TIEIE 0)?‘ THE ANCIENT DEAD BESTOBED. AN ADDRESS” DELIVERED AT ATHOL, MASS.) JULY 4, 1859, BY REV. JOHN F. NORTON, AT THE Re-consecration of the Ancient Cemetery of Athol, and the erection of a. monument thereon. 'WI'I‘I~I A REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE DAY. ATHOL DEPOT: PRINTED AND PUBLISI-IE1) BY RUFUS PUTNAM. A 1859. -REV. Iona E‘. Nonron ': DEAR SIR ': 4 y _ M A A The citizens ‘of’ Athleliwlio hadrithe pleasure of hearing your address at the re-consecration ‘of the ancient Cemetery of the town, on the 4tl1 inst, desire its publication ; and have instructed me by unanimous vote to request of you a copy for this pur- pose. They feel that a production which presents in attractive form so many interesting facts in our early history as a town-——embracing vivid descriptions both o‘f'cl1ara.cter and €3V(:‘;I1iZ--2LI.1(1 connecting us so intimates l ly with the storied, yet scarcely remembered Past, cannot be too highly estimated. And concurring entirely these sentiments of my fellow—- t0Wns1nen,_I beg leave to comniuiiicate to you their wishes in this re» gard, and respectfully solicit a compliance therenfith. Yours Truly, CHAS. FIELD. i Athol, July 18,18-339. Hon. CHARLES FIELD : MY DEAR Sm: i The Address, a copy of‘ which you ask, in behalf of our fellow-townsm”en for publication, was prepared amid an unusual pressure of other duties, but since it was received with so much favor by yourself and by those whom you represent, “I place it at your disposal. ‘ I may be permitted tosuggest the propriety of publishing with my address a brief history of the enterprise which led to its p’rcparation end a reportpof the other deeply interesting proceedings of the day. i l i l Truly Yours, JOHN F. NORTON. Athol, July 20, 1859. The Town of Athol, VVorcester County, Ma.ss., which originally bore the Indian nzune of PEQUOIAG, was settled in the year 1735. The early dead of this settlement were in- terred in What is now known as the “C161 Burying GroL111d,”” which is about sixty rods southeast of the present Railway" Station. Nearly one hundred yemrs lizwiiig; elapsed since interments ceased in thnt place, and e.idense forest lizwiiig covered it, the spot was knowii by eoiiiparrutively few of the present gqeiieretioii, till the attention of the Town was c1irect—« ed to the propriety of rescuing the place from utter forget- fulness. At a Town Meeting holden Nov. 93, 1858, at committee of w11ic:h.M:e. GrLEORGZE SrnA.eUI«3 was e11zii1'111an, was raised and instructed to. escertei11 upon what terms a lot eiiibrscixig all the gmves that can nmv be tra.ce~d, Inight be 1:>rocurec1; and to report the seine to the Town with estiinetes for fenc- iiig, erectiiig a. suitable rMonument, &c. w This Committee 1*epo1'etec1 in April, 1859, that a. lot of suitable climensions would be givento the Town by its pres-— ent owners, Mr. ~Et11::Ln Lord zimcl Mr. Anios L. Cheney,t one conditionthet it should be properly fenced amide. Monument‘ erected thereon, and reeoniniended that an rLpp1'oprietio11 be made for this purpose. T T T This Report: was adopted a.nc1 the requisite appropriation was tniade. T % At the same meeting Col; Thomas ToWnse11C1,VG‘eo1*ge r Spmgue and Amos L. Cheney were “appointed a. Committee to ccrry into ~efiect the above named ~1'eso1ution; These gem -1 “tlemen obtained, in behalf of the Town, the legal title to a lot eight rods long and four rods wide, which embraces all the graves that can now be distinguished, fenced the same and procured a granite Monument of suitable size and suit- ably inscribed, to be erected in the centre of the lot. They then proposed that the ground be re—consecrated and the Mon- ument belerectecl with appropriate religious services on the coming Anniversary of our National Independence, July 4, 1859. This proposition was seconded by the citizens of Athol, and committees were appointed to co-operate with the Com- mittee of theTo‘Wn in carrying into effect this wise proposal. At subsequent meetings of the committees, the following individuals were chosen as officers of the day: How. Ci—IAnI..1«:s FIELD, Prcsidcmt. Lyman "W. Hapgood, Esq. , Vz7c.'c P1“cs2'clc7zt. Col. Thomas Townsend, Chef Jllws/2a.Z. Rev. J. F. Norton was invited to deliver the Address. On the morning of the day above named, a large con- course of citizens and strangers assembled on the grounds of the High School House, when a procession was formed head- ed by the pupils of the High School and led by the Athol Brass Band. The children of the otherschools followed with distinctive badges; then the Committees, Officers of the day, Clergy and citizens in general; and the whole pro- ceeded to the “ Old Burying,Ground.” The assembly was called to orderby the Chief Marshal, Col. Townsend, who called upon AF. F. Fay, Esq., to read the proceedings of the meetings of the citizens of which he had been the Clerk, and of the Committees that had resulted in the present gather- T Ling. After this was done, Col. Townsend, as chairman of the committee of the town, spoke as follows: .. _ .r1—n«3 MAnsHAL?s SPEECH. T Onehundredv and T fifteen years after the landing of the 5 Pilgrixns upon Plymouth Rock, five men, viz: Richard Mor- ton, Ephraim Smith, Samuel Morton, John Srneed and Jo- seph Lord, with their wives and children, started from Hat» field for this region. All their furniture, clothing and pro- visions they carried upon their backs, and guided by marked trees, arrived in the wilderness of Pequoig one hundred and twenty-four years ago. They were then nearly fifteen miles, froni any other English settlement, but undismayed, they erected at once their log cabins which they shirigled with hemloel: bark, and laid the fouiiclatioiis for our prosperity. "Where, 0, where are they now? Go ask those heacl-,-strones the names of the pious sleepers, and they answer not. Go ask those tall, majestic pines""‘ that witnessed the O}_)e11ni11gi0f these graves, the tears that were there shed, and the heart- rending sighs that were uttered, and the only response they give is the mournful cli1*ge of the wind as it passes through their branches. — 'l‘he Plymouth Rock has its Anniversary; this day which is the birth-day of our National freedom, is a glorious An- niversary, and certainly it is becoming and proper that we should assemble on this spot to-day to preserve and perpet- uate the noblevirtues of the first settlers of Pequoig. h The boundaries of Pequoig were not the same as the boun- daries of Athol, for the northwest corner of the former was afew rods south of North O1*ang_2;e Ineeting;-«house, the north~ east corner wasnortheast of South Royalston meeting——house, while the southeast corner was south of Phillipston ineeting house, the whole 1nakingh a town six miles square. This was the first Burying Ground of Pequoifig, and the dead were interred here from the four quarters of the settlement, being borne upon a rude bier which was carried upon the shoulders of men, a These processions were guided by mark?- ed trees ; and as unfriendly Indians abounded in this vicin-A ity, all that could carried their pmuskets for protection. I ’ *Two of these pines measure elevenyfcet each. in circumference. ,6 have these "facts, from my g1*a11cl1nothe1' who received them. from the pious actors in the ydraina. " I I have now a. promise to fulfil. A youth is present, who While pa.rticipating~ in the labor of clearing the rubbish from this plot of ground, re1na.rked' he Wished he could know the name of ‘ the child tha.t- slept in yonder little grave. I asked him if ‘ he should be present on the day of the re--consecra- tion? He replied’ “ Yes Sir,” when I promised him, I Would. then tellhim what children ancl parents were buried here. Nortli-West from this spot in the vicinity of Benj. I'Ie.r-~- Wood’s,_ stands a.. tall elm tree, which you iney 1'ega1?d us an monument to perpetuate the memory of the Fort that was erected in that Vicinity. There were ytwo or three others Within the bounds of the settlement, and in these the moth- ers and the children. ~co11g1'egeted when the l11d.ia,11s were abroad. In the de.y~tirne, hour after hour, these motliers would sit by the side of” the Fort, with their sinell children in their arms and the ls1'ge1' children clislrging to them for dear life, expecting every i1110111C‘1’lt that the szivegess Wohlcl assail them and carry away their scalps all reeking Witll blood. These were the mothers and these- the children who Were buried here. The fetliers and the so11s cleaitedl. away the forests and planted their corn, protected sometimesv by their guns which were in the hands of their Wives 2L1'1(l. mothers; and it is one of the objects of this getl1e1*i11gto make, if possible, a, lzistingg impression upon the minds of the youth and children of this assembly respecting the t1'iels zmcl perils of y the young in the early days of Athol. Then its was necessary to ‘build st1'ong; enclosures to keep the cattle? from being stolen by the Iiiclians or devoured by the catw- 1‘nounts,blears and Wolves ; and the children then were oblig~ to Wetchi the cows, calves, sheep and lambs by idey, zuid often Ito mourn over the destruction of some pet aninml as they Qa1;1'L_e0ut from their hilding places in the inorning. ,Other things I might say did time permit. Go to the ,'iL‘ow:r;1Clerk’s sofficelread thewtotes’ passed by the first 7“ ee'tt1erei of 1’equeig and their descendants in the days of the A111eriee,n ltevelution. 'l‘l1ey acted as if the cause of .A.itm.eriea.11 I11depende11ee rested Wholly upon their shoulders. See them fulhishing the 11eC(3SS£Ll"l(3S of life to the families of those who had ge11e out to battle, for Athol did nobly to keep L113 and strengtheil the spirit that pervaded every town and liemlet in New E11gla11cl. But I must close. I“Ia.dItl1e eloquence of an Everett, or the ability of EL Webste1', I could hardly do justice to the t*i1'tuoue deeds of the first settlers of I’equoig atncl their Cl’1Zll£l.‘L"O11, EL11(l I leave the etlier clutiea; of tliis occasion to eblenr liexicle tlmtrl mine. I new zell upon the oflieers of the day to eexiduet 0111' 'f'utLu‘e p1'oeeetli11ge. I I’reye1' was then ofi'ered by Rev. Lyeancler Fey, when af- ter “ T he l?’lyme1:Ltl1 Rock.” hecl been sulig by the Atl1olGrlee Club, the I’reeicle11t of the Day spoke as follows: y l\/IR. l5‘IlElL»D’S l*i]3}h:[ARl§'.S.* I "We have eome te‘sg;ethe1' to--day to perform a. grateful duty; to erect £1. 11‘1(Z)1"1‘1;L1‘I'l(L‘,1’1l3 to the 1nemery of the first settlers of I’equoig, encl to 1'eeetue li~o1x1 neglect * zmcl fo.rgetful11ess, the pleee Wl1(i;‘.J.‘E3 they repoee. Alid we eome to the perfo1*ma.nce eff thie duty 21$ zn. tewri ; 1'e:1)1*c::m::11tecl here by the inmates of its~111.11‘ne1'c>ue zu1d happy homee, Whose preseneey on this oc- C£L$l011lS itself at benedietien.t 1 More thzm at CQ11l‘{L”L1‘y lme elepsecl since this ground, eon- seemted by the teams ef111ou1'ne1~s and by eff'ectio11s that new er belie, was set apart as e bu1.'iz:1.l place, and these “ narrow cells” were o;pe11ed to receive the forxns of the loved 5% and £l.ltl1OI§Lgl1 in our miclst-—-~—eeeree1y en arroW’s flight from our dwvelli11g;s——end hallowed by all that is beautiful and endur- ing iln‘essoeietion,i it has lain for long years unenelosed, 1111-A visited zmcl almost m;1l1"1<.-*.d who11<.:(:*. ho cimmg "While ]“m:>L1dly 1*oso o'er dist:~J.nt hills His I:111is silent. A man 01' a Woinan, probably a father or i a‘ mothel’ or else a young; man or a inaiden was buriecl l1e1‘e, for you the g1'aVe is full i feet iiitleiigtli, but upon all beyond oblivion rests; and We stand to-day ainoiig the y U)L(Zistmgz¢i'is/led y.D£!(‘l,d. And yet this spot has its history, anydileaeh ofthese gi'a.ves%jh.as its his— f ll tory. 'l‘rad"it1io:r1 and early records give us some correct idea of the former, While our own (~)X}_)E3l‘1011C¢0 aided by i1nagi11a- tion is able to unroll before our woiiclering eyes the sacred 1 leaves of the latter. 111 17411, eiglit acres of ground including the spot upon which we are now assembled, were set apart by the Proprietors ‘of tPeq11oig; “To Lyee in common, for a Bur» ing Place and a ineetiiig house place, if the Prop1'ietors shall think proper to put them too.” Tliere is a traclition . that a part of this lot W ras set apart for a paracle groimcl. PV/to was first buried here We lcnow not, as We know not when the first grave vas opened, but since the settle1r1e11t~ CO11'l1'fl€11CGCl in 1735, the probe.bility is, that it was sacred. grouncl priorwto the action just al.lu(:lec.l to in 1711-1. Ilow vmzazly were buried here is also uiieertaiii. Only forty graves can now be clistinetly traced, but the probabifllity is that more than this iiumb er have been obliterated by the plol11gl1sha1'o and liarrovv. ' Recorcln are. in existeiiee which assert that .lf\’.obert Oliver and lVi1liam Oliver were buriecl here, while liere was the restiiig place of five ehilclren of Mr. E_pl11;'2t"l111 Stoekwell aged nine years; six months; four moritlisg foiir years; two years. These were buried luetweeii 1‘TG9 and 1776, y and yonder are five graves of cliilclren z:m.s"xve1‘itng; in lerigth to the ages ust g"iv*en; so that it is nearly cmrtaiii 13l;].ELt there repose the mortal‘ remains ofitlw c:1t:x.il<;lren of Mr. Stocliwell who was the grarxclfatlier ‘ of ou1'toW11sman Mr. Geo. ;§p1‘ag*11e. Our townsmaii, Capt. Benj. Twic:l'1ell, assures me that two of his uncles, .Toseph and David ';l‘wi.c:li.ell were 1i,]~cevvise buried here. Traclitioxi also asserts that of the ea:1rl.y settl.ers_., the Mortons, the Graves and the Nutts were 1I113(31‘1‘C3Cl in this grouricl. "When one of a family was bL11'ie(l 11911:, this grouncl seems to have been usecl as a family l;>m:yir1g grour1clfo1' a considerable time after otheri cemeteries were openecl; » Tradition also asserts that the lastperson Whose mortal re- mains Were eornmittecl to this ground was Samuel Fairbanks, 1 who cliecl‘June 3,1777. 1 7 V _ * 1%? Such is t"l1el1isto1*_V of the .‘51.)L)t_, that» 110w, by flit‘: generosi- ty of Ethzul Lord zmcl A111o:< L. (.“.3l1lz:=1‘x<3y, its lat.e owlxxem, has lJe(3I1:S6C1.I1‘Gd forever ‘as the quiet 1'esti11g; place of the re-- :t1mi11s of the a.11cie11t clcmcl of Atl'1ol.. “V . N I lmve said that well Oftl1C:SC grzwes 1121.5‘. its 7zxz'.9mr_2/. Every grave l1£LS this and u.sually it is Wrzitten in ti:-a1's. Go back witll me one l11.111cl:x_'r:?cl ¢‘;111(l twc21'1t_V }='c-a,1.'.~'3, a.11<,l let 11:3 Visit to- g<3tl1e1' this spot. Dea.tl‘1 two clzlzys si11c0 c>11tm:ecl the ra.11ks of tl1O fir.~::t ‘:sc~3tt.le1's of l?eqL1oig, and tlle belovo<.l wife and fond 111otl1er was tllo 'vic.ti111. L013; emcl 1‘c:;».~;(l, amtl (lzxily 1)1‘z1.ye1' ‘WC‘.11t up l'1'o111 0v01'y log 11(‘:)‘l-‘lrifl? 'l'0r ]‘1(n“vl‘ 1r<~:s<::cw<:v1'}_.~' ;, buff. slw is cleacl; zmcl to-clay a new §._§l'£1.V’(‘* to ;1:c:<;tc.>i.vc;=, its sz1,c:1:c.ml cloposit». It opmlecl If/mn:.{,, and you st.2.'2.11<[l. with 11m?) lay .i.t.~:4 .:~si.cl<:2 Wztitillfg; for tlle a1'1‘ivzLl of tlm co1'pso z;m.(,:l tl1<:~ l):;1.11d c>f1'1'1ou:r1::1 l’J.'es—- ently tlley zLpp1'ozLcl1 tl11'c)'u,g_rl1 tllu tl":L:ic:l<‘ut yci>11(lc>1', 'l‘li)”lL'll” st1.'o11f._{ men bea1'i11;;‘ 13l1C.‘ 1'L1clc2¢offi11. .A1l1l2'1l1'11V1.mil (.,%:::ctC)1'f.p1‘<;¥t;t<;¥Cl(;%S tllexn for tllem 110 saft>t.y in t,1.'z'1,\rcr1*Hi:11;5‘ tlm 1;'<;~gic)11 ::1,.1'o1.'1.1"1cl, OV011 with the 1'e111a.i11s 0l"tli1c.> clmcl ‘li'c>1'l‘)1:11'iu,1,1:11%1l%o:+;s :1, co11‘1pz.1.11y of 1116311 'Wltl1lllO£i.(;lC*Cl 111L1t3l{(}tS Aleacl tlw w2“x.y. 'l..‘11t:2 ]Vl1%‘1.:1%ssl>a,11cl fol» lows and than the c:l.1illc11'e11. Nmct co1i1c>s tlm ;mi11:l1lz1liV1'1i11g 111C311 with tlw W01'I1(?1“1 zmcl cl1ilc11'c>11 of £110 .~;;cat.t.l<;:L21'1_ _plm;-ll»: ml. 135' the l1E1I1(l.S of ki11clm:»ss, 2-mcl t.l:u::y 1_'(3:2;t 1'1pc:>1'1t—l10 quliot1:><:>so1'11 oftlle sleeper. T110 look t2?ll{(;‘1T1 lay" l?l71(.;‘ fc;>:n(l l'l'lII.SlJ€t1’1(l and loving c:l1ilc:h*e11, a.11clal]l xvcwl), tlrm 1)1'c>Cio11s clxlsst clescexfils into its 11£L1‘l‘0W l1lO1ISO/. O tlm zmg(l>1%1}* of tlmt n1o1l11.01'1t*whe11 the coxwictiolx ‘c*.on1c.>..~;: that all is c:lo1'10, tlmt $110 (lead z<1,11cl’buriecl ! But God 11ea,1‘ to st1'r311g.,_>ftl'1<:¥11 zulcl comfonst, lazucl you see the 111o‘u,1*I1ing balmcl 1‘eti1‘e, to weep i11.clc:ecl but still to theln-~ selvesl IELIIGW for cluty. l % “ A”.l‘1‘lV'eCl at homehow now they gaze. around In every place wvluem she no more is found. The seat. at table she was wont tlolfill, 13 Tlu: firm-side clxadr still set, but vacant still, The garden walks, a labor all luar own, The lattice bower, with trailin;;: Sl1I‘L"ll')S o’ce1*g,°1*oxvn, T110. Sunclay seat, she filled with all l'u2.1* racra, Eacl1 place of hers is now a sacrcscl place.” The precious 1'(211'1ai11.~s mat l1e1'c;*. in lmpc: : and oftexl clones »tl1-a sad l1L1sl)a.11cl and fatllcr, ofte11 (lo the 1ovi11g cl1ilclre11 ra- pair to this spot to 1ni.11glz;~. to;g,'ctl1c»1' tl1c;2:l1* tzrars, and to form new and high 1'eso1L1tio11a for tl”1C,‘.f1.'ll'£L11‘C‘.. 1*lsspocia.lly l;)GtW()C'.lI tlm S€;‘1‘VlC‘.€)S of tltxe .Lo1'<:l"s Day in 11155 1“I()L1SC, tlxis grouxxcl is Visitacl by the az:r1'io1.1ss a11cl tl‘1ot1g‘3,'l1tl“‘tLl, f01' 111c2<;lita.tion 11011;‘. is the .;llllmbbz1tl1 Sctlmol '.lIi1St1'1ilC:tlC)1l otf:'tf.l1c~: fi1*staattlo1's c>l'lt’<;>c111oig. And tl’1a11 tl1c-rs a g:ra.'Ves of (;.1Jli1‘C11‘fl‘£‘,fi1’1 aa:r:lou.11c.l w'l1i<;:l1 yoL1zLsa::)111~ ble to-clay, €:1ZL(3lTL lfxzxfis a tfm1c:lt1.i.11g 1'1i:;:t01'y ; you, fat.l1c~.1'a and 1not11a1's, lmcaw how t<)11c:'l1i.11fg;, if Gocl 11.113 lJ(.?1.'(?2;'LV'0(l you of your little 01102;. "W110 sto<:>cli11 J{.“}il1‘S (j)‘V'G1_‘ tlmsa we know not, but c:a.c:l1 was c:l<:).a<3cl with g1>ic.:l'1iot 1:111llil.11s t1'1atl1a.Vc3 lame bamm Will-1’1€3SSGCl '? EVc:31.'y l1u1ua11a lmaart. lwats in sy111Vpatl1y with l1u111a11 so1'1'mv Wl1c;n:cw'c>.1' it is c.»'x1>c.r1ri01l1c:c>cl ,3 and ll:?’Ic.ez'-1.v— en will not frown il"wowcep t<>~—cla.y for tl1(‘;5 claad of pz1stg'c11—— e1*atio11s. % l l l % V l ; H113 DAY <;>1~‘ OUR A$aIaaI13L1NG Inc1'aaaa>3 the i1‘1ta1*0at of tl1is:lor.3casi.o11. 'l‘al1i.s is tlm l.)l1'l'.l1-- clay of our c:ou11t1'ys’ lil)e1'tiaa, I*":mc3cl0111’.~:;~: .A1"111i\'0l‘S£U.‘y; and I have not a pa1'ticla of ay1"n.pat.l1y with the piety or the pl'1ila11th1'opy that c:a,11not3 g1*c2at its dauv11ir1gligl1txvitl1 1*ejoic-V ing. The wo1‘l~: cwf our fatl1c::1*s w11icl1 tl'1‘lS day aco1"x11:r1c:1no+— rates was li11cleacl i1npe1'fect, and it would not lmave bec:11 hu- man had it bac_~.11 otl1a1°waisa ; but it Was, after all, out: of the grandest WOl"ls'.Sy that was l aver acco111plis11c2cl; ancl may my night haI1clfo;1'get 11e1'acL11111i11g' before I shall cease to :r:emembe1' with gratitgude, the toils, the lsacrifiwa, thelsorrows and the tI'l.*'~ 14- umphs of the .§:&n1erice.n Revolution. But did you ever tlrinlc how much We owe to causes that were set in operation long before 1776? Did you ever consider how that st1"uggle would have been fruitless had it not been for the peculiar cha;r'acter of some of the events that preceded it? The foundation stones of the Temple of Freedom were laid very early, yes, genemtioiis before the yoke of oppression was broken, and the birth of l11.1111e.r1 liberty ‘was proclaimed and borne on the Wirigs of the Wind to gladclen the hearts of the down trodden nations. The Purite.n 111oV'en1ents::i11 Erlgleiid and Irlollendg the perilous voyage of the May Flower‘; the toils a;ncl privetions, the denge;rs, the fa.i.t.l1 end. cleliwrefitnces of the Pilgrims ;, the opening upon thesehills ancl elo1'1g these valleys of the ancient forests; the founding of schools and churches and the cultivation here of the noblest "virtues that adorn and bless huinzuiity, zrnd this, under ctircuinstences the most unpropitious; these things, and such as these prepar- ed the way, for Freedom ; indeed they zrre the corner stones- of this glorious edifice. T he spirit of the me11 and wome-11 that entered this Wil<;ler11ess zzcnd converted it into a fruitful field, their honesty of purpose, their firm resolve, their en larged Views, their sound jLl(l,g".11'lG3I1t, the-.i1' 1~ee.cli11ess to secri- flee self for the coxnmon f"CJO(.l, their liiglr 1r1ore,lcourage, their faith in God, these, these made the Declzrretioii of July r 4, 1776, the .Charter of Freedom; these saved our land from beirig, in that day ofda.1'ls:ness, the prey of civil fac- tions end the victim of foreign oppression. All history sa- cred and profane, and all true philosophy Warrant this es- l sertion and therefore render it suitable and proper for me to connect this ancient home of the dead with the day upon l which We have assembled. The men and women who were buried here, were patriotls, intelligent, courageous ancl Warm friends of their country. Those were perilous days when the first settlers of Pequoig began to cut away the ancient forests and open this virgin soil to the light of heaven,,,;f l l for the meadows along our noble river were frequented by 15 Indian tribes that feared and hated the White men. Indi~ viduals are now before me, who remember the remains of the forts then erected for the protection of the settlers. Upon the street near the house of Mrs. Betsey Htunphrey, was one of these ; there where the Village hotel now stands, We suppose was another, While on yonder hill was the tllirclg and in each of tl1ese,l11igl1t afte1'p11igl1t, an anxious, often a sleepless company was assembled for 1r1,utuel comfort and protection. EleVezx1yea1's had ela.psed"fro1r1 the set.tleme11t before the first Vict.irr1 fell, and yonder hill were the sc.e11_e of the t1'a,geLly. Ezekiel \Vz11li1:1gl'c3J7(l, c:o11t1'2;t1*y, it is said, to ‘the eclvice of his friellds, ventured one xliglrt fron1 tliet fort to protect his corrmfie-lcl_., as he supposecl from the beers, when it ball from the 91111 of an Ie.clie11 f1*e.c.tu1'etl his tlligll and he was quicltly clispetehecl by the 1m—11'cle1'otz.sto1r1a.l1aWl{. Oth- er scenes soz1ree1_y less t1‘a.g‘ic: t'o1lo'wec1, for the enemy was ‘crafty and 1r1ereiless, e,11cl tlmcere was no security for the Wllites till the red trilms l”1EL(l .u1el.t.ed awry :-and cliseppemecl before the O1.”LW£LJ.‘Cl. :»11f1a,1*c:l;1 of criviliza-tic>:h. No records of acts of in- jlxstiee towasrrcls the 'Incliz;11.1s, so fer‘ as I lmow, terllish the l good name of the first settlers ofl“eq\1ioig;, but 11otWithste11d- irxrg this, ttltrehr lives were ‘(lazily zmcl hourly in peril, and they *found but little rest, till one by one, they were borne by tl1eir eo1r1pe,r1ior1st to this home of the (load. o r '.l‘1"1opm:t whicl1 the people of this place performed amid the sth'1*i1=1§“v events of the Revoltrtioh, 111211137 of you l«:;11mv,was greatly totheir credit. early 1770, the eo111i;nglstri.felWas ‘fo1‘esee11, ezml measures to meet it in the spiritof freedom, began; to be ixuxrrgeretecl. Ju1y‘7, 1774, the i11hebitants of this town e11tGl'C3Cl into“ a solemri league or coVena.nt,” With- out a. dissenting "voice, to ‘cripple the power of Great Brit- 21111 by the 11on-—cor1sumptior1 of her articles of R manufacture and trade; Fifty days later, seven patriotic resolutions were unanimously passed. to ’ l “ * “ r r A ” t The 1st of these ‘ poi:n.tsrto closer and firmer bpoiid of FA union. between the colonies, ‘ll 6 The Qadlaeknowledges the loyalty of the people to Kings Gseo1'g'ca the Tl1ircl,. so long, but only so 1o11g as he slmll gov-= ern ac.eo1'di11g to the E11glisl1 Constitution, and the eha1'te1'-' ed 1'ig'l1ts of the people. The 3d eo11<:lem1;1s the blockade zmcl plu11de1* of Boston. s The iltlx complains of the injustice ilwolvecl in the pram- tieel repeal of the el1a1'te1's of the colonies. ~ The 5t.l1 is a, pledg'e of 1'esist2mce to the u11_just 111e:.1s1.1res pursuecl by the li31.'iti.sl1 GoVe1'11ment. T he 6th 1)‘l.OY-*i(1{-_.I"'$ for it 1'ep1‘ese11ta.tio11 in am eou11t_x_* meet- ing that was soon to be l10lClC;‘.11 at VV o.1.'ceste1'. The 7th is as follows: “‘ResolVecl_, Tlmt if ::u1y 1)@1'SO11 slmll accept 2111.}? eommissic)11 or post of offiee to se1'Ve‘1111c1e1f the new Est2Lblisl11‘ne11.t, (that is, l31'iti.s11 l'(;¥g‘L1lE1.tlO11S tllen go» ing; into fort.-e,:) he oL1g'l1t to be loolmcl u_po1"1 zulcl 1:1'e21ted as an e11e111y to his eo1.111t:1ry 5 as 110 t.l1e1‘el3y is oi11i11g Wltll, zmcl 1enc1i11g 21. l1c.*lpi1.1g lxaml to those who :11'ee11r.lea.voJ.'i11g to en»- slave us.” The seVe11tl1 Rewlve Just reacl, Sl'1OWS l1o“vv e:\:eeecli1'1gly jealous the people of A.tlf1ol were "witll 1s'c:f(.>1'c-11c:e ‘to W11at were then eallecl l'ls_‘ i11fle11e1:1c:es. Upon the West side of the street. sotith of the l1ouse of L1.Lc:.i.us B. Si111o11clsp, 11e:1.1' 21 l“):.mr11 new sta:11cli11g, you will firxmcl the 1'c:11.1a':i.11s‘ of :1. clWelli11g~ house. Tl1a.t was the E:111CIl..(I31'lt l?E1.V(I.‘],‘1"L of A‘r.l;1ol; m;1(l it "was ‘kept in the 1'e‘volutic>11a1'y 1t say, of too 1‘1mc=l‘1 1.oya.lty to tl1ei1' Sove1'eig11‘ z'1,c1‘oss tlm oeeallg zlncl so 21 g;11zurcl was stationed 1113011 the 1*oa.d lsleaclisxmg fm:n1 near this spot to l s *This aneelclote 11avihg been givenembstantially by Col. Townsend the taV€#1"p11,lEl.1’llCl. alsopupoll the (I2-L1.'1.%'§f:}'\’V£‘l“_'{:v” east of the t/zwc>1'11, for tllen the Jroacl f'rc>m the street to Boston passed f1*on1 the tavern east zLe1'o.ss the svm111p :1:1ow c:ove1'eclp 1)}; the milllponcl of Mr. Eclwin Ellis. s T1':1e (‘v)1\;)'_'i-CC,t‘Oi‘ tllis gua1'cl was to clis-‘i cover, if possible, wl1etl1e1' t]i1e1*e was my eo1i1111L111iea.tio11be—~ in his opening reznarks, was oinitfred 111 the cllelivery of’ the address. 1'7 tween the VVard_ family and the enemy. . That any discov- ery was made we. have no information; but the whole goes to show how jealous, three generations ago, Athol was of p civil liberty. p May this jealousy neverbe less. Then came the enlisting of a company of soldiers. and the ‘provision for their pay; and I hold in my hands an ancient -document which will throw light upon the scenes’ that fol- lowed. Here are the 111arcl1i11g orders that were eent to an Athol Captain, which will explain l3l10111S0lVE3S. TO CAPT. EPH’M S'l‘OCK'W'ELL. SIR:—-—-By virtue of an express from Gre:x1r’l.t "Warner in which i‘ am Directed to detach. Every Sixtli man out of my Regiineiit to go to the releaf of our Distressed l3reatheren at the Westward, i I do Hearby Direct and Order you forth—-with With—out tlre iibeast Delay and with the utmost Despatch to Detach Every Sixth. man out of the 'J}‘1*aini11g Band and alzmn List of your Company for the pur_1_>oso al’fo:res’cl and See that they are acquipt aocorclt:'u;1g to Law with arrnes ammunition also with Kittles and Cooking utensils. The Selectmen are Directed to acquip those that are not acquiped, you are also to Detach one Corporal. i And when you have so Done you are to march them to Petersliam on monday the Twen-— ty Eight day of this Instant Jnlyt to ineet en the Paraid near the Meetizig House in said. Town at nine o’clocl< in the I lforenoon, you are also to take the command of the men De- tached frem captains Nye, Henery and Lorcl’s Companeys’ Togetlier with your own Detachment. And from sd. l?etere- sham you are to make your Route By the way of Benning-- ton iwliere you are to receive. further orders from Colo. Cushingy, you are to Return me a,List of thelnames of those men Detached from. your. Company Immediately, { Barre July $36t11 1777. t . ~ NATHAN SPARHAWK, C01. This document] was kindly furniehedme by George 18 Spraguewho isa graiidson of Capt. Stockwell. The histo- p , ry of this military company is intensely i11te1'esting. Its Lieutenant was Benj. Townsend, grandfather of Col. Thom-v as Townsend, our Chief Marshal to~day. This Company was in the Battle of Bennington and afterward captured in New Jersey", a British detachment, one less in number, with—- out firing a shot. A In the terrible conflict of White Plains“ two of its men were killed, who bore theAtholnan1es of Morse and Goddard. The first Pastor ofAthol, Rev. James Huniphrey has left this record respecting them. “Mr. Earl Cutting, their townsrnan and inessrnate, -was between them when they fell.” Tradition adds that one of them, when wounded, leaped over a. fence and died Without utte1*i1ig a l word. Tliirty pounds sterling were ofl'ered by the town to each man who would enlist for three years; and as the War pro-e gressed, great quatntities offood and clothing; were furnished by this towii for the suffering armies of F1'eeclo1n. All was generous, all was noble, all was patriotic, as the blessings we- enjoy testify; but in our achniration of the spirited 1nen and 'WO111eI1l3l1a.t111£lCl8l Athol what it was in 1776, let us not for- get the vi,1.*tnes of the geiieration that preceded them; the strong connnon sense, the courage, the lofty aims and un- wavering faith. in God that characterizecl their fathers and mothers, wliose du,st iiiingled with the earth beneath us. ‘THE OBJECT OF OUR ASE§EMBLING l Also gixres interest to the present occasion. This beautie ful and sacred spot, this ancient home of the dead, has been long neglected, but not tlirough the fault of its late owners. It came into their possession with the other parts of their es- tates padj oi11i.ng,a11d most gl.adly do we aclmowleclge their gen- erosity in the gift that see1u'es'ifo1' all time to come this plot‘ of ground to the sacred purpose of its original i consecration. ojereinonies were here performed when the first grave wash opened "under jrour feet, I have no means of kiiowiiig _; 19 perhaps the siglis and tears and silent prayer to God of some: bereaved husband, some heart stricken Wife or some child--T less father and mother, constituted the Whole. Be this as it may, the place has been consecrated, and We stand, my friends, upon holy‘ ground. Perhaps no of _ours can render this spot more sacred; but as We come here to-—day_ to do all in our power to mal~:e amends for the neglect of of the past, by erecting, at the expense of the town and un- der the supervision of their Ageiits this Granite Shaft “ Se» cred to the memory of the First Settlers of Pequoig” the un- l{Il0W11 dead who here were buried, you will all admit the propriety of the 7'ei-c'072Ascc7'at‘ion vvhicll We now malce. The Committee of the Town of Athol, Thomas Townsend, George Spragne and Amos L. Cheney, l'J.t'LVl11g‘ procured for their constituents the legal title to this plot of ground, do now in the presence of this assembly commit the same to Na- thaniel Richardson, Calvin Kelton and John Kendall, the Selectmen and to James I. GrOL1lCll.11g the Clerk of Athol, to be transmitted by them to their successors, that all men may kiiovv that this land is ‘restored arid. re-—appropriated as a) b’21.rz'a.Z place, as the quiet home of the dead. [The deed was here passed by Col. Tlioinas T ownsencl to Calvin Kel- ton, Esq.,iWl1o received the same and committed it to James I. Goulding‘, in the presence of the assembled multi- tude.] This act having been perforinecl, We sayto the in- habitants of Athol assenibleclvtliis day, for this unusual pur-- pose, this f;rou1id is yours, so long as you comply iiritli the conditions annexecl to their deed by the donors thereof, so long as your care shall keep it suitably fenced and preserve the Monument this day erected. And We would have you feel that this is a sacred deposit which you are bound to de- fend and hand down to your children not only intact but still more beautified. Suitablle care and labor will render this the most attractive spot in this town that is so celebra.- 1 ted for its oharxning scenery; and in the name ofthis Com- mittee andthese guardians, of our civil and socialinterests,_ I T E-‘£0 call upon every Athol man, woman and child, to regard your-—- self as pledged to carry out tovthe full the happy design of this re-consecration. Ye who are now the pillars of society bearing the burden and heat of the day, I charge you in the name of the aged before me, and in the name of hu- manity also, preserve this spot and transmit it to your chil- dren, adorned by a refined taste, a.nd if it may be, by still oth- er monuments of art. And to the young in this vast assem- blage, I would say, you have an interest here, that We trust you will never be disposed to overlook. Soon We, your fathers and mothers, shall pass away, and this sacred spot will be in your keeping. The impressive scenes of this hour you will never forget and We charge you to tell them to the generations that shall at length succeed to your priv- ileges and respoiisibilities. Concert of action on your part, my young friends, will greatly increase the value of this l5eg- acy which it is our purpose ‘to leave you; and may I be permitted to e;x:p1'ess the hope that as years shall come and go, these stately trees shall still adorn this spot, a.nd that rare shrubs and blooming flowers shall serve to render this scene still more pleasant to the eye, yea, one of surpassing loveliness. I know of no othb1' town. that has such a place to Watch over and beautify; and in the name of civilization, patriotism and religion, in the name of the dead who were here gathered to their fathers, I charge you, children and youth of Athol, malce this place your care. Hallowed associ- ations cluster here ; come to this spot witlaa. reverent regard for the manly virtues and noble deeds of the men and wot- men that were buried here; and as you shall stand upon this holy ground, may kind Heaveii strengthen you, to deal justly with the past and to meet with a becoming spirit all the responsibilities of the present and the future. To; one or two of the solemn lessons of this place and hour I may be permitted for iafew moments to advert, in bringing my remarks toia close; I I The fading imzture of all‘ tlzi-ngs earthly, this scene is well .931 ' calculated to impress upon our niindsg for the earnest, the gifted and the good were buried here, and now after a little more than a century has passed their graves we cannot dis-— tinguish and most of their names are forg;otten. It is so substantially the World over. "Within the memory of many before me one hundred thousand people of the French na-—‘ tion in the darkest days of her existeiice followed the remains» of a noted military commander to their quiet 1°esting place in that most beautiful and, I may add, gorgeoiis cemetery Pere La Chaise, and two millions united in the memorial that perpetuates his worth, but how few of this asseiiiblage ever knew“ that France had a G-ten. Foy to love and idolize! And as it has been in the past and is now, so it will be in the ‘future; time will obliterate from earth the memory of honored names and great exploits, but the deeds of the self» denying and good are all recorded in Heaven ; and that rec-» ord, like the treasures of the holy, the moth shall not cor»- rupt, and thieves shall not steal. This scene and hour remind us of our obZigcmIo7z.9 to the‘ 72za»22.Zy ‘2227r2t'zzes cgfzt/ze gc27z..c.~mZlio71.4.s~ i.7z.(”1.rr frame _p)‘cc:ecZe(Z 7.4.9 ; for the founclations of our prosperity were laid in the cou1'age, self- sacrifice and noble ienclurancze of the first settlers of Pequoig- Their industry, hoiiestf and piety grave tone to the intellec-r tual and moral pulse. of this eoinmunity as it has been beat- ing for more tlianfour gc»1'1c21*ztti.oi1s; and We to-day would do sonietliing to show our g1'e1.tit1,1c1c:a, to let the worlcl know that in the eaage1' pursuit of wealth and honor, We are not so selfish as to be insensible to the obl.ig"atio.11s that have been laid upon us by the heroism and virtue of former days. This monument shall tell to our contemporaries and to those who shall come after us that the memory of those into whose labor we have entered is precious in our siglitg and as gene1'atio11 after generation shall come up to this sacred spot, they shalllearn that the men, women and children of ‘Athol, in the year of our Lord 1859, would do justiceto y the past _; that they esteemed this birth-—day of Freedom {'32 honored by zxssociating; it with the memories" of the hardy and honest pioneers of civilizat.ion and christianity, along the beautiful banks of the I’eq11oig. Arid the stran— ger that shall visit this conseci-a,ted_ place,rshall learn the same lesson and go away with a firmer love for his country and a holier zeal for duty, and so our act shall live” and bless the 'WOl‘lCl long after these tongues shall be silent in death. My friends, I have done; and all that remains to perfect the Work of the hour, other~ hands will accomplish. The longer I gaze upon it the scene before me becomes more and more iinpressive ; for here the past, the present, and the future seem wonclerfully, I inay say almost supernaturally, combined. Another such scene, neither you nor I will ever behold; and I bid you look and thinlc. till the whole shall be daguerreotyped in facleless colors and witli imperishable distinctness upon your memories. And then I cliange you to tell the story of this day to your children and children"'s children, and to enjoin i.t upon them to repeat it to the gen» erations following ; that age after age inay honor the memory of the men and Women, Who, amid priyation and peril, turn- ed this Wilderness into a, fruitful field,and here in the heart of the primeval forest, erected and consecrated their first i - Temple toGod. I ' ' The Band now played a funeral dirgc, when F. F. Fay, Esq. read a list of the articles to be tlepositecl in the cavity of the Monument, as follows: , y y Rev. S. F. Olarke’s Centennial Discourse, 1850. , Rev, J. F. No1'to11’s Address just given, in manuscript. The Athol Directory and Advertiser for 1858. The Valuation of A._thol, 1856., , Athol School Reports for 1858 and 1859. Also, The records of the meetings of I the citizens and commit» tees yvitli refs-rencelto the Re-consecration of the Old Burye ing Grounyd,la1_1cl the erection of the Monument; the Whole comprising more thanthree l11.111Cl,1'E3Cl;' pages, of printed mat- Q3 ter, and about twellty-five pages in t111a11L1so1'ipt. Thaw were then inserted in :3. glass jar which was carefully seal» ed. The deposit in the shaft was mz.~1c1e at the request of the chairma11 of the Comlnittee of the town, by the old- est Athol citizen present, Mr. Moses Chase, aged 88. The cavity was now sealocl, and unclor the CllI‘€;‘C:tZlO11 of J. 8.‘. D1'ury, an Athol citizeil, Who wrougllt the Monument from AtholtGra11ite, the sllaft was placed in position. rlfhis Was‘ clone by l1u11cl1'ecls of tho (':hilcl1"e11 and youth of Athol, :1 long; 1‘opo,‘.yl*1aV'i11p; been a.tta.ctl1c:cl to tho mo11ume11t for this l purpose. Souls: of tlmso ol'1:l1d1'e11 nmy hzwotl1e p1'ivilogo7 of e:xa111i11i11g' tllfl co11tc:+11ts.-; of this slmft, Wl1e11i11 future years they slmll 11zwc;: hoco111otl1o “" FzLtl1o1's of the ';l7o‘w11.” The Band now pl.21.y*<2<:l “ llail Colu1”11bi.a.” * The l\’.[onu1'1:1ent is at b.om1ti.ful spooilmoxl of Athol Work, the letto1'i11g lxzwilxg limoxmt in like 11121111101‘, oxoclxtod by Mr. Enoch T. Lewis of tllo Athol Mmsblo W'o1*ks. The shaft is ei§j;11tee11 i11ol1os S(1L1£1..1.‘(i3 o.tt11c~3 base, twoilvo at the top, and sovoxl feet in lmcziglltz. Tllo bash tWo:11ty~oigl1t inches squa1'o and oig‘l1to(-.311 i141olmrfs 5.11 tl1icl{11oss. Tllo i11sc.1'iptio11s upon the Mo11111m::11tzt1'o as follovs : y Upon th.o front, “ Si1C1‘€3(1 to tho M<~m1o1'y of the First Set»-— tlers of Pequoig, 17535.” ‘ o On the 1'oVe:1'so, “Ero<:tocl by tho ..l1’1l'1ELbilt£LI1tS of Athol, July *1, 1859. t y 011 tl'J.(3 1'igl1t, “ The Fin-st Churcll o1'ga;r1izod 1’750..’y’ 011 the loft, “ Tllo Fi1'st lVIooti11g’ Hotlsso in Athol was erected a few‘ Jsocls 11o1*th-east of this spot, axncltwas bu.rned by tho I11d:ians.” t Short addresses followed f1*on1M.r. H. VV. Carter, G. D. Colony, Mr. I*Ia,111l31eto11; Rev. lVIr.yBrac1bu.1f11 of Boston, G. H. Hoyt,'Es;q.,, Jmnos O.live1;fi J12, of the 7th ge11o1'atio11lf1'o111 one of tho first settlom-,1 Mr. Henry H... Sprague, Mr. J. D. Miller and Mr. W111. La. Roy Haven, ‘ the last three of the High School; T115‘ closing pmymf was offeredlhyy Em‘. A. Ha.rdi11g who %4 seemed almost overpowered by his interest in the occasion. fl‘ Old Hundred” was then sung by the great congregation. The Benediction by Rev. Mr. Harding closed the exercises. ‘w ‘-«.r-.1-...-N.-s...-*-.z"*~’-v“--r \,,/~s..,-x,/\_,. Allusion is made in these addresses that are now given to the public, to the perils of the First Settlers of Athol arising frem the ealous_y and cruelty of the Indians; and it may be proper to remark that the rich meadows upon the banks of the Pequoig in this town were a favorite haunt of the red tribes for an considerableperiod after they had dc- serted the neighboring regions. Here were their corn lands, -ahat were unusually productive ”; and the place Was, more- «over, easy of access, being upon the Indian high road from the south—eastern sections of New England to the Canadas. There were two Indian crossings of the Pequoig Within the limits of this town, one a little above Lewis’ Bridge and the «other not far from the house of James Lamb. T he remains «of these are still to be seen. Mrs. Mary Rowlandson of Lancaster, (the death of Whose daughter Grace is said to to have given the name to Mt. Grace in VVarWick) was tak- en captive by the Indians in Lancaster, Feb. 10, 167 5. She was brought to this place as it appears from her narrative, and here crossed the “ Payquage” or the “Bacquag” River ‘upon a kind of raft constructed by her captors. And it is understeod that the breaking up of I this favorite haunt, where some of the most -cruel and perfidious Indian tribes congregated, was one of the objects of the Colonial Govern— mentinthevotes that were passed in 1735?. with reference to the settlement of this region. W