. Total number of days, 76. 250 HISTORY OF WARNER. Mr. Clark kept a hotel, and carried on a large farm at what is known as the Chandler place, in Newbury. It is the place which our townsman, Jonathan H. Maxon, recently owned and occupied. At a meeting legally called, and held at the meet- ing-house, Sept. 29, 1786, James Flanders acting as moderator, — Voted to Bild a Bridge over the River on the County Eoad Where the old Bridge now is or as near that place as may be Thought Proper. Voted not to Bild a Meeting House. Voted to Reconsider the vote past not to Bild a meeting house. Voted too Bild a meeting house. Voted the meeting should Be a Jorned to the 19th day of Oct. next. At the adjourned meeting, — Voted not to raise money to build a bridge over the river. James Flanders, whose name appears above, was from Hawke, N. H. (Danville). He settled on Burnt Hill, between the Clough and Bartlett places, but no house now occupies the site of his buildings. It ap- pears, by public documents now in existence, that he. was both " farmer and cordwainer." He had a small, productive farm, which occupied his time in summer, and he made and mended shoes in winter. He was much in public life : was in the state senate nine or ten years, and in the house as many. While his edu- cation was scant, his judgment was sound, and for many years he was a leading man in the councils of TOWN AND CLASS RECORDS. 251 the state. He was a ready and effective speaker, and his influence in the halls of legislation was large. His sons were Calvin, Abner, Ezra, Philip, and Timothy. Walter P. Flanders, of Milwaukee ; William W., of Wilmot; the present Philip, of Warner; Isaac C. Flanders, who lived many years in Manchester, but who has returned to Warner, — and many others, are his grandsons. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1787. Daniel Flood, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. James Flanders, \ Benjamin Sargent, V Selectmen. Chellis Foote, ) I^or President. John Sullivan, None. John Langdon, 94 Benjamin Sargent was from Amesbury. He settled on Tory hill, where a son of Abner Sargent now re- sides. His sons were Humphrey, Simeon, Asa, Isaac, Moses, and Benjamin. The latter occupied the old homestead through his life. Chellis Foote was also from Amesbury, and his home in Warner was at the Chellis F. Kimball place. He was the father of Kimball's wife. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Warner, Sutton, and Fishersfield, held at the meeting-house in War- ner, March 26, 1787, Capt. Daniel Flood acting as moderator, James Flanders was chosen representative. 17 252 HISTORY OF WARNER. LOCATION OF THE MEETING-HOUSE. At a meeting held August 30, 1787, — Voted to chuse a Committee of three men out of three Indifer- ent Towns to appoint a place where to Set a meeting house in this town. Chose Col. Joshua Bayley, of Hopkinton; Lieut. Phineas Bean, of Salisbury ; and Lieut. Moses Connor, of Henniker, for said committee. Voted to Set the meeting house when Bilt at the place where the Committee shall appoint. The old sixty-dollar church at the Parade, which answered very well for 1770, was considered hardly good enough for 1787. Besides, there was a growing uneasiness in regard to its location. OHAPTEE XIX. THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION — HALF-SHIRE TOWN — COURT* S COM- MITTEE COURT-HOUSE A PROTEST TOWN RECORDS HOUSE UNDER THE LEDGE. (he "Articles of Confederation," which served a good purpose through the struggle of the colo- nies for independence, were not sufficient for the country when the storm had passed. Soon after the close of the Revolution, the necessity of " a more per- fect union " began to be made apparent. The proper steps for a national convention having been taken by the congress, delegates from all the states excej)t Rhode Island assembled at Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to consider the question of the reorganization of the government. On the 17th day of the September fol- lowing, this convention of delegates agreed upon and reported a " federal constitution." This constitution was soon submitted to the several states, to be by them ratified or rejected. It was to go into effect when nine of the thirteen states had, by their conven- tions, approved of the same. At a legal meeting, held in Warner Jan. 24, 1788, Thomas Annis acting as moderator, — Voted not too Except of tlie new Constitution. 254 HISTORY OF WARNER. This was the federal constitiition framed at Phila- delphia, and the voice of Warner seems to have been against it. The above vote is to be regarded as a vote oi instructions to the delegate to be chosen from Warner to sit in the convention which was to act on this constitution. The record continues : Voted to chuse a man to Joine a Convention at Exeter on the 2d Wednesday in February next on account of the new Constitu- tion. Voted for Nathaniel Bean Esq. to Joine said Convention. Voted to a Jorn this meeting untel the town can be Sentered Relative to Setting a new meeting house. The meeting was then adjourned to the 7th day of February. The New Hampshire convention, called to consider the federal constitution, was held at Exeter on the 2d Wednesday of February, 1788. It excited a deep interest, not only in New Hampshire, but throughout the country. It was composed of an a^ble body of men. Gen. John Sullivan was its president, and Hon. John Calfe its secretary. Langdon, Pickering, Bart- lett, John T. Gilman, Joshua Atherton, Parker, Bel- lows, West, Livermore, Badger, and other leading spirits, were there. The debates ran high. Sullivan, Langdon, Pickering, and Livermore were the princi- pal speakers in favor of ratification ; while Atherton of Amherst, Parker of Jaffrey, and others, violently opposed it. Among the things objected to with great THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. 255 vehemence in the constitution, was the clause per- mitting the abolition of the slave trade after 1808, and prohibiting any material action on the subject before that time. Mr. Atherton opposed this clause with much warmth. " The idea," he says, " that strikes those who oppose this clause, so disagreeably and forcibly, is, that if we ratify the constitution, we become consenters to and partakers in the sin and guilt of this abominable traffic in slaves, at least for a certain period, without any positive stipulation that it shall even then be brought to an end." The friends of the constitution did not dare risk a vote on the question of ratification. They pleaded for an adjournment; in the belief that further discussion among the people would work a favorable change in public opinion. The motion to adjourn prevailed. During the recess, the constitution continued to be the standing topic of discussion in town and neigh- borhood meetings, and it continually increased in strength. Some towns which had instructed their delegates to oppose ratification, " changed drag-ropes," and instructed them to favor it. Eight states had already given their assent to the constitution. The ninth only was necessary to its ratification. The adjourned meeting of the conven- tion was held at Concord in June. Amendments were proposed by those who were determined to defeat the constitution, but they were voted down. Then the 256 HISTORY OF WARNER. opponents in their turn urged an adjournment, but this was defeated. The majority was clearly against them. Finally, on the fourth day of the session, the momentous question was taken. While the secretary was calling the roll of the members, a death-like silence prevailed. When he had finished, Gen. Sulli- van arose and announced, — Number of votes for ratification, 57 Number of votes against ratification, 46 — and New Hampshire ratifies the constitution of the United States. The result excited throughout the country a thrill of joy. At Portsmouth the event was celebrated by a grand procession, and other demonstrations of popu- lar gratification. Nathaniel Bean, in accordance with the instruc- tions which his constituents had given him, voted against ratification. At the adjourned meeting, Feb. 7th, — Voted not to Bild a meeting house on the plain above Joseph Currier's, and the meeting was dismissed. The Joseph Currier place is the present Richard S. Foster place, and "on the plain above Joseph Cur- rier's" means on the plain to the eastward, where the meeting-house was finally located. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1788. Joseph Sawyer, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Benjamin Sai'gent, \ Richard Bartlett, > Selectmen. Parmenas Watson, ) OLy HALF-SHIRE TOWN, 257 For President, John Langdoii, 11 Josiali Bartlett, 54 The legal voters of the classed towns, — Warner, Sutton, and Fishersfield, — met at the meeting-house in Warner, March 27, 1788, and chose James Flanders, representative. HALF-SHIRE TOWN. At a legal meeting, held May 22, 1788, Capt. Asa Pattee was chosen to serve on the jury at Amherst. Voted to have a half shaire town in the northern part of the County. Voted not to Except of the Report of the Committee concerning the place Where to Set the meeting house. Voted not to Bild a Meeting House on the plain on the north side of the River against the new Bridge. The record continues : It was put to vote to See if the town would Bild a meeting house where the old one now Sets, 30 for that place 28 against it, So it past in the afarmetive. Motion was made to Set a meeting house in the Senter of the town 38 for the Senter 18 against it, so it past in the negitive. Voted to petition the General Coart for a Committee to ap- point a place Where to Set a meeting house in this town and the meeting was dismissed. Asa Pattee. The name of Pattee appears in the foregoing records of the meeting of May, 1788 The orthography of this name has undergone several changes. Petty, Pettee, Patty, and Pattee, all come from the same original word. 258 HISTORY OF WARNER. Sir William Pattee was physician to Cromwell and King Charles the Second. He was one of the found- ers of the Royal Society, and was knighted in 1660. He was a copious writer on political economy, and Macaulay mentions this fact in his History of Eng- land. Peter Pattee, a son of Sir William, was born in Lansdown, England, in 1648. In 1669, on account of certain political notions which he entertained, he found it necessary to take a hasty departure from his country. He went to Virginia. After remaining there a few years, he removed to Haverhill, Mass. In November, 1677, he took the oath of allegiance to the Crown. He married at Haverhill, and became the father of a large family. He built the first mill and established the first ferry in Haverhill, and the ferry retains his name to this day. Peter Pattee was the grandfather of Captain Asa, who is mentioned in the above record, who was born at Haverhill in 1732, and who came to Warner about the close of the Revolutionary war. He was captain in the old French and Indian war, and was present at the taking of Quebec in 1759. On coming to Warner he located where the village now is, and built the first frame house in that village, viz., the Dr. Eaton house. Here he kept a hotel a number of years. He was the father of John (who was the father of Asa, Jesse, and Cyrus), and of Daniel, who settled in Canaan, and court's committee. 259 whose descendants are prominent people in Grafton county. Mrs. Daniel Bean and Mrs. Jacob Currier were his daughters. Asa Pattee, whose portrait is here seen, was the son of John, the grandson of Captain Asa, and the great, great, great grandson of Sir William. He was born at Warner, Oct. 14, 1800, and was educated at the district school on Tory Hill, and at the Ballard school in Hopkinton. He married, in 1827, Miss Sally Col- by, a daughter of Stephen Colby, one of the Revolu- tionary soldiers, and a prominent man a century ago. Mr. Pattee was a practical farmer through life, hav- ing one of the best farms in town. He served repeat- edly as selectman, and also as representative. He died Jan. 9, 1874, aged 74. His sons were Stephen C, John (deceased). Dr. Luther, and Dr. Asa F. His daughters were Mrs. Palmer (deceased) and Mrs. E. C. Cole. COURT'S COMMITTEE. State of New Hampshire. In the House of Representatives, June 17, 1788. Whereas Benjamin Sargent and Richard Bartlett, Selectmen of the town of Warner, in behalf of said town have petitioned the General Court, setting forth that, whereas the said town hath, for a long time, greatly suffered for want of a larger Meeting House, and are so unhappy as not to agree upon a place to build a new one, and praying said Court to take it under their wise considera- tion and appoint a Committee to appoint them a place to set said meeting house, or relieve them in some other reasonable way, therefore Be it Resolved that Col. Ebenezer Webster, Major Rob- ert Wallace and Lt. Joseph Wadley be a Committee to fix on a 260 HISTORY OF WARNER. spot in said town to build said meeting house on, the expense of which Committee to be defrayed by the inhabitants thereof. Thomas Bartlett, Speaker. John Langdon, President. The senate concurred with the house in the fore- going action, and the committee went upon their mis- sion. On the 12th of September, 1788, they reported as follows : The Committee having attended to the business referred to, and after viewing the greater part of the town, with the situation of the inhabitants thereof, agree to report, as their opinion that the spot of ground where the old Meeting House now stands is the most suitable place to set the new meeting house on. Eb. Webster, ^ Warner E. Wallace, > Committee. Sept. 12, 1788. J. Wadley, J Here, then, was a victory for the old Parade, — but let the reader pause, and see what becomes of this report. NOT PEACE, BUT A SWORD. At a meeting legally called, and holden Oct. 30, 1788, to take this report into consideration, Joseph Sawyer acting as moderator, — Voted not to Bild a meeting house on the spot of Land that was a Greead upon by the Committee appointed by the General Court. So the tables were turned. But the friends of the old site were not satisfied. They claimed that in a full meeting they would have a majority, and they demanded another trial. The whole town was aroused. TOWN RECORDS. 261 The selectmen called the legal voters together again at the meetmg-house, Nov. 25, 1788. After choosing Tappan Evans moderator, — Voted, at said meeting to Reconsider that vote past the 30th day of October, which was not to Bild a meeting house on the spot of Ground agreed upon by the Committee appointed by the Court. Voted at said meeting not to Bild a meeting house on the spot of ground agreed upon by the same Committee. [Thus the old site is again rejected.] Voted nat to appoint any place or places to Meet att for publick worship this winter, and the meeting was dissmissed. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1789. Tappan Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Richard Bartlett, \ ^ Richard Straw, > Selectmen. Tappan Evans, ) TOWN POUND. Voted not to Bild a pound the current year. Voted to Raise 30 pound for schooling for the current year, to be paid in produce at cash price. The selectmen were instructed to divide the town into districts for the accommodation of scholars. Voted that every district shall have the liberty to provide their own school-masters, provided theay Do it in a proper season of the year, if not the Selectmen is to provide a master for them. A meeting was held March 29, 1789, to vote for president of the state, with the following result : John Sullivan, None. Josiah Bartlett, 53 262 HISTORY OF WARNER. At the same meeting, — Voted not to chuse a Representative for the present year. At a subsequent meeting, held April 25, the last vote was reconsidered, and James Flanders was cho- sen representative. At the same meeting, voted to build a meeting- house between Joseph Currier's and Isaac Chase's, on the north side of the road. Also, chose a build- ing committee, consisting of Joseph Sawyer, Tappan Evans, Richard Straw, Jacob Waldron, Benjamin Sar- gent, Reuben Kimball, and William Morrill. William Morrill was from Rye. He settled in the westerly part of Warner, between the Mink Hills and Bradford pond. After his day, the old homestead was occupied many years by Captain Stephen Hoyt. Samuel, Israel, and Francis were his sons, and Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Cheney, and Mrs. Hoyt, his daughters. At the same meeting, — Voted that the Committee should advertise the lower pew- ground in the meeting house above voted to Be Built and sell the same at publick vandue in behalf of the town. COURT-HOUSE. At the same meeting, — Voted for Doct. Currier, Esq. Bean and Mr. James flanders for Committee to Draw subscription papers and present them to the Inhabitance too see how much theay will sine towards Bilding a Coart house in this town. COURT-HOUSE. 263 Warner was now making some effort to become the half-shire town of Hillsborough county, but Hop- kinton had more money and a much larger popula- tion than Warner at that time, and the courts went there. At an adjourned meeting, held at the • meeting- house, April 30, the meeting-house building commit- tee reported that they had agreed with Isaac Chase for half an acre of land on which to build, and had taken a deed for the same. Then the meeting ad- journed for two hours. This was to give the voters an opportunity to go over the river and take a view of the situation. The meeting, on reassembling, — Voted to chuse a committee too petition the General Coart in behalf of the town that our representative may have a seat for the present year. There had been some informality about the elec- tion of representative this year. In the first place, on the regular day for the election, the town " voted not to send." At a subsequent meeting that vote was re- considered, and James Flanders was elected. But it does not appear that the other towns of the district (Sutton and Fishersfield) participated in this election. Warner stood alone. Perhaps that was irregular, but this was the end of the class. The petition to the General Court was successful, and Mr. Flanders took his seat in the house. 264 HISTORY OF WARNER. At the same meeting, a committee, consisting of Benjamin Sargent, Tappan Evans, and Richard Straw, was appointed to take charge of the building of the house, to hold the funds which might be realized, and to give security for the same. Voted to Impower the same Committee to sell the Bilding of the meeting house to him that Will Do the most towards Bilding the meeting house for what the pew ground is sold for if theay can Do it to the advantage of the town, if not for that Committee to proceed in Bilding the meeting house as far as the money that the pews sold for Will Goo. [Here is a chance for the reader to exercise his intellect.] A PROTEST. On the 19th day of June, 1789, certain citizens of the town made solemn protest against the building of the meeting-house near Joseph Currier's. Among other things in this protest they said, — We whose names are underwritten are and shall he dissatisfied with said house as a Meeting House for the town of Warner, and we shall give no aid to the building of the same, for the following reasons : — 1. Because a Committee from the Court appointed another place. 2. Because it will necessarily cost a large sum of money to make highways to said house to convene the people, which other- wise would not be wanted. 3. Because we have the land to purchase, which, in another place, we have in plenty. Signed, Aquila Davis, Moses Stevens, Joseph Bartlett, Jedediah Peabody, Calvin Flanders, Benjamin Whitcomb, HOUSE UNDER THE LEDGE. Edmund Sawyer, Jonathan Smith, Moses Annis, John Hall, James Pressey, Nathan Davis, Wells Davis, David Gilmore, Moses Clement, barker Clement, Oliver Clement, William Morrill, Paskey Pressey, Daniel Watson, Zebulon Morrill, Moses Clark, Benjamin Foster, John Person, Stephen Badger, Jonathan Watson, Joseph Burnap, Asa Putney, Francis Davis, Joseph Foster, Jonathan Colby, John Davis, William Ring, Ezekiel Goodwin, William Currier, Isaac Waldron, Jr., Jacob Whitcomb, Thomas Annis, Francis Thurber, Moses Sawyer, William Lowell, John Kelley, William Sanborn, Jonathan Gould, Jonathan Straw, Moses Flanders. Here are the names of forty-six men, several of whom were leaders in town affairs, and most of whom stood high in the church. It was a formidable pro- test, and it shows, beyond a doubt, that intense feel- ing existed throughout the town on the question of changing the location of the meeting-house. HOUSE UNDER THE LEDGE. Notwithstanding this large array of names, the work of building went on. During the summer of 1789, the heavy hard-wood frame of the new church was raised, and the house was partially finished. It was called " The House under the Ledge." It was a 266 HISTOEY OF WARNER. square building (about 50 by 60 feet), looking like a great barn, open up to the ridgepole. The swallows built their nests in it, and they were often seen, dur- ing religious services, flitting across the open space, like birds of evil omen. The house was never plas- tered, except on a small space back of the pulpit. Galleries ran around on three sides. The pews were square, like sheep-pens. The pulpit was so high that the necks of the congregation ached as they looked at the minister. There was a porch and great door at the south, there was another door opening on the west, and another on the east, like the gates of Jeru- salem. Such was the temple of worship in Warner, from and after 1790. It also served as a town-house. Town-meetings were held in it from the beginning, and for many years after it ceased to be occupied for religious purposes. About the year 1855 it was taken down, and the main part of the frame was worked into the bridge at Ela's mill. Having, probably, served its purpose in bearing invisible spirits over the dark stream that separates time from eternity, it becomes the strong bridge to bear visible feet across Warner river. THE WAR NOT ENDED. Eeturning to the records of the town, it will be seen that peace did not yet reign. At a meeting in the JOSEPH BARTLETT. 267 old meeting-house, at the Parade, Nov. 19, 1789, Thomas Annis acting as moderator, — Voted not to meet in the new meeting house for Religious wor- ship for the futer. At another meeting, held the next month, — Voted that Mr. Kelley should not preach in the new meeting house, for the futer time. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1790. James Flanders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. William Ring, \ Joseph Bartlett, > Selectmen. Aquila Davis, ) Joseph Bartlett was from Amesburj. He was a son of Simeon Bartlett, one of the proprietors of the town, and Simeon was a brother to Dr. Josiah Bart- lett, of Kingston, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and governor of the state. Four brothers, — Joseph, Richard, Simeon, and Levi, — came to Warner, and here made their homes. Levi became insane, and was consumed in a building that was de- stroyed by fire. Richard and Simeon are spoken of on a former page. Joseph was the father of our ven- erable townsman, Levi Bartlett. He lived at the Lower Village, near the Henry B. Chase j)lace, and was there engaged in trade. He also taught school and did something at farming. He was a man of marked character during his lifetime, and was consid- 18 268 HISTORY OF WARNER. erably in public business, serving as selectman, town- clerk, and representative. While he was a very cir- cumspect and excellent man, he did enjoy fun. At one time he was the only justice of the peace in town, and sometimes, particularly when the minister was away, he solemnized marriages as a magistrate. There was a man in town having the nickname of " Higharablecod ;" and there was a Widow Ash, whom the boys, for some reason, had nicknamed " The Wid- ow Ash-beetle." This couple, becoming enamored of each other, presented themselves to Squire Bartlett and were married ; but the match was evidently not "made in heaven." A few months' time proved that neither the man nor the woman had found an " affin- ity." In short, they were both sick of the bargain, and both desirous of throwing it up. The man, sup- posing that he who could build up could also tear down, and that the magistrate or minister who could marry a couple could also annul the marriage, rushed up to Bartlett one morning, in a great flurry, and said, " Squire, we 're going to be sot back ! and I want you to make out the papers!" Bartlett told him to come in again in an hour, and the papers would be ready. He came according to appointment, and the Squire handed him the following : Highamblecod got into a nettle, And swore he 'd not live With the widow Ash-beetle ; PRESIDENT OF THE STATE. 269 And the widow Ash-beetle Swore by her god, She never would sleep with Highamblecod. Joseph Bartlett, Justice of the Peace. The man could neither read, write, nor cipher ; but he proudly seized this paper and departed. He met Calvin Flanders, and told him that Bartlett had given him a divorce, which he asked Flanders to read. Flanders read, and copied. Joseph Bartlett died in the year 1829, at the age of 70, and was buried near the site of the old first church. FOR PRESIDENT OF THE STATE. At a meeting legally called, and holden at the old meeting-house in Warner, March 30, 1790, Nathaniel Bean, moderator, voted as follows : For Josiah Bartlett, None. John Pickering, 28 Nathaniel Peabody, 12 Joshua Wentworth, 10 At the same meeting, chose James Flanders repre- sentative. It will be seen that Josiah Bartlett received no vote in Warner at this election. But he was elected by a large majority. He was reelected in 1791, in 1792, and again in 1793, when the title of the chief magistrate was changed from president to governor. At a meeting held in the old meeting-house, August 30, 1790,— 270 HISTORY OF WARNER. Voted too Reconsider two former votes, viz, one was that the town voted not to meet in the new meeting house for publick worship, and the other was that Mr. Kelley should not preach in the new meeting house for the futer. Voted that Mr. Kelley should preach in the new meeting hovise for the futer and the Inhabitance meet there for public worship. So the friends of the site " under the ledge," near Ensign Joseph Currier's, are at last triumphant, and the old Parade, as a place of prayer and a place of strife, is forever abandoned. Peace only, and the silence of the grave, rest on that sacred spot. OHAPTEE XX. TOWN RECORDS — HALF-SHIRE AGAIN — ANTI-PEDOBAPTISTS — GEN. AQUILA DAVIS THE FIRST POUND. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1791. This was held at the new meeting-house. Nathaniel Bean, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Eichard Straw, \ Richard Bartlett, > Selectmen. Joseph Sawyer, ) I^or President. Josiah Bartlett, 79 Voted not to choose a representative. Voted to Rais 25 pounds for the use of a school for the current year, to be paid Good Wheat at 5 shillings per hushell, Good Rie att 4 shillings per hushell, good Endion corn att 3 shillings per hushell. This meeting adjourned to March 22, when James Flanders was chosen representative. Voted to take down the old Meeting House and appropriate the stuff towards fencing the Buring Ground. Thus fell, at last, this ancient landmark of {he fathers. 272 HISTORY OF WARNER. At a meeting held August 8, 1791, — Voted for James Flanders for a delegate to set in Convention to be held at Concord on the first Wed. of September next, for the purpose of revising the State Constitution. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1792. Daniel Mood, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. Richard Straw, ^ Richard Bartlett, > Selectmen. Francis Ferrin, ) James Flanders, representative. For President. Josiah Bartlett, 54 Francis Ferrin lived at the Jere Gove place, in Jop- pa. His son Benjamin occupied the old homestead through his lifetime, and the latter's son Jonathan lived there some years, then sold out and moved to Manchester. HALF-SHIRE AGAIN. At a meeting held Sept. 3, 1792, to take action con- cerning the amended state constitution, and for other purposes, there were present 21 voters. On the ques- tion of revising the constitution of the state, there were 2 affirmative and 14 negative votes, but not- withstanding this majority of 12 in Warner against revision, the constitution was revised, though but few changes were made. One of the changes made was in the title of the chief mao-istrate of the state. HALF-SHIRE AGAIN. 273 At the same meeting, — Voted that our Representative should reject the Report of the Committee on fixing a place for a half shear in this County. The committee referred to was one which had been appointed by the legislature, and which had reported in favor of Hopkinton. Warner was dissatisfied with this report, but opposition to it availed nothing. In December, 1792, an act was passed by the legislature, and approved by Josiah Bartlett, president, removing one half of the terms of court for Hillsborough coun- ty, from Amherst to Hopkinton. One section of said act was in the words followins: : Sec. 4, And be it further enacted, that this Act, at the expira- tion of two years from the passing thereof, shall be null and void, unless a suitable House for holding said Courts be erected at said Hopkinton within that time, without being a County charge. Half of the courts of Hillsborough county were at once held in Hopkinton, in accordance with the pro- visions of this act. The inhabitants of that town, with commendable promptitude, erected a good and suffi- cient court-house, at their own expense, and from this time till the formation of Merrimack county, Hopkin- ton was a half-shire town. Not only have the walls of that court-house rung with the eloquence of Webster and other eminent " knights of . the green bag," but they have also echoed the voice of the \^\N-makers. — the represent- atives of the people. 274 HISTORY OF WARNER. A session of the legislature was held there in June, 1798, another in 1801, another in 1806, and anoth- er in 1807. John Taylor Oilman was twice inaugurated gov- ernor in that court-house, and John Langdon twice. After Merrimack county was formed, in 1823, and the courts were removed to Concord, the upper story of this building was converted into an academy, and the lower story was used as a town hall. Many a son and daughter of Warner, who had been educated at that old academy, felt a pang of sorrow on learning that the honored edifice had been swept away in 1875 by the devouring flames. ANTI-PEDOBAPTISTS. The religious affairs of the town became greatly- disturbed shortly after the year 1790. Indeed, they had always been sufficiently unsettled to remind even good men of the passage, " In the world, ye shall have tribulation." The records of the town set forth the formation of a second religious society, in the following terms : Warner february ye 28th, 1793. This may Certify tliat the pearsons hereafter named have man- ifested that theay are of the antipedo Baptis principle and are desirors to be received as members of said society in Warner, whose names are as follows : Timothy Clough, Ezekiel Flanders, Jonathan Stevens, William Morrill, Peter Bagley, John Gould, Hophni Flanders, Phineas Danforth, ANTI-PEDOBAPTISTS. 275 Eeuben Kimball, Philip Walker, Caleb Jones, John Davis, Abraham Currier, James Pressey, William Currier, Asa Harriman, Stephen Badger, Moses Pressey, Enos Collins, Parker Clement, William Trumbull, Prancis Davis, Christopher Flanders, Ezekiel Morrill, Jonathan Wiggin, Jonathan Smith, Joseph Burnap, Simeon Straw, Charles Barnard, Asa Putney, Enoch Currier, John Colby, Ezra Waldron, Thomas Annis, Simeon Bartlett, Jonathan Colby, Benjamin Edmunds, William Sanborn, Joseph Maxfield, Jedediah Peabody, Jeremiah Kimball, Nathaniel Bean, Jr., Philip Goodwin. The above-named persons are received as members, and signed the Society articles by order of said Society to all whom it may Concern. Nathaniel Bean \ Committee for and Richard Bartlett > in behalf William Wiggin ) of said Society. This movement was one of considerable force. For- ty-six men, most of whom were heads of famihes, stood out and made this pubhc declaration. But what are Anti-pedobaptists ? Webster says, — " Pedobaptists are those who believe in the baptism of infants, and Anti-pedobaptists those who are op- posed to the baptism of infants." On this theological ground those people swarmed from the old hive and established another church. It would be uncharitable to doubt their sincerity ; but, 276 HISTORY OF WAENER. in 1793 it was freely charged that the movement on the part of most of those engaged in it was entered into, not so much to maintain a principle, as to get divorced from the " standing order," and released from the burdensome " minister rates." They built a meeting-house in 1793, or the next year, at the Lower Village. It stood on the very ground now occupied, in part, by the engine-house. It was a square, two-story building, with but little architectural beauty, and was never only partially finished. No settled minister ever presided over this branch of the church. It enjoyed only occasional preaching, and that in the summer season. When a man who felt that he had a call to visit " the waste places of Zion" came this way, he occupied the pul- pit a Sunday or two. One of these itinerants, whose acquaintance with grammar was not very intimate, seeing no book in or about the desk, arose at the commencement of the service and inquired, '• Does the people of Warner keep a Bible ?" But no doubt the congregation generally enjoyed the services of such as were wortlij^ and well qualified. After a few years the society dwindled awa}^, and their house of worship went to ruin. It was sold at auction in 1825, and pulled down. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1793. Nathaniel Befln, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. TOWN RECORDS. • 277 For Governor. Josiah Bartlett, 43 Timothy Walker, 33 Nathaniel Bean, Richard Straw, >- Selectmen. James Flanders, representative. I Benjamin Sargent, ) The amended constitution now came into force, and the people for the first time cast their votes for govi- ernor. But voting was not regarded as a duty then so much as now. The whole vote of the state in 1793 was but 9,854. Now, with a population not more than double what it then was, we cast nearly eighty thousand (80,000) votes in contested elections. At an adjourned meeting, held March 28th, — Voted to alow Cornet Richard Straw for providing for mis Weed in her late sickness and the Doctor's Bill £ s. d. which was 1 16 8 At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of Warner, held August 7, 1793, at the TFe6-/ meeting-house (that is, the house under the ledge), — Voted that the meeting house for the futer should be used and Injoyed by every Religias Society in this town as much of the time as Each Society's proportion of town taxes are. Voted to chuse a Committee to porpotion the time. Voted to Bild the seats and put-up the pillars under the Gal- lery Beams in the meeting house. Voted to perches of the Baptis Society theire porpotion of the Ground that the meeting house stands on according to the sum that it was first purchased by the town. 278 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1794. Tappan Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Taylor Oilman, 8 Timothy Walker, 54 James Flanders, representative. Joseph Bartlett, \ John George, \ Selectmen. Edmimd Sawyer, ) John George moved into Warner from Hopkinton, and built the large house at the Lower Village in which Jonathan Badger now resides. It is the first house east of the Henry B. Chase buildings. The sons of Mr. George were Stephen, John, Daniel, and Joshua ; and his daughters were Mrs. Joshua Sawyer, Mrs. Dr. Ames, Mrs. Daniel Runels, and Mrs. Thomas H. Bartlett. After remaining at this place a number of years, he sold to John Eaton, and moved to Vermont. Mr. Eaton was from Haverhill, Mass. He first settled in Sutton, at what is now called the " Grange." He went from there to Davisville, from Davisville to the Lower Village, and from the Lower Village to Hatley, Canada East, where he died. His children were Fred- erick, Ruth K. (Mrs. Sherburne), Rebecca D., John, Sally (Mrs. Dresser), Hiram, Lucretia, Dr. Jacob, Charles, Lucien B., and Horace. GEN. AQUILA DAVIS. 279 Edmund Sawyer was a son of Joseph, one of the early settlers, who lived near the Parade. Edmund lived on what is now known as the " old poor-farm." So far as the writer knows, his sons were Jacob, Rev. Daniel, and Edmund ; and his daughters were Mrs. Elliot C. Badger and Mrs. Stephen K. Hoyt. At an adjourned meeting, held June 9th, 1794, Gen. Aquila Davis was chosen representative. It had been ascertained that James Flanders was elected to the state senate. He therefore resigned the office of representative, and the town elected another man. Mr. Flanders had been a candidate, — that is, had been voted for, — for senator, by those who thought him the best man, for two or three years. They had no nominees, at that time, for whom the voters were compelled, by party discipline, to cast their ballots. Character, and not the caucus ; brains, and not bar- gains; merit, and not money, it is presumed, were chiefly relied on in those daj^s to secure public favor. Mr. Flanders was elected to the senate every year, beginning with 1794 and ending with 1803, except the year 1799, when Col. Henry Gerrish, of Bos- cawen, received the election. Aquila Davis, who now comes forward as repre- sentative, is entitled to special notice. The sons of Captain Francis Davis were Zebulon, Wells, Francis, Aquila, and Nathan. Aquila was born in Amesbury, Mass., June 27, 1760. He came to Warner with the 280 HISTORY OF WARNER. family a tew years after the settlement of the town, which took place in 1762. At the age of 17, he is found in the Revolutionary army, having enlisted for three years. He saw much hard service during those years, on the Hudson river, in New Jersey, and else- w^here. Among other events which came under his own eye, was the surrender of Burgoyne. At the ex- piration of his term of enlistment he received the fol- lowing; discharg;e : Aquila Davis of the 3 N. H. Regiment, formerly an inhabitant of Ahnsbury in the County of Hillsboro' and State of New Hampshire, having faithfully and honorably served as a soldier in the service of the United States of America, the term of three years — it being the term of his enlistment, is discharged the ser- vice, and has liberty to return to his own home. D. Livermore, Captain, West Point Com'ding M N. H. Reg. May 10, 1780. After the Revolution, Aquila Davis took an active part in the state militia. He commanded the 30th regiment from 1799 to 1807. He was brigadier-gen- eral of the fourth brigade from 1807 to 1809. In 1812, Gen. Davis raised the first regiment of N. H. volunteers, enlisted for one year, and was chosen and commissioned its colonel. A copy of his commission here follows : The President of the United States of America. To All Who Shall See These Presents, Greeting : Know Ye, That, reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities of Aquila Davis GEN. AQUILA DAVIS, 281 I have appointed him Colonel of Infantry of Volunteers in the service of the United States conformably to the provisions of the acts of Congress He is therefore, carefv;lly and diligently to discharge the duty of Col. of Infantry of Volunteers, by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging, and he is to observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and of the officers set over him, according to the rules and discipline of war. And I do strictly charge and require all officers and soldiers under his command to be obedient to his orders. Given under my hand at Washington, this, 13th day of Janu- ary, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, and in the 37th year of the Independence of the United States. James Madison. By Command of the President. W. Eustis. The law for raising volunteers having been repeal- ed by congress a few days after the foregoing com- mission was issued, the first regiment of New Hamp- shire volunteers was mostly transferred to the forty- fifth regiment United States infantry, and Col. Davis was commissioned its lieut. colonel. His services in the army were arduous, but faithfully performed. It is related of him, that, while stationed on an island in Lake Champlain, he mounted a battery of large guns, and kept the British at respectful distance from the island by this formidable contrivance, which, in real- ity, was nothing but an array of huge guns made from pine logs, and so painted as to deceive the eye 282 HISTORY OF WARNER. at a little distance. That example was copied, over and over again, during the late war. Upon the return of peace, Gen. Davis retired to his mills at Davisville, and devoted most of his time to his usual vocation. He was a man of sound judgment and superior general abilities. He often represented the town in the legislature, but did not aspire to political distinction. He had a large family of sons and daughters, the names of the former being Paine, Theodore S., Nathaniel A., Nathan, Charles, Aquila, and James. He died Feb. 27, 1835, aged 74, while on a journey to Sharon, Maine, and was buried at Davisville, with Masonic honors, on the 3d of March. Gen. Davis enjoyed life, and was always noted for good humor and ready wit. One illustration of this, only, will be given. Some time between the years 1815 and 1820, there was a brigade muster at Smith's Corner, in Salisbury. Rev. John Woods, of Warner, was chaplain of the day. Woods had a young, frisky horse, and after arriving at the muster-field the horse became quite unmanageable, in consequence of the bustle, the brass bands, and the glistening guns. Gen. Davis was there, as a looker-on, having his old war- horse, a beautiful animal, but as calm amidst the din and whirl of the muster-field as a summer's morning. The chaplain was to make his prayer on horseback, within a " hollow square " formed by the soldiers. Not daring to ride his own horse, Mr. Woods found TOWN EECORDS. 283 Gen. Davis, and said to him, — " My horse is afraid of guns, and I wish you would let me take yours." "Oh ! yes, take him, take him," said the General ; " but if your horse is more afraid of guns than mine is of IJrayers^ I 'm mightily mistaken!" ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1795. Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 64 Aquila Davis, representative. * Richard Straw, \ Benjamin Sargent, \ Selectmen. Joseph Bartlett, ) Voted that the Selectmen should put up post-guides in proper places, at the town's cost. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1796. Thomas Annis, moderator. Joseph Bartlett, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 62 Timothy Walker, 25 Aquila Davis, representative. » Richard Straw, ^ Joseph Bartlett, \ Selectmen. Nathaniel Bean, J ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1797. Nathaniel Bean, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. 19 284 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. John T. Oilman, 10 Timothy Walker, 65 Aquila Davis, representative. Benjamin Sargent, \ Philip Flanders, Jr., \ Selectmen. Richard Straw, ) Philip Flanders, Jr., was a son of James, and the father of Philip, Isaac C, and of Mrs. Caleb Sargent, Mrs. David Sargent, Mrs. Reuben Clough, Mrs. Ezekiel G. Currier, Mrs. John Bean, Jr., Mrs. Mariner East- man, Mrs. William D. Trumbull, and Miss Hannah Flanders. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1798. Nathaniel Bean, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 9 Timothy Walker, 58 Aquila Davis, representative. Richard Straw, '\ Benjamin Sargent, > Selectmen. Richard Bartlett, ) THE FIRST POUND. Voted to Bild a pound 30 feet squai-e and 7 feet high. Voted to Bild said pound on Dea. Heath's Land, between Jo- seph Currier's and his house. Voted that the pound should Be Bilt with Green White pine Logs with the Bark taken off. TOWN EECORDS. 285 Voted that there shall be a Good and sufficient Door made in said pound with white oak well framed to Geather one post of the Door to be framed into the sile or Bottom Log with a Kound Gudgen and also into the Log over the Door. The building of this pound was sold at auction, to Tappan Evans, at ten dollars and a half. It stood a little east of John Tewkesbury's barn, nearly its width east of the ground which the Congregational church afterwards covered. A pound, in those days, was thought to be as indis- pensable as a tythingman. At a meeting, April 17, 1798, the report of a com- mittee which had been appointed to divide the town into school districts was accepted. Ten districts were created by this committee. That is about as many as there ever should have been ; but at one time the town could boast of twenty-four districts, such as they were. Voted to Chuse a Committee of three men to Draw a plan of each school-house to Be Bilt in each of the districts, and Joseph Bartlett, Nathaniel Bean and Aquila Davis was chosen. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1799. James Planders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 30 Timothy Walker, 30 Joseph Bartlett, representative. Benjamin Sargent, \ John E. Kelley, K- Selectmen. Stephen Colby, ) 286 HISTORY OF WARNER. John E. Kelley was a nephew of Rev. William Kel- ley, who brought him up. He was engaged consid- erably in trade. He lived at one time on the very spot where Levi Bartlett's present house stands, and had a store and house there, both under one roof. At another time he was in trade at the " Kelley stand," opposite the first pound. There, also, he kept a hotel, which on the 16th of January, 1828, was consumed by fire. Stephen Colby was a son of Elliot Colby, and a brother to John and Ezekiel. He was the father of Moses F. and Chase. During a part of his life he occupied the Moses F. Colby place. [See Military History.] OHAPTEE XXI. TOWN RECORDS — PAUPER SALE — HON, HENRY B. CHASE — FIRST SCHOOL COMMITTEE A NEW POUND — HON. BENJAMIN EVANS. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1788. James Flanders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor, John T. Gilman, 10 Timothy Walker, 73 Joseph Bartlett, representative. Richard Straw, \ Timothy Felton, >- Selectmen. Amos Gould, ) Timothy Felton was from Dan vers, Mass. He re- sided, the latter part of his life, certainly, a little above Ira P. Whittier's house, on the same side of the main road. Dr. John Hall had occupied the same house before him, but it was removed from that site many years ago. Mr. Felton was remarkable for ex- tensive reading and general information. Amos Gould was from Amesbury, — a brother to Robert and Jonathan. He lived between the old cemetery and Kimball's Corner, near the Elliot Colby place. 288 HISTORY OF WARNER. PAUPER SALE. At a meeting held Sept. 15, 1800, — Voted to sell the keeping of Kuth Davis, wife of Joseph Davis, per week at the Lowest Bidder and the person that first takes her shall Remove her to the next person that shall take her on his own Cost and so on tel march meeting. Struck off to philip osgood the Keeping of mis Davis eight weeks at 5 shilling and eight pence, to Thomas Earned eight weeks at 5 shilling and 9 pence per week. Voted that the Selectmen Should make Serch and Inquire for the property of Joseph Davis and his wives and Secure the Same that it may be Kept for there support also to see if theay can get any help from her Children towards her support. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1801. James Flanders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Oilman, 18 Timothy Walker, 111 Joseph Bartlett, representative. Daniel Whitman, \ Timothy Felton, \ Selectmen. John E. Kelley, ) Daniel Whitman was not a resident of Warner a great many years. He kept a hotel at the Dr. Eaton house, a short time after Captain Pattee went out. He removed to Virginia, there made his home, and there died. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1802. James Flanders, moderator David Bagley, town-clerk. TOWN RECORDS. 289 For Governor. John Taylor Gilman, 42 John Langdon, 113 Aquila Davis, representative. Richard Straw, \ Nathaniel Bean, \ Selectmen. Jacob Collins, ) Jacob Collins was from South Hampton. He and his brother came into town at the same time. Enos settled first on Burnt Hill, and then on Bible Hill. He was the father of Moses, Enos, and John H. Jacob settled first at Waterloo. His house was between the mouth of Sutton Lane and Dolphus Bean's buildings. The main road lies over his old cellar. He had a blacksmith shop, which stood on ground afterwards occupied by Willaby and John P. Colby's shoe-shop. Mr. Collins moved from here up into what is now dis- trict No. 10. His sons were John, Levi, and Jacob. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1803. James Flanders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Taylor Gilman, 50 John Langdon, 111 Aquila Davis, representative. Richard Straw, \ Richard Bartlett, >• Selectmen. Joseph Sargent, ) Voted to chuse a Committee of three men to Draw a Draft or plan of the Bridge to be Bilt acrost the river near the Baptis meeting house. 290 HISTORY OP WARNER. Joseph Sargent was from Amesbury. He settled in Sclioodac, where two of his grandsons now reside. Caleb, Ambrose, David, Joseph, Zebulon, and Clark were his sons. He served as selectmen several times, and was a justice of the peace for many years. At a meeting held August 29, 1803, two jurymen were selected. The record is as follows : nicholas Evans Choosen moderator and David heath and Moses annis Jun. was Choosen to Serve as petit Jurors. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1804. James Flanders, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 70 John Lanerdon, 112 Aquila Davis, representative. Benjamin Sargent, \ Jose^ih Sargent, >- Selectmen. Joseph Bartlett, ) Voted not to raise any money to hier preaching. Voted to raise 1000 dollars towards Bilding School-houses. Voted that Every District Shall have theire own perpotion of the 1000 Dollars towards Bilding school-houses in theire owns Di'strects according to the veluations for the town taxes. Voted that mr. peabody may have liberty to pole to mr. Gil- more's Distrect. The exact meaning; of the above lancruaoje does not appear ; but probably the intention of the vote was, to disannex Mr. Peabody from the Foster-Kimball dis- trict, to which he belonged, and annex him to the TOWN RECORDS. 291 Gilmore-Bnrnap district. This '• mr. peabody" was Jedediah Peabody. He lived on the old Major Hoyt road, and near Henniker line. There is a large tract of land lying on that road, called the "Peabody pas- ture," having upon it chestnut trees of immense size. This lot was once the mowing, tillage, pasture, and woodland of Jedediah Peabody. Here he lived and prospered ; but the buildings have been gone, and the place given up as a farm, more than half a century. The Peabody children, to reach the Burnap school, must have travelled from two and a half to three miles. They were obliged to go, first, down across the Henniker line, then to make more than a right angle, and pass by the Jacob Whitcomb. Dea. Wiggin, and David Gilmore places, to the top of the school-house hill, where that institution of learning then stood which Mr. Peabody had the liberty " to pole to." At a legal meeting, held July 16, 1804, — Voted to chuse a committee of three men to Exemon and try Joliu 0. Ballard and Samuel Ballard wether theay are of an a Bilaty according to Law to support their farther. Voted to support major Ballard three months to lowest Bidder per week; the support of major Ballard Bid off by Daniel Bean at 68 cents per week. This Major Ballard lived on what is known as the "Ballard place" (now Dunbar's). He had been a man of standing and wealth, but had lost his property by a habit which has cursed its millions, and he was now a town charge. 292 HISTORY OF WARNER. John 0. Ballard became the famous teacher at Hopkinton Lower Village, whom hundreds, who have been his favored scholars, yet remember. Before Mr. Ballard established his school at Hopkinton, he con- ducted a similar one a few years in Warner. The house in which he kept this school was between the Parade and Rev. Wm. Kelley's ; but no trace of even the foundations or cellar of that buildins; can now be found. Hezekiah Colby, the father of Chellis F„ Philip, Willaby, Samuel, and John P., on coming from Amesbury, lived in this house a year or two, and till he permanently settled on the Mark Colby farm. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1805. James Flanders, moderator. David liagley, town-clerk. JF'or Governor. John Langdon, 141 John T. Gilman, 54 Aquila Davis, representative. William Ring, \ Richard Bartlett, > Selectmen. Moses Annis, ) Voted to raise 150 dollars to hier preaching the Ensuing year. Voted not to raise any money to finish the meeting-hovise. Voted to Give major Straw's School Distrect Liberty to Bild their school house on a nother spoot of Ground that the town's Committee Did not appoint whear theay can be beter Convened. Voted that Each society in this town Should have theire por- potion of the 150 dollars voted to be raised to hier preaching, to hier such ministers as Shall be most agreeable to them. TOWN EECORDS. 293 Moses Annis, who comes forward here as one of the selectmen, is not the son, but the grandson of Daniel the first. The first Moses died before 1790, and left no descendants. This Moses was a son of Thomas, and the father of the present Moses G. Annis. The first Moses lived on the Gould Annis farm till his death, and then the second took possession. At a legal meeting, held Oct. 3, 1805, — Nathaniel flood was Choosen to finish the collection of the taxes committed to his farther Daniel flood, Deceased, which he Did not collect. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1806 Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Langdon, 124 Timothy Farrar, ' 29 James Flanders, representative. Richard Straw, \ Joseph Bartlett, \ Selectmen. David Heath, ) At a legally called meeting, held April 16, 1806, Henry B. Chase acting as moderator, — Voted that the Selectmen Shonld Esertain and collect to Geath- er all the household f urneture Cloathing &c. belonging to the wife of Joseph Davis late of Warner desseced — and sell the same in that Way and manner as theay Shall Judge will be mose advan- tage to the town's use. Voted to give a bounty of 20 cents to any pearson or pearsons 294 HISTORY OF WAKNER. living in the town of Warner that Shall Kill a crow within the bonds of said town and Bring the Same to the Selectmen from this time to the first Day of July next. Henry B. Chase was born in Cornish, N. H. He came from there to Warner in 1805, and opened a law office in the Lower Village. He married a daugh- ter of Nathaniel Bean. He was the first postmaster in Warner, his appointment being dated 1813. He was also the first register of probate for Merrimack county ; was appointed in 1823, and released from the office in 1840. He served repeatedly as representa- tive in the legislature of the state, and was speaker of the house in 1817. There was a scheme in the early part of the cen- tury for connecting the waters of the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers by means of a canal. This canal was to pass up through Warner to Sunapee lake, and thence onward to the Connecticut river at Claremont. During the year 1816 a committee of the Massachu- setts legislature, with which Henry B. Chase was as- sociated by the legislature of New Hampshire, made a thorough survey of the contemplated route. The lake was found to be more than 800 feet above the level of the two rivers, and the enterprise was aban- doned as wholly impracticable. Mr. Chase was a man of fine presence, a sound law- yer, and an upright citizen. He died January, 1854, aged 77, leaving one son, a lawyer in Louisiana, and TOWN RECOEDS. 295 three daughters, — Mrs. Grimes, Miss Nancy Chase, and Mrs. Otis Brewer, of Boston. LICENSES. Warner, May ye 3d, 1806. this may Certify that we appoint Ezra flanders as a Retailer of Speriatous Lequars by the Glass or Gill at his store or house in Warner for the year 1806. Richard straw, -Tk -J 1 ii ( Selectmen. David heath, From four to six Hcenses of this character were granted to as many different persons each year. It was a period of dissipation, from the year 1800, or be- fore that, to about 1830. The Hcensed places were not confined to the villages, but were distributed over town, and they afforded excellent opportunities for neighborhood idleness and wrangling. Ezra Flanders was a son of James. His " store or house" was both store and house, being the ancient yellow building in the Lower Village, between the site of the Anti-pedobabtist church and the old Hen- niker road. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1807. Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Langdon, 97 James Flanders, representative. Richard Straw, \ David Heath, \ Selectmen. Moses Annis, ) 296 HISTORY OF WARNER. Voted to Raise 500 dollars to support schools. Voted not to raise any money to hier preaching. Voted not to raise any money to finish the meeting hotise. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1808. Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Langdon, 83 Richard Bartlett, representative. Richard Straw, ^ Joseph B. Hoyt, > Selectmen. Moses Annis, ) Voted to Choose assessors to asest the Selectmen in making and porportioning the Inventary the present year. Voted to raise 200 dollars towards finishing the meeting house. FIRST SUPERINTENDING COMMITTEE. Voted to Choes a Committee to Enspect and Examon the School masters that may be hiered to teach Schools in this town the Ensuing year wether theay are Qualified as the Law Directs. Henry B. Chase, William Ring, and Abner Flanders were chosen for said committee. Joseph B. Hoyt, who appears here as one of the selectmen, was from Kensington. He settled in the south part of the town, and erected his first buildings on the hill, up easterly a half mile from the present house. His best tillage land was there, but he had no road, and never could have had one at that place. After a residence of a few years on the hill, he came down to the Henniker road, and rebuilt there. He TOWN RECORDS. 297 became a major in the state militia, as did two of his sons, — Joseph S. and Stephen K. Capt. John Hoyt, who died young, was another of his sons. Stephen K. occupied the old homestead a great many years, but he is now residing in Portland, Me. At a meeting legally called, and holden Feb. 11, 1809,— Voted not to concur with the church in calling William Harlow to settle as a Gospel minister in this town. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1809. Richard Bartlett, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. Jeremiah Smith, QQ John Langdon, 140 Richard Bartlett, representative. Benjamin Evans, \ Joseph Bartlett, > Selectmen. Moses Annis, ) Voted to Bild a pound with stone, with a Large pece of hewed timber all round on the top. Edmund Sawyer bid off the building of the pound at thirty-seven dollars, and did the job in April, 1809. That pound now stands, it being in Warner village, on the north side of Pumpkin Hill road. Benjamin Evans, a son of Tappan Evans, was born at Newbury port in 1772, but was brought to Warner with the family before 1780. His mother was called 298 HISTOKY OF WARNER. " the handsomest woman in Newburyport," and the son was a man of striking personal appearance. The writer has been unable to gather many facts in relation to the early life of this noted man. His ed- ucation was limited, but having commanding natural abilities, he wielded a large influence in Warner, and in the state for many years. He married a Miss Wad- leigh (an aunt of the late Judge Wadleigh, of Sutton), and commenced life at Roby's Corner. There he had a farm and a saw-mill, the mill being a few rods below the present river bridge. In 1803 he went into mer- cantile business at South Sutton, and at once became a prominent and influential man there. Though he remained at Sutton but four years, he served several times as moderator at town meetings, and several times as selectman. In 1807 he returned to Warner, and made his home from that time through life at the village. He was the leading business man in town for a long period of time. Besides carrying on his country store, he dealt largely in cattle and hides, and was extensively engaged in coopering. He lived some twenty-five or thirty years in what is now known as the Bates house, and the remainder of his life at the Porter house. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He knew every man in town, and could readily call each one by name. He served as mod- erator of town meetings, as selectman, and as repre- sentative to the General Court a great many years. /-y^^r^^:^ Z Selectmen. Richard Straw, ) Thomas Hackett, senior, lived on the Tory Hill road, near where Richard B. Whittier now resides, perhaps on the exact spot. The second Thomas (who TOWN RECOEDS. 305 was the selectman) was a son of the first. He lived a number of years at the McAlpine place. While in Warner he drew a thousand-dollar prize in a lottery, and in him was verified, for the millionth time, the adage, " It is easier to stand adversity than pros- perity." ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1815. Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. John T. Gilman, 70 William Plumer, 229 Philip Flanders, representative. Richard Straw, "^ Thomas Hackett, > Selectmen. Moses Annis, j Voted that no horse nor Cattle Shall be alowed to run at Large on the highway in this town from the first day of December tel the Last Day of march under the penalty of paying 25 cents per head one half to complainer the other to use of the town for every offence. [Unless there has been a radical change in the seasons, there must have been some blunder about the above vote.] Philip Flanders, representative, was a brother to James, Daniel, and Christopher. He lived, as stated elsewhere, at the Elm farm. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1816. Thomas Annis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. 306 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. William Plumer, 240 James Sheafe, 65 Henry B. Chase, representative. Benjamin Evans, '\ Thomas Hackett, > Selectmen. Moses Annis, ) Voted to receive Jonathan Watkins and the farm he lives on if the Same shall be anexed to the town of Warner by an act of the General Coart. Voted to receive the land owned by Thaddeus Hardy if anexed on to warner by an act of the General coart, A COLD SEASON. The summer of 1816 was cold and unfruitful. On inauguration day, in June, there was snow to the depth of four inches on a level. Not a month in the whole season escaped the frost, and the corn-crop, as well as certain other crops, was substantially de- stroyed. There was great scarcity in the country, and much suffering in the fall and winter of 1816 and the spring and early summer of 1817. Corn, which in productive seasons sold for fifty cents a bushel, would now bring three dollars, and there was almost none to be had at that. It was probably at this time that Isaac Dalton, who was afterwards for many years a deacon in the Congregational church, inquired of Enoch Morrill, a brother church-member, at the close of the services TOWN RECORDS. 307 one Sabbath day, if he could spare him a bushel of corn. "Ask me to-morrow/' said Morrill, " and I will tell you," No more was said. On Monday morning, Dalton, who lived at the Levi 0. Colby place, trudged off over to Morrill's, on Pumpkin Hill, a distance of four miles, with a bag under his arm, and said, " I have come to see if you could spare me that corn I spoke to you about yesterday." " I have no corn to sell," was the unexpected reply ; " and I answered you as I did, that you might learn to remember the Sab- bath day and keep it holy." Such people may have been conscientious, but their influence and example were hurtful. Their religious beliefs were harsh and unrelenting, their visages were austere and sour, and boys and girls habitually shun- ned these "vessels of vinegar on the highway to heaven." The summer of 1816 was very discouraging to the farmers and people of Warner. Indeed, it was so to the whole of New England, but the spring of 1817 opened auspiciously. The season was a remarkably productive one, and every man could say to his neighbor, — "For the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength." ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1817. Aquila Davis, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. 308 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. William Plumer, 241 James Slieafe, 49 Henry B. Chase, representative. James Bean, \ Ricliard Straw, > Selectmen. Reuben Porter, j Voted to Discontinue the road from the Gide post near Joseph currier's a crost the river to the Gide post Southerly of Buring Ground to the road Leading to hiniker. Capt. Joseph Smith was chosen Collector of taxes at one cent and nine mills on the Dollar. James Bean was a son of Nathaniel, who settled on Pumpkin Hill. He was born May, 1785, and he al- ways resided in town. He died at the age of 45. No sons of his, but four daughters, are now living, viz., Mrs. Tufts, of Medford, Mass., Mrs. Ira Harvey, Mrs. Geo. T. Watkins, of Kansas, and Mrs. Geo. S. Rowell. Reuben Porter was from Weymouth, Mass., where he was born about 1790. He came to Warner in 1812, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Moses Long, who was then at the Centre Village. He abandoned that study to engage in mercantile busi- ness. Subsequently he Avent to North Sutton, where he had a large farm to care for and cultivate. He served several years, both in Warner and Sutton, as selectman ; also served as representative from Sutton, and as senator for old District No. 8, in 1834 and 1835. He recently returned with his family to War- ner, and is now living, at the age of nearly 90. TOWN RECORDS. 309 ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1818. Benjamin Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. William Plumer, 262 ScatterinsT, 34 Benjamin Evans, representative. 1 James Bean, Eeuben Porter, V Selectmen. Timothy Flanders, ) Voted that Kiea Sarge Gore Should be anexed to the town of Warner. Stephen Currier, jr., Choosen Collector of taxes for one cent and four mills on the dol. The Gore was annexed to Warner by , act of the legislature at the June session of 1818. Timothy Flanders was another of the sons of James. He lived (certainly for many years) at Melvin's Mills, and died there some thirty years ago. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1819. Richard Bartlett, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Bell, 185 William Hale, 54 Benjamin Evans, representative. James Bean, "^ Reuben Porter, > Selectmen. Richard Straw, j 310 HISTORY OF WARNER. Voted that the easterly part that is bel6w thomases pond so cold of the School District no. one Should be Sot off to a School District by them Selves. This was the establishment of the Davisville school district. The inhabitants of Davisville had, prior to this, belonged to the Dimond's Corner district. Jonathan Emerson was appointed to collect the taxes at one cent and four mills on the dollar. At a legal meeting, held August 21, 1819, — Voted that the road from wells Davises to Nathaniel Bean's be Discontinuard as a publick road for the present but to be pasable by Gats and Bars for the present. MASONIC. A lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, called "War- ner Lodge, No. 35," was organized in 1819. As its hall, furniture, records, &c., were destroyed by fire in May, 1849, and the lodge thereafter soon ceased to exist, but little is known of its history or its work. It had upon its rolls the names of many of the lead- . ing men of the town. Among its officers, during the period of its existence, were Aquila Davis, Henry B. Chase, Henry Lyman, Stephen Putney, Joshua Saw- yer, James Bean, Thomas R. White, Nathaniel Davis, H. G. Harris, Caleb Buswell, Noah T. Andrews, Abner B. Kelley, Isaac Gould, Zebulon Davis, Daniel Wat- son, Isaac Dalton, Daniel Runnels, Nicholas Fowler, Richard Bartlett, Nicodemus Watson, Abner Wat- kins, Chase Fowler, James Allison, Ithamar Watson, David Harvey, Joseph Clough, and others. MASONIC. 311 To show the standing; of this lodg-e while it had an existence, the following extract from the report of a " visiting brother," is presented. 1842. I went to Warner in December last, where I found a good number of brethren assembled. Warner Lodge is not, per- haps, second to any lodge in point of respectability, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge. Samuel Jones, D. D. G. M. Formation of Harris Lodge, No. 91, F. and A. J/, Warner, New Hampshire. A petition, signed by Gilman C. George, Alonzo C. Carroll, Wesley R Leversee, Wm. W. Davis, Samuel Davis, James G. Ela, John R, Cogswell, Garland Calef, Hiram Buswell, Augustus R. Putnam, C. G. McAlpine, Philip C. Wheeler, Frank W. Graves, John E. Robert- son, Lemuel Willis, Stephen W. Davis, Zebulon Davis, Rufus Rand, Philip C. Bean, and N. G. Ordway, was presented to the M. W. Grand Lodge of New Hamp- shire, at its Annual Communication in May, 1875, praying for a charter for a lodge at Warner, to be named HcutIs Lodge, which petition was granted. September 30th, 1875, the lodge was constituted, consecrated, and its officers installed by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, at the town hall. The ceremonies were performed by R. W. Bro. Solon A. Carter, M. W. Grand Master. The ladies who furnished the collation, and others, about one hundred in number, were present by special invitation. 312 HISTORY OF WARNER. The following are the names of those installed as officers of Harris Lodo-e: Gilman C. George, Master. Wesley R. Leversee, Senior Warden. Philip C. Wheeler, Junior Warden. Alonzo C. Carroll, Treasurer. James G. Ela, Secretary. Augustus R. Pitman, Senior Deacon. John R. Cogswell, Junior Warden. Rev. Lemuel Willis, Chaplain. Prank W. Graves, Marshal. ' Samuel Davis, Senior Steward. Stephen W. Davis, Junior Steward. Wm. W. Davis, Tyler. Se2)temher, 1S76. Elected. Appointed. Gilman C. George, W. M. Fred. Bean, S. D. Benjamin P. Heath, S. W. J. R. Cogswell, J. D. Samuel Davis, J. W. S. W. Davis, S. S. Alonzo C. Carroll, T. Henry C. Davis, J. S. James G. Ela, S. Philip M. Wheeler, Tyler. Philip C. Wheeler, Rep. to Lemuel Willis, Chaplain. Grand Lodge. A. R. Putnam, Marshal. October, 1877. ■ Elected. Appointed. G. C. George, W. M. Fred. Bean, S. D. Philip C. Wheeler, S. W. Charles C. Cole, J. D. J. R. Cogswell, J. W. Henry C. Davis, S. S. A. C. Carroll, T. Philip F. Clough, J. S. James G. Ela, S. Samuel Davis, Marshal, B. F. Heath, Rep. to G. L. Lemuel WilHs, Chaplain. Warren C. Johnson, Tyler. October, 1878. Elected. Appoi7ited. G. C. George, W. M. C. C. Cole, S. D. A. R. Putnam, S. W. Wm. W. Burbank, J. D. OILMAN C, GEORGE. 313 W. Scott Davis, J. W. Edgar W. Stevens, S. S. A. C. Carroll, T. Moses H. Eoby^ J. S. James G. Ela, S. Philip F. Clougli, Chaplain. J. R. Cogswell, Rep. to G. L. Samuel Davis, Marshal. Fred. W. Davis, Tyler. GiLMAN C. George. William George, an English- man, settled at Lynn in 1637. James George is found in Haverhill, Mass., as early as 1653, Richard in Bos- ton in 1655, and John in Charlestown in 1657. It is probable that one of these was the ancestor of Gilman C. George, who was a son of James and Hannah (Church) George, and a grandson of Dea. Austin George. Born in Dunbarton, Oct. 10, 1820, Gilman C. enjoyed the advantages of a good common-school, and subsequently of an academic course of study at Hopkinton and Franklin. He taught school several winters. The family removed to Warner in March, 1840, and settled on the farm now owned and occu- pied by Ira P. Whittier. January 23, 1844, Mr. George married Nancy, daughter of Elliot C. and Judith (Sawyer) Badger. H. Maria, Adelaide B., Ambrose (who died in infancy), Frank G., and Nellie F. are the children who have been born to this couple. In 1859 (after the death of his parents) Mr. George sold his farm and removed to Warner Village. Here he carried on the stove and tin ware business till January, 1870, when he was elected cashier of the Kearsarge National Bank. In 1874 he was elected treasurer of the Kearsarge Sav- ings Bank, which two positions he still holds. 314 HISTORY OF WARNER. He was a captain in the state militia in 1843 and 1844, and was town-clerk in 1868, '69, '70, and '71. He is a justice of the peace and a notary public ; also, an active member of Warner Grange, and of the Or- der of Sons of Temperance. He has been Worship- ful Master of Harris Lodge, No. 91, continuously since its organization in 1875. DIVORCE OF CHURCH AND STATE. The year 1819 was an epoch in the religious his- tory of New Hampshire. The Toleration Act, so called, was passed by the legislature of that year, and approved July 1, 1819. The vital part of that act here follows : J'rovided, that no person shall be compelled to join or support, or be classed with, or associated to any congregation, church, or religious society, without his express consent first had and ob- tained ; Provided, also, if any person shall choose to separate himself from such society or association to which he may belong, and "shall leave a written notice thereof with the clerk of such society or association, he shall thereupon be no longer liable for any fu- ture expenses which may be incurred by said society or associa- tion. The public mind had long been getting restive un- der the compulsory support of the ministry, and this act was simply the outgrowth of a strong, predom- inating sentiment. It put an end to all town action relative to the support of the church, and to all irk- some taxation levied on an unwilling people, but it HERESIE. 315 did not diminish the amount contributed for the maintenance of public worship. To show something of the growth of religious tol- erance, a few sections are here introduced from a stat- ute on heresy, passed at an early day in Massachu- setts. HERESIE. Although no Human Power is Lord over the faith and con- sciences of men, yet to avoid damnable Heresies, tending to the subverting the Christian Faith spreading among the Inhabitants of this Jurisdiction, 'tis enacted that if any person within this Jurisdiction shall broach and maintain any Damnable Heresies, as denying the Immortality of the Soul, or the Resurrection of the Body, or any sin to be repented of in the regenerate, or any evil to be done by the outward man to be accounted sin, or shall deny that Christ gave himself a ransom for our sins, or shall af- firm that we are not justified by his Death and E-ighteousness, but by our own Merit ; or shall deny the morality of the 4th Commandment, or shall openly condemn or oppose the Baptizing of Infants, or shall purposely depart the Congregation at the ad- ministration of the Ordinance of Baptism, or shall deny the Ordi- nance of Magistracy, or their lawful authority to make War and Peace, and to punish the outward Breaches of the first Table, or shall endeavor to seduce others to any of those opinions, every such person lawfully convicted shall be Banished this Jurisdic- tion. If an offender after said Conviction, or Recantation shall com- mit the same offence a second time, he shall be Banished or put to Death as the Coi;rt shall direct. Blasphemous Books of tTohn Veers or Lodowick 3Iuggleton to be delivered to the next Magistrate on penalt}'- of ten pounds for every Book found, half to the County and half to the Informer. All the Books found in any person's custody to be burnt by the Hangman the next Lecture day. No Master of any Vessel may bring any Quaker or other Blas- phemous Heretick into this County on penalty of one hundred 21 316 HISTORY OF WARNER. pounds to be paid to the Treasurer, and give security to carry the persons back again, and to lie in Prison till the Fine be paid and Security given. Persons concealing such Quaker or Blasphemous Heretick, knowing them to be such, on Conviction shall pay 40s an hour for such concealment, and shall lie in Prison till the Pine be paid. Quakers, not Inhabitants, may be apprehended by any Consta- ble or Select-man, and conveyed from Constable to Constable till they are brought before a Magistrate, who shall commit them to Prison without Bail till the next Court of Assistants, when they shall be tryed by a special jury, and being convicted shajl be Ban- ished, not to return on pain of Death. Wandering, Vagabond Quakers, having no dwelling nor appar- ent business but to seduce others to their o^^inion, shall be whipt at the Cart's Tail through the Town where they are apprehended, and then be conveyed from Constable to Constable till they are carried through the last town in the Jurisdiction. The Constables shall disburse the Charges in apprehending, whipping and passing of Quakers, to be repaid by the Treasurer out of the next County rates, and Constables may impress Carts, Horses, Oxen, or Men for the execution of this Law. It is a pleasure to state that these laws, and such as these, were never enacted on New Hampshire soil ; but New Hampshire belonged to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and it is humiliation enough to know that her soil has been disgraced by the execution of such laws upon it. QUAKER WOMEN WHIPPED. In December, 1662, three Quaker women were publicly whipped in New Hampshire. In the depth of winter, the constables were ordered to strip them and tie them to a cart ; then to drive the cart and QUAKER WOMEN WHIPPED. 317 whip these three women through eleven towns, with ten stripes apiece in each town. The route lay through Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Eow- ley, Ipswich, Wenham, Lynn, Boston, Roxbury, and Dedham, a distance of eighty miles. They were whipped at Dover and Hampton, and then marched " through dirt and snow, half-leg deep," in a very cold day, to Salisbury, and there whipped again. They would probably have fallen dead long before reaching the end of the journey, but at Salisbury they were happily released. Walter Barefoot persuaded the constable to make him his deputy, and having re- ceived the warrant, he set them at liberty, and they returned to Dover. OHAPTEE XXIII. TOWN RECORDS — THE TORNADO. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1820. Benjamin Evans, moderator. David Bagley, town-clerk. For Governor, Samuel Bell, 234 E-icliard Bartlett, representative. Richard Bartlett, \ E-euben Porter, >- Selectmen. Timothy Flanders, ) The support of the town's poor (there being eleven persons) was sold to the lowest bidder. The prices ran from 22 to 79 cents per week. The record of this meeting continues : David Bagley Choosen Collector at one cent and seven mills on the dollar. the sense of Legal voters was taken Relative to forming a new County ; against the new County 207 — in favor of the new County 35. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 182L James Bean, moderator. Ahner B. Kelley, town-clerk. TOWN RECORDS. 319 For Governor. Samuel Bell, 217 David L; Morrill, 12 James Bean, representative. James Bean, \ Timothy Flanders, > Selectmen. Nathaniel Manders, j The support of the poor was sold to the lowest bid- der, one person being put up at a time. This course was followed several years. Voted that no swine shall he allowed to go at large in the Maine road from Hopkinton line to Sutton and Bradford lines, without being liable to be impounded by Hogreeves. Abner Woodman, Jr., was appointed collector of taxes. The town records are now in perfect order; the orthography is correct, and the handwriting faultless. Abner B. Kelley, the new town-clerk, was a son of Rev. Wm. Kelley, the first minister of Warner. He was born March, 1788. He obtained a good academic education, and when a young man he was considera- bly engaged in school-teaching. After his marriage, he lived just above his father, near the Parade, a few years. Subsequently he went into business at the Lower Village, where J. Noyes Rand now resides. He served frequently as town-clerk and as representa- tive of the town. In June, 1830, he was elected state treasurer, and he held that office six years. He was 820 HISTORY OF WARNER. afterwards a clerk for six years in one of the depart- ments at Washington. He was post-master at Warner from 1855 to 1861 ; and he died in Warner, January, 1872, aged 83 years. He left three daughters, viz., the widow of Rev. J. Wellman, the wife of Dr. Peabody of Henniker, and Miss Lavinia Kelley of Concord ; also, one son, Moses Kelley, of Washington, D. C. Capt. Nathaniel Flanders was a son of Zebulon, and the oldest of a large family of children. He married a daughter of Dea. Nehemiah Heath. He always resided within half a mile of the place of his birth, where he died at a good old age, about the year 1860. Two sons and one daughter, only, survive him, viz., John and Nehemiah Flanders, of Stewartstown, and Mrs. Keyser, on the old homestead. THE TORNADO. High winds have always been considered one of the greatest disparagements to a country. In tropical climates these are much more common than farther from the equator. The discoverers of that part of the United States, then called North Virginia, which now composes New England and the states of New York and New Jersey, in speaking of its natural advantages to the Crown, said, that by the appearance of the forests, hurricanes did not often visit the land. Webster says, a tornado is " a violent gust of wind, THE TORNADO. 321 or a tempest; distinguished by a whirling motion ;" and Worcester says, " In a tornado, the wind blows from its borders towards the centre." The winged messenger of death, which bore down through Warner on that fatal September day of 1821, was a tornado, and so let it hereafter be forever known. The day and hour when this visitation occurred, in Warner, was Sunday, September 9, 1821, about five o'clock in the afternoon. The 8th and 9th were warm days : the latter was sultry. About five o'clock a black cloud was observed to rise rapidly in the north- west, and to bear south-easterly, illumined in its course by incessant flashes of lightning. There was a most terrifying commotion in the cloud itself, which gave warning of fearful desolation. A high wind pre- vailed as far back as Lake Champlain, but the tornado acquired no destructive force till it passed over Gran- tham mountains. In Croydon the house of Deacon Cooper was shattered, and his barn, with its contents, was entirely swept away. No other buildings were directly in its narrow path, till it nearly reached Sun- apee lake. Here it came in contact with the farm and buildings of John Harvey Huntoon, of Wendell, now Sunapee. There were eight persons in the house. They had beheld the frightful appearance of the cloud ; had seen the air before it filled with birds, and broken limbs of trees, and rubbish of all kinds ; but there had not been much time for reflection or 322 HISTORY OF WARNER. for seeking safety. The tornado, after a moment's warning, was upon them, and the house and the two barns were instantly prostrated to the ground. A broadside of the house fell upon Mr. Huntoon and his wife, who were standing in the kitchen. The next moment it was blown off and dashed to pieces. Mrs. Huntoon was swept at least ten rods from the house. A child eleven months old was sleeping on a bed in the west room : the dress it wore was soon after found in the lake, a hundred and fifty rods from the house. The child could not be found. The Wednesday fol- lowing, its mangled body was picked up on the shore of the lake, whither it had floated on the waves. The bedstead on which the child was sleeping was found in the woods, eighty rods from the house, northerly, and clear out of the general track of the cyclone. The other seven persons of the household were in- jured, but none of them died. Every tree on a forty- acre lot of woodland was levelled to the ground. A bureau was blown across the lake.' A horse was dashed against the rocks and killed. The tornado passed across Sunapee lake, drawing up into its bosom vast quantities of water. New Lon- don suffered a loss of property estimated at $9,000. Eight or ten barns, five or six houses, and many out- buildings were entirely or partially destroyed in that town. From New London the tornado passed across the northerly part of Sutton, cutting a swath through THE TORNADO. 323 the forests which is visible to this day, but coming in contact with no buildings. It then bore up the north- west side of Kearsarge mountain, apparently in two columns. In pitching down over the mountain into the Gore, the two columns merged into one, and came with crushing force. The thunders rolled fear- fully, the forked lightning flashed on the dark back- ground, and the flood was driven with the gale. In this valley, between the two spurs of the mountain, stood seven dwelling-houses. The tornado first struck the barn of William Harwood, and demolished that; passing onward, its outer limits came in contact with the houses of M. F. Goodwin, James Ferrin, and Ab- ner Watkins. All of these houses were damaged : Ferrin's barn was destroyed, and Watkins's unroofed. Next in the line of march stood Daniel Savory's house. Hearing a frightful rumbling in the heavens, Mr. Samuel Savory, aged 72, the father of the propri- etor (who was away), hastened up stairs to close the windows. The women started to his assistance, when the house whirled and instantly rose above their heads, while what was left behind, — timbers, bricks, etc., — almost literally buried six of the family in the ruins. The body of the aged Samuel Savory was found at a distance of six rods from the house, where he had been dashed against a stone and instantly killed. His wife was severely injured. Mrs. Daniel Savory was fearfully bruised on the head, arms, and 324 HISTORY OF WARNER. breast; and an infant which she held in her arms was killed. The house of Robert Savory stood very near this place, and that, also, was utterly demolished. Mrs. Savory and the children (six in number) were buried together under the bricks and rubbish. Some of them were severely injured, but none killed. Not only the houses, but the barns and outbuildings at the two Savory places, were utterly cleaned out. Not one stone was left upon another. Trees, fences, shin- gles, the legs, wings, and heads of fowls, filled the air. Crops were swept off clean ; stones partly buried in the earth were overturned ; trees of every description were denuded of their branches, or twisted oJ3f at the trunk, or torn up by the roots. There were twenty- four hives of bees at the Robert Savory place, — per- haps the property of both families : these were swept out of sight in an instant. The ground was sweetened with honey for half a mile, but no hive and no sign of a bee has since been seen. The Savorys and Ab- ner Watkins had caught a noble old bear on the mountain, and had chained him to a sill of Robert Savory's barn, intending to exhibit him at the muster, which occurred the 10th day of September, back of George Savory's present house. Though the barn was entirely destroyed to its foundation, the sill to which the bear was chained being a cross-sill, and bedded into the ground, remained in its place, and the bear was unhurt. But he was not exhibited the next day on the muster-field. THE TORNADO. 325 Jolin Palmer, who lived up to the eastward of the Savorys a third of a mile, saw the terrible cloud, in shape like an inverted tunnel. He saw the air filled with leaves, limbs, quilts, clothing, crockery, and almost every conceivable thing. He heard the omi- nous rumbling, and sprang to enter the house with the purpose of fleeing, with his wife, to the cellar. He got the door but partly open, when the house gave wa}'", burying Mrs. Palmer under the rubbish, and inflicting serious injuries. In this valley between the hills, everything in the direct course of the tor- nado was rooted out. Bridges made of logs were scattered in every direction, timbers being thrown to the right and left, and even to the rear, as well as to the front. The tornado passed on over the next spur of the mountain, two and a half miles, and then bore down on the houses of Peter Flanders in Warner, and of Dea. Joseph True, just in the edge of Salisbury. [Peter Flanders was the father of True and Oliver Flanders, the latter of whom occupies the old home- stead.] Dea. True was father-in-law of a Mr. Jones. Jones and his wife were on a visit at True's. Being at the door, they were apprised of the danger, and they called out lustily to the family to seek refuge as best they could. The buildings were whirled aloft and torn into fragments, falling around the fsimily like missiles of death ; but no one at this house was killed 326 HISTORY OF WARNER. outright. The buildings of Mr. Flanders, also, were scattered like chaff, the violence of the gale being unabated. Anna Richardson, an elderly woman living with Mr. Flanders, and a child of the latter, were crushed to death. Several others were grievously wounded, one of whom (a child of Mr. True's) died a short time afterwards. From here this remarkable cyclone passed on over Bagley's pond, drawing up vast sheets of water from its surface, and, after destroying the house of a Mr. Morrill, near Boscawen line, it lifted itself into the heavens and vanished. At the close of a mass meeting which the writer addressed at Painesville, Ohio, in 1869, an old gentle- man, to appearance bowed with sorrow, came forward and made himself known as Mr. Huntoon, the father of the child that was destroyed by the tornado. He had left the shores of Sunapee and the marks of the desolation of 1821, forty years before this, and had established his home in Ohio. He appeared discon- solate and care-worn ; but he has now gone where the inhabitant doth not say, — " I am sick, and I am weary." CHAPTEE XXIV. A NEW COUNTY — THE NATION'S GUEST — TOWN RECORDS — CAT- TLE SHOW. T the June session of the lesrislatnre of 1821, a resolution was adopted directing the selectmen, in the several towns embraced in the contemplated new county of Merrimack, to insert the following article in the warrants for the next annual town meetings : To take the sense of the legal voters, by yeas and nays, regard- ing the expediency of erecting a new County in this State, to be composed of the following towns, viz. : Allenstown, Bow, Canter- bury, Concord, Chichester, Epsom, Northfield, Pembroke, Loudon, Pittsfield, Andover, Boscawen, Bradford, Dunbartou, Fishersfield, Henniker, Hopkinton, New London, Salisbury, Warner and Wil- mot : Provided some one town near the centre of said proposed new county, shall furnish, free of expense to the county, a suffi- cient Court House for the accommodation of the courts in said proposed new county. In March, 1822, on this question, the vote stood : YEAS. JTATS. Andover, 202 5 Boscawen, 230 9 Canterbury, 152 8 Concord, 522 6 Dunbarton, 140 18 328 HISTORY OF WARNEK. YEAS. NA-S Epsom, 29 53 Hopkinton, 3 324 Loudon, 199 5 Pembroke, 142 53 Salisbury, 240 19 Allenstown, 11 55 Bow, 190 6 Fishersfield, 5 85 Henniker, 4 97 New London, 8 92 Nortbfield, 172 2 Sutton, 3 135 Warner, 41 171 No returns from Bradford, Wilmot, or Pittsfield, can be found ; but the majority for the new county was decisive. For some reason, however, the legisla- ture, at its next session, took no action on this ques- tion. But, by act of the legislature at the June ses- sion of 1823, the county of Merrimack was created. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1822. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Bell, 150 Voted to send two representatives. Representatwes. Benjamin Evans, James Bean. Timothy Flanders, \ Benjamin Evans, \ Selectmen. Nathaniel Flanders, ) Abner Woodman, Jr., collector of taxes. TOWN RECOEDS. 329 On the question of creating a new county, there were 41 yeas and 171 nays. Chose Beaman French culler of Staves, Voted to make Capt. Cyrus Watson some compensation in con- sequence of his being hurt in March, 1821, by means of obstruc- tion in the highway near the Bridge by the Baptist Meeting House. Voted to give Capt. Watson sixty dollars if he will be satisfied with that sum. Voted that the Poor of the town be set up. at auction on the same terms as they were last year. There were 16 persons to be provided for, and the board ranged from 9 cents to $1.49 per week. Voted to give Enoch Osgood $15 for injury received in falling from the bridge by the Baptist Meeting House. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1823. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. For Governor. Levi Woodbury, Igg Scattering, \^ Representatives. Benjamin Evans, Henry B. Chase. Timothy Flanders, \ Benjamin Evans, \ Selectmen. Daniel George, ) Struck off the collection of Taxes, at one cent 5 mills on the dollar, to James B. Straw. The support of the poor was this year put up in gross, and "struck off to Samuel Hill at $279.50." 330 HISTORY OF WARNER. Samuel Hill was the oldest son of Benjamin Hill. After the father had gone from town, Samuel occu- pied the homestead awhile, which was the present poor-farm. Voted that the Selectmen be a Committee to examine the clothes of the paupers, and see that they [the paupers, not the clothes] are treated with humanity. Major Daniel George was a son of John George, and was born at Hopkinton Lower Village. He was actively engaged in mercantile business in Warner a great many years. He also built and kept a hotel, near his store and dwelling-house. He was a lieuten- ant in Capt. Joseph Smith's company, in the war of 1812, and was afterwards a major in the state militia. He was considerably in public life, and was a very prompt, energetic man. He was twice married, his first wife being the sister, and his second wife the daughter, of John Bean. He had a large family of children, but only two of them remain, — Daniel B. George, of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Henry C. Barnabee, of Boston. His second wife, now the widow of Rev. Lemuel Willis, still survives. James B. Straw, who was appointed collector of taxes, at this time, lived on Tory Hill, at the John Hardy place, though he was a Salisbury man by birth. His wife, Mehitable, was a daughter of Ebenezer Fisk, of Wilmot, and a sister to John Fisk, who was acci- dentally killed at the saw-mill on Stevens brook. EZEKIEL A. STRAW. 331 EzEKiEL A. Straw, a son of the above named couple, was born at the Hardy (now Jacob Chase) place, Dec. 30, 1819. A few years after his birth the family removed to Lowell, and Mr. James B. Straw entered into the service of the Appleton Manufacturing Com- pany. He died at Lowell in 1830. Ezekiel A., in due time, entered the English department of Phillips academj^, at Andover, Mass., where he applied him- self successfully to the study of practical mathematics. Upon leaving this institution, he was, in the spring of 1838, employed as assistant civil engineer on the Nashua & Lowell Railroad, then in process of con- struction. In July of that year he entered the ser- vice of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company as civil engineer. He continued in this position till 1851, when he was appointed agent of this company, and placed in charge of their land and water-power. His duties and responsibilities were enlarged again in 1856, and again in 1858. In 1844 Mr. Straw was sent, in behalf of the Amoskeag Company, to England and Scotland, to obtain information and machinery. His mission was successful. In 1859, '60, '61, '62, and '63, Mr. Straw was elected from the city of Manchester to the legislature of the state. The last three of these years he was chairman of the Committee on Finance. In 1864 and 1865 he was elected to the state senate, and was president of that body the last year. 9'> 332 HISTORY OF WARNER. In 1872, after a long and bitter contest, he was elected governor of the state, and was reelected in 1873. He served his state with credit to himself in all these positions. Mr. Straw was married to Miss Charlotte Smith Webster, of Amesbury, Mass., in 1842. He has two daughters and one son. The latter is now an agent of the Amoskeag Company. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1824. Henry B. Chase, moderator Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. 'For Governor. David L. Morrill, 109 Levi Woodbury, 44 Hepresentatives. Henry B. Chase, Abner B. Kelley. Daniel George, \ Harrison G. Harris, \ Selectmen. Jacob Sawyer, ) James B. Straw, collector. Support of the poor " struck off" again to Samuel Hill. Jacob Sawyer was a son of Edmund, and Edmund was a son of Joseph, who came from Hampstead in 1763, and settled near the Parade. Jacob was born (and he probably lived at this time) on what is now known as the "old poor-farm." There are several sons of Jacob in different parts of the country, all men of standing. CALEB BUSWELL. 333 ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1825 Dr. Caleb Buswell, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. For Governor. David L. Morrill, 190 Scattering, 12 Hepresentatives. Timothy Flanders, Caleb Buswell. John Palmer, \ Benjamin E. Harriman, > Selectmen. Nathan S. Colby, ) Struck off the collection of Taxes, at one cent five mills, to Elliot C. Badger. Struck off the support of the Poor for the year to Moses Har- riman, at $294. Caleb Buswell was born at Grantham in 1795. His parents were originally from Concord. He was a ready scholar, and a superior mathematician. He be- came a practising physician before he was twenty-one years of age, having graduated with honor from the medical college at Hanover. He settled first at Sun- apee, where he held the offices of town-clerk and selectman. He settled at Warner in 1820, where the greater part of his short professional life was spent. In 1825 he was appointed surgeon of the fortieth reg- iment of N. H. militia, which office he resigned after holding it two years. He served as moderator in Warner, and also as representative in the legislature. In 1828 he removed with his family to Newport, hav- 334 HISTORY OF WARNER. ino- sold his interests to one of his students in Warner (Dr. Leonard Eaton). While on a visit with his fam- ily, in August, 1828, he died of a fever, at Waterford, New York, at the age of 33. He was a brother to Hiram Buswell, of Warner, and his daughter (and only child) is the wife of Rev. King S. Hall, of Lake Villasre. John Palmer lived in that part of Warner called the Gore. The exact place of his residence is stated in the preceding chapter, his being one of the houses demolished by the tornado. He was a moderate farmer, and a surveyor of land. He has one son now living, Thomas Palmer, of Bradford. Nathan S. Colby was a son of Ezekiel, who was a son of Elliot Colby. His father lived on the Salisbury road, where Charles H. now resides. At an early day he en":ao[:ed in mercantile business at Warner villaoce, and continued in it through life. He also built th-e hotel at that place (which has recently been remod- elled), and acted as landlord till Nathan Walker took charge. He was a quick, stirring man, and was much in public life, though he died at an early age. He was twice married ; his first wife was a daughter of Hon. Benjamin Evans, and his second, a Miss Darrah, of Bedford, N. H. He died about forty years ago. Two, only, of his children now survive, viz., Dea. Charles H. Colby, Jr., of Warner, and Mrs. John C. Pearson, of Fisherville. GEN. LAFAYETTE. 335 THE NATION'S GUEST. Gen. Lafayette's visit to this country, in 1824 and 1825, was a notable event. Though more than forty years had elapsed since, at the close of the Revolu- tion, he had left these shores, and, though the country had undergone wonderful changes, the affection of the people for the friend of Washington, and the friend of the Republic in its dire necessity, knew no abatement. He was the Nation's Guest, and his jour- ney throughout the United States was one continuous ovation. He came to Concord, where a grand reception awaited him, June 22, 1825. Among the military companies which were ordered out by the command- er-in-chief, to do escort duty at the capital of the state, was the Warner Light Infantry, Capt. Wm. Cur- rier. Capt. Currier was a son of Theophilus, and was born at the " Kiah Corner," so called. He was a tan- ner and farmer, and he lived many years at the Moul- ton place in Schoodac. The aged people of Concord remember the bearing and appearance of his company on that occasion, and speak of it in terms of praise. After spending a few days at the capital, and in the eastern part of the state, Lafayette made a start from Concord, Monday, June 2Tth, to the westward, attended by a committee of the legislature. On reach- ing the line of Warner, near Rufus Putnam's, he was 336 HISTORY OP WARNER. received by an escort of our citizens, and a short ad- dress of welcome was made by Dr. Moses Long. He was escorted to the meeting-house at Kelley's tavern. In front of the church, on the green, stood a long ta- ble laden with choice refreshments. It was now noon. Before Lafayette could alight from his carriage, an eager crowd pressed forward to look upon his face and to grasp his hand. Among the rest, little squealing Johnny Pherson, of Sutton or Bradford, — a man who never weighed but 75 pounds, — elbowed his way up to the carriage, shoved up his diminutive hand, and, with a nasal whine, ejaculated, ''^How dye do, Gineral Lafayette f I thought I know 'd ye ! " As the distinguished guest passed on through War- ner village, the old brass cannon waked the echoes among the hills ; and all along through Warner the old and young thronged the way to catch a glimpse of that remarkable man's face. The New Hampshire committee accompanied their guest to Pattee's hotel in Clare mont, where the Ver- mont authorities took him in charge. CATTLE SHOW. The second cattle show of the Merrimack County Agricultural Society took place at Henniker, Oct. 19, 1825. It was thought to be a great success. Ezekiel Webster, the brother of Daniel, was president of the ociety. At that time he was in the full vigor of CATTLE SHOW. 337 mature manhood, and was looking towards congress. The report states that " he gave an ingenious, able, and appropriate address." The exhibition, in all its parts, was an attractive one. "A plough with an iron mould-board was much admired." " Miss Sweet, of Concord, presented an elegant bonnet made by her- self, the chief article in its composition being the downy substance of the milk-weed." " The African gourd (the snake-bean), whose pods are said to grow to the length of two feet and upwards ; the Tangier bean, whose pod is short and of a beautiful purple color ; and the nondescript pea, with a very small pod, arrested much attention." The first premium ever given to an inhabitant of Warner, at any fair, was given at this time, and only one citizen of Warner received a premium. The record runs thus: Amos Putney, Warner, 2cl best bull under 4 years, $2. The animal that drew this money was a na;tive, of yellowish color, large, but very homely. Leve Max- field, who was Putney's henchman, and who felt that this animal had put all others into the shade, in driv- ing him home, remarked, with a wise nod of the head, ^^They won't hinng no hulls next year 1 " ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1826. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. 338 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. David L. Morrill, 59 Benjamin L Pierce, Representatives. 197 Benjamin Evans, Daniel George Nathan S. Colby, \ Jacob Sawyer, >- Selectmen. John Palmer, ) Voted to buy a farm to put the town poor on. Chose Stephen George, Stephen Bartlett, and Stephen Davis, as a committee to purchase such farm. Voted to sell at auction the support of soldiers [meaning din- ner for soldiers] muster day, to the lowest bidder. Struck off to Benjamin Evans at 20 cents for each soldier. The poor were disposed of in lots to different par- ties. Capt. Cyrus Watson was appointed collector of taxes. He was a Joppa man by birth, but he carried on blacksmithing at Warner village. He was a son of Jonathan, and a grandson of Dea. Parmenas, one of the first settlers of Warner. At a legal meeting, held May 13, 1826, — Voted to reconsider the vote passed at the last annual meeting, for purchasing a farm for the poor. At the same meeting, — Voted to raise no money for purchasing a farm. The year 1826 was remarkable for being the great " grasshopper year," and also for being the year of the BENJAMIN E. HAERIMAN. 339 famous " x\ugust freshet." That freshet carried off nearly all the bridges of Warner, did great damage to roads, and entirely destroyed the crops on certain tracts of land. The Willey family at the White Moun- tain Notch was destroyed by this freshet, which oc- curred August 28, 1826. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1827. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. For Governor. Benjamin Pierce, 216 Scattering, 17 Rep'esentatives. Benjamin Evans, Abner B Kelley. Nathan S. Colby, \ Benj. E. Harriman, \ Selectmen. Daniel George, ) Levi Flanders took the suj^port of the poor at $273. Capt. John Stewart took the contract to " victual " the soldiers, muster-day, at 19^ cents each. Abner Woodman, Jr., was appointed collector. Benjamin E. Harriman was a son of Asa, and was born in Warner, Jan. 14, 1791. His remotest ances- tor in this country was Leonard, who came from York- shire, England, in 1640, and whose name reappears, in the eighth generation, in the son of Leonidas Har- riman, of Warner. Benjamin E. was but three years of age when his 340 HISTORY OF WARNER. father died, leaving four young children to the care of the mother. The family knew what it was " to be hungry " and " to suffer need," but seldom knew what it was " to abound." In due time the boys (Ben and David) became able to work, and ultimately to carry on the farm. After this " there was always meal in the barrel." B. E. Harriman (as well as the rest of the children of Asa) had a slim chance for schooling, but he was naturally studious, and was a devoted reader of his- tory, both ancient and modern. After his sons were tolerably well advanced in mathematics, he worked out for them many a difficult arithmetical problem, which the district " master " was unable to solve. He served a great many years as moderator at town meetings, eight or ten years as selectman, two years as a member of the legislature, and two years (1847 and 1848) as chairman of the board of road commis- sioners for Merrimack county. He also frequently acted as magistrate in the trial of causes. He married Hannah, daughter of Zebulon Flanders, and had eight sons and two daughters, who lived to mature age. — viz., Henry H., Benjamin F., Walter, David C, Elhanan W., Augustine W., Leonidas, Han- nah, Helen, and Frank P., all of whom are now living except Elhanan W., who died at Piermont, June, 1851, aged 28, and Henry H., who died at Warner, May, 1878, aged 64. BENJAMIN E. HAERIMAN. 341 Benjamin E. Harriman died on the farm where he was born, and where he always lived, in October, 1856, aged 65, and was buried on the river bank, at Pine Grove Cemetery. CHAPTER XXV. TOWN RECORDS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HENNIKER CELEBRA- TION FIRST POOR-FARM. ANN^UAL MEETING, MARCH, 1828. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. For Governor. John Bell, 88 Benjamin Pierce, 276 Mepresentatives. Benjamin Evans, Abner B. Kelley. Nathan S. Colby, \ Benj. E. Harriman, >■ Selectmen. Stephen Davis, ) Zebulon D. Currier, collector. The support of most of the poor was bid off by Francis Davis, Jr., at $197. Stephen Davis was a son of Zebulon, and grandson of Francis. His brothers were Alpheus and Zebulon. He was born where he lived and died, which is the place now occupied by Charles P. Sawyer. Dr. Dana D. Davis was his son. GEN. JACKSON. 343 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION In the state convention of the Jackson party at Concord, June, 1828, the delegates from Warner being Capt. Joshua Sawyer and John E. Dalton, — Resolved, That we would pardon Private injuries, but the con- duct of the Federal party during the last War, in aiding and assisting a foreign foe against our common country, we never can forget, and never xcill forgive while such conduct is attempted to be justified. This resohition is not introduced here on account of the sentiment embodied in it, but because it was written by Warner's young delegate, John E. Dalton, who at that time became a voter. But the resolution clearly shadows the animus of the campaign, which was a most exciting and fiery one. The party posi- tions were well defined. One party now, for the first time, distinctively took the name of " Democratic party." This supported General Jackson for the presidency. The other was popularly called the " Federal party," and it supported John Quincy Adams, who was then president of the United States. Great bitterness was manifested in that campaign. The fever of excitement ran high. Gunpowder was burnt; political meetings were rife ; rum flowed free- ly ; every man was pronounced in his position. On the 4th of July of that year, extraordinary celebra- tions took place all through the country. The day rang with patriotic utterances. At Warner village 344 HISTORY OF WARNER. the multitudes assembled to indorse the hero of New Orleans. Among the sentiments or "toasts" then and there offered was the following, by Abner R. Ring : The Toryism of, the Revolution, changed to Federalism, and sustained the first Adamses reign of terror, — joined Burr's " un- ion of all honest men," hypocritically pretending to be the dis- ciples of Washington hy sacreligiously affixing his venerable name to their treasonable Societies, — subsequently assumed the name of Federal Republicans under Monroe's reign of modera- tion, and now claiming the title of exclusive Republicans, under the present reign of corruption. But Rhubarb is Rhubarb, Madam, call it what you please. On the same national day, there was another dem- onstration in town. This was on the top of Bald Mink. A large number of Jackson's admirers as- cended the steep declivity in the early morning. Such enthusiasm ruled the hour that they apparent- ly mounted up with wings as eagles. They carried their commissary stores, and did their cooking on the mountain. The meeting was boisterous, but success- ful. An address of thirty minutes' duration was de- livered by one of the leading men, toasts were offered, and the proceedings afterwards found their way into the public prints. David Stewart climbed a tree, and, hooking his crooked leg around one of its branches, blazed away. He added an inch of powder to each successive charge, and when the charge of four inches, solidly rammed down, exploded, his old Queen's Arm, though strongly griped, went into fragments. But GEN. JACKSON. 345 Stewart was not cooled, in his warfare against the enemy, by this untoward casualty, though it corn- l^elled him to change " the mode and manner of attack." One ardent patriot, who shall be nameless, went down a precipice headlong, not less than ten feet, but came out unharmed, carelessly remarking, "I didn't know I got so nigh the aidger Whatever else hap- pened, Jackson was indorsed that day with unmis- takable emphasis. The great Chatham had said, "Let me make the hallads of a people, and I care not who makes its laws;" and the supporters of Gen. Jackson introduced ballads into this election. One of their songs was very popular in some parts of the country. A single verse will be sufficient to show the vivacity of the campaign. Tune : '* I 've kissed and I 've prattled with fifty fair maids." I Ve seen all the heads of departments and state, And I've studied them well, d' ye see ? And tho' some are called cunning, and others called great, Yet Jackson 's the hero for me. Bold Jackson 's the man, Let them say what they can, — Old Hickory 's the hero for me. The other side in this campaign should be present- ed, but Warner and the adjoining towns were so near- ly unanimous for Andrew Jackson, that the opposition made little or no demonstration in this vicinity. There 346 HISTORY OF WARNER. was opposition, however, in the country, strong and resolute. Those who advocated the reelection of John Quincy Adams (that pure and able man), were not lacking for argument, and New Hampshire cast her vote for him as she had done in 1824. At the election in November, the vote of Warner stood thus : Jackson electors, 310 Adams electors, 90 THE RETURNS. The Warner people, December 6, 1828, having re- ceived news of Jackson's election, brought out the old brass field-piece to celebrate the victor}^ They took it up to Denny's hill. The fourth discharge was pre- mature, and Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., lost his right arm ; Capt. Safford Watson was injured in the hand ; and Daniel, son of Capt. Benjamin Currier, narrowly es- caped instant death, as the flying ramrod cut the clothes from his shoulder and scarred his neck. HENNIKER CELEBRATION. The 8th day of January, being the anniversary of Jackson's victory at New Orleans, was celebrated in 1829 with great spirit and eclat Jackson was now the president-elect, and the knowledge of that fact added ten-fold to the pomp and excitement of the day. The Henniker celebration was one of unusual in- TOWN RECORDS. 347 terest in all respects. It was conducted on a broad scale. The committee in charge spared no pains nor money necessary to make the demonstration success- ful. They provided dinner for a vast concourse, and the populace responded bountifully to the invitation to " come." The wheeling was never better, for not a flake of snow fell that season in central New Hamp- shire till that afternoon. The cannon stood on an em- inence, belching forth its continuous thunder, which rolled up the valley to the south side of the Mink Hills, resembling the jar of a perpetual earthquake. Frank Pierce was the young and talented orator of the day ; and among the invited guests, who were present, were Gen. Benjamin Pierce, Hon. Bodwell Emerson, of Hopkinton, Judge Horace Chase, Hon. Matthew Harvey, Benjamin E. Harriman, and others. The sentiment of the latter was as follows : Gov. John Bell, — Doomed to be buried, on the 2d Tuesday of March, like the great Bell of Moscow, beneath the ruins of the fallen fabric that supported him. The prediction proved to be correct, for though the state had gone for Bell the preceding March, and for Adams in November, the effect of Jackson's election was such that Gen. Pierce, the Jackson candidate for governor, was triumphantly elected in March, 1829. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1829. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. 23 348 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. Benjamin Pierce, 298 John Bell, 69 Representatives. Abner B. Kelley, Nathan S. Colby. Daniel Jones, ^ Philip Colby, Jr., \ Selectmen. Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., J Asa Pattee was appointed collector. The support of the poor was divided up among fif- teen different parties. Daniel Jones lived in Schoodac, near Boscawen line. He was a son of Jonathan Jones, whose residence was just within the limits of Boscawen. Mr. Jones was a large farmer and an active business man. He was extensively engaged in lumbering for many years. He served the town both as selectman and represent- ative, but died in the prime of life, leaving a number of sons and daughters, who are in Warner, Hopkin- ton, and Concord. Philip Colby, Jr., was a son of Hezekiah Colby, who came from Amesbury, and made, first, a brief stay at the Parade, and then settled at the Mark Colby place. Mr. Colby lived at Waterloo, and was both farmer and carpenter. He kept a store several years (in the neighborhood of 1820) in the building now occupied as a dwelling-house by Mrs. Geo. W. Osgood. He was post-master at Waterloo in 1829 and 1830. He served the town both as selectman and representa- EXHIBITIONS. 349 tive. He died March, 1867, aged 78. He had two daughters, — one the wife of William H., and other the wife of Stephen S. Bean. The former has been dead a number of years. Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., was a son of John, and a grandson of David Gilmore, one of the early settlers. Mitchell was born and reared in school district No. 8. He learned the blacksmith business, and was engaged in it when he lost an arm, in December, 1828. After this, he was engaged several years in trade. He also served as selectman, town-clerk, and representative. Having been elected as register of deeds for Merri- mack county, he removed to Concord, where he still resides. He married a daughter of Jacob Currier of Warner, and they have one daughter (the wife of ex- Go v. Weston) and two sons. An elephant was on exhibition at Daniel George's, in 1829, the first that ever stepped foot in Warner. The first menagerie came in 1832. It was ex- hibited on a snowy, sloshy day in May, on the plat between Elliot C. Badger's house and the ground that the church now occupies. The first circus performance in town was in June, 1834, on ground a little above where the late Jesse Savory's house stands. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1830. Benjamin Evans, moderator. Abner B. Kelley, town-clerk. 350 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. Mattliew Harvey, 280 Timothy Upham, 67 Representatives. Nathan S. Colby, Zebulon Davis. Daniel Jones, Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., \- Selectmen. Philip Colby, Jr., John Bean was appomted collector. The supi^ort of the Poor was struck off to John Bean at On the question of setting off the two westerly ranges of lots from Warner to Bradford, the vote stood, — affirmative, 25 ; negative, 205. Zebulon Davis was a son of Zebulon, who was a son of Capt. Francis. The first Zebulon lived at the Charles P. Sawyer place ; the second (now elected representative) lived at the Lower Village, where he carried on the wheelwright business through life. Warren Davis, now in trade at the Lower Village, is his son. Abner B. Kelley, having been elected state treas- urer, resigned the office of town-clerk, and the select- men, July 12, 1830, appointed Thomas H. Bartlett to fill the vacancy. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1831. Daniel George, moderator. Thomas H. Bartlett, town-clerk. TOWN RECORDS. 351 ¥or Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 250 Ichabod Bartlett, 76 llepresentatwes. Zebulon Davis, Benjamin E. Harriman. Daniel Jones, \ Daniel George, > Selectmen. Abner Woodman, ) Stephen Hoyt was appointed collector. Levi Flanders, senior, took the ]30or to support at $549. Thomas H. Bartlett was a son of Richard, who came from Amesbnry, and a brother to Stephen of Burnt Hill. He was engaged in mercantile business a large part of his lifetime. He died many years ago, leav- ing a widow, who was the daughter of John George. Abner Woodman was from Salem, N. H. He settled on Pumpkin Hill, but during the last years of his life he was at Warner village. He served both as selectman and as representative. His first wife was a Miss Hill, and his second, who survives, was a daughter of Ben- jamin Evans. Capt. Stephen Hoyt was born in Bradford. He settled in the west part of Warner, where he was en- gaged in farming. He commanded the old artillery company in its best days. In 1841 he removed to Sutton, and there served as collector of taxes and as selectman of the town, but returned to Warner, and died in 1866. 352 HISTOEY OF WAENER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1832. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Thomas H. Bartlett, town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 250 Ichabod Bartlett, 65 Me2yresentatives. Benjamin E. Harriman, Daniel Jones. Nathan S. Colby, J Timothy Davis, > Selectmen. Cummings Marshall, ) The support of the poor was " struck off" to Eze- kiel Flanders, Jr., at $540. Samuel Worthley was appointed collector. The question of setting off the western ranges again came up, and Daniel George was appointed as agent of the town to oppose the movement. Timothy Davis was a son of Robert, who came from Amesbury, and settled on what is known as the Ben Davis place. Mr. Davis settled in life near his fa- ther's residence, on Pumpkin Hill, where he remained till old ao-e unfitted him for the cares of a lar^e farm. For the last eight or ten years of his life he lived on the Plain, where Mr. Stanley now resides. His old homestead on Pumpkin Hill is owned and occupied by Mr. Tucker. Mr. Davis died about the year 1861, leaving two children, — Mrs. Oilman A. Bean, now of Woburn, Mass., and Henry H. Davis, of Warner. TOWN RECOKDS. 353 Cummings Marshall was born and reared on Bible Hill. His father, Richard Marshall, came from Hud- son, N. H., and settled on that hill, at the place which his son Nathan occupied a great many years. Cum- mings settled in District No. 10, where his son-in-law, Lemuel W. Collins, resides, and died there a few years ago. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1833. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Mitcliell Gilmore, Jr., town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 242 IsTo opposition recorded. Representatwes. Daniel Jones, Nathan S. Colby. Timothy Davis, \ B. E. Harriman, > Selectmen. Daniel Bean, Jr., ) John Harriman was appointed collector. On the question of purchasing a farm for the poor, 104 voted in the affirmative, and 62 in the negative. The moderator appointed Benjamin Evans, Daniel George, and John Hardy as a committee to purchase a farm, and all necessary stock, tools, and furniture to run the same. Voted that the Selectmen go in a body to appraise property and make their Inventory. Voted to dispense with Superintending School Committee's visiting schools the present year. 354 HISTORY OF WARNER. Voted that the Selectmen dispose of the Poor till the Commit- tee for that purpose furnish a Farm and House. The committee set themselves about their work without delay, and bought a farm of Cephas Hoi^gh- ton, to which the poor were all conveyed in the month of April. Said farm is at the top of the hill, on the old Henniker road, between Stephen Foster's and the Stephen K. Hoyt place. Daniel Bean, Jr., who, at the election of 1833, was chosen to the office of selectman, was born in Warner, Dec. 4, 1804. Nathaniel Bean, his grandfather, was a prominent and influential man in town for many years. He came from Amesbury between 1770 and 1775, and settled on Pumpkin Hill, at the present Capt. Joseph Jewell place. He was a forehanded farmer. He built the first mills at Waterloo. He served as moderator, as selectman, as representative, and as a delegate to the convention that ratified the federal constitution. The maternal grandfather of Daniel Bean, Jr., was Captain Asa Pattee, and Daniel and Sally (Pattee) Bean were his parents. The subject of this sketch received his education mainly from the public schools of Warner, though he was a student for a term or two at Hopkinton acad- emy, where he gave attention to the higher English branches and to Latin. He taught school in Warner and the adjoining towns some six or eight winters, ^^^ c p * ^VP^ -fJI% /^^^^^H ^ '"Wm ^' ^ c ^^^c- Selectmen. Asa Pattee, ) John Harriman was appointed collector. Chose a committee of five, consisting of the select- men, with Nathan S. Colby and Philip Colby, senior, added, to dispose of the poor-farm and buy another. The first farm (on which the poor were kept but one year) proved unsatisfactory. This committee purchased the second farm of Moses Harriman, |it being the one still owned by the town on Burnt Hill. 358 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MAKCH, 1835. Nathan S. Colby, moderator. Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., town-clerk. For Governor. William Badger, 297 Joseph Healey, 49 Representatives. Timothy Davis, Philip Colby, Jr. Asa Pattee, 'j M. Gilmore, Jr., v Selectmen. Nathan Davis, J Elliot C. Badger was appointed collector. Nathan Davis was a son of Gen. Aqnila Davis. He served two years as selectman, and two as representa- tive. He lived at Davisville, and died there many years ago. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1836. Nathan S. Colb}^, moderator. Clark Sargent, town-clerk. For Governor. Isaac Hill, 268 Scattering, 5 Rei^resentatives. Philip Colby, Jr., Mitchell Gilmore, Jr. Nathan Davis, \ Abner Woodman, [-Selectmen. Asa Pattee, ) James M. Harriman was appointed collector. TOWN RECORDS. 359 Voted that the Selectmen opeu the road from Nathaniel Bean's to Edmund S. Davis's. Clark Sargent was a son of Joseph Sargent, of Schoodac. He lived at Warner village, and was a painter by occupation. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1837. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Clark Sargent, town-clerk. For Governor. Isaac Hill, 238 Joseph Healey, 7 Represen tatives. Mitchell Gilmore, Jr., Kathan Davis. Abner Woodman, ^ John Stewart, \ Selectmen. Abner Watkins, ) James M. Harriman, collector. Voted to receive our proportion of the " Surplus Revenue" money. Voted that the mone}' be loaned in sums not to exceed $200, and not less than $50. Captain John Stewart lived on the south side of the Mink Hills, where his father settled before him in the wilderness. He added much during his life to the paternal acres. He married, for his first wife, Han- nah, daughter of Dea. Isaac Dalton, and died in 1851, leaving fouf sons and one daughter, — viz.. Rev. Isaac D. of Dover, Cyrus of Wisconsin, Leonard of Warner, John of California, and Mrs. James Bean of Warner. 360 HISTOEY OF WAENER. Abner Watkins was a son of Jason, who was a son of the original Abner. He was born and reared at the Gore, but he lived many years in Lowell, Mass. After returning from there to Warner, he lived where Henry Seavey resides, and served the town as select- man and representative. One son of his (if no more) is living, viz., Geo. T. Watkins, of Kansas, who is now a member of the legislature of that state. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1838. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Clark Sargent, town-clerk. For Governor. Isaac Hill, 388 James Wilson, 77 Representatives. Nathan Davis, Abner Woodman. Abner Watkins, \ John Stewart, > Selectmen. Robert Thompson, ) Voted to poll the house on the question of making Town Clerks Registers of Deeds. [Affirmative vote, 94; negative vote, 115.] Voted that the Selectmen appoint a Collector. Isaac Hill, it will be observed, received a majority of 311, in Warner, which was larger than any other town in the state gave him. Claremont, the same day, gave James Wilson 311 majority, which was larger than any other town in the state gave him. Z^f^^^^ y^cr:^^/ ROBERT THOMPSON. 361 Robert Thompson, whose name appears in the above record, was born at Hooksett, April 24, 1803. Of his remote ancestry nothing is positively known, though the Thompsons are found among the earliest immi- grants to this country. The name is spelled in not less than four different ways, — Thompson, Tomson, Thomson, and Tompson. Edward Thompson came in the Mayflower in 1620, and died Dec. 4th, between Cape Cod and Pljanouth. John, his brother, came in 1643. He was representa- tive from Middleborough, Mass., eight years, beginning in 1674. Archibald Thompson settled at Marblehead in 1637, and Edward in Salem the same year. The latter two were from Framingham, Suffolk county, England. Dr. Benjamin Thompson settled in Braintree. He was town-clerk there in 1696, and for several years afterwards. He left, at his death, eight children and twenty-eight grandchildren. From some one of these branches of the family Robert Thompson undoubtedly descended. His grand- father was from Newbury, Mass. He settled in Con- cord, N. H, where he died about the year 1801, leav- ing a large family of sons and daughters, one of the sons being Robert, the ftither of the subject of this sketch. This Robert married Judith, daughter of Benjamin Noyes, settled at Hooksett, and worked at the shoemakers' trade. They had two children, — 362 HISTORY OF WARNER. Mary, who became the wife of Jeremiah H. Wilkins, and Robert, now hving at Warner. Robert Thompson, the first, died in 1803, the very year that Robert the second was born. The orphan boy was taken by his grandmother Noyes to her home in Bow, where he remained till after his sister's marriage, when he went to live with her at Suncook. He took his little bundle in a handkerchief, contain- ing all he had in the world, and made this exchange of homes Feb. 9, 1818. He remained with Mr. Wil- kins, acting as his clerk, and as a copartner with him, till 1825, except for five months, when he was em- ployed in the store of John White, of Salisbury. In 1825 the firm of Wilkins & Thompson was by mutual consent dissolved, and the junior member, after pros- pecting for several weeks, pitched upon Warner for his future home. He hired a store of John E. Kelley for $25 a year, purchased his stock of goods at Bos- ton, and, full of hope and ambition, commenced trade the last of June, 1825. Being then but 22 years of age, and looking younger than that, he was popularly called " the boy trader." But by enterprise and close attention to business, and by receiving, in payment for goods, certain commodities which had not hitherto been articles of traffic, he soon laid the foundation for a successful business life. In 1828 he had the misfortune to be burnt out. Speaking of the fire, the JV. H. Statesman of that day ROBERT THOMPSON. 363 said, — "Wednesday, Jan. 16, 1828, the tavern house of Capt. John E. Kelley, of Warner, was consumed by fire, and a store connected therewith, occupied by Robert Thompson. No insurance on tlie property." After this fire Mr. Thompson removed to the village, where he has since remained. He has often acted as moderator at town-meetings, as selectman, and as town-clerk. He has also been three years a member of the legislature of the state. In 1831 Mr, Thompson married Sarah B.. daughter of Dr. Henry Lyman, who died in 1833. In 1835 he married Susan, daughter of Joseph Bartlett. Five children were born to this couple, viz., Sarah L., Rhoda B., Mary W., Robert H., and Arthur. Mr. Thompson's second wife died in 1849, and in 1851 he married, for his third wife, Miss Eunice George, of Salisbury. Robert H. Thompson was in business with his fa- ther a few years, prior to January, 1876, when he died. Arthur served in the eleventh regiment three years during the Rebellion. He married Carrie Beckler, of Syracuse, N. Y., in 1867, and is now in company with his father. Mary W. Thompson married Frank L. Martin, of Bradford, May 3, 1866. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1839. B. E. Hiirriman, moderator. Clark Sargent, tovvu-clerk. 24 364 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. John Page, 364 James Wilson, 70 Representatives. Abner Woodman, Abner Watkins. Robert Thompson, \ B. E. Harriman, > Selectmen. Benjamin C. Davis, ) Chose David Colbj tythingman. Benjamin C. Davis was a son of Eobert, and a brother to Timothy. He occupied through life the old homestead of his father on Pumpkin Hill, which is now in possession of John Osgood. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1840. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Leonard Eaton, town-clerk. For Governor. John Page, 302 Enos Stevens, 39 Representatives. Abner Watkins, Asa Pattee. B. E. Harriman, \ Robert Thompson \ Selectmen. Benj. C. Davis, ) Heath Flanders was appointed Collector. Superintending School Committee. John Currier, Jr., Geo. W. Cutting, H. H. Harriman. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1841. B. E. Harriman, moderator. Leonard Eaton, town-clerk. FARMERS' AND MECHANICS' LIBRARY. For Governor. John Page, 372 Enos Stevens, 45 365 Iie2')resentatwes. Asa Pattee, Eobert Thompson. Benj. E. Harriman, \ H, D. Robertson, ^ Selectmen. Jas. M. Harriman, ) Heath Flanders was appointed collector. James M. Harriman was a son of Moses, who came to Warner fiom Henniker, and settled on Burnt Hill. The family was originally from Plaistow. James M. was a coionel in the state militia. He served two years as representative, and repeatedly as selectman. FARMERS' AND MECHANICS' LIBRARY. The following record appears in the town books : Whereas, by an act of the Legislature of New Hampshire, ap- proved July 1, 1831, granting and authorizing persons to assume and exercise corporate powers in certain cases, Therefore, be it remembered, that, on the 20th day of November, A. D. 1841, we, Stephen K. Hoyt, Abner Woodman and Timothy Davis, with many others, have this day associated, united and formed a Li- brary Company, and do hereby assume and bear the name and title of '' Farmers' and Mechanics' Library Association," in the town of Warner. By order of the Society. Hiram Buswell, Clerk. A true copy, attest. Leonard Eaton, Town Clerk. 366 HISTOKY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1842. B. E. Harri man. moderator. Ira Harvey, tow] 11- clerk. For Governor. Henry Hubbard, 280 John H. White, 43 Enos Stevens, 29 Daniel Hoit, 13 Representatives. Eobert Thompson, John Stewart. Jas. M. Harriman, \ Enos Collins, >■ Selectmen. . James Davis, ) Franklin Simonds was appointed collector. Superintending School Committee. John Currier, Jr., J. M. Chick, J. AV. Perking. James Davis was the youngest son of Gen. Aquila. His home was at Davisville, but he died before the expiration of the year for which he was elected as selectman. Saturday, June 11, 1842, was a winter day. Snow fell without ceasing throughout New Hampshire, from morning till night. While it disappeared as it came on the lowlands, it accumulated to considerable depth on the hills, and strong, healthy sheep, that were left in the pastures, were frozen to death in many cases. The selectmen of Warner sold the building of the road that day around under the ledge at Stevensville. DOMINANT PARTY DIVIDED. 367 CRANBERRY AND HOOP-POLE PARTIES, At this time (1842) the dominant political party in Warner was rent by internal discord. It was split into two factions, or wings, — one wing being called the " Cranberry party," and the other the " Hoop- pole party." It is not difficult to account for the origin of these names. B. E. Harriman owned a large cranberry meadow, and he and his family were some- what prominent in one wing. H. D. Robertson car- ried on an extensive business in coopering. He bought hoop-poles by the dozen cords, and he and his personal friends were leaders in the other wing. Thus the names are accounted for ; but it is not easy to explain the cause of the division. It does not ap- pear that any vital principle was in jeopardy. It does not appear that either faction was promulgating her- esy, political or religious. All worshipped at the same political shrine, and voted the same general ticket. But yet the lines were distinctly drawn, and the con- test was sharp and exciting. The two armies were about equal in numbers and strength, and victory perched first on this banner and then on that ; more frequently, perhaps, there was a drawn battle, and honors were easy. In 1846 neither wing could elect a representative, and this defeat of both factions led to a cessation of hostilities in 1847, and to subsequent concord and good-fellowship. 368 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1843. Erastus Wilkins, moderator. Ira Harvey, town-clerk. For Governor. Henry Hubbard, 231 John H. White, 64 Anthon}'- Colby, 19 Daniel Hoit, 13 Representatives. H. D. Robertson, Eobert Thompson. Enos Collins, \ H. D. Eobertson, v Selectmen. Stephen Bartlett, ) Eranklin Simonds, collector. Superintending School Committee. J. W. Perkins, J. M. Chick, Nathaniel Page. Voted that the use of the Town Meeting House be granted to all Religious Societies in their turn. Voted to buy Joseph Sawyer's farm, if the buying of said farm will prevent the road that is laid out near said Sawyer's from being made. Enos Collins was a son of Enos, who came from Amesbury, and settled on Bible Hill. In his early days he was much engaged in school-teaching ; but his leading business through life was farming. Dr. Wm. S. Collins, of Nashua, is his son, and another son is in Colorado. Stephen Bartlett was a son of Richard, and a grand- son of Simeon, one of the proprietors of Warner. TOWN RECORDS. 369 Stephen occupied through life the farm on which he was born, and which is now in possession of one or more of his sons. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1814. Robert Thompson, moderator. Ira Harvey, town-clerk. For Governor. John H. Steele, 238 John H. White, 45 Daniel Hoit, 35 Anthony Colby, 30 Represen tatives. Harrison D. Robertson, Enos Collins. Stephen Bartlett, \ Levi Flanders, >- Selectmen. Nathaniel A. Davis, ) Franklin Simonds, collector. Super inte7iding School Committee. J. M. Chick, H. H. Harriman, Jesse D. Currier. Levi Flanders was a son of Levi, and a grandson of Zebulon, and his home was at the North village. About the year 1868 he removed to Missouri, and there established a new home. His health soon gave way, and he died a few months after his settlement in that distant state. Nathaniel A. Davis was another of the sons of Gen. Aquila, and his home through life was at Davisville. There were his mills, and there he was engaged largely in the lumber business. He died several 370 HISTORY OF WARNER. years since, leaving his sons in possession of the mill property. At the presidential election of 1844, the Polk electors received 331 votes ; Clay, 35 ; Birney, 34. On the question, " Shall capital punishment be abolished ?" 164 voted yea, and 169 nay. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1845. Erastus Wilkins, moderator. Ira Harvey, town-clerk. For Governor. John H. Steele, 231 Daniel Hoit, 41 Anthony Colby, 22 John H. White, 16 Representatives. Enos Collins, Daniel Bean, Jr. Levi Flanders, \ Nathaniel A. Davis, > Selectmen. H. H. Harriman, J Asa Pattee, collector. Superintetiding School Committee. W. Harriman, J. Currier, Jr., H. W. Woodman. Henry H. Harriman was the oldest son of B. E, Harriman, and was born July 11, 1813. In his early days he was a successful and popular school-teacher. Later in life he was both wheelwright and farmer, but was better known as a practical surveyor, and as ad- ministrator in the settlement of estates. In these two latter branches of business he found congenial em- TOWN EECORDS. 371 ployment most of the time for many of the last years of his life. He served the town as selectman and as representative. He fell dead in his field, April 18, 1878, aged 64. At a meeting legally holden Sept. 3, 1845, — Voted that the Selectmen pay for the board of Moody W. Flanders, at the Asylum for the Insane at Concord, so long as they may think proj^er. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1846. Erastus Wilkins, moderator. Ira Harvey, town-clerk. For Governor. Anthony Colby, 25 Jared W. Williams, 315 Nathaniel S. Berry, 69 Representatives. None elected. Thomas Colby, \ J. M. Harriraan, >- Selectmen. Jacob Jones, ) Wm. R. Sargent, collector. Superintending School Committee. H. W. Woodman, A. B. Kelley, James W. Sargent. Erastus Wilkins was born in Concord, was clerk in the store of Robert Thompson a number of years, and was afterwards in trade for himself, both at the Lower Village, and at the Centre. He married a daughter of Stephen George, and the family now resides in Boston. 372 HISTORY OF WARNER. Thomas Colby was a son of Philip, of District No. 10. He carried on the business of farming; near the old homestead till about fifteen years ago, when he removed to Wilmot, where he and his son are engaged in the same vocation. Jacob Jones was a brother to Daniel, was born in Boscawen, where he lived many years after his ma- turity, was afterwards a resident of the Schoodac dis- trict in Warner, and then of Warner village. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1847. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Moses D. Wheeler, town-clerk. For Governor. Jared W. Williams, 336 Nathaniel S. Berry, 54 Anthony Colby, 30 Representatives. J. M. Harriman, Daniel Bean, Jr. H. H. Harriman, \ Geo. A. Pillsbury, > Selectmen. John Currier, ) Asa Pattee, collector. Superintending School Committee. A. B. Kelley, W. Harriman, J. S. Herrick. John Currier, Jr., was a son of Jacob, and a grand- son of Joseph. He occupied the homestead of his an- cestors throug:h life. He was both a selectman and TOWN EECORDS. 373 deputy sheriff a number of years, but he died when a young man, about the year 1860. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1848. H. D. Eobertson, moderator. Moses D. Wheeler, town-clerk. For Governor. Jared W. Williams, 348 Nathaniel S. Berry, 91 Representatives. James M. Harriman, Franklin Simonds. Thomas Colby, ^ Jacob Jones, V Selectmen. Walter Harriman, J The record says, — And the said Walter Harriman came forward, and in open Town Meeting, then and there, declined serving as Selectman. Then said inhabitants of said town chose Abner Woodman for third Selectman. Wm. R. Sargent was appointed collector. Superintending School Committee. ' A. B. Kelley, W. Harriman, J. S. Herri ck. Moses D. Wheeler is a son of Jeremiah. He has been engaged most of his lifetime in the business of blacksmithing at Warner village, but has served the town several times in each of the capacities of town-clerk, selectman, and representative. CHAPTER XXYII. TOWN RECORDS— NEW TOWN HALL RAILROAD OPENING THE BANKS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION HOMESTEAD EXEMP- TION. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1849. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Win. Carter, Jr., town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 337 Nathaniel S. Berry, 54 Levi Chamberlain, 22 Hepresentatives. Franklin Simonds, Walter Harriman. Geo. A. Pillsbury, ^ Thomas Colby, \ Selectmen. Jacob Jones, ) John Harriman, collector. Superintending School Committee. A. B. Kelley, J. S. Herrick, W. Harriman. NEW TOWN HALL. Voted to raise a committee to sell the town house, select a site for a new one, and report a i:»lan for the same at an adjourned meeting. Robert Thompson, Nathaniel A. Davis, and Cum- mings Marshall were appointed. y^€^ / t/'V ; ^^ GEORGE ALFRED PILLSBURY. 375 George Alfred Pillsbury. John and Snsan (Wad- leigli) Pillsbury, of Sutton, had three sons and one daughter, — viz., Simon W., George Alfred, born Aug. 29, 1816, Dolly W. (Mrs. Cummings), John S., and Benjamin F. Simon W. died in 1836, at the age of 24. He was a close student, and was believed to be, at the time of his death, one of the best mathematicians in the state. John S. became identified with Warner not far from 1844. From that time till 1851 he was eno-ao^ed in mercantile business in town, either as clerk or propri- etor. He married his wife (Miss Mahala Fisk) in Warner. After the close of 1851 he was engaged in trade a few years at East Andover and at Concord. In 1855 he settled at St. Anthony's Falls, Minne- sota, and engaged in the hardware business. From 1863 to 1875 he served in the state senate. He was elected governor of Minnesota in 1875, and was re- elected in 1877, the elections occurring biennially. He is now largely interested in the manufacture of flour. Benjamin F. remained in Sutton till 1878, em- ployed mainly in farming, but filling acceptably the offices of selectman and representative. In 1878 he removed to Granite Falls, Minn. George A. Pillsbury, the subject of this notice, went to Boston in 1836 as a clerk at the Boylston Market, but returned to Sutton in 1837, and before he was 21 years of age was engaged there in the stove business. 376 HISTOEY OF WARNER. In this he continued till 1840, when he came to War- ner as a clerk in the store of John H. Pearson. For about eight years he was actively engaged in mercan- tile business in Warner ; then for a year or more he was in a wholesale dry-goods house in Boston, In 1849 he reentered the mercantile business in War- ner, having bought Ira Harvey's stock of goods, and taken a lease of his store. In the spring of 1851 he sold back his interests to Mr. Harvey, and went out of mercantile business entirely. Mr. Pillsbury served as post-master at Warner from 1844 to 1849, as selectman in 1847 and 1849, and as representative in 1850 and 1851. He was chairman of the committee, appointed by the Merrimack county delegation in 1851, -for building the new jail at Con- cord. In the fall of the same year he was appointed purchasing agent of the Concord Railroad Corporation, which position he filled for nearly twenty-five years. During this time his purchases amounted to from one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand dollars per annum. He removed to Concord in 1852. In 1866 he was elected president of the First National Bank, of Concord, and he held this position till March, 1878, when he resigned on account of leaving for the West. At this time the bank was the strongest in the state. He was elected in 1867 the first president of the National Savings Bank, at Concord, and he held this position till 1874, when he resigned. He was GEORGE ALFRED PILLSBURY. 377 several times elected a member of the city council of Concord. In March, 1876, he was elected mayor of the city by a large majority, and was reelected to the same office in March, 1877. He gave to the city of Concord the fine-toned bell now on the Board of Trade building. He and his son, Charles A., substan- tially paid for the new organ in the First Baptist Church, of Concord, which cost $4,000. In March, 1878, he sold out his real estate interests in Concord, and removed to Minnesota. Mr. Pillsbury, May 9, 1841, married Margaret S. Carleton, and they have had born to them two sons and one daughter, — viz., Charles A. [see College grad- uates], Mary Ida, born at Warner, April, 1848, died May, 1849, and Fred. Carleton, born August, 1852. Fred. C, in 1872, went to Minneapolis as a clerk for his uncle, John S. Pillsbury, and he is now a mem- ber of the large firm of C. A. Pillsbury & Co. At an adjourned meeting, June 4, 1849, the committee on the town house presented a report which was accepted. Voted to adopt so much of the Committee's report as relates to the removing of the old house and repairing the same. Chose N. A. Davis, C. Marshall and Philip Colby a Committee to remove and repair the same. Voted to leave it discretionary with the committee as to the length which the j^osts shall be cut. Voted to leave the selection of a site for the house to the above committee. Voted that the Selectmen be authorized to borrow $800 of the surplus revenue to alter and repair the town house. On the 6th day of June, 1849, Benjamin Wadleigh, 378 HISTORY OF WARNER. Asa Page, and John Pillsbury, all of Sutton, as a com- mittee for that purpose, met at the town-house in Warner, heard all persons who desired to be heard, and appraised the pews in the town-house at 75 cents each. The number of pews being fiiftj-six, the sum total was $42. At a legal meeting, held Aug. 11, 1849, the commit- tee chosen to rebuild the town-house declining longer to serve, a motion to adjourn was made, which was decided in the affirmative. So the " house under the ledge" was left on its foundations. RAILROAD OPENING. On the 21st day of September, 1849, the Concord & Clarernont Railroad was formally opened to War- ner, and the event was duly celebrated. A train of nine cars was run down to Concord in the morning, carrying 500 people from Warner and other towns. At eleven o'clock, the train, augmented by the addi- tion of some nine cars and' 800 passengers, started on the return. So heavy was the train that two locomo- tives were required, one being placed in front and the other at the rear. The front cars were open stake cars. There was a crowd of persons standing on the front end of the first car, and supporting themselves by putting their hands upon the tender. At the crossing by the new prison the coupling between the head locomotive and the front car broke, the engine RAILROAD OPENING. 379 shot ahead, and those who were leaning on the tender fell forward upon the track. The train was forced forward by the locomotive at the rear. Matthew Harvey Gould, a young man about twenty years of age, a son of Col. Enoch Gould, and brother of the con- ductor, Moses E. Gould, fell in such a 230sition that both legs were crushed and nearly cut off below the knee. Two or three others were severely but not fatally injured. The wounded were immediately taken back to Concord, and surgical aid was summoned. Young Gould died a few minutes after reaching Concord, and before amputation could have been performed. This sad affair cast a dark shadow over all the sub- sequent proceedings of the day. But the train went on to Warner, where it arrived at one o'clock. A pro- cession was immediately formed, under the guidance of Daniel Bean, Jr., as marshal, which marched through Main street, led by the Fisherville band, and back to the stand provided for the speakers near the depot. After bountiful refreshments, provided by the citizens of Warner, had been partaken of. Gov. Hill, Col. Cyrus Barton, M. W. Tappan, E. B. West, W. Harriman, J. A. Gilmore, and Gen. Low (the president of the road), all made speeches of an encouraging and congratulatory nature. Late in the afternoon the train returned to Con- cord, with nothing further to mar the festivities of the occasion. 25 380 HISTOEY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1850. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Wm. Carter, Jr., town-clerk. For Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 320 Nathaniel S. Berry, 56 Levi Chamberlain, 26 Representatives. Walter Harriman, George A. Pillsbury. John Currier, Jr., ^ Origen Dimond, > Selectmen. James Bean, } Im Dimond was appointed collector. Superintending School Committee. E. W. Fuller, S. S. Bean, Parsons Whidden. William Carter, Jr. (son of William, senior), was en- gaged in trade, first at the George stand in the Lower Village, then at the Robertson stand at the Centre. His wife was a daughter of Elliot C. Badger, and his only surviving son is William S. Carter (now of Leba- non), who served in the Eleventh N. H. Regiment. Mr. Carter died in 1851, aged about 36. Capt. Origen Dimond was a son of Isaac, and a o-randson of Ezekiel, one of the proprietors of Warner. He was born in that district called Joppa, and he remained on the old homestead till advancing years beo-an to unfit him for the management of a large farm, when he secured a few acres and a pleasant cot- tage in the village, where he now resides. THE BANKS. 381 James Bean, a son of Nathaniel, junior, and a grandson of Nathaniel, senior, is one of the leading farmers of Warner. He was born, where he has al- ways resided, at the foot of Monument hill. His first wife was Marinda Stewart, who died young, and his second is Mary, both daughters of Capt. John Stewart. Two of Mr. Bean's sons were in the army during the Rebellion. Having now reached, in the town records, the mid- dle of the century, and approximated the present, these brief notices of persons elected to office will be generally omitted. THE BANKS. At the June session of the legislature of 1850 a charter was obtained for the Warner Bank, with a capital of $50,000. The bank was soon organized. Its presidents were Joshua George, Dr. Jason H. Ames, Franklin Simonds, and N. G. Ordway. Its cashiers were Francis Wilkins and George Jones. The latter served two years in the state senate. This bank was closed, and the Kearsarge National Bank, with a like capital, was organized in 1867. The first president of this bank was N. G. Ordway. He was succeeded by Joshua George, at whose decease Mr. Ordway was again elected president, which posi- tion he still holds. The cashiers of this bank have been George Jones and Oilman C. George. 382 HISTORY OF WARNER. In 1874 the Kearsarge Savings Bank was organized in connection with the National Bank, and the two are substantially under one and the same manage- ment. Joshua George was born at the Lower Village, where Jonathan Badger now resides, March 24, 1791. He was a son of John and Mary (Harriman) George, who were natives of Haverhill, Mass., and who, after their marriage, settled in Hopkinton, N. H. They afterwards moved from Hopkinton to Warner, and from Warner to Topsham, Vt., where they died. At the time the family removed to Topsham, Joshua was fourteen years of age. At the age of twenty- two he commenced driving cattle and sheep from Topsham to Brighton, a distance of 150 miles. He took down a drove through Hanover and New Lon- don, over Kimball's hill, through Warner, Hopkinton, Nashua, &c., to Brighton, usually once in two weeks. He followed this course for seven years, making each trip without assistance. He began to buy in Warner while living in Topsham, and when thirty years of age he came to Warner and settled at the place which was ever after his home. His first wife (a Miss Cres- sey of Bradford) lived but a year after her marriage. His second wife. Miss Ann F. Upton, was also of Brad- ford. She died in middle age, and all her children died young, except John, and Mrs. Frank Wilkins. Several years after her decease, Mr. George married, ^^^^^'^^t^<,,^^^ /./__-^.^t^^'''>'-^ V^^ JOSHUA GEOEGE. 383 for his third wife, a daughter of Col. Moses Gerrish, of Boscawen. The subject of this notice was an active, persever- ing man during his whole life. He dealt largely in cattle, and was always ready for a trade of any kind. He was president of Warner Bank for a number of years after its organization in 1850. He was also president of the National Bank, in which office he continued till his death, at the age of 84. He was always prompt to the minute to meet every engage- ment, and he had no patience with a dilatory man. He was very particular and exact in all his official duties. If he owed a debt he paid it when due, though he had to ride all night for that purpose, and if a man owed him he exacted pay according to con- tract. He valued every dollar he earned. He was an " everlasting talker," but if he saw difficulty ahead, he at once became silent. He shunned a quarrel as a pestilence. He was no politician, and was never a candidate for office. He had a keen sense of the ridiculous, and the man who could outdo him in story- telling was rarely found. He was genial and kind in his family. His son John fitted for college, studied law with Chief-Justice Perley, and with George, Foster & San- born, at Concord, and was admitted to the bar in 1864. In 1863 and 1864 he served on the stafi" of Gov. Gilmore, with the rank of colonel. His father had 384 HISTORY OP WARNER. large real estate interests in Chicago and Sycamore, 111., and for sixteen years, as his father's attorney, he was directly and indirectly attending to those inter- ests. He is now living at the old homestead in War- ner. Mrs. Wilkins, the daughter of Joshua George, died in 1878, aged 43. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. At a legal meeting, held Oct. 8, 1850, Abner B. Kelley and Leonard Eaton were chosen delegates to the constitutional convention of that year. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1851. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Moses J). Wheeler, town-clerk. I^or Governor. Samuel Dinsmoor, 242 John Atwood, 128 Thomas E. Sawyer, 20 Mepresentatives. Geo. A. Pillsbury, Leonard Eaton. John Currier, Jr., ") Origen Dimond, > Selectmen. James Bean, J Ira Dimond, collector. ISuper intending School Committee. Dr. AVhidden, S. S. Bean, H. H. Harriman. HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. The sense of the qualified voters was taken on the following question : HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. 385 Is it expedient for the legislature to enact a law to exempt the homesteads of families from attachment and levy or sale on execu- tion, to the amount of $500 ? The result in Warner was, yeas, 114; nays, 134. The question had been submitted to the people by the legislature of 1850. In the state the affirmative of the question prevailed, and the law was enacted in June, 1851. The sense of the voters was also taken on the ques- tion of accepting the new state constitution which the convention had framed. The constitution was divided into fifteen sections or parts, and each part was voted on separately. There was an average of about 20 votes, in Warner, in favor of these propositions, and an average of about 250 votes against them. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1852. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Robert Thompson, town-clerk. For Governor. Noah Martin, 2S0 John Atwood, 67 Thomas E. Sawyer, 34 Mepresentatives. Leonard Eaton, H. H. Harriman. Levi Collins, "\ Wm. R. Sargent, V Selectmen. Abner Woodman, j Daniel Savory, collector. 386 . HISTORY OF WARNER." Step er intending School Committee. A. B. Kelley, E. B. West, S. W. Colby. TOWK-HOUSE AGAIN. Chose N. A. Davis, Erastns Wilkins, and R. Thomp- son a committee to take into consideration the ques- tion of a new town-house, and to report at a subse- quent meeting. After the defeat of the state constitution in March, 1851, the convention reassembled, and presented cer- tain amendments which were submitted to the people in three questions. The result in Warner was as fol- lows : • 1. On the question of abolishing all religious tests from the constitution, there were 22 yeas and 157 nays. 2. On the question of abolishing a property quali- fication, there were 33 yeas and 109 nays. 3. On the question of having amendments in the future proposed by the legislature instead of a con- vention, there were 11 yeas and 146 nays. The second proposition (and that only) was carried in the state, and the property qualification fell from the constitution. Voted to instruct the Selectmen to get the Town Hall insured, when said House passes into their hands. Voted that an agent he appointed to sell the old House when the actual pew-holders can be settled with for 75 cents a pew. A. ^A^^ eiA4/€yt^ IRA HARVEY. 387 ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1853. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Robert Thompson, town-clerk. For Governor. Noali Martin, 301 John H. White, 56 James Bell, ' 12 Representatives. H. D. Robertson, Ira Harvey. Levi Collins, ") Reuben Clough, Jr., >- Selectmen. Robert Thompson, ) George Savory, collector. Superintending School Committee. A. B. Kelley, E. B. West, H. 0. Howland. Ira Harvey. David Harvey, with his family (in- cluding his son Abner), came from Amesbiiry. They settled on an excellent farm on Tory Hill. Abner occupied the family homestead during his lifetime, and was a forehanded farmer. He had a large family of sons and daughters. The names of the sons were David, Abner, Jr., and Ira. Ira, the youngest but one of twelve children, was born December 3, 1809. In childhood and youth he suffered from infirm health, and gave evidence of being unsuited to the hard, out-door labors of the farm. He attended the schools of his own district 388 HISTORY OF WARNER. " punctually, and lengthened out his school-days by gohig mto adjoining districts. He also attended school at Hopkinton academy one term, in the fall of 1828. In September, 1829, at the age of nineteen, he went as clerk into the store of Jeremiah Paige at Bradford, and remained till June, 1834. Then, after spending a few months at home on the farm, he be- came a clerk in the store of Nathan S. Colby at War- ner. Here he remained till February, 1837. From April to July, 1837, he acted as clerk for Robert Thompson ; then hired the Colby store, and com- menced a successful business for himself on a very small capital. He continued at this stand most of the time till 1873, when he retired finally from active business. He has served frequently as town-clerk, and has also represented the town in the legislature. Mr. Harvey was married, Sept. 11, 1838, to Mary, daughter of James Bean, and the children of these parents are Mrs. Baxter, Mrs. Wilson, Frederick, Ab- bie, and Dr. Luther. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1854. H. D. Robertson, moderator. R. Thompson, town-clerk. For Governor. Nathaniel B. Baker, 257 Jared Perkins, 75 James Bell, 24 TOWN RECORDS. 389 JRe2Jresentatives. H. D. Kobertson, Levi Collins. Samuel W. Colby, \ Lewis Holmes, > Selectmen. J. M. Harriman, ) Wm. R. Sargent, collector. Superintending School Committee. H. 0. Rowland, S. S. Bean, N. J. Pinkham. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1855. H. D. Robertson, moderator. George T. Watkins, town-clerk. For Gomrnor. Ealph Metcalf, 177 Nathaniel B. Baker, 245 Scattering, 10 Representatives. Levi Collins, Benjamin C. Davis. Lewis Holmes, \ J. M. Harriman, v Selectmen. Reuben Clougli, Jr., ) George Savory, collector. Superintending School Gomtnittee. H. 0. Rowland, K. J. Pinkbam, A. B. Kelley. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1856. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Geo. T. Watkins, town-clerk. For Governor. Ralph Metcalf, 183 John S. Wells, 284 390 HISTOEY OF WARNER. Meprese^itatives. Benjamin C. Davis, Lewis Holmes. A. W. Harriman, \ E. M. Dunbar, > Selectmen. S. C. Pattee, ) George Savory, collector. ■Superintending School Committee. H. 0. Rowland, N. J. Pinkham, L. Willis. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1857. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Geo. T. Watkins, town-clerk. Fo7' Governor. William Haile, 185 John S. WeUs, 279 Hepresentatives. Lewis Holmes, Samuel W. Colby. A. W. Harriman, ^ E. M. Dunbar, > Selectmen. S. C. Pattee, j Franklin Simonds, collector. Superintending School Committee. A. B. Kelley, H. H. Harriman, L. W. Collins. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1858. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Geo. T. Watkins, town-clerk. For Governor. William Haile, 195 Asa P Gate, 283 TOWN RECOEDS. 391 Mepresentatives. Samuel W, Colby, Walter Harriman. Stephen C. Pattee, \ Moses J. Collins, > Selectmen. George Foster, ) Franklin Simonds, collector. Superintending School Comtnittee. L. W. Collins, E. M. Dunbar, W. Harriman. Chose Levi Savory to take charge of the town hall. Voted that the town hall shall not be let short of $5 per even- ing, and shall be free for the use of the town people. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1859. H. D. Robertson, moderator. Oilman A. Bean, town-clerk. For Governor, Ichabod Goodwin, 198 Asa P. Cate, 278 Mepresen tatives. Cummings Marshall, Ephraim M. Dunbar. George Foster, \ John Rogers, \ Selectmen. Jacob R. Sargent, ) H. H. Harriman, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, Oscar B. Harriman, B. Warren Couch. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1860. H. D. Robertson, moderator. G. A. Bean, town-clerk. 392 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. Ichabod Goodwin, 217 Asa P. Gate, 279 Representatives. . C. Marsliall, E. M. Dunbar. Nathaniel A. Davis, \ Moses J. Collins, \ Selectmen. J. M. Harriman, ) H. H. Harriman, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, B. W. Couch, Samuel Davis, Jr. Harrison Darling Robertson, whose name has frequently appeared on the preceding pages, was a native of the adjoining town of Hopkinton. The public records inform us that John Robertson came from England and settled at Salisbury, Mass., and that he was killed by the Indians at that place Oct. 21, 1676. Also, that Wm. Robertson came from Eng- land and settled in Concord, Mass., as early as 1670, and that both of these left many descendants. Harrison D. Robertson was probably a descendant of one of these families. He was born at Hopkinton (old village) in 1806. His father's name was John, and his mother was a Darling. Mr. Robertson came to Warner when a youth or young man, and engaged in the mercantile business, which occupied his atten- tion, more or less, throuorh life. He also carried on o^^^^ -M- TOWN EECORDS. 393 the coopering business on an extensive scale. He was one of Warner's most active and influential men a great many years, and was much in public life. He held the office of post-master fourteen years, of repre- sentative four years, and of moderator and selectman a great number of years. His first wife was a daughter of Hon. Benjamin Evans, and his second (who survives him) a daughter of Dudley Bailey. He died in 1862, aged 56, leaving one son, — John E. Robertson, now of Concord. Mrs. E. H. Carroll, of Warner, is his grand-daughter. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1861. Walter Harriman, moderator. G. A. Bean, town-clerk. For Governor. Nathaniel S. Berry, 194 George Stark, 271 Representatives. Augustine W. Harriman, Stephen C. Pattee. Samuel W. Colby, \ John P. Colby, > Selectmen. Hezekiah B. Harriman, ) H. H. Harriman, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, B. W. Couch, S. Davis, Jr. Voted that interest be charged on all taxes unpaid on tlie first day of January next after the taxes are assessed. CHAPTEE XXYIII. THE WAR — STATE AID — BOUNTIES TO SOLDIERS RAISING THE BID — BOUNTY-JUMPERS — MORE MEN THE ARMY MOVES. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1862. Walter Harriman, moderator. Gilman A. Bean, town-clerk For Governor. Nathaniel S. Berry, 191 George Stark, ' 238 Paul J. Wheeler, 26 JRepresentatives. A. W. Harriman, S. C. Pattee. Samuel W. Colby, \ John P. Colby, V Selectmen. H. B. Harriman, ) Charles P. Rowell, collector. Superintending School Committee. Rev. Henry Stetson. STATE AID. Voted that the Selectmen be instructed to make diligent in- quiry, and if they find any families that desire and need assist- ance, who come under the Laws passed last June in regard to fur- nishing aid to volunteers in the U. S. service, that they should furnish such an amount as in their opinion shall seem just and proper. TOWN EECORDS. 395 BOUNTIES TO SOLDIERS. At a legal meeting, held Aug. 21, 1862, to act on the petition of Reuben Porter and others in regard to paying bounties to volunteers, Stephen C. Pattee act- ing as moderator, — Voted to adopt the resolution introduced by George Jones, which is as follows : Resolved, That the town of Warner will pay each volunteer $150, to be paid when the soldier is mustered into the service of the United States to fill up our quota under the first call of the Pres- ident for three hundred thousand volunteers, agreeably to the warrant. Voted to authorize the Selectmen to borrow a sum of money not exceeding $10,000, to pay the bounty to volunteers agreeably to the foregoing resolution of George Jones. At a subsequent meeting, held Sept. 15, 1862, Sam- uel Davis, Jr., acting as moderator, — Voted that the town of Warner indemnify the Selectmen from all loss, cost or expense to which they may be subjected by rea- son of borrowing money on the credit of said town, agreeably to a vote passed by said town on the 21st day of August, 1862, to pay volunteers $150 each. The reason does not appear why indemnificatioli was thought to be necessary in this case more than in others ; nor can the reader understand how the second vote could indemnify the selectmen more than the first, as a vote of instructions carries indemnification with it. Voted that the Selectmen be instructed to pay Walter Harri- man $150 as town bounty. [The individual referred to here has never called for nor received said bounty.] 26 396 HISTORY OF WARNER. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1863. Robert Thompson, moderator. G. A. Bean, town-clerk. For Governor. Joseph A. Gilmore, 96 Ira A. Eastman, 261 Walter Harriman, 103 Representatives. John P. Colby, Hezekiah B. Harriman. Samuel W. Colby, "j Moses D. Wheeler, V Selectmen. Elijah R. Gilmore, j Charles P. Powell, collector. Superintending School Committee. Henry Stetson, S. C. Pattee, L. W. Collins. Voted to instruct our representatives to oppose the purchase of a County Poor Farm. One person who received votes for governor at this election was not a candidate of any organized party, but was voted for by such as were dissatisfied with the regular candidates, or with one of those candi- dates. At a meeting, held Sept. 19, 1863, to act on the petition of Oilman A. Bean and others, — To see if the Town will vote to pay $300 to each drafted man or his substitute, — on motion of B. F. Harriman, Voted to in- struct the Selectmen to pay each conscript, or his substitute, $300, ten days after being mustered into the service of the United States. TOWN RECORDS. 397 Voted that the Selectmen are hereby authorized and directed to borrow the money and give town notes suflficient to pay each drafted man, or his substitute, $300, agreeably to the resolution of B. F. Harriman, as just passed. A subsequent meeting was held Dec. 4, 1863, and the selectmen were authorized to fill the quota of the town, " under the last call of the president for 300,000 volunteers," and to advance the bounty money offered to volunteers by the United States and by the state of New Hampshire ; also, to borrow a sufficient sum of money on the credit of the town to pay the same. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1864. Robert Thompson, moderator. G. A. Bean, town-clerk. For Gover7ior. Joseph A. Gilmore, 195 Edward W. Harrington, 261 Iie2)resentatii:es. John P. Colby, Hezekiah B. Harriman. Moses D. Wheeler, \ E. E.. Gilmore, > Selectmen. C. G. McAlpine, ) Charles P. Eowell, collector. Superintending School Committee. H. S. Huntington, S. C. Pattee, L. W. Collins. Voted to instruct the Selectmen (if in their power) to change the town debt from the present rate of six per cent, interest, to the rate of 5 per cent, for three years, or four percent, for 5 years. 398 HISTORY OF WARNER. At a legal meeting, held June 4, 1864, the followmg resolution, offered by F. P. Harriman, was adopted : Eesolved, That the Selectmen be authorized to raise, by note or otherwise, a sufficient sum of money to jiay three hundred dol- lars each to drafted men or their substitutes, who are noAV or may hereafter be drafted, to fill the present or any future quota of the town. KAISING THE BID. At a meeting, held July 7th of the same year, — Voted to adopt the resolution of Stephen S. Bean, which was as follows : Resolved, That the Selectmen of the town of Warner be author- ized to procure volunteers to be enlisted into the service of the United States, to be credited to said town, a number not exceed- ing fifty, and that they be authorized to pay a sum not exceeding $800 to each volunteer so enlisted, and that they be further au- thorized to borrow, upon the credit of the town, a sum of money, not exceeding $40,000, for said purpose. At another meeting, held Aug. 20th of the same year,— Voted, That the Selectmen be hereby instructed to pay Oliver P. Reddington, a sum of money not exceeding $300, as bounty for a substitute furnished by him, and credited to the town. Voted to choose an Agent to recruit soldiers in the insurgent States, as provided by an act for that purpose, approved August 19, 1864. Christopher G. Mc Alpine was appointed as such agent. Samuel Davis, Jr., was appointed to recruit in War- ner and Concord. WORTHLESS RECRUITS. 399 BOUNTY-JUMPERS. The town, state, and national bounties now amount- ed to SljOOO or $1,200 to a man, and " bomity-jmTip- ing" became a business. A man would enlist for a certain town, take his bounty, desert, and, under another name, enlist for another town ; and so con- tinue, enlisting and deserting, to the end of the war. The South was visited, the great cities were hunt ed, and Canada was raked over for recruits. Even the doors of jails and prisons were opened, in certain cases, and the inmates w^ere granted immunity from punishment on enlisting as soldiers to vindicate the integrity of the government. Of such recruits, 625 were sent forward to fill the depleted ranks of the 11th N. H. Regiment, but only 240 of them ever reached the regiment at all. Other commands fared no better, and some not as well. The N. H. Adjutant-General's Report (vol. 2, 1865), beginning on page 574, and ending on page 590, gives the names of 425 recruits who were enlisted in 1864, under the stimulus of these extravagant boun- ties, 300 of whom deserted in less than two months after being mustered into the service ; 122 are not accounted for (most or all of whom undoubtedly de- serted) ; two died ; and one served his country ! 400 HISTORY OF WARNER. MORE MEN. A call for 500,000 more men was made by the pres- ident in August, 1864, and another meeting, to pro- vide ways and means to meet that call, was held in Warner on the 27th day of that month. N. G. Ordway offered a preamble and resolution, which were adopted, setting forth what had been done at previous meetings, and approving the same ; also approving of what had been done by the select- men and the agents appointed to procure recruits, and instructing the selectmen and agents to use their best efforts to fill the quota of the town, under the last call of the president, in any legal manner. Frank P. Harriman presented the following resolu- tion, which was adopted : Resolved, That the town be authorized to pay a sum of money, not exceeding $800, as heretofore voted, to all who have been res- idents in town for three months, who may be or have been en- listed for three years, under the last call of the President for 500,000 men, or in that proportion for a less term of service ; and also, that the town be authorized to pay the sum of $300, in addition, provided the State bounty be, by any means, cut off ; also the town be authorized to pay $200, in addition to the $800, provided the present quota of the town be filled without a draft. THE ARMY MOVES. At a meeting, held Sept. 3, 1864, — Voted to pay to one year's men $000. Voted three cheers to Gen. Sherman and his Army for taking Atlanta! TOWN RECORDS. 401 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER, 1864. Robert Thompson, moderator ; prayer was offered by Rev. Lemuel Willis. The Lincoln electors received 203 votes. " McClellan " " 275 " Voted to pay Don E. Scott a bounty of f 150. [Scott had en- listed before the town offered bounties of $ 150, but was not 7nics- tered till afterwards.] Another meeting was held, Dec. 16, 1864, and the selectmen were mstructed to pay $300 to any citizen of Warner who had furnished, or who should furnish, a substitute for himself, to enter the service as a part of the quota of the town. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1865. Robert Thompson, moderator. Moses D. Wheeler, town-clerk. JFor Governor. Frederick Smyth, 190 Edward W. Harrington, 241 Hejn'esentatives. Elijah R. Gilmore, John Rogers. C. G. McAlpine, \ J. M. Harriman, > Selectmen. Geo. P. Harvey, ) Samuel Davis, Jr., collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, S. Davis, Jr. 402 HISTORY OF WARNER. On the question of the expediency of buying a county poor-farm, the vote stood, yeas, 5 ; nays, 145. Voted to fund the floating debt of the town by issuing bonds to an amount not exceeding $50,000, said bonds to bear interest not exceeding 6 per cent, per annum. TOWN FARM. At a meeting, held Feb. 6, 1866, Samuel Davis, Jr., acting as moderator, — Eeuben Porter moved that the Town Farm be sold, and the vote stood, yeas, 21 ; nays. 23. ANNUAL MEETING, MAECH, 1866. Robert Thompson, moderator. M. D. Wheeler, town-clerk. For Governor. Frederick Smyth, 194 John G. Sinclair, 257 Mepresen ta lives. Elijah E.. Gilmore, John Eogers. J. M. Harriman, \ L. W. Collins, > Selectmen. Charles Currier, ) Samuel Davis, Jr., collector. Sui^erintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, S. Davis, Jr., Albert Heald. CHAPTER XXIX. END OF TOWN RECORDS MOUNTAIN ROAD WARNER HIGH SCHOOL RIVER BOW PARK ROAD AND RESERVOIRS — FUND- ING THE DEBT CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION COUNTY BUILDINGS — UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1867. Kobert Thompson, moderator. John E. Robertson, town-clerk. For Governor. Walter Harriman, 186 John G. Sinclair, 268 Onslow Stearns, 10 Hepresentatives. Samuel Davis, Moses J. Collins. L. W. Collins, \ Charles Currier, \ Selectmen. Joseph Mace, ) Geo. S. Eowell, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, S. Davis, Albert Heald. On the question, " Is it expedient to abolish pauper settle- ments in town, and throw the entire support of paupers upon the counties ?" the vote stood, yeas, 11 ; nays, 124. Voted that the Selectmen be instructed to raise money on the credit of the Town, to renew or change notes against the town, and to take such measures as they deem expedient to meet the floating debt. 404 HISTORY OF WARNER. Walter Harriman was born at the foot of the Mink Hills, in Warner, April 8, 1817. Reared on a large, rough farm, he was early acquainted with work. He received a good public school and academic education, and in his early days taught schools in New Hamp- shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. While in pursuit of a school in the latter State, he walked two hundred miles, having no money to pay fares. At the age of 22, while in New Jersey, he wrote several sermons, portions of which afterwards found their way into print. At the age of 23 he con- nected himself with the Universalist denomination, and commenced preaching in Warner. In the spring of 1841 he settled in Harvard, Mass. After remain- ing there four years, he returned to Warner, and not long thereafter abandoned the pulpit altogether. He was then engaged, for a time, in mercantile business. In 1849 he was elected as representative to the legis- lature of the state from the town of Warner. During the session of that year he frequently occupied the speaker's chair. He was reelected in 1850, and again in 1858, and was the candidate of his party for the speakership the last-named year. In 1853 he was elected state treasurer, and in 1854 was reelected by seventeen majority, though his j)arty in the legislature, at that session, was unable to elect senators or a state printer. In 1856 he was appointed by the president of the WALTER HARRIMAN. 405 United States on a board of three commissioners, to classify and appraise Indian lands in Kansas Territory. The amount of "land to be appraised was equal to about two thirds of the state of New Hampshire, The commissioners, in the discharge of their duty, often slept on the open prairie, and sometimes in Indian wigwams. In 1859 he was elected to the state senate from District No. 8, and was reelected in 1860. In the spring of 1861 he became the editor and one of the proprietors of the Weekly Union, at Man- chester, which paper strongly indorsed the national administration in its efforts to preserve the unity of the republic. In August, 1862, he was appointed colonel of the 11th Regiment N. H. Vols., and was with his com- mand at the closings scene when Lee surrendered. [See Chapter XXXIL] In June, 1865, he was elected by the legislature as secretary of state, and in 1866 was reelected to the same office. In 1867, being a candidate for the office of gov- ernor, he met the opposing candidate, Hon. John G. Sinclair, in joint debate, at thirteen different places. He was elected by a decisive majority, and was re- elected, after a severe contest, in 1868. Upon the accession of Gen. Grant to the presiden- cy, he was appointed naval officer at the port of Bos- 406 HISTORY OF WARNER. ton for four years, and was reappointed for a like term in 1873. He has taken part, in one and another of the excit- ing pohtical campaigns of the past, in many of the states of the Union. In a discussion at the old meeting-house, in Loudon Centre, with Hon. Cyrus Barton, of Concord, Februa- ry, 1855, Mr. Barton dropped dead at his side. Mr. H. gave the oration at the centennial celebra- tion in Concord, July 4, 1876. The honorary degree of a. m. was conferred on him by Dartmouth college, in 1867. In the spring of 1872 he became a resident of Con- cord, his present home. He married, in September, 1841, Apphia K., daugh- ter of Capt. Stephen Hoyt. She died in September, 1843. In October, 1844, he married Almira R. An- drews. Their oldest child and only daughter (Geor- gia) was born July, 1846. She married J. R Leeson, a merchant of Boston. The two sons are spoken of in Chapter XXXI. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1868. Robert Thompson, moderator. John E. Robertson, town-clerk. For Governor. Walter Harriman, 222 John G. Sinclair, 274 TOWN RECORDS. 407 JRepresen tatives. Samuel Davis, Moses J. Collins. Charles Currier, \ Gilman A. Bean, V Selectmen. John W. Clement, ) George S. Rowell, collector. Superintending School Committee. Samuel Davis, A. Heald, H. S. Huntington. Voted that one half of the Railroad Tax, and one half of the remainder of the Literary Fund now on hand, be divided equally among the several School Districts in Town, and the remaining one half among the scholars. John E. Robertson having resigned the office of town-clerk, the selectmen, Dec. 8, 1868, appointed Gilman C. George to fill the vacancy. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1869. Robert Thompson, moderator. Gilman C. George, town-clerk. " For Governor. Onslow Stearns, 214 John Bedell, 269 Representatives. Christopher G. McAlpiue, Lemuel W. Collins, Gilman A. Bean, \ John W. Clement, >- Selectmen. Isaac K. Connor, ) Cyrus Hale, collector. Superintending School Committee. Messrs. Huntington, Pattee, and Heald. 408 HISTORY OF WARNER. MOUNTAIN EOAD. The Warner and Kearsarge Road Company was chartered by the legislature in 1866. At a legal meeting, held in Warner, Sept. 1, 1869, to take into consideration the building of a road to the top of Kearsarge mountain, Stephen C. Pattee was chosen moderator. H. H. Harriman, in behalf of the petitioners, explained the feasibility, distance, and grades of the proposed road, and estimated the whole expense, including land damages, at $5,000. N. G. Ordway, in remarks favoring the road, pro- posed to guarantee the building of the southerly end, from a point in McHammond's pasture to a junction, at some suitable point, with the Tory Hill road, free of expense to the town, if the town would lay out and build the balance. Voted tliat a committee of seven be appointed by tbe ^lodera- tor, to examine the proposed route, and make an estimate of the cost of the road. The moderator appointed H. H. Harriman, W. Scott Davis, L. W. Collins, C. G. McAlpine, Uriah Ager, G. C. George, and Wm. R. Sargent. At a subsequent meeting the committee made a long report, and after much discussion the meeting adjourned, no action having been taken. . WARNER HIGH SCHOOL. In the will of the late Franklin Simonds, dated August 19, 1869, the following clause appears : WARNER HIGH SCHOOL. 409 My wish is to leave some token of my regard for the town of Warner, which has so long been the place of my residence. An appropriation towards the support of a High School in said town, occurs to me as the best form of such a token. In order to secure for the school proper interest and oversight, as well as adequate support, I desire that it shall be so constituted that the town Avill have the right and duty to sustain it, and that its advantages will be open to all the inhabitants of said town without any distinc- tion whatever on account of religious or other opinions. I therefore give to Robert Thompson, George Jones, Gilman A, Bean, Stephen S. Bean, Stephen C. Pattee, Samuel W. Colby, and Henry S. Huntington, all of Warner, and to their survivors and successors, appointed as is hereinafter provided, the sum of Twent}^ Thousand Dollars, in trust for the following uses and purposes, and subject to the conditions following. Then the "conditions" are stated in detail, and at length. In substance they are as follows: The trus- tees are to manage the fund, and apply the income to the support of the school ; the whole town to be made and constituted, under the General Statutes of New Hampshire, a high school district ; such district to pro- vide and maintain a suitable building, of the value of not less than $6000, for the use of the school ; said building to be located in Warner village. If the his:h school district should not be constitut- ed, or if the building should not be provided, within the space of three years after the decease of the tes- tator, then the bequest was to fall. If, again, said high school district should be dissolved, or should neg- lect, for the space of twelve months in succession, to maintain a school, then the fund was to be withdrawn. Mrs. Abigail K. Simonds (wife of the above), by her 410 HISTORY OP WARNER. will, dated Sept. 1, 1870, added $5000 to the fore- going fund. She also gave $5000 towards building the school-house. Franklin Simonds. The writer has but little knowl- edge of the ancestry of Mr. Simonds. He may have descended from Moses Simonds, who was born in Ley- den, who came to this country in the ship Fortune, in 1621, and settled in that part of Plymouth which is now Duxbury. This Moses was one of the original purchasers of Dartmouth, Mass., and one of the pro- prietors of Bridgewater. Franklin Simonds was born at Lexington, Mass. He left home when 20 years of age, to engage in busi- ness in New Ipswich, N. H. During his residence there he became acquainted with his future wife (Abi- gail Kimball, of Fitchburg), who was a teacher at New Ipswich. After his marriage, Mr. Simonds lived at Peterborough, at Drewsville (a village of Walpole), and at Newport, before coming to Warner. After coming to Warner, which occurred about the year 1836, he carried on the cotton factory above Gould's mills a short time, and was also engaged in trade at Waterloo. He served as deputy sheriff seventeen years, and two years as representative in the legisla- ture. He also served a number of years as president of Warner Bank. His only child, who lived to ma- ture age (Miss Alice Simonds), died suddenly at Rye Beach, a few years before the decease of her father. o- c-^^^^J HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. 411 At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Warner, Jan. 4, 1870, S. C. Pattee acting as moder- ator, — Voted that a Committee of nine be appointed by the Modera- tor to solicit subscriptions towards building a School House, to report at a subsequent meeting what further sum of money may be thought necessary to comply with the Will of the late Mr. Si- monds, also incidental expenses of running the school ; and that when this meeting adjourn, it adjourn to meet at this place on Saturday ptrevious to the next annual town meeting. The moderator appointed N. G. Ordway, Samuel H. Dow, Henry S. Huntington, Albert Heald, Samuel Davis, W. Scott Davis, Oilman A. Bean, C. G. McAl- pine, and John Rogers for said committee. HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT. At the adjourned meeting, March 5, 1870, — Voted that the town resolve itself into a High School District. The committee appointed Jan. 4, reported that they had obtained subscriptions towards building a house for the high school, amounting to $1,912.76. They also expressed it as their judgment that the number of pupils for whom provision should be made in the high school building is about 100. In regard to the current expenses of the school, such as repairs of the building, insurance, fuel, etc., the committee presented the following resolution : Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that the funds received from scholars from adjoining towns, in the nature 27 412 HISTORY OF WARNER. of tuition, will fully cover the annual expense of running the school. In reference to the hiring of teachers, the following resolution was adopted by the committee : Resolved, that in the judgment of this committee, good and competent teachers for the High School can be secured by the in- come of the fund left by Mr. Simonds. In reference to the cost of the school-house, the fol- lowing resolution was adopted : Resolved, That in the opinion of this committee, $6000 will furnish a suitable wooden building for a High School. The committee further reported, that, — As the amount raised by subscription is $1,912.76, it will be seen that the balance to be raised by the Town is $4,087.24, and we recommend that this sum be raised by tax upon the town. The meeting, after receiving the foregoing report of the committee, adjourned, without taking action, to the 26th day of March. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1870. Stej)hen C. Pattee, moderator. Gilman C. George, town-clerk. For Governor. Onslow Stearns, 193 John Bedell, 224 Samuel Flint, 19 JRejwesentatives. C. G. McAlpine, L. W. Collins. DISTRICT DISSOLVED. . 413 John E. Robertsoiij ^ E. M. Dunbar, > Selectmen. Jacob Osgood, ) Cyrus Hale, collector. Superintending School Committee. Messrs. Huntington, Heald, and Davis. HIGH SCHOOL AGAIN. At the adjourned meeting March 26, 1870, — Voted to proceed to choose a Prudential Committee. S. C. Pattee, W. S. Davis, and L. W. Collins were chosen. Then the following resolution was passed : Resolved, That this meeting does not deem itself called upon, by sound policy, to entertain any proposition now before it, look- ing to the sale of the Town House to the High School District. Voted to dissolve the meeting. DISTRICT DISSOLVED. At a special meeting, held March 1, 1871, S. C. Pat- tee acting as moderator, — Resolved, That the High School District, established and consti- tuted by the vote of the town on the 5th day of March, 1870, be and is hereby discontinued and dissolved, ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1871. S. C. Pattee, moderator. G. C. George, town-clerk. For Governor. James A. Weston, 259 James Pike, 176 414 HISTORY OP WARNER, Represen tatives . Charles Currier, Moses D. Wheeler. John E. Eobertson, "j E. M. Dunbar, V Selectmen. Jacob Osgood, J Cyrus Hale, collector. Superintending School Committee. H. S. Huntington, S. Davis, Walter Sargent. REVIVIFIED. At a legal meeting, held at the town hall, March 18, 1871, Stephen S. Bean, moderator, — Resolved, That the town of Warner, in view of the bequests of Franklin Sinionds, late of Warner, of twenty thousand dollars, and of Abigail K. Simonds, late of Warner, of five thousand dol- lars, as a fund, the income to be applied for the purpose of a high school, establish a high school, and that said tow^n be and hereby is constituted a high school district, including the whole territory of said town. THE HOUSE ERECTED. During the summer of 1871, the high school build- ing, with brick walls, w^as erected and finished. The first term of school in it commenced the 4th day of December of that year. The cost of the building, fences, etc., was something above $10,000, but the whole amount was contributed by individuals, as fol- lows : Mrs. Simonds, $5,000 Oilman A. Bean, 2,160 ROADS AND RESERVOIRS. 415 Samuel H. Dow, $2,160 George Jones, 250 C. a McAlpine, 250 John E. Robertson, 250 Ira Harvey, Wm. K. Morrill, Reuben Cloiigh, Leon- iclas Harriman, and John C. Bean made smaller con- tributions. RIVER-BOAV PARK. In 1871 Stephen C. Pattee inaugurated a home fair at Warner. That year and the next the exhibitions were in the street. In 1873 Nehemiah G. Ordway laid off from his intervale land, between the river and the railroad, ten or twelve acres for a fair ground. He erected buildings and stalls, and made a track for horse-trotting. In 1875 the "River-Bow Park Com- pany " was incorporated by the legislature. The company, which embraces eight or ten of the sur- rounding towns, organized in 1876, and purchased the grounds and buildings. The presidents of this society have been Levi Bartlett, E. C. Bailey, N. G. Ordway, and S. C. Pattee, and its exhibitions have been suc- cessful. ROADS AND RESERVOIRS. A special meeting was called, October, 1871, to see if the town would aid "The Warner and Kearsarge Road Company" to the extent of |l3,000; also, to see if the town would exempt from taxation, for the term of ten years, one half of the taxable value of the mill 416 HISTORY OF WARNER. property, upon Warner river, of those mill-owners who have paid their proportion of the expense of forming a reservoir at Long pond in Sutton ; also, to exempt from taxation, for ten years, the whole of said mill propertj^, whenever said mill-owners shall, to the sat- isfaction of the selectmen of said town of Warner, in the like manner, have established Bradford pond as an additional and permanent reservoir for the water- power of said river, and to instruct the representatives of the town to procure the necessary legislation for the foregoing purpose. After discussion, voted to pass over both articles in the warrant. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1872. Stephen C. Pattee, moderator. Augustus K. Putnam, town-cleric. For Governor. Ezekiel A. Straw, 188 James A. Weston, 249 Represen tatives. Charles Currier, Moses D. Wheeler. John E. Eobertson, \ Chas. H. Colby, Jr., > Selectmen. John H. Dowlin, ) George S. Rowell, collector. Superintending School Committee. H. S. Huntington, S. Davis, Walter Sargent. EOAD BOND. 417 At the presidential election, November, 1872, Ste- phen S. Bean, moderator, — The Grant electors received 152 votes. " Greeley " " 254 « The town proceeded to act on the third article in the warrant, having reference to aid to the Mountain road. Stephen C. Pattee introduced a resolution, authorizing: and instructino; the selectmen to subscribe for and hold, in the name of the town, twenty shares, of the value of $100 each, of the stock of the " War- ner and Kearsarge Road Company," provided, how- ever, that the foregoing resolution shall not be bind- ing on the part of the town until said road is com- pleted, or until responsible parties shall furnish a bond, to the satisfaction of the selectmen, to build said road without further assistance from the town. Samuel Davis proposed the following amendment to the resolution : And provided further, that the town have two fifths of the five directors, and that the first and second selectmen shall he ex officio said directors. The amendment was adopted, and the resolution, thus amended, passed. ROAD BOND. N. G. Ordway and AYm. E. Chandler furnished a bond, in the sum of four thousand dollars, on the 27th day of February, 1873, to complete the Mountain road, without expense to the town of Warner beyond 418 HISTORY OF WARNER. the appropriation of $2000 made in November, 1872 ; the said Ordway and Chandler binding themselves to complete the road on or before the first day of June, 1874, to a point about eight rods below the summit of Kearsarge mountain, — and the selectmen, for the town, coming under obligation to pay over the $2000 appropriated, on these conditions. This road was built, under the supervision of N. G. Ordway, in 1873 and 1874, commencing at Hurricane Gate, and extending to near the top of the mountain. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1873. Stephen S. Bean, moderator. Augustus E. Putnam, town-clerk. For Governor. Ezekiel A. Straw, 153 James A. Weston, 226 Samuel K. Mason, 7 Hepresentatives. John E. Eobertson, John W. Clement. Charles H. Colby, Jr., \ John H. DoAvHn, > Selectmen. Stephen S. Bean, ) George S. Eowell, collector. Stuperintending School Comtnittee. S. S. Bean, Walter Sargent, Frank W. Graves. Voted to exempt the capital stock in the Shoe Factory from taxation for the term of ten years. FUNDING THE DEBT. 419 ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1874. Samuel Davis, moderator. Augustus R. Putnam, town-clerk. For Governor. James -A. Weston, 242 Luther McCutchins, 172 Mepresentatices. John E. Robertson, John W. Clement. John H. Dowlin, \ J. M. Harriman, \ Selectmen. George W. Dow, ) George Upton, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. S. Bean, S. C. Pattee, S. Davis. FUNDING THE DEBT. Voted to fund the town debt in what is known as 5-20 Bonds ; the amount not to exceed $30,000; the bonds to be in denomina- tions of not less than $50, nor more than $1000; the rate of interest not to exceed 6 per cent. James M. Harriman, Albert P. Davis, and Samuel H. Dow were appointed as a board of commissioners to prepare said bonds and determine the denomina- tions of the same ; also, to have fidl authority to negotiate and sell said bonds, provided they shall not be sold at less than par. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1875. Stephen C. Pattee, moderator. Augustus R. Putnam, town-clerk. 420 HISTORY OF WARNER. For Governor. Person C. Cheney, 202 Hiram R. Roberts, 238 jRepresentatives. John H. Dowlin, Nehemiah G. Ordway. J. M. Harriman, \ George W. Dow, \ Selectmen. Philip C. Wheeler, ) George Upton, collector. Sxcper intending School Committee. Messrs. Bean, Davis, and Pattee. ASSESSORS. At a special meeting, August 14, 1875, S. S. Bean offered the following resolution : Resolved, That the town proceed to choose by ballot six persons to serve as assessors the present year. The resolution was adopted, and the following per- sons were chosen, — viz., Charles Currier, Hezekiah C. Dowlin, Samuel H. Dow, Bartlett Hardy, Eeuben Clough, and George Savory. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1876. N. G. Ordway, moderator. Augustus R. Putnam, town-clerk. For Governor. Person C. Cheney, 253 Daniel Marcy, 222 Itepresentatives. John H. Dowlin, N. G. Ordway. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. 421 Jesse D. Currier, ^ Philip C. Wheeler, >- Selectmen. Paine Davis, ) George W. Smith, collector. Superintending School Committee. S. C. Pattee, E. C. Cole, E. Eugene Walker. On the question, " Is it exj^edient to revise the Constitution of the State ?" the vote stood, yeas, 139 ; nays, 114. On motion of A. P. Davis, — Voted that the Selectmen be authorized to sell the Stock in the Warner and Kearsarge Mountain Road Company, held by the town, at public auction. At the presidential election, November, 1876, N. G. Ordway acting as moderator, the Hayes electors re- ceived 253 votes; Tilden electors, 219. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. N. G. Ordway and William H. Walker were chosen delegates to the constitutional convention, to be held in Concord the December following;. Albert P. Davis, Warren C. Johnson, and Wm. K. Morrill were appointed a committee to take into con- sideration the question of enlarging and repairing the town-house. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1877. N. CI. Ordway, moderator. Benjamin E. Heath, town-clerk. For Governor. Benjaiiiin F. Prescott, 256 Daniel Marcy, 213 422 HISTORY OF WARNER. Mepresentatives. N. G. Ordway, Henry C. Davis. Jesse D. Currier, \ Paine Davis, > Selectmen. James G. Ela, J George Savory, collector. Superintending School Committee. Messrs. Pattee, Cole, and Walker. THE NEW CONSTITUTION. The constitutional convention, which assembled at Concord in December, 1876, continued in session eleven days, framed a constitution, and submitted the same in thirteen questions to the qualified voters of the state. At the annual election, March, 1877, the vote was taken, and all the propositions were adopted by a two-thirds vote (that being required), except the first and twelfth. Those were defeated. The vote of Warner, on the several propositions, stood as follows : 1. Do you approve of striking out the word " Protestant " in the Bill of Eights, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 93 ; nays, 228. 2. Do you approve of so amending the Constitution, that the general court shall be authorized to provide for the trial of causes in which the value in controversy does not exceed one hundred dollars and title to real estate is not concerned, without the in- tervention of a jury, as proposed by the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 196 ; nays, 123. 3. Do you apiDrove of the biennial election of governor, coun- cillors, members of the senate and house of representatives, and THE NEW CONSTITUTION. 423 biennial sessions of the legislature, as proposed in the amended Constitution? Yeas, 203; nays, 117. 4. Do you approve of a house of representatives based upon population, and constituted and chosen as provided in the amend- ed Constitution ? Yeas, 28 ; nays, 294. 5. Do you approve of a senate of twenty -four members, to be constituted and chosen as provided in the amended Constitution? Yeas, 188 ; nays, 131. 6. Do you approve of the election, by the people, of registers of probate, solicitors, and sheriffs, as provided in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 208 ; nays, 105. 7. Do 3^ou approve of abolishing the religious test as a qualifi- cation for oifice, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 136 ; nays, 83. 8. Do you approve of prohibiting the general court from au- thorizing towns or cities to loan or give their money or credit to corporations, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 182 ; nays, 130. 9. Do you approve of changing the time for holding the state election from March to November, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 233 ; nays, 89. 10. Do you approve of authorizing the general court to provide that ap23eals from a justice of the peace may be tried by some other court without the intervention of a jury, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 182 ; naj^s, 126. 11. Do you approve of authorizing the general court to increase the jurisdiction of justices of the pence to one hundred dollars, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 144; nays, 266. 12. Do you approve of the jiroposed amendment prohibiting the removal from office for political reasons ? Yeas, 149 ; nays, 166. 13. Do you approve the proposed amendment prohibiting money raised by taxation from being applied to the support of the schools or institutions of any religious sect or denomination, as proposed in the amended Constitution ? Yeas, 205 ; nays, 101. Nehemiah George Ordway was born at the extreme west end of the North village, Nov. 10, 1828. At the 424 HISTORY OF WARNER. age of eight years he went to live with his grand- father, Isaiah Flanders, at Warner village. In sum- mer seasons, till he was about 17 years of age, he assisted in the cultivation of his grandfather's farm. After a time, in the winter season, he was engaged successively in the country stores of H. D. Robertson, Robert Thompson, and George Wadleigh. At the age of 18 he attended a high school at Bradford, taught by Gilbert "Wadleigh. The next year he went to Bos- ton, purchased a stock of goods, and set up a small store near the ground that Union Hall now stands upon. In June, 1855, he was elected a doorkeeper of the New Hampshire house of representatives, and in 1856 was reelected to the same office. He was also elected assistant clerk, |9ro tern., of the house, in 1856. In July of the same year he was appointed by Gov. Haile sheriff of Merrimack county, and in the fall of that year he removed to Concord. In 1857 he was elected marshal of that city, and collector of taxes. During the political campaign of 1860, he served as chairman of the Republican State Committee. In 1861 he was appointed general agent of the Post-office Department for the New England states. In December, 1863, he was elected sergeant-at- arms of the United States House of Representatives, and was reelected in 1865, '67, '69, '71, and '73, so that he held this office for twelve consecutive years. NEHEMIAH GEORGE ORDWAY. 425 He served on the staff of Gov. Smyth, with the rank of colonel. At the March election in 1875 he was elected as one of the representatives from Warner to the legisla- ture of the state, and was reelected in 1876 and 1877. In 1875 and 1876 he served as chairman of the Com- mittee on Railroads, and in 1877 as chairman of the Committee on Finance. In the fall of 1876 he was chosen a delegate to the constitutional convention, which met at Concord in December of that year. In November, 1877, he was appointed by the gov- ernor a member of the tax commission, which board reported, at the session of the legislature in 1878, nineteen bills for chansrins; the mode of the assess- O CD ment and collection of taxes upon the various classes of property in the state. At the November election of 1878 he was elected, under the amended constitution, to the state senate, for the Merrimack district, for the term of two years. The remodelling and enlarging of the hotel at Warner village was mainly due to Mr. Ordway, and his prominence in the bank, in the construction of the Mountain road, and in the establishment of the Fair grounds, is set forth, to some extent, elsewhere in this and in the XXVIIth chapters. Mr. Ordway married, in 1848, Nancy, youngest daughter of Daniel Bean, Sen. Their children who 426 HISTORY OF WARNER. have lived to mature age, are Mrs. E. L. Whitford, of Concord, George L. (who is spoken of in Chapter XXXI), and Florence. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1878. L. W. Collins, moderator. B. F. Heath, town-clerk. For Governor. B. F. Prescott, 248 Frank A. McKean, 236 Representatwes. Henry C. Davis ; one vacancy. L. W. Collins, \ Benjamin C. Flanders, > Selectmen. Eeuben Clough, ) George Upton, collector. Superintending School Committee. E. C. Cole, Fred Myron Colby, Geo. N. Tewksbury. On motion of A. P. Davis, — Kesolved, That our Representative in the General Court be in- structed to vote against any appropriation for the purpose of re- building the County Poor-Farm buildings. COUNTY BUILDINGS. At a special meeting, April 13, 1878, Leonidas Har- riman, moderator, — Voted to return to the Town system of supporting paupers. Yeas, 236 ; nays, none. Voted against rebuilding the County Buildings, which had been destroyed by fire. Yeas, 210 ; nays, none. TOWN RECORDS. 427 Resolved, That we believe the best interests of the county require that the county projjerty at Boscawen should be sold im- mediately. UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION. Under the new constitution, State elections are to be held biennially, on the first Tuesday of November. Town elections are held, under a law of the state, an- nually, in March, as usual. The first election under this constitution took place Nov. 5, 1878, when a gov- ernor, members of congress, councillors, members of the senate and house of representatives, and county officers, were elected for two years. Warner having a less population than 1800, is entitled to but one representative under the new constitution. At this election in Warner, L. W. Collins was cho- sen moderator. For Governor. Natt Head received 227 votes. Frank A. McKean received 247 votes. Warren G. Brown received 6 votes. Charles H. Couch was elected representative. A committee was appointed, consisting of A. P. Davis, P. C. Wheeler, and J. H. Dowlin, to re-fund the bonded debt of the town. ANNUAL MEETING, MARCH, 1879. L. W. Collins, moderator. Lloyd H. Adams, town-clerk. 28 428 HISTORY OF WAENER. L. W. Collins, J B. C. Flanders, > Selectmen. Reuben Clougli, ) George Upton, collector, Luther J. Clement, treasurer. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO RE-FUND THE DEBT OF THE TOWN. The committee, appointed on the 5th day of November, 1878, for the purpose of re-funding the bonded debt of the town at a lower rate of interest, in making this preliminary and partial report, beg leave to say, that they have sold nearly $19,000 of the new 5-20 4 per cent, bonds, leaving only about $1,000 unsold at this date. Your committee have no doubt, when the 1st day of Ma}^, 1879, arrives, at which time the old 6 per cent, town bonds are redeemable, that without borrowing, and from the sale of the new bonds alo?ie, they will have sufficient money with which to redeem every 6 per cent, bond outstanding. Your committee congratulate the town over this successful financial operation, whereby a saving in interest alone will result to the town of more than $2,300 during the period before these 4 per cent, bonds are due — a sum equivalent to the payment of 12 per cent, of our bonded debt. A. P. Davis, P. C. Wheeler, J. H. DOWLIN, Committee. Warner, March 1, 1879. CHAPTEE XXX. KEARSARGE GORE — THE MASONIAN PROPRIETORS — THE CURVE LINE — SURVEY OF THE GORE — WILMOT INCORPORATED — THE GORE RECORDS. IHE history of Kearsarge Gore is interesting in every line, and especially so to the inhabitants of Warner, because for sixty years and upwards the Gore has constituted a part of Warner. This chapter will set forth, in detail, the story of that mountain region. The Masonian proprietors cannot yet be dismissed. They played an important part in the early history of the Gore, as well as in that of Warner. Capt. John Mason's grandsons were John and Robert Tufton, and Mason left a large property to these grandsons, on condition that they would take his name. This they did. John Tufton Mason had the Mason interest in New Hampshire. He sold this interest (as has been already stated) to a company of twelve gentlemen, whose names appear on a former page. These gran- tees of the Mason property are usually called " The Masonian Proprietors." They were men of character and standing in the province, and they conducted 430 HISTORY OF WARNER. themselves generally with commendable prudence. They were certainly generous towards actual settlers upon their lands. Previous to the time when the twelve came into possession, much litigation and strife had grown out of the Mason claim. The government of the province had, to a certain extent, recognized and defended this claim, and the people, many of them, were greatly irritated thereat. Cases of assault occasionally grew out of this matter. There are still in existence the original depositions, on oath, of Barefoot (deputy gov- ernor) and Mason, relating to an assault made on their persons by Thomas Wiggin and Anthony Nut- ter, who had been members of the assembly. These two men went to Barefoot's house, in Ports- mouth, where Mason lodged, and entered into discus- sion with the latter about his proceedings, denying his claim, and using such language as provoked him to take hold of Wiggin with an intention to thrust him out at the door. But Wiggin, being the stronger man of the two, seized Mason by the cravat, and threw him into the fire, where his clothes and one of his legs were burned. Barefoot, coming to the rescue, met a similar fate, having two of his ribs broken, and one tooth knocked out. Another incident, showing the contempt in which these men and their measures were held, even by the lower class of people, is the following : KEARSARGE GORE, 431 Mary Rann, aged 30 years, or thereabouts, witnesseth, that the 21st day of March, 1684, being in company with Seabank Hog, I heard her say, — it was very hard for the governor of this province to strike Sam Seavey before he spoke. The said Hog said also that it was well for the governor that the said Seavey 's mother was not there, for if she had, there had been bloody work for him. I heard the said Hog say also, that the governor and the rest of the gentlemen were a crew of pitiful curs, and did they want earthly honor ? — if they did, she would pull off her head-clothes, and come in her hair, to them, like a parcel of piti- ful, beggarly curs as they were ; — come to undo us. both body and soul ; they could not be content to take our estates from us, but they have taken away the gospel also, which the devil would have them for it. Sworn in the court of Pleas, held at Great Island (New Castle) the 7th of Nov., 1684. THE CURVE LINE. Long and bitter controversies grew out of the ques- tion of the north-western boundary of the Mason grant. That question, after much dispute, was finally determined. The sixty-mile bound on the south was fixed on the line between Fitzwilliam and Richmond, and on the east at the point in Conway where the Saco river enters the state of Maine. A straight line from point to point w^ould pass over Monadnock moun- tain, through Antrim, Henniker, Boscawen, over Lake Winnepesaukee and Ossipee mountain, to the Saco river. Warner, on this basis of settlement, would have been outside of the Masonian grant. It would have belonged to the province, and not to individuals, and the proprietors of the town (or those who intend- ed to become such) would have gone to the govern- 432 HISTORY OF WARNER. ment of the province for their grant. But the Ma- sonian proprietors claimed to a curved line, that should be substantially sixty miles from the ocean at every point. Before the final determination of this matter the proprietors of Warner had bought their township of the Mason claimants, and had paid them $600 for it. The state subsequently recognized this claim, on the part of the Lords' proprietors, to a curved line, and Warner and Kearsarge Gore were loithin the Mason grant. That curved line sweeps around to the west and north of Kearsarge mountain, passing, in its course, through Sunapee lake. SURVEY OF THE GORE. At a meeting of the Masonian proprietors, at Ports- mouth, April 7, 1779, — Voted that Messrs. John Penhallow and John Pierce be a com- mittee to employ Capt. Hubertus Neal, or some good Surveyor, to take a survey of tlie ungranted land in and about the Moun- tain Kier Sarge, and to lay out the same into 100 acre Lotts. In December, 1781, those proprietors divided up sundry tracts of their unappropriated lands in the state between themselves, and among those tracts was the following : A Tract of land Surveyed and Returned by Henry Gerrish, called Kyali Sarge, all the lots in said Plan, with a reserve in each lot, of five acres for high ways if wanted. The proprietors put the numbers of these lots, and of lots in other parts of the state, upon bits of paper, KEAESAEGE GORE. 433 dropped these bits into a hat, and drew therefrom. Thomas Wallingford drew twelve of the Kearsarge Gore lots, John Wentworth drew ten, Mark Hunking Wentworth eight, Solloy and Marsh drew a number, and the rest of the proprietors did likewise, till all were gone. So, before any settlements were made in Kearsarge Gore, the lands there were held by individuals, of whom the settlers purchased their lots. WILMOT INCORPORATED. Kearsarge Gore, at the time mentioned, stretched over the mountain northward, nearly to the present village of Wilmot Centre. Till the ydar 1807, this Gore constituted a sort of a town by itself In the Gore records it is often called a town. The inhabitants met annually, chose their town officers, and conduct- ed, in many respects, like organized towns. In June, 1807, Wilmot was incorporated, taking two thirds of its territory from New London, and the other third from the Gore. A part of the language of the act of incorporation is as follows : "And also, all the lands and inhabitants within sftid Kearsarge Gore, north of a straight line begiuing at the south-west corner of Andover, thence running westerly to the highest part of said Mountain, thence westerly," &c., to Sutton line. That boundary on the mountain has never been changed. 434 HISTORY OF WARNER. THE GORE REORDS. State of N. H. > Api^lication being made to me by a No of Hillsboro' S. S. i the Inhabitants of Kearsarge Gore in said county seeking forth that they Laboured under many difficultys on account of not haveing A legal meeting to appoint publick officers, Praying that a warnt might essue forth at purpos, these are Theirfore in the name of the State of N. H. to Notify and warn all the freeholders and others Inhabitants belonging to said Gore, Qualified by law to Vote in town Meeting to assemble and meet at the House of Mr. Joshua Quimby's in said Gore on Mon- day the 2oth day of this Instant August 1794 At one o'clock in the afternoon when met to Act as follows viz 1, ly, to Chuse a Moderator to Govern Said Meeting. 2, ly, to Chuse a Clark to Record the Procedings of Said Meet- ing. 3, ]y, to See What sums of Money the Inhabi tents will vote to Raise this present year and what Meathod to take to make the taxes in one or more. 4, ly, to Chuse Select Men and A Collector for the Present year. 5, ly, to Chuse tythingmen for this present year. 6, ly, to Chuse High way Surveyors and all other Publick offi- cers that the Law Requires. 7, ly, to Act on any other Business thought proper When Met. Give Under my hand and Sealed at Warner in said County the first Day of August 1794. James Flanders, Justice of the Peace. [How much of the poor spelling and bad grammar in the above belongs to the justice of the peace, and how muclj to the " Clark," or whoever made the record, no one can tell.] Warner, Aug. 1, 1794 — Mr. Wm. Quimby you are here by Ordered to Post up this in the most Public Place in the Inhab- ited Gore fifteen days before the last Monday of August, Present to the James Flanders in Warner I have Posted up said warning at the house of Mr. Joshua Quimbys in said Gore. [This is not signed.] KEARSARGE GORE. 435 Present to A warrent met at a Time and place Meeting appoint- ed by Esq. Flanders proceeded to Chuse a moderator Nalhan Clougli, then Chused persons of the following Names into office Voted Wm. Quimhy Clark Swarn into office. Select Men Voted Wm. Graves, Abner Watldns, Nathan Cross. Collector Voted, Nathan Clough. Constable Voted, Nathan Clough Highway Surveyors Voted, Samuel Quimb}^, Thomas Cross, Elisha Smith. Meeting Adjourned to the second Monday of September next at the house of Mr. Joshua Quimby's in said Gore met at the said time and place Agreeable to the Adjournment to Act on the articles wich was Prospound. 1, ly, Voted to raise fifty £ lawful Money this present year. 2, ly, Voted Isaac Chase Heigh way Survar — Said Meeting Dismisst. The Gore had been settled a few years betore this meeting; was called and this oro:anization effected. A few families had got in on both sides of the mountain as early as 1788. Clough, Graves, Cross, and Smith belonged to the north side of the mountain ; the Quimbys. Chase, and Watkins, to the south side. Joshua Quimby, at whose house the first meeting was held, lived on a road (then in existence) leading from the Savory places up easterly to the Currier Quimby place, in the edge of Salisbury. Perhaps it was at the very spot where John Palmer's house was afterwards destroyed by the tornado. At the annual Meeting of the Inhabitants of Kearsarge Gore leagerly warned and held in said Gore at the house of Mr. Wm. Quimby's on Monday 30th day of March, 1795 — Voted Nathan Clough moderator. Voted Wm Quimby Clark for the insuing year. 436 HISTORY OF WARNER. Voted Abner Watkins, Wm. Graves, Nathan Cross, Selectmen for the insuing yeav. Voted Abuer Watkins to see the petision through the general Court. [This was a petition asking the Legislature of the State to levy a penny tax (a tax of one penny per acre) on the non- resident lands in the Gore.] Voted to raise $10 to defray town charges, and $25, to repair highways, to be laid out in labor. The annual meeting of March, 1796, was held at the house of Thomas Wells. Nathan Clough, Moderator, Ebenezer Scales, clerk. Nathan Clough, Abner Watkins, and Nathan Cross, Selectmen. Timothy Walker received 16 votes for Gov. Eaised $32, to de- fray toicn charges. Voted to receive what Abner Watkins said at the Court Con- cerning the j)enny Tax. " Vot&d that the said watkins is to take the Care of the same. " Voted Jason Watkins Collector and Constable for the year in- suing." Voted to raise forty dollars for school. The following record now appears : This may Certifie that Moses Palmer the son of John Palmer was Boarn June the 12, 1791. At the annual meeting of March, 1797, Abner Wat- kins was chosen moderator, and Jason Watkins, clerk. Abner Watkins, Samuel Priest, and Nathan Cross were chosen selectmen. At the annual meeting of 1798 the officers of the preceding year were chosen, except in one instance : Thomas Wells was substituted for Abner Watkins as selectman. KEARSARGE GORE. 437 Voted to raise 15 £ for schooling. At a meeting legally called, and holden at the house of Jonathan Watkins, July 6, 1798, among other things, — To see where the People will vote to take a part of the School money that was raised for School last spring to help build a school house and how much Money they Will take out of that sum on this side of the mountain. Voted to keep the old sum for schooling and the Eemainder to buy Nails and Glass. At the annual meeting of March, 1799, two new selectmen were elected, viz., Benjamin Cass, of the north side, and Foster Goodwin, of the south side. Voted to send a petition to Coiirt to git our Meeting changed to the first Monday, and by Abner Watkins. Voted to raise 15 pounds for school this year. On the 4th of February, 1800, a meeting was held at the house of Ebenezer Scales, — Voted to build a school-house by the twentieth of March. Voted to raise $60 to build the school-house, to sine a bond to pay their Equel proportion of Sixty Dollars. Voted Mr. Abner Watkins to Draw the bond for to sine. Voted Jason Watkins and Ebenezer Scales in Committee for to sell the school-house built. At the annual meeting of March, 1800, — Voted to raise $10 to defray charges. Voted 10 pounds for school. Voted to remove the fences and bars that are crost the road. 438 HISTORY OF WARNER. Officers for the year nearly the same as for the pre- cedhig year. At the annual meeting of March, 1801, — Voted Mr. Cast in Moderator. [_Cass is probably meant.] At the annual meeting of 1802, Ebenezer Fisk ap- pears, and is chosen selectman. He probably lived on the north side of the mountain. He was the father of John Fisk, who was accidentally killed in a saw-mill at Warner. Voted fifteen votes for John Langdon for Governor. Voted ten votes for James Flanders for senitor. At the annual meeting of 1803, — Voted to Doe nothing abont polley Simpson. Voted 21 votes for Langdon 6 for Gilman for Governor. At the annual meeting, March, 1804, Benjamin Cass, Ebenezer Fisk, and James Palmer were chosen selectmen. Voted that all having demands against the town shall bring tham Every anual meatain for afuter. Voted that Eich Destrect shall Bild their own school housen and furnish tham the meatain Dismist. There were two school districts in the Gore, one on the north and one on the south side of the mountain ; also, two school-houses. At the annual meeting, March, 1805, Jeremiah Brown was chosen moderator. Voted to raise $100 with the non-resident tax for the highway for the Present year. Voted to send a pertition to General Cort for a Committee to settle the Line between Salisbury and Kearsarge Gore. KEARSARGE GORE. 439 Voted in Abner Watkins to be the man to present the pertiou to gineral Cort. The annual meeting of 1806 was held at the house of Thomas Cross on the north side of the mountain ; at which meeting, — Voted Samuel Thompson in moderator. Voted S. Thompson, Noah Little and Insley Greeley in Select- men. Nothing worthy of record was transacted at the annual meeting of 1807 Immediately following the account of that meeting, this record is found on the books of the Gore : Marig Covenant 12 march 1807 than Alder Watson marid John Savery and Salley Straw. Wilmot is now incorporated, and the Gore is sev- ered. The part of it on the south side of the moun- tain still remains the Gore, and maintains its ortrani- zation, but the larger half is gone. In 1790 its pop- ulation was 103; in 1800 it was 179; in 1810 (more than half its territory having been dissevered) it was reduced to 125. A military company was organized in the Gore at an early day, and Jonathan Watkins (son of Abner) had the honor of taking command. This company came out for inspection and duty, as the companies of towns came, at least twice a year. In 1810 Capt. Watkins, with his command, met the Wilmot com- pany for drill and exercise on the top of Kearsarge. 440 HISTOEY OF WARNER. Near the close of the day the two companies were brought face to face on the very sunrimit of the moun- tain, and a " sham fight" of great spirit was indulged in. This battle was 2000 feet higher than Hooker's celebrated fight " above the clouds," on Lookout Mountain. The annual meetings of 1808, 1809, and 1810 were barren of interest. In 1811 the Gore was permitted to have a voice, through her representative, in the legislative halls of the state. Wilmot and the Gore were classed. The meeting- was held at the school- house on the south side of the mountain, March 5th. Thomas Annis was chosen moderator. [This was not the first Thomas (son of Daniel), but one of the third generation, and he remained in the Gore but a short time.] The class elected Eliphalet Gay, of Wilmot, for representative, and then the Gore chose Eobert Savory, John Palmer, and Jason Watkins for select- men. Voted to postpole the 9th article tel the ajurnment. Thomas Annis hid of the Collector's hetli at two cents per Dol- lar. Voted A hounty on crows heads voted 12^ cents on old wons 6 cents for young crows Killed in K Gore. The election of 1812 is void of interest; no repre- sentative appears to have been voted for. The elec- tion of 1813 is more lively. The warrant reads : In the name of the state of new hampshire we Doe hear by notify and warn all the freeholders and other inhahitance of the KEARSARGE GORE. 441 town of Kearsarge Gore and Wilmot qualified to vote in town meeting to samble and meet at the school house in saide Kear- sarge Gore on the second day of March 1813, at one o'clock in the after noon to act as follows 1, ly, to Chuse a moderator to govern said meeting 2, ly, to vote for some Person for Representative tour general Cort. Jason Watkins ^ Ezra Waklron V Selectmen. John Palmer J Pursuant to this notice the towns met, and the record of the meeting follows : At a town Meeting Legally notified and holden in the town of Kearsarge Gore on the second day of March anno Domini 1813 the following votes were givenin for Representative to gineral Cort viz, their was a Majority for Jason Watkins. Jason Watkins town Clark in the same ower Come in Wilmot and Voted for Eliphet Gay Representative General Cort Jason Watkins Town Clark. It will be seen that the district elected two repre- sentatives that day, though entitled to but one. The merits of the controversy cannot now be known. Gay certainly took his seat in June, and Watkins made no contest. It was alleged on the part of Gay's friends that Watkins was elected before the legal hour ; that when the Watkins party saw the Wilmot folks com- ing in large force down the mountain, from the Cur- rier Quimby place, towards Samuel Savory's, they set forward the nearest clock there was to the school- house, rushed in their votes, and elected Watkins be- fore the time set for the organization of the meeting. 442 HISTORY OF AVARNER. General Elipbalet Gay was a man of wealth, and a hotel-keeper. He supplied his friends with victuals and drink, both to and from this meeting. They came, with pungs and sleighs, via Andover, Beech Hill, Googgins's Mills, and Smith's Corner. On arriving at the Gore they took possession of the polls, treating what had been done as a nullity. Benjamin Stanley's house was the scene of conflict. That was the school- house of the district at that time, and it stood precise- ly where it now stands. Many years ago it was con- verted into a dwelling-house. Here it was that the contending factions swayed to and fro ; here it was that victory was both won and lost. The meeting for town officers that year was held the 9th of March. John Palmer was elected moder- ator, and Jason Watkins, clerk. Isaac Palmer, Isaac Annis, and Robert Savory were chosen selectmen. Voted that the south west Corner of Salisbury should not send to our school With out A greein with our Selectmen. The list of voters of Kearsarge Gore, as made up by the selectmen, Feb. 16, 1814, was as follows: Abner Watkins, Abner Watkins, 2d, Abner Watkins, 3d, Dan- iel Savory, Ezra Waldron, Ezekiel Trumbull, Foster Goodwin, Isaac Palmer, John Palmer, Jonathan Smith, James Palmer, John Savory, John Palmer, Jr., Jason Watkins, Jonathan Wat- kins, Jabez Harvey, Jacob Waldron, Joseph Wells, Joseph Palm- er, Moses Palmer, Nathan Hunt, Eobert Savory, Samuel Savo- ry, Samuel Wells, Stephen Stanley, William Harwood. The proceedings of the annual meeting of the Gore KEARSARGE GORE. 443 in March, 1814, were commonplace, and they need not be recounted. The district meeting, for the choice of representa- tive, was held at Wilmot, and though not a man from the Gore attended that meeting, Jason Watkins was triumphantly elected representative, and he served his constituents faithfully in the legislature of the state. Undoubtedly there was a feeling abroad in the district that Watkins was unfairly treated in 1813. Jason Watkins was born in Joppa. He was a son of Abner Watkins, senior, and the father of Abner, 3d (who held many positions in Warner), and of the wife of William G. Flanders. Nov. 10, 1814, the selectmen of Kearsarge Gore, and of Wilmot, established or confirmed the boundary line between the two territories. They left it pre- ciselv as it stands in the charter of Wilmot of 1807. Their report is signed as follows : Isaac Palmer ) Selectmen \ of Robert Savory ) Kearsarge Gore. Samuel Kimball ) Selectmen Obadiah Clougli ) Wilmot. At the annual meeting, March 7, 1815, holden at the school-house in the Gore for the choice of a repre- sentative, Eliphalet Gay was chosen moderator, and J. Youngman. of Wilmot, representative. The proceedings of the local meeting of that year 29 444 HISTORY OF WARNER. would not interest the reader, nor would those of 181G or 1817; As the election of March 10, 1818, was the last election ever held in Kearsarge Gore, the record of its proceedings is given in full. John Palmer, Jr., was chosen moderator, Jason Watkins, town-clerk. John Palmer, Jr., Abner Watkins, Jr., and Kobert Savory, were chosen selectmen. James Ferrin (the father of the late Lorenzo, and of Stephen I^.), Jabez Harvey, and Jonathan B . Watkins were chosen fence viewers, and Daniel Savory, surveyor of lumber. Voted to raise $75 to defray town charges the present year. John Watkins bid off the Collector's berth at four cents per Dollar. Voted to have meetings of worsJiip in the School house. The last vote above was the last ever given in Kearsarge Gore as a municipal organization, for, by act of the legislature of the state, approved June 13, 1818, the Gore was annexed to, and made forever thereafter part and parcel of, the town of Warner. OHAPTEE XXXI. POST-MASTERS DEPUTY SHERIFFS LAWYERS PH YSICI ANS COLLEGE GRADUATES HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS DEBATING CLUBS LITERARY MEN AND WOMEN. (here was no post-office in Warner till 1813. Before the year 1800 nothing like an efficient post-office establishment existed in the country. In 1791 the legislature of New Hampshire passed a law establishing "four routes for posts, to be thereafter appointed to ride in and through the interior of the state." These " posts," or riders, were appointed, two of whom started out from Concord, and two from Ports- mouth. They went out one way and returned anoth- er, making a round trip a week. They took the mail matter that accumulated at these principal offices, and in this way it was distributed. They " carried and fetched." The first rider, starting from Concord, rode through Weare, New Boston, Amherst, Wilton, Tem- ple, Peterborough, Dublin, Marlborough, Keene, West- moreland, Walpole, Alstead, Acworth, Charlestown, Claremont, Newport, Lempster, Washington, Hills- borough, Henniker, and Hopkinton, to Concord. 446 HISTORY OF WARNER. The second rider, starting also from Concord, rode through Boscawen, Salisbury, Andover, New Chester, Plymouth, Haverhill, Piermont, Orford, Lyme, Han- over, Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Grafton, Alexandria, and Salisbury, to Concord. The other two started out from Portsmouth, and performed their circuits in the southern and eastern sections of the state. As late as December 31, 1809, David George, post- master at Concord, published a list of letters remain- ing in the office at that place, which contained the following out-of-town names : Richard H. A_yer, Dunbarton ; Miss Marj Carter, Bow ; Tim- othy Chandler, Daniel Cooledge, Miss Hannah Corbett, Canter- bury ; Prine Ayers, Northfield ; Jeremiah Eastman, Mrs. Eliza- beth Mirick, John Noyes, Henniker; Nathaniel Green, Rev. Christopher Page, Daniel Young, Hopkinton ; Rev. Sebastian Streeter, John Maynard, Weare ; Daniel Lord, Bradford. In 1813 a post-office was established at Warner Lower Village, and Henry B. Chase w^as the first post- master. He held the office till 1817.v when Dr. Henry Lyman was appointed, who held it till 1825, when Levi Bartlett was appointed. Mr. Bartlett held the office till 1830, when it was discontinued. During the year 1829, and a part of the year 1830, there was an office at Waterloo, and Philip Colby, Jr., was post-master. This office, and that at the Lower Village, were consolidated in the year 1830, and es- tablished at Warner village, with H. D. Robertson for post-master. He held the office till 1844, when George /^ ALONZO C. CAEROLL. 447 A. Pillsbiir}^ was appointed. William Carter, Jr., suc- ceeded Mr. Pillsbury in 1849, and Oilman C. Sanborn succeeded Mr. Carter in 1851. In 1855, Abner B. Kel- lej was appointed ; in 1862, Hiram Buswell, who held the office fifteen years. In 1877 the present incumbent, E. H. Carroll, was appointed, Mr. Buswell was from Grantham. He came to Warner when a young man, and engaged in the business of painting. No other man has held the post-office as long as he. He has also held the office of commissioner for Merrimack county two years. In 1865 another office was established at Waterloo, and Walter H. Bean was appointed post-master. He resigned, after holding the office six or eight months, and T. Leavitt Dowlin was appointed. The office was discontinued after an existence of a year or two. In 1871 an office was established at Roby's Corner, with Moses H. Roby as post-master, which continues unchanged. Alonzo C. Carroll, the father of the present post- master of Warner, was born at Croydon, Nov. 24, 1826. His parents were John P. and Rachel Carroll. When he was 12 years of age his mother died, and the family was broken up. He and one of his sisters went to Grafton to live with a relative, where they remained together five years, and till the marriage of the sister. Then for two or three years Alonzo C. was found at Quincy, Mass., driving a stone-team 448 HISTORY OF WARNER. from the quarries to Boston. He returned to Grafton, and bought the old " Horton farm," which he carried on for three years. In 1851 he removed to South Sutton, and engaged in the stove business, and in 1853 he added to this a dry-goods and grocery store. At the same time he was concerned in the patent- right business. In 1860, having sold out his interests at South Sutton, he went into partnership with Geo. Putney, in manufacturing bobbins at Sutton Mill Vil- laore. In 1863 he reeno-as-ed in the stove business, and in 1867 went into trade with George Thompson, at the Potter Place. , In 1868 he bought out. Hale & Adams, at the Robertson store, in Warner, and commenced trade there. He kept the Winslow House, on Kearsarge mountain, during the season of 1869. In April, 1870, he commenced trade in the Union Hall building, where he still continues. Besides carrying on a large trade at this place, he kept the Warner and Kearsarge Mountain House through the season of 1874, and a part of the season of 1875. In the summer of 1878 he again took charge of the hotel, and, in his hands, it is a popular and well-patronized summer resort. Mr. Carroll married, in 1849, Miss M. A. Hale, who died in 1866, leaving two sons, — Clarence F. and E. H. Carroll. In September, 1868, he married Miss Margaret H. Adams, of Warner. His oldest son is a successful school-teacher, and his youngest, when not DEPUTY SHERIFFS. 449 occupied in the post-office, is engaged in the store of his father. DEPUTY SHERIFFS. The first deputy sheriff in Warner was Calvin Flan- ders, son of James. He lived at the place in the Lower Village where the late Zebulon Davis lived and died. He was appointed about the year 1790, and held the office nearly twenty years. In 1808 George W. Kelley was appointed. He also lived at the Lower Village. He was a son of Sheriff Moses Kelley, of Hopkinton, and Moses was a brother to Rev. William, the first minister in town. Mr. Kelley performed the duties of this office till 1813, when Richard Pattee, who kept the hotel at the Carter place, was appointed. In 1816 Capt. Joseph Smith received the appoint- ment. He continued in possession of the office till 1820, though in 1819 Stephen Currier, Jr., and John Kimball were deputized for a special purpose, which will hereafter appear. Capt. Smith had been many years in the regular army before the war of 1812, and had been stationed both at Boston and at Portland. He was captain of the Warner company, in " the last war with England." His home was at the Dr. Eaton house, where he died, November, 1824, aged 50. In 1820 Stephen Currier, Jr., was the only sheriff, and he continued such till 1829. While sheriff his 450 HISTORY OF WARNER. home was at the Lower Village. His flither was Dan- iel CiiiTier, of Joppa ; his son Charles occupies the old homestead. In 1829 Stephen George (who held the office till 1838) was appointed. He was a son of John George, and a brother to John, 2d, and to Daniel and Joshua. He died in Michigan, while on a journey to the West. Franklin Simonds succeeded Mr. George as sheriff, in 1838, and continued in the office till 1856, a period of eighteen years. In 1856, John Currier, Jr., was appointed. In 1863, Gilbert Davis. In 1868, Albert P. Davis. In 1876, George N. Tewksbury. In 1877, the present incumbent, David C. Harriman. LAWYERS. Nathaniel Green, a brother to Judge Samuel Green, was the first lawyer to hang out a sign in Warner. He opened an office at the Lower Village, near Joseph Bartlett's, in 1795 ; but not finding a very promising field to cultivate, he remained in town but a 3'ear or two. Jeremiah Hall Woodman came in 1797, but re- mained no longer than his predecessor. He removed to Dover in 1798, and became a lawyer of large prac- tice and good standing. Parker Noyes was the third in the line of succes- LAWYERS. 451 sion. He was reared in South Hampton. He came to Warner in 1799, and opened his first office. It was at the Lower Village. After remaining in town two years, he took down his sign and carried it to what is now Frankhn Lower Village. At this place his office was just across the road from Capt. Eben- ezer Webster's, and Daniel Webster was his law stu- dent. He was offered a seat on the supreme bench by Gov. Morrill, but declined it on account of ill health. Henry B. Chase was the fourth lawyer in Warner. He came in 1805, and remained through life. [See a preceding chapter.] Harrison Gray Harris was the next in order, and the first at Warner village. He was born in the beau- tiful town of Harvard, Mass., in 1790. He read law mainly with his brother, Judge John Harris, of Hop- kinton ; was admitted to the bar in 1815, and com- menced practice in Warner in 1816. He held some of the public offices of the town ; connected farming with his law business for many years; and finally made agriculture his chief pursuit. He w^as eminent in his day in the Masonic order, as was his son (John A.) after him. He died at Warner, March, 1875, aged 84. Edward B. West was the sixth lawyer in town. He came from Concord about the year 1848, remained a few years, and then changed his residence to Nashua, 452 HISTORY OF W^ARNER. where he was actively engaged in liis profession some ten or twelve years. He then accepted a government office at the Navy Yard, and removed to Portsmouth, where he now resides. Samuel Davis, Jr., a native of Bradford, graduated at West Point, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He opened an office first at Enfield, but came from there to Warner as early as 1859. He has not given his whole attention to the law, but has connect- ed farming and the care of schools with it. In the war of the Rebellion he was major of the IGth N. H. regiment. Since the war he has served in various town offices, and two years in the legislature of the state. Albert P. Davis was born at Warner, Mav 2, 1835. He is descended from an ancient family. Willi Davis, a native of Wales, came to New England in 1640. He took the freeman's oath at Amesbury in 1645. On the 2d day of December, 1677, his sons, Francis and Samuel, together with " a large number of the sons of the first settlers," took the same oath. This Willi (or William) and this Francis were the ancestors of Capt. Francis and his brother Gideon, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Gideon settled on the Moses E. Davis farm in 1782, and the farm has re- mained in the hands of the family to the present day. The sons of Gideon and Mary (Cheney) Davis w^ere John, Robert, Gideon, Moses, and Oliver j and the zjr^- jOch^<^-^ ALBERT P. DAVIS. 453 daughters were Molly, Ruth, and Anna. The children of the above-named John and Mary (Pervere) Davis were John, Sally, Rachel, Lois, Zaccheus, and Eleazer. Zaccheus married Lucinda Pervere of Sandown, and to this couple were born Albert P., Mary, Charles S., and Zaccheus. Albert P. married Lavonia W., daugh- ter of Abner Harvej^, Jr. They have two children, Ida M. and Woodbury E. Albert P. Davis received a good academic educa- tion, and for some fifteen years was a well known and popular school-teacher. He served as deputy sherifl from 1868 to 1876, and while in the discharge of the duties of this office he devoted his leisure hours to the study of the law. Being admitted to the bar in 1876, after a rigid examination, he went immediately into practice as a lawyer in his native town, where his success has been equal to his highest expectation. As a newspaper correspondent he wields a ready pen, and ranks with the enterprising writers of the day. To the foregoing list of lawyers may be added the names of such as have been reared in Warner and have followed the profession elsewhere. John Kelley, the oldest son of Rev. Wm. Kelley, was a lawyer. He commenced business in North- wood, where he had gratifying success. Desiring a larger town for a home, he went to Exeter, and there remained through life. He was register of probate 454 HISTORY OF WARNER. for Rockingham county a great many years ; was also a member of the legislature of the state, and of the constitutional convention of 1850. Stephen C. Badger was a lawyer by profession. His first office was at New London, After remaining there a few years he removed to Concord. For a long time he was clerk of the courts of Merrimack county. He was also assistant justice of the police court of Concord. His wife was a daughter of Benja- min Evans. Henry B. Chase, the second (a son of Henry B.), graduated at Dartmouth about the year 1839 ; studied law, and settled in Louisiana, where he still remains, in the enjoyment of a lucrative practice. Herman Foster read law with Henry B. Chase, opened an office in Manchester, and was successful in his profession. John H. Watson, a son of Capt. Cyrus Watson, be- came a successful lawyer and editor in Lawrence, Mass. Edwin W. Harriman, a son of John, read law, and was admitted to the bar in Concord in 1864. He shortly afterwards went into practice in tlie state of Iowa, where he died in 1865 or 1866. John George, son of Joshua, was also admitted to the bar at Concord in 1864. [See Chapter XXVIL] Walter Channing Harriman read law at Concord, first with L. D. Stevens, and then with Tappan & HERMAN FOSTER. 455 Albin. He was admitted to the bar, at Concord, Dec. 13, 1876, and commenced business at Portsmouth April, 1877. He is now sohcitor for Rockingham county. Jesse Pattee, a son of Stephen C, read law at Haverhill, N. H., and was admitted to the bar in 1877. Soon after being admitted, he went into prac- tice at Brockton, Mass., where he now is. George L. Ordway (son of N. G.) was admitted to the bar in 1878. He served on the staff of Governor Prescott, with the rank of colonel. In March, 1879, he commenced business in the line of his profession at Denver, Colorado. Herman Foster was born at Andover, Mass., Oct. 31, 1800. He was a descendant of Reginald Foster, who came from Exeter, England, and settled at Ips- wich, Mass., in 1638. His grandfather, Obediah, was born in 1741, and his fother, John, in 1770, at An- dover. The other children of John Foster are Mrs. E. S. Badger, of Warner ; John, a leading merchant of Boston ; and George (now of Bedford), who served several years as selectman of Warner, and who has since been two years in the state senate from the third district. The subject of this notice removed with his flither's family from Andover, Mass., to Hudson, N. H, in 1810. He had prepared for college at an early day, but a disease of the eyes prevented him from pursuing a 456 HISTORY OF WARNER. college course. He was engaged in mercantile busi- ness a number of years. In November, 1826, he was married to Harriet M. A. Whittemore, of West Cam- bridge. He removed to Warner in March, 1830, and purchased the Ballard farm, on which he lived eight years. He then removed to Warner Lower Village, and commenced the study of the law with Hon. Henry B. Chase. Being admitted to the bar, he com- menced practice in Manchester in 1840, where he died Feb. 17, 1875, aged 74. He left no children. Mrs. Foster still survives. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1845, 1846, 1868; and 1869, and was state senator in 1860 and 1861. The latter year he was the president of that body. He was appointed assessor of internal revenue by President Lincoln, in 1862, but, after holding the otiice a few months, he resigned. In 1861 Dartmouth college conferred on him the honorary degree of Mas- ter of Arts. He held a high position as a lawyer, and was much valued as a counsellor in important cases. Mr. Foster, while living in Warner, became greatly attached to the town and people, and this attachment continued fresh and strong to the end of his days. ^} 0t^//2^a^^^ c>rc^< "TeA^ THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. 457 PHYSICIANS. Esculapius was the god of medicine among the ancient pagans. Luke, in divine revelation, is called the " beloved physician." He was the friend and com- panion of Paul. He wrote the book that bears his name ; also the Acts of the Apostles. The profession has ancient and high authority, and a good physician is ever a welcome friend. It is believed that Warner has had its share of acceptable physicians. 1. Dr. John Currier was the first. He lived at the Carter stand. Very little is known of him or his connections. He gave more attention to farming and to the hotel than to his profession. Possibly he may not have been an acknowledged M. D. 2. Dr. Cogswell was the next physician in Warner. He married a daughter of Elliot Colby, but remained in town only a short time. 3. Dr. John Hall was from Chelmsford, Mass. His first place of residence in Warner was at the Felton place, just above Ira P. Whittier's. At his next place of residence in town, which was at the John Colby house on the Plain, he lived many years. He finally removed to Maine, and died there thirty or forty years ago. 4. Dr. Thomas Webster was from Haverhill, Mass. He lived near the Georges at the Lower Village. He built and occupied the one-story house that Mrs. 458 HISTORY OF WARNER. ^ Charles George occupied many years, and till its de- struction by fire. 5. Dr. William Dinsmoor was from Goffstown. He boarded at Pattee's tavern at the Lower Village. While in Warner he married a sister of Jonathan and Matthew Harvey, and shortly after his marriage re- moved to Henniker. 6. Dr. Henry Lyman came from Lebanon about the 3'ear 1806. He had a large practice in Warner some twenty or twenty-five years. He died Septem- ber, 1829, aged 43, and was buried at the Parade. 7. Dr. Silas Walker was from Goffstown. He came and settled at the Lower Village about the year 1810, but remained in town only a few years. 8. Dr. Jacob Straw came in 1819, and boarded at Levi Bartlett's, in the Lower Village. After a resi- dence of a year or two in Warner, he went to Henni- ker, and there finished his work. He was two years in the state senate. 9. Dr. Moses Long was from Hopkinton. He es- tablished himself in Warner not far from 1820, his first office being at the Centre village. His second office and home in Warner was at the Lower Villacre, where he continued in practice fifteen or eighteen years. In 1835 he removed to Rochester, N. Y., and there followed his profession a few years. He then went with his brother. Col. Stephen H. Long, into bridge-building in Mississippi, but returned to Rochester, and died there twenty-five years ago. PHYSICIANS. 459 10. Dr. Caleb Buswell came from Grantham, and settled at the Centre village. [See Ch. XXIV.] 11. Dr. Leonard Eaton, a son of Nathaniel, was born June 10, 1800, at the Putnam place, just within the limits of Hopkinton. Nathaniel Eaton, the father, was from Haverhill, Mass. On coming back into the country he first settled at the Putnam place, but after remaining there a few years removed to Sutton, where his son, George C, now resides. He died in May, 1875. Leonard Eaton studied medicine with Dr. Caleb Buswell, and received his degree at the Dartmouth Medical College. He was a successful physician at Warner through life. He served several years as town-clerk, two years as representative, and two as senator for district No. 8. He was also a member of the constitutional convention of 1850. Dr. Eaton married a daughter of Hon. Benjamin Evans, and had three daughters, the youngest of whom, Mrs. Hilliard Davis, died several years ago. The other two are Miss Susan Eaton, and Maria, wife of Hon. John Y. Mugridge, of Concord. Dr. Eaton died in November, 1867, at the age of 67 years. 12. Dr. Stevens was from Charlestown, Mass. He commenced practice in Warner (his office being at the Lower Village) in 1831, remained a year or two, and then returned to his " native heath." 13. Dr. Parmalee was from Lebanon. He came 30 460 HISTOEY OF WARNER. into town in 1835, or thereabouts, and he was both at the Lower Village and at Waterloo. Henry B. Chase was his uncle. 14. Dr. Charles A. Savory came from Hopkinton to Warner, not far from 1844. After an extensive prac- tice of four years' duration in town, he removed to Lowell, Mass., where he still continues in the profession. 15. Dr. Parsons Whidden was from Canterbury. He came to Warner when Dr. Savory left, took his place, and remained in town a number of years. 16. Dr. John M. Fitts was from Boscawen. He commenced business in Warner not for from 1854, remained five or six years, and went to Sutton. 17. Dr. Moses S. Wilson was from Salisbury. In 1859 he went into practice in Warner, married a daughter of Ira Harvey, returned to his native town, and, in company with his father, who was also a phy- sician, was in active business there till the war; was assistant surgeon in the 7th N. H. regiment; went to Illinois after the war, and died there, a young man, several years ago. 18. Dr. John G. Parker came to Warner from Dub- lin in 1860. A good physician, but he died at War- ner in 1867. 19. Dr. Frank W. Graves was from Concord. He settled in Warner in 1864, and was in active practice in town five or six years. He is now settled in Wo- burn, Mass. PHYSICIANS. 461 20. Dr. J. M. Rix came from Dalton in 1867, and is now in Warner. 21. Dr. J. R. Cogswell came from Littleton in 1874, and is now in Warner. The names of those who have gone out from War- ner, as physicians, will be given from recollection, and the list may be very inaccurate. Dr. John E. Dalton was a son of Dea. Isaac Dalton. After taking his degree as a physician, he decided to cast his lot in the West. He made the long journey to Ohio by stage, by canal, and by steamboat, about the year 1832. He settled in Ohio, where he contin- ued in practice many years. . He is still somewhere in the Great West. Dr. Daniel Davis, a son of Capt. Jacob Davis, com- menced practice at Wellfleet, on Cape Cod, when a young man, married his wife there, made that his home, and died there a few years since. Dr. James F. Sargent was a son of Joseph, and a grandson of Joseph Sargent, senior, of Schoodac. He pursued his medical studies with Dr. Moses Long, graduated at Dartmouth, and commenced practice at Lowell, Mass., in 1834. Subsequently, for several years, he enjoyed a successful practice at Contoocook- ville, and, at a later day, a like practice at Concord, where he died in 1864, at the age of 54. Dr. Dana D. Davis was a son of Stephen Davis. He took his degree as a physician, married the only 462 HISTORY OF WARNER. daughter of Levi Bartlett, went to Louisiana, and com- menced business there with flattering prospects. He died of yellow fever, at Baton Kouge, in 1844. His son (Wm. D. Davis) he never saw, as he was born after the father's departure for the South. Dr. Moses Hill was a son of Benjamin Hill, whose farm was that now owned by the town. Moses was born at that place. He commenced practice in Man- chester, then settled in Iowa, and died on a visit to Louisiana. Dr. Henry L. Watson is claimed as a Warner boy. He was a son of Ithamar Watson, of Salisbury, who lived a number of years in Warner. Dr. Watson commenced his professional work at Guildhall, Ver- mont, where he had an extensive practice, but twelve or fifteen years ago he changed his residence to Lit- tleton, N. H. He is well situated at the latter place. Dr. David Bagley was a son of David Bagley, of Melvin's Mills, and a grandson of Ebenezer Bagley, who came from Amesbury, and settled on the shore of the pond near Salisbury line, which takes his name. Dr. Bagley commenced practice in the state of Georgia twenty or thirty years ago, and his " flag is still there." Dr. Wm. S. Collins, a son of Enos, received a good academic education, studied medicine, took his degree at Dartmouth, and commenced business in Grafton, where he remained five years. Afterwards he was PHYSICIANS. 463 actively engaged in his profession at Loudon some twenty-one years, and he is now located in Nashua. Dr. Luther Pattee, a son of Asa, has been estab- lished in business at Candia, Wolfeborough, and Man- chester. He is now at the latter place, in the enjoy- ment of a lucrative practice. Dr. Asa F. Pattee, another of the sons of Asa, be- gan in Amesbury, the old parent of Warner. He went from there to Boston, where his situation is entirely satisfactory. Dr. Byron Harriman, a son of John, studied medi- cine under the direction of Gage & Moulton, at Con- cord, took his degree at Hanover, and went into practice in Iowa. He has given attention to other business as well as to his profession, and has been suc- cessful. He is at present the mayor of the city of Hampton, Iowa, to which office he has been three times elected. Dr. Luther Harvey, a son of Ira Harvey, pursued his studies, in part, with Dr. Wilson, in Illinois. After taking his degree, he commenced practice in that state with flattering prospects. Dr. William H. Pattee, son of Stephen C, studied medicine with Dr. Luther Pattee, attended lectures at Dartmouth, and received his degree at the University of Vermont, in 1877. He is now in practice at Bel- mont, N. H. Dr. Benjamin E. Harriman studied medicine under 464 HISTORY OF WARNER. the direction of Dr. A. H. Crosby, of Concord, attend- ed lectures at the University of Vermont, and at Belle vue Hospital Medical College, N. Y., and gradu- ated at Dartmouth in the fall of 1877. He opened an office in Manchester the following December, broke down in health in June, 1878, and is now (March, 1879) in Florida, where he has been spending the winter. COLLEGE GRADUATES. Warner has been more noted for giving her sons and daughters a good, practical education, than for sending them away to colleges and other popular institutions of learning ; hence the list of graduates is not large. John Kelley, who is spoken of elsewhere, is believed to have been the first Warner student to take a de- gree at college. He graduated at Dartmouth in 1804. Hosea Wheeler graduated in 1811 at the same col- lege. He became a Baptist minister, and died at Eastport, Maine, in 1823. He was a son of Daniel Wheeler, who came from Amesbury, and lived at the John Reddington place on Warner river. The other sons of Daniel, senior, were Daniel, Abijah, Gideon, and Leonard. John Morrill graduated at Amherst college, and be- came a missionary in the West. His family is un- known to the writer. Asa Putney, who was a son of Asa, senior, grad- COLLEGE GRADUATES. 465 uated .at Amherst not far from the year 1820. He became a Congregational minister, and preached at Croydon, and in Vermont. Stephen C. Badger graduated at Dartmouth in 1823. [See a preceding page.] Richard Bean, a son of Nathaniel, senior, received a "liberal education ;" but, owing to some difficulty with the authority of the college, he did not take his degree. He studied law, but had hardly completed his studies when he died. Samuel Morrill, a brother to William K., graduated at Dartmouth in 1835, and died while a member of the Bangor Seminary. James Madison Putney, a son of Amos, and grand- son of Asa, senior, graduated at Dartmouth, taught an academy in Kentucky, and died there about the year 1840. Henry B. Chase, son of Hon. Henry B., graduated at Dartmouth in 1839. [See a preceding page.] John George, son of Major Daniel, graduated at Dartmouth not far from 1845, and died shortly after his graduation. Ezekiel Dimond graduated at Middlebury, Vt, be- came Professor of Chemistry in the Agricultural col- lege at Hanover, and died, a young man, in 1872. His grandfather, Ezekiel, settled in the Mirick district; his father, Ezekiel, lived at the Ballard place, where Prof Dimond was born. 466 HISTORY OF WARNER. Edmund S. Hoyt, son of Major Stephen K., grad- uated at Dartmouth. He is now in the book trade, and is a pubHsher of books at Portland, Maine. John C. Ager, son of Uriah, graduated at New Church college, Urbana, Ohio, in 1858. [See Chapter XXXIIL] Charles Alfred Pillsbury, son of George A., was born at Warner, Oct. 3, 1842. He graduated at Dartmouth college in the class of 1863. Soon after receiving his diploma he went into a wholesale provi- sion house at Montreal, with John E. Robertson. He remained there some four years, and then removed to Minneapolis, where he engaged in the manufacture of flour. The well known firm of C. A. Pillsbury & Co. consists of himself, George A., John S., and Fred C. Charles A. Pillsbury has been elected a state sen- ator in his district for six years. Henry L., a son of Barnard Colby, commenced his studies at Dartmouth, remained two years, and then entered the army. He died shortly after the close of the war. George L., son of N. G. Ordway, graduated at the Rochester (New York) University in 1875. [See a preceding page.] George F., son of Stephen S. Bean, is about to graduate at Brown University, Providence, R. I. EDUCATIONAL. HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. 467 The first term of the Warner high school com- menced Dec. 4, 1871. E. C. Cole, A. B., a native of Bethel, Maine, and a graduate of Bowdoin college, was principal of this school during the first three years of its existence. N. N. Atkinson, A. B., of Minot, Maine, a graduate of Colby University (Waterville), was principal dur- ing the next two years. William Goldthwaite, A. B., a graduate of Colby University, succeeded Mr. Atkinson, and is yet the principal of the school. Miss Helen E. Gilbert, a graduate of Concord high school, was assistant teacher one year. Miss Annie B. Westgate, of Plainfield, a graduate of New London Scientific Institution, was assistant one year. Miss M. F. Reddin":ton, dauohter of Oliver P. Red- dington, and a graduate of Warner high school, was assistant during the third year. Stephen S. Bean, of Warner, was assistant two years. Miss Alice P. Goodwin, of Franklin, was assistant one year. Miss Emma E. Phelps was assistant two terms, and Miss Annie M. Hill, of Concord, was assistant one term. 468 HISTORY OF WARNER. Miss M. F. Reddino'ton, liavino; been absent from the school two years, and having graduated during that time at the New London Scientific Institution, returned, and accepted the position of first assistant, which she now fills. DEBATING CLUBS. At various times between 1835 and 1850, debating clubs existed and jQourished in Warner. In the years 1846 and 1847, in jDarticular, a deep interest was felt in these clubs. Walker's hall (the only hall then in town) was crowded to overflowing on the evening of each debate. In those years, instead of excluding all religious and political questions, — all questions of an exciting nature, — such, only, were the questions se- lected. Many of the debates were able and instruc- tive, and the audiences were highly entertained. Though their zeal ran high, the disputants generally maintained a respectful and manly bearing. The names of those who participated in these debates are given from recollection, and are as follows : Levi Bartlett, B. E. Harriman, Stephen K. Hoyt, John Colby (the drover), H. H. Harriman, Chirk Sar- gent, Geo. A. Pillsbury, Dr. C. A. Savory, John Foster, B. F. Harriman, John Currier, Jr., Rev. R. W. Fuller, Levi Flanders, Wm. K. Bartlett, Jesse D. Currier, S. S. Bean, W. Harriman. ^j^ /^.^r^T^C^ LEVI BARTLETT. 469 LITERARY MEN AND WOMEN. Levi Bartlett was born April 29, 1793. His grand- father, Simeon Bartlett, was one of the proprietors of Warner. His father, the late Joseph Bartlett, Esq., was a country trader at the Lower Village for over thirty years, and was quite extensively engaged in farming, and in the manufacture of potash. " Squire Bartlett " had six sons and four daughters, Levi be- ing the second child. When about 12 years of age he was employed in his father's store for a couple of years. When he was 14 years of age his father placed him in the bookstore of Thomas & Whipple, at New- buryport. Like many another country lad among strangers, he was woefully homesick, and was allowed to return, at the end of a few months, to the paternal roof At the age of 16 he was sent to Salem, Mass., to the West India goods store of his uncle, James Thorndike; but the embargo and non-intercourse with foreio-n nations caused a stag-nation in business. Mer- chants failed on every hand, and young Bartlett be- came utterly disgusted with " store-keeping." He wrote to his father that " tanners were the lords of creation," and that no business but tanning appeared to be prosperous in and about Salem. In the summer of 1810 he left Salem and returned home. His father built a tannery opposite his house, in which the young man was placed, with experienced workmen, and in 470 HISTORY OF WARNER. due time he took charge of the business. He contin- ued in it, with varying success, till 1838. when, yield- ing to an ever-increasing desire to become a tiller of the soil, he sold out his tanneries and began the rec- lamation of an exhausted farm, which came, at that time, into his possession. The farm was situated near- ly, a mile from his home, and he and his men trav- elled daily the hilly road between the two places till his house was destroyed by fire in 1843, when he built upon and removed to the farm, where he has ever since resided. Mr. Bartlett, in 1844, was invited to become a reg- ular contributor to the New England Farmer, and from that date, till long after he had passed his eightieth year, he wrote regularly for various agri- cultural periodicals. He was assistant editor of the Journal of Agriculture, at Boston, during its brief life. He wrote constantly for the Country Gentleman, and occasionally for the Farmer's 3Ionihly Visitor, the Statesman, and the Manchester Mirror. He was as- sociate editor of the Boston CiiUivator in 1848 and 1849. His writings have been- published in the peri- odicals of various states of the Union, and have some- times been copied into English papers. When an "Advisory Board of Agriculture of the Patent Office" met at Washington in 1859, Mr. Bartlett was selected by a committee from that board to represent New Hampshire, and he was present during its session of LEVI BARTLETT. 471 eight days. A year later, when a series of important lectures on scientific agriculture was to be given at Yale college, Hon. Henry F. French, then of Exeter, and now the assistant secretary of the treasury at Washington, and Mr. Bartlett, were invited from this state to be present. After he had passed his eightieth birthday, he be- gan and completed a " Genealogical and Historical Account of the Bartlett Family," which has been largely distributed. He claims one Adam Bartelot, who came over to England from Normandy with the Conquerer, and settled in Sussex, as the founder of the family. The preparation of this work cost a vast amount of patient research and labor. In politics, Mr. Bartlett was a Federalist, " dyed in the wool," and consequently was not liable to be troubled with office in a town that was for many years the very " keystone of the Democratic arch of New Hampshire." He, however, held the office of post-master for the five years immediately preceding Gen. Jackson's term at the White House. Mr. Bartlett attended the district school at the Lower Village, and was a student a term or two at the academy in Amesbury, Mass., but this somewhat meagre training was supplemented by constant, va- ried, and extensive reading, and particularly by the study of geology and chemistry as connected with agriculture. He acquired a great amount of useful 472 HISTORY OF WARNER. information, and he is always ready to communicate from his store of facts and anecdotes, to any with wlioni he comes in contact. June 1, 1815, Mr. Bartlett married Hannah, only daughter of Rev. Wm. Kelley, the first minister of Warner. They had two children, who lived to ma- ture age, — viz., William K., born July 21, 1816, and Lavina K., born March 14, 1818. William K. Bartlett married Harriet N., daughter of Nathan Walker. In his early days he was considerably engaged in teach- ing, and for fifteen ^^ears was clerk in the New York & Erie Railroad Co., most of the time residing at Port Jervis. He resigned this position in 1868 on account of failing health, and he now resides at East Concord, occupying his time in tilling the soil, and in corre- sponding for the papers. Lavina K., the daughter, married Dr. Dana D. Davis [see a preceding page]. Her only son and child, Wm. D. Davis, is a clerk in the custom house at New York city. Dr. Moses Long was a man of education and cul- ture. He had decided literary tastes, and he wrote and published several valuable articles. One of these, which he called " Historical Sketches of Warner," he pub- lished in pamphlet form about the year 1830. Speak- ing of the productions of Warner in these sketches, the Doctor says, " melons, squashes, and 2:)om2yions abound." Nobody except the author appeared to know what "pompions" were. Stephen George (a very FRED MYRON COLBY. 473 good man, but one who could be a little rough when he made an effort), in reading these sketches, came to 'the sentence quoted above, and halted. " What are iwmpions f he presently said to his family. " I 've been in town twenty years, and I 've never seen a pompion yet : bring me the dictionary." The diction- ary was brought, but there was not much in it (per- haps it was Walker's first edition). The mysterious word was not there. George sprang from his, chair, seized his hat, and started for the doctor, who lived a mile away. It was now ten o'clock in the evening. Arriving at the doctor's house, he rapped sharp and loud on the front door, waited a minute, and gave another succession of startling raps, reminding one of Ethan Allen. The doctor, supposing there w^as an urgent demand for his professional services, sprang from his bed, pulled a garment or two partly on, and made for the door, on opening which he was saluted by his well known townsman thus : " What in li — are pompions f" Fred Myron Colby was born in Warner, Dec. 9. 1849. His early education was obtained at the schools of his native town and at Concord. He is not college- learned, but self-learned. He has a knowledge of two languages besides his own, and a wide and varied reading, being able to quote from the old poets and chroniclers for days. His early life was passed on a farm, and subsequently he was a school teacher. He 474 HISTORY OF WARNER. began to write for the press in 1872, when a novel of his was published by R M. DeWitt, of New York. This successful venture was followed by other attempts ' in the same channel. Two of his novels, "The Pio- neers of Kentucky," and " Rolf the Cavalier," sold to the extent of 60,000 copies. Besides these, Mr. Colby has written several serials for the Fireside Companion, and other story papers. He has been a frequent contributor to Potie7''s 3faga- zine and the National Repository ; and articles of his have appeared in the Home Guest, Cultivator, Cottage Hearth, Washington Chronicle, New York Hvening Post, and other well known publications. The press of New Hampshire has also been a repository of many of his sketches. The winter of 1875 he spent in Washington, D. C. as the correspondent of Boston and New Hampshire papers. Mr. Colby is at present engaged upon a work to be entitled " The Historic Homes of New Hampshire," for which he has been gathering material during the past year. Though his highest aim is to be a student rather than an author, he must certainly be ranked as one of our most talented young writers, and one destined to make his mark in the annals of letters. Such approved writers as John A. Harris, William K. Bartktt, and Albert P. Davis should not be over- looked. Nor should Miss Mary Rogers be forgotten, who, though not known to fame, charmed many PEACE FOREVERMORE. 475 hearts and lifted the cloud from many a brow by her sweet and soothing poetic effusions. Miss Hannah F. MoiiHll, daughter of John Morrill, of Burnt Hill, under the signature of " Mrs. H. F. M. Brown," wrote much and vigorously, some twenty-five or thirty years ago, for the papers of Ohio, in which state she lived. Miss Amanda B. Harris is a constant contributor to the Literary Worlds The Congregationalist, and the New York Evening Post, the high character of which publications is well known. She has written, also, for Appleton's Journal, and for various other periodicals. Miss Hannah Maria George, daughter of Oilman C. George, has a literary gift, and is a writer of good repute in her sphere. The individual who was conducting the Weekly Union at Manchester during the first stasres of the war, received from an anonymous hand and published the following beautiful poem. Let the author (what- ever his name) be enrolled among the literary char- acters of the town. Peace Forevermore. When shall the sound of cannon's roar, and rattle Of shot and shell, that fall like rain, No more be heard, and the smoke of battle Be seen no more upon the plain ? When will the moon rise calmly o'er the field of glory, The stars their pure, soft radiance shed O'er blood-stained soil, where lie, in vestments gory, The wounded ones, — the dying, and the dead ? 31 476 HISTOEY OF WARNER. When will the stars and stripes, — Flag of 'the Free, — Now trailing in the dust of civil war and crime, Be reared again vipon the staff of Liberty, To float triumphant through every age of time ? O'er our fair land, " in majesty stalks Sorrow ;" Pale, ghastly Death rides on before ; And millions cry, Oh ! when will dawn the morrow Of Unity and Peace forevermore ? L. W. C. Warner, June 25, 1861. OHAPTEE XXXII. MILITARY HISTORY OF WARNER THE REVOLUTION — ALARM AT COOS WAR WITH FRANCE THREATENED — WAR OF 1812 THE REBELLION STATE MILITIA. ARNER was not settled till after the French wars. ended, but she had a small population when the Revolution broke upon the country, and the patriotism she displayed was not inferior to that ot other towns. Warner men were at Bunker Hill with Stark, and at Bennington under the same commander. They were at Saratoga and West Point. They were in Rhode Island and in Canada. They were at Mon- mouth and Morristown. In fact, they were in most of the battles of the Revolution east of the Susque- hanna. Some of those men returned ; others were killed ; and still others were reported " missing." Kot among the suffering wonnded ; Not among the peaceful dead ; Not among the prisoners. Missing — That was all the message said. Ten Warner men, on the alarm at Lexington, in April, 1775, seized such arms as they had, and hast- ened to the scene of action. This was fourteen months prior to the Declaration of Independence. 478 HISTORY OF WARNER. Before their arrival at Cambridge the British had been driven back in disorder and defeat. It was not certain when thej would attempt another advance from Boston. It was not certain that they ever would. All America was aroused, and a volunteer army of thirty thousand men had assembled m and about Cambridge a few days after the " Concord fight." Twenty thousand of these (most of whom were poorly prepared for the service) were sent home by the American generals. Probably most, perhaps all, of these ten Warner men returned to their homes. As they were not organized into any regiment or com- pany, their names are borne upon no roll. The state allowed Warner for this service as follows : £ s. Lexington, ten men — 1775 — 22 10 This was about $7.50 to a man; from which it ap- pears that the service must have been of short dura- tion. The presumption is, however, that a part or all of these men subsequently entered the service at the call of the country for soldiers. On the ITth day of the June following " the alarm at Lexington," War- ner was well represented at Bunker Hill, as was New Hampshire generally. It is proper to state here that the American army consisted of about 1500 men in that battle, and that one thousand of these were New Hampshire soldiers ! WARNER PATRIOTS. 479 THE ROLL. The following is a list, as accurate as it can be made, of Warner men who served at different times, and for different periods, in the Revolutionary army. Hubbard Carter, lived on Tory Hill; promoted to be ensign. See a preceding page. Amos Flood : at Bunker Hill, in Marcy's company, Eeid's regi- ment ; lost a gun in battle ; state allowed him for it 1£ 8s. ; was the father of the late Daniel Flood, house-car- penter, and of Amos, Jr. Philip Rowell, the ancestor of George. S. and Charles P. Rowell. Aquila Davis. See preceding pages. Isaac Waldron, lived on Gould road. William Britton, never returned. John Plumer, enlisted at Henniker, under Capt. Blood. William Lowell. Isaac Lowell, in Capt. Ebenezer Webster's company. Barnard Lowell, a sea-captain after the Revolution ; died at sea. Elliot Colby, served in Col. Stickney's regiment. See a pre- ceding page. Stephen Colby, son of Elliot. See a preceding page. Ephraim Hoyt, brother to Jacob, the first hotel-keeper. Nathan Martin, served one year. Simeon Ward, " " ' " Ebenezer Eastman. See a preceding page. James Palmer. John Palmer. Israel Rand. Richard Bartlett. See a preceding page. Joseph Bartlett. " " Jonathan Roby, at Bunker Hill. Francis Davis, at Bunker Hill ; son of Capt. Francis. After the war, removed to Vermont, and died there. Wells Davis, another son of Capt. Francis ; at Bunker Hill ; lived at North village. Ichabod Twilight, a colored man ; never returned. Paskey Pressey. See a preceding page. David Gilmore. " " " Daniel Young. " " " Robert Gould. " " " Abner Watkins. " " " Reuben Kimball. " " " 480 HISTORY OF WARNER. Isaac Walker. See a preceding page. Ezokiel Goodwin. " Nathaniel Trumbull. " " Jacob Tucker. " " '' Abner Chase. " " " Isaac Dalton. " " " James Pressey, a son of Paskey. Stephen Richardson, enlisted at the age of 18. John Davis, lived across the narrow road from the old Deacon Bailey school-house ; was the father of John, William, and Amos. Josejih Burke, lived where Isaac C. Flanders now resides, at the Lower Village; was in the War of 1812, also in state militia. To this list may be added the names of a number of Eevolutionaiy patriots who entered the service from other places, but who settled in Warner shortly after the war, and ended their days here. Asa Putney was one of these. He went into the service from Hopkinton ; had an arm shattered by a musket-ball at Bennington ; settled in school district No. 8. The following record appears in the archives of the state : Paid Sergeant Asa Putney, of Gen. Stark's Brigade, wounded at Bennington Aug. 16, 1777, for his half pay from Sept, 24, 1777, to Sept. 24, 1779, 24 months, at 30s., £36. Joseph Burnap served in the army ; after the war he settled in Warner, in school district No. 8, as now numbered. He came from Reading, Mass. The farm on which he was reared was light and sandy, and he determined, on changing his residence, to shun '" mul- len-stalk " land. He ran into the other extreme, and settled on a very hard, rocky soil. But he was indus- ALAEM AT COOS. 481 trious, frugal, and satisfied. He had two sons and two daughters, all of whom have passed on, except the widow of David E. Harriman. She still survives, though rising 80 years of age. Charles Barnard, another Revolutionary soldier, came after the war, and settled on Burnt Hill. See another page. William H. Ballard was a lieutenant in the Kevolution. Joseph B. Hoyt. See another page. Stephen Badger. See another page. Anthonjr Clark was a waiter to Gen. Washington, Dr. John Hall served several 3^ears ; was at the battle of Bunker Hill. ALARM AT COOS. There was no Coos county in the days of the Rev- olution, and " Coos " meant the northern part of the state, above Hanover and Plymouth. Serious alarm was excited there in October, 1780, by the irruption into the eastern part of Vermont of a large body of Canadian Indians, led by one Horton, a British officer. With savage fary they plundered and burnt the town of Royalton, Vt., and killed and captured as many of the people as fell in their way. New Hampshire raised a volunteer force to hasten to the threatened locality, and AVarner furnished fifteen men for the ex- pedition. The invading army took the alarm, and beat a hasty retreat. Most of the men of Warner who were subject to military duty had gone into the army before this 482 HISTORY OF WARNER. alarm at Coos occurred, and the fifteen who sprang to arms to repel the threatened incursion were mostly old men and boys under age. They were never organized into any company, and hence no rolls of these men are in existence. The state allowed them £12 17s., or $2.66 each. Their service was short, consisting of a march of fifteen miles out and back. The name of one of these patriots has come down to us by tradi- tion. This is Jacob Hoyt, inn-keeper, and dealer in ashes, at the Carter place. The alarm came in the forenoon of the day, and the men gathered up such equipments as they could find, and hurried off before noon.' Hoyt hadn't a spear of hair on his head, but he had a great shaggy wig, which he wore on select occasions. He hunted up an old knapsack, into which he threw his wig, a half loaf of bread, and a pound or two of cheese. They marched up over " Kimball's Hill," in Sutton, reached the " Hominy Pot," in New London, that night, and went into camp. They made their suppers of such as they had, and went to sleep. They awoke in the morning and took breakfost. Our hero then pulled the wig out of the bottom of the knapsack, and, brushing the crumbs of bread and cheese out of the hair, adjusted it to his bald head, and complacently remarked. — " I '11 let the British know if they kill mc, they '11 kill somebody." But the sacrifice was not demanded. The men had gone but a mile in the morning, when they were met WAR OF 1812. 483 by a horseman, who came with orders for them to return to their homes. WAE WITH FRANCE THREATENED. In 1799 war between the United States and France was threatened, and, as a precautionary measure, the authorities filled up the ranks of the American army. Enlistments were brisk for a time, and a small num- ber of Warner men entered the service. Jacob Davis, a son of Wells, and grandson of Fran- cis, was one of these. He was stationed, a number of years, at one of the forts in Boston harbor. He was afterwards a captain in the state militia. He had two sons, — Dr. Daniel and Heniy, — and one daughter, the wife of Daniel Bean, Jr. He died at Waterloo, a few years since, at a great age. Winthrop D. Ager was another of these soldiers. He was in the service twenty years ; was a sergeant- major at the battle of Tippecanoe. He died at East- port, Me., in 1821. Ammi Peabody, a son of Jedediah, was another, and Israel Collins another. There may have been others still, whose names cannot be ascertained. WAR OF 1812. ROLL OF CAPT. JOSEPH SMITh's COMPANY. Joseph Smith, captain, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Daniel George, 1st lieut., " " James Bean, 2d lieut., " " Ricliard Pattee, ensign, " " 484 HISTORY OF. WARNER. Ste])hen George, sergeant, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Philip Osgood, " ' " " David Straw, " " " Daniel Flood, « " " Benjamin Evans, corporal, " " Daniel Bean, " " " •John Barnard, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Promoted to corporal April 1, 1813. Ezekiel Eoby, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Promoted to corporal May 1, 1813. Samuel Roby, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one ^^ear. Promoted to corporal May 12, 1813. Jeremiah Silver, musician, enlisted Feb, 1, 1813, for one year. Absent sick. William Barnard Walker, musician, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. J'rivates. David Baglev, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Robert Bailey, " " Timothy B. Chase, " " Timothy Chandler, " " Moses F. Colby, " " Charles Colby, " " Phineas Danforth, " " Zadoc Dow, " " John Davis, • " " Jesse Davis, " " Joshua Elliot, " " Stephen G. Eaton, " " Moses C. Eaton, " " Enoch French, « " Amos Flood, " " Mariner Flood, " " Thomas W. Freelove, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Desert- ed April 3, 1813. David Hardy, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. James Hastings, " " Richard Hunt, '" " Isaiah Hoyt, " " David E. Harriman, " « Ezra Jewell, . " " Winthrop M. Lowell, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Absent sick. William Little, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. James Little, " " WAR OF 1812. 485 Joseph Maxfield, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. John Morrill, " '' Nehemiah Osgood, Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Promoted April 3, 1813, to fife-major. Eben Stevens, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Eoyal W. Stanley, " " Samuel G. Titcomb, " " Abraham Waldron, " " Plumer Wheeler, " " Samuel Wheeler, " " James Wheeler, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Died May 3, 1813. Ebenezer Woodbiiry, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Died April 10, 1813. Humphrey Bursiel, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. John Smith, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Deserted April 12, 1813. Ambrose C. Sargent, enlisted Feb. 1, 1813, for one year. Jonathan Stevens, " " CAPT. JONATHAN BKAn's COMPANY. Capt. Bean was of Salisbury. Warner had fifteen men in his command. Nicholas Evans, sergeant, enlisted Sept. 11, 1814, for ninety days. Joel B. Wheeler, corporal, " "' Isaiah S. Colby, private, " " Mariner Eastman, " " Joseph Goodwin, " " Seth Goodwin, " " John Goodwin, " " Natbaniel Hunt, " " David H. Kelley, " " James G. Ring, . " « James H. Stevens, " " Stephen Sargent, " " Thomas Thurber, " " Abner S. Colby, enlisted Sept. 11, 1814, for ninety days. Died Oct. 31, 1814. Jacob Harvey, enlisted Sept. 11, 1814, for ninety days. Died Oct. 31, 1814. IN CAPT. SILAS call's COMPANY. Reuben Clough, ensign, enlisted Oct. 2, 1814, for forty days. Marden Seavey, sergeant, '•' " 486 " HISTORY OF WARNER. Simeon Bartlett, private, enlisted Oct. 2, 1814, for 40 days. Jacob Colby, '' " " John Hall, " " " Christopher Sargent, musician, " " IX CAPT. JOSIAH BELLOWS'S COMPANY. David Harvey, private, enlisted Sept. 26, 1814, for sixty days. Samuel Page^, " " " Benj. Spalding, " " " Daniel Wheeler, " " " Six other Warner men served in four or five dif- ferent companies. The following are their names : Daniel Pillsbury, corporal, Kathaniel Jones, private, Obadiah Whittalcer, corporal, Benj. C. Waldron, private, Dudley Trumbull, private, Joseph Burke, private. THE REBELLION. New Hampshire raised 84,500 men for the War of the Rebellion. She raised seventeen regiments of infantry, a force of cavalry, of heavy artillerj^, and of sharpshooters. Warner had men in many of these organizations. The whole number furnished by the town was 200. Citizens of Warner, 124 liecruited abroad, 76 200 FIRST REGIMEXT (tHREE MONTHS). J. Frank Osgood, mustered May 2, '61 ; discharged Aug. 9, '61. Otis S. Osgood, " " Daniel Stevens, " " Henry Wiggin, " " Henry E. Badger, " " Jubal Eaton, " " John B. Rand, " " THE EEBELLION. 487 SECOND REGIMENT (tHREE YEARS). Harrison Robertson, mustered Jnne 3, 1861 ; discharged for dis- ability, Aug. 2, 1861. Abner F. Harvey, mustered June 1, 1861 ; died of disease Feb. 13, 1863. Leonard E. Barnard, mustered May 17, 1864. FIFTH REGIMENT. James H. Ferrin, mustered Oct. 12, 1861 ; promoted to sergeant ; transferred to invalid corps April 15, 1864. SEVENTH REGIMENT. James M. Osgood, mustered Aug. 15, 1862 ; discharged for dis- ability, April 15, 1864. George Waldron, mustered Dec. 7, 1863. ELEVENTH REGIMENT. Walter Harriman, Colonel, commissioned Aug. 26, 1862 ; presi- dent of Division Court-martial in April and May, 1863 ; resigned at Milldale, Miss., July 1, 1863 ; recommissioned as colonel Aug. 15, 1863 ; in command of brigade at vari- ous times ; taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864 ; held at Macon, Ga., and at Charleston, S! C. ; under fire of our own guns at the latter place 53 days and nights ; exchanged Aug. 4, 1864 ; returned to regi- ment before Lee's army ; entered Petersburg, April 3, 1865, in command of a brigade of nine regiments ; ap- pointed Brigadier-General by Brevet, "for gallant conduct during the war, to date from March 13, 1865;" mustered out, June 4, 1865. Company D. Leander W. Cogswell, Captain (a Henniker man, but closely identified with company D, and with the 11th regiment), commissioned Sept. 4, 1862 ; in command of" the regiment at London, Ky., September, 1863 ; continued in command through the " Siege of Knoxville," and till January 15th ; detailed May 22, 1861, as Asst. Ins. Gen. on the staff of Gen. S. G. Griffin ; detailed Dec. 1, on court-martial ser- vice ; commissioned lieut. colonel of the regiment Aug. 20, 1864 ; honorably discharged at close of war. 488 HISTORY OF AVARNER. Charles Davis, Jr., first sergeant, mustered Sept. 2, 1862 ; pro- moted to second lieutenant, and then to first ; appointed captain Sept. 20, 1864, but not mustered for lack of men in the company; wounded Sept. 30, 1804; honorably dis- char^jed as first lieutenant, Jan. 20, 1865. David C. Harriman, second lieutenant, commissioned Sept. 4, 1862 ; promoted to first lieutenant Feb. 27, 1863 ; resigned at Milldale, Miss., July 1, 1863; appointed first lieutenant in the 18th regiment Oct. 6, 1864 ; mustered out June 10, 1865. See 18th reg. Henry L. Colby, quartermaster-sergeant ; appointed Aug. 2, 1862 ; mustered out June 4, 1865. George T. Edmunds, sergeant, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; promoted to first sergeant ; wounded Jul}' 30, 1864 ; discharged for disability May 15, 1865. George E. Davis, sergeant ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded July 12, 1863 ; discharged for disability Nov. 10, 1863. Charles C Jones, corporal ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded Dec. 13, 1862 ; discharged for disability May 7, 1863. William Stevens, corporal ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; promoted to sergeant ; wounded severely July 30, 1864 ; discharged for disability June 6, 1865. Lewis Childs, corporal; mustered Aug. 29, 1862; wounded se- verely July 30, 1864; mustered out May 12, 1865. Nathaniel Bean, corporal ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; discharged for disability, at Washington, D. C, Jan. 16, 1863; died soon after his discharge. George H. Colby, musician ; mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; died of disease at Covington, Ky., Aug. 15, 1863. Frank P. Ager, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; mustered out June 4, 1865. John F. Badger, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; must, out June 4, 1865. Frederick E. Badger, must. Aug. 29. 1862 ; died of disease at Washington, D. C, Jan. 8, 1863. Imri Ball, must. Aug. 29, 1862; must, out June 4, 1865. Hazen Bartlett, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded and captured at the battle of the Mine, July 30, 1864 ; died in the hands of the enemy, at Petersburg, Va., Sept. 5, 1864. David S. Burbank, must Aug. 29, 1862 ; promoted to corporal ; must, out June 4, 1865. AVilliam S. Carter, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; promoted to com- missary-sergeant Sept. 2, 1862; must, out June 4, 1865. Plummer E. Carter, mustered Aug. 29, 1862. Edgar 0. Couch, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded slightly twice ; captured July 30, 1864, at the Mine ; died of disease at Danville, Va., Feb. 1. 1865. Philip Colby, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; died of disease Feb. 28, 1863. THE REBELLION. 489 Er Collins, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; discharged for disability at Hampton, Va., Aug. 1, 18G3. William M. Corser, must. Aug. 29, 1862; m. out June 4, 1865. Charles S. Davis, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded slightly May 12, 1864 ; promoted to corporal ; wounded Sept. 30, 1864; promoted to sergeant March 1, 1865 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Timothy B. Eastman, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Henry L. French, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; discharged for disability at Newport News, Va., March 13, 1863 ; reiinlisted into Heavy Artillery. Thomas B. Flanders, mustered Aug. 29, 1862. Jubal Eaton, mustered Aug. 29, 1862. Frank B. Flanders, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded severely June 18, 1864 ; mustered out June 4, 1865. Charles E. Hardy, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Joseph B. Hoyt, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; died of disease at Aquia Creek, Va., Feb. 5, 1863. Warren F. Hackett, m. Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. James M. Jewell, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; discharged for disability at Washington, D. C, March 19, 1863. George T. Ordway, must. Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded slightly May 12, 1864 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Henry Osgood, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; promoted to sergeant ; m. out June 4, 1865. Imri Osgood, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded severely Dec. 13, 1862 ; discharged at Washington, D. C, on account of wounds. May 3, 1864. Henry E. Page, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Plummer B. Page, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; wounded severely May 6, 1864; m. out June 4, 1865. George Boby, mustered Aug. 29, 1S62; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, Nov. 15, 1863 ; m. out Aug. 5, 1865. Joseph S. Rogers, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Trask W. Royleigh, mustered Aug. 29, 1862. Don E. Scott, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. Cyrus P. Savory, mustered Aug. 29, 1862; m. out June 4, 1865. Addison Scoby, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; discharged for disabil- ity Dec. 27, 1863. Frank Stevens, mustered Aug. 29, 1862; promoted to corporal; mustered out June 4, 1865. Arthur Thompson, mustered Aug. 29, 1862 ; m. out June 4, 1865. SIXTEENTH REGIMENT (nINE MONTHS). Samuel Davis, Jr., major, commissioned Nov. 1, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Philip C. Bean, second lieutenant, commissioned Nov. 4, 1862 ; mustered out Aug. 20, 1863. 490 HISTORY OF WARNER. Reuben B. Porter, second lieutenant, commissioned January 19, 18G3; mustered out August 20, 1863. Moses C. Harriman, sergeant, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. James Bean, Jr., corporal, mustered Ocl. 2-3, 1862 ; must, out Aug. 20, 1863. Gilman M. Blake, corporal, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at New Orleans, June 17, 1863. George H. Melvin, corporal, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; promoted to sergeant ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Edwin B. Hardy, musician, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; mustered out Aug. 20, 1863. Zenas A. Bartlett, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Charles D. Cheney, " " " " " Daniel Cheney, mustered Oct: 23, 1862 ; discharged for disability June 27, 1863. Alphonso Colby, mustered Oct. 23, 1863 ; died at Brashear City, May 11, 1863. Charles G. Davis, mustered Oct. 23, 1862; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Charles H. Flanders, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at Cairo, 111., Aug. 9, 1863. Blanchard A. Hardy, must. Oct. 23, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Justus C. Harriman, must. Oct. 23, 1862; died at Baton Eouge, La., May 4. 1863. John M. Hemphill, must. Oct. 23. 1862 ; died at New Orleans, April 30, 1863. John M. Johnson, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Henry L. Johnson, " " " " " George P. Jones, '• " " " " Charles H. Melvin, " " ■' " " William H. Ordway, must. Nov. 12, 1862 ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Horace Osgood, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; promoted to corjioral ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. John Pearson, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at Baton Eouge, La., June 27, 1863. Hamilton P. Sargent, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at Brashear City, June 10,1863. Moses D. Sargent, mustered Oct. 23, 1862. Leonard E. Sargent, must. Oct. 23, 1862; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. David F. Sargent, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at Port Hudson, La., July 16, 1863. Daniel B. Webster, mustered Nov. 4, 1862 ; died at Brashear City, La., April 27, 1863. Clarence L. Wilkins, mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; promoted to hospi- tal steward ; m. out Aug. 20, 1863. Wells H. Davis, enlisted at Newport ; mustered Oct. 23, 1862 ; died at Cairo, 111., August, 1863. THE REBELLION. 491 EIGHTEENTH REGIMENT (nINE MONTHS). David C. Harriman, first lieutenant, commissioned Oct. 6, 1864; must, out June 10, 1865. [See 11th Regiment.] Elbridge Eaton, corporal, must. Sept. 14, 1864 ; must, out June 10, 1865. Alfred H. Davis, Jr., must. Sept. 13, 1864; must, out July 29, 1865. Geo. J. Flanders, must. Sept. 17, 1864 ; must, out June 10, 1865. Walter M. Flanders, must. Sept. 17, 1864; must, out May 30, 1865. Frank P. Harriman, must. Sept. 17, 1864 ; must out July 29, 1865. Leonidas Harriman, must. Sept. 17, 1864 ; promoted to corporal ; must, out June 10, 1865. Leonard Stewart, must. Sept. 17, 1864 ; must, out June 10, 1865. N. H. BATTALION, FIRST N. E. CAVALRY. Henry F. Hunt, must. Dec. 19, 1861 ; discharged for disability, Nov. 12, 1863. John Hunt, must. Jan. 5, 1864; must, out July 15, 1865. FIRST REGIMENT N. H. VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. Perry H. Cheney, must. Aug. 9, 1864 ; discharged for disability, July 19, 1865. Charles G. Davis, must. Aug. 9, 1864 ; must, out July 15, 1865. [See 16th Regiment.] George P. Davis, must. Aug. 9, 1864 ; must, out Julj^ 15, 1865. Sylvanus Harriman, must. Aug. 15, 1864; promoted to corporal; discharged for disability, July 17, 1865. Reuben M. Gregg, must. Dec. 7, 1863 ; promoted to corporal ; must, out July 15, 1865. Charles C. Flanders, must. Aug. 15, 1864 ; discharged for disa- bility, July 10, 1865. FIRST REGIMENT HEAVY ARTILLERY. Joseph E. Lawrence, must. Sept. 5, 1864 ; m. out Sept. 11, 1865. William Herbert Sawyer, must. Sept. 13, 1864 ; must, out June 15, 1865. Henry L. French, must. Dec. 17, 1863; must, out May 30, 1865. [See 11th Regiment.] FIRST REGIMENT U. S. SHARP-SHOOTERS. William G. Andrews, sergeant, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; promoted to first lieutenant, Dec. 20, 1861 ; promoted to captain, Oct. 1, 1863; wounded August 16, 1864; mustered out at end of three years, Sept. 8, 1864. 32 492 HISTORY OF WARNER. Austin Andrews, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; promoted to sergeant ; must, out Sept. 8, 1864. Walter H. Bean, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; promoted to corporal ; wounded severely at Yorktown, Va., April 13, 1862 ; dis- charged for disability at Washington, D. C, Sept. 15, 1862. Frank Bean, mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Henry E. Badger, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; wounded August 30, 1862 ; must, out Sept. 8, 1864. [See First Regiment.] Reuben K. Emerson, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; died at Gaines's Hill, Va., June 3, 1862. John B. Rand, mustered Sept. 9, 1861 ; wounded July 2, 1863 ; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, April 1, 1864. [See First Regiment.] Harrison Robertson, must. Sept. 9, 1861 ; wounded July 3, 1863 ; must, out Sept. 8, 1864. [See 2d Regiment.] Harlan S. Willis, must. Sept. 9, 1861 ; discharged for disability, at Washington, D. C, Nov. 25, 1861. William D. Chase, must. Sept. 9, 1861 ; must, out Sept. 8, 1864. Charles A. Watkins, must. Sept. 9, 1861. Jerome B. Porter, served in the 2d Reg't U. S. Sharpshooters ; must. Dec. 12, 1861 ; discharged for disability. May 9, 1862. James A. Wadleigh was a member of Co. F, 11th N. H. Reg't; must. Aug. 29, 1862, as of Sutton ; wounded December 13, 1862; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corjjs, Oct. 1, 1863, as of Warner^' must, out at close of the war. Alfred Kelley, served in the 5th Wisconsin Regiment of infantry; lost an arm December 13, 1862 ; discharged for disability, Sept. 15, 1863. Augustus Melvin, enlisted in Massachusetts into Fletcher Web- ster's regiment ; was transferred to the regular army, and served through the war. Enrolling officers were appointed throughout the country during the war, whose duty it was to make and keep accurate lists of the men who had gone into the service, and also of those who were subject to mil- itary duty, so that when calls were made for men the proper number could be allotted to each town. Capt. Timothy Flanders was the enrolling officer for War- ner. STATE MILITIA. 493 An immense debt and the necessity for heavy tax- ation grew out of the war, and internal revenue laws were enacted to meet in part the exigency. Benja- min F. Harriman was assistant assessor of internal revenue under those laws for several years after the war, his district being Warner and several of the adja- cent towns. STATE MILITIA. The rolls of the state militia are meagre and imper- fect. The following list of general and field officers which Warner has furnished, is given mainly from recollection. Aquila Davis, Brigadier-General. Richard Straw, Colonel. Simeon Bartlett, " Isaac Dalton, Jr., " James M. Harriman, " John C. Ela, " Hiram Dimond, Lieutenant-Colonel. Timothy D. Robertson, William G. Flanders, John A. Hardy, Calvin A. Davis, Bartlett Hardy, Daniel Runels, Major. Joseph B. Hoyt, " William H. Ballard, " Joseph Burke, " Daniel George, " Joseph S. Hoyt, " Eliezer Emerson, " Stephen K. Hoyt, " 494 HISTORY OF WARNER. John C. Ela, a son of John and Amy (Campbell) Ela, was born at Derry, March 3, 1826. The other children of this couple are Betsey C, Abner C, and Emma Jane. The first Ela found in this country is Daniel. He was a tanner and taverner at Haverhill, Mass., as early as 1675. The mother of John C. was a Campbell, and Duncan Campbell, a bookseller, and a man of note in his day, is found in Boston as early as 1685. He was from Scotland. His children were, — William, born 1687 ; Archibald, 1689 ; Matthew, 1691 ; Susanna, 1696 ; and Agnes, 1699. Mr. John Ela came with his family from Derry to Warner, in 1844. He was a cloth-dresser and miller. He died September, 1867, aged 71. Mrs. Ela died December, 1876, aged 78. John C. Ela married Clara B. Manning, May 10, 1851, who died June 19, 1852. He married for his second wife, February, 1858, Louisa J., daughter of Caleb Watson, of Salisbury, N. H. They have three children, — two daughters and a son. Mr. Ela is the proprietor of the saw-mill, the grist- mill, and the carding-mill at Warner village, where a large amount of business is annually done. To the grist-mill, people come with their grain from all the surrounding towns. In 1849 John C. Ela was the colonel of the fortieth regiment of New Hampshire militia. ^ , ^sll^ STATE MILITIA. 495 The first military trainings in Warner were at the Parade. Here, as early as 1773, and when the prov inces were subject to the Crown, Capt. Davis called together the " 22d company of Foot, in the 9th regi- ment of Militia." Here, for many years after, those liable to military duty were warned to appear " armed and equipped as the law directs." There were usually two trainings (one in May and one in September) each year. There have been regimental musters in Warner, on ground at the rear of George Savoiy's buildings, on Denney's hill, at Stephen Davis's, on the Plain, at the rear of Stanley's buildings, on what is now the fair ground, and on the Badger intervale. No entertainment ever quite equalled an old-fash- ioned muster, in the estimation of a patriotic youth. It furnished him his chief theme of thought and conversation for days and weeks before it occurred. Stalks were cut, reaping was done, and grain was threshed under the inspiration of the coming festival. At length the day arrives. The boys have had a poor night's rest, and even the head of the family has not slept as soundly as usual. An early start is made : many go on foot, while others ride, with three on the seat and one on the peck-measure in the hind end of the wagon. Presently daylight dawns ; all hands hurry up ; now the sun lifts his yellow disc above the line of hills ; now the muster-field is in 496 HISTORY OF WARNER. full view. The troops, by the activity of the adju- tant, are in line. The Hopkinton Rifle Company, with their tall, black plumes, are stationed against a wood ; the Hopkinton Light Infantry, with white pantaloons and showy uniforms, are on the right; the Henniker Rifles, with light gray suits, grape but- tons, and white plumes, make a conspicuous figure. The Warner Artillery, with their old brass field-piece (a four-pounder), and their black broadcloth with red trimmings, together with their black plumes tipped with red, look warlike and substantial ; the Warner Light Infantry, handsomely uniformed with white pants, blue coats, and large white plumes having red tops, extort general admiration. Then the many infantry companies, whose officers are decked with showy regalia, and the cavalry with spirited horses and shrill bugle, on the extreme left, complete the " line of battle." The field officers are at their posts, on horseback, at the right, the centre, and the left, facing the troops, while the general and his staff, with their close-fitting buff pantaloons, long-topped boots, and waving feath- ers, are in camp at the rear. In due time they will be ready for the inspection, the review, and the ad- dress. Go now to the spectators, a motley throng. All seem to be "present or accounted for." The north has given up, and the south has kept not back. The STATE MILITIA. 497 substantial yeomanry, the wealthy and the great (as men count greatness) are there, as well as the poor and humble. The cripples are all present ; the " black ducks" are vociferous and happy; the children are on hand ; and the old people are not without a witness. The din of the peddlers is unceasing ; the rattle of the tumblers is a familiar sound ; the singing of the song- sters attracts much attention. Old Prince, with his tight corduroy trowsers, is on the ground, with a sheet or two of gingerbread already under each arm (the contributions of favored bystanders), and his clear melodious voice is ringing out, — We thank the noble king of France, Both men and money he did advance ; We thank the noble king of Spain, The states of Holland shall shear the same. But the great event of the day is the sham-fight : that closes the military exercise. The regiment is divided into two wings as nearly equal as possible. These two armies take their positions ; the bands are playing ; the field-officers are hurrying in hot haste, their horses white with foam. These animals have been selected for their spirit and beauty. Carter's splendid gray steed, " The Fierce Eagle," is for many years a conspicuous figure at the parades of the 40th regiment. The reader is specially invited to go back to the muster of 1828, at Stephen Davis's, — the first ever 498 HISTORY OF WARNER. held on that ground. Col. Simeon Bartlett is in com- mand ; the day is delightful, and the " Right Arm of National Defence" never appeared to better advan- tage than now, at an annual review in Warner. It is two o'clock in the afternoon ; the sham-fight has just commenced ; the sharp cracking of the mus- ketry back under the pines has begun, and the deep roar of the four-pounder jars the ground. A young man about twenty years of age, one who is a little ungainly in appearance, who tapers the wrong way, wearing a No. 5 hat and No. 14 boots, comes along, eating a seed-cucumber, and complacently remark- ing, " They jest begins to let 'er rip a little now !" You are right, my boy, and " the combat deepens." The rank smell of powder impregnates the air ; the horses nervously paw the turf; one throws his rider violently to the ground and plunges through the crowd ; he is caught at the great rock near the gate. Trees and underbrush have been cut and dried, from which a fort has been built, supplied with a deep straw bedding; a company occupies this redoubt, and pours an incessant fire upon the opposing line. The old artillery moves up in majestic style, Capt. Safford Watson cutting cabalistic figures in the air with his sword to denote the advance, the halt, and the fire. The gunners are discharging the piece with great rapidity, and from the fortification, as well as all along the line, a deafening roll of musketry is heard. STATE MILITIA. 499 Above the roar and tumult, the clear voice of Capt. Watson rings out, " Charge the fort /" — and the bur- nished field-piece is instantly run up to within ten feet of the object of attack ; the hot blaze issues from its mouth, and the fort is instantaneously enveloped in smoke and flame. The company defending it has retreated. The cracklin2: flames and thick darkness make a scene for a painter. The cavalry, in marvelous quick time, with frantic horses, wheel into line at the rear of the artillery to cut off* their retreat ; the Hop- kinton Rifles charge upon their flank and capture the gun; but the Henniker Rifles (being allies of the artillery) advance on the double-quick to the defence of the latter ; the cannon is retaken, and the battle, — which has lono^ huno; in even scale, and which has been bravely fought, though not bloody in its re- sults, — comes to an end. CHAPTEE XXXIII. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OP WARNER. (HE history of the Congregational church for the first half century after the settlement of the town is substantially embodied in the preceding pages of this volume. It was so closely interwoven with the history of the town as to make it impossible to present the one without presenting the other also. The Congregational church was organized the 5th day of February, 1772, and Rev. Mr. Kelley, the first settled minister, was ordained that day. The churches which were represented on this occasion by ministers and delegates were those of Concord, Pembroke, Hen- niker, Salem, Hampstead, and Plaistow. The repre- sentatives of these churches, together with Mr. Kelley and several of his parishioners, met at the house of Isaac Waldron, Jr., on the Gould road, where they formed into a council, with Rev. Timothy Walker, of Concord, as moderator. They then and there pro- ceeded and organized the first church. The cove- nant was signed and assented to by William Kelley, / ECCLESIASTICAL. 501 Joseph Sawyer, Richard Goodwin, Nehemiah Heath, Francis Davis, Abner Chase, Moses Clark, and Parme- nas Watson. When the council had convened and organized, it was rumored that they could not go on, because there was not a sufficient number of persons giving evi- dence of piety to form a church. Isaac Waldron, senior, sent them word that rather than have them fail for want of numbers he would take hold and join the church himSelf. though he preferred to be ex- cused ! Having organized the church, the council pro- ceeded to the humble meeting-house at the Parade, wdiere the services of ordination were participated in by Rev. Mr. Walker, Rev. Jacob Emery of Pem- broke, Rev. Henry True of Hampstead, Rev. Abner Bayley of Salem, Rev. Giles Merrill of Plaistow, and Rev. Jacob Rice of Henniker. Rev. William Kelley w^as born at Newbury, Mass., in 1744. He graduated at Harvard in 1767, studied for the ministry with Rev. Henry True, of Hampstead, and married Lavinia Bayley, daughter of Rev. Abner Bayley, of Salem, N. H. Mr. Kelley was, in stature, rather below the medium size of men. In manner he was genial and pleasant. His theology was that of the moderate Calvinists. His sermons and prayers were short for the times in wdiich he lived. When the service was finished, Mr. 502 HISTORY OF WARNER. Kelley would come down from the pulpit, and pass along the middle aisle to the door, bowing right and left to all. The congregation would remain seated till he had passed out. Those were the days of cour- tesy and reverence. Mr. Kelley was never settled over any church but this, and he closed his regular services here in 1801, though he continued to preach more or less in town and in adjoining towns till his death. He died of apoplexy. May 18, 1813, aged 68, and his dust sleeps in the old cemetery, a few feet to the rear of the point where his pulpit stood, and where his eloquence was so faithfully poured forth. In Mr. Kelley's day, two of those who, for a time, led the singing, were Enoch Morrill and Jacob Os- good. There were but few singers. Among them were Miriam Stevens (wife of Jacob Osgood), Rachel Flood (wife of Enoch Osgood), and Mrs. John Hardy, of Tory Hill. At first there were no musical instru- ments, but a church meeting in 1797 voted "to admit the Bass Viol in Pubhck Worship." The town ap- proved of this step by voting, in March, 1800, "that the singers should be admitted to use Bass Viols and any other sacred instruments on the Sabbath in the meeting-house for the future." The church was not strong in numbers or in wealth. It was divided and weakened by the location of the meeting-house " under the ledge," and by other causes, ECCLESIASTICAL. 503 and it ^Yas destitute of a settled minister for thirteen years after the withdrawal of Mr. Kelley. Rev. John Woods came next. He was settled June 22, 1814. Mr. Woods was born at Fitzwilliam in 1785. He graduated at Williams college in 1812, and made his first settlement in Warner. He lacked the agreeable manners of his predecessor, but was a man of much intellectual strength. One who knew him says, — " He was a man who threw up the sub- soil, and laid deep foundations." He was strictly Cal- vinistic in his doctrines. He was dismissed, on his own request, from the pastorate in Warner, June 17, 1823; was pastor of the church in Newport from 1824 to 1851; and after this he preached a short time at Fitzwilliam, where he died May 4, 1861, aged 76 years. Rev. Jubilee Wellman was settled in September, 1827 (the flock having been without a shepherd for four years). Mr. Wellman was born in Greenfield, Mass., in 1793 ; was settled first at Frenchport, Me., then at Warner, where he remained ten years, then at Westminster, Vt., and finally at Lowell, Vt., where he died in 1855, at the age of 62 years. During the ministry of Mr. Wellman in Warner, the church was united and strono;. Rev. Amos Blanchard was settled in 1837. He was born in Peacham, Vermont. After graduating at the Andover Theological Seminary in 1828 he 504 HISTORY OF WARNER. went West, and edited a religious journal in Cincin- nati three years. He returned to Vermont and set- tled at Lyndon, then at Warner, — where he remained less than three years, — then at Meriden, N. H., where he continued twenty-five years. He died at Barnet, Vt., in 1869, aged 68. He was an able and worthy man. Rev. James W. Perkins was next in order. He was born at Mont Vernon, N. H. ; was educated as a physician, but was inducted into the ministry in 1834. He first settled at New Hampton, then at Warner, where he commenced his labors in 1840, and closed them in 1846. After leaving Warner, Mr. Perkins was at Alstead and at Deering, but since 1857 has been preaching in Wisconsin. Rev. Robert W. Fuller was installed over the church at Warner in June, 1846. He was born at Milford, N. H., in 1807 ; was settled first at Westmoreland, then at Acworth, then at Warner, where he remained about four years. After leaving Warner he preached at South Westmoreland and at Lempster. He was a man of talent, but of strong will and great indepen- dence. Rev. Harrison 0. Howland commenced supplying the pulpit in 1852. He was born at West Brookfield, Mass., in 1813. He settled first at Ashland, N. Y., then at Warner, where he remained five years, then at Chester, N. H., and finally at Girard, Pa, where he died in 1872, aged 58. ECCLESIASTICAL. 505 Rev. Daniel Warren, a native of Rochester, Yt, was installed in 1857. His first settlement was at Waterburj, Yt., where he continued thirteen years, and till 1838. After that he preached at various places in the same state. He remained in Warner nearly six years, and substantially finished his labors here. He died at Lowell in his native state. Rev. Henry S. Huntington commenced supplying the pulpit in 1863, but sickness compelled him to withdraw from it for a period. His ordination took place in ]866, and he closed his labors with the church, October, 1872. Mr. Huntington was born at Norwich, Conn. He graduated at Yale college, and his first settlement was at Warner. He preached in Warner from eight to ten years. His next settle- ment was at Galesburg, Illinois, and his third at Gor- ham, Maine, where he now officiates. Rev. Matthew A. Gates (who came from Salem, N. H.) immediately followed Mr. Huntington as pastor of the church. He continued in this position till August, 1876, a, period of nearly four years, and then removed to St. Johnsbury, Yt. Rev. George A. Beckwith, the present pastor, com- menced his services with the church July 1, 1878. The first six deacons of this church were Parmenas Watson, Nehemiah Heath, David Heath, Isaac Dalton, Reuben Kimball, and Ezra Barrett. The old meeting-house " near Joseph Currier's" 506 HISTORY OF WARNER. was abandoned by the Congregational church as a place of worship in 1819, and a new house was erected near the Kelley stand. That house, in 1845, was removed to its present location at the village ; it was modernized, and its galleries were removed in 1856 ; it was enlarged and improved in 18G8. In 1866, a bell of deep and mellow tone was hung in the steeple. In 1872 the church had existed one hundred years, and on the 12th day of June of that year its centen- nial celebration took place. A large congregation of town's-people, former residents, and friends from far and near, came together to commemorate the event. The celebration partook largely of the character of a town celebration. Rev. Mr. Huntington gave an able and instructive historical address (or sermon) in the forenoon, after which an ample collation was served in the vestry. In the afternoon Stephen S. Bean was called to the chair, and various sentiments and re- sponses, interspersed with prayer and singing, occu- pied the next two hours. Rev. Dr. Bouton of Con- cord, Rev. Mr. Buxton of Webster, Rev. Mr. Terry of Plaistow, Rev. Mr. Bullard of Hampstead, and others, participated in these exercises. Mr. Huntington, in his published account of this day's doings, closes as follows : A sentiment referring to our country was responded to by Gov. Harriman. He glanced at the I'ilgrims, and then at the present, speaking of the results of ninety years of government, of our THE BAPTIST CHURCH. 507 national grandeur, prosperity, and progress ; and at the close of his address " America" was sung by the congregation. A poem of much merit, written for the occasion by Alfred W. Sargent, a young member of the church, was read by him ; com- munications and letters were read by the chairman ; after which the Sacrament was administered by Rev. Mr. Bullard and Rev. Mr. Terry. In the evening there was a social reunion, at which man}- reminiscences were given ; other letters were read ; also, a poem, written by Mrs. L. K. Davis, a member of the church ; and re- marks were made by several persons from abroad, among whom were Hon. Stephen C. Badger and Rev. Daniel Sawyer, formerh^ of Warner. THE BAPTIST CHURCH. The present Baptist church of Warner is not the off- spring or representative of the old Anti-pedobaptist church of 1793. That died "without issue." The present church is of comparatively recent origin, not having yet been in existence fifty years. It was or- ganized in the month of September, 1833, and their house of worship was dedicated at the same time. Rev. Ira Person, of Newport, preached the dedica- tory sermon in the forenoon, and in the afternoon the newly-formed church received the fellowship of the denomination, when a sermon was preached by Rev. E. E. Cummings, of Concord. Rev. George W. Cutting, a native of Shoreham, Vt, was the first pastor of this church. He was settled January, 1835, and continued in this relation till Sep- tember, 1840, when he resigned to accept a call from 33 508 HISTORY OF WARNER. the Baptist churcli in Lyme. After remaining at Lyme a few years, Mr. Cutting had charge of a church at Fitzwilliam, but about ten years ago he left New England to make his home in Iowa. He was very popular in Warner, both with his church and with the people of the town. Kev. John M. Chick, a native of Wells, Me., and a graduate of New Hampton Theological Institution, was the second pastor. He commenced his services with this church in September, 1840, and continued with it nearly six years. While he was looking after the interests of the parish, his wife was engaged in school, where she had flattering success. Mr. Chick now resides at Ayer Junction, Mass. Rev. J. S. Herrick was the third pastor. He came in 1846, and remained five years. Since leaving Warner he has been settled in Rumney, and in Troy, N. H. He still presides over the Baptist church at the latter place, where he has been settled a great many years. Rev. L. Sherwin succeeded Mr. Herrick. He com- menced his labors in February, 1852, but in April, 1853, he resigned his charge on account of failing health, and was soon " called to lay his armor off." Rev. N. J. Pinkham, a native of Dover, and a grad- uate of New Hampton Theological Institution, came in April, 1853, and remained till February, 1857. He now has charge of a church at Thompson, Conn. THE BAPTIST CHUECH. 509 Rev. Henry Stetson, of Maine, was pastor of this church from 1860 to 1864. Rev. Albert Heald, from 1865 to 1870, when he re- signed to accept a call from the church at Amherst. He is now pastor of the Baptist church at Meriden. Rev. William H. Walker, a graduate of Brown Uni- versity, and of Newton Theological Institution, became the pastor in May, 1873, which position he still holds. Among the early pillars of this church were Na- thaniel Eaton, Jonathan Emerson, Richard F. Rogers, and Jesse Hardy. The church has a fund of $2,000, which was left by two of its deceased members. One half of this amount was the gift of Mrs. Abigail K. Simonds, and the other half the gift of Mrs. Betsey Dimond Tucker. The interest of this money goes towards the support of preaching. The church has also a parsonage, which was the gift of Mrs. Simonds. The Free Will Baptists have had an organization in town, and at one time and another have had consid- erable preaching, but they have never had a church edifice or a settled minister. They have occupied the town hall and the school-houses. In early days their religious services were often held in private houses, and sometimes in the shady grove. The old school- house under the hill, in District No. 8, was for many years, through the summer seasons, a recognized sanc- tuary. A church organization existed there, and the church ordinances were regularly observed. Men and 510 HISTORY OF WARNER. women poured in from every direction, and there was generally a large and devoted congregation. The Methodists have had an organization in Warner, and in times past have maintained public worship. A meeting-house, partly (perhaps mainly) built by them, now stands in a good state of preservation at the Lower Village. It is not regularly occupied. The Universalists organized, and (largely through the activity of Daniel Bean, Jr.) built a meeting-house in 1844. For several years there appeared to be health and perseverance in the organization. The desk was occupied two or three years by a native- born citizen of the town ; at a later day by Rev. J. F. Witherell ; and still later, by Rev. Lemuel Willis, and others. Mr. Willis was born at Westmoreland, N. H. He was a strong man, and during .his active life was set- tled at Salem, Haverhill, and Cambridgeport, Mass., and at Claremont and Portsmouth, N. H. In 1847 he married, for his second wife, the widow of Major Dan- iel George, and during his last years he resided in Warner, where he died in 1878. His sons are Dr. AVillis, of Boston, Algernon S., of Claremont, and Har- lan S., of Warner. His only daughter (the wife of Philip C. Bean) died several years since. The meeting-house was purchased in 1865 by N. G. Ord way, moved down street by him, and remod- elled. The lower story is now occupied by A. C. THE OSGOODITES. 511 Carroll, merchant, and the post-office. The upper story is Union hall. The Osgoodites (so-called) were at one time quite numerous in Warner. In Canterbury, and some other towns, there was a small number. The sect sprung into existence about the year 1812. Jacob Osgood, son of Philip, was its founder. His physical weight sometimes reached 350 pounds. He was a man of considerable ability and of the warmest sympathies. After his decease, Neheraiah Ordway and Charles H. Colby became the " ruling elders." In their best days, and perhaps always, these people claimed mirac- ulous gifts, such as the healing of the sick. Their meetings were peculiar, consisting of one service, all taking part. Songs, prayers, and exhortations were intermixed without much regularity. When there came a lull, unlike the Quakers, they did not sit in silence. Bro. Osgood, without rising, would close the exercises in these words : " If there 's no more to be said, meeting 's done." For their spiritual songs they relied less on Watts than on their own ready talent. They were naturally inclined to antagonize other denominations. About the year 1830, and for two or three subsequent years, there was unusual religious excitement in and about Warner. Great " revival meetings" were held, one of which was on Kearsarge mountain. The Osgood- ites composed a song (referring to this fact) which 512 HISTORY OF WARNER. was very popular in their meetings for years. It consisted of twelve or fifteen verses, the first of which was as follows : In eighteen hundred thirty-two, A band of locusts hove in view ; They were quite thick in every town : They had great meetings all around. This sect was opposed to " bearing arms/' and many years ago two or three of its members were committed to jail at Hopkinton for refusing to do military duty, or to pay fines. They pleaded " conscientious scru- ples," but refused to " pay an equivalent," as provided in the thirteenth article of the Bill of Rights, and they were carried to jail. But the military authorities, seeino- that these men rather a;loried in their " mar- tyrdom," went and released them. The sect has substantially passed away. Notwith- standing its many and striking peculiarities, the men and women who composed it were probably about an average class in all that goes to make good neighbors and upright citizens. There are also Adveniists in Warner ; how numer- ous or how active at the present time the writer pre- sumes not to say. But whether their numbers be small or great, their rights are the same. Under the liberal laws of this country every one is left free to enjoy his own religious convictions in his own way. We cannot altogether harmonize our beliefs, but we can certainly " agree to disagree" till the time come ECCLESIASTICAL. 513 when there shall be neither Jew nor Greek, nor bond nor free, nor barbarian, nor Scythian, but when dis- cord and division shall cease utterly. The following is an imperfect list of persons who have gone out from Warner, and taken position in the ministrj^ : Asa Putney. [See College Graduates.] Hosea Wheeler. [See College Graduates.] Daniel Sawyer., a son of Edmund and grandson of Joseph, was educated for the ministry. He was settled over a Congregational church in Merrimack, where he preached many years. He has probably been settled at other places, but he has now retired, in his old age, to a quiet home in Hopkinton. John Gould, a son of John, and grandson of Jona- than, was born and reared on the Gould road. He became a minister, and connected himself with the Methodist denomination. After preaching in the New England states some twenty-five years, his health be- coming impaired^ he went West, and took up a farm in Iowa. This was in 1857. The change was benefi- cial. He joined the Upper Iowa Conference, was sta- tioned one year at Waverly, was presiding elder four years on Cedar Falls District, and was then four years on the Upper Iowa District. His health again failed, and for the last six years of his life he was compelled to inactivity. He was a fine-looking man, had good 514 HISTORY OP WARNER. abilities, and was held in high esteem. He died at Osage, Iowa, in 1872, not far from 70 years of age. Reuben Kimball, a son of Jeremiah and grandson of Reuben (the first), obtained a good education, and taught school in his early days. He remained on the old homestead of his grandfather and father, on the Kimball road, and devoted his attention mainly to agriculture till he reached the age of 40 or upwards. He then turned his attention to the ministry, and studied a few years at Gilmanton Theological Institu- tion. He was settled over the Congregational church of Wilmot, and also over that of North Conway. He died at the latter place a few years since. He was a man of most agreeable manners, and all who knew him were his friends. Miss Lois Hoyt, whose father was a brother to Major Joseph B. Hoyt, and whose mother was a daughter of Joseph Sawyer, senior, educated herself for the work of a missionary, married a Mr. Johnson, of Hollis, and went with her husband to the Sandwich Islands over forty years ago, where she still remains. She is now a widow, but is surrounded by a family of sons and daughters, all of whom are content with their home on the isles of the sea. Joseph Sargent, a son of Zebulon and grandson of Joseph, senior, of Schoodac, was born about the year 1816. He entered the ministry of the Universalist denomination in Pennsylvania when a young man. [ Q, ^^t^^ii^^^^^c^, ^ ISAAC DALTON STEWART. 515 but during most of his active life he was in the New England states. He was admirably adapted to the pulpit. He preached a few years in New Hampshire, and many years in Vermont. He was chaplain of one of the Vermont regiments in the late war, and shortly after his return from the scenes of strife he died at Barre, aged about 50. Alvah Sargent, a brother to the above named, joined the Free Will Baptist denomination, and entered the ministry. As a man and minister, he has the full con- fidence and respect of all who know him. He enjoyed a long pastorate at Ashland, N. H., and is now sta- tioned at Wilmot Flat. Isaac Dalton Stewart. The Stewart family was of Scotch origin. A branch of this family settled in the north of Ireland, and a number of its mem- bers came to New England, between 1725 and 1760. John Stewart (one of these) came from Ire- land when 20 years of age, and settled at Haverhill, Mass. This was in 1750. His son John, who was born at Haverhill, in 1758, settled first, after he be- came of age, in Deering, N. H., and then, in 1799, removed, to Warner, having bought sixty acres of land on the south side of the Mink Hills. He made his home with Jacob Whitcomb (father of the late John) till he had opened a clearing and built a tem- porary house. John and Mary (McClure) Stewart were the parents 516 HISTORY OF WARNER. of Thomas, John, Polly, Susan, Lucinda, David, Will- iam, and Nancy. The last named John, and Hannah (Dalton) Stewart, were the parents of Isaac D. Philemon Dalton, with his wife and child, came to this country from England in the ship Increase, reach- ing these shores April 15, 1635. His great-grandson, Isaac Dalton, had six children ; and their names are all given in a letter written on the battle-field of Louis- bourg in 1745, a copy of which letter is now held by B. Dalton Dorr, of Philadelphia. One of the six was the grandfather of Dea. Isaac Dalton, who was born at Salisbury, Mass., March 2, 1761, and who, with his wife (Eleanor Merrill), moved to Warner in 1784, as stated in Chapter VII. These were the maternal grand-parents of the subject of this sketch. Isaac D. Stewart was born in Warner, Dec. 23, 1817. His fondness for books and school was developed in childhood, and when 16 years of age he was teaching his first school. At 18 he went to Ohio, and after teaching there two years he returned with a full pur- pose of taking a college course of study. When about fitted for such course, his plans were changed, and after two years in a theological school he entered the ministry of the Free Will Baptist denomination, and was ordained Feb. 2, 1 843. His pastorates have been.— Meredith Village, 2 years; Laconia, 8; New Hampton, 10 ; Boston, 2 ; and Dover, 6. He was married, Feb. 8, 1843, to Elisabeth G., only ISAAC D. STEWART. 517 daughter of Isaac Rice, Esq., of Henniker. Their only child, Frances, was born July, 1845, and in September, 1871, she married George Frank Mosher, of China, Me., the present editor of the Morning Star. Mr. Stewart left Laconia in poor health, in 1852 ; went West, remained one year, and returned to enter the New Hampton Institution as a teacher. He taught two years ; and when he left the school for the pastor- ate there, he continued to act as treasurer of the insti- tution. He represented the town of New Hampton two years in the legislature of the state. The positions of trust and honor assigned him in denominational work have been many, among which are the followinsr: He was' a member of the Home Missionary Board for many years, and chairman till he declined a reelection; was secretary of the Anniversary Convention for eighteen years, and one of the commit- tee that arranged all of the annual meeting's of the benevolent societies; has been four times chosen a delegate to the General Conference, the denomina- tional body that meets once in three years, and has been secretary of the conference since 1868. He was one of the corporators of the Free Will Baptist print- ing establishment fourteen years, which position he resigned in 1873, on being elected treasurer and agent of the establislmient. Since that time he has been the publisher of the Morning Star, and of whatever said establishment has issued. He was a trustee of 518 HISTORY OF WARNER. Bates college, in Maine, till he declined a reelection, and is still a trustee of Hillsdale college, in Michi- gan, and of Storer college, at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. As an author, he prepared the Minutes of the Gen- eral Conference for publication ; wrote the history of the Free Will Baptists for the first half century of their work; and prepared and published the Ministers' Manual. He is still an industrious and hard-working man. Marshall G. Kimball. John Kimball was born at Waltham, Mass., June 4, 1788; he came to Warner to live in 1816, where he was actively engaged in busi- ness some twenty years. He married Hannah, daugh- ter of Daniel Bean. Mr. Kimball died at Manchester in 1841, and Mrs. Kimball in 1865. Ten of their children are now living, — viz., John H., Henry, Mrs. Darling, Mrs. Smith, Marshall G., Mrs. Varney, Newell S., Albert H., Caleb J., and Mrs. Olzendam. Marshall G. Kimball was born at Warner, June 22, « 1824. He was a natural scholar; he received his ed- ucation at the public schools of Warner and Manches- ter, and at Dartmouth college. He concluded a course of study at the Cambridge Divinity School in 1854, and entered the ministry of the Unitarian denomina- tion. His first regular settlement was at Barre, Mass., though he had preached at Watertown and several other places previous to that. He is now at Sheboy- JOHN CURTIS AGER. 519 gan, Wis. Possessing abilities of a high order, as well as culture and genial manners, he is a universal favor- ite wherever known. John Curtis Ager, a son of Uriah, was born in War- ner, March, 1835. At the age of thirteen he left home and found employment in Fisherville, in a cot- ton mill. From this time (depending upon his own resources) he managed, by close economy, to secure ten or twelve weeks' schooling each year. His chief employments, until he became of age, were working in cotton mills, shoemaking, and farming, and, during the latter part of the time, teaching country schools. From his early childhood he had felt a strong de- sire to become a minister. In the spring of 1855, a course of lectures on the doctrines of the New Church was delivered at Warner by the Rev. Abiel Silver, which determined him at once to devote himself to the New Church ministry. In the spring of 1856, after six months' preparation in the New London academy, he entered an advanced class in the New Church col- lege at Urbana, Ohio. During the year, as his means were limited, he was permitted to undertake the studies of two classes. His health failed, and he was obliged to leave Urbana in the spring of 1857, after a college residence of little more than a year. Recruit- ing his health during the summer, he took charge, in the autumn, of the New Church academy at Contoo- cook. He continued in this position nine months. 520 HISTORY OP WARNER. carrying on at the same time his college studies, so that he was enabled to graduate with his class in June, 1858. After holding a position of tutor in his alma mater for two years, he was appointed Professor of Philoso- phy and English Literature. In 1861, on account of the war, and the consequent financial prostration, the college was compelled to suspend its sessions, and Mr. Ager, receiving an invitation from the New Church society in Brookline, Mass., to become its pastor, ac- cepted it. In January, 1865, he removed to Brooklyn, N. Y., and took charge of the New Church society in that city, a position which he still holds. He was for several years editor of the New Jerusa- lem Messenger, the only weekly paper in that church, and he has also served as Secretary of the American Swedenborg Publishing Society. His summer residence is in Warner, and instead of losing his attachment to the place of his birth, he is continually looking forward to the time when he can make it his permanent home. John George, a son of Charles, a grandson of Major Daniel, and a great-grandson of John, senior, entered the ministry of the Free Will Baptist denomination, had a successful pastorate of two or three years at Loudon Centre, and is now stationed over a church at Amesbury, Mass. CHAPTEE XXXiy. LOCAL NAMES — POPULATION OP WARNER — FOUR-SCORE YEARS AND TEN — MANUFACTURES. TO VERY town has its odd local names. Webster JQ has its Bashan, Sutton its Nauvoo, Wilmot its Shindagan, and so forth. Warner has its local names, the origin of some of which is here given. Waterloo village came bj its name in the follow- ing manner : Samuel Champlin was in trade at War- ner village, near Ira Harvey's house. He owed Thomas Whitman of Boston, for goods, $2,000. Whit- man came up to look after the debt, and he succeeded in getting Henry B. Chase and Stephen Currier, Jr., to sign a note with Champlin for the amount. This was in 1819. Champlin was to secure Chase and Currier by collaterals ; but instead of doing this, be ran away. Currier and John Kimball, of Bean's Mills, were sent in pursuit of the fugitive, having been ap- pointed deputy sheriffs for this purpose. They over- hauled Champlin at Waterloo, New York, a charming town at the foot of Seneca lake. Kimball thought it the most delightful village he had ever seen. They brought back their man, and Kimball brought back 522 HISTORY OF WARNER. the name and applied it successful!}^ to the village of his residence. The Duke of Wellington had then recently borne down the " Man of Destiny " on the immortal battle-field of Belgium, and Waterloo had become forever historic. The North village has been known by that name a hundred years. There was quite a farmer's village on the Gould road at an early day. The lots headed on the road, and extended back each way a half mile. They were but forty rods wide, and they contained, of course, but forty acres each. A number of these were chosen by settlers as " gift lots ;" others were bought and occupied soon after the gift lots were ex- hausted. Between Kiali Corner and Bartlett's brook, ten or twelve deserted cellars can be counted where families once resided. It was a bustling, lively street, a century ago. Directly to the north of this cluster of farm-houses was another smart settlement, extending from the Elliots at one extreme, to Bradshaw Ordway's at the other, and taking in on the one side Wells Davis with his mills, and on the other Isaac Dalton with his tan- nery. The people of the south road called this settle- ment of the north road the North village. Tory Hill received this name in the days of the Revolution. There was a family or two on that road who were opposed to war. They inclined towards the Shakers in their religious views, and, ultimately, LOCAL NAMES. 523 openly avowed themselves Shakers. The intolerance of that period knew no bounds. Every man of the proper age, who was not willing to take up arms in the cause of the colonies, was denounced as a Tory and treated with derision. But generations have come and gone since the last vestige of Shakerism disappeared from Warner, and the name of the hill has had no significance for a hundred years. Pumpkin hill derives its name from the fact that when the land was new, huge pumpkins (pompions, Dr. Long would say) were produced on that eleva- tion. It was no unusual thing to find a pumpkin that weighed seventy-five pounds. Burnt hill is so called, because, before any white man had stepped foot in Warner, a high wind had swept down the forest trees on that hill by the acre. The Indians had set fire to the dead wood, and a large part of the hill had been burnt over. It has been stated that the Indians raised corn on this burnt ground. Schoodac gets its name from the harsh music of a saw-mill. The first saw-mill ever built there was on the exact spot where the present mill stands, by the old Col. Roby place. The saw-gate (if that is the proper term) worked up and down with a good deal of friction, and seemed continually to say S-c-h-o-o-dac — s-c-h-o-o-dac ! The section of Warner called Joppa is not supposed 34 524 HISTORY OF WARNER. to bear a very striking resemblance to the Joppa of Judea, on the majestic shore of the Mediteranean ; nor has it been the abode of any pious Dorcas, at whose bier Peter has proclaimed, with miracalons authority, — " Tabitha, arise ! " but Samuel Pearsons once dwelt there, on the Origen Dimond farm, and he came from a locality called Joppa, down by the salt water in Newburyport. He brought the name with him to Warner. POPULATION OF THE TOWN. Warner has been settled a hundred and seventeen years. In less than sixty years after the first sod was turned, the population of the town reached its highest 262 863 1569 1838 2446 2222 2126 2038 1971 1667 It will be seen that the increase for fifteen years after the first census was very great ; also, that the population was nearly doubled in the decade between 1790 and 1800. The large increase between 1810 and 1820 is partly attributable to the annexation of the Gore, which took place in 1818. Since 1820 the figure. In 1775 it was In 1790 In 1800 In 1810 In 1820 In 1830 In 1840 In 1850 u • In 1860 In 1870 FOUR-SCORE YEARS AND TEN. 525 population of the town has been decreasing, but the indications now are that the census of 1880 will show that we are holding our own. We have more adults, — more voters, certainly, — now, than \ye had in 1820, but the children are far less numerous than at that time. The town-house is full, but the school-houses (some of them) are nearly empty. A century ago, and even fifty years, ago, in riding over a town like Warner, one would see from five to eight white-haired children racing about the premises of almost every young farmer. He will do well now if he can find half that number. The sub- ject is an important one, and it demands the careful consideration of the moralist, the minister, and of all thinking people. The population of the state in 1860 was 326,073, that being the highest point it ever reached. It fell off in the following decade^ being but 318,300 in 1870. It is believed that the next census will show an in- crease. Merrimack and Hillsborough counties made an increase of 2800 between 1860 and 1870, but the other eight counties made a loss. FOUR-SCORE YEARS AND TEN. An erroneous impression prevails in regard to the question of longevity. The general opinion appears to be, that life is becoming shorter and shorter as time advances. The fact, however, undoubtedly is, that in 526 HISTORY OF WARNER. this country, for the last century or two, the average ag-e of mankind has been increasing. Turning back to remote antiquity, we find the Psalmist declaring, " The days of our years are three- score years and ten ; and if by reason of strength they be four-score years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow." This would be hardly true of the peo- ple of this country at the present time. Three-score years and ten is 70 years. Men and women are now young at 70. Even at 80 many are vigorous and healthful, in both body and mind, and not a few re- tain their faculties almost unimpaired till they have reached the age of 90. The names of Warner persons, dead and living (so far as they can be recalled), who have reached the age of four-score years and ten, are here presented. Gideon Davis, brother to Capt. Francis, died on the Moses E. Davis place at the age of 92. Mrs. Hannah, widow of Zebulon Flanders, lived to be nearly 94. Mrs. Sarah, widow of Asa Harriman, died in 1856, aged 91. Anthony Clark, the Revolutionary soldier, died at the age of 100. Miss Hannah Sible^^ died at Timothy Eastman's, rising 90 years of age. John Davis, the carpenter, and the father of John, Zaccheus, and Eleazer, died at the age of 90. Mrs. Betsey, widow of Jonathan Straw, died at AKred W. Sar- gent's, a few years since, at the age of 101. Nathaniel Eaton (who is reasonably claimed as a Warner man) died at the age of 100 years and 5 days. John Whitcomb, a hard-working farmer through life, died in 1878, aged 93. MANUFACTURES. 527 Mrs. Nathaniel C. Whittier, the mother of Richard B., died in Warner at the age of 93. Noah T. Andrews died November, 1878, two months above 90 years of age. The father of Mr. Andrews was from Wallingford, Conn. He settled in Claremont, N. H., when a young man, and Noah T. was horn there (ori the exact spot where the town hall now stands), September, 1788. He married Sally (daughter of Daniel Bean), and had children by the following names : Sarah B. (Mrs. John P. Colby), Almira E. (Mrs. Harriman). Harriet B. (Mrs. C. G. Haines), Susan T. (Mrs. H. D. Adams), N. Tyler, William G., Helen M. (Mrs. A. I. Sawtelle), Charles C. Austin, and Fran- ces M. Mrs. Miriam, widow of Jacob Osgood, is now living at the age of 99. William Lamphier, of Joppa, is nearly if not fully 100 years of age. Mrs. Heath, widow of Dea. David Heath, has gone consider- ably beyond her four-score years and ten. Reuben Porter, who is referred to on the preceding pages of this book, is nearly 90. Timothy Eastman and wife are living in the enjoyment of good health, he being not much short of 90 years of age. Mr. Eastman came from Hopkinton about the year 1820, and settled in the bow of the river, where he has always resided. Mrs. Eastman (a sister of the late Stephen Sibley) was also from Hopkinton. Their sons, now living, are George and Timothy B. ; and their daughters are Laura, Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Wheeler, and Mrs. John S. Bean, of Wisconsin. MANUFACTURES. It would be impossible to make an accurate and complete report of the manufactures of Warner, past or present, and that job is not attempted here. Many manufacturing establishments, great and small, have gone down since the first saw-mill was 528 HISTORY OF WARNER. erected at Davisville in 1739, but others have arisen ; and it is believed that the manufacturing, which is done in town at the present time, will equal if not excel that of any previous period. Commencing on the river, where it enters the town- ship, we find a grist-mill and a saw-mill, now in the hands of Mason Holmes. The first grist-mill at those falls was built in the year 1798. A saw-mill may have existed there a few years previous to this time. The grist-mill was built by Stephen Hoyt, of Bradford, and it was his custom to come and grind, the last week in every month. The rest of the time the mill was closed. The next owner was Thomas Eaton, who sold to Edward Cressey and Ebenezer Simmons; and they gave the old mill and privilege to Josiah Melvin, on condition that it should be put in good order and run as a grist-mill. In the spring of 1827 Mr. Melvin built the new mill, which now stands. The next owner was his son Richard, who sold to his brother Nathan ; the latter sold to Abner W. Bailey ; Bailey sold to Dr. J. H. Ames, and Ames to Lewis Holmes, the father of the present proprietor. Melvin's mill and the Calico school-house were old familiar land- marks to the generations that have passed away. Following down the river, we next come to the fac- tory of John Rogers, where excelsior, bedsteads, and chairs are manufactured. Next below Rogei^ was the woollen mill. This was converted into a box-fiictory MANUFACTURES. 529 by Samuel K. Page, of Henniker, who was burnt out in the summer of 1878. Bartlett's excelsior factory comes next, which takes the place of the Stevens carriage and churn shops. Mr. Bartlett and two or three sons are engaged in business here. Stephen C. Pierce, a manufacturer of chairs, comes next; and Oliver P. Reddington, manufacturer of hubs and clothes-pins, next. Waterloo (great falls) has been a manufacturing point almost from the first settlement of the town. Nathaniel Bean erected saw- and grist-mills here at least a hundred years ago; and there was a day when the little village could boast of a tannery, a clothing- mill, a trip-hammer, and a paper-mill. In 1816, Daniel Bean, Henry B. Chase, and John Kimball erected a paper-mill, in which all grades of paper, from the finest note to the coarsest wrapping, were manufactured. Noah T. Andrews was the w^ork- man who built the wheels and the gearing. The first dam was twenty rods above the mill. Wm. Parker, of Boston, bought out the original owners, and the mill was under the control of Gibbs & Greenleaf a number of years. Then a Mr. Foley had possession ; then Mr. Newton ; then Mr. Churchill. Modern mills, with improved machinery, sprang up round about, and the Waterloo mill could not compete with them in the manufacture of paper. Not far from 530 HISTORY OF WARNER. 1842 the gate was shut down, and the wheels ceased revolving. The dam and the mill soon went to decay. Samuel Couch, who afterwards carried on black- smithing near Smith's Corner, had a shop at these falls, just below the grist-mill, which shop was supplied with a tn2>hammer accompaniment. Dudley Morrill and Nicodemus Watson, about 1812, built a clothing-mill and carding-mill at the falls. This mill went into the hands of David Watson and Clark Sargent, and then into the hands of Frederick Eaton. Levi Bartlett came into possession, and converted the mill into a tannery. Daniel Bean, Jr., carried on the bakery business here for a year or two ; but it was given up shortly after his decease in 1853. There is now a saw-mill and grist-mill at the falls, the property of N. G. Ordway. At Warner village, the first grist-mill was near the Edmund S. Davis house. Jacob Davis owned it at one time. It was destroyed by fire many years ago. The saw-mill that nearly occupies the site of the old grist- mill was built by Robert Thompson. The grist-mill and carding-mill, on the other side of the river, were built by Capt. Nicholas Fowler and Nathan S. Colby in 1830. These mills have been occupied by several parties. For a number of years prior to 1844 they were owned by Timothy D. Robertson. John Ela came up from Derry in 1844, and bought MANUFACTURES. 531 Mr. Robertson out ; and John C. Ela, son of the former, became sole proprietor in 1878. At Davisville there was once an iron fomidry, where various articles were manufactured, such as hand-irons, clock-weights, and the like. Old iron was run up and used for these purposes instead of ore. Woollen cloth was also manufactured there; but the cloth-mill went down stream in the great August freshet of 1826. The leadingc business there now is the manufacture of what is called straio hoard. Walter Scott and Hen- ry C, sons of Nathaniel A. Davis, and grandsons of Gen. Aquila, are the proprietors of these mills. John Davis, 3d, who came to Warner from Salem, Mass., and his son, are carrying on the tannery busi- ness on Willow brook. The sons of Moses K. Clark have built a shingle-mill, with a threshing-machine attachment, on the same brook, to take the place of one recently destroyed by fire. Francis M. Watson and son have also a factory for the manufacture of various kinds of wares on the same stream. Just above B. F. Harriman's carriage-shop on Silver brook, is the site of the old saw-mill and grist-mill and distillery of Wells Davis. Francis Davis (a son of Wells) had a large farm, a grist-mill, and a saw-mill, on Harriman brook, where he was actively engaged the best part of his life. In his old age he erected another mill on the same 532 HISTORY OF WARNER. stream, but within the township of Henniker, where he died at the age of 80. Dea. Ezra Barrett manufactured scythe-snaths at Warner village. David H. Foster manufactured rakes on Bartlett brook. There was a brickyard on Silver brook, near the Willaby Colby road, and another hy Isaac Dow's, near Pleasant pond. Capt. Nicholas Evans, a brother to Benjamin, had a tannery near his house (now the Henry H. Davis house) on Pumpkin Hill road. There was a grist-mill on Willow brook, near A. D. Earnum's. John Morgan had a shop on the rivulet at New Market, where he turned out wooden bowls, mortars, trays, &c. There is limestone in Joppa, near Josiah C. Hardy's, and many years ago lime was man- ufactured there. "Potter Dimond" manufactured earthen ware at Dimond's Corner. He had a large, two-story shop or factory, the foundations of which are yet distinctly seen. His son. Col. Hiram Dimond, was at one time engaged in trade at that corner, which was quite a business centre. Walter Scott Davis. Davisville, in the south- easterly corner of the town, is one of the beautiful villages of Warner. It has the finest water-power to be found on the " Almsbury" river, and the proprietors of Number One, quick to avail themselves of every advantage, placed their first mills there. It is a man- '^..^€^RJf'^ 'Ol^^c^^^-^^ WALTER SCOTT DAVIS. 533 ufacturinu; villao;e, thouQ-li D. C. Hubbard is eng-aafed in mercantile business, and Charles Davis, Charles P. Sawyer, Theodore S. Davis, and others there, are among our best farmers. The village takes its name from the Davis family, who, from the first settlement at the " old camp," have been in continuous possession of the falls. The subject of this sketch is a grandson of Gen. Aquila Davis, and a son of Nathaniel A., the names of whose children (now living) are as follows : Stephen C, Walter S., Oilman, Lucretia A., Mary E., Stillman C.,and Henry C. W. Scott Davis was born at Davisville, July 29, 1834. He obtained an excellent education, for, besides enjoying the advantages of a good district school, he was a student at a high school in Contoocook, at Gil- manton academy, at Tubbs Union academy in Wash- ington, at Thetford ( Vt.) academy, and at the New London Scientific Institution. He earned money enouo-h in teaching: schools during; the winter seasons to pay all the expenses of board, books, tuition, and clothing, incurred at these several academies. In 1854, at the age of 20 years, he went into busi- ness with Samuel H. Dow. The firm dealt largely in hemlock bark, in wood, and in lumber, for some ten years or more. In 1865 he formed a partnership with Paine Davis, which carried on the same business, with farming added. This partnership was dissolved in 534 HISTORY OP WARNER. 1871, Paine retaining the wood and bark branch, and W. S. the lumber branch, of the business. The same year the latter entered into partnership with George W. Dow, in the paper (or straw board) business. Davis bought Dow out in the fall of 1875, and took his brother, Henry C, into company with him, and this firm still continues. They manufacture 600 tons (|40,000 worth) of straw board annually, and the firm stands deservedly high wherever known. They have also a grist-mill, a saw-mill, and a threshing-machine, all run by water. In 1870, Mr. Davis invented improvements in tur- bine water-wheels, for which he received letters patent in February, 1871. He lived at Davisville till April, 1874, when he removed to Contoocook. In March, 1878, he was elected representative to the general court from Hop- kinton, and was known as an influential member of the House. He declined the nomination that was tendered him at the next election. May 3, 1857, Mr. Davis married Miss Dollie Jones, daughter of Daniel Jones, senior, who was a particu- lar friend, and at one time a partner in the lumber business with Gen. Aquila Davis. Six children have been born to these parents, three of whom died of scarlet fever in the spring of 1869, one died in infan- cy in 1874, and two survive. CHAPTEE XXXY. FATAL CASUALTIES — SUICIDES — PRIVATIONS — WOMAN LOST — WILD BEASTS WITCHCRAFT. iHE casualties bj which inhabitants of Warner have lost their lives have been of frequent oc- currence, and the following catalogue, though large, probably does not embrace them all. As dates are wanting in many cases, no attempt has been made to place these casualties in the exact order of their oc- currence. Capt. Francis Davis (the founder of Davisville) was drowned at Derry, Nov. 26, 1784. Ebenezer Sargent, father of Dea. James, was killed at the pres- ent Willaby Colby place, by falling down a flight of stairs. John Weed, in crossing Bagley's bridge, fell over into the river and was drowned. This took place about the year 1785. A child of Isaac French was smothered in bed. Mr. and Mrs. French lived near the Gould road and Bartlett's brook. They were not overstocked with intelligence. A young child of theirs, which was well at bedtime, was dead in the morning. On hear- ing of this sudden death, the neighbors came in and inquired how long the child had been sick, and the father said, — " It went to bed as well as ever 't was in the world, but when it waked up 't was dead 's a hammer !" " Yes," said his amiable spouse, " and you was the instbnigator of it, for you rolled over and squshed it to death !" 536 HISTORY OF WARNER. Paine Davis, son of Francis, was killed by a falling tree about 1790. David Stevens, whose home was either on Waldron's hill, or in the Badger neighborhood, was killed in rolling a large boulder down a precipice, between the old Gilmore and Putney farms. Asa Harriman was killed by a falling tree March 9, 1794. A young daughter of Wells Davis was drowned in a well, at the North village, about 1795. Alonzo, a son of Major William H. Ballard, was burnt up with the house of Mr. B. while the parents were at church. Levi Bartlett, an insane man, lost his life in a house that was consumed by fire, near Richard Bartlett's, in the year 1800, Miriam Goodwin and Judith Elliot, two young ladies, were drowned in the river near where the Fair Ground bridge now stands. One of these was the daughter of Ezekiel Goodwin, at the Dea. Bailey place, and the other the daughter of Isaac Elliot, near the Capt. Nat. Flanders place. A tree had fallen across the river at this point, on which people were accustomed to pass and repass. There was a bridge over the river, but it was down where the depot now is. These girls came down from home, crossed the river, hand in hand, on the trunk of this tree, went to Dr. Hall's, and to another place, to invite their young friends to a party, and then started on their return. Both were drowned. Their bodies were recovered the next day, one's hand firmly clasped in that of the other. This occurred not far from 1805. Jonathan Watson, of Joppa, son of Dea. Parmenas, and father of Capt Cyrus, was thrown from the tongue under the wheel of a loaded cart and killed, Sept. 4, 1820. Samuel Savory and a child of Daniel Savory, Miss Anna Richardson and a child of Peter Flanders, were killed by the tor- nado (as stated on a preceding page) Sept. 9, 1821. Asa Sargent, son of Benjamin Sargent, senior, of Tory Hill, was killed by a fall in the barn. William Colby, son of David, senior, was drowned in Warner river, in the great freshet of Feb. 14, 1824. Thorndike Felton, son of Timothy, was frozen to death in the winter of 1828. Daniel Flood, a son of the original Daniel, was drowned in the Pemigewasset at Franklin. FATAL CASUALTIES. 537 Dummer Pattee was thrown from a wagon loaded with furni- ture, and instantly killed, on the plain near Mrs. Pearson's, about the year 1833. Mrs. Stewart, wife of Capt. John Stewart, was thrown from a wagon and killed, Sept. 24, 1834. A child of H. G. Harris got a fresh-shelled bean into its throat. The mother ran with the child to Dr. Eaton's, biit it was hardly alive when she reached there, and she carried it back dead. John Rob}', of Schoodac, was found dead in the road, the weather being severely cold. Harvey Currier, of Joppa, was found dead in a pasture, town- meeting night, 1837. Albert Morrill, of Joppa, was found dead in the road in the winter of 1838. Cyrus Colby's house was destroyed by fire about the year 1840, and a child of his perished in the flames. Samuel Savory was found dead in the road, in the winter season. Mrs. John Foster lost her life from her clothes taking fire, about the year 1845. Mr. John Foster, who came from Hudson to Warner in 1830, was drowned at the dam on Willow brook in 1850. Imri Whitcomb, son of John, was killed in sledding wood, in the neighborhood of 1845. John Fisk fell from a saw-mill on Stevens brook, and was killed. He left a family of sons and daughters, one of the latter being the wife of Gov. Pillsbury, of Minnesota. Lorenzo Colby, a son of Barnard, was drowned at Melvin's mill in 1850, aged about twenty 3'ears. Joseph Fisk, son of John, was drowned in AVarner river in 1851, aged about 17. A son of Abel B. Waldron was also drowned in Warner river. A son of Lorenzo Ferrin was drowned at the old John Colby abutment in Warner river. Samuel Kelley, a youth from fifteen to twenty years of age, son of Caleb, was drowned at Waterloo. A son of T. D. Robertson was drowned at the Badger bridge in Warner river. Elliot C. Badger fell down a flight of stairs, and was instantly killed. 538 HISTORY OF WARNER. Mrs. Prederick Eaton lost her life by being thrown from a wagon near Ela's bridge, about 1860. Dea. Frederick Eaton was a brother to Dr. Jacob, now of Harvard, Mass., to Eev. Dr. Ea- ton, of Palmyra, N. Y., and to John Eaton, late of Sutton, who was the father of Gen. John, Lucius, Frederick, Charles, and perhaps others. A child of Mr. Hurd, on the Plain, lost its life by falling into a pail of scalding water. A child of William H. Bean, Jr., of Waterloo, lost its life in the same manner. Tappan Osgood was found frozen to death near Smith's Corner. John Hall, a son of Oliver, was killed on the railroad below Bagley's bridge. Martin Bean bled to death in the woods, from a cut in the foot. Nathaniel A. Davis, son of Gen. Aquila, fell from a stack of boards at his mill, about twelve years ago, and died from the effects of the fall. Nehemiah Ordway, enfeebled by age, made a misstep on the Willaby Colby road, fell down the embankment into the river, and was drowned. Webster B. Davis received a fatal hurt from a fall at Ela's saw-mill. Capt. Joseph Jewell's buildings were destroyed by fire in 1868, and a son of his perished in the flames. Miss Comfort Peasley, whose home was at the corner where Stillman Cheney resides, was run over and killed by a train of cars at Enfield. Henry Trumbull, of Schoodac, was accidentally killed in load- ing a gun in 1877. SUICIDES. Mrs. Watkins, wife of the second Abner, threw herself into a well about the year 1816. Her home was at the Fairbanks place. Lucy Kelley, daughter of Caleb Kelley, senior, an insane young woman, hung herself in 1831. Levi Osgood, on the Slaughter Brook road, cut his throat about the year 1836. PRIVATIONS. 539 Mrs. Cutting, wife of Rev. Geo. W. Cutting, an insane woman, hung herself in 1838. Timothy Flanders hung himself at the North village in 1839. A Mrs. Brown, who lived at Davisville, hung herself in 1840, or near that time. Henry L. Trumbull, on Tory Hill, hung himself about the year 1845. Stephen Sanborn, at the Jonathan Straw place, hung himself in 1867. Alfred Davis, at the Lower Village, shot himself with a gun not far from 1870. PRIVATIONS. The first settlers of any country are compelled to suffer privations and hardships peculiar to their situa- tion, but they are exempt from many of the exac- tions and annoyances that pertain to older communi- ties. This is a life of compensations, and possibly the pioneers in the wilderness may gain on one hand as much as they lose on another. What if our ances- tors did bore with a pod-auger, tap with a gouge, mow with a straig:ht snath, lisrht their houses with pine knots, eat with wooden spoons, and drink from a gourd : their lives were as happy as ours are at the present day. For the first ten years there were none but log houses in town. The first frame house was built by David Bagley in 1774, the year the town was incor- porated. Francis Davis and Reuben Kimball built frame houses the next year. Everybody " went to meeting," but on the severest 34 540 HISTORY OF WARNER. December day the smell of fire was not there known. The walls of the church edifice were as cold as an iceberg, and as destitute of finish and ornament as the cave of Macpelah. In mid-winter, when the snow was deep, and the roads impassable for horses or cattle, three men went to Hopkinton (five or six miles) and brought back two or three women on hand-sleds, for help in cases of sickness. Some of the inhabitants on the Gould road cut hay on the Harriman meadow, on the south side of the Minks, before any settlement had been made there, and hauled it home on hand-sleds in the winter, a distance of two or three miles. At an early day the beavers constructed a dam across Willow brook, at the foot of the Harris mead- ow ; a pond was created, the bushes were killed, and the grass grew tall and rank. Tradition says two men, by the name of Hadley, came from below War- ner, cut and stacked the hay on this meadow, drove up cattle, and kept them on it through the winter. These men amused themselves in tending their stock, and in hunting and fishing. They built their hut against a large hollow pine log, on the east side of the meadow. Towards spring their dog gave unmis- takable signs of the presence of game. [This is tra- dition.] They cut through the thin crust of the log, and came directly upon a bear, which they immedi- PRIVATIONS. 541 ately dispatched. These young men afterwards set- tled near Dimond's Corner, but soon left for a newer country. The luxury of a post-office, or newspaper, or letter, was not known for years after the settlement of the town. Store-keepers kept nothing but articles of down- right necessity (if rum and tobacco be excepted). The light goods which now fill the drawers and shelves of the country store were not wanted, and could not have been paid for had they been wanted. There were no carriages, and but few horses. The little travel which the first inhabitants indulged in was made by ox-teams or on horseback. There were no matches. Fire was kept by burying up coals or pine knots in the ashes. To provide against an exigency, some families procured a little steel bar, a flint rock, and a piece of dry, decayed wood, called punk. The punk would catch the spark of fire which a concussion between the rock and steel produced. But only a few families had this appli- ance, and fire often had to be sought for at the houses of the neighbors. This was not altogether back in the " dark ages." The writer, in his day, has been out in quest of fire more than once. Household furniture was very scant, and farming implements were rude and poor. Grain was threshed, in many instances, on the smooth ledges of the hills. 542 HISTORY OF WARNER. Barn floors were small and inadequate ; the mountain sides were rough, and while the kernel might easily he carried down, the straw, being bulky and compara- tively worthless, might be left. There can be pointed out to-day, on the mountains of Warner, " threshing- floors," perhaps not unlike that of Oman the Jebusite, on Mount Moriah. WOMAN LOST. In 1796 the widow of Asa Harriman, finding her cows had not come up one night as usual, started in pursuit of them just before dark. She became bewil- dered, and had no idea which way pointed towards home. She pursued the forest paths for hours. At length a dim light was discernible. It was at the house of Benjamin Badger, which was not less than two and a half miles from her own, in a straight line, and there was no road of any kind leading from one of these houses to the other. It was now ten o'clock. Mr. Badger took his lantern and escorted the lost woman home. Reaching there, they found the three youngest children asleep on the floor, but the oldest, a girl of eight years, was gone. It was now midnight. The young children told them that Nancy went to find her mother, and had not come back. They at once started in searcli of the missing girl, and in a wood-path, at least half a mile from home, they found her fast asleep, at the side of a log, where, as the WILD BEASTS. 543 mother always expressed it, " she had cried herself to sleep." This girl afterwards became the wife of Captain Thomas Stewart, and among her children now living- are Col. Thomas W. and John H. Stewart, merchant tailors of Concord. WILD BEASTS. In former times Avild beasts roamed through the forests of Warner, as well as elsewhere. Solomon An- nis shot a large wild-cat in 1766. Abner Watkins and Thomas Annis killed a bear on the Mink Hills, in 1769. Wolves were somewhat troublesome to the first settlers. In some seasons they destroyed large num- bers of lambs. Dr. Long, in his "sketches," alludes to the case of two young men who were driven from Pumpkin hill by a bear. As good old Mrs. Caleb Jones used to tell the story, it ran thus : These two young men came up from Kingston (her native town). They had bar- gained for a wild lot, at or very near the highest point on Pumpkin hill, but they had paid no money and got no deed. They came on with their axes, and commenced in the early summer. They built a rude shanty, the front end of which was entirely open, and the rear end came against the stub of an old tree that had been broken down. There was a wide aper- 544 HISTORY OF WARNER. ture, also, at that end, called the window. While these young adventurers were peacefully partaking of their meridian meal one day, an old bear climbed up the stump, and gazed in belligerently upon them. They instantly sprung : they stood not on the order of their going, but went. They made the best time they could. Nathaniel Bean was near the road as they threw themselves down the hill, by him, on a dead run, one of them bare-headed. Bean sang out, "What's the rush?" but, like Job, they answered not a word. When they reached Tappan Evans's, they sank down in utter exhaustion. After wiping the profusion of sweat from their faces, they told their tale. Evans gave the destitute one an old hat ; they took their departure from town ; and Pumpkin hill and the old bear knew them no more. The Savorys caught a bear on the mountain in 1821, and Isaac Cheney, of Wilmot, caught another at a later day. In the winter of 1833 B. E. Harriman and Harden Seavey caught a large deer. They started him up in the great woods between Nathaniel Page's old farm and How's tavern. WITCHCRAFT. Coleridge did not believe in ghosts ; " he had seen too many of them." But some of our ancestors did believe in ghosts for the same reason : they had seen both ghosts and witches with their own eyes, and of WITCHCRAFT. 545 course that settled the question. The names of good, respectable Warner people might be given, who ap- peared to believe in this mischievous delusion without a doubt. They would declare, on their oaths, that they had seen and recognized witches riding through the air on a broomstick ! (They always would ride a broomstick!) One man saw a witch riding in this manner, who flew so low that her toe-nails ripped the shingles from the ridge-pole of his house, there being no weather-boards to protect them. The names of half a dozen of the inhabitants of Warner, who were considered witches and accused of crime, might be given, but they are withheld. Among the province laws of New Hampshire, the following, which was enacted by the General Assem- bly at Portsmouth in 1679, is found : If any Cliristian, soe called, be a witch, yt is, hatli, or con- sulted with a familiar spirit, he or they shall be put to death. Though the disgrace of enacting a law like this at- taches to New Hampshire, and justly, it is a great sat- isfaction to know that the law, or such as that, was never executed within the limits of the province. No innocent blood has ever been shed in New Hamp- shire on account of witchcraft. But persons have been accused of this crime, and put on trial for their lives. The following is one of the cases of this char- acter. 546 HISTORY OF WARNER. COMPLAINT OF SUSANNAH TRIMMINGS OF LITTLE HARBOR. On Lord's day 30th of March, at night, going home with Good- wife Barton, she separated from her at the freshet next her house. On her return she heard a rustling in the woods, and there did appear to lier old Goodwife Walford. She asked me where my consort was. I answered, I had none. She said, thy consort is at home by this time ; lend me a pound of cotton. I told her I had but two pounds in the house, and would not spare any to my mother. She said I had better have done it ; that my sorrow was great, and it should be greater — for I was going a great journey, but should never come there. She then left me, and I was struck as with a clap of fire on my back, and she vanished, towards the water-side, in my ajjprehension in the shape of a cat. She had on her head a white linen hood tied under her chin, and her waistcoat and petticoat were red. Taken upon oath, April 18, 1656. Now, according to this affidavit, only one guilty party has put in an appearance, and that is Susannah Trinnnings, the accuser. Slie lied in saying that she had no consort, and probably lied, also, in regard to the amount of cotton she had. Perhaps that accounts for the clap of fire that struck her on the back. But let us hear the damaging testimony of other witnesses who appeared against old mother Walford in this important suit. The account continues : Her husband, Oliver Trimmings, says, she came home in a sad condition. She passed by me with her child in her arms, laid it on the bed, sat down upon the chest and leaned upon her elbow. Three times I asked her how she did, — she could not speak. I unlaced her clothes, and soon she spake and said, this wicked woman will kill me. I asked her what woman. She said Good- WITCHCRAFT. 547 wife Walford. I tried to persuade her it was only her weakness. She told me no, and rehited as above, that her back was a flame of fire, and her lower parts were numb and without feeling. I pinched her and she felt not. Taken on oath. Nicholas Rowe testified that Jane Walford, shortly after she was accused, came to the deponent in bed in the evening and put her hand on his breast so that he could not speak, and was in great pain till the next day. By the light of the fire in the next room, it appeared to be Goody Walford, but she did not speak. Agnis Puddington deposes, that on the 11th of April, 1656, Mrs. Evans came to her house and lay there all night ; and a lit- tle after sunset the deponent saw a yellowish cat ; and Mrs. Evans said she was followed by a cat wherever she went. John came and saw a cat in the garden — took down his gun to shoot her ; the cat went up a tree, and the gun would not take fire. She afterwards saw three cats, the yellow one vanished away on the plain ground ; she could not tell which way they went. Court of Associates, June, 1656. Jane Walford being brought to this court upon suspicion of being a Witch, is to continue bound until the next court, to be responsive. What downright absurdity is here ! — and yet a court of justice (so-called) listened to this sloppy stuff, in- stead of ordering the accusers under arrest, or out of the court-house. As no further record is found of this case, the pre- sumption is that the woman was not brought up for a second trial. Elizabeth, wife of William Morse, of Salisbury, Mass., was accused of witchcraft, and sentenced to be hung ; but by the persistence and firmness of Gov. Brad- 548 HISTORY OF WARNER. street, her life, after a severe and protracted struggle with the courts, was saved. The accuser of this woman, and the main witness against her, was Zachariah Davis. His testimony, in full, here follows : When I lived at Salisbury, William Morse's wife asked me whether I could let her have a small passell of winges and I told her I woode, so she woode have me bring them over for her the next time I came over, but I came over and did not think of the winges, but met goody Morse, she asked me whether I had brought over her winges and tel her no I did not thinke of it, so I came 3 or 4 times and had them in my minde a litel before I came over but stil forgot them at my coming away so meting with her every time that I came over without them aftar I had promised her the winges, so she tel me she wonder at it that my memory should be soe bad, but when I came home I went to the barne and there was 3 cafes in a pen. One of them fell a danc- ing and roreing and was in such a condition as I never saw on cafe in before, but being almost night the cattle came home and we put him to his dam and he sucke and was well 3 or 4 days, and on of them was my brothers then come over to Nubery, but we did not thinke to send the winges, but when he came home and went to the barne this cafe fel a dancing and roreing so wee put him to the cowe, but he woode not sucke, but rane a roreinge away soe wee gate him againe with much adoe and put him into the barne and we heard him roer severall times in the night and in the morning I went to the barne and there he was seting upon his taile like a doge, and I never see no cafe set aftar that man- ner before and soe he remained in these fits while he died. Subscribed and sworn to, June 7, 1679. On this evidence a jury of twelve men, — no, of twelve idiots or devils, — in Essex county, Mass., in the year of our Lord, 1679, condemned a woman to death ! Shame on our country, that a score of innocent lives WITCHCRAFT. 549 were sacrificed *in the province of Massachusetts, on testimony as contemptible as this ! For a time nobody was secure. Old and young alike were dragged to execution. In and about Salem many people fled the country. Fear sat on every countenance. Terror filled every breast. The mania was irresistible ; — and to Cotton Mather, more than to any other one, belongs the honor of leading this in- famous crusade against persons guilty of no crime. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE : AN ADDRESS BY GEN. WALTER HARRIMAN, DELIVERED AT CANTERBURY, N. H., MAY 3, 1878. [HE question of boundaiy has always been an interesting one, even from that period of antiquity when " Terminus, the tutelar god of bounds, was so obstinate that he would not stir an inch for Jupiter." The boundaries of nations, of states, of towns, and even of farms and city lots, vitally concern us. What litigation, what strife, what wranglings and wars, have not grown out of this question of boundary. Men are peculiarly sensitive about their territorial limits ; they want all that belongs to them, and some want more. They go to law and follow the courts for years, and spend thousands of dollars about the title to a strip of land not worth a ten-dollar bill. I believe the people of New Hampshire of the present day are but imperfectly informed of the bitter and protracted controver- sies which the state has had in regard to her boundary lines. Perils by false brethren have beset her, and perils on every hand. Indeed, she has barely escaped annihilation. More than two hundred years elapsed, from the time when John Mason received his grant of the embryo state, before the territorial limits of New Hampshire were, b}' due metes and bounds, determined. The title to a new country is acquired by discovery, by pur- chase, or b^'- conquest. The British government claimed title to this country l)}"^ discovery. To be sure, they found it occupied by various Indian tribes, but the English did not recognize the claims of the roving aborigines to the proprietorship of the soil. Holding that that belonged to civilized man, the authorities of that realm proceeded to occupy this countrj^, and to found settle- ments here. BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 551 On the third day of Novembei*, 1620, King James the First chartered the Council of Pl3anouth. I quote from tlie words of that charter. " There shall be forever, in our town of Plymouth, in our county of Devon, a body corporate, consisting of forty persons, with perpetual succession, called by the name of the council established at Plymouth, in the count}' of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing of New England in America^'' And then the names of those appointed to this council are an- nounced. The charter continues : " And we do grant to said council all the lands from forty to forty-eight degrees north lati- tude, from sea to sea, and all jurisdictions, royalties, etc, in said land, and islands and seas adjoining, provided they are not ac- tually possessed by any other Christian prince or state." On the nineteenth of March, 1628, the Council of Plymouth made a grant of Massachusetts to Sir Henry Roswell and others. We of New Hampshire are only interested now in the northern boundary of that grant. After naming the boundaries on the south and the Merrimack river on the north, it is then added, — "And, also, all those lands and hereditaments whatsoever, which lie and be within the space of three English miles to the north- ward of the said river Merrimack, ov to the northward of any and every part thereof." (I shall have occasion to notice this language more particularly hereafter.) The Atlantic ocean was the eastern boundary of this Massachusetts grant, and the South sea, meaning the Pacific ocean, the western. To our minds, the extension of this grant, on westward, across plains and over the Kocky Mountains to the Pacific ocean, appears perfectly wild and chimerical. On the fourth of March, 1629, King James the First chartered the Massachusetts Company. This charter recites the establishment of the Plymouth Council and its grant to Roswell and others. It confirms this grant to them, and to Saltonstall, Craddock, and others, who had been admitted associates with them. It constitutes the grantees a corporation by the name of " The Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England." It grants the sajne lands as were granted to Eoswell and others, and by the same description, verbatim. Kow we come to the grant on which the state of New Hamp- shire is builded. I therefore ask you distinctly to remember that 552 HISTORY OF WARNER. the Council of Plymouth, Nov. 7, 1629, " and in the fifth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith," etc., granted, assigned, aliened, enfeoffed, and confirmed unto Capt. John Mason, his heirs and assigns forever, " all that part of the main-land in New England, lying upon the sea-coast, beginning from the middle part of Merrimack river, and from thence to proceed northwards along the sea-coast to Piscataqua river, and so forwards up within the said river and to the further- est head thereof, and from thence north-westward until three-score miles be finished from the first entrance of Piscataqua river. Also, from Merrimack, through the said river, and to the further- est head thereof, and so forwards uj) into the land westwards, un- til three-score miles be finished ; and from thence to cross overland to the three-score miles end accounted from Piscataqua river, to- gether with all islands and isletts within five leagues distance of the premises and abutting upon the same." Then it is added, '' which said portions of lands, with the aj)purtenances thereto be- longing, the said Capt. John Mason, with the consent of the President and Council, intends to name Neio Hampshire.'''' In this great charter we find the foundation of our state. It was the state, in its early infancy, and every loyal son and daugh- ter of New Hampshire feels a deep interest in these initial steps in its creation. Mason conferred the name New Hampshire upon this domain in the New World, because the county of Hampshire in England was the place of his residence. Capt. John Mason was a merchant of London, but became a sea ofiicer, and afterwards governor of Newfoundland in America, where he acquired a knowledge of this country, which led him, on his return to England, into a close attachment with those who were engaged ill its discovery. Upon the occurrence of a vacan- cy in the Council of Plymouth, Mason was elected a member, and became their secretary. He was also appointed governor of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It is essential to my purpose to state that the Province of Maine, so-called, bounded west by the Piscataqua river, was grant- ed April 3, 1639, by the Crown, to Sir Ferdinando Gorges. The Plymouth Council, prior to this, namely, the seventh of June, 1635, bad surrendered its charter to the King, and ceased to exist. B0UNDARIB3S OP NEW HAMPSHIRE. 553 October 7, 1691, a new charter was granted to the Massachusetts Company, by William and Mary, and in this charter was included the Province of Maine, formerly granted to Gorges. So, from this time forward, New Hampshire had Massachusetts to contend with, not only on the south, but on the east as well. I do not feel called upon, in this place, to give particular attention to the grant made to Gorges and Mason. August 10, 1622, of what was called " The Province of Maine," which grant extended, on the coast, from the river Merrimack to the Sagada- hoc, as that was superseded by later grants ; nor to the supjile- mentary grant of " Laconia " to the same j^arties, for that soon disappears from the public records, and the presumption is that it was forfeited, or that it failed through some defect or informal- ity. Besides, the boundaries of that grant, on the north and west, were painfully indefinite and uncertain, — " The said lands lying and bordering upon the great lakes and rivers of the Iro- quois, and other nations adjoining." One is reminded here of what Rufus Choate said, when attacking the Commissioners on the boundaries of IJhode Island and Massachusetts. Said he, — " I would as soon think of setting foi'th the boundaries between sovereign states as beginning at a blue-jay on the bough of a pine tree, thence easterly to a dandelion gone to seed, thence due south to three hundred foxes with fire-brands tied between their tails." I need not consider here the iinion of New Hampshire with Massachusetts under one government, which lasted thirty-nine 3^ears, nor the fact that at a subsequent time one governor ruled over both provinces for a long period. I need not consider the famous Wheelright Deed, even if that deed was genuine and not a forgery. I need not investigate the question whether the line, from point to point in Mason's grant, should be a curve or a straight line ; nor need I attempt to settle the question of the validity of the claim of Mason's heirs to certain portions of the soil of the state ; nor allude to the grant made to Edward Hilton in 1630, sometimes called the Swamscot patent. In none of the disputes arising upon these points were the outer limits of New Hampshire involved. The boundaries of the state were not menaced, and I shall therefore permit those questions to sleep. 554 HISTORY OF WARNER. STRIFE WITH MASSACHUSETTS. During periods of great public concern, like King Philip's War of 1675, or the invasion of Canada in 1690, the boundary controA^ersies were silent, but, generally, till the final adjustment of those questions, the condition of affairs was substantially as stated by Gov. Belcher, in a letter to the Lords of Trade in Lon- don, in which he says, — " I have taken all possible care to have the long-contested boundaries betwixt the Massachusetts and New Hampshire adjusted agreeable to His Majesty's Ro3'al Or- ders to me, but I can see no prospect of its being accomplished, and the Borderel-s, on the lines (if your Lordships will allow me so vulgar an expression), live like toads under a harrow, being run into jails, on the one side and the other, as often as they please to quarrel, such is the sad condition of His Majesty's sub- jects that live near the lines. They pull down one another's houses, often wound each other, and I fear it will end in blood- shed unless His Majesty, in his great goodness, gives some effect- ual Order to have the Bounds fixt.'' • This strife having become intolerable, unusual efforts were initiated, about 1730, for a settlement. The Assembly of New Hampshire proposed that a committee, consisting of disinterested persons, be appointed by the two governments to " sit on the case." They proposed Col. William Codrington and Col. John Wanton, of Rhode Island, and Mr. John Lydall, merchant, of Boston, to act for New Hampshire. After much wrangling be- tween the two governments, and the failure of this project, on the recommendation of Gov. Belcher, who was governor of both provinces, and a native of Massachusetts, an act was passed as follows : " Be it enacted by His Excellency the Governor, Coun- cil, and Representatives convened in General Assembly, that the Hon. Adolph Phillips of New York, chosen and appointed by the two governments, and the Hon. Joseph Jenks of Rhode Island, chosen and api»ointed on the part of this government, and the Hon. Joseph Talcott of Connecticut, chosen and appointed by the government of Massachusetts Bay, be commissioners to repair to the places where the aforesaid controversy arises, and fully to hear each side, and finally to fix and settle said bounda- ries between the said provinces, according to His Majesty's afore- BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 555 said instructions ; that is to say, the boundary between the prov- ince of New Hampshire and the \iite province of Maine, as well as the other boundary between New Hampshire and the Massa- chusetts Bay." In April, 1731, Gov. Belcher, in his message to the Council and House of Representatives of New Hampshire, says, — " I am now to acquaint you, gentlemen, that the late General Court of the Massachusetts Bay have past a law much of the nature of that past here the last fall, for settling the long-disputed bounds." The secretary brought down a copy of this act of Massachusetts, and Joshua Pierce and Nathaniel Weare, Esqrs., were appoint- ed a committtee to draw up objections to the same. I will not quote in extenso from the objections they drew up. A single paragraph will be sufficient. They say, — " We have carefully perused the transcript of the act passed hy the government of Massachusetts Bay for settling the boundary lines, which we can by no means think reasonable, nor corresponding to His Maj- esty's instructions in scarce one paragraph.'''' New Hampshire adhered substantially to the terms of her act ; Massachusetts adhered to hers, and, after much irritation and bickering, this scheme also failed. Perplexed, but not in despair. New Hamp- shire tried again. On the seventh daj^ of May, 1731, she voted " That there be a Committee from the General Assembly ap- pointed, to meet a like Committee from the General Assembly of Massachusetts, at Newbury, the tenth day of June following," to try once more for an agreement. But the Assembly of Massa- chusetts did not readily respond. They did not come to time on the tenth of June. Effort upon effort was made to secure such meeting at Newbury, but for weeks and months to no purpose. At length, however, a meeting of the committee of the two prov- inces was effected at the appointed place. It occurred the thir- tieth of September, 1731, but was utterly barren of results. At this meeting, the committee on the part of Massachusetts claimed that all lands or towns which either govei-nment are in possession of, be reserved to the several governments, both as to jurisdiction and property. The New Hampshire committee utterly refused to comply with this demand, stating that it would bring the dividing line at least eleven miles and three quarters to the north ward of the Merrimack river, instead of three miles, according to 36 556 HISTORY OF WARNER. the terms of their grant. When the New Hampshire committee had peremptorily refused tliese hard terms, tlie Massachusetts committee stated that " they could not act any further, for, as they had particular directions, they were obliged to confortn to them^ And this attempt at settlement went also to the '' tomb of the Capulets." An appeal to the king was now the only alternative. Such appeal was taken, and New Hampshire having no agent in Eng- land to present her cause, appointed Capt. John Rindge for that purpose. He was a merchant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was about to take passage for London on his mercantile busi- ness. Being a man of means, he advanced what money was necessary to prosecute the design of his appointment. On his arrival in England he petitioned the king in behalf of the prov- ince of New Hampshire to establish its boundaries. Having accomplished his private business, and being obliged to return home, Capt. Rindge left the care of the petition with John Thom- linson, Esq., a merchant of London, who was well known here. This petition was presented to the court of Great Britain, Feb. 28, 1732. His Majesty referred it to the Lords of the Council, March 29, 1733, and their Lordships referred the same to the Lords of Trade in April. Five long, wearisome years elapsed after the presentation of this petition before definite action was taken. How execrable is procrastination ! This matter, so vital to the well being of the provinces, must be put off. Disorder and contention are again rampant ; men pass away ; years come and go ; and at last, on the ninth day of April, 1737, His Majesty's commission, under the great seal, is issued. It was directed to twenty commissioners, discreet men, living in His Majesty's other loyal provinces, not less than five of whom should consti- tute a quorum. The king directed that the commissioners should hold their first session at Hampton, N. H , Aug. 1, 1737. This commission was sent to Capt. John Rindge, of Ports- mouth, who kept it till the meeting of the commissioners, and then delivered it to them. The expense of it, amounting to 135 pounds sterling, was paid by the agents of New Hampshire. On the day appointed, eight of the commissioners met at Hamp- ton. They published their commission, opened their court, chose William Parker, of Portsmouth, clerk, and George Mitchell, sur- BOUNDARIES OP NEW HAMPSHIRE. 557 veyor. The following are the names of the eiglit who met and constituted the court : Wm. Skene, President, ^ Erasmus James Phillips, VlSTova Scotia. Otho Hamilton, J > Samuel Vernon, John Gardner, John Potter, > Rhode Island. Ezekiel Warner, | George Cornel, J Able men from each of the two provinces were to act as agents before this board. The Assemblies of the provinces convened at the same time, that of Massachusetts at Salisbury, and that of New Hampshire at Hampton Falls, only six miles apart. " With the utmost vigilance and jealousy they watched one another." It was an occasion of vast moment to those directly concerned. To overawe the adverse party, a large cavalcade was formed in Boston, which, with a troop of horse, escorted Gov. Belcher to the scene of conflict. This pomp and display was the occasion of the following satirical verses, in an assumed Hibernian style : Dear Paddy, you ne'er did behold such a sight As yesterday morning was seen before night : You in all your born days saw, nor I did n't neither. So many fine horses and men ride together. At the head, the lower House trotted two in a row : Then all the higher House pranced after the low : Then the Governor's coach galloped on like the wind. And the last that came foremost were the troopers behind. The commissioners met at the place and on the day appointed. The New Hampshire agents were ready, and they presented their case. The Massachusetts agents were not ready. The purport of the New Hampshire claim was this : that the southern bound- ary of the province should begin at the end of three miles north from the Merrimack river where it runs into the Atlantic ocean, and from thence should run, o?i a straight line west, up into the 558 HISTORY OF WARNER. main land, towards the South sea, until it meets with His Majes- ty's other governments. That the eastern boundary should be- gin at the entrance of Piscataqua harbor, and so pass up the same into the river Newichwannock (now Salmon Falls), and through that unto the farthest head thereof, and from thence north-west- ward, tbat is, north, less than a quarter of a point westerly, as far as the British Dominion extends. That the western half of the Isles of Shoals lay within the province of New Hampshire. Such was the Xew Hampshire case as contended for through weai-y years, and as presented, by the agents of the province, to the king's commissioners at Hampton. There was no ambiguity about this claim, and it came to the comprehension of every mind. It will be seen that NeW^ Hampshire did not claim from the mouth of Merrimack river, according to the conditions of Mason's grant, but from a point three miles north of it. The reason is this : the grant of Massachusetts antedates that of Xew Hamp- shire, and the boundaries of that grant began "at a point three English miles north of the Merrimack river." The authorities of New Hampshire readily assented to this claim on the part of Massachusetts. The commissioners adjourned to Aug. 4, met again, and the Massachusetts agents toere ready. They now presented their (;ase. It demanded a boundary line on the south side of New Hampshire, beginning at the sea, three English miles north from the black rocks at the mouth of the river, as it emptied itself into the sea sixt^^ years ago ; thence running parallel with the river as far north as the junction of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesau- kee at Franklin, thence due north as far as a certain tree, com- monly known, as they said, for more than seventy years, as Endi- cott's tree, standing three English miles northward of the said junction, and from thence due west to the South sea. This Endi- cott tree was at, or very near, Sanbornton Square. On the easterly side of New Hampshire, their case claimed a V)0uiidary line beginning at the entrance of Piscataqua harbor, passing up the same to the river, through that to the farthest head thereof, and from thence a due north-west line till 120 miles from the mouth of Piscataqua harbor be finished. Now let us briefly examine this claim, going first to our eastern boundary. There is no substantial disagreement between the BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 559 claims of the two provinces till we get to the head of the river. That is at Great East pond, lying between Wakefield, ISTew Hampshire, and Acton, Maine. A line due north-west from that pond, according to the Massachusetts claim, would pass through Ossipee, Tuftonborough, Moultonborough, Sandwich, Thornton, Woodstock, and Benton, to the Connecticut river at Bath, cutting off at least one third of the whole area of the state — cutting off the whole of Coos county, most of Carroll, and a large and impor- tant part of Grafton. It would barely have left the Great lake within our borders, but the " Crystal Hills," as they were for- merly called, would have formed no part of the state of New Hampshire. Now, go to our southern border. The province of Massachu- setts insisted that by the terms of their charter the line must begin at the ocean, three miles north of the Merrimack river, and run parallel with the river on the north side to the great bend at Dracut, and then, turning at right angles, continue oil three miles from the river, but on the eastvHxrd of it, up through the heart of the state, to a line parallel with the junction of the rivers at Franklin, and still three miles further on, to a point now in San- bornton, at the aforesaid Endicott tree ; then, turning square to the left, run due west to the Connecticut river, or to " His Majes- ty's other governments." This line, running due xoest from the Endicott tree, would pass through Hill, Danbury, Springfield, and Croydon, to the Connecticut river opposite Windsor ; and thus, all of New Hampshire south of that line and xcest of the Merrimack river, together with the strip three miles wide east of that river, would have been severed from this province and added to Massachu- setts. In tliis tract is comprised another full third of New Hamj)- shire — the whole of Cheshire county, the whole of Hillsborough county except the town of Pelliam and a part of Hudson, and the lion's share of Merrimack and Sullivan counties. This proposed mutilation of our territory on the south-west, together with that on the north-east, would have left the province with less than one third of its present area, and, in the eye of the country, we should have been weak ; in wealth and pojjulation, insignificant ; and in shape, as uncomely as a New Hampshire senatorial district. The Massachusetts authorities, anxious to secure every advan- tage, hastened the granting of townships all over the disputed 560 HISTORY OF WARNElt. territory. From Boscawen on the east to Charlestown on the west, they laid off two tiers of townships, and gave every encour- agement to cause persons to become grantees of these lands. The controversy about the boundaries was pending, and they acted upon the principle that " possession is nine points in the law." Now we return to the king's commissioners at Hampton. Per- haps there has seldom been displayed such stratagem, such per- sistence and sharp practice, as the contending parties displayed before this board. They were men of marked ability, and their souls were in the work. I cannot follow them in their arguments or their subterfuges. Time will not permit. The pleas, the repli- cations, the rejoinders and sur-rejoinders, which were indulged in ad libitum^ consumed daj^s and weeks. A painful suspense bur- dened every mind; but finally the decision came, such as it was! On the second day of September the commissioners decided the eastern boundar}^ and decided it substantially in accordance with the New Hampshire claim. They begin, in this decision, at the mouth of Piscataqua harbor, and proceed northward through the harbor and river to the head thereof, and thence north two degrees west, as far as the king's possessions go, it being precisely the boundary line of to-day. In regard to the southern boundary they were unable to make a decision, and they referred this most harassing and momentous branch of the subject to "the wise consideration of His Most Sacred Majesty, the King." The Massachusetts province was enraged at the decision on the eastern line. It appealed from that decision, and carried the war to the court of Great Britain. Thoinlinson, the New Hampshire agent, was there, — quick, vigi- lant, and influential. Thomas Hutchinson, the agent of the ad- verse party, a man of rare talent and perseverance, was sent over from Boston to engineer the cause of Massachusetts. Greek met Greek, and the heat of the contest knew no abatement. The New Hampshire position before the king, in council, was, as it had been before every other tribunal, that, when the grant of Massa- chusetts, by the council of Plymouth in 1628, and the charter of Massachusetts in 1629, were made, the course of the Merrimack river, except near the ocean, was not known by the grantors. It was supposed to run, in its whole course, from west to east, and in this view only can the language of the grants be intelligible. BOUNDARIES OF NEW" HAMPSHIRE. 561 If the river, two thirds of its length, runs south, and if the grantors knew the fact, how could they say " all those lands which lie and be within the space of three English miles to the northward of said river"? They do not say, all those lands within three miles, on the north and east side of the river, or within the space of three miles on the right hand side, as we ascend the river. Note the exact words, " within the space of three English miles to the northicard of said river, or to the northward of any and every part thereof." I have no donbt that the grantors intended a line substantially east and west, but the Massachusetts authorities rejected this con- struction of the language employed, and persisted in their claim to fully two thirds of all the territory within our present bounds. Even more : they intended to '• gobble up " the whole province. The agents of Massachusetts, in one of their written arguments before His Majesty's commissioners at Hampton, closed with these significant words : '' And the colony of Massachusetts then hoped, by putting a more adcantageous construction on their charter, to have made out a right to the whole province of New Hampshire^ Gov. Belcher was a supple tool of the Massachusetts authori- ties, and, in a wily and adroit manner, did his utmost to forward their schemes. He finally became very unpopular in New Hamp- shire, and in 1741 he was superseded in the office of governor by Benning Wentworth, a favorite son of the province. But an appeal has been taken to the king. Another season of long waiting and anxiety is endured. Months depart, years roll round, but no relief comes. Still justice standeth not afar off. On'' the fifth da3'^of March, 1740, the great decision of the Lords of Trade, under the sanction of the king, is promulgated, and New Hampshire is grateful to George the Second for terminating the long dispute. The royal decision is far better than even New Hampshire's claim. In regard to the eastern boundary, it confirmed the judg- ment of the commissioners, giving to this province the south- westerly half of the Isles of Shoals, and confirming the boundary clear on to Canada, as it stands to-day. The decision on the southern line was a surprise to everybody. It established " a curved line, followincr the course of the river Merrimack at the 562 HISTORY OF WARNER. distance of tliree miles on the north side, beginning at the Atlan- tic ocean and ending at Pawtucket falls (now Lowell), and thence due toest to Ills Majesty's other governments^ The decision was a total and overwhelming defeat to the Mas- sachusetts claim. It was much more than that. The falling of the walls of Jericho on the sounding of the ram's horn, could not have astonished Joshua more than this decision of the king aston- ished the zealous politicians of Massachusetts in 1740. It gave to New Hampshire a large tract of valuable territory beyond what she had asked. The line claimed by this province, before committees, commissioners, and kings,' starting at the ocean where it now is, would run through South Plampton, Newton, Hampstead, Derry, Londonderry, Litchfield, Merrimack, Amherst, Mont Vernon, Lyndeborough, Peterborough, Dublin, Marlborough, Swanzey, and to the Connecticut river in Chesterfield. So, by this un- looked-for decision, New Hampshire gained possession of parts of all the towns just enumerated, together with the whole of Plais- tow, Atkinson, Salem, Windham, Pelham, Hudson, Nashua, Hol- lis, Brookline, Millbrd, Wilton, Mason, Greenville, Temple, New Ipswich, Sharon, Rindge, Jaffrey, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Richmond, Winchester, and Hinsdale ; gained a tract of land more than four hundred and fift}- thousand acres in extent, and better in quality than the average of our New England country. That decision stands good to-day. The king, ignoring tlie sixty-mile point in Mason's grant on the east, carried the line on to Canada because the province of Maine was extended there, and, ignoring, also, on the south, the sixty-mile point from the ocean, carried on the line xoith Massa- chusetts to " His Majesty's other governments," and thus Ma- son's curce, or his straight line from point to point, is obsolete. The king does not recognize it, and New Hampsliire knows it not. CONTEST WITH NEW YORK. We come now to anotlier border war, in which New Hamp- shire was one of the belligerents. Previous to the Revolution, both New York and New Hampshire claimed all the territory that now constitutes the state of Vermont. New York claimed it under the terms of her royal grant. Charles the Second, in 1663, granted to his brother James, Duke of York, and to his BOUNDARIES OP NEW HAMPSHIRE. 563 heirs and assigns, "All the lands from the west side of Connecti- cut river to the east side of Delaware bay." This language seems plain enough ; hut, as New York never extended to Dela- ware ba,y on the south, nor to within a hundred miles of it ; as Connecticut and Massachusetts had established their western boundaries beyond the Connecticut river, and on a line but twen- t^^ miles east of the Hudson ; and as George the Second, in de- ciding the boundaries of ISTew Hampshire, allows her line to ex- tend westward " till it meets with the King's other governments," Benning Wentworth, and those in authority in this province, claimed the territory of Vermont. It is proper that I should say here, that Gov. Clinton, in a letter to Gov. Wentworth in 1750, took the position that the colony of Connecticut was extended upon the i^ew York grant by an agreement, and that Massachu- setts first went upon their grounds "by intrusion," and that the possession was left so long undisturbed by New York that it be- came permanent. His successors took the same position through all the coming struggle, but I hardly see how they could main- tain it. The original grant of Massachusetts was prior to that of the Duke of York, and the Massachusetts grant extended "from the Atlantic ocean on the east part, to the South sea on the west part" Gov. Wentworth, nothing daunted by these allegations from New York, went ahead. He had granted the township of Ben- nington, in 1749, naming it for himself. He proceeded, in the years following, to lay out towns on the disputed territory, and to receive large fees and presents from grantees for his official ser- vices. In a single year (1761) he granted sixty townships, and, in all, between the years 1749 and 1764, he granted, in the king's name, to New England people, nearly one hundred and forty townships of land, about six miles square, on what is now the ter- ritory of Vermont. During all these years New York sternly protested, but Went- worth sternly persisted. Both parties appealed to the king, and, July 20, 1764, King George the Third, by an order in council, declared " the west bank of Connecticut river to be the boundary between the province of New Hampsliire and that of New York." This order was received and promulgated in America, April 10, 1765. 564 HISTORY OF WARNER. Lieutenant-Governor Cadwallader Golden, then acting as chief magistrate of New York, treating tlie grants wliicli had been made by New Hampshire as nullities, and the settlers under them as trespassers on the king's domain, proceeded at once to grant the lands anew to others, mostly to New York speculators. In two years* time his patents covered most of the lands occupied by the New Hampshire settlers. He was stimulated to this work by the very great gains derived from the patent fees, he receiving for every thousand acres he patented the sum of $31.25, while six other government officials had a similar temptation. The secre- tary'^ of the province received $10, the clerk of the council $10, the auditor $4,624^, the receiver-general $14.62|-, the attorney- general $7.50, the survej'or-general $12.50. Thus, the total amount of fees for one thousand acres was $90.50, and this amount was exacted for every thousand acres, even when many thousands were included in the same patent. The fees amounted to $2,300 to a township. The like motive operated upon succeeding governors, not only inducing them to disregard the just and equitable claims of the New Hampshire grantees and settlers, but also to disobey and set at naught the positive injunctions of the king, forbidding them, in the most peremptory terms, from making such grants. In the autumn of 1766 the settlers on the New Hampshire Grants west of the Green Mountains called a convention, and, on mature deliberation, agreed to send an agent to the court of Great Britain, to state to the king and council the illegal and unjust proceedings of the governor of New York, and to obtain redress of their grievances. They appointed Samuel Robinson, Esq.. as their agent. Mr. Robinson went upon his mission, and the i"e- sult was, an order of the king in council, dated July 24, 1767, de- manding that the governor of New York should not, " upon pain of His Majest^^'s highest displeasure, presume to make any grant whatsoever of any part of the lands described in said report (Rob- inson's), until His Majesty's further pleasure should be known concerning the same." This order was obeyed for a year or two, but as soon as the fall of 1769 it was wholly disregarded, and grants of the prohibited land were freely made by the succeeding governors of New York, until the Revolutionarj' period. The whole quantity of land grant- BOUNDARIES OP NEW HAMPSHIRE. 565 \ ed in direct violation of this order exceeded two millions of acres. Numerous suits of ejectment were brought against the settlers, which were tried before the supreme court at Albany, in June, 1770. The court refused to allow the New Hampshire charters to be read in evidence to the jury, and rendered judgment for the plaintiffs in all cases. The settlers met in convention, and re- solved to defend their rights " against the iisurpation and unjust claims of the governor and council of New York, by force, as law and justice were denied them." Col. Seth Warner was the guiding spirit in this convention, — a man whose countenance, attitude, and movements indicated great vigor of body and mind. He championed the New Hamp- shire Cause in that contest through all its fiery trials, with a bold- ness and a persistence seldom witnessed. But the black clouds which portend the Revolutionary war are rolling up. The separation from the mother country and the independence of the colonies begin to be shadowed. The drama of the war opens at Lexington, and all local and provincial con- tests are, in large degree, held in abeyance. On the New Hamp- shire Grants there was a set of intrepid men, trained to hardy enterprise, and ready to encounter danger. At the commence- ment of hostilities, a company of these people, styling themselves Green Mountain Boys, marched to Ticonderoga, under Ethan Allen, and wrested that fortress from the British. Another de- tachment, under Col. Warner, took possession of Crown Point. The spirit of independence prevailed. The people on the New Hampshire Grants resisted the claims of New York. The royal decision had fixed the boundaiy of New Hampshire at the west bank of the Connecticut river. So, on the 24th day of July, 1776, a convention was held at Dorset, Vt., which consisted of fifty-one members, representing thirty-five towns, which, by ad- journment, met again September 25, the same year ; and again, at Westminster, January 15, 1777. At this latter meeting of the convention it was resolved, no one contradicting, " That we do hereby proclaim and publicly declare that the district of territory known by the name and description of the New Hampshire Grants, hj right ought to be, and is hereby declared forever here- after to be, considered as a separate, free, and independent juris- diction or state, by the name, and forever hereafter to be called. 566 HISTORY OF WARNER. known, and cUstinguished by tlio name, of New Connecticut." This convention adjourned, to be held at the meeting-house at Windsor the first Wednesday of the June following. At this meeting at Windsor the convention unanimously resolved, " That the said district shall now and hereafter be called and known by the name of Vermont." New Hampshire was understood to be not averse to the erec- tion of this new state. At any rate, she uttered no protest against it. She felt that the territory of Vermont was placed be- yond her reach ; that the royal decree of 1764, declaring " the west bank of the Connecticut river, from where it enters the province of Massachusetts Bay to the 45th degree of latitude, to be the boundary line between New Hampshire and New York," was a barrier that could not be overcome. Besides, the Revolu- tionary war was now pressing on the infant colonies with fearful force. The overshadowing cause of the country engrossed the patriotism of the hour, and if New Hampshire was guilty of an_y lapses relative to her boundary lines in this great exigency, she is to be pardoned. DISMEMBERMENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. But the strangest part of these transactions remains to be con- sidered. No sooner had Vermont organized a government, than a disposition was manifested by a portion of the inhabitants in border towns east of the Connecticut river to dissolve their con- nection with New Hampshire and unite with the people of Ver- mont. Accordingly, on the 11th day of March, 1778, a petition from sixteen towns on the east side of Connecticut river was pre- sented to the legislature of Vermont, then in session at Windsor, praying to be admitted into its union. The inhabitants on the eastern side of the river were conveniently situated to unite with those on the western side, and it is probable that they generally held the same opinions and views. They argued, that the origi- nal grant of New Hampshire to John Mason was circumscribed by a line drawn at a distance of sixty miles from the sea, " and that all the lands westward of that line, being royal grants, had been lield in subjection to the government of New Hampshire by force of the royal commissions, which were vacated by the BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 567 assumed independence of tlie American colonies ; and, therefore, that tlie inhabitants of all those lands had reverted to a state of nature.- - But this was a mere pretence, and a weak one. It was New Hawpahire on the Connecticut river as positively as it was on the Piscataqua. It was New Hampshire outside of the Masonian line by the same authority that it was inside. All the bounda- ries that New Hampshire or any other province had up to this period were derived from the king. The people here were his subjects. The royal decree had fixed the boundaries of New Hampshire, the western boundary being determined, in 1764, on the west bank of Connecticut river. Hence, to us, that movement in the border towns appears like inexcusable secession. The in- habitants in those towns had nothing to comiilain of. They had, in ever}^ possible waj-, expressed themselves satisfied with their situation. Those towns were settled under the grant of the gov- ernor of New Hampshire. They were within the lines thereof. Most of them sent delegates to the convention, or congress, of New Hampshire, which met at Exeter in 1775, the convention which formed the constitution and government under which they were then living. From the commencement of the Revolutionary war they had applied to their government for assistance and pro- tection, and had received it. But the disaffected towns were not to be restrained. They had presented tlieir request to the General Assembly of Vermont to be admitted to a union with that state, and in- June, 1778, at its session in Bennington, the legislature of Vermont, on the representation of a committee from the New Hampshire towns, that the said towns were not connected with any state in respect to their internal police, and that sixteen towns had assented to a union with Vermont, in accordance with articles mutually agreed upon, " Therefore, voted and resolved, that the sixteen towns, — viz., Cornish, Lebanon, Enfield, Dresden, Canaan, Cardigan, Lj^me, Orford, Piermont, Haverhill, Bath, Lyman, Gunthwaite, Apthorp, Laudaff, and Morristown, — be and hereby are entitled to the privileges and immunities vested in any town within this state." They also resolved "that any other towns, on the eastern side of the river, might be admitted on producing a vote of a majority of the inhabitants, or on the appointment of a repre- 568 HISTORY OF WARNER. sentative." Thus was this union consummated. Thus was New Hampshire dismembered, but the storm of popuLar in- dignation began to howl. The leaders in the seceded towns made endeavors to have the government of New Hampshire ap- point commissioners to join such as they would appoint, to meet and decide how much territory should be severed from the state, where the boundary should be, etc. Of course, neither Presi- dent Weare nor his council nor his government would listen to su(;h a proposal. The members from New Hampshire in the Con- tinental Congress at Philadelphia were entreated to resist this scheme. Meshech Weare addressed them a letter, in which he saYs, — " By the best information I have, about one third, — nearly one half, — of the people in the defective towns are averse to the proceedings of the majority, who threaten to confiscate their estates if they do n't join with them ; and I am very much afraid the affair will end in the shedding of blood." He also wrote a very strong letter to Governor Chittenden, of Vermont, a fair construction of which would be, ''If you proceed, you do it at your peril." The Hon. Timothy Walker, of Concord, who at this time was a member of the council of the state, wrote an able ad- dress to the inhabitants of Vermont, in which this passage occurs: "It is well known in New Hampshire that the disappointments of a small junto of aspiring, avaricious men, in their endeavors to raise themselves to a degree of importance in the state far beyond what their numbers or estates gave them any pretence to, is the source of all this feud." Ethan Allen, in a characteristic letter to the government of New Hampshire, speaking of those who fomented this disturbance, on both sides of the river, says, — ''Argument will be lost on them, for the heads of the schism, at large, are a petulant, pettifogging, scribbling set, that will keep anj- government on earth in hot water." I am very glad to state that both Allen and Warner, and other good men in Vermont, set their faces squarely against the dismemberment of New Hainjjsbire, from the start. The bold attitude assumed by New Hampshire, and the oppo- sition to this movement which Vermont found at home, caused a halt in these proceedings. Vermont desired admittance to the confederacy' of states. She sent Col. Allen, whose personal in- fluence was great, on to Philadelphia to obtain recognition for BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 569 the state. It was known that New York woukl oppose this to the bitter end. Allen went on his mission. He returned and made his report, on the 10th of October, 1778, to the legislature of Vermont, tlien in session at Windsor. In that report we find the following : '' From what I have heard of the disapprobation at Congress of the union with sundry towns east of Connecticut river, I offer it as my opinion, that, except this state recede from such union immediately, the whole power of the United States of America will join to annihilate the state of Vermont, and to vindicate New Hampshire." At this session of the legislature, representatives from ten of the " sixteen towns " took their seats in the General Assembly, but their situation became embarrass- ing in the extreme. Immediately upon the iiresentation of Al- len's report, the legislature took measures " to recede from the union " which had been formed with the sixteen towns east of the river, and, on the 21st day of October, 1778, the assembly voted, first, " That the towns east of the river, included in the tinion with this state, shall not be included in the county of Cum- berland ;" and, second, " That the towns on the east side of Connecticut river shall not be erected into a distinct county by themselves." This was not the entertainment to which those towns supposed they had been invited, for, by these votes, the sixteen towns were denied any connection with existing counties, and denied the formation of any county by them- selves. Of course, the union was virtually dissolved, and it is said that " our arm3^ in Flanders " furnished no language adequate to this occasion. But the vote was not unanimous. On each question there were twenty-eight votes favorable to the New Hampshire towns, and thirt^^-three votes unfavorable. The next day (Oct. 22) the members from the east side of the river, and a number from the border towns on the west side, made sol- emn protest against this proceeding, and voted themselves " dis- charged from any and every confederation and association with the state of Vermont." They then withdrew from the assembly. But the end is not yet. Heated discussion, wrangling, crimi- nation and recrimination, are rife. The rejected members from the east side of the river, with some others on the west side, form- ed themselves into a convention, and invited all the towns on both sides of the river to unite and set up another state, by the name 570 ■ HISTORY OF WARNER. of New Connecticut. Their lea(lin<]j purpose was, to take about all of Vermont east of the mountain chain, and a strip from the west side of New Hampshire, twenty miles in width or more, and out of this tract, up and down the Connecticut valley, erect their new state. In this view a convention of delegates from several towns on both sides of the Connecticut was held at Cornish, the ninth day of December, 1778. That convention resolved to go forward without regard to the limits established by the king in 1764, and to make the following proposals to New Hampshire, namely, either to agree with them on a dividing line, or to sulunit the dis- pute to congress, or to arbitrators mutually chosen. If neither of these propositions could be accepted, then, if .they could agree with New Hampshire on a form of government, they would con- sent '' That tlie whole of the grants on both sides of the river should connect themselves with New Hampshire, and become one entire state, as before the royal determination in 1764." Till one or other of these proposals should be complied with, they deter- mined '• to trust in Providence and defend themselves." Vermont was in peril. The exigency seemed to demand a more emphatic declaration on her part ; so at the next session of the General Assembly of that state, which met at Bennington, Feb. 12, 1779, referring to the union of New Hampshire towns with Vermont, it was resolved, " That the said union be and is here- by dissolved, and made totally void, null, and extinct ; and that His Excellency the Governor be, and he is hereby, directed to communicate the foregoing resolve to the President of the Coun- cil of the State of New Hampshire." Thus was this brief union formally dissolved. But a tempest had been created, and it was not easy to control the storm. The inchoate state was shak- ing in the wind. The governor of Vermont wrote letters to the Assembly of New Hampshire, informing them of the separation, but those letters were not entirely satisfactory. The Assembly of New Hampshire desired a frank avowal against ^nj future connection. It was a day of distrust and jealousy, and nothing was sure. 1 exonerate no party and cast censure on none. I ad- mit that leading men in New Hampshire, all through this contro- versy, held that the state should have persisted in her claim to all the territory of Vermont. Woodbury Langdon, a delegate in congress at this time, believed that such a stand, boldly taken BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 571 and unflinchingly' maintained, would have proved successful. As I have "said, New Hampshire at first acquiesced in the indepen- dence of Vermont, but after the attempt on her part to sever from this state a portion of its territory, a change took place, so much so, that by 1779 both the people and the authorities of New Hampshire were in favor of asserting claim to the whole of the New Hampshire Grants. In the year 1779 an attempt was made to form a new consti- tution for New Hampshire. In this constitution the claim to the whole of Vermont was indirectly recognized. Though this form of government was defeated, the sentiment in favor of claiming Vermont did not. abate. New York ' renewed her claim to the same lands with much vigor, and it was suspected by Vermont that intrigues were being formed to divide that state between New Hampshire and New York, by the ridge of the Green Moun- tains. At an}^ rate Vermonters caught new alarm, and, that they might lose no point in the game, they extended their claim west- ward into New York, and revived it eastward, into New Hamp- shire. Congress had been appealed to, but the EcA-olutionary war en- grossed its great care, and congress was slow to act. Indeed, less than nine disinterested states could not act. A deficiency in the representation caused a long delay, — a year or more, — but at last the question came up. New York and New Hampshire both pleaded that Vermont had no right to independence. The agents of the new state spiritedly asserted their rights, and offered to be- come a part of the Union. Should this be denied them, they rep- resented (to use the words of Gov. Chittenden) that "they should be under the disagreeable necessity of making the best terms with the British that might be in their power " On the sixteenth day of January, 1781, a convention of dele- gates from forty-three towns was held at Charlestown, N. H. A portion of the towns here represented were on the New Hamp- shire side of the river. Each of the parties to the controversy was ably represented before this convention, and the delegates were warmly beset on every hand. New Hampshire, through her agents, was active and hopeful. Twelve of the delegates were mem- bers of the council and assembly of New Hampshire. The New York agents, who favored a new state that should be bounded 37 572 HISTORY OF WARNER. by the Masonian grant on the east and the Green Mountains on tlie west, were pressing their views with vigor. Vermont had also in tlie field men of indomitable energy and perseverance to engineer the cause of tliat state. It was no idle convention. The governor of Vermont had designated Col. Ira Allen as one of the agents of that state. When Allen arrived, the convention had been in session two days ; a committee had been appointed to consider the situation, and report thereon. Allen says, — "At length the committee reported to unite all the New Hampshire Grants to New Hampshire, which was adopted, and went, in fact, to annihilate the state of Vermont."' Now the friends of that state aroused themselves. Allen assured the members of the con- vention that the governor and council, and some of the leading men on the west side of the mountain, were for extending their claim to the Mason line, and that he was authorized to say, if the convention would take proper measures, that " the legislature of Vermont would extend their claim, at their adjourned term, in February, 1781 (the next month), aiicl that he loas authorized to gioe such assurance.''^ Allen continues : " The report was recommitted ;" " the friends of New Hampshire were much pleased with their success, and well enjoyed the night, but the scene changed the next morning. The committee reversed their report, and reported to unite all the territory of New Hampshire west of Mason's line, with the state of Vermont, which report was accepted by a great majorit3^" Twelve members protested and withdrew. The convention ap- pointed a committee to confer with the legislature of Vermont, which was to meet at Windsor during the next month, and then adjourned to meet at Cornish (only three miles from Windsor) at the same time. Agreeably to adjournment, the Charlestown convention met at Cornish, Feb. 8, 1781 ; the legislature of Vermont assembled at Windsor. The New Hampshire towns w^ere desirous of being united again with Vermont, in one separate, independent govern- ment ; and the convention, in due form, so notified the legisla- ture. This application was warmly received, and on the twenty- second day of February, the articles of union were agreed upon and confirmed. It was provided that the question of com- pleting the union on the terms proposed should be submitted to BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 573 the several towns in the state of Vermont, and to the towns in New Hampshire, to the distance of about twenty miles from Connecticut river ; and that if two thirds of the towns on each side of the river approved of the union, it should be considered as ratified and completed. The two bodies then adjourned to meet again in tlieir respect- ive places on the first Wednesday in April following. The terms of union were submitted to the towns, and at the adjourned meet- ing of the legishxture, at AVindsor, AjDril 5, 1781, the result of the vote on the question of union was made known. The following towns on the New Hampshire side of the river had given in their allegiance to the state of Vermont, — viz., Alstead, Gilsum, Hins- dale, Chesterfield, Surry, Marlow, Kichmond, Westmoreland, Cornish, Plainfield, Croydon, Saville (now Sunapee), Newport, Charlestown, Claremont, Acworth, Lempster, Grantham, Grafton, Lebanon, Dresden (part of Hanover), Hanover, Haverhill, Pier- mont, Dorchester, Lyme, Gunthwaite (now Lisbon), Landaff, Lyman, Lincoln, Morristown (now Franconia), Bath, Cardigan (now Orange), and Lancaster. The assembly appointed a committee to wait on the convention, and "inform them that the union is agreed on by a major part of the towns in this state, agreeably to the articles of union as proposed ; and that the assembly will wait to receive the members returned to sit in the assembly, on the union's taking place, to- morrow morning at 9 o'clock." Forty-four members liad been chosen from the New Hampshire towns east of the Connecticut river; they were introduced bj^ the committee to the legislature of Vermont ; they produced their credentials, took the oaths of office, and were conducted to their seats in the house. Thus was the second union between these contracting parties consummated, and the same, with due pomp and ceremony, was pro- claimed. The next session of the legislature of this new state, — a state now stretching from Lake Champlain to the Pemigewasset river, — was at Charlestown, N. H., October, 1781. One hundred and thirty members were present, representing, according to Hiland Hall's history, fifty-seven towns west of the river, and forty-five towns east. When the legislature convened at Charlestown, as above stated, Thomas Chittenden had been reelected governor, but no choice Oi4 HISTORY OF WARNER. had been made of lieutenant-governor. The House elected Col. Elisha Payne, of Lebanon, to that office. Two members of the council also belonged to the east side of the river. Mr. Payne was perhaps the leader of this movement among the New Hamp- shire towns. He came from Connecticut in 1773, and settled in Cardigan, now Orange. He was for a time a trustee of Dart- mouth college. At the October session of the Vermont Assembly in 1778 (during the first union) he was a representative from Cardigan. He was prominent in all these conventions which I have mentioned, and in April, 1781, he represented Lebanon in the Vermont Assembly ; and now, in October of the same year, he is made lieutenant-governor of his cherished state. Congress, at last, after 3'ears of vexation and delay, had pro- ceeded so far, in August, 1781, as to lay it down as an indispen- sable preliminary to the recognition of Vermont as a member of the Union, that she should '• explicitly relinquish all demands of land and jurisdiction on the east side of Connecticut river, and on the west side of a line drawn twenty miles eastward of Hudson's river." Here was a stumbling-block and a rock of offence not to be disregarded. This resolution of congress was laid before the assembly, but that body stood firm. The}^ would not submit the question of their independence to any power whatever ; but they would refer tlie question of their jurisdictional boundary to com- missioners mutually chosen ; and when they should be admitted into the American Union, they would submit any such disputes to congress. They proceeded to their work ; they extended Vermont coun- ties over this New Hampshire tract ; they levied taxes, created courts, and appointed sheriffs and justices of the peace, — all in Nev) Hampshire. They did with the east side of the river as they did with the west, or attempted to. The state of society within the seceding towns was deplorable. The majorities at- tempted to control minorities. Affairs reached such a pitch as to bring the divided inhabitants in these towns into direct collision. New Hampshire, of course, relinquished jurisdiction to none of her territory or people. Strong remonstrances against the au- thority of Vermont came to the Committee of Safety of New Hampshire,- numerously signed by citizens on the disputed dis- trict. John Clark, of Landaff, sent in a memorial; setting forth BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 575 tlie violence that had been committed on him, because, as he al- leged, he had stood for New Hampshire, " in opposition to wheed- lings, flatteries, promises, frowns, threats, insults, and every other conceivable machination." Memorials came from all parts of the district over which Vermont attempted to exercise authority. Cheshire was Washington county, under Vermont rule. Samuel Davis, of Chesterfield, in Washington county, a constable under Vermont authority, complains, that on the night of the fifth of November, 1781, in attempting to serve a precept on James Rob- ertson, in the house of Nathaniel Bingham, John Gandy, Jr., did, by force and arms, oppose him, the said Davis, and did not suffer him to make his service, "all which is against the peace and dignity of this state." Whereupon, the sheriff of Washington county was ordered to take the body of John Gandy, Jr., of said Chesterfield, and him commit to the common jail in Charlestown. This he did. Nathaniel Bingham was in like manner committed to Charlestown jail for hindering and opposing the aforesaid con- stable in the execution of his office. Bingham and Gand}^ peti- tioned the authorities of New Hampshire for release. Accom- panying this petition was a statement made b}^ Bingham of the offence. It was, in substance, this : That the town of Chester- field was destitute of any officers, civil or military, who would act under the authority of New Hampshire ; that a number of friends were assembled at his house the evening of Nov. 5, to nominate one or two persons for justice of the peace, to be commissioned by the assembly; that about eight o'clock, Samuel Davis, acting as constable under Vermont, came in with five others, took a book from under his coat, and said he would like to read a paragraph ; that he (Bingham) forbade his reading any Vermont laws in his house, and advised him to withdraw ; that John Gandy told Da- vis if he read any riot act there, he (Gandy) would kick him into the fire ; that Davis said he had a precept against one of the com- panj^ ; and that he (Bingham) forbade his reading any Vermont precept under his roof, on which Davis and his attendants left. The New Hampshire assembly took up the case at once, and, Nov. 27, 1781, unanimously enacted that the committee of safety be empowered to issue their order to the sheriff of Cheshire county to release from prison all persons in Cheshire or Grafton county confined there by order of any pretended court, raagis- 576 HISTORY OF WAENER. trate, or othor officer claiming autliority niuler Vermont. They further empowered the committee to cause to be appreliended and committed to prison, in any of tlie counties, all persons act- ing under the pretended authority of the state of Vermont, and for this jiurpose the sheriffs were empowered to raise the 2yosse comitatus. Under the authority thus given, Col. Enoch Hale, of Kindge, sheriff of Cheshire county, proceeded to the release of the prisoners in Charlestown jail. He demanded Bingham and Gandy. On being refused, he attempted to break the jail, when he was immediately seized and committed to jail himself by the Vermont authorities. Hale, the imprisoned sheriff, called on Gen. Bellows to raise the militia for his liberation. Bellows at once notified President Weare of the state of things, and went about his work. This alarmed the Vermonters, and orders were issued by Gov. Chit- tenden for their militia to oppose force to force. The sheriff (Wm. Page), and others in authority under the laws of Vermont, aroused themselves to resist any attempt on the part of New Hampshire to rescue Col. Hale or the other prisoners confined at Charlestown. The regiment of militia under Col. Samuel King w;is immediately placed in a state of readiness by Vermont to meet any attack that might be made. The excitement was in- tense, and every one felt that " the hour had struck." While this was the condition of affairs in the western part of the state, the authorities of New Hampshire in the eastern part "were not idle and indifferent spectators. President Weare, the committee of safety, and all others in authority, realized the grav- ity of the occasion, and acted with decision and vigor. The sheriff of Hillsl>orough county (Moses Kelley, Esq.) was ordered "to raise the body of his county," for the purpose of liberating Col. Hale. Gen. Nichols was ordered to assist the sheriff " in raising the body of the militia in Hillsborough county." Gen. Benjamin Bellows, of Walpole, was ordered to raise as many of the militia of his county as possible, to take command of them, and be in readiness to cooperate with those i-aised in Hillsborough county. Francis Blood, of Temple, was ordered " to supply the troops with beef from the cattle collected for the army, and, if practicable," to exchange a sufficient quantity of beef to supply them with bread." BOUNDARIES OP NEW HAMPSHIRE. 57T Gov. Chittenden, of Vermont, appointed Gen. Payne (the lieu- tenant-governor) to take command of the militia of the state, to call to his aid Generals Fletcher and Olcott, and such of the field- officers on the east side of the mountains as he thought proper. About the same time, a committee from the state of Vermont was sent to Exeter " to agree on measures to prevent hostilities." William Page, the Vermont sheriff, was on this committee. He had no sooner reached Exeter than he was arrested and cast into prison, and held as a hostage for the release of the sheriff of Cheshire. The assembly of New Hampshire issued a proclama- tion allowing forty days for the people in the revolted towns to repair to some magistrate, and subscribe a declaration that they acknowledge the extent of New Hampshire to Connecticut river, and tliat they would hereafter observe the peace. They also ordered the militia of all the counties to hold themselves in readi- ness to march against the revolters. The committee of safety of Kew Hampshire issued a warrant to Jonathan Martin, of Wilton, ordering him to arrest Col. Samuel King, of Chesterfield, who, as magistrate, committed Bingham and Gandy to jail ; also, to arrest Nathaniel S. Prentice, Moses Smith, and Isaac Griswold. Another warrant was issued to Robert Smith, of Londonderry, commanding him to arrest Benjamin Giles, of Newport. (Pren- tice, Griswold, and Giles were deputy sheriffs under Vermont rule.) Smith "apprehended the body" of Prentice and carried him to Exeter, where he was committed to jail. He also arrested King, carried him a dozen miles, when he was forcibly rescued. Gen. Bellows, in addressing President Weare in reference to this rescue, says, — " The mob, after refreshment at King's, sought for all those who assisted Smith in the arrest, some of whom they caught and abused in a shameful manner, by striking, kicking, and all the indignities which such a hellish pack can be guilty of." Meantime, General George Washington, then commanding the armies of the Eevolution, had been applied to by a committee of congress, who had under consideration the question of admitting Vermont into the Union and determining its boundaries. Said committee prevailed on Gen. Washington to address a letter to the governor of Vermont. And now the climax is at hand. On the first day of January, 1782, Washington wrote as requested. The letter is too long to be inserted here ; but it advised the gov- 578 HISTORY OF WARNER. ernor and the people of Vermont to relinquish their late exten- sion as an " indispensable preliminary" to their admittance into the Union. Washington intimated that if thej refused to com- ply with this requirement they must he considered as having a hostile disposition towards the United States, in which case coer- cion on the part of congress would become necessary. This letter, taken in connection with the action of congress, hereinbefore mentioned, had the desired offect. The war ended. The assembly of Vermont, which had been in session at Charles- town, N. H., and which had adjourned to meet at Bennington the last day of January, 1782, was not ready to act at once, as no quorum appeared till Yah. 11. On the 23d day of February, Anno Domini J.782, the said assembly did solemnl}'' resolve, ^''Th-At the west hanJc oi Connecticut river, and a line beginning at the north-west corner of the Massachusetts state, from thence northward twenty miles east of Hudson's river, as specified in th e resolutions of August last, shall be considered as fhe east and west boundaries of Vermont, and that this assembly do hereby relinquish all claim and demand to, and right of jurisdiction in and over, an}' and every district of territory without said bound- ary lines." Thus ended this bitter and prolonged contest, — a contest which, for years, had been productive only of mischief, by dividing fami- lies and neighborhoods, and distracting the country. Thus end- ed, also, this second union of certain disaffected New Hampshire towns with the state of Vermont. The summary work of dissolu- tion was accomplished in the absence of the New Hampshire members. Before they arrived at their posts in Bennington, the die had been cast ; Vermont had gone back over the river, and the boundary of New Hampshire rested on the west bank. ALONG THE HIGHLANDS. Now the boundaries of this state are established on the south, on the east, and on the west, never, probably, to be disturbed while the foundations of the government stand. But I have not yet encircled the state. New Hampshire, on the south-east, borders on the ocean, and on the north, on Her Britannic Majesty's Dominion. Our northern boundary line is BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. " 579 " along the highlands," between the waters of the Atlantic ocean and the river St. Lawrence, and is about thirty-seven miles in length. I shall dwell very briefly on this branch of my subject ; shall exclude much that might properly be introduced here, but which is not necessary to an understanding of the main facts. There has been no disjnite about this line : there was a disagree- ment and a delay. By the roj'al decree, in 1740, New Hampshire was extended to Canada. That country was then in the posses- sion of the French. It was conquered by the English in 1759, and became a British province. When the treaty of peace was concluded between the United States and Great Britain, Sept. 3, 1783, it was agreed and declared that the boundaries should be from the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, along the highlands which divide those rivers that empty into the St. Lawrence from those which fall into the Atlantic ocean, "to the north-icestem- most head of Connecticut river; then down along the middle of that river to the 45° of north latitude ; thence due west," etc. Now, the question in controversy has been. What was meant by the words " the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river " ? This river has three recognized heads. The eastern is in Lake Connecticut, a small lake in the northern extremity of the state, and about midway of the state from east to west, as our lines now are. The head of this branch is the lake, and at the very outlet of the lake it takes the name of Connecticut river. West of that, rising further north at the ridge of the highlands, is Indian Stream. It flows south, passing by Connecticut lake on the west, and emptying into the Connecticut branch several miles below the lake. Still farther west, rising in the highlands, is Hall's Stream, flowing south, west of Indian Stream, and falling into the Con- necticut branch yet lower down. Several attempts were made, up to 1823, to settle the point in controversy, but they were fruitless, and the subject was then drojiped till 1842. A committee was appointed by the legislature of New Hampshire, in 1789, "to run our northern line." Having attended to duty, that committee reported that " they had spotted a birch tree for the north-east corner of the state ;" that " they then spotted along the highlands, south-westward, to the head of the north-west branch of Connecticut river, then down said river to the main river, about half a mile below latitude 45° north." 38 580 HISTORY OF WARNEK. This could have been none other than Hall's Stream, for that only falls into the Connecticut below the 45°. And that " birch tree," if it stands, is to-day the north-east corner of New Hampshire and the north-west corner of Maine. It stands on the great "• divid. ing ridge," on Crown mountain, in latitude 45° 19' north. The English have contended that a fair construction of the treaty would make the main branch of the river the boundary line, because the other streams do not bear the name of Connecti- cut, but distinct names. If this view had prevailed, our state would have been less in territory than it now is, by three good- sized townships. But if this first view could not be entertained, then the English have insisted that Indian Stream, the middle branch of the three, must be accepted as the boundary. It is larger than Hall's Stream, and more direct in its course. They contended that little brooks and rivulets were not to be consid- ered. ^Now, if the boundary had been fixed here, New Hampshire would have been less in territory than it now is by at least one large township. Our government contended, from the beginning, for Hall's Stream. It is the north-west branch of Connecticut river, and therefore its source is the " north-westernmost head of Connecti- cut river." No one can go into that country, or look upon a cor- rect map of it, without being convinced that Hall's Stream fully answers to the designation in the treaty. It is considerable in size ; its head is in the highlands, north of the 45th degree ; it is a branch of the Connecticut ; and it is more north-west than Ind- ian Stream. Carrigain's map, Morse's Geography, and Belknap's History have all, since 1789, taken it for granted that the high- lands and Hall's Stream constitute our northern boundary. But the question hung fire till 1842. Webster and Ashburton, in the treaty of Washington of that year, accepted this line, and determined it to be the boundary forever between the British pos- sessions and the state of New Hampshire. Thus, for years and centuries, has the question of boundary, in one form or another, agitated the people of this state. Happily for us and for posterity, those questions have now for long years been adjusted, and we have had peace. There has been no at- tempt to disturb any boundary line when once fairly determined. There will be none. What New Hampshire is, as to its territorial W 88 BOUNDARIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 581 limits, it will remain. It is not large in area or in popiilation, but respectable in both. In extent of territory it excels Massa- chusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Delaware ; and in population, according to the census of 1870, it excels Rhode Island, Delaware, Florida, Nebraska, Nevada, and Oregon. New Hampshire is a good state to be born in, equally good to live in, and quite as good as any place on earth to be buried in. In productiveness of soil, she is above an average of the states ; in healthfulness of climate and in the grandeur of her mountains, she is unsurpassed. She has produced her full share of the great men and eminent women of the country, and is still producing them. Her population enjoy as much of the good things of this life as any people under the sun ; and those of us to the manor born who have attained to middle age, and especially those of us who are admonished by the lengthening shadows that night is coming on, should remain on our "native heath," hallowed by the recollection of the joys and sorrows of two hundred years, and finish our joi;rney at home, thanking God if we may do this in faith, looking for a city that hath foundations. 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