i,Jj::!)H.ti' liiiiiilite •I'l' .Mill ' !■' ' rn *;',.' .I'M'. i4s4i.<,jtiiiiji4d NEWELL'S BRIDGE, WILLOW STREET. Narrative Ibtstor^ A HISTORY DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS Precinct, Parish, District, and Town BY / FRANK ^MITH I DOVER, MASS. PUBLISHED 1!Y THE TOWN 1897 COPYRIGHTED 1897 FRANK SMITH IS, PRINTER, 141 FBANKUN STREET, BOSTON ,n Hil F AKA 07 till Manuscript accepted by the Town and ordered PRINTED April 24, 1896. " In any age it is a dvity which every country owes to itself to pre- ivve the records of its past, and to honor the men and women whose ves and deeds made possible its present." History is the great looking-glass through which we may behold, ith ancestral eyes, not only the various deeds of past ages and the odd "cidents that attend time, but also discover the different humors of en. — Howell. AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF JENNIE GERTRUDE SMITH WHOSE PATIENT RESEARCH MADE POSSIBLE THE WRITING OF THESE PAGES AMID THE EXACTING DUTIES OF A BUSY LIFE PREFACE. The writing of this history has been a labor of love. It had its origin in the desire to do something for the place of one's birth. Since history records the life of the people, it is easily seen that nothing can be of more value or of more abiding interest than the story of the labors, the fortitude, the pri- vations, the heroism, the patriotism, and the loves of the fathers. In the evolution of the town, in the establishment of its institutions, in the life of its men and women, we have an abiding example worthy of all emulation. It emphasizes the truth that men must bear one another's hardships and burdens, and that there is nothing lasting that is not founded on honor, virtue, duty, and purity. The author is under obligations to the many friends who have rendered him assistance in this work, and it is with sadness that he recalls the interest of those who now sleep with the fathers. A second volume will follow, giving not only the genealogy of present families, but also all residents previous to 1840, since which time complete records have been kept by the Commonwealth, ILLUSTRATIONS. FACING PAGE I. Newell's Bridge. Frontispiece. II. The Winding Charles 34 III. Old Caryl Parsonage, built 1777 56 IV. Articles used in the Home Life of a Past Gen- eration 68 V. Williams' Tavern 86 VI. Old Farm Implements 114 VII. First Parish Unitarian Church 150 ■ VIII. Interior First Parish Church 168 ■ IX. Baptist Chapel 184 X. Evangelical Congregational Church 192 > XI. Cemetery 200 > XII. Sanger Schoolhouse 208 , XIII. North Schoolhouse 218 • XIV. West Schoolhouse 228 « XV. East Schoolhouse 240 ■■ XVI. Town Hall 250 ' XVII. Railroad Station 270 XVIII. Old Apple Trees said to have been grown from Seed brought from England 274 - XIX. Waterfall at Old Mill 282 . XX. Dingle Hole Narrows 323 MAPS. I. Reproduction of the Map of 1831. II. Streets and Residences, i8q6. HISTORY OF DOVER The illustrations were made from photographs taken by John F. Guild, of Dedham, who spared no time or effort in producing the best work. Only two of the pictures need explanation. Among the " Arti- cles used in the Home Life of a Past Generation " will be seen the cradle that rocked the children of the Rev. Mr. Caryl ; near it a large reel, splint-bottomed chair, and small spinning-wheel — a flax wheel, with a hatchel attached. On the seat of the settle rests a pair of wool cards, tin lantern, foot-stove, knapsack, and powder-horns, probably used in the Revolution. The large spinning-wheel — a wool wheel — stands at the right, with brass kettles and grain sieve behind. On either side of the reel are implements used in manufacturing straw hats and bonnets. The Dutch baker and tin kitchen, with spit for roast- ing meat, appears, with wooden bowl, wooden shovel, warming-pan, and besom. A pair of snow-shoes rest in front of the settle, with a collection of ironware used in cooking. In the picture of " Old Farm Implements " will be seen a revolving horse-rake, with grain cradle and wooden ploughs in front. A flax- break rests against the wall, with an ox-yoke at the right. The harrow ■was used on the day of the battle of Lexington. At the right are a peat-knife and ditch-digger, while a pair of mud-shoes, flail, and sickles rest in the foreground. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Outline of the Toavx i y Topography — Name — Hills — Brooks — ■ Bridges — Highways — Natural Curiosities — Indians — Wild Animals — Areas — Farming — Boundary — Indian Ownership — Massa- chusetts Bay Colony — Population — Town Seal — Streets. CHAPTER II. The Beginning of Parish Life 20 Fourth Precinct of Dedham — Character of the People — ■ Early Settlers in Dover — Henry Wilson — Thomas Battle — Nathaniel Chickering — James Draper — Old Fortification — First Effort to be made a Precinct — First Tax List — Petition to the General Court and Signers — Organization of the Precinct and Election of Officers. CHAPTER III. Building the Meeting-house 29 Building Committee — Dimensions of the Meeting-house — Site — Committee on the Site — Report of the Commit- tee — Description of the Accepted Site — Meeting-house, when raised — Dedication — Committee on Seating the Meeting-house — Seats for Young Men, Young Women, Boys — -Seats, how dignified. CHAPTER IV. How THEY SECURED A MINISTER 44 The First Preacher — Letter from the Grand Jury of Suffolk County — Pviblic Worship not Continuous until 1759 — Application for a Division of First Church Lands — Vote to call a Minister — Joseph Manning — Samuel Dana — Supplies — Call to Benjamin Caryl — Organization of the Church. J Xll HISTORY OF DOVER CHAPTER V. I'AGE The First Minister 55 Benjamin Caryl — Letter of Acceptance — Ordination — A Confession of Faitli — Cliurch Covenant — Selection of Deacons — Gift of Land for a Parsonage — Mr. Caryl's Bible — Death of Mr. Caryl — Funeral — Estimate of his Character — Day of Fasting and Prayer — Gravestone Erected to his Memory. CHAPTER VI. Social Life and Conditions 67 Old Families — Books and Newspapers — Uncomfortable Meeting-houses — Farm Life — Quilting — Flowers — Old Houses — House -furnishings — Wooden Plates — Price of Farm Products — Travel — " Bundle Handkerchiefs " — Life among the Boys and Girls. CHAPTER Vn. Colonial Contests 81 Early Military Organization — Louisburg — Crown Point — Repeal of the Stamp Act — Sons of Liberty — Boston Tea-party — Committee appointed to see that No Tea was drunk in the Springfield Parish — Vote not to purchase Imported Articles — Committee of Correspondence — Tories. CHAPTER VIII. The Springfield Parish in the Revolution ... 90 Battle of Lexington — Death of Elias Haven — Capt. Eben- ezer Battle's Company of Minute-men — Battle of Bunker Hill — Dorchester Heights — Battle of Trenton — Valley Forge — Cherry Valley — Continental Money — Revolu- tionary Supplies — Petition of Daniel Whiting to General Court — Discipline of Continental Army. CHAPTER IX. Military Services 115 Individual Records — Lexington Alarm ^ Dorchester Heights — Battle of Bunker Hill — Ticonderoga — Rhode Island — Castle Island — Boston — Cambridge — Roxbury. CONTENTS xiu CHAPTER X. PAGE Military Services. — Contbiued 132 Shays's Rebellion — Difficulty in Raising Soldiers — Second War with Great Britain — Ports blockaded — Service of Dover Soldiers — ^ Militia — Service of Dover Officers in the Militia — Memorial Day. CHAPTER XL The Second Meeting-house 143 Committee on New Meeting-house — Meeting-house burned — Selection of Grounds — Exchange of Land — Meeting- house patterned after Church in Roxbury — Dedication — Method of Assessing Pews — Rules for Seating the Meet- ing-house. CHAPTER XH. The Second Minister 150 Call extended to Mr. Ralph Sanger — Letter of Acceptance — Ordination — Efforts to liberalize the Church — Work in behalf of Education, Agriculture, Temperance, Railroad — Degree of Doctor of Divinity — Resignation — Death in Cambridge. CHAPTER XHL Ecclesiastical History 167 The Third Minister — Ordination of Edward Barker, the Rev. George Proctor, the Rev. C. S. Locke, the Rev. Eugene De Normandie, the Rev. G. H. Badger, the Rev. Obed Eldridge, the Rev. P. S. Thacher — First Sunday-school — Parish Library — Christmas Celebration — Ladies' Benevo- lent Society — Church Decoration — Easter. CHAPTER XIV. Ecclesiastical History. — Continued . .■ 183 Baptist Church — the Rev. A. E. Battelle — Second Congrega- tional Church — the Rev. George Champion — the Rev. Calvin White — the Rev. O. W. Cooley — the Rev. John Haskell — the Rev. Thomas Norton — the Rev. J. G. Wil- XIV HISTORY OF DOVER PAGE son — the Rev. S. C. Strong — the Rev. John Wood — the Rev. Pierce Pinch — the Rev. J. W. Brownville — the Rev. P. C. Headley — the Rev. H. L. Howard — the Rev. ^ A. M. Rice — the Rev. A. H. Tyler — the Rev. Edwin Leonard — Christian Endeavor Society — Millerites — Catholics. CHAPTER XV. Cemetery 194 First Burial — Land given by Nathaniel Chickering — First Gravestone — Hearse — Improvement and Enlargement of the Cemetery ^ — Funeral Customs — Care of Cemetery — Epitaphs — Naming the Cemetery. CHAPTER XVL Schools 203 First Schoolhouse — Dame School — Appropriation for Scliools — First Woman Teacher — New England Primer — Re- quired Studies — New Schoolhouse — School Committee , — Superintendent — First Free Books — Center School — Sanger School — Organization of High School — East School — West School — The South District — North School — School Libraries — College Graduates. CHAPTER XVIL Civil History 222 The Evolution of the Town — Vote of Dedham Town-meet- ing — Act of Incorporation — Board of District Officers — Annual Town-meetings — Post-office. CHAPTER XVIII. Civil History. — Continued 236 Hartford Turnpike — Small-pox — Fire-engine — Tavern-keep- ers — Proprietors' Library- — How the Poor were cared for — Town Hall — Town Library — Agricultural Library — Representatives to the General Court — Selectmen — Town-clerks — Treasurers — Superintendents of Schools. CONl^ENTS XV CHAPTER XIX. I'AGE Civil History. — Continued 256 Highways — First Road — Court Street — Medfield Road — Waipole Street — Labor on Highways — Breaking Roads in Winter — Training Days — Parks — Common — Spring- dale Park — Metropolitan Park System — Charles River Railroad — Charles River Branch Railroad — New Eng- land Railroad. CHAPTER XX. Societies and Orgaxizations 273 Temperance Reform — Drinking Custom at Funerals and Or- dinations — Cider-mills — Norfolk County Temperance Union — Band of Hope — Sons of Temperance — School- house Meetings — Dover Temperance Union — Organiza- tion of the Grange — Needham Farmers' and Mechanics' Association — Debating Society- — Historical Society — Centennial Celebration. CHAPTER XXI. Manufacturing and Industries 2S0 Mills — Whip Factory — Straw Business- — Brush Factory — Shoe Business — Ploughs — Hoops — Paper — Cigars — Charcoal — Blacksmiths — Wheelwright — Milk Business — Stores — Inventions — Authorship — Agriculture. CHAPTER XXII. The Civil War 301 Tidings of War — Liberty-poles — Battles in which Dover Soldiers served — Names of Dover Soldiers killed or died in Service — Home Guards ^ — Action of the Town — Re- cruiting Committee — Amount of Money raised — Draft — Patriotic Women — War Envelopes — Record of the Soldiers in the Army and Navy. CHAPTER XXIII. Natural History 0-0 Geology — Mineralogy — Flora — Weeds — Sylva — Shrubs and Vines — P^erns — Fauna — Birds. DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS. CHAPTER I. OUTLINE OF THE TOWN. Topography — Name — Hills — Brooks — Bridges — Highways — Natural Curiosities — Indians — Wild Animals — Areas — Farming — Boundary — Indian Ownership — Massachusetts Bay Colony — Popula- tion — Town Seal — Streets. Snow in hushes falling, Blue day creeping by, Trees in still processions Etched upon the sky; And a silent village Where the gray stones lean, Whispering of a Dover They alone have seen. — William C. Gannett. Dover forms a part of the westerly boundary of Nor- folk County. Before the organization of this county it belonged to Suffolk County ; and when, after its organ- ization, in 1793, a strong opposition arose, nine towns having petitioned to be set back to Suffolk County, Dover chose Capt. Samuel Fisher to oppose this action and keep the new county intact. At the point of the First Parish church it has an exact latitude of 42°, 14', 45", north, and longitude west of Greenwich of 71°, 17', 0.29". Dover is bounded on 2 HISTORY OF DOVER the north by Wellesley and Needham, on the south by Medfield and Walpole, on the east by Dedham, and on the west by Sherborn and Natick. Charles River, " That in silence windest Through the meadows bright and free," skirts the town in its zigzag course for ten and a half miles ; and the echo of the white man's paddle is heard to-day where that of the Indian resounded two hundred years ago. Like Natick, it might be called " a place of hills." Dover is located on the central division of the New England Railroad, and the residents are accommo- dated by three stations ; namely, Dover, Farm Street, and Charles River Village. By rail the town is 15.8 miles from Boston, and by carriage road 16.36 miles from the City Hall. Dover is strictly an agricultural town, and has at present sixty-four farms having ten or more acres under cultivation, together with numerous smaller ones. There are one hundred and forty-seven dwelling-houses. It was for many years a part of Dedham, being called the Fourth, or Springfield, Parish. The inhabitants petitioned the General Court in 1782 to be incorporated into a town by the name of Derby ; but the smallness of the population, which did not number above four hun- dred and fifty souls, prevented such an incorporation. We do not find that the parish selected the name for the proposed town. The choice was probably left to the chairman of the committee. Col. John Jones, a man of prominence in the parish, who is described as " a well-formed, well-dressed man, who rode in his own car- riage, lived in handsome style, performed no manual OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 3 labor, wore a ruffled shirt, and was one of the three personages that constituted, in Mrs. Stowe's * Oldtown Folks,' 'our House of Lords.'" His tastes and habits were English ; and he probably selected the name in honor of Derby, England, a fine town and county. In the bill of incorporation the name was changed, while in the Senate, to Dover, which, tradition says, was given in honor of Dover, England. Either name would prob- ably satisfy Colonel Jones's fondness for old English names. Of all the original territory of Dedham none is more picturesque or varied in its scenery than this town. Standing on the summit of Meeting-house Hill, one beholds a panorama of varied beauty in hill and dale, in wood and field, in flowing stream and winding street, and in the pleasant homes that dot the landscape. A broad meadow lies at one's feet, which, when clad in the tender green of sprouting grass and leafing tree, adds much to the beauty of the surroundings. Here is a pair of brooks, whose water, filtered through the eminences around, is of that purity which exhilarates both man and beast. The streams have met and — in the words of Frank Bolles, describing a visit to Pegan Hill near by — "pledged eternal friendship and passed on united, singing, looking up blue-eyed toward heaven." At the north, Pegan Hill, a part of which lies across the boundary line in Natick, rises very gradually to an elevation of four hundred and twenty feet. Large at its base, this hill does not show its height as readily as one covering a smaller area. Pegan Hill is one of the most accessible and beautiful hills in eastern Massa- chusetts, and was named for the Pegan Indian family. 4 HISTORY OF DOVER It commands a view of some twenty villages. From its top on a clear day Bmiker Hill Monument — a slender gray thread against the blue — and the State House can be seen with the naked eye, while Wachusett and Monadnock stand out in prominence at the northwest. Nestling at its base are attractive homes and fertile farms, all of which were originally conveyed by Indian titles. Strawberry Hill, in the easterly part of the town, so named by the early Dedham settlers on account of the great abundance of wild strawberries which grew there, covers a large area, and rises to an elevation of two hundred feet above the level of Charles River, which flows at its base. This hill furnishes most delightful views. Fertile farms abound, and some of them were among the first settled outside of the village of Dedham. Miller Hill — three hundred feet — is very accessi- ble ; and much of its surface is easy of cultivation. Pine Rock Hill — four hundred and forty-nine feet — rises from wooded surroundings to a greater height than any other elevation in this section of the country except the Blue Hill range, six hundred and thirty-five feet, which is the only eminence of a distinctively mountain- ous character on the Atlantic sea-coast line south of Maine. The tourist who climbs Pine Rock Hill gains a view of wide extent, and under favorable circumstances may discern ships at sail on Massachusetts Bay. Cedar Hill — four hundred feet — and Oak Hill — three hundred and sixty feet — in the southerly part of the town, furnish three varieties of granite of great strength and beauty. The court-house at Dedham, one OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 5 of the finest in the country, was built of granite quar- ried among these hills, which was also used in the con- struction of the asylum at Medfield. Having their source here are numerous brooks, which irrigate fertile meadows and furnish a never-failing water supply. Big Brook, as it is called in the Dedham records, in the grant of land upon its borders, is the largest stream, and flows westward into Charles River. Clay Brook was so named because the early Dedham settlers dug clay in the vicinity, which was used in the construction of their dwellings. Mill Brook rises in Dedham, flows a southerly course, and enters Charles River. Mill Brook (in Medfield) rises in Dover, flows south- erly, and is crossed by the highway near the Farm Street station. Noanet Brook played an important part in early land transactions, defining bounds of grants to settlers, and was named for the Indian chief Noanet. Trout Brook, in the center of the town, is fed by boiling springs. The water is of crystal purity, and abounds in the beautiful fish for which the brook was named. Tubwreck Brook, which rises in the Great Spring, ^ the northerly source of the Neponset River. Its nai celebrates a humorous incident. One spring, whf^ ^"^ brook was unusually swollen, Capt. James ^^^d^le attempted, in a half hogshead, to sail down '" ^^r^am, preparatory to gathering flood cranbern ^^b became unmanageable and capsized. C _ isdale s friends made much of this event. P y oi snip- 6 HISTORY OF DOVER bread, together with such other articles as might be washed ashore from the wreck of a merchant ship, were left at his door ; and the neighbors gathered in large numbers, and celebrated his rescue from the wreck. An original poem, telling this story, was repeated for many years around Dover firesides. From that time the stream was called Tubwreck Brook. Reserve Pond, near the Great Spring, originally cov- ered some twenty acres of land. It stored a large quantity of water, which was kept in reserve to supple- ment, whenever needed, the main stream of the New Mill corporation. The source of supply for their pond is so evenly balanced, by the watershed of the Neponset and Charles Rivers, that water can be made to flow through either stream into the Atlantic Ocean. Great Spring, in the southeasterly part of the town, furnishes a never-failing water supply, and is a spring of unusual dimensions. Neponset River, which has its northerly source in Dover, was named for the Neponset tribe of Indians. It flows easterly, and empties into Dorchester Bay. Neponset River is of historic interest, as the first American railroad, built in 1826, extended from a grj-oyN-e quarry in Quincy to the tidewater of the 'ponset River, where the granite was loaded into • "€ls and shipped to various parts of the country. ^ ^) t^ River, which was named for Prince Charles of briii. ^^ was once a much more rapid stream than at preseu j^ iZ'^i the average width was six rods. Shad, alev., ^^^ other species of fish, that have since become ex xqxq. once common in its waters. In \']ob ->roposed by several towns along the v ^ OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 7 Stream to make a free passage for these fish up the river, but Dover did not concur with other towns in this measure. The sluggishness of the stream, which has become more and more marked, was noticeable as early as 1 740 ; and at one time an effort was made to clear the river of weeds. The quality of the meadow grass, which was for many years largely blue-joint and fowl grass, has deteriorated until now it is almost worthless for feeding purposes. During the last decade malaria, which was previously unknown in this region, has made its appearance, and is doubtless due to the increased acreage of low, wet land, caused by the sluggishness of the river. Dingle Hole Narrows is a rocky gorge in the bed of Charles River, between Dover and Sherborn. The place has picturesque surroundings, and is a favorite resort for campers out. The Boiling Springs, in the center of the town, are of great interest ; and the stranger who visits them for the first time is almost certain to inquire if the water is hot. Nim rod's Rock, a granite boulder of curious forma- tion, may have received its name from the mighty hunter of Bible story. Charles River is crossed by five bridges, all of which have been built in joint ownership with adjoining towns. These bridges all bear the names of individuals or local- ities. Farm Bridge was named for the Dedham posses- sions across the river in Sherborn, known for many years as "The Farms." This bridge was built some time in 1600, and was possibly standing at thf^ King Philip's War. Day's Bridge was nar 8 HISTORY OF DOVER Day family, who were among the early settlers in Dover. Wight's Bridge, the abutments of which are still standing, was built by Hezekiah and Leonard Morse, of Sherborn, about 1820, and for many years was used by the people in the neighborhood. Newell's Bridge at Charles River Village was named for Josiah Newell, the founder of the rolling-mills ; while Fisher's Bridge on Center Street was named for Mr. Fisher, a prominent resident of Needham. Baker's Bridge on Dover Street received its name in honor of Mr. Baker, of Needham, who owned a large estate in the vicinity. Henry Goulding built a pontoon bridge across Charles River, to connect his farm with that of his brother on the Sherborn side. This bridge was used for some years, but was taken up soon after the death of Mr. Goulding, in 1884. Our well-maintained highways aggregate some thirty- four miles in length, extending from east to west and from north to south. They furnish easy means of com- munication with different sections of the town and surrounding country ; while many winding and shady streets intersect the main highways at different points, and furnish favorite drives for the residents of this and the surrounding towns. Stretching across the parish in the early time were two highways, both leading to the Indian village at Natick, and built soon after the beginning of Mr. Eliot's enterprise in 1650. One of these roads, at first but a bridle-path, extended from Dedham over Strawberry ' ^g Clay Brook and Charles River. Another enced at Medfield, and wound round by OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 9 Pegan Hill to the same Indian settlement. The name of the parish is significant, and appears in the earliest transfers of real-estate. Near the center of the parish are numerous springs, which boil up from the earth — a pure white sand. These springs furnish a never-failing water supply, warm in winter and cold in summer. It is estimated by com- petent judges that there are more than forty never-fail- ing springs, from which flows a constant supply of purest water. Nearly all the buildings in the vicinity of Pegan Hill are supplied with water which gushes out from the hillsides. Hence the name " Springfield," which the Dedham settlers so soon applied to the territory. Perhaps no part of the original territory of Dedham is more closely associated with the life of the Indian than this parish. At least three tribes of Indians occu- pied this soil. The site of the wigwam of the Wisset tribe seventy-five years ago could be traced near the house of William Neal on Hartford Street. The Po- wisset tribe lived in the vicinity of Bernhardt Post's farm, which bears their name. The Pegan tribe owned and occupied Pegan Hill and the surrounding country. Some of the last members of this tribe built a house which was located on the Natick side of the boundary line, the cellar of which is still traceable. Thomas Pegan was the last owner of this house. Noanet was an Indian chief, who occupied with his fellows the land in the easterly part of the town. He seems to have lived in 1664 on the north side of Charles River, as the Dedham records refer to the granting of land to Joseph Kingsbury in the following lo HISTORY OF DOVER words : " To be laid out upon the north side of Charles River over against Noannet's \sic\ wigwam." We gather in summer-time flowers planted by the hand of the red man, and it is not many years since fields could be traced where the Indian grew his maize. Stone implements, such as arrow-heads and pestles, are found on the plain-lands. The Indian names Pegan, Powisset, Noanet, are given to hill and plain and stream, and remain in memory of those who first owned this land. Eliot described the territory south of Charles River as "a peculiar hunting-place" of the Indians. Long years after the land had been occupied by the white man, in the beautiful days of the Indian summer, red men made long pilgrimages to the plain of Powis- set, where they visited the graves of their fathers, to be there inspired with new strength and courage. A small remnant of Natick Indians remained as late as 1835, who roamed over town, selling baskets and begging, wherever they went, a drink of cider. Although the Indians were near neighbors to the early settlers, it is believed they lived in peace and harmony, as there is no record of any controversy with them. They were greatly reduced in numbers by the ravages of small-pox in 1633, just before the Dedham settlement, and were never again numerous in the im- mediate vicinity. Roaming Indians, however, were at first a frequent menace ; and a fortification was built in the westerly part of the town, not far from the road leading from Medfield to Natick, which was standing at the beginning of the present century. It was made bullet-proof by layers of brick between the outer and OUTLINE OF THE TOWN il inner walls, which were made of thick white-oak plank ; while its small windows helped to make it defensible. In the early time Hannah Baker, fearing an attack from the Indians, fled to a swamp in the easterly part of the town, and there remained during the night with her two children. It is said that those who occupied the old fortification heard one night a sound like the noise of pigs escaping from the sty. The first impulse was to rush out ; but upon reflection a musket was taken down, and fired in the direction of the sty. A shriek revealed the fact that it was a trick of the wily Indians to call the in- mates out. The next morning their trail was traced for some distance by drops of blood on the ground. Some of the Indians practised the healing art ; and Hannah Dexter, who lived on the west side of Pegan Hill, was much celebrated as an Indian doctor. She possessed much skill in the use of roots and herbs, and English people often came long distances to consult her. The flora of the town is exceptionally rich, owing, doubtless, to the great diversity of soil. An additional reason may be found in the fact that the territory was so long occupied by Indians, who cultivated a large number of medicinal plants. At first cattle, and especially hogs, were allowed to run at large by vote of the inhabitants ; but in 1 794 the people seem to have somewhat tired of the practice, and at their March meeting voted " that the hogs to be shot up." In the early settlement of the territory wild animals were a real danger, and several places are still pointed out where bears were killed. Wild-cats and wolves inhabited the forests for many years, and killed 12 HISTORY OF DOVER young animals. The town of Dedham paid a bounty of ten shillings a head for wolves killed by the inhabitants as late as 1716, and one pound a head for all wild-cats in 1734. Rattlesnakes were troublesome until 1764, and are still found among the ledges of Cedar and Oak Hills. Dedham at one time paid a bounty of six pence for " an inch and a halfe of the end of a rattle- snake's tail with the rattle." The beaver lived here, and a spot in the easterly part of the town is known as Beaver Dam. Within the memory of living men this dam was very distinct in its outline, and was the unmis- takable work of this intelligent and cunning animal. Otter Brook, which has its source in Dover, was so named because the otter frequented its waters. It is related of Henry Wilson that the first night he slept in his log house on Strawberry Hill he awoke in the morn- ing to see a wild-cat looking in at the window. Dover, in its situation, pure air, pure water, and cli- mate, modified by a large acreage of pine wood-land, is a very healthy place of residence. Exact records kept by the Rev. Dr. Sanger during his residence here of forty years show that one in every twenty-four reached the advanced age of ninety years and upwards. Of the three hundred and fourteen deaths which occurred in the first forty years of Mr. Sanger's ministry, thirty-six were infants under one year, forty-five were over one year of age and under ten, twenty were between ten and twenty years, fifty-six were between twenty and fifty years, and one hundred and fifty-seven were be- tween fifty and ninety-eight years. Thirteen were above the age of ninety, two were ninety-five, and one was ninety-eight. OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 13 Dover, with its varied surface, contains eight thousand seven hundred acres of land, which inckides several hun- dred acres of waste land and about one hundred and fifty- acres laid out in roads. Although this has always been an agricultural district, the character of the farming has greatly changed in the last quarter of a century. For many years after its settlement the people were largely engaged in preparing ship-timber, cutting wood, and burning charcoal, all of which found a ready sale in Boston. This business demanded much transportation, and men were con- stantly on the road with their ox-teams. Dover Street in Boston was named for this town. It is said the name was given to this particular street because the Dover farmers " put up " over night at a tavern located near the junction of Dover and Washington Streets. In the cultivation of crops, potatoes were not at first raised as human food, cereals being the staples. In England the potato was held to be a native of Virginia. Modern opinion holds that it is indigenous to some parts of South America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, and that it was brought to Virginia by the early Spanish explorers. In its cultivation the potato has been greatly improved within fifty years ; and the big, mealy potatoes of to-day are quite different from the watery tuber of our grandfathers. The farming to-day is more largely devoted to the production of milk and to market-gardening. Dover was the seventh town whose territory was wholly a part of Dedham to be set off from the mother town. Its bounds, with the exception of a slight change made in the line between Dover and Walpole in 1872, 14 HISTORY OF DOVER are the same as those defined in the petition of the inhabitants to be made a distinct precinct in 1728. These bounds are as follows : — Beginning at Bubbling Brook where it crosses Medfield road, and thence taking in the lands of Samuel Chickering, and from thence to the westerly end of Nathaniel Richards's house-lot, and so down to Charles River, with all the lands westerly of said line. This land was a part of the territory owned by the Sachem Wompituk (whose daughter Chicatabut mar- ried) and, soon after the landing of Winthrop, sold to William Pyncham. The territory comprising this town was included in the grant made by the Crown to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628. The question is often asked why the bounds of Natick extended across Charles River to the summit of Pegan Hill on the east. When, in 1650, the Apostle Eliot commenced his Indian settlement at Natick, he laid out a village on both sides of Charles River, which was fenced and planted to orchards and cornfields. The village was stockaded, with two long streets on either side of the river, crossed by a bridge which the Indians built themselves. They were divided into families and encouraged to live in separate rooms. In 165 1 Dedham made a grant to Natick of two thou- sand acres on the north side of Charles River on the condition that " the Indians should Lay doune all other Clames of any land within the towne bounds, and for- bere setting of traps, etc." Nevertheless, they con- tinued to improve the land on the south side of the river ; and when, a few years later, operations were begun to build a mill, the town protested. Mr. Eliot OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 15 tried to satisfy them " by offering forty pounds' worth of boards which he expected to cutt at his mill," but the town would not accept his offer. Mr. Eliot desired to take, as a part of the grant of two thousand acres, land on the south side of Charles River to extend as far as the brook. This the town of Ded- ham opposed, as the land " was the fittest place to turne of horsses and loose Cattell that the Towne had." These difficulties led to a long controversy. The Indians continued to improve the land which would now be included in the territory of Dover if Charles River formed the boundary between the two towns. Mr. Eliot, in his labors to furnish the means of Christian living among the Indians, was strenuous in his efforts for the permanent establishment of the settlement on both sides of Charles River. After some years Dedham entered a suit for the recovery of the land or satisfaction in five hundred pounds sterling. A compromise was finally effected, by which the Indians retained the land, and Dedham re- ceived a grant of eight thousand acres at what is now Deerfield. In 1797 the territory south of Charles River was annexed to Dover for parochial purposes, under the following article in the warrant : " To see if the District will receive the inhabitants, buildings, and land in Natick, lying south of Charles River, agreeable to a petition in the hands of the Selectmen." In the granting of this petition Elijah Perry, Enoch Draper, William Morse, and Asa Bacon were set to Dover, and remained members of the parish for many years. Dover has a population of six hundred and sixty-eight. Until recent years its families were largely descended 1 6 HISTORY OF DOVER from native stock. In its date of incorporation, July 7, 1784, Dover ranks as the two hundred and fortieth town in the Commonwealth. A seal was adopted by the town April 30, 1894. Every part of it has special significance. The central figure is a plain two-story meeting-house, without chimney or steeple, which is drawn in the exact architectural proportions of the first meeting-house. This figure is made prominent because the desire of the early inhabitants to worship among themselves led to the incorporation of the parish and final separation from the town of Dedham. As a special appropriation was made for the purchase of stone steps for the meeting-house, they appear in the design, together with the "horse-block," which was so indispensable, as late as 18 10, that it was retained by the parish after the destruction of their meeting- house and the purchase of a new parish lot. The schoolhouse, erected just beside the meeting- house in 1762, and used for many years as a "noon house," is shown at the left, with smoke rising from the chimney. The stream of water represents Trout Brook, which has its source in the beautiful boiling springs, and signifies " Springfield," the name given to this territory by the early Dedham settlers. The presence of Indians in the seal commemorates the fact that this was once their stamping-ground, and hill and plain and street bear to this day Indian names. Only a part of the noble Pegan Hill, not showing its full height, appears on the seal, thus indicating that it is not wholly within the limits of the town. The elevation OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 17 at the left represents Pine Rock Hill, which has an elevation of four hundred and forty-nine feet. The leading industry of the people is characterized by the plough and sheaf of grain resting upon the shield. The incorporated name of the town appears on the outer circle, while the date of its incorporation is borne on the scroll. The outer circle shows the evolution of the town by noting separately the date of the incor- poration of the parish and of the district. Mr. Henry E. Woods has rendered the seal in the following heraldic language : Upon a field showing on the dexter side a schoolhouse and brook, and on the sinister side a hill and Indians, an escutcheon bearing : azure on a mount vert a meeting-house, without steeple, proper ; crest, a plough and garb, crosswise, proper ; motto, "Incorporated 1836," surrounded by a circle inscribed in chief "Town of Dover," and in base "Massachusetts," divided on the dexter side by "Parish 1748 " and the sinister side by " District 1784." The streets of Dover were named by the selectmen, and accepted by the town in 1877. The names of some of our streets should be changed for appropriate names which have special historical significance. Soon after the granting of land in 1650 to the Natick Indians, a road was extended from Dedham to the Indian settle- ment. Along this road where it skirts Charles River the early settlers found an abundance of clay, and from time immemorial it has been called " Clay Brook Road." In the naming of the streets this exceedingly appropriate name was dropped for "Charles River Street," a name which Needham has given to a parallel street on the opposite side of the Charles River. 1 8 HISTORY OF DOVER Early in the history of Massachusetts a grant of several hundred acres of land was made in what is now Sherborn, and was called "The Farms," hence the names Farm Lake, Farm School, Farm Bridge. Obviously, " Farm Street " should extend from Medfield line to the center of Farm Bridge and not to Springdale Avenue. Willow Street, which extends from Charles River Village to Dedham Street, near the house of Cornelius Sullivan, was laid out in February, 1802, and called in the records " Mill Road " ; while the present Mill Street was built in 1 797, and was called the " Old Grant Road," because of the right of highway given in the conveyance. The names and locations of the streets are as fol- lows : — Farm Street, from Medfield line to Springdale Park. Smith Street, from Farm Street to F. A. Parmenter's. Bridge Street, from Farm Street to Sherborn line. Wight Street, from Farm Street to McGill Brothers'. Glen Street, from Farm Street to Natick line. Main Street, from Springdale Park to Dover Street. Center Street, from Fisher's Bridge to Medfield line. Springdale Avenue, from Springdale Park to Center Street. County Street, between Walpole and Dover. Walpole Street, from Center Street to County Street, Pine Street, from Center Street to Medfield line. Hartford Street, the old Hartford turnpike. Powisset Street, from Walpole Street to Dedham line. Dedham Street, from Springdale Avenue to Dedham, near Day's Bridge. Wilsondale Street, from Strawberry Hill Street to Dedham line. OUTLINE OF THE TOWN 19 Strawberry Hill Street, from Dedham Street to Lar- rabee estate. Chestnut Street, from Dedham Street to Needham line. Willow Street, from Dedham Street to Newell's Bridge. Mill Street, from Dedham Street to Willow Street. Cross Street, from Dedham Street to Center Street. Charles River Street, from Center Street to Natick line. Dover Street, from Baker's Bridge to Natick line. Pleasant Street, from Main Street to Natick line. Haven Street, from Main Street to Dedham Street. Church Street, from Haven Street to Springdale Avenue. Began Street, from Springdale Park to M. E. Nawn's. CHAPTER II. THE BEGINNING OF PARISH LIFE. Fourth Precinct of Dedham — Character of the People — Early Settlers in Dover — -Henry Wilson — Thomas Battle — Nathaniel Chickering — James Draper — Old Fortification — First Effort to be made a Precinct — First Tax List — Petition to the General Court and Signers — Organization of the Precinct and Election of Officers. The great, eventful Present hides the Past ; but through the din Of its loud life hints and echoes from the life behind steal in ; And the lore of home and fireside, and the legendary rhyme, Make the task of duty lighter which the true man owes his time. — Whittier. As the history of Dover is interwoven with the his- tory of Dedham, it is most difficult to give with cer- tainty much that one desires to know about the early settlement and life of the people of this town. In its incorporate capacity it was styled the Fourth Precinct of Dedham ; but with the organization of the church it became the Fourth, or Springfield, Parish. The pro- genitors of most of the early Dover families were among the first settlers in Dedham ; and we proudly claim the history of the mother town as a part of our own history, in ecclesiastical affairs previous to 1729 and in all town affairs before 1784. " The first settlers of Dedham were a remarkable col- lection of people. Tradition brings down a high char- acter attached to most of the names found on its early THE BEGINNING OE PARISH LIFE 2 1 records, and their public and private acts fully confirm it. Orderly and industrious in their habits, they al- lowed no one to remain in their community who was not engaged in some regular occupation. Any violation of rules was followed by a penalty, yet the most e.xact strictness was accompanied by equally unfailing loving- kindness. Liberal were they towards each other and their neighbors, and public-spirited, too. Thrifty were they, husbanding both public and private resources with great economy and industry. Above all, they i:)ursued a liberal and enlightened policy in matters of religion. In such a sound and sensible community we find, as might be expected, no persecution, no witches, no super- natural occurrences. The plantation went on regularly, advancing in population and wealth." There is, how- ever, much of interest to the inhabitants of the Spring- field Parish that can never be given in the history of Dedham. It is found in the record of the faithful lives, the labors, the fortitude, and the patriotism of those who settled here and made for themselves and their posterity a home, a school, a church, and cleared the farms that, in not a few instances, have now been tilled by descendants for more than two centuries. Owing to the danger of attacks from Indians, it is generally held that settlements were not made outside of the village of Dedham previous to King Philip's War. The fact that the town voted in 1682 that none should move to a greater distance than two miles from the meeting-house without a special license indicates that some of the in- habitants had done so. The colonial law that all should build in the immediate vicinity of the meeting-house early became obsolete, as such close proximity to one 2 2 II IS TORY OF DOVER another was not favorable to agricultural pursuits. Water must be had in good supply, pastiu-age for cat- tle, and an abundance of firewood. To gain these requisites it is believed that settlements were made outside of the village of Dedham. Dover was not generally settled, however, until early in 1700, although settlements were made in different parts of the territory much earlier. In many instances there seem to have been no instruments of conveyance, and consequently no records were made. Henry Wilson, who came from Kent, England, and settled in Dedham in 1640, was granted land with other settlers, but never built upon it. It is believed that he immediately settled on the farm now occupied by his lineal descendant, Ephraim W^ilson, in the easterly part of the town, near the Dedham line. He was the first settler within the limits of Dover. His house was on the path which led to the common pasture-grounds in the vicinity of Powisset. He married, and brought his wife to the settlement ; and here their first child, Michael Wilson, was born in 1644. Thomas Battle was probably the first settler west of Strawberry Hill. He had acquired land in the westerly part of Dedham either by grant or purchase, as in 1681 he sold to James Draper eighty-four acres of land near Medfield. In 1683 Thomas Battle had a grant of "10 acres i rood of land on ye west side of Great Brook." It has long been a tradition that the first settlement west of Strawberry Hill was made by Mr. Battle on the Clay Brook Road. The site of his house is still pointed out near the picnic grounds of B. N. Sawin, not far from the Natick line. He had another grant (1687-95), THE BEG/iVsVING OF PARISH LIFE 23 which is very definite, and locates his previous grant, as follows : " Granted to Thomas Battle half an acre of upland and meadow bottom as it lieth his own land near the Great Brook, near Natick, bounded by his own land southeast the way to the brook, and by the brook in all other parts." Thomas Battle was one of the selectmen of Dedham, and associated on the board with Nathaniel Chickering, who settled here in 1694. Nathaniel Chick- ering was born in 1647. He came to this country from Wrentham, England, where his mother lived in 1681. He settled in Dover in 1694, having gained through grants and purchase a thousand acres of land, which extended from the Clay Brook Road southward includ- ing Powisset and eastward as far as the farm now owned by Charles J. Spear. He built a house on the site of the homestead now oc- cupied by George Ellis Chickering. He died in 1694, and did not occupy the house with his family ; but it was taken possession of by his widow and his children. James Draper, of Roxbury, purchased land of Thomas Battle in 1682, which was bounded "on the north by Natick and on the south by Medfield." This was the original Draper place in Dover, and was occupied by John, son of James Draper, who took a wife in 1686, and probably settled here at that time. Medfield, which was settled in 1650, had a road which led from Med- field to Dedham. This highway was extended north- ward, and was continued across the Dover territory as far as the Indian village at South Natick. Settlements were soon made in Medfield on this road. The Allen farm was settled m 1673 ; and about 1657 Daniel Morse, of Medfield, went still farther and purchased a 24 IIJSTORY OF DOVER tract of eight hundred acres of land across Charles River, in what is now Sherborn, and settled there in 1658 with his family. The site of the homestead was about half a mile west of I'arm Bridge. Not far from the Natick road, on the high land over- looking Charles River, south of Farm Bridge, was built the old fortification already referred to. It is supposed to have been built at an early time, as settlements had been made in the vicinity, both in Medfield and Sher- born. The fortification was removed by the writer's grandfather early in 1800, but its history is not known. About 1725 there was a general feeling among those who had settled at a distance from the center of the town that they should be freed from the minister tax at Dedham and allowed to build meeting-houses of their own, where they could more conveniently worship. This spirit is seen in the petition of the inhabitants of Clap- boardtrees Parish (West Dedham) in 1721 and that of Tiot (Norwood) in 1726 to be made precincts. A feeling of discontent manifested itself in the west- erly part of Dedham (Springfield) in 1728, when, on the 3d of March, the inhabitants petitioned "that they and their estates might be set off into a distinct pre- cinct." This request was granted by the town Novem- ber 9, 1729. Having been made a precinct by the town, it was their ambition to be made a distinct precinct by the General Court, that they might be freed from the minis- terial tax at Dedham and be vested with greater powers and privileges. A petition, headed by Jonathan Battle, was presented to the General Court November 19, 1729, asking to be made a distinct precinct by that THE BEGINNING OF PARISH LIFE 25 body. This request was referred to a committee, who reported December 2, 1729, that they and their estate be freed from paying the minister rate in Dedham, and that Samuel Chickering and twelve others should attend the church in Medfield, Ralph Day and four others the church at Needham, and Eleazer Ellis and thirteen others the church at Natick. This report was accepted by the General Court, and they were ordered to pay their ministerial tax to the several ministers of the other towns where they attended public worship ; and this they continued to do for many years. This was the first step in the evolution of the town of Dover towards the permanent establishment of a govern- ment at home, where the people could carry out among themselves the true New England spirit, in the main- tenance of the church, the school, and the town meet- ing in the midst of their homes. These institutions formed for many years " the whole of life, with its duties, its training, its pleasures, and its hopes." Nathaniel Chickering became a deacon in the church at South Natick, Joshua Ellis at Needham, while Na- thaniel Wilson held the same office in the church at Dedham. Neither the petition to the town of Dedham nor that made to the General Court has been preserved, consequently it is impossible to give a complete list of early inhabitants ; but it is evident from the apportion- ment made by the General Court that there were thirty- three ' families in 1729. Fortunately we have the first tax-list of the Springfield Precinct, which was made in May, 1732, the names on it probably not differing very much from those signed to the petition four years ' The Wilson family attended church at Dedham. 26 HISTORY OF DOVER previous to be made a precinct, except it may contain the names of some non-residents. The tax-list is as follows : — Aaron Allen. Benjamin Allen. Eleazer Allen. Hezekiah Allen. Moses Allen. Jonathan Battle. Jonathan Battle, Jr. Nathaniel Battle. Widow Battle. John Bacon. Michael Bacon. John BuUard. Jonathan Bullard. Jonathan Ellis. James Ellis. John Fisher. Joshua Fisher. Widow Jonathan Cay. Abraham Harding. Ebenezer Knapp. Samuel Leach. Joseph Merrifield. Nathaniel Bullard. John Bullin. Eliphalet Chickering. Nathaniel Chickering. Samuel Chickering. John Draper. John Draper, Jr. Josej^h Draper. Ralph Day. Benjamin Ellis. Caleb Ellis. Eleazer Ellis. Thomas Mason. David Morse. Nathaniel Morse. Mattis Ockinson. Jonathan Plimpton. Ebenezer Robinson. John Rice. Ephraim Ware, Jr. Jonathan Whiting. David Wight. Ebenezer Mason. Jonathan Mason. Seth Mason. Seth Mason, Jr. Ephraim Wight. Samuel Wight. Nathaniel Wilson. For twenty years the people were gontent to worship in other towns, but it was the earnest desire of most of them to have a meeting-house of their own and to settle a minister. In 1747 the residents renewed their appeal to the General Court to be made a distinct precinct, but their efforts met with opposition from some of those who attended church at Medfield and South Natick. The following persons persisted in their opposition, and sent a petition in remonstrance to the General Court in April, 1 748 : Michael Bacon, Nathaniel Battle, Eleazer Allen, Aaron Allen, Josiah Fisher, Ephraim Bacon, John Jones, Eleazer Allen, Jr., and Timothy Guy. THE BEGINNING OE PARISH LIEE 27 Later in the year 1748, having won some over from the opposition, they renewed their appeal to the General Court in the following petition : — To his Excellency, William Shirley, Esq., General and (iovernor- in-chief in and over his Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England ; to the Honorable his Majesty's Coun- cil and House of Representatives, now sitting, April 5, i 74S : The petition of the westerly part of Dedhani humbly showeth That, whereas your petitioners presented a petition at a legal town meeting in Dedham, March 3, 1 72S, praying that we and our estates might be set off into a distinct precinct with the fol- lowing bounds, — -namely, beginning at Bubbling Brook, where it crosses Medfield road, and from thence taking in the lands of Samuel Chickering, and from thence to the westerly end of Na- thaniel Richards's house lot and so down to Charles River, with all the lands and inhabitants westerly of said line, which was granted and voted at said meeting November 19, 1729, — We presented a petition to the Great and General Court, pray- ing to be set off and be made a distinct precinct with the above mentioned bounds. Said petition was committed to a committee, who reported that we with our estates should be freed from pay- ing to the minister rate of Dedham during the pleasure of the Honorable Court, and ordered us to pay our ministerial taxes to the several ministers of the other towns where we attended public worship. And said report was accepted by said Court, and we have to this day cheerfully and thankfully complied therewith. But, being sensible of the great difficulty we labor under in attending public worship iii the respective places where we have enjoyed the same these many years, and considering with what ease and comfort we can meet together among ourselves, pro- vided we were vested with parish privileges, we, thinking ourselves through the divine blessing in some good measure able to build a meeting-house and support a minister, we therefore humbly pray your Excellency and Honors to take our case into your wise con- sideration and free us from any further charge in those places where we were ordered to pay, and grant that the lands and in- 28 HISTORY OF DOVER habitants to the westward of the above mentioned line in Ded- ham be set off into a distinct precinct ; and your petitioners, as in dutv l)ound, shall ever pray. Samuel Metcalf. Joshua Ellis. Hezekiah Allen, Jr. Ebenezer Newell. Thomas Merrifield. Jonathan Battle. Ralph Day. John Draper. Samuel CHiCKERiN(i. JosiAH Ellis. Jonathan Day. Nathaniel Wilson. Ezra Gay. Timothy Ellis. Thomas Battle. Jonathan Bullard. Thomas Richards. Dkdham, March 30, 1748. Seth Mason. Joseph Chickering. Eliphalet Chickering. Jabez Wood. Oliver Bacon. John Bacon. Joseph Draper. Benjamin Ellis. David Wight. John Cheney. John Chickering. John Battle. JosiAH Richards. Jonathan Whiting. Daniel Chickering. John Griggs. Abraham Chamberlain. This petition was presented to the General Court April 5, 1748, and was granted November 18, 1748, giving the powers and privileges which precincts could enjoy. The first precinct meeting was held in the schoolhousc January 4, 1749, to elect a clerk and precinct committee to call parish meetings. Joshua Ellis was chosen moderator, also precinct clerk. The following precinct committee was chosen : Joshua Ellis, Joseph Chickering, Joseph Draper, Samuel Chickering, and Samuel Metcalf. At a meeting held March 15, 1749, Jonathan Whiting was chosen precinct treasurer. This was the first Dover March meeting, an institution which has come down unbroken to the present time. CHAPTER III. BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE. Building Committee — Dimensions of the Meeting-house — Site — Committee on the Site — Report of the Committee — Description of the Accepted Site — Meeting-house, when raised — Dedication — Com- mittee ON Seating the Meeting-house — ^ Seats for Young Men, Young Women, Boys — Seats, how- dignified. The groves were God's first temples. Ere man learned To hew the shaft and lay the architrave And spread the roof above them, ere he framed The lofty vault, to gather and roll back The sound of anthems, in the darkling wood. Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks And supplication. — Brv.\n T. At the precinct-meeting held March 15, 1749, the following committee was chosen to prepare timber for a meeting-house : Capt. Hezekiah Allen, Joseph Draper, Samuel Metcalf, Daniel Chickering, and Jonathan Day. The chairman. Captain Allen, was a carpenter by trade. The committee were instructed to build a meeting-house "forty-two feet long, thirty-four feet wide, and twenty feet high from the top of y^ eel to y^ top of y^ plate " ; and when completed it was a building of the plainest style of Puritan architecture, without steeple, chimney, or ornamentation, and " no church-bell lent its Christian tone." It was always called "the meeting-house" ; for this plain people, like Cotton Mather, "found no just 3° HISTORY OF DOVER -round in Scripture to apply such a trope as church to a house for public assembly." The work of building was retarded on account of much wrangling over a site, h'rom the very first there was a difference of ()[)inion as to the best location for the new meeting- house ; and, previous to the first precinct meeting called to consider the subject, a majority of the voters signed a statement, under date of March 7, 1747-48, favoring the appointment of an impartial committee from other towns, who should be invited to select a site for the meeting-house. An early survey of the territory was made by vote of the precinct, to ascertain the exact center of the parish. The plan of the survey was not preserved ; but it was made within the present limits of the town, which have been but slightly changed since the establish- ment of bounds by the General Court in 1729. There was a strong feeling against locating the meeting- house in the exact center of the precinct ; and, with an apparent desire to conciliate all parties, the par- ish very early voted not to build in the center of the precinct from its extreme points. At a precinct- meeting March 24, 1748-49, an effort was made to select a site for the meeting-house. Two propositions were made, — one to build on the hill near Morse's swamp (supposed to be near the house of Joseph Chickering), and the other on the hill south of John Battle's, which would be near the present site of the Baptist chapel. The meeting was adjourned in the morning, in order to give the voters an opportunity to view the two sites ; and, reassembling in the afternoon, a motion was made BUILDIXG THE MEETING-HOUSE 31 to build on the hill south of J\Ir. Battle's. The vote, by instruction of the moderator, was counted by the poll, and resulted in a tie vote. The precinct then voted to leave the selection of the site to the following committee, all of whom were resi- dents of other towns : Thomas Greenwood, Esq., New- ton, chairman ; Capt. Joseph Williams, Roxbury ; Dea. Joseph Hewins, Stoughton ; Capt. Elkanah Billings, Dorchester ; Capt. Joseph Ware, Sherborn. The ex- treme carefulness of the people and their desire to have the question intelligently considered and judiciously set- tled is shown in the selection of the committee, which was made up of men distinguished for character and ability in the whole region around. Thomas Greenwood, Esq., was made chairman by the precinct. Mr. Greenwood was a man of much promi- nence in Newton, which he represented in the General Court for thirteen years, and was town-clerk for twenty- three years, besides holding many other offices and positions of honor and responsibility. Capt. Joseph Williams was a prominent man of his time, and was much noted and esteemed by the citizens of Roxbury. Capt. Joseph Ware was the founder of the Ware family in Sherborn, and was a man very active in town affairs, being a member of the board of selectmen for many years. One acquainted with the men of Sher- born says, " He should be long and gratefully remem- bered as one of the most exemplary and useful citizens Sherborn has ever had." Dea. Joseph Hewins, of Stoughton, now Sharon, was a leading citizen of that town, being town-clerk. 32 HISTORY OF DOVER treasurer, and selectman for many years. He was deacon of the Second Church, a magistrate from the incorporation of the town, and empowered by the Gen- eral Court to issue his warrant for the first Sharon town-meeting. Capt. Elkanah Billings was a prominent man, and was born and lived in that part of Dorchester which afterwards became Sharon. The following residents of the precinct were chosen to wait on the committee and present the facts and arguments of contending parties : Capt. Hezekiah Allen, John Jones, Samuel Chickering, Joshua Ellis, John Battle, and Benjamin Ellis. The committee met on the 6th of April, 1 749, and, after viewing the differ- ent localities and holding a deliberative meeting, unani- mously voted to recommend as a site the hill east of Trout Brook. After much debate this report was accepted by the precinct, and the building committee was instructed to proceed with the building of the new meeting-house on the spot recommended by the committee. But the acceptance of the site did not end the matter, as a majority of the residents felt that a different spot should have been selected. At a precinct-meeting held February 8, 1749-50, it was voted to invite the com- mittee chosen to select the site for the meeting-house to take the matter again under consideration. They had the good sense to vote at this time " that the place or spot of ground that the said committee pitch upon for our meeting-house shall be ye place for said house to be built." And, as ending the difficulty which had been to this scattered people a very severe BUILDING THE MEETIXG-HOUSE Zl one, we give the second report of this committee, which, hke the first, was unanimous. Dedham, February 17, 1749-50. We, the subscribers, being met pursuant to the desire of ye West Precinct in said Dedham, and having reviewed several spots of ground prepared and shown by tlie inhabitants of said precinct as the place most suitable to build their intended meet- ing-house upon, agreeable to vote of said precinct made February 8, 1 749-50, and after a full hearing of the several persons and parties interested in and inhabitants of said precinct, they agree and determine as follows, namely : We are of the opinion that the same spot of ground that was formerly pitched upon, and re- ported unto by us, is the most suitable and convenient place for said house to be built upon, all the circumstances being consid- ered. All of which is humbly subscribed and determined by us, day and year first above mentioned. The building committee was instructed to proceed forthwith to build on the spot selected by the commit- tee. The lot selected for the meeting-house was of a triangular form, containing about an acre of land. The black oak tree, which stood near the Orthodox church until it was blown down in 1893, was the northern corner of this triangle ; and, as the only landmark re- maining, it is greatly to be regretted that it has been removed. " What landmark so congenial as a tree. Repeating its green legend every spring. And with a yearly ring Recording the fair seasons as they flee, — Type of our brief but still renewed mortality.'' " The meeting-house was placed on the line towards the west, facing north. The land was probably donated to the parish. There is no record of a purchase, al- 34 HISTORY OF DOVER though a committee was chosen, which was authorized to buy a site if necessary. The church was raised August 30, 1750 ; and, as the Rev. Mr. Townsend, of Needham, records this fact, he probably conducted the public exercise. The work of building the meeting-house went on but slowly. The people were poor, and did not build their meeting-house with one appropriation or by contract, but by the labor of farmers busy with their work of planting or harvesting. This work was taken up when no farm work was pressing. There was no matured plan, and the minutest particulars in reference to the arrangement of the building were made by a vote of the precinct. Thus, in 1757, it was voted to have " an alley left in ye meeting-house from ye front doors to ye pulpit." The building was not lathed and plastered until the spring of 1758. Although the meeting-house was not fully finished until seven years afterwards, it was dedicated in the month of December, 1754. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Townsend, of Needham, from the words of the Psalmist, " The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." The aristocracy of the colonial life of New England was most fully manifested within the walls of the meet- ing-house in seating all of the inhabitants in accordance with their rank and position. The attention of the best citizens was directed to the definite arrangement of the congregation, and their best efforts often failed to sat- isfy the people. The social welfare of the parish was often disturbed by differences about apportionment of seats in the meeting-house. BUILDING THE MEETIXG-HOUSE 35 Seats were erected on the first floor in 1758, which were at first but rude benches. Some of the influential famihes, however, occupied chairs ; but, as time went on and the people became able to complete their meeting- house, pews were built by the parish, and permission was given to prominent individuals to build others at their own expense, to be enjoyed by them until reim- bursed by the parish. The pews were very large, and square in form ; and by vote of the parish none were to be occupied by less than three families, and some were large enough to ac- commodate more. As there were seats on three sides, two-thirds of the occupants did not face the minister. King's Chapel, in Boston, which was built the year that the Dover church was organized, illustrates at present the old-fashioned square pew. The exclamation of a little girl who for the first time attended service in one of the old-fashioned meeting-houses gives a word-picture of its square pews : " What, must I be shut up in a closet and sit upon a shelf t " The uncushioned seats were hung on hinges and were turned up during the singing and the long prayer, when the people stood up for a change in the long service, to come down with a bang at its close. The pulpit, which was built by a separate appropria- tion in 1758, v/as high, and was approached by a flight of stairs. The sounding-board, which was then in uni- versal use, was suspended above the pulpit, and helped, as it has been said, to cultivate the imagination of the boys in their speculations as to what would happen to the minister if the chain should break. This building became a meeting-house in reality ; and, as soon as it 36 HISTORY OF DOVER was completed, it was used for all public meetings. The first precinct-meeting was held in the meeting- house December 17, 1755. In 1759 it was voted to put galleries and stairs into the meeting-house, " to be finished in the most prudent and decent manner," and the galleries to be built with only common seats. In 1760 it was voted not to finish the galleries with seats behind, on account of the ex- pense ; but, when a subscription of £,6, 195-., 2d., was made towards the expense, it was unanimously voted. It was also voted that the seats in the body of the meeting-house should be widened and otherwise altered, and that pews should be built on the lower floor in all vacant places. There were galleries on three sides of the meeting- house. In 1776 the singers were given permission by vote of the parish to seat themselves as best suited for singing. They took the gallery in front of the pulpit, which was ever afterwards occupied by the choir. In 1772 the people seemed to have remembered that "a merciful man is merciful to his beast," and Asa Mason and others were given permission to build horse-sheds within the bounds already established on the west side of the parish grounds. Stone steps were voted by the parish in 1773. What was the vexed question of seating the meeting- house, which was always coming up and never settled } It is well explained by Mr. Caulkins in his history of Norwich, Conn. : " When the meeting-house was fin- ished, a committee was appointed to dignify the seats and establish the rule for seating the people. Usually the square pew nearest the pulpit was first in dignity. BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE 37 and next to this came the second pew and the first long seat in front of the pulpit. After this the dignity grad- ually diminished as the pews receded from the pulpit. If the house was furnished, as in some instances, with square pews on each side of the outer door, fronting the pulpit, these were equal to the second or third rank in dignity. The front seat in the gallery and the two highest pews in the side galleries were also seats of con- siderable dignity." The rules for seating were formed on an estimate of age, rank, office, estate, and aid furnished in building the house. These lists were occasionally revised, and the people reseated at intervals of three or four years. Frequent disputes and even long-continued feuds were caused by this perplexing business of seating a congre- gation according to rank and dignity. Nathaniel Battle, John Jones, Eleazer Allen, Dea. Ralph Day, Samuel Metcalf, Joseph Haven, and Heze- kiah Allen were appointed March i6, 1767, to perform the difficult task of "seating the meeting-house." These gentlemen were among the most prominent and influential people in the parish, for " to dignify seats " required much skill and sense of propriety. Our fathers were great respecters of persons, and very desirous that each person should occupy the seat in public worship to which his position entitled him. '• In the goodly house of worship, where in order due and fit, As by public vote directed, classed and ranked the people sit, Mistress first and good wife after, clerkly squire before the clown, From the brave coat, lace-embroidered, to the gray frock shading down." 38 HISTORY OF DOVER This committee was instructed to seat all who were inhabitants of the parish, and who paid a tax on real and personal estates. The "fore-seats," which were the seats of honor in a Puritan meeting-house, were desig- nated as follows : — One on the ground floor and one in the gallery above, together with a side seat in the gallery. The young men occupied rows of seats in one gallery, while the young women had corresponding seats in the opposite gallery. As the long church service was uninteresting to the boys, they had to be constantly watched lest their " breach of the Sabbath " should shock the older people. So they were seated between the poor seats and the side pew, under the inspection of the older people and the young men. The committee, in " dignifying the seats," made certain seats in different localities equal in dignity with others. They thus satisfied the pride of the people, as all could not be placed in the fore-seats. Pews of irregular shape were built in different parts of the meeting-house. Some were square, others oblong, while common seats occupied the remaining space. Pews were assigned to the poor and later to colored people. The parish voted, out of respect to the aged, " that two years should be regarded as equal to one pound or penny in the single rate." After the seating committee had prepared its list and assigned seats to all the inhabitants, their report was read at a public meeting of - the parish May 7, 1767, and, after long waiting and I repeated requests "that if any had anything to say, | or objections to make, they would speak, and no man BUILDING THE MEETIXG-HOUSE 39 speaking one word as to the thing before us, the report of the committee was accepted." Nevertheless, the people were not satisfied ; and in 1769 the parish voted to make alterations in the seating of the meeting-house. About this time the parish was giving more attention to its public schools, and a motion was made to sell the pews to the highest bidder, the money thus raised to be appropriated to the public schools ; but the people were not ready for such a democratic measure. At an adjourned meeting held March 28, 1769, it was voted "that each person may come and choose his seat according to his age and estate." In accordance with this vote the inhabitants were seated as shown in the plans' given at the end of this chapter. March 6, 1772, Dea. Joseph Haven, Dea. Ralph Day, Hezekiah Allen, Jr., Daniel Whiting, Ebenezer Battle, Joseph Draper, Jr., and others were given " liberty to take up one hind seat in the body of seats each side of the alley, and build four pews for their room at their own charge, and enjoy them until said precinct reimbursed the first cost of said pews." The parish for nearly a half century was constantly considering the perplexing question of " seating the meeting-house"; and on the completion of the new house of worship, in 181 2, the inhabitants took this significant action : " Voted to seat the meeting-house for forty years." Families were seated in accordance with the tax paid towards the expense of building. The largest taxpayer had the first choice in his selection, and '• so on down." ' No attempt is made to give the exact size and precise location of all the pews. 40 HISTORY OF DOVER Titles were always prefixed to the names of citizens entitled to them, even in town affairs and in public docu- ments, as they were very proud of any titles they had won. This is illustrated by the town warrant in iSi6 referring to the acceptance of a road laid out by the selectmen "through land of Col. George Fisher's, Lieut. Horace Bacon's, and Dea. Ebenezer Smith's." This meeting-house, which was completed after so much debate, different appropriations, and weary years of toil, served the people comfortably for half a century. In 1809 a committee of seven was chosen to examine the meeting-house and see what repairs were necessary to meet the needs of the people. The committee reported that the building was not worth repairing beyond minor repairs, which the selectmen were author- ized to make, and recommended the building of a new meeting-house at an expense of five thousand dollars. At this time the parish was considering the settlement of a new minister, and many were anxious to have a new meeting-house ; but the people, as usual, were divided in sentiment on the subject. At seven o'clock in the evening of Tuesday, February 13, 18 10, the meeting- house was consumed by fire. Although the selectmen called a district meeting, which was held in the Center schoolhouse on February 21, and a reward of two hundred and fifty dollars was offered for the detection of the person or persons who set fire to the meeting-house, it was an open secret that it was set on fire by the hand of an irresponsible resident of the parish who thought it the best way of settling a difficult question. The last public service held in the old meeting-house I BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE 41 was conducted by the Rev. Stephen Palmer, of Need- ham, the steadfast friend of the society, and their spiritual adviser during the Rev. Mr. Caryl's long and continued illness. Thus, by the hand of an incendiary, was wiped out the meeting-house in which the sacraments were first administered here, in which a fervent prayer was offered for the solace of the wife and children of a minute- man' who was among the first to give his life for this nation. It was in this meeting-house that the Dec- laration of Independence was read to the people as soon as it was received after its acceptance by the Continental Congress. Here for seven years were preached those thrilling words of patriotism which encouraged and cheered the hearts of the people during the Revolution. From this meeting-house how many friends and neighbors had gone out for the last time to sleep in the little burying-ground with the beloved dead of almost a century ! What tender memories cluster around the church of our fathers ! What tender thoughts and emotions arise when we enter the sacred portals where our ancestors for generations have wor- shipped ! How much one loses from his life who breaks off from these tender ties and associations ! What compensates for the separation .■* In view of the fact that their minister was feeble, many trembled for the future of the church ; but the people, full of courage, undertook the task, and raised a meeting-house of much larger dimensions and better architectural proportions than the first. ■ Elias Haven. Killed at the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775. Capt. Hezekiah Allen, Joseph Dra- per, Jeremiah Ha- con. Thomas Rich- ards, Josiah Reed, William Whiting. Samuel Cheney, Asa Mason, II Daniel Haven, John Chickering, John Draper. Front Door. Dea. Ralph Day, Josiah Bacon, Dea. Joseph Ha- Eleazer Allen, ven, Hezekiah Al- Widow Elizabeth len, Jr. Cheney. •'Z . 1 -S Joseph Draper, Jr., Jonathan Whiting, David Fuller. Samuel Metcalf, Kbenezer Battle, Widow INIary Fisher. Door. Aisle. A isle. East Door. Jesse Knapp, Ebenezer Newell. Robert Murdock, Eleazer Allen, Jr. Josiah Briggs, Thomas Merrifield, Joseph Fisher. Seats. 1 Nathan Metcalf, Timothy Merrifield, Theodore Newell. Seats. Samuel Chickering, Samuel Herring, Jonathan Battle. Fore John Mason, Joseph Fisher. Seats. ^ Pulpit. John Jones, Esq., Ephraim Bacon, Josiah Richards. Dea. Joshua Ellis, Nathaniel Wilson, Da\'id Chickering. GROUND FLOOR OF MEETING-HOUSE. Samuel Allen, Thomas Draper, Jeremiah Dean. Seats. Daniel Wliiting, Elias Haven, Samuel JMetcalf, Timothy Allen. Pew. Nathaniel Battle, Daniel Chickering, John Battle, Richard Bacon, Jonathan Day, Asa Richards. fore Seats. ;t^^' bjO - .S W) o s ^ I ^ i S I g II ^^ < w 2; PLAN OF GALLERY. CHArTP:R IV. HOW THEY SECURED A MINISTER. The First Preacher — Letter from the Grand Jury of Suffolk County — Public Worship not Continuous UNTIL 1759 — Application for a Division of First Church Lands — Vote to call a Minister — Joseph Manning — Samuel Dana — ^ Supplies — Call to Ben- jamin Caryl — Organization of the Church. H you traxel through the world well, you may find cities without walls, without literature, without kings, moneyless, and such as desire no coin, which know not what theatres or public halls of bodily exercise mean ; but never was there, nor ever shall there be, any one city seen without temple, church, or chapel. . . . This is that containetli and holdeth together all human society: this is tlie foundation, stay, and prop of all. — Plutarch. An appropriation of twenty-five pounds v^as made November 15, 1749, ^o defray the expenses of three months' preaching ; and Joseph Draper, Ralph Day, and Daniel Wight were chosen a committee to procure a preacher. As the parish was little more than a dozen miles from Harvard College, the committee was not charged with a difficult task. The preachers, for the most part, were young men still in college, who usually rode in on Saturday and returned on Monday, the parish furnishing entertainment. In the years that followed, the preacher sometimes became the district school-teacher during the winter season. These early public services were held in the schoolhouse, which was near the center of the parish, and, although owned by individuals, was used for all public meetings. BO IV THEY SECURED A MINISTER 45 Mr. Thomas Jones was the first preacher. He filled an engagement for the thirteen weeks commencing with the first Sunday in December, 1749. Mr. Jones was born in Dorchester, Mass., and graduated from Harvard College in 1741. Soon after the organization of the church in Stough- ton, in 1744, he was called by the parish to become its pastor ; but the church failed to concur with the parish. He was called to the church at Woburn Precinct, now Burlington, in 1751. He remained pastor of the church until his death, which occurred in 1774. Mr. Jones was stricken with apoplexy in the pulpit just after the morning prayer, and died the same day. His gravestone, erected by the church at Burlington, speaks of him as having " great diligence, integrity, prudence, fidelity, and meekness of wisdom." At the close of Mr. Jones's engagement the Spring- field Parish voted not to have preaching during the summer ; and, as the people were scattered, it is not likely that they took up their worship again in other places. As winter approached, they were again mindful of the need of public worship, and the question of appro- priating money to meet the expenses of preaching came up at a parish meeting, November 8, 1 749 ; but, the vote being a tie, no provision was made to meet the expenses of public worship. During the next few years there seems to have been no public worship. In 1754, this fact having come to the knowledge of the court, the parish was notified that public worship must be maintained or they would be called before the court. Doubtless encouraged by the successful efforts of the 46 HISTORY OF DOVER (ither parishes in Dedham, the people of the Fourth Precinct were more zealous for separating from the mother church than they were to support worship among themselves. The notice from the court seems to have reminded the people of their neglect ; and at a parish meeting held October 17, 1754, the moderate sum of ^13, ^s., 6d. was voted to meet the expenses of two or three months' preaching. In tracing the development of the Dover church we find that in 1755 the public service was increased to four months' preaching in the winter. In 1757 provision was made for six months' preaching, while in 1758 the people were anxious to settle a min- ister and have a continuous Sunday service. Public worship was made permanent in 1759. The parish was not forgetful of the lands that had been laid out from time to time to aid the Dedham church in the support of preaching; and in 1755 the parish appointed Ensign John Jones, Ebenezer Newell, and Lieut. Jonathan Day a committee to make applica- tion to the First Church in Dedham for a division and allowance to this parish of their rights and proportion in the land set apart for the use and improvement of the church. The Dedham church considered the matter, having also petitions from the Norwood, West Dedham, and Walpole churches ; but the requests were so numerous that the church decided not to divide its lands. While the committee was empowered to take all necessary steps to recover their proportional part of all grants to the Dedham church, yet no legal action was taken by the committee, and the matter was dropped. I/OJV THEY SECURED A MINISTER 47 In 1758 the body of the meeting-house having been furnished with seats and a pulpit erected, the parish voted, October 8, to make choice, in the common phrase of the time, of an " orthodox, learned, and pious per- son " to dispense "ye word of God" and administer the special ordinances of the gospel in the parish. Mr. Joseph Manning, of Cambridge, who had been a frequent preacher in the parish, was unanimously chosen as the minister of the society. The persistent efforts of a poor and scattered people in completing their meeting-house, which covered more than ten years, and in settling a minister, which occupied more than twelve years, must not be attributed wholly to the universal piety of the inhabitants. The law required the organization of a church, and their political privi- leges depended upon it. King William approved in 1692 a law by the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay that every town should be constantly provided with an able, learned, and orthodox minister of good conversation, to dispense the word of God ; and, although the people of this parish were freed from the responsibility of contributing and attending the church at Dedham, they were not freed from the responsibility of settling a minister among themselves, as shown in the watchful care of the court. The planting of a meeting-house and the final settle- ment of a minister was the most important step in the history of the town. We have only to carry ourselves back in imagination a hundred and fifty years to realize this. The inhabitants were a scattered people of little education, with a pioneer spirit ; having no public com- munication with the town of Boston ; with few and 48 HISTORY OF DOVER poor highways and bridges, no mail facilities, with only one school kept for a few weeks in the year by an itin- erant schoolmaster in a little schoolhouse owned by indi- viduals, and where the scholars were expected to provide the fuel ; with no physician and little medicine for sick- ness ; few books, no newspapers or magazines ; none of the luxuries of life, and little time for social intercourse. The minister, a man of education and refinement, was settled for life. He was the chief magistrate and instructor, as well as preacher. He settled disputes, gave advice, consulted in sickness, fitted bright boys for college, and gave information on many subjects where knowledge was inaccessible. In short, he was not only a preacher, but stood in the place of all our modern institutions. Mr. Joseph Manning, who was called to the First Parish church, was born in Cambridge, Mass., and grad- uated from Harvard Coliege in 1751. He was chosen by vote of the parish October 18, 1758, and invited to settle March i, 1759, at an annual salary of £66, 13^., \d. As was customary in those days, in order to en- courage the minister to settle, the parish voted to give Mr. Manning, in addition to his salary, ^133, 6s., M., in lawful money, the whole amount to be paid within two years from the date of his settlement. Mr. Manning did not keep the parish in long sus- pense, as the following letter shows : To THE Inhabitants in the West Parish in Dedham. Christian Friends and Brethren,— Having taken into my most serious and prayerful consideration the call you have given me to settle in ye work of ye gospel ministry, I do here send you my answer. I can but heartily rejoice while I consider ye harmonv HOW THEY SECURED A MINISTER 49 subsisting in your parish, and bless God for ye spirit of unity so wonderfully prevailing among you, which, if maintained and pre- served, will undoubtedly facilitate and every way forward ye set- tlement of ye gospel among you. As to your call to me, after weighing matters so far as I am capable, I am obliged to decline accepting it, not being willing to keep you long in suspense, as I was persuaded this would be the result of my thought after ye longest deliberation ; and, lest my undesigned delay should be taken for encouragement, this has occasioned me to speedily an- swer, which, speedy as it is, I trust will not be unexpected to you. Therefore, finally, brethren, live in love and peace, keeping ye unity of ye spirit in ye bond of it. And may ye God of peace be with you, may his peace rest upon you. That ye great Shepherd of ye sheep would in due time give you a pastor after his own heart, a faithful minister of ye New Testament to your spiritual edification and abundant joy and comfort, is and shall be ye prayer of your friend in Christ, Joseph Manning. Cambridge, December 4, 1758. No farther steps were taken to settle a minister for over two years, although there had been continuous preaching by different persons. December 11, 1760, the parish voted to extend a call to Mr. Samuel Dana, who had preached in the parish for four months, on the same salary and conditions as were offered Mr. Manning. There seems to have been opposition to Mr. Dana. At the time of his selection Dea. Joshua Ellis presented a paper, signed by himself and fifteen others, wishing to put on record their dissent from the action of the parish. Daniel Chickering represented the committee chosen to wait on Mr. Dana with the vote of the precinct. Mr. Dana was then preaching in Groton, and Mr. Chickering was paid twelve shillings for carrying the vote of the precinct to him. Mr. Dana 50 HISTORY OF DOVER declined the call, and probably made a verbal reply, as there is no record of any communication from him. Mr. Dana was a man of strong character. He was born in that part of Cambridge which is now Brighton, January 14, 1737. He entered Harvard College at the age of twelve years, and had for classmates President John Adams, Gov. John Wentworth, and other distin- guished men. He was a man of very decided opinion, and the opposition to him was probably on doctrinal grounds. This call was made just after the close of the French and Indian War and earlier than any opposition to the Crown. Mr. Dana was called to the church at Groton, Mass., February 3, 1761. He is said to have sympathized with the Crown, and in March, 1775, preached a sermon in favor of non- resistance. This sermon gave great offence to his people, and on the following Sunday he was not allowed to go into the pulpit. He soon asked for a dismissal, which was granted him by the town. He continued to live in Groton for several years, and for a time preached to an independent congregation which sympathized with him. Mr. Dana read law, and later settled at Amherst, N.H. He was appointed Judge of Probate for Hills- borough County, and died in Amherst, April 2, 1798. The Springfield Parish was fortunate in the men who occupied its pulpit in the years preceding the settlement of a minister. Many were men of deep piety, fine scholarship, and rare ability. These preachers not only developed the character of the people, but in those try- ing times from 1750 to 1760 fostered the spirit of fortitude among them. Perhaps it was too early to awaken a spirit of liberty ; but it came soon after, HOW THEY SECURED A MINISTER 51 and was a marked characteristic of the people. Will- iam Symmes filled an engagement during the winter of 1754-55 ; and, as he also taught the Center School during that period, he must have become well ac- quainted with the people. Following his engagement in the Springfield Parish Mr. Symmes was elected tutor in Harvard College, where he remained for three years. November i, 1758, he was ordained as a minister at Andover, Mass. He preached the election sermon in 1785, and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Harvard in 1803. He died in 1807. Mr. Nathaniel Sherman, who was teaching at West Dedham, was also a preacher here in 1755. Mr. Sherman was born in Newton and graduated from Princeton College in 1753, and was ordained as pastor of the church at Bedford, Mass., February 18, 1756. Settled over the church at Mount Carmel, Conn., May 18, 1768, he remained there until his death, July 18, 1797. The prominent preachers the next year were William Symmes, Thomas Brown, Joseph Cotton, George Minot (Harvard, 1752), Joseph Burbeam, A.M. (Harvard, 1731)- Samuel Locke, A.M., S.T.D., of Lancaster, Mass., preached here for some time. He graduated from Harvard in 1755, was ordained at Sherborn November 7, 1759) ^"d was inaugurated President of Harvard Col- lege March 15, 1770. Other preachers here, for short periods, were as follows : — ■ Peter Thacher Smith, A.M., graduated at Harvard College 1753. A son of the Rev. Thomas Smith, of 52 HISTORY OF DOVER Falmouth, Me. (now Portland). Was ordained minister of the church at Windham, N.H. William Whitwell, A.M., graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1758, and died in 1781, aged forty-five years, in the twentieth year of his ministry. He was set- tled as an assistant to the Rev. John Barnard, of Mar- blehead, August 25, 1762. It is said of Mr. Whitwell that he was "the gentleman and Christian happily united. He was a well-instructed scribe, concise, pertinent, en- lightening, and winning in address on all occasions." Eliab Stone, A.M., was born in Framingham, Mass., May 5, 1737, graduated from Harvard College in 1758, and was ordained minister in Reading, Mass., May 20, 1 76 1. He died in 1822 in the eighty-sixth year of his age and the sixty-second year of his ministry. Samuel Kingsbury, A.M., graduated from Harvard College in 1759. Nathaniel Noyes was born in Newbury, Mass., in 1735, and graduated from Princeton College in 1759. He commenced preaching in 1760, and spent his life chiefly among the destitute. Jonathan Winchester graduated from Harvard College in 1737. He was the first minister at Ashburnham, Mass., where he was ordained in 1760. He died in the seventh year of his ministry, i y^j, greatly lamented. Ezra Thayer was a native of Mendon, Mass.; gradu- ated from Harvard College in 1756. He was ordained at Ware, Mass., January 10, 1759. He died February 17. 1775' in the office. He was a man of pleasing address, and easily won the confidence of the people. Samuel Kingsbury graduated from Harvard in 1759. He preached for a time on the island of Martha's Vine- HOW THEY SECURED A MINISTER ^ yard, and received a call to the First Church in Edgar- town, Mass., which he accepted, and was ordained the 25th of November, 1761. He died in the office December 30, i TJ^, much loved and respected. Thomas Brown was born in Haverhill, and graduated from Harvard College in 1752. He was ordained at Marshfield, Mass., August 21, 1766. He was settled over the church at Westbrook, Me. He continued in the office until his death, October 18, 1797. William Clark, A.M., born July 22, 1740, son of the Rev. Peter Clark, of Salem (now Danvers), graduated from Harvard in 1759, and became an Episcopal clergy- man. He officiated at Ouincy, Mass., in 1767, and the next year went to England to take orders. He was accounted a refugee, and received a pension from the government of Great Britain, and returned to this country after the Revolution. William Goddard, A.M., graduated from Harvard College in 1761. Phineas Whitney, of Weston, graduated at Harvard College in 1759. He was settled over the church at Shirley, Mass., in 1762, and remained pastor for more than fifty years. He was a pious man, a successful minister, and a patriotic citizen during the trying times of the Revolution. Job Whitney, of Marlborough, entered Harvard Col- lege in 1758, and died January 13, 1761. He preached for several months in Brighton, and at the time of his death was preaching as a candidate at Marblehead, Mass. Joseph Dorr, of Mendon, graduated at Harvard in 1755. He was a son of the Rev. Joseph Dorr, for 54 HISTORY OF DOVER many years minister at Mendon. Joseph, Jr., did not enter the ministry, but read law. He was for many years a very prominent citizen of his native town. Timothy Walker, son of the Rev. Timothy Walker, of Concord, N.H., graduated from Harvard in 1756. He did not enter the ministry. He was a patriot of the Revolution, and in 1776 was a member of the Committee of Safety. He commanded a company of minute-men, and served under Sullivan in the campaign at Winter Hill. He read law, and for several years was Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. Having heard supplies through all these years, at a meeting held April 15, 1762, the parish unanimously voted to extend a call to Mr. Benjamin Caryl, who had been a frequent preacher, to settle as their minister. He was offered, as an encouragement to settle, the sum of ^^^ZZ^ 6j-., S^t'., one-half to be paid in one year, and the remainder in two years from his ordination, with a yearly salary of £66, 13^-., A^d., to commence on the lOth of March, 1763. Nathaniel Battle, Dea. Joshua Ellis, Jonathan Whiting, Samuel Chickering, Capt. Hezekiah Allen, were chosen a committee to wait on Mr. Caryl. This call was accepted ; and the parish, in November, organized its church, which it had been so long laboring to establish. CHAPTER V. THE FIRST MINISTER. Benjamin Caryl — Letter of Acceptance — Ordination — A Confession of Faith — Church Covenant — Se- lection OF Deacons — Gift of Land for a Parson- age — Mr. Caryl's Bible — Death of Mr. Caryl — Funeral — -Estimate of his Character — Day of Fasting and Prayer — Gravestone Erected to his Memory. " The man of amplest influence, Whole in himself, a common good, Rich in sa\ing common sense, And, as the greatest only are, In his simplicity sublime." Benjamin Caryl, A.M., was born in Hopkinton, Mass., in 1732, and graduated from Harvard College in 1761. He studied theology with the Rev. Henry Messinger, of WVentham, whose daughter he married soon after his settlement. Although the call extended to him to settle over the Springfield Parish was made early in April, 1762, he did not reply until nearly five months after. He doubtless considered the question in all its bearings, and after much prayer and meditation, as was the custom of the time, saw his lines cast with this people, whom he faithfully served for nearly fifty years as a devoted minister. He beautifully exemplified in his life the truth of the Scripture, " He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Mr. Caryl accepted the call of the parish the 5th of September, 1762, in the following letter : — 56 HISTORY OF DOVER To THE People of the Springfield Parish in Dedham, Greeting : Christian Friends, — I hope I am in some measure sensible of the overruling providence of God in all things, and willing to hear and obey his voice to me therein. Especially would I at this time acknowledge and view the providence of God, both in so far uniting your hearts to invite me to carry on the great work of the gospel ministry among you and in inclining my heart to accept of your invitation. And I desire to bless God that, after so much pains taken to know my duty, I am so well satisfied with the clearness of my call to settle among you in the work of the ministry, though I hope I am sensible of my own unfitness, unpreparedness, and in- sufficiency for these things ; but being fully persuaded ye Christ as king and head of his church has appointed and established the office of ye ministry to continue in a constant succession to the end of time, and has promised to be with his faithful ambassa- dors always to the end of the world, I do therefore, humbly leaning on Christ's strength, seriously comply with your desire to take upon me the office of a pastor and to administer Christ's ordinances among you. And as, I hope, I do this with a desire for and aim at the glory of God and our own mutual good, so let your fervent prayers to God be that he would qualify me for this work and adorn me with all needful ministerial gifts and grace, that I may be a work- man that need not be ashamed, and that I may be prospered in my labors among you, if it be his will to place me as a laborer among you, and that we may live in love and peace as followers of the meek and lowly Jesus, that another day we may appear before him with joy and not with grief. Thus, asking your prayers, I rest, Your humble servant, Dedham, September 5, 1762. THE FIRST MINISTER 57 Dr. Samuel Williams, the famous Vermont editor, and a classmate of Benjamin Caryl's at Harvard College, left some curious notes on the Commencement programme of his class in 1761, in which he picked out six men whom he judged "to be the most advantageous men to the Commonwealth of any in the class, but not to be in the most honorable stations therein." Speaking of Benjamin Caryl, whom he included in this list, he says, " an extraordinary genius, a good scholar and com- panion." It is to be remembered that the man who made this estimate of Mr. Caryl was himself a fine scholar. He received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the Uni- versity of Edinburgh, and became a member of several learned societies abroad. The parish voted October 11, 1762, to ordain Mr. Caryl on the loth of the following month; and a vote of thanks was extended to John Battle, who had gen- erously offered to entertain the council at his own ex- pense. As ministers in those days were settled for life, an ordination was of no common occurrence, and was always attended by a large number of people. This was no exception. A West Dedham lad, who wanted to attend the services but did not know the way, was told to go out to the highway and simply follow the crowd and he would have no difficulty in finding the place. On the Sunday previous to Mr. Caryl's ordination a meet- ing was held, perhaps at the house of Dea. Joshua Ellis, where a church organization was formed, which con- sisted of fifteen male members. The church was " em- bodied " by the Rev. Mr. Balch, of the Dedham 58 HISTORY OF DOVER Second Parish (Norwood). An account of the ordi- nation and the names of these "foundation men" who orc-anized the church cannot be given, as the church records previous to 1812 were lost in the destruction of the Rev. Dr. Sanger's house in 1857. It will be seen that the parish antedates the church by thirteen years. After the organization of the church the company probably repaired to the meeting- house, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Balch. A copy of a " Confession of Faith " and a " Church Covenant " in Mr. Caryl's handwriting were found in the old parsonage a few years since. They may or may not be a copy of those adopted and used by the church, but are given as illustrating the strong Calvinistic doctrine of the time. CONFESSION OF FAITH. You believe the mysterious doctrine of the ever-adorable trinity, one eternal God in three persons, — God the Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting, the creator, preserver, and governor of all things visible and invisible ; God the Son, the only Saviour and Redeemer of God's elect ; and God the Holy Ghost, the sanctifier, quickener, and comforter of God's children. You believe the persons to be the same in substance, equal in power and glory, as the Scriptures testify. You believe that God the Father sent his son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners, and that the Lord Jesus Christ assumed the human nature into a personal union with his divine, to accomplish the redemption of fallen man. You believe in the death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. You believe that there is no salvation to be had any other way but in and by the merits and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that in a way of faith, repentance, and gospel obedience, wholly exclusive of self- righteousness. You believe the Scriptures to be the word of God THE FIRST MINISTER 59 given by inspiration, and the gospel to be true and faithful sayings. You believe the certainty of a future state in the other world, that there is a world of inconceivable happiness and glorious rewards for all such as do truly fear God and obey the gospel of his Son, and that there is a world of unspeakable misery for the wicked and ungodly. You believe that as all men have sinned so they must die or suffer a change equivalent thereto. You believe in the immortality of the soul and the eternity of heaven's joys and hell's torments. You believe the doctrine of the resurrection of the body and of the great and awful day of judgment, when the glorious Lord Jesus shall lae revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power, when he shall be glorified in his saints and adored in them that believe. Amen. THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT. You are now, in the presence of God, to attend unto this most gracious covenant and by his grace to give your most hearty consent thereto. You do now, in the presence of God, his holy angels, and this assembly, in a most serious and solemn manner, according to the terms and tenor of the new and everlasting covenant, take the only living and true God to be your God, the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Saviour, prophet, priest, and king, and the Holy Spirit to be your teacher, sanctifier, guide, and comforter ; and you farther promise, in a solemn manner (through God's assistance), that you will walk sincerely and upright all your days, in obedience to all his holy commandments as they are or shall be made known to you from time to time. You do also give up yourself to this church in the Lord, and, according to the will of God, promising and covenanting to cleave to us and to walk together with us, as an instituted church of Christ, engaging, by his grace, that in the communion 6o HISTORY OF DOVER of the church you will attend upon the ordinance of the gospel, to be there edified in your most holy faith as opportunity may convenience, and as long as God shall please to continue you and the gospel ordinances among us. You do also promise to walk orderly in time of fellowship and communion with all the church of Christ amongst us according to the rules of the holy order which God hath appointed, that the Lord may be one and his home one in all churches throughout all generations, to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, our exalted Redeemer. THIS YOUR PROMISE. We, then, of this church, do joyfully and charitably receive you unto our holy communion and fellowship ; and I do promise unto you, in the name of the church, that we, by the assistance of divine grace, will discharge all duties toward you that are incum- bent on us, that we will pray with and walk toward you in brotherly love and holy, to the mutual building up of one another in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. Amen. It is worthy of note that the churches of New England have been slowly evolved, from one institu- tion in the early time, into a group of institutions, for the promotion of religion, morality, charity, education, missionary effort, social refinement, literary culture, and civic reform. Ralph Day and Joseph Haven, two of the most prominent and respected citizens of the parish, were chosen deacons, and continued in the office during their lives. Deacons, in the early time, had not only regular duties on the Sabbath and special duties at the com- munion service, but also took charge of prudential affairs and looked after the poor of the parish. In THE FIRST MINISTER 6i accordance with custom the two deacons were seated together in the meeting-house. They had charge of the vessels used in the communion service, and usually furnished the sacramental wine, the congregation or members contributing towards its purchase. The com- munion vessels were usually of pewter, and, not being of much value, were kept in the meeting-house. In 1767 the parish voted to build a chest in the pew next to the pulpit on the east side, for the church vessels and cushions. The deacons had general charge of the church, and were expected to take up all contributions. The next month after his ordination, December 9, 1762, Mr. Caryl married Mrs. Sarah (Messinger) Kelloch, widow of Dr. Cornelius Kelloch, of Wren- tham ; and thus commenced his family and parish life in this community. Mr. Caryl purchased the home of Daniel Wight, and in 1777 built the parsonage which is still standing on Dedham Street, unchanged except by time. It was doubtless intended that the minister should build on Walpole Street, where eighteen acres and twenty- eight rods of land near the house of Thomas Coughlan had been set apart for a parsonage. To this grant Jere- miah Fisher added two acres ; Michael Dwight, two acres; Henry Dewing, one acre; Samuel Chickering, two acres ; Dea. Ephraim Wilson, two acres ; and Na- thaniel Wilson, fifteen rods, — making a total of twenty- seven and one-fourth acres and three rods. This land is now known as the "parish wood-lot." Mr. Caryl was a man of marked individuality, and must have exerted a strong influence in the develop- 62 HISTORY OF DOVER ment of the parish and in awakening that remarkable patriotism which was manifested during the Revolution. He was modest and retiring in his disposition, and seldom went abroad, spending his whole life in a rare devotion to his people. At a time when religion was at its lowest ebb, Mr. Caryl caused the family altar to be set up in nearly every home, and it is recorded that at one time there were only two prayerless fami- lies in the whole parish. The Revolutionary War seemed for a time to have had a demoralizing effect on the religious life of the people. There was a dread of religion and great hesitation in professing it, yet out of the spirit of independence was born the liberal church of America. His sermons were largely an exposition of Scripture, and were not of unusual length. One hundred and four persons united with the First Parish Church during his ministry. Mr. Caryl is said to have been remarkably gifted in prayer. He was an earnest and sincere preacher, but had no general knowledge of literature. His library, it was said by a witty lawyer, " consisted of a Bible, a Concordance, and an old jack-knife." The Dover His- torical Society has recently come into possession of the family Bible used by Mr. Caryl during his entire min-" istry. This Bible was doubtless used in the church service. Perhaps at first there was no public reading of the Bible. The neighboring town of Framingham did not have the public reading of the Scriptures until 1792. The Brattle Street Church in Boston was the first Congregational church in New England to introduce THE FIRST MINISTER 63 the reading of the Bible into the church service. Mr. Caryl was connected with his people for forty-nine years, and during the trying times of the Revolution made many personal sacrifices. He took charge of the schools, and fitted the bright boys for college ; and some who had already taken their degrees came to him to study theology. With little increase in wealth or population in the parish, Mr. Caryl labored until nearly eighty years of age. During the last few years of his life he was unable to visit his people or even take part in public worship ; yet the parish gave him a prompt and gen- erous support to the end of his life, as due to one who had labored so long and faithfully among them. In the fall of 1809 the church elected Mr. John Brewer as a colleague, to be settled with the Rev. Mr. Caryl. The district concurred with the church in the choice of Mr. Brewer, and January 3, 18 10, selected a com- mittee to wait on him and receive any proposition he- might wish to make to the parish. He was offered a salary of five hundred and fifty dollars and the use of the church wood-lot. Mr. Brewer considered the invi- tation favorably ; but the destruction of the meeting- house a few weeks later brought this matter to an abrupt ending, as he thought the people in too humble circumstances to build a meeting-house and support a minister at the same time. The church in Needham and the church in Dover were associated churches ; that is, the pastors preached for each other the lecture previous to communion, and were thus closely associated together. 64 HISTORY OF DOVER During the last few years of Mr. Caryl's life the Rev. Stephen Palmer, of Needham, performed parochial duties in Dover, not only in visiting the sick, burying the dead, and performing marriage ceremonies, but also as a frequent preacher. June i6, 1813, the church extended a vote of thanks to Mr. Palmer "for his services and kind attentions." Mr. Caryl died November 14, 181 1, and was buried four days later, just at the entrance of the little burying- ground, which was near the spot where he had given nearly a half century of labor. " You can see his leaning slate In the graveyard, and thereon Read his name and date." At the funeral service the Rev. Thomas Thatcher, of West Dedham, made the introductory prayer. The Rev'. Dr. Thomas Prentis, of Medfield, preached the sermon, from 2 Cor. iv. 7. The Rev. Jabez Chickering, of South Dedham (Norwood), made the concluding prayer. The History of the Mendon Association of Ministers, published in 1853, thus speaks of him: — No obituary of Mr. Caryl was ever published. But his report is of a goodly savor. He was greatly beloved by all, and his memory is cherished with affection and respect. All are uniform in testifying that he was a good man and thoroughly orthodox. He was remarkably gifted in prayer. When he delivered his message, the tears were often seen to roll down his cheeks. He kept himself very much at home, seldom attending public meet- ings abroad. He drew as little from books as any man of his time. His sermons were written in a very legible hand, and the style is quite perspicuous. But one of them — a Thanksgiving sermon — was ever published. THE FIRST MINISTER 65 The Rev. Emerson Davis, of New Britain, Conn., in his manuscript History of Congregational Ministers, gives this brief account of Mr. Caryl : — He was laid aside two and a half years previous to his decease. He is said to have been a man of great firmness, and that such was his zeal for the purity of religion he would have died as a martyr upon the scaffold in defence of it if it had seemed necessary. At this distance of time, in the absence of all records, few additional facts can be gathered which throw light on the life and work of Mr. Caryl. His intimate friend, the Rev. Mr. Palmer, of Needham, thus spoke of him in his sermon at the dedication of the new meeting-house : — This excellent man, this firm and unshaken friend of Zion, deserves an honorable mention on this occasion. It is now more than forty-eight years since he entered upon the duties of the pastoral office. He has therefore been long in the vineyard of Christ, and we feel fully authorized to say that it has been his uniform endeavor to be a faithful laborer. The piety of his heart, the soundness of his doctrines, and the integrity of his life, who can question, who can impeach? In him we behold "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." January 2, 1812, was appointed as a day of fasting and prayer throughout the parish in memory of Mr. Caryl. Public exercises were held in the meeting-house ; and several clergymen of the Norfolk Congregational Asso- ciation of Ministers, of which he was a member, took part. After these exercises, in which the people re- called his faithful labors, his many virtues, his sterling 66 HISTORY OF DOVER character, his self-sacrifice in times of trial and danger, and withal his rare devotion to a humble people, they went home to erect affectionately to his memory a stone which bears the following inscription : — In memory of REV. BEN J. CARYL, who died Nov. 14, 181 1. Aged 80 years and in the 50th year of his ministry. " The fathers, where are they ? And the prophets, do they live forever 1 " Erected by the request and at the expense of his society. chaptp:r VI. SOCIAL LIFE AND CONDITIONS. Old Families — Books and Newspapers — Uncom- fortable Meeting-houses — Farm Life — Quilt- ing — Flowers — Old Houses — House-furnishings — Wooden Plates — Price of Farm Products — Travel — ■' Bundle Handkerchiefs " — Life among THE BOVS AND GiRLS. " In ev-ery virtue lies concealed A latent vice, which might have ruled. In every vice a virtue hides, Which needed only to be schooled.'" At the time of the Rev. Mr. Caryl's settlement, in 1762, the parish contained forty-nine houses and three hundred and fifty-tv^^o inhabitants, all subjects of King George III. There was no village, or central settle- ment ; and scattered over the entire territory — a charac- teristic which has continued to the present time - — were the lonely farms of the Wilsons, the Fullers, the Days, the Richardses, the Wights, the Newells, the Fishers, the Ellises, the Whitings, the Chickerings, the Battles, the Bacons, the Joneses, the Aliens, the Masons, the Gays, the Drapers, the Guys, the Cheneys, the Metcalfs, and the Bullards. What was the life of this scattered settlement ? We know little of the neighborly feeling that existed among them. They were in some respects like one large family, visiting, helping, co-operating with one another, 68 HISTORY OF DOVER especially in seasons of sickness, bereavement, or fes- tivity. In those clays there was only one newspaper in New England, and it was quite unlike the newspapers of to-day. It had a very small circulation, and probably had not a reader or subscriber in the Springfield Parish of Dedham. This was the age of pamphlets, when Paine, Jeffer- son, and Franklin issued their wonderful productions, which did so much to foster and stimulate the spirit of independence. Books were scarce ; but the few read were good, as only books of great literary merit were brought across the Atlantic. The Bible was in every home, and read above all other books. The catechism, Watts's Hymns, and the almanac, were next in importance. There were no daily newspapers. The first daily newspaper was published in London in 1702, and the first attempt in the United States was made some ninety years later. The Boston Daily Advertiser, although not the first newspaper published in America, is, nevertheless, one of the oldest newspapers in the country. Weekly papers were issued previous to this time, but had a limited circulation. During Mr. Caryl's time a news- paper was a rarity, much talked about and carefully treasured. What would our modern life be without a daily newspaper } It is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, guiding and inspiring nations as well as individuals. Farmers gathered at the tavern to get the news from those who, returning from Boston, tarried to get a mug of flip or blackstrap and to relate whatever of interest they had learned at the metropolis. Before the day of X o s m r ^ 1 o ^ , iT] > t» ap I SOCIAL LIFE AND CONDITIONS 69 newspapers and magazines the minister was a person of vast and controlling influence in every community. The Sunday sermon, for the most part, was all the people had to think about during the week. The people of the Springfield Parish were fortunate in living near Boston, the center of civilization in New England. Seated in the comfortable churches of to-day, we cannot realize the discomforts of the church service of a hundred and fifty years ago in the unheated meeting-house in bitter weather, which grew colder and colder as the season advanced. The women tried to make the service endurable by means of little metal foot-stoves, encased in a frame and filled with live coals, which gave forth a little heat ; but, strange as it may seem, there was strong opposition to the introduction of stoves into the meeting-house, and it was only after various attempts that the Dover Parish voted to intro- duce them. The first Sunday on which stoves were placed in the meeting-house Major Burridge did not return to the afternoon service because, he said, the heat gave him a headache. Imagine his surprise, how- ever, when he learned that on that occasion no fire was kindled in them. Before the introduction of stoves into the meeting- house it was customary to have the " noon house," where the members of the congregation who lived at a distance could spend the noon hour and eat their lunch, which usually consisted of rye bread, cheese, and cider gingerbread. Here the women replenished their foot-stoves for the afternoon service, and all engaged in the idle gossip of the neighborhood. The yo HIS TORY OF DOVER men gathered around the blazing fire in the bar-room of Newell's inn, and ate gingerbread and cheese. In summer the women strolled through the burying- ground, and read on the gravestones, year by year, the added names of neighbors and friends. The farmers of this parish were a happy people, who owned the humble homes they lived in and the land they cultivated for a support. Their linen was made from the garden fla.x, and their clothes from cloth of which the material was spun, woven, and dyed by the hands of the busy housewife. The cutting of ship- timber, the burning of charcoal, the clearing and tilling of the land, kept busy the happy yeomen. In winter they were engaged in ox-teaming from Dover to Boston. Here they found a sale for their timber, as Boston, then a city of less than twenty thousand population, was largely engaged in ship-building and had many sails upon the water, — " The men of yore were stout and poor, And sailed for bread to every shore." A hundred years ago farmers were very careful of wood, fearing the supply would be exhausted. One resident of Strawberry Hill said, "Wood would be awful high when it was all gone." Those who know how easily birch-bark kindles, and how difficult it is to burn green birch-wood, on account of the great amount of sap it holds, will appreciate the following : A Dover farmer took a load of green birch- wood to market. A purchaser appeared who asked what kind of wood it was. " Well," said the farmer, " it will light the quickest and last the longest of any SOCIAL LIFE AND CONDITIONS 71 wood you ever bought." Thinking these desirable qual- ities, the customer immediately closed the bargain ; and the wood was delivered. He did not fail, however, to call on the farmer the next time he was in town, and confirm the truth of the recommendation. On another occasion a farmer took a load of poplar- wood to Boston. Struck by the straightness of the grain and the whiteness of the wood, a customer was prompted to ask if it was walnut, to which question the farmer replied that it was jwt walnut. " Knot walnut } " said the man, " I never heard of that kind before " ; and, learning the price, which the shrewd farmer placed a little above ordinary walnut, he immediately engaged the load, and ordered it delivered at his door. The process of filtering cider through sand was called " running it through sand." A farmer supplied Boston market with cider " run through sand " by merely running his horses over the sandy road between Dover and Needham. The same farmer, having a quantity of strong vine- gar, extended it with an equal quantity of water. A customer tested it, and remarked, " It seems to me this vinegar is watered." "Well," said the farmer, "if it contains one drop of water, it is half water." Failing to realize that it could be watered to such an extent, it was purchased at the full market price. In the busy season there was little to break the monotony of daily life, but in the winter-time there was much visiting among the neighbors. The women gave many tea-parties, to which the men were usually invited in the evening ; and these parties did much to lighten labor and privation. The women early sought the co- 72 JIISrOKY OF DOVER operation of their neighbors in quilting-parties. At odd times small pieces of calico were cut in various shapes and sewed together. This work furnished an opportu- nity for the display of taste ; and these quilts, when completed, were often quite beautiful and artistic. The women acquired great skill in the use of the needle, and found time to embroider dainty articles and to put into home-made linen such tiny stitches as would almost defy the skill of seamstresses of to-day. The early settlers found ample occupation for the employment of their time in supplying the necessaries fl of life. Nevertheless, they did not wholly ignore the aesthetic part of their natures. The love of flowers is one of the most spontaneous of emotions. They were first cultivated in the vicinity by Indians ; and the beau- tiful roses which grew on the " Indian farm," just across the line in Natick, were especially sought and admired. It is a touching fact that in the hard and stern life of our fathers time and a place were found for the flower-garden, which was the special care of the women of the household, and was the only pleasure-ground of the estate. How anxiously the women watched the little slip or cutting, which by skilful hand was rooted into plant or flower! Alice Morse Earle says, "A garden was cer- tainly the greatest refreshment to the spirit of a woman in the colonial days and the purest of her pleasures, too often her only pleasure." How carefully they cultivated such herbs as were used for "physick," — bloodwort, wormwood, savory, thyme, sage, spearmint, rue, pennyroyal, fennel, cori- ander, dill, tansy, and anise ! SOCIAL LIFE AND CONDITIONS 73 " They hold a cure for every ill, A balm for every woe, When gathered in the morning dew, — The herbs of long ago." With what pains they grew the fragrant lavender, which, when dried, was put among their linen ! With what symmetry the box border was placed beside the path in the front yard, and the lilac-bush, the flowering currant, and the blush "rose, the white rose, and the cinnamon rose were arranged upon the grounds ! What a succession of hardy flowers appeared dur- ing the spring and autumn, — the white and yellow daffy, the tulip, the peony, honeysuckle, fleur-de-lis, lady's-delight, canterbury-bell, French pinks, larkspur, tiger-lily, verbena, hollyhock, yellow marigold, sweet- william, phlox, petunia, portulacca, candytuft, gilly- flower, sun-flower, polianthus, poppy, lupine, balsam, stock, aster, bachelor's-button, chrysanthemum, and cockscomb ! Even the English leek was planted on the rocks, and sad, indeed, was the fate of that house- hold when a leek was allowed to blossom ; for, in the vernacular of their superstition, it was set down as a sure indication of a death in the family. W'ho can esti- mate the pleasure, the aesthetic value, and the impor- tance of the flower-garden in their humble lives '^. Some curious customs prevailed. On Candlemas Day they ate rye pancakes, in the belief that whoever did so would not want for money during the year. The custom was largely observed and is still kept up by some families in remembrance of a past generation. Although widely scattered, theirs was not the isolated life of the farmers of to-day in the Dakotas or Nebraska, 74 HISTORY OF DOVER who, coming from many lands and climes, have nothing in common in history or ancestry. The people of the Springfield Parish were largely descended from the early settlers in Dedham ; and, whenever they met, they had a common past to talk about. In their isolation the life of the women was blessed through the handicraft of the age, which really added to their comfort, intelligence, and contentment. In this respect they were better off than the women of the pioneer homes of to-day, w^here the sound of the spin- ning-wheel is never heard, and where the stockings and clothes, together with other articles, are purchased ready-made. Some of the houses built by the early settlers are still standing, — as the Glassett house, 1 748 ; the Arnold Wight house, 1755 ; the George E. Chickering house, 1769. The first houses were built on hill-tops to avoid the gloom of the forest, and universally faced the south, no matter which way the road ran, with roofs slanting in the rear to within a few feet of the ground. If painted at all, red was used. Previous to the Revo- lution, houses were seldom painted white, and the diamond-shaped window-pane was almost universal. The large chimney in the center of the house was con- spicuous, and usually furnished three fireplaces in as many rooms on the first floor. Every window on the south side of the house was a sun-dial, and by means of a " noon mark " told twelve o'clock with the accuracy of a chronometer. The sleeping-rooms were without means of heating ; and in sickness, or when a guest was present in winter, SOCIAL LIFE AND COXDITIONS 75 the warming-pan, a shallow brass pan with a heavy cover, was brought into use. The beds were of feathers, and rested on a sack of straw. The bedstead was of maple, and was corded with a small rope stretched crosswise, which held the bedstead firmly together. The bedstead and the chest of drawers were the most important articles of furniture in every house. The kitchen was one of large dimensions, whose fire- place was furnished with andirons, crane, pothooks and trammels ; while the shovel, tongs, poker, and bellows were at hand. The wooden settle, of which there are some fine specimens in town, stood near the fireplace. The brick oven was a much-used contrivance, and when heated with fagots furnished a complete system for baking. Here were baked the pumpkin pies, the Indian puddings, the brown bread, and pork and beans which have made New England famous. In kindling the fire the tinder-box was often brought into use, a spark being struck with a flint-and-steel, and a bit of the tinder lighted, which in turn kindled a bit of wood which had previously been tipped with brimstone. At bedtime the embers were carefully covered with ashes, and usually kept until morning ; but, when the fire was lost and the tinder was damp, somebody had to go to the nearest house to get a live coal, which was carried with a pair of tongs. There was no carpet on the floor of the "best room," but numerous braided rugs of a variety of colors, a table, and high-backed, splint-bottomed chairs. The simple furniture in these early homes was all brought over from England, many pieces of which, made of choice wood, are still in existence in the homes of those descended from these settlers. 76 HISTORY OF DOVER Wooden bowls, plates, and spoons were used, with pewter platters and porringers. The introduction of tea and coffee, which was drunk from cups and sau- cers, banished the porringer. When first introduced, crockery plates were objected to because it was thought they dulled the knives. The kitchen was usually furnished with two spinning- wheels, a small one for flax and a large one for wool, on which was spun the linen thread and woollen yarn which by means of hand-looms was woven into cloth. Once a year the itinerant tailoress and shoemaker visited the home to make up a year's supply of clothes and shoes. Around the kitchen were hung, in early autumn, a year's supply of fragrant herbs, dried apples, red pep- pers, and selected ears of seed-corn, together with a supply of crookneck squashes, which sometimes kept in sound condition during the entire year ; and an abun- dant supply of cranberries were at hand. The cheese-press was placed in a little room adjoining the kitchen ; and there was made the wholesome cheese, which, taken from the press, was placed upon shelves, and daily turned and buttered. In those days no butcher made triweekly rounds ; and the farmer had little fresh meat except at pig-killing, or when a lamb, or calf, or steer was slaughtered. An exchange of meat was often made with a neigh- bor, and in this way the supply was extended over a large part of the year. Much rye and cornbread and many vegetables were eaten. Potatoes were very spar- ingly partaken of at first, as they were thought to be poisonous. The few left over in the spring were care- fully buried lest they should be eaten by a horse or SOCIAL LIFE AND CO ADDITIONS 77 COW. Apple-sauce, sometimes called apple-butter, which was made by boiling unfermented cider down almost to a syrup, in which the pared and quartered apples were placed, together with some quinces for flavoring, made a very appetizing preserve. As the early houses had no underpinning, when winter approached they were banked up with leaves, sawdust, or earth, for warmth and protection to the roots, fruit, cider, and other articles which were stored in the cellar. The early settlers did not cultivate a great variety of fruit. Their apple and pear trees, some specimens of which are still standing, were grown from seeds brought over from England. The thrifty farmer made ample provision for housing his stock and protecting his hay, wagons, and farming tools in large and well-kept barns and sheds, which were often in better repair than the house, and were the admiration of foreigners. In those days there was no application of science to agriculture, no special adaptation of the plant to the soil. In haying-time the farmer commenced to mow with his scythe by four o'clock in the morning. The grass was all spread, turned, and raked by hand. The fields were broken up and the sward turned under by means of a wooden or wrought-iron plough, which was made by the town blacksmith. The ground was pulverized for planting by means of cross-ploughing and the use of the toothed harrow, which is now used only in seeding. All hoeing was done by hand, and the farmer was given to hilling rather than to level culture. Travel was largely on horseback ; and many now in middle life can remember the horse-blocks, which were placed at convenient points in town to assist in mount- 78 HISTORY OF DOVER ing and dismounting from the saddle or the pillion hung across the horse's back. The price of farm products fluctuated greatly accord- ing to local abundance or scarcity. As the price of commodities was very low, there was little money with which to purchase anything more than the bare neces- saries of life. Farmers' families had an abundance of everything which could be grown or produced, but there was little bought for the household. Wild game was plentiful. A record made in the winter of 1752-53 says "plenty of pigeons." In the spring there was an abundance of fish in the Charles River. The wild pigeon has become almost extinct, while thirty years ago flocks of fifty or more were seen feeding on the blueberries in swamps. Wages were very low : farm hands were paid from thirty-three to fifty cents a day, while well-grown lads received from four to five dollars a month. Men often labored a day for a " sheep's head and pluck." Milk sold for two cents a quart, and butter for thirteen cents a pound. Apples were worth twelve and a half cents a bushel. The use of a yoke of oxen for a day was twenty-five cents. Shoes cost sixty cents a pair to make, and board was one dollar a week. We often read of the bundle handkerchief as though it was an institution peculiar to Salem. It was com- monly used in Dover early in the present century. It was doubtless originally introduced into Salem, like blue china and preserved ginger, through the East India trade. As its name indicates, the bundle handkerchief was used for enclosing all sorts of things, and came into daily use in neighborhood visits, in shopping, and for all purposes for which travelling-bags are now employed. SOCIAL LIFE AND CONDITIONS 79 These handkerchiefs were made of a variety of material, — silk and linen for visiting purposes, while for ordi- nary use they were made of remnants of various kinds. The boys labored with their fathers on the farm with- out compensation until they reached their majority ; and the girls assisted their mother in the housework, which, in addition to the ordinary work of to-day, embraced every form of spinning and weaving cotton, wool, and flax, knitting, tailoring, making men's underclothing, quilts, comforters, dyeing, making of soap, candles, yeast, browning of coffee, drying of fi*Liit and vegetables, and pickling and salting of meats. The monotony of the farm-life for boys and girls was broken only by a few months of the most elementary schooling in the winter season, they having earned the privilege of going to school by doing " chores " in the morning and again at evening. There was no effort made to furnish amusement for the children. On the contrary, they were taught, as soon as they were able, to work. Later they were entertained with stories of Moll Pitcher, an uncanny woman of Salem, who was supposed once in a while to travel through this region. In the early fall the boys trapped the rabbit and partridge, and later, in company with their fathers and elder brothers, fished for pickerel through the ice. When the snow lay hard and smooth on the highway, or deep and crusted in the fields, was the time for moonlight slides. Then the boys and girls on impro- vised sleds coasted down the steepest hills. During the winter months singing-schools were held in the schoolhouse, and spelling-schools also, where the So HISTORY OF DOVER l)est spellers chose their sides, and all stood up in rivalry to spell each other down. In the fall, under the harvest moon, frequent husking- parties were given, where in shed or barn the merry huskers, with the girls of the neighborhood, carried out in spirit Whittier's huskers' song : — " Heap high the farmer's wintry hoard, Heap high the golden corn ; No richer gift has Autumn poured From out her lavish horn. " Let earth withhold her goodly root, Let mildew blight the rye, Give to the worm the orchard's fruit, The wheatfield to the fly : " But let the good old crop adorn The hills our fathers trod ; Still let us, for his golden corn. Send up our thanks to God." CHAPTER VII. COLONIAL CONTESTS. Earlv Military Organization — Louisburg — Crown Point — Repeal of the Stamp Act— -Sons of Lib- erty — Boston Tea-party — Committee appointed to SEE THAT No TeA WAS DRUNK IN THE SPRINGFIELD Parish — Vote not to purchase Imported Articles - — Committee of Correspondence — Tories. " My country, 't is of thee. Sweet land of liberty, — Of thee I sing: Land where my fathers died. Land of the pilgrims' pride. From every mountain side Let freedom ring! " As Dov^er was only a parish in Dedham, and unrecog- nized in any official records, it is impossible to make its history as complete as that of an incorporated town ; yet we have made as full a record as possible of the noble part our fathers bore in the colonial contests and in the great struggle for American independence. The children in our public schools will find in this local history the successive steps for independence, which are referred to in their school histories as the work of a few leaders, participated in by their own ancestors in the Dedham town-meeting. While the French were striving to gain supremacy in New England, their Indian allies were constantly engaged in petty border wars on the frontier, surprising 82 HISTORY OF DOVER lonely hamlets, slaughtering many women and children, and torturing to death many fighting-men. To meet the dangers to which they were exposed, a militia was maintained for many years. Sometimes the residents of several parishes united to form a company. Such an organization existed in West Dedham as late as 1754, and the following residents of the Springfield Parish were members of the company under Capt. Joseph Richards : — John Jones, Ensign. John Chickering, Sergeant. Hezekiah Allen, Jr., Oliver Bacon, Corporals. Jonathan Bullard, Daniel Whitings William Whiting, Ebenezer Battle, Daniel Chickering, Eliphalet Chickering, Josiah Fisher, John Battle, John Mason, James Draper, Timothy Guy, Prh'afes. Ezra Gay, Samuel Chickering, Nathaniel Wilson, John Griggs, Joseph Draper, Ralph Day, Joshua Ellis, Jonathan Whiting, Richard Bacon, Jonathan Battle, Jr., Ephraim Bacon, John Draper, Jr., Jonathan Whiting, Jr., Lemuel Richards, Thomas Draper, Joseph Draper, Jr., Thomas Richards, Hezekiah Allen, Jonathan Battle, Eleazer Allen, Samuel Metcalf, Joseph Chickering. A Dedham company probably took part at Louisburg in 1758, as the records of the Second Parish (Norwood) show that five residents of that parish, in addition to the minister, the Rev. Mr. Balch, who was a chaplain, were officers in a company. Among so many officers there must have been some privates. All the Dedham parishes were doubtless represented in the signal vic- tory at Louisburg, but the names of soldiers cannot J COL ONI A L CONTES TS 83 be given. In the contest at Crown Point, N.Y., in 1755, Daniel Whiting and Timothy Guy took part in Capt. William Bacon's company. Others were engaged at different times and places as follows : Timothy Ellis, Lemuel Richards, David Cleaveland, Hezekiah Gay, Thomas Larrabee, and Ephraim Richards. We must remember that the people were now poor, that they had little more than the necessities and lesser comforts of life. They were engaged in clearing and subduing lands, and not in those trades which create wealth. They were making it possible for the colony to grow and flourish. There was not a man in all New England who would be considered rich in England. Burke in 1 763 said, " Some of the most considerable provinces of America, such, for instance, as Massachu- setts Bay and Connecticut, have not in each of them two men who can afford at a distance from their estates to spend a thousand pounds a year," and, as an argu- ment against the thought of their representation, said, " How can these provinces be represented at Westmin- ster .-' " Dr. Franklin testified in 1766, " In my opinion there is not gold and silver enough in the colonies to pay the stamp duty for one year." The colonies were forced to trade with England to such an extent that Burke said, " The north provinces import from Great Britain ten times more than they send in return to us." This occasioned shortness in gold and silver, and most of the trade consequently among individuals was by barter. Massachusetts, with a population of two hun- dred and forty thousand, less than half the present population of Boston, expended during the French and Indian War on her own account four hundred and 84 HISTORY OF DOVER ninety thousand pounds sterling, which burdened the colony with debt. Aftpr the close of the French and Indian War, in 1765, a new difficulty arose. The war had added greatly to the expenses of the government in Great Britain ; and, as America had shared in the benefit, the British government thought she should share also in the expense, forgetting that the Americans had contributed in their way and had debts also to pay. The province of Massachusetts furnished nearly thirty thousand sol- diers and seamen, and it is said that one year in particu- lar every fifth man was engaged in war. This being true, a place so near Boston as the Springfield Parish must have been represented by a goodly number of men, — more than those whose names have been recorded. To meet the expenses of the small force which was kept up in America as defence against the Indians, the English government in 1 764 passed the famous Stamp Act. The enforcement of this law caused great wrath in Dedham. Samuel Dexter, Esq., represented the town in the General Court ; and he received the follow- ing instructions from a committee of seven chosen by the town, of which committee Col. John Jones, of the Springfield Parish, was a prominent member : — To Samuel Dexter, Esq. : ^'>' : — The freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Dedham, greatly alarmed at the late burdens which the Parlia- ment of Great Britain has laid upon the colonies, particularly at the tax imposed on us by the Stamp Act, so called, and being desirous by all regular and legal methods to do what lies in our power to prevent the difificulties in which we shall be involved by COLONIAL CONTESTS 85 the operation of the said Act, if the same should take place in this province, do now instruct you that, while you appear at and represent this town in the Great and General Court, you do by no means join in any public measures for countenancing and assist- ing in the execution of the said Act. It being the sense of the town that our rights as British sub- jects, which are founded in those that are common to all mankind, are by this Act greatly infringed upon, and that our invaluable charter rights are also thereby in a great measure violated, and not being sensible that this province has by any disloyal or un- worthy conduct forfeited the privileges it enjoyed, we do there- fore, in justice to ourselves and our posterity, direct you that you be not wanting in your endeavor in the General Assembly to have these rights in direct terms asserted and vindicated, which being left on record will be a testimony for us, in future genera- tions, that we did not tamely acquiesce in the loss of our liberty. To do this we think it our duty : and we desire thus in the way of our duty to trust in the good providence of God, which often has and we hope will again appear for our relief, however dark the prospect may appear. ' As we have an unquestionable right to give you the foregoing- instructions, so, we doubt not, you will consider it as your duty to pay all due attention thereto and strictly observe the same. All other matters we leave to your prudence, trusting you will always act as you judge most for the interests of the province in general and of this town in particular. The news of the repeal of the Stamp Act in May, 1766, was an occasion of great rejoicing, and in few places more so than in Dedham. A committee of the Sons of Liberty, of which Col. Ebenezer Battle, of the Springfield Parish, was a prominent member, was chosen to erect the famous Pillar of Liberty ; and his name is still read on the granite base, as it stands on the Dedham church green. 86 HISTORY OF DOVER Barre, one of the members of Parliament who spoke against the Stamp Act, referred to the agitators in America as the "sons of liberty." This phrase was taken up and adopted as the name of a powerful organ- ization, the members of which agreed to buy no British goods. The Sons of Liberty had a large membership in the Springfield Parish. Toryism was severely de- nounced, and citizens showing any sympathy with Great Britain were waited on by delegates of the Sons of Liberty. Col. John Jones held a commission as justice under the King. As the Sons of Liberty in Boston com- pelled Oliver, the stamp collector, to resign his office under the Liberty Tree, so the Sons of Liberty here in 1774, under a spreading tree which is still standing, requested Col. John Jones to resign his commission as a magistrate to King George. He did not think it best to refuse to comply with this pressing invitation ; and it is said, to Colonel Jones's great credit, that in after years he became a loyal supporter of the new govern- ment. He had two sons who served in the Revolution. His oldest son, John Jones, Jr., died in the Revolution- ary service at Crown Point, July 4, 1776. At a town-meeting held March 5, 1770, at the Ded- ham First Parish meeting-house, it was voted "that as the duty on tea furnishes so large a sum towards ye maintenance and support of an almost innumerable mul- titude who live upon the fruits of the honest industry of the inhabitants, from the odious Commissioners of the Customs down to the dirty informers that are employed by them, therefore we will not make use of any foreign tea, nor allow the consumption of it in our respective COLONIAL CONTESTS 87 families till such time as, the duty being first taken off, this town shall by some future vote grant an indulgence to such persons to drink tea as have not virtue enough to leave off the use forever." Dea. Ralph Day, of this parish, was one of the committee of five who were appointed to see that the foregoing vote was complied with. But the crisis came when the King sent vessels to Boston laden with tea. Residents of this parish at- tended that great meeting of seven thousand people which was held December 16, 1773, in Faneuil Hall, and adjourned to the Old South Meeting-house for more room. At the close of that memorable meeting Timothy Guy was one of those who gave the war- whoop, and then proceeded to Griffin's Wharf, where they took possession of the three tea ships, and emptied their entire cargo into the sea. " Oh, ne'er was mingled such a draught. In palace hall or arbor, As freemen brewed and tyrants quaffed That night in Boston Harbor." Dover thus shares in the honor of having taken part in the Boston Tea-party, which was one of the most momentous and far-reaching events of the troubled times before war was openly declared. The morning after the Tea-party John Adams wrote in his diary : " Last night three cargoes of Bohea tea were emptied into the sea. This morning a man-of-war sails. This is the most magnificent movement of all. There was a dignity, a majesty, sublimity, in this last effort of the patriots that I greatly admire. The people 88 HISTORY OF DOVER should never rise without doing something to be remem- bered, — something notable and striking. This destruc- tion of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, so intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important conse- quences and so lasting, that I cannot but consider it as an epoch in history." December 5, 1774, the tov^n voted "that we do further engage that we will not drink, nor suffer any in our families to drink, any kind of India tea till we have a full redress of all the grievances enumerated in the Association Agreement " ; and, as members of a com- mittee of thirteen who were to carry out this vote, Dea. Ralph Day, Capt. P^benezer Battle, and Lieut. Ebenezer Newell were chosen from the Springfield Parish. This committee of inspection were instructed to endeavor to find out whether any of the inhabitants pre- sumed to violate the foregoing engagement, and, if any were found acting contrary thereto, to post up their names in some public place in each parish, as enemies of the welfare of America. At the lk)ston town-meeting in November, 1772, Samuel Adams introduced an order that "a committee of correspondence be appointed, to state the rights of the colonists of this province in particular, as men, as Christians, and as subjects, and also request of each town a few communications of their sentiments on the subject." To meet the requirements of this vote, at a Dedham town-meeting held December 27, 1773, a com- mittee of correspondence was chosen, "to join with other towns in such measures as might be proper, salutary, and effectual for the redress of our grievance and liberties." COLOXIAL COXTESTS 89 Dea. Ralph Day, of this parish, was one of a commit- tee of four who, as delegates to the convention held September 15, 1774, adopted the celebrated Suffolk resolutions. It must not be imagined that the people were all loyal. There were Tories among them, yet Toryism was not permitted ; and, when an outspoken Tory carried provisions to the British quartered in Boston, a company of indignant citizens waited on him, and in the words of the leader said : " Zounds ! have you been feeding the British } If we hear any more of this, we will pull your house down from over your head." On the morning of the battle of Bunker Hill, as Solomon Richards was hastening towards Boston, he met a man who denied there had been an engagement. At this point another man rode up ^vho contradicted the statement. Mr. Richards took the man a prisoner, bound him upon his horse, and carried him to the house of his father-in-law, at the Peacock Tavern, Jamaica Plain, where he was detained until the truth could be ascertained. In the meantime a body of soldiers arrived and demanded the Tory, that they might hang him during their halt. i\Ir. Richards insisted that the prisoner should have a trial. The well known patri- otism of Mr. Richards, together with that of his father- in-law, saved the man from the gallows, but not from thirty-nine lashes ordered by the court. Twelve mem- bers of the Richards family, eight of whom were brothers, took part in the Revolution. CHAPTER VIII. THE SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION. Battle of Lexington — Death of Elias Haven — Capt. Ebenezer Battle's Company of Minute -men — Battle of Bunker Hill — Dorchester Heights — Battle of Trenton — Valley Forge — Cherry Val- ley — Continental Money — Revolutionary Sup- plies — Petition of Daniel Whiting to General Court — Discipline of Continental Army. " Swift as the summons came they left The plough, mid-furrow, standing still, The half ground corn-grist in the mill. The spade in earth, the axe in cleft. " They went where duty seemed to call, They scarcely asked the reason why ; They only knew they could but die, And death was not the worst of all." At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War the Springfield Parish contained a population of some three hundred and fifty souls, scattered over the entire terri- tory ; and, before the war closed, more than thirty per cent, of the inhabitants took part in one or more engage- ments, and several served for years in the Continental Army. Although the spirit of liberty was abroad, some of the most prominent citizens of this little hamlet were strong adherents of the King. On one occasion the residents had seen British ofificers upon their streets, who from time to time rode out into the country to break the monotony of their life in Boston. They knew these soldiers were sent to SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 91 support the strong arm of King George. They were in close touch with all that transpired in Boston ; and some may have looked upon the bodies of the " Boston martyrs " ' who were killed on King Street, now State Street, on the evening of March 5, 1770, by British soldiers. "From the moment the blood of those men stained the pavement of Boston streets," Daniel Webster said, "we may date the severance of the colony from the British kingdom." In 1773 Dedham voted to unite with other towns in a measure to protect their liberties. The next year companies of minute-men were organized. Capt. Eben- ezer Battle stood at the head of the company in the Springfield Parish, which included nearly all the able- bodied men in the parish. The morning of April 19 was a bright, crisp morning. The cherry-trees were in bloom, the grass waved in the fields, and the farmers were busy ploughing or sowing grain. About nine o'clock a messenger hurriedly passed through the parish on his way to Dedham, and an- nounced the movement of the British. The company of minute-men was hastily summoned ; and in an incred- ibly short time the farmers gathered from the remotest parts of the parish, and formed on the green near the tavern. Aaron Whiting, who was ploughing in the field when the summons came, left the plough in the furrow and his oxen to be unyoked and driven to pasture by his wife. Later a hurrying company of minute-men from Walpole passed through the parish. ' Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, Patrick Carr, Samuel Maverick. 92 HISTORY OF DOVER How the command of Captain Battle to "march" must have rung in their ears ! He led his men directly to Watertown, and took the highway which led to Me- notomy, that part of Cambridge which is now Arling- ton, where the Dover farmers " Gave them ball for ball From behind each fence and farmyard wall." Elias Haven, standing near the meeting-house, was shot down by a British soldier, and is buried under the monument erected in Arlington in 1 848. Our minute- men engaged in the hottest part of the fight. At Me- notomy, it is said, occurred the most deadly skirmish of the day, not excepting the fight at Concord Bridge. The British loss was heaviest here, and of the forty-nine patriots killed that day twenty-two fell at Menotomy. It is said that the minute-men went forth to this en- counter full of courage and in the strong belief that the contest would soon be over. What must have been the feelings of the aged men, the women, and the children who were forced to remain at home on that eventful day ! With what anxiety and uncertainty they saw the sun go down on that 19th of April which marks the beginning of American independence ! What was the effect of this day upon the people t The Rev. Mr. West, of Needham, who mingled much with his people on that day, says, " We even anticipated the enemy, enraged as they were, at our door, in our homes, acting over all the horrors which usually attend the progress of an exasperated victorious army, espe- cially in civil wars like this." He further adds, "This memorable day appeared to have a surprising effect on J SPRINGFIELD PARISH TN THE REVOLUTION 93 the spirit of the people in general ; and from being, as I had supposed them, and as they were actually, mild and gentle, they became at once ferocious, cruel, — at least towards all those whom they suspected as unfriendly to their cause." The following letter by John Jones, Jr., captain of a Princeton company of minute-men, and a former resident of this parish, written three days after the en- gagement, is of interest : — ■ Cambridge, April 22, 1775. Loving Wife, — - There was a hot battle fought between the Regulars that marched to Concord and our people on Wednes- day, the 19th of this instant, in which many on both sides were slain (but most of the enemy), as we heard before we marched. As we marched to Concord, we were often informed that the enemy had marched from Boston a second time, and had got as far as Lincoln. We hurried on as fast as possible, expecting to meet them in Concord ; but when we arrived there we were in- formed that they had returned from their first engagement to Charlestown, from which they have gone to Boston. We are now stationed in one of ye colleges, as are many more of ye army, all in good health, through ye divine goodness and hope of ye bless- ings of heaven. In ye first combat, among those that were slain were Lieut. John Bacon, of Needham, two Mills. Nat. Chamb'n, and two others from Needham, Elias Haven from Springfield. If you have an opportunity, you may send brother Hapgood a shirt and pair of stockings. I'm uncertain when we shall return. May we all be enabled to turn to our God, that he may save us from ruin ! 1 am, with greatest respect, your affectionate and loving husband till death. John Joxes. Jabez Baker brought back from the Lexington Alarm a " red coat " which he stripped from a British soldier who had been killed. A part of this coat was in exist- 94 HISTORY OF DOVER ence as late as 1866, and was used on Strawberry Hill to scare crows from a corn-field. In the archives at the State House is preserved the original muster-roll of the company which marched from Dover on April 19, under Captain Battle. The roll is given in full, with the name of each man, number of miles travelled, and days' absence, be- cause it speaks more eloquently of the patriotism of our fathers than any words that will ever be spoken in their praise. A ROLL MADE UP BY CAPT. EBENEZER THE FOURTH PARISH, FROM APRIL 1775- Name. Ebenezer Battle Daniel Whiting John Battle James Cheney Joseph Fisher Jesse Knap Jabez Baker Theodore Newell John Chickering Ebenezer Richards Moses Richards Hezekiah Battle Samuel Richards David Cleveland Thomas Gardner Henry Tisdale Nathan Metcalf Aaron Fairbanks Jeremiah Bacon Asa Mason William Fisher BATTLE, OF DEDHAM, 19 TO DECEMBER 20, Dignity. Capt. 1st Lieut. 2d - Sargent Corporal Fifer Private Miles. 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 30 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 Days. 8 6 3 6 4 12 3 4 4 10 4 3 6 13 4 SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 95 Name. Dignity. Miles. Days. James Mann Private 40 7 Elias Haven " 40 I Ebenezer Battle, Jr. 40 8 John Cheney " 40 II Jabez Whiting " . 40 8 Luke Dean " 40 9 Joseph Chickering " 40 4 Daniel Chickering " 30 4 Elias Stimson " 40 6 Moses Bacon " 40 7 Josiah Battle " 40 7 John Ellis " 30 I Josiah Bacon, Jr. 40 12 Seth Wight 40 5 Ephraim Bacon, Jr. " 30 4 Moses Mason " 40 3 John Mason " 40 8 William Mansfield " 40 3 Samuel Fisher " 30 6 Richard Richards " 40 3 Thomas Burridge " 40 5 Joseph Draper, Jr. " 40 5 Timothy Allen " 40 3 Barach Smith " 40 2 Thomas Ferrett " 30 2 David Fuller 40 2 Ephraim Wilson " 40 6 Samuel Wilson " 40 4 Joseph Parker " 40 9 Silas Taft " 40 3 Oliver Kenrick " 40 2 Moses Draper " 30 4 Aaron Whiting " 40 8 Ebenezer Allen " 30 6 Thomas Morse " 40 . 3 Hezekiah Allen " 30 1 Nathaniel Chickering " 30 2 gO HISTORY OF DOVER Name. Dis'iity- Miles. Days. James Draper Private 30 I John Fisher " 40 ID Asa Richards " 30 2 Solomon Richards 30 3 Ralph Day " 40 Daniel Chickering " 40 3 John Draper (( 30 I Eben Smith " 30 2 It will be observed that the members of this company were absent from one to thirteen days, but a majority of them returned in less than a week to tell of the flight of the British and of their eager pursuit. After the battle of Lexington men crowded the road to Bos- ton, anxious to do service ; but no army was created for the war. Enlistments were made for eight months. The battle of Bunker Hill is of peculiar interest to the people of this parish, as seventeen residents took part in the battle, under Capt. Daniel Whiting, as fol- lows : Luke Dean, Samuel Chickering, Lemuel Her- ring, Samuel Wilson, Jesse Knapp, Joseph Draper, Moses Draper, Petetiah Herring, Thomas Morse, Aaron Whiting, Hezekiah Battle, James Gay, Ebene- zer Gay, Joseph Smith, Josiah Richards, Nathan Cook. Daniel Fuller, a lad of fifteen years, was a drummer- boy ; and tradition has it that he was in the battle in Captain Whiting's company. Captain Whiting's company consisted of fifty-six men, and was a part of Col. Jonathan Brewer's regi- ment, which consisted of three hundred and seventy- seven soldiers. Colonel Sweet states that this regiment went on three hundred strong, but the Revolution depositions state one hundred and fifty. It is known SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 97 that Daniel Whiting's company took part in the battle. Brewer's regiment was placed, says Frothingham in his " Siege of Boston," ' on the diagonal line between the breastwork and rail-fence. Seven men of the regiment were killed and eleven men wounded. Little is given in detail of this regiment ; but it is said that the officers conducted themselves with great bravery, and that Colonel Brewer was often consulted by Prescott. The following is related by the eldest daughter^ of Captain Whiting, — a strong poetic touch concerning the battle of Bunker Hill : " The year of the battle my father and I were rowed over in a ferry-boat from Boston to Charlestown, that he might show me where the battle was fought. In ascending the hill I was sur- prised to observe the singular appearance of the grass, as it grew in spots and lines exceedingly high and rank. 'Those places,' said my father, 'that seem enriched by little streams of water are made verdant by the blood of the slain.' " Many sons and daughters of the Revolution in this place trace their lineage to those who took part in this famous battle. The epitaph on the gravestone of Aaron Whiting in Dover cemetery thus refers to his having been in the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill : — " Reader, beneath this stone a patriot's ashes lie, One who raised our country's flag on high At Lexington and Bunker's bloody fight, When struggling hard for freedom's holy right." As already shown, the army was enlisted for an eight months' service. When Washington took command of ' Page 1S2. 2 ]\jrs. Artimas Woodward. 98 HISTORY OF DOVER the army, in July, 1775, there were sixteen thousand seven hundred and seventy men surrounding Boston and Charlestown. Washington immediately made him- self familiar with his army. It is said that the enthu- siasm of the soldiers was unbounded, but during the fall it waned. Redoubts and breastworks had been thrown up. From time to time some wer« killed and others wounded, yet this was not war. They were encamped in huts made of logs, stones, branches, etc., in the midst of pleasant fields and grateful shades ; but as winter approached they grew tired of this life. They were poorly clad, and suffered for want of proper food and fuel with which to cook it. Under these circumstances Washington soon saw that a new army must be raised. The year 1776 opened with a new army. The bravest and most patriotic of the old army formed the nucleus of the new ; and of our brave soldiers we find Capt. Ebenezer Battle at the head of a company of thirty-two men, all from Dover except three, with Jesse Knapp as first lieutenant. After the new army had been organized, it was determined as soon as possible to drive the British from Boston ; but during the winter the council of war recommended no action. In February, Washington stated that two thousand of his men were without fire-locks, and that he was obliged to conceal the state of his army even from his own officers. At a council of war held February 16, 1776, it was decided that a cannonade and bombardment of Boston should be made as soon as a sufficient supply of powder was received, and that preparation should be made to take possession of Dorchester Heights and Noddle's Island if circumstances admitted, in order to SPKINGFIEL'D PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 99 draw out the enemy. On the night of March 4, while the attention of the British was taken up by a severe cannonade, General Washington marched to take pos- session of Dorchester Heights, overlooking the harbor. During the night two forts were sufficiently advanced to form a protection against small arms and grape-shot. Heath wrote, " Perhaps there never was as much work done in so short a time." On the morning of March 5, the anniversary of the Boston massacre, the British were surprised to behold the redoubts that had been thrown up during the night. " The rebels have done more in one night than my whole army could have done in a month," remarked General Howe. As these works commanded both the harbor and the town, and as General Howe was thwarted in his plans to attack them on the morning of March 7, he deter- mined to evacuate the city ; and Washington, although disappointed in not having an engagement, had the proud satisfaction of seeing General Howe, after all his proud boasting, evacuate the city and sail away with his troops. Thomas Larrabee was in Boston when the British evacuated the city, and was one of a company of young men who swapped tobacco with British soldiers as they marched down the street to embark. • A British officer wrote, concerning the wonderful work of fortifying Dorchester Heights, "They raised the forts with an expedition equal to that of the genie belonging to Aladdin's wonderful lamp." This work compelled the British to evacuate Boston. Forty- four men from this parish engaged at Dorchester : Capt. Ebenezer Battle, Jesse Knapp, Asa Mason, Joseph Fisher, Asa Richards, Aaron Fairbanks, Heze- lOO HISTORY OF DOVER- kiah Battle, Joseph Parker, Samuel Chickering, Solo- mon Richards, Thomas Gardner, Josiah Battle, Moses Richards, Ephraim Wilson, Jabez Whiting, Richard Richards, Josiah Richards, Barach Smith, James Gay, Luke Dean, Elias Stimson, Nathan Cook, Joseph Smith, Samuel Farrington, Samuel Wilson, Moses Bacon, Nathaniel Metcalf, Jesse Ellis, John Mason, Thadeus Richards, William Fisher, Ebenezer Gay, Eleazer Allen, Jeremiah Bacon, Ebenezer Battle, James Draper, Ebenezer Richards, Henry Tisdale, Timothy Allen, Josiah Bacon, Jr., John Chickering, James Mann, Ebenezer Smith, Aaron Whiting. The parish thus had an honorable part in gaining the first great military operation of the Revolutionary War at Dorchester Heights, by which Massachusetts was delivered from the invasion of an army consisting of eleven thousand veteran British soldiers. In the spring of 1776, after the evacuation of Boston, Washington hastened with his army to New York ; and we find the Springfield Parish soldiers moving on to Ticonderoga and other points in New York. In after years, as they gathered round the tavern fire, they recalled, to the great delight of young men, their weary march and privations in the wilderness of Ver- mont. The original enlistment-sheet, which bears the signatures of our soldiers, is preserved in the State archives ; and, as illustrating the military requirements of the time, we give it in full : — We whose names are underwritten do hereby severally enlist ourselves into the service of the United American colonies, and severally promise and engage to continue in such service until the first day of December, 1776, unless sooner discharged, and to SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION' lOI furnish ourselves each with a good effective firearm and, if possible, a bayonet fitted thereto, or in lieu thereof a hatchet or tomahawk, a cartridge box, knapsack, and blanket. We also in like manner promise and engage to obey all the lawful commands of the officers appointed or to be appointed over us pursuant to the Resolves of the General Court of the Colony of Massachu- setts Bay, under the direction of such officers to march with the utmost despatch to Charlestown in New Hampshire, and to be subject to all such rules and regulations, in every respect, as are provided for the Continental Army. Signed; Ezra Gay, Jonathan Whiting, Abijah Crane, Jesse Ellis, Lemuel Richards, Ichabod Farrington, Thomas Larrabee, Nathaniel Chickering, Samuel Chickering, Barach Smith, Ebenezer Gay, Nathan Cook, Thadeus Richards, Samuel Farrington, James Gay, Elias Stimson, Abner Nevers. In the memorable battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776, we have a special interest, as Thomas Larrabee, of this parish, was one of the twelve men who rowed General Washington across the Delaware River. The password on that stormy day previous to the engage- ment was "Victory or death." The importance of this battle is not often emphasized. Abraham Lincoln, addressing the Senate of New Jersey in 1861, said : " I remember all the accounts given in Weem's ' Life of Washington,' of the battlefields and struggles for the liberties of the country ; and none fixed themselves upon my imagination so deeply as the struggle here at Trenton. The crossing of the river, the contest with the Hessians, the great hardships endured at that time, — all fixed themselves on my memory more than any single Revolutionary event. I recollect thinking then, boy even though I was, that there must have been something more than common that these men struggled for." I02 HISTORY OF DOVER In this contest Washington risked all, and gained the first real victory of the war of the Revolution. Before the battle Washington wrote his brother: "You can form no idea of the perplexity of my situation. No man, I believe, ever had greater choice of difficulties and less means to extricate himself from them." Washington moved with a detachment of the main army of twenty-four hundred troops. Each soldier had three days' cooked rations, and each carried forty rounds of ammunition. With this small army Washing- ton put the Hessians to flight. When the news of the surrender of Trenton was taken to Washington, he exclaimed, "This is a glorious day for our country!" while the colonial secretary of state of King George wrote, " All our hopes were blasted by that unhappy affair at Trenton." It was a glorious day for our country, for the Declara- tion of Independence was being made a reality. The soldiers, who had left the blood-stains of their bare feet by the way, felt encouraged, and the people inspired. The scene is thus described by George Hobart : — " One Christmas night, long years ago, When shrilly cold winds blew, And through the darkened air the snow On frozen pinions flew, A little band of patriot souls Stood, brave and fearless, where In iciness and anger rolls The fretful Delaware. " Nor ice, nor storm, nor cruel blast Can hold these heroes back : They have resolved, — the die is cast For Freedom's cause ! A track SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 103 Of blood upon the snow they Ve left From shoeless feet and bare ; Of all life's comforts they 're bereft Beside the Delaware. " But ' Onward ! onward ! ' is the word Their brave commander speaks. When through the storm his voice is heard, Each son of Freedom seeks To do his bidding ; put aside Is every woe and care : There's vict'ry o'er the icy tide, Across the Delaware. " On through the gloomy, stormy night With hardships dire they cope, ' For God, and Native Land, and Right ! ' Their watchword and their hope, Until at last, all cold and dank. They greet the morning's glare. Safe through the tide they've reached the bank, Across the Delaware." Thomas Larrabee was a member of General Wash- ington's body-guard, and his testimony confirmed the statements so often made regarding the general's quiet and dignified demeanor. Mr. Larrabee used to say that only once during a service of several years did he see General Washington laugh. This was when our boats were crossing the Delaware River. The first boat's crew did not estimate the strength of the current, and fell far below the landing-place ; while the second boat, which Washington occupied, through his accurate judgment and the strong arms of the boatmen was brought exactly to the landing. As Washington stepped upon the shore, he clapped his hands and audibly laughed. I04 HISTORY OF DOVER With all the trials and hardships endured at Valley Forge we have a lively interest, as Daniel Whiting, and perhaps others, shared the danger, the cold, the hunger, the privations, of that historic spot. The oft-repeated description of the Continental soldier applies perhaps as well to our men as to any other : — Who is this that toils up yonder hill, his footsteps stained with blood ? His bare feet peep through his worn-out shoes, his legs nearly naked from the tattered remains of an old pair of stock- ings, his breeches not enough to cover his nakedness, his shirt hanging in strings, his hair dishevelled, his face wan and thin, his look hungry, his whole appearance that of a man forsaken and neglected. Yet amid all this suffering their fortitude remained, and doubt did not shake their love of country. No more enduring example of devotion to duty can bcj found than that exhibited by the American yeoman of the Revolution. General Lafayette caused a fort to be built at Cherr} Valley, N.Y., the most important settlement in the eastern part of that State. In November, 1778, the village was attacked by a large force of Indians anc Tories, led by Walter Butler and Joseph Brant, the Mohawk chief. Col. Ichabod Alden, of Massachusetts,! was in command of the fort, with about two hundred] and fifty Continental troops. On November 8 Colonel Alden received word from I Fort Schuyler that the fort was about to be attacked. Daniel Whiting, of the Springfield Parish, was an officei under Colonel Alden. For several days previous to the attack Captain Whiting had traversed the land far and] wide to discover some trace of the Indians. On the] SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 105 morning of November 11, 1778, Judge Wells, in whose house some of the officers lived, barely escaped an Ind- ian arrow. Captain Whiting ran to the fort, bolted the doors, and fired upon the pursuing foe. Colonel Alden, who remained long enough in the house to put on his boots, was struck down by an Indian tomahawk ; and Colonel Stacy was captured. When all attempts to gain the fort were found to be in vain, the Indians sur- rounded the house and perpetrated the most fiendish cruelties upon many of the inhabitants. One mother fled to the woods. With her babe in her arms, and her children around her, she lay through a cold stormy night under a log, where she heard the yells of the savages as they passed near her. Her hus- band, who was an officer in the fort, gained permission from Captain Whiting to send a small force, who at the risk of their lives succeeded in bringing her and the children safely back. Burgoyne's troops spent the early winter of 1777 in the environs of Boston ; and Lieut. Ebenezer Newell, Nathaniel Mellen, Joseph Cheney, and James Cheney enlisted for a five months' service in guarding these troops. They were paid by the town one hundred and twelve pounds for this service. As it was difficult to find men who were willing to enlist for a long or short service, September 27, 1777, the precinct chose a committee consisting of several men, with Lieut. David Fuller as chairman, to raise men to go into the army. Governor's Island in Boston Harbor was guarded for eight years, and was called the Castle.' During this time none were enlisted for a lonorer time than three io6 HISTORY OF DOVER months, although there were soldiers who remained during the entire time, re-enlisting every three months. Boston Harbor was thus guarded against the entrance of the foe. In the spring of 1778 we find Ellis Whit- ing, Michael Bacon, and Jonathan Battle engaged in this service. Roxbury was carefully guarded, and some may re- member the old forts which remained for many years as reminders of the siege of Boston. Among those who guarded fourteen days at Roxbury in 1778 are found the names of Capt. Ebenezer Battle, Barach Smith, Lieut. Asa Richards, Ebenezer Richards, John Cheney, Jeremiah Bacon, Jr., Adam Jones, Josiah Bacon, Jr., Stephen Gay, Josiah Battle, Samuel Farring- ton, Moses Bacon, John Chickering, Hezekiah Battle, Ebenezer Battle, Jr. Of those who guarded at Boston and Cambridge in 1778 we find a smaller number. Roxbury being more accessible, they preferred to enlist for service there, but the roll bears the names of Stephen Gay, John Brown, Daniel Chickering, Jabez Whiting. In August, 1778, a plan was formed for an attack on the British forces in Rhode Island, who were under command of Sir Robert Pigott. He had his head- quarters at Newport, which was protected by batteries and a small naval force. About six thousand men were stationed about the island. In the vicinity of Providence, Barach Smith, Ebenezer Richards, Jeremiah Bacon, Jr., Josiah Bacon, Jr., Joseph Battle, and Moses Bacon were stationed. It was planned' that the Americans should approach Newport by land, while the fleet of D'Estaing, which SPRIXGFIELD PARISH IN THE REVOLUTION 107 had arrived, should force its way into the harbor. This plan was not carried out — by concerted action. Gen- eral Sullivan marched from Providence ; and the British, fearful of being cut off, evacuated these works on the north and went to Newport. General Sullivan now gathered an army of ten thousand ; but the French fleet, failing to take part in the engagement, were obliged to retreat, leaving the British in possession of southern Rhode Island. Of those who engaged in this contest in Rhode Island in 1778 we find the following names from this precinct : Lemuel Herring, David Chickering, Jr., Ellis Whiting, David Richards, Joseph Bacon, Silas Bacon, and Jabez Whiting. There are those living ' who recall Thomas Larra- bee's account, as an eye witness, of the execution of Major Andre, for whom the Americans had much sympathy, as he was brought to his ignoble death through connivance with the traitor Arnold. Mr. Larra- bee used to repeat Washington's words when besought by Andre to be allowed to die as a soldier rather than as a criminal, " You were taken as a spy, tried as a spy, and you shall die as a spy." One verse from Willis beautifully describes Major Andre's request : — Thine is the power to give. Thine to deny Joy for the hour I Hve, Calmness to die. By all the brave should cherish, By my dying breath, I ask that I may perish, By a soldier's death. ' Stephen Pettengill, Needham. io8 HISTORY OF DOVER The daughters of the Revolution contributed their part in the manufacture of blankets, shirts, and stock- ings, which were in frequent demand to meet the parish's quota in supplying the Continental Army. The following supplies were furnished by the residents of this parish in i/Sr. The price indicates the value of Continental currency at this time : — £. s. d. Eleazer Allen, 8 shirts for army 48 John Jones, 3 pairs of stockings 18 Joseph Haven, 2 pairs of socks 12 Joseph Draper, 1 pair of socks 69 Timothy Allen, i pair of socks 6 Ebenezer Smith, 16 pairs of shoes 8 James Draper, stockings 24 Capt. Ebenezer Battle, 16 pairs shoes 8 Ebenezer Battle, 5 pairs of socks i 10 Ebenezer Newell, 4 blankets and travelling expenses . 619 John Battle, 4 pairs socks and one dollar in cash ..28 The extremest inflation of the Continental currency seems to have been reached in 1780, during which year Ebenezer Battle sold the selectmen of Dedham one horse for three hundred and fifty pounds ; Thomas Ockinton one horse, six hundred pounds ; Ebenezer Newell one horse, nine hundred pounds, — making a total of eighteen hundred and fifty pounds for three horses furnished for the use of the army. The history of Continental money is of interest : without it we cannot appreciate the difficulties with which the people were beset. In June, 1775, Congress voted that a sum not exceeding two million Spanish milled dollars be emitted in bills of credit for the defence of America, and that the colonies be pledged SPRINGFIELD PARISH IN THE REJ'OLCrriON 109 for the redemption of these bills of credit. In Novem- ber three millions more were issued to meet the expense of the war. In February they granted five millions more, five millions in May, and five millions in July, — in all, twenty millions of dollars, all paper money, which became as worthless as an old scrap of news- paper. The demands were so great and money was so scarce that the scheme did not recommend itself either to speculators or the public. So matters went on until Continental money became valueless. The parish records show that a bill of £2, los., 7^d., received in 1 78 1, was valued in Continental money as £,26, 15^. The depreciation in money was not as great in Massa- chusetts as in some States. This precinct raised, simply to meet the expense of committees and soldiers who served in the war from 1776 to 1 78 1, ^^2,836, I3.y., 5^/. The Hon. Amos Perry, commenting on the records of Col. John Jones, relating to his " minits of marriage portions " given his daughters, extending over a period of more than a quarter of a century (1767-95), says: " The observance of a uniform standard of valuation caused serious difficulty in apportioning gifts in accord- ance with rules of justice applicable in such a family. One daughter received gifts valued at about three hundred and seventy-six pounds {1767). Another daughter's gifts were valued at about forty pounds (1783). Yet the latter daughter was probably served quite as well as the former. Twenty dollars was repre- sented as equivalent to forty-five pounds. The lowest value of a cow is four pounds, the highest thirty pounds." no HISTORY OF DOVER It must be borne in mind that this does not represent all our fathers did for American independence. They were residents of Dedham, and as such bore their share in all that was done by the town. Previous to 1777 the town of Dedham raised and paid all its soldiers, but early in this year it voted a bounty of twenty-four pounds to each man who would enlist for three years, or during the war ; and it thus became necessary to reward all who were in the public service. As the town experienced difficulty in this, the parishes took the matter up and raised the money by taxation, hence the full record on the parish books of those who took part from 1777 to the close of the war. The appropriation for schools in the Springfield Parish in 1780 was ^{^ 1,4 18, 13^-., 3,379 ^4,705 94 $7,525 4,6So )f4.753.75 320 $416 $180.25 480 $331-70 $300 5.194 4,554.90 $2,454 11,299 $2,706 1.340 $133 20,787 $2,286 76 $687 $3,000 4 1865. 1.397 $5,580 126 $7,900 3,030 $4,545 •33 $199 632 $790 169 $127 5.636 $4,227 $21,525 $6,556 5.150 $1,716 14,225 $2,565 $5,548 $4,700 5 1875- $600 791 $3,820 95 $9,800 1,697 $1,628 280 $346 147 $173 82 $200 5,306 $4,076 971 $19,052 10,475 $5,439 7.431 $2,903 66,697 $9,532 $2,238 $2,850 1885. 1,063 150 $15,336 2,982 $2,047 357 $271 98 S83 244 $188 6,784 $4,397 1,199 $21,823 5.047 $2,756 10,091 $3,071 40 $3.00 217,928 $32,308 272 $1,596 1895- 1,148 $4,849 219 $14,940 2,055 $1,040 $5 '3 $>3 10,35 ' $4,916 $34,391 970 $23' 371,420 $5<.357 1,190 $7.52' 300 HISTORY OF DOVER STATISTICS.— Continued. 1845- X855. 1865. 1875- 1885. 1895- Value of woodeu ware Number employed . _ J 1, 000 2 Number of oxen . Value . . ; 5S ?3,472 250 $7,726 ?23.33 46 296 $9,765 26 $2,350 325 $14,378 $16 10 5505 541 $20,183 $4 $80 Number of cows . Value 611 $18,740 Value of honey Cranberries . . . Value - 34l«- S767 b\a. $42 2^1 bush. $575 134 bush. $550 Value of casks . . Number employed - $5,000 7 Paper mills . . . Value of product . Number employed __ - I $21,600 7 I $62,400 Number of farms . Number employed Value of farms . . - E 121 240 $270,376 89 $525,843 163 Dressed beef (pounds Value ) - 42,700 $4,270 14,982 $2,097 $875 17.350 $1,488 10,940 $1,412 $486 673 $66 $',415 Veal (pounds) . . Value Value of poultry . Value of eggs . . - - $1,137 $2,524 $5,208 $11,400 Gallons of cider Value - 12,000 52.374 - 21,876 $3,989 1,200 $225 2,700 $1,100 3,029 $2,006 4,650 $810 6,740 $967 5,068 $579 29,000 $1,007 5,382 $3,108 7,000 $900 i35 $17 Gallons of vinegar Value Value Hens and chickens Value 5.951 $2,960 Bushel of charcoal Value Green-house products — - - - $6,900 Poultry products . . - - - - - $17,469 Value of meat . . . - - - - - $2,163 Value of vegetables . - - - - - $11,488 Animal products . . - - - - - $9,549 Value hay, straw, & fodde ■ — - — — — $41,357 CHAPTER XXII. THE CIVIL WAR. Tidings of War — Liberty-poles — Battles in which Dover Soldiers served — Names of Dover Sol- diers KILLED OR died IN SERVICE — HOME GUARDS — Action of the Town — Recruiting Committee — Amount of Money raised — Draft — Patriotic Women — War Envelopes — Record of the Soldiers IN THE Army and Navy. How sleep the brave who sink to rest, By all their country's wishes blest ! By fair>' hands their knell is rung ; By forms unseen their dirge is sung ; There Honor comes, a pilgrim gray, To bless the turf that wraps their clay ; And Freedom shall awhile repair, To dwell a weeping hermit tliere. — Collins. Immediately after the inauguration of President Lin- coln, in 1 86 1, came ominous tidings of war. While many thought the war-clouds would soon pass by, others anxiously looked upon the faces of their husbands, sons, or brothers, dreading the sacrifice that must be made for their country. The daily newspapers bore such head- lines as these : " The Secession of Virginia Considered Certain"; "Recruits Raised in Washington and Balti- more for the Southern Army " ; " Preparations for the Attack on Fort Sumter " ; " The War Commenced " ; "The War." 302 HIS TORY OF DOVER In the firing on Fort Sumter in April, i86i, and in President Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand troops for three months, the patriotism of the town was stirred as it had not been stirred since the 19th of April, 1775, when sixty-six minute-men gathered in an incredibly short time from the remotest parts of the town on the village green, and hastily marched under the command of Captain Battle towards Lexington. While no public meetings were held at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion, yet the residents numerously attended those held in other towns, to awaken the people to the duties of the hour. Flags were floated from many a private flag-staff, while the residents of one neighborhood erected a " Liberty-pole " and had public exercises in connection with the flag- raising. In response to the call of President Lincoln and Gov- ernor Andrew for troops, Andrew W, Bartlett, who was in Lowell at the time, enlisted for a three month's ser- vice in the Massachusetts Sixth, which was attacked by the mob in Baltimore on the anniversary of the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1861. Young Bartlett escaped without injury, but, like the Dover farmers at the battle of Lexington, witnessed the spilling of the first blood in the great conflict which followed. Seth Record was also a minute-man, and was mustered into the Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia April 22, 1861. As the name implies, they were those who responded at a minute's notice to pro- tect the national capital. The minute-men went mainly in citizens' attire, armed with various weapons of defence. A historical writer says : " A delay of half an hour in THE CIVIL WAR 303 the arrival of the minute-men in Washington would have found our capital and the archives of our government in the hands of the rebels, who would at once have been recognized by England and France. Under these con- ditions, how could our government have established it- self among the nations of the world ? " John A. Strang was enlisted in the Massachusetts Fourth, which was one of the first regiments to set foot on secession soil. C. Dwight Hanscom enlisted into the Fourth Regiment of Infantry May 15, 186 1. All of the above regiments were a part of the organization of the Massachusetts minute-men of 1861. Out of a population of less than seven hundred souls at the breaking out of the Rebellion, seventy-seven men were enlisted to the credit of the town in the army and navy before the close of the war in 1865. Dover soldiers served in a large number of different companies in the artillery, cavalry, battery, and infantry, besides the United States Navy. They were consequently exposed to many hardships and much danger. The following are the most impor- tant battles in which they took part : Big Bethel, Second Bull Run, Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the battle of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Petersburg, " On to Richmond " with Grant, and in other engage- ments at Olustee, Fla., Rappahannock Station, Drury's Bluff, and Thoroughfare Gap. Two were commissioned officers, — Henry A. Fuller and Henry H. Ayer, both being first lieutenants. Thirty-three enlisted for three years, seven for one year, nine for nine months, two for three months, and four for 304 HISTORY OF DOVER one hundred days. Nine were killed or died in the service as follows : John M. Brown, died September 2, 1 862, at Yorktown, Va. ; John Stevens, died November 21, 1864, New Orleans, La. ; Andrew W. Bartlett, died of womids received at Olustee, Fla., February 28, 1864; George R. Markham, killed at Second Bull Run ; Henry C. Jennings, died August 6, 1864; James Gary, died October 25, 1862, Sharpsburg, Md. ; Perez F. Fearing, died July 30, 1864, of wounds received in the mine-explosion at the battle before Petersburg, Va. ; Lieut. Henry H. Ayer, wounded severely August 26, 1863, killed May 16, 1864, Drury's Bluff, Va. ; Albert A. Woods, died March 21, 1863, New Orleans, La. " The muffled drum's sad roll has beat The soldiers' last tattoo ; No more on life's parade shall meet That brave and fallen few ; On fame's eternal camping-ground Their silent tents are spread, And Glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead." Soon after the close of the war, remembering what our soldiers had done to preserve a nation based on manhood alone, where every individual has the " inalien- able right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," the people devised various plans to perpetuate their memory, such as the building of a memorial hall or the erection of a soldiers' monument ; but all of these projects failed. In 1876 the town set apart lot numbered one hun- dred and forty-one in the cemetery for annual decora- tion " in memory of the soldiers who belonged to this THE CIVIL WAR 305 town, but are buried elsewhere, or for the erection of a fitting emblem of their services." At the breaking out of the Rebellion there had been no military organization in Dover for many years ; but a company known as the " Home Guards " was soon or- ganized with Amos W. Shumway as captain, Calvin Richards, lieutenant, Benjamin Newell, ensign. Meet- ings for drill were held Saturday afternoons on the vil- lage green, and marches were often made to the resi- dences of officers, where the company was entertained. Some fifty persons were enrolled in its membership, with a band of fifteen musicians. The organization took its name from the fact that the company voted not to go out of town. In 1861 the selectmen were Amos W. Shumway, Benjamin N. Sawin, and Henry Horton. The first question relating to the v/ar was considered at the November meeting, 1861, when it was voted "to pay the families of the soldiers in the service from Dover the aid allowed by the State law." This aid was restricted to twelve dollars per month. The amount paid was reimbursed to the town by the treasurer of the Commonwealth, and for this reason was called " State aid." At the March meeting in 1862 the voters felt the seriousness of the times, and resolved to elect a board of selectmen of the older and most experienced men, and this feeling prevailed during the years which followed. The wisdom of this course is illustrated by the fact that during the entire period of the war no illegal action was taken, and no perplexing ques- tion had to be settled at law, and no money was lost or squandered. It is remembered of Calvin Richards, chairman of 3o6 HISTORY OF DOVER the selectmen in 1862, that he said, "It is very impor- tant that in this business of enlisting men as soldiers, in providing for their families, in paying bounties, that we go exactly in conformity with the law ; for later, if we make a mistake, there may be lawsuits and other matters which may cost the town much loss." July 28, 1862, the town voted to pay the sum of two hundred dollars to each volunteer who shall enlist within thirty days from the date of the meeting. Nine were required to fill the quota of the town. It was also voted to pay such volunteers as shall enlist as soon as they are mustered into the service. State aid was also voted to all having families. At this meeting a recruit- ing committee consisting of five members was chosen to assist the selectmen in procuring recruits to fill the quota of the town. This committee, which consisted of Ephraim Wilson, John Q. A. Nichols, Asa Talbot, Clement Bartlett, and Benjamin N. Sawin, did efficient work, and were continued with the different boards of selectmen to the close of the war. Linus Bliss, treas- urer of the committee, made a report in print to the town February 22, 1865, giving an account of their work. Feeling the importance of this work and as a means of encouraging others in these trying times, the town voted to have the proceedings of their meeting published in the Dedham Gazette and Boston Journal. SeiDtember i, 1862, the town voted "that the sum of two hundred dollars be paid to any resident of the town of Dover who volunteered to fill the quota required of this town for the term of nine months, whether it be more or less, and that said bounty be paid after they have been sworn into the service, and that a list of the THE CIVIL WAR 307 names of the persons be kept in the order in which they volunteer ; and, if more than the required number enlist, the excess shall be stricken from the roll, begin- ning at the bottom and stopping at the required number." It was soon found necessary, however, to retain any excess of men; and November 4, 1862, it was voted "that the number in excess of the required quota be retained, and that the selectmen pay the bounty." Soldiers' families were protected by " State aid " from year to year ; and, when a draft became necessary, the town voted " to give State aid to the families of drafted meu the same as volunteers." April 4, 1864, it was voted that the town grant one hundred and twenty-five dollars for each man required of this town under the several calls of the President of the United States, dated October 17, 1863, February I, 1864, and under any order or call of the said Presi- dent issued after the first day of March, 1864. Liberal contributions were made from time to time by citizens to strengthen the hands of the recruiting committee. Although the money was afterwards paid back by the town, the act was in no case less generous or patriotic. In 1864 two thousand six hundred dollars was con- tributed by citizens. May 2, 1865, the town voted "to raise by taxation two thousand six hundred dollars to pay every person the amount by them paid to furnish men on the quota of Dover in the year 1864, except two dollars which is to be retained from every male person of the town who paid such subscription." Contributions were not confined to citizens who were liable to draft : others were cheerful givers. 3o8 HISTORY OF DOVER Linus Bliss and George D. Everett in 1 864 furnished substitutes, who were enlisted for two years and placed to the quota of Dover. The two substitutes cost four hundred dollars ; and, by vote of the town, in 1865 this amount was refunded. The town raised and expended during the war, exclusive of State aid, seven thousand six hundred and nineteen dollars and seventy-five cents. The amount of money raised and expended by the town in State aid was one thousand five hundred and seventy-six dollars and twenty-three cents. The quota of the town was so well maintained that, in response to President Lincoln's numerous calls for troops, only thirty-three men were demanded of the town. Thirty-seven men were furnished, — a surplus of four over all demands. Of this number twenty-two were enlisted for a three years' service, eight for nine months, and seven entered the army. In the draft which occurred on the 13th of July, 1863, eight men were drafted. Ansel K. Tisdale and Sumner S. Allen were discharged, the former having served in the Massachusetts Thirteenth and had an honorable discharge. Thomas McGowan failed to re- port. George L. Howe, Charles K. Kirby, John O. A. Nichols, Owen Kennedy, and J. Stanley Shaw paid commutation, hi this record of the service of Dover soldiers we would not forget a large number of patriotic citizens who through family or peculiar duties remained at home, but who contributed in most efficient ways for the preservation of the Union. The town records show with what perfect unanimity all patriotic measures were passed, and reveal the fact that, while there were many changes in the board of selectmen during the war THE CIVIL WAR 309 period, both political parties were always represented on the board. What shall be said of the patriotic women of Dover ? The full measure of their patriotism can never be given, for " they also serve who only stand and wait." Scarcely had the smoke cleared from the first battle at Bull Run when the women of this town met to prepare lint and bandages for the wounded, whose cry of distress had touched every true woman's heart. Balzac says : " Woman has this in common with angels : suffering beings belong especially to her." At this time the churches forgot their sectarianism ; and as a united body the women met, without waiting for the organization of a " Soldiers' Aid Society," in hall, in chapel, in school- house, and provided necessary articles to strengthen the hands of the sympathetic and self-sacrificing nurses who were caring for the wounded and the sick, on the field and in the hospital. In the beginning of the war, when the cry went forth for every one to show his colors, the women, under the inspiring efforts of Miss Sarah Plummer, made a flag with their own hands. As bunting was scarce and high in price consequent to a small supply, the ladies purchased Turkey red and bleached cotton, out of which they made the flag, which was floated during the entire period of the war. The flag bore on the blue not only the required number of stars, but in addition a large eagle. The flag-staff was erected by the men opposite the residence of George D. Everett. The young ladies, with the enthusiasm of early womanhood, assisted by the young men, provided entertainments to raise money for the purchase of necessary articles, which willing 3 TO HISTORY OF DOVER hands made into stockings, mittens, comforters, and blankets, distributed through the New England Sani- tary Commission or the Soldiers' Aid Society, the latter being composed entirely of patriotic women. The teachers in the public schools taught the chil- dren to sing patriotic songs ; and their united voices were an inspiration as in the morning hours they sang, — "We '11 rally round the flag, boys, We '11 rally once again, Shouting the battle-cry of freedom." As a reward for perfect lessons the children were allowed to pick lint, and the girls made pin-cushions, which were forwarded to the soldiers. In summer the women made jams for the sick in hospitals, from raspberries and blackberries, which had been gathered by the boys and girls in field and high- way. The skilled cooks of a neighborhood frequently united in preparing savory viands, substantial meats, and dainty bits of cooking, which they united in sending to the soldier-boys in the field as they had opportunity. The intellectual wants of the soldiers were not forgotten by the people of their town. Books and papers were sent in abundance, the reading of which helped the soldiers to beguile many a weary hour. The cost of commodities steadily increased during the war period. The following prices, taken from the books of George D. Everett for the fall of 1864 and the spring of 1S65, show the cost of articles at this time pork, twenty-two cents a pound ; lard, twenty-five cents a pound ; sugar, twenty-eight cents a pound ; butter, fifty-eight cents a pound ; tea, one dollar and forty THE CIVIL WAR 311 cents a pound ; potatoes, two dollars and thirty cents a bushel ; flour, nineteen dollars a barrel ; molasses, one dollar and ten cents a gallon ; kerosene, one dollar and ten cents a gallon ; hay, forty dollars a ton ; oats, one dollar ; corn, four dollars and forty-five cents a bag ; meal, four dollars and t\yenty cents a bag ; nails, eleven cents a pound. ( In the early years of the Rebellion " war envelopes " were used in correspondence as an expression of the patriotism of the people. As time went on they were made to illustrate the history of the war, although as originally issued they but illustrated the sentiment of the people. Crude in design, nevertheless they inspired many a soldier in the camp and on the field. Beautiful sentiments were sometimes expressed, and now and then a verse appeared on an envelope, designed to commemo- rate an heroic deed. The following verse was thus used to commemorate the romantic death of Colonel Ellsworth in 1 86 1 : — " Do n't shed a tear for him ! Better to go, Eager with victory, Placing the foe. For one life like this life A thousand shall pay, And the fury it kindles Shall carry the day." The record of the services of Dover soldiers is given in full : — William H. Allen, private. Company M, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery; enrolled at Providence, Jan. 12, 1862; mustered in Feb. 12, 1862; discharged on sur- 312 HISTORY OF DOVER geon's certificate, July 2, 1862. This record may not be correct ; but this is the only one appearing on the record of the State of Rhode Island answering to the individual of the above name, who should have been placed to the credit of Dover; The selectmen, under date of Aug. 26, 1862, make oath that William Allen belonged to the quota of Dover, and was enlisted in a Rhode Island battery. Henry H. Ayer, first lieutenant. Company B, Third Infantry, New- Hampshire Volunteers; appointed Aug. 22, 1861 ; mustered in Aug. 22, 1861, three years' service; appointed captain. Company H, Aug. i, 1862 ; wounded severely Aug. 26, 1863 ; killed May 16, 1864, Drury's Bluff, Va. Calvin Ayres, private, age twenty-five, Seventh Bat- tery, Light Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mus- tered in May 27, 1862, three years' service; discharged Aug. 26, 1862, disability. Samuel H. Bachelder, private, age twenty -nine. Company I, Thirty-fifth Regiment, Massachusetts Vol- unteers ; mustered in Aug. 16, 1862, three years' ser- vice ; mustered out Jan. 9, 1 863. Expiration of service, wrongly credited to Cambridge, Mass. Andrew W. Bartlett, private, age twenty-four, Com- pany C, Sixth Massachusetts Volunteers ; enrolled at Lowell; mustered in April 22, 1861, three months' ser- vice; discharged at expiration of service, Aug. 2, 1861 ; enlisted Company I, Fourth Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers; mustered in Sept. 25, 1861, three years' service ; transferred to Company I, Fourth Cavalry, and promoted to corporal; re-enlisted Jan. i, 1864, for three years. He was mortally wounded at Olustee, THE CIVIL WAR 313 Fla., Feb. 20, 1864, and died at Beaufort, S.C., Feb. 28, 1864. George Bemis, erroneously credited to Needham, pri- vate, age eighteen years, Company K, Forty-second Volunteer Militia ; mustered in July 1 8, 1 864, one hun- dred days' service ; discharged Nov. 1 1 , 1 864. Chester A. Bigelow, musician, age eighteen. Com- pany H, Thirteenth Infantry, Massachusetts Volun- teers; mustered in Feb. 24, 1862, three years' service; transferred July 14, 1864, to Company I, Thirty- ninth Regiment ; taken prisoner at second Bull Run, exchanged the following January ; again taken prisoner at Gettysburg, July i, 1863 ; did not serve in Thirty- ninth Regiment, as he was appointed ward master in hospital. Discharged Feb. 23, 1865, expiration of service. Heman Blackwell,' not traced in adjutant-general's office. James E. Brown, private, age twenty-one. Eleventh Battery, Light Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Dec. 30, 1864, three years' service; dis- charged Jan. 16, 1865, expiration of service. John M. Brown, private, age thirty-three years. Seventh Battery, Light Artillery, Massachusetts Volun- teer Militia, three years' service; mustered in May 14, 1862 ; died at Yorktown, Va., Sept. 2, 1862. James Gary, private, age twenty-one. Company G, Thirty-second Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Mili- tia; mustered in May 27, 1862, three years' service; died Oct. 25, 1862, Sharpsburg, Md. ; received bounty, four hundred and eighty-two dollars and sixty-six cents. 'The selectmen, under date of Aug. 25, 1862, make oath that he had entered the ser- vice from Dover. 314 HISTORY OF DOVER Irving Colburn, private, age seventeen, Company F, Forty-fourth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Mihtia ; mustered in Sept. 12, 1862, nine months' service; dis- charged at termination of service, June 18, 1863. Charles Conner received two hundred dollars' bounty from the town in 1864; record not traced in the ofifice of the adjutant-general, Boston. Theodore L. Dunn, private, age twenty-one. Com-, pany C, Thirteenth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia; mustered in Feb. 25, 1862, three years' ser- vice; discharged Dec. 18, 1862, disability. George W. Fearing, corporal, age twenty-five. Com- pany K, Forty-fourth Infantry, Massachusetts Volun- teers ; mustered in Sept. 16, 1862, nine months' ser- vice ; discharged July 30, 1863, expiration of service. Perez F. Fearing, private, age twenty-two. Company I, Thirty-fifth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mus- tered in Aug. 16, 1862, three years' service; mortally wounded in mine explosion before Petersburg, and died July 30, 1864. Henry A. Fuller, first lieutenant, age twenty-four. Thirtieth Infantry; mustered in Feb. 20, 1862, three years' service; discharged May i, 1865. Edwin F. Gay, private, age eighteen. Company F, Forty-fourth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mus- tered in Sept. 12, 1862, nine months' service; dis- charged June 18, 1863, expiration of service. John T. Gilman, private, age twenty-one. Company M, First Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Sept. 23, 1861, three years' service; transferred to Company M, Fourth Cavalry ; discharged Sept. 24, 1864, expiration of service. THE CIVIL WAR 315 Hibbard W. Oilman, private, age twenty-two, Com- pany D, First Battalion, Frontier Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers; mustered in Jan. 2, 1865, one year's ser- vice; discharged June 30, 1865, expiration of service. Lewis E. Oilman, private, age twenty-four, Company L, Third Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Dec. 30, 1 864, one year's service ; discharged Sept. 28, 1865, expiration of service. William R. Oroce, private, age nineteen, Company O, Forty-third Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mus- tered in Sept. 12, 1862, nine months' service; dis- charged June 30, 1863, expiration of service. Henry J. Hanks, private, age twenty-seven. Company L, Fourth Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Oct. 7, 1861 ; discharged Oct. 12, 1864, expiration of service. William O. Hart, private, age eighteen. Company K, Forty-second Massachusetts Volunteers, one hundred days' service; mustered in July 18, 1864; discharged Nov. II, 1864, expiration of service. Wrongly credited to Montville, Me. C. Dwight Hanscom, private, age twenty-three. Com- pany I, Second Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; enlisted May 15, 1861, three years' service ; promoted to corporal Dec. 22, 1861 ; wounded May 3, 1863, at the battle of Chancellorsville ; discharged in conse- quence of wounds, Dec. 12, 1863. John Hogan, private, age thirty-two ; mustered in Sept. 5, 1862 ; service not traced in office of adjutant- general. Henry C. Jennings, private, age thirty. Company C, Nineteenth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mus- 3l6 HISTORY OF DOVER tered in April 22, 1864, three years' service; died Aug. 6, 1864. Augustus A. Leach, private, age twenty-one, Company C, Second Infantry; mustered in July 30, 1862, three years' service; discharged Sept. 23, 1862, disability. William Lennon, private, age twenty-one. Fourteenth Battery, Light Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in March 4, 1 862, three years' service ; dis- charged June 15, 1865, expiration of service. Elbridge L. Mann, private, age twenty-eight, Com- pany B, Forty-second Infantry, Massachusetts Volun- teers ; mustered in Sept. 22, 1862, nine months' service ; discharged Aug. 20, 1863, expiration of service. George H. Mann, corporal, age twenty-two. Company K, Forty-fourth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Sept. 12, 1862, nine months' service ; dis- charged June 18, 1863, exi3iration of service. William McAllister, corporal, age twenty-one. Com- pany I, Fourth Heavy Artillery, Massachusetts Volun- teers ; mustered in Aug. 1 7, 1 864, one year's service ; discharged June 17, 1865, expiration of service. John McLaughlin, private, age thirty-eight. Company I, Fourth Heavy Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Aug. 17, 1864, one year's service; dis- charged June 17, 1865, expiration of service. William Martin,' not traced in adjutant-general's office. George R. Markham, private, age nineteen. Company H, Thirteenth Infantry; mustered in Feb. 24, 1862, three years' service; killed Aug. 30, 1862, at Bull Run, Va. ' Reported by the recruiting committee as a resident of Dover, and as having en- listed into the service of the United States previous to Feb. i6, 1863. THE CIVIL WAR 317 Ellis Marden, private, age thirty-nine, Company B, First Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in Sept. 17, 1 861, three years' service; deserted Dec. 31, 1862, at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md. Charles W. Myer, age forty-two. Company Y, Nine- teenth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in July 31, 1863, three years' service; deserted Aug. 20, 1863. A substitute. Benjamin Miller, not traced in office of adjutant- general. Thomas Monroe, private, age thirty-two, wrongly credited to Boston, Company E, Third Heavy Artil- lery ; mustered in Oct. 19, 1863, three years' service; discharged Sept. 18, 1865. Michael O'Donnell, private, age twenty-three, Com- pany D, First Battalion, Frontier Cavalry, Massachu- setts Volunteers ; mustered in Jan. 2, 1865, one year's service ; discharged June 30, 1865, expiration of service. Timothy O'Ragan, private, age nineteen, wrongly credited to Needham, Company B, Forty-fifth Massa- chusetts Volunteers; mustered in Sept. 26, 1862, nine months' service; mustered out July 7, 1863. Seth Record, private, age twenty-two, Company B, Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia ; mustered in April 22, 1861 ; mustered out July 22, 1861. Philo Record,' private, not traced in adjutant- general's office. Daniel Shruckrove,^ not traced in adjutant-general's office. ' The selectmen, under dale of Aug. 25, 1S62, make oath that he had entered the semce of the United States from Dover. 2 Reported by the recruiting committee as having been placed to the credit of Dover to meet the call of Dec. iS, 1864. 315 HISTORY OF DOVER Frederick E. Smith, private, age eighteen. Company H, Sixteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, one hun- dred days' service; mustered in July 23, 1864; mus- tered out Nov. 30, 1864, expiration of service. Lewis Smith, Jr., private, age nineteen. Company M, First Cavalry, Massachusetts Vokmteers, three years' service; mustered in Sept. 23, 1861 ; transferred to Company M, Fourth Cavalry ; discharged Sept. 24, 1864, expiration of service. John E. Strang, private, age twenty-one. Company F, Fourth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered in May 22, 1861, three months' service; discharged ■July 22, 1861 ; re-enlisted and placed to the credit of Medfield ; died in the service. Howard A. Staples, private, age twenty-one. Com- pany H, Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Feb. 21, 1862; wounded at Gettysburg July 3, 1863 ; transferred to Thirty- ninth, July 14, 1864; discharged; wrongly credited to Natick. . John Stevens, private, age thirty, Thirteenth Battery, Light Artillery, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in April 21, 1864; died Nov. 21, 1864, at New Orleans, La. Eugene Sumner, private. Company E, First Cavalry, three years' service; record not traced in adjutant- general's ofifice. Levi A. Talbot, private, age twenty. Company B, Forty-second Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, nine months' service; mustered in Sept. 22, 1862; dis- charged Aug. 20, 1863, expiration of service; wrongly credited to Sharon, Mass. THE CIVIL WAR 319 Erastus L. Tennor enlisted on the quota of Dover, was transferred to the navy, and is wrongly credited to Brookline, Mass. Ansel K. Tisdale, private, age twenty-one, Company H, Thirteenth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Aug. 18, 1863; discharged Nov. 26, 1862, disability. Benjamin W. Thomas, private, age twenty-five. Com- pany B, Fifth Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Jan. 29, 1864; discharged Oct. 31, 1865. Samuel G. Thomas, saddler, age eighteen. Company B, Fifth Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Jan. 29, 1864; discharged Oct. 31, 1865. William H. Thomas enlisted Sept. 21, 1864, as a substitute ; record not traced in the office of the adj utant-general. James M. Towle, private, age eighteen. Company K, Fifty-sixth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Feb. 25, 1864; deserted March 20, 1864, at Readville, Mass. Charles H. Tyler, private, enrolled Feb. 12, 1865; mustered out July 20, 1865, Second Cavalry. John H. Wade, private, age nineteen, enlisted Sept. I, 1864, one year's service; discharged June 4, 1865. Patrick Wall, private, age forty, Company A, Twenty- eighth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; mustered in Dec. 13, 1861 ; discharged Nov. 9, 1862, disability. James Welsh, private, age twenty-six, Company I, Thirty-fifth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three 320 HISTORY OF DOVER years' service; mustered in Aug. i6, 1862; deserted Sept. 17, 1862, Antietam, Md. Michael Welsh, private, age twenty-four, Company B, Sixty-first Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, one year's service; mustered in Sept. i, 1864; discharged June 4, 1865, expiration of service. Ithamar Whiting, private, age twenty-four, Company E, Fifth Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, one hun- dred days' service; mustered in July 22, 1864; dis- charged Nov. 16, 1864, expiration of service. William Whiting, private, age thirty-four, Company B, Forty-second Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers, nine months' service; mustered in Sept. 22, 1862 ; dis- charged Aug. 20, 1863, expiration of service. John F. Williams, private, age twenty-one, was a sub- stitute ; enlisted July 31, 1863, unassigned. George H. Wise, private, age twenty-one, Company A, Twenty-ninth Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; enlisted May 9, 1861 ; transferred to Company I, Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers ; mustered out Aug. 15, 1864. Albert A. Woods, private, age twenty-one. Company K, Third Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service ; mustered in Aug. 6, 1 862 ; died March 21, 1863, New Orleans, La. ; wrongly credited to Need- ham, Mass. NAVY. Joseph Boy, age thirty-one, private ; enlisted April 16, 1864, Second Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers, three years' service; transferred to the navy. May 17, 1864, for two years; served one day. United States ship THE CIVIL WAR 321 "Ohio"; served on the "Sabine," and was discharged Jan. 31, 1866. He is wrongly credited to New Marl- boro, Mass. William Feicht, age twenty-two, cook ; enlisted June 25, 1 861, two years' service; served on the United States ships "Ohio" and "Susquehanna"; discharged Aug. 23, 1 86 1. Erastus L. Fenner enlisted March 9, 1863, one year's service ; served in the United States ship " Ber- muda" ; deserted at Philadelphia, July 25, 1863. John F. Frost, age twenty-nine, blacksmith ; enlisted Aug. 8, 1864, three years' service; served on United States ships "Ohio," "Brooklyn," "John Adams," and "Columbia"; discharged June 3, 1865. Joseph R. Foss, age twenty-one, blacksmith ; enlisted June 24, 1 86 1, two years' service; served on the United States ships " Ohio," " North Carolina," " Pensa- cola," and "Thomas Freeborn"; deserted Jan. 2, 1863. Henry Gilbert, age twenty-three, enlisted Dec. 21, 1864, as a substitute for George D. Everett ; served in United States ship "J. P. Jackson"; deserted March 12, 1865. Willard J. Hotchkiss, age twenty-nine, enlisted Aug. 8, 1864, one year's service; served in the United States ships " Dunbarton " and " Lodona " ; discharged June II, 1865, from the "Princeton." Robert Mitchell, age twenty-nine, enlisted Aug. 8, 1 864, one year's service ; served on the United States ships " Ohio " and " Brooklyn " ; took part three days at the capture of Fort Fisher, Jan. 13-15, 1865; dis- charged June 17, 1865, from the "Princeton." Coleman Scofield, age twenty-nine, enlisted Oct. 13, 32 2 HISTORY OF DOVER 1862, two years' service; served on the United States ships "Ohio," " Colorado," " Calhoun," and "New Lon- don" ; discharged Feb. 27, 1865. Lewellen Smitherest, age sixteen, enlisted Oct. 16, 1862, one year's service; served in United States ships " Ohio," " Colorado," and " Lafayette " ; deserted Feb. 20, 1863. Alfred A. Stinson, age nineteen, enlisted Oct. 13, 1 862, one year's service ; served on United States ships "Ohio," "Colorado," and "Lafayette"; discharged Feb. 14, 1863. William Taylor, age eighteen, enlisted Oct. 22, 1862, two years' service ; served on United States ships " Ohio," " Colorado," and " Benton " ; discharged Oct. 30, 1864. CHAPTER XXIII. NATURAL HISTORY. Geology — Mineralogy — Flora — Weeds — Sylva — Shrubs AND Vines — Ferns — • Fauna — Birds. The blooms of home and native air Are ever dearest to us all. — L. D. Smith. Oh, loveliest there the spring days come, With blossoms, and birds, and wild bees' hum; The flowers of summer are fairest there. And freshest the breath of the summer air. — Bryant. The world is too much with us. Late and soon Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers ; Little we see in Nature that is ours. — Wordsworth. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. Gazing upon our hills, valleys, and fertile fields, we sel- dom realize the fact that the soil which covers them was formed from the decomposition of rocks and the action of organic agencies upon these decomposed particles. Geological formation and environment are said largely to determine plant-distribution. To this cause may be traced the full and exceed- ingly rich flora of the town. A collection of rocks and minerals has been made, covering the entire territory of the township ; and an analysis of the specimens gives the following results : ■ — ■ Rocks. — Granite, felsite, diorite, diabase, sandstone. Minerals. — Pyrites, quartz, porphyry, iron. 324 HISTORY OF DOVER Granite. The fine-textured part is the ordinary rock ; while the coarse is the granite dike, having the minerals deposited from solution. Composition : feldspar, quartz, and mica. Granite with red orthoclase and chlorite. Felsite, worn by water. Contains orthoclase, feld- spar, and quartz. Felsite, red variety. Chalcopyrite. Contains copper, iron, and sulphur. Quartz, worn by abrasion. Ferruginous quartz, oxide of silicon with iron. Quartz crystals upon trap rock. Wad, or earthy manganese, upon quartz ; oxide of manganese. Quartz, massive variety ; pure oxide of silicon. Smoky quartz. Diorite, fine-grained. Diorite, coarser variety (hornblende and feldspar). Porphyry. Diabase (feldspar and pyroxene). Sandstone (ferruginous sand). Quartzite. Silicate of alumina with an alkali metal. FLORA.' Amaryllis Family. — Yellow Star-grass, Hypoxis ere eta. Arum Family. — Jack-in-the-pulpit, AriscBina triphyl- lum ; Wild Calla, Calla palustris ; Skunk Cabbage, ' No attempt has been made to give a complete flora of Dover. Few rare flowers have been given : nearly all can be readily found. Mr. T. Otis Fuller, of Needham, who is familiar with the flora of the town, is of the opinion that a list of a thousand flowers could easily be made during the succession of a single season. NATURAL HISTORY 325 Syviplocarpus fcetidus ; Arrow arum, Peltandra Vir- ginica ; Sweet Flag, Acorus Calamus. Balsam Family. — Jewel-weed, Impatiens fnha. Barberry Family. — Barberry, Bei-beris vulgaris. Borage Family. — Forget-me-not. Broom-rape Family. — One-flowered Cancer-root, ApJiyllon nniflornm. Buckthorn Family. — New Jersey Tea, Ccaiioihus Americaiuis ; Buckthorn, R/iaimtus catharticus. Composite Family. — Purple Asters, Aster; Black- eyed Susan, Rndbeckia Jiirta ; Climbing Boneset, Enpa- toriiun perfoliatnvi ; Dandelion, Taraxaatin officinale ; Elecampane, Inula Helcniuvi ; Fall Dandelion, Leonto- don auticmnale ; Golden Ragwort, Senecio aureus ; Iron- weed, Vernoiiia Noveboracensis ; Joe-pye-weed, Eupa- toriuni purpureum ; Life Everlasting, Guaphalium polyccphaltun ; Ox-eyed Daisy, ClirysantJu ,1 Icucan- theniuin ; Y 2irrovj, Achillea Millefolium ; White Asters, Aster; Thorough wort, Eupatorium perfoliatnvi ; Squaw- weed, Senecio aureus ; Robin's Plantain, Erigeron bel- lidifoliuni ; Sunflower, HeliantJius annntis ; Thistle, Cnicns sp. ; Tansy, Tanacetuni vulgare ; Plantain-leaved Everlasting, Antennaria plantaginifolia. Convolvulus Family. — Dodder, Cuscjtta Gronovii ; Wild Morning Glory, Convolvulus Americanus ; Bracted Bindweed, Calystegia sepiuin. Crowfoot Family. — Goldthread, Coptis trifolia ; Marsh Marigold (Cowslip), Caltha palustris ; Anemone, Anemone ncmorosa ; Traveller's Joy ; Columbine, Aqiii- legia Canadensis ; Early Crowfoot, Ranunculus fascicu- laris ; Meadow Rue, Thalictrum Cornuti ; Thimble- weed ; Rue Anemone, Ancmonella tJuxlictroidcs ; Clem- 326 HISTORY OF DOVER atis, Clematis Virginiaiia ; Buttercup, Ranunculus acris ; White Water Crowfoot, Ranunculus aquatilis ; Yellow Water Crowfoot, Ranunculus inultifidus ; Hepatica, He- patica triloba ; Tall Anemone, Anemone Vifginiana. Dogbane Family. — Dogbane, Apocynum cannabi- 7iUm. Dogwood Family. — Dwarf Cornel, Cornus Canaden- sis ; Flowering Dogwood, Cornus jlorida. Evening Primrose Family. — Evening Primrose, CEjiotJiera biennis ; Fireweed, Epilobiu^n angustifolium ; Enchanter's Nightshade, Circcsa Lutetiana. FiGWORT Family. — Butter-and-eggs, Linaria vulga- ris ; Cow-wheat, Melampyrum Aviericanum ; Mullein, Verbasctir/i TJiapsus ; Turtle-head, Chelone glabra ; Wood Betony, Pedicularis Canadensis ; Gerardia, Ge- rardia purpurea ; Downy Foxglove, Gerardia jlava ; Smooth Foxglove, Gerardia quercifolia ; Toadflax, Li- naria Canadensis ; Monkey-flower, Mimulus ringens. Fumitory Family. — Corydalis, Corydalis glauca ; Squirrel Corn, Dicentra Canadensis; Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra Cucullaria ; Climbing Fumitory, Adlumia cirrhosa. Geranium Family. — Cranesbill, Geranium macula- turn ; Herb-robert, Geranium Robertianum. Gentian Family. — Gentian, Gentiana crinita ; Float- ing Heart, Limnanthemum lacunosum. Ginseng Family. — Ginseng (Dwarf), Aralia tri- folia ; Greenbrier, Smilax rotundifolia ; Wild sarsa- parilla, Aralia nudica^ilis. Heath Family. — Leather-leaf, Cassandra ealycu- lata ; Checkerberry, Gaultheria procumbens ; Indian Pipe, Monotropa uniflora ; Shin-leaf, Pyrola rotrmdifolia; N'ATURAL HISTORY 327 Prince's Pine, ChimapJiila innbcllata ; Sweet-pepper- bush, Clethra alnifolia ; Pine Sap, Mouotropa Hypopitys ; Rhodora, RJiododendron Canadensis ; Spotted Pipsissewa, Chimaphila maailata ; Clammy Azalea, Azalea viscosa ; Mountain Laurel, Kahnia latifolia ; Sheep Laurel, Kal- mia angustifolia ; Cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon ; Blueberry, Vaccinium Pennsylvanicum ; Swamp Blue- berry, Vaccinium corymbosum ; Huckleberry, Gaylussa- cia resinosa. Honeysuckle Family. — Fly-honeysuckle, Lonicera ciliata. Horsetail Family. — Scouring Rush, Eqitisetum. Iris Family. — Blue-eyed Grass, SisyrincJiium angus- tifolium ; Fleur-de-lis ; Sweet Flag ; Blue Flag, Iris Virginica. Laurel Family. — Fever-bush, Lindera Benzoin ; Spice-bush, Lindera odorifejimi ; Sassafras, Sassafras officinale. Lily Family. — Adder's Tongue, Erythronijivi Americanum ; Bell wort, Uvularia perfoliata ; False Solomon's Seal, Maianthemum Canadensis ; False Hel- lebore, Veratriim viride ; Dog's-tooth Violet, Erythro- nimn Americanum ; Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogahmi umbellatu7}i ; Bellwort, Uvularia sessilifolia ; Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum biflorum ; Wild Red Lily, Lilium PJiiladelpJdcum ; Canada Lily, Lilium Canadense ; Clintonia borealis. Loosestrife Family. — Purple Loosestrife, LytJirtim Salicaria. Lobelia Family. — Cardinal-flower, Lobelia cardi- nalis. Mallow Family. — Mallow, Hibiscus MoscJieutos ; 328 HISTORY OF DOVER Swamp Rose Mallow, Hibiscus MoscJiciitos ; Common Mallow, Malva rotwidifolia. Madder Family. — Button-bush, CephalajitJins occi- dentalis ; Bedstraw, Galium borealc ; Partridge-berry, Mitchella repcns ; Yellow Bedstraw, Galium verum ; Houstonia. Melastoma Family. — Meadow-beauty, RJicxia Vir- ginica. Milkwort Family.- — Fringed Polygala, Polygala paucifolia ; Moss Polygala, Polygala cruciata ; Polygala polygama ; Polygala sanguinea. Mint Family. — Blue Curls, Trichostema dichoto- nium ; Self-heal, Brunella vulgaris ; Ground Ivy, Ncpeta GlecJioma ; Motherwort, Leouurus Cardiaca ; Spearmint, Mentha viridis ; Peppermint, MentJia pipe- rita ; Catnip, Nepeta Cataria ; Pennyroyal, Hcdeoma pulegioides ; Hedge-nettle, StacJiys palustris. Milkweed Family.— Butterfly-weed, Asclepias tube- rasa ; Common Milkweed, Asclepias Cornuti ; Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata ; Whorled Milkweed, Asclepias vcrticillata ; Four-leaved Milkweed, Asclepias quadrifolia. Mustard Family. — Shepherd's Purse, Capsella Bursa-pastoris ; Winter-cress, Barbarea vulgaris ; Wild Radish, Raphanus Raphanistrum ; Water-cress, Nastur- tium officinale. Nightshade Family. — Nightshade, Solatium Dul- camara ; Thorn-apple, Datura Stramonium. Orchis Family. — Arethusa, Aretliusa bulbosa; Adder's Mouth, Pogonia ophioglossoides ; Coral-root, Corallorhi.'^a multiflora ; Ladies' Tresses, Spiranthes cernua ; Moccason Flower, Cypripedium acaule ; Rag- NATURAL HISTORY 329 ged Fringed Orchis, Habenaria lacera ; Rattlesnake- plantain, Goodyera ptibesccns ; Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripediiim piibcsceiis ; Calopogon, Calopogon pidchel- lus ; Ladies' Tresses, SpirantJies gracilis. OxALis Family.— Wood Sorrel, Oxalis Acetosella. Parnassia Family. — Grass of Parnassus, Parnassia Caroliniana. Parsley Family. — Wild Carrot, Dancus Carota ; Wild Parsnip, Zi::jia aurea. Pink Family. — Bouncing Bet, Sapoiim'ia officinalis ; Bladder Campion, Silene inflata ; Wild Pink, Silene Pcnnsylvaiiica ; Agrostevivia GitJiago. Pitcher-plant Family. — Pitcher-plant, Sarracenia purpurea. Poppy Family. — Blood-root, Sangiiinaria Cana- densis. PoKEWEED Family. — Pokeweed, Phytolacca de- candra. Primrose Family. — Yellow Loosestrife, LysiviacJiia qiiadrifolia ; Star-flower, Trientalis A^nericana ; Loose- strife, LysiviacJiia ciliata. Pulse Family. — Bush Clover, Lespedeza. hirta ; Hog Peanut, AmpJiicarp.n(^ picbens. Barberry, Be7'beris vulgaris. Lilac, Syringa vulgaris, pale violet and white. Gooseberry, Ribcs Grossiilaria and Jiirtelhtm. Rose, Rosa, including exotics, many species. Grape-vines, Vitis, wild and cultivated. Woodbine or Virginia Creeper, Ampclopsis qjiinque- folia. Bush Honeysuckle, Diervilla trifida. Bittersweet, Celastnis scandens, and others are native here. Greenbrier, Sniilax rotundifolia. Bay-berry. Partridge-vine. Clematis. Nature's Wax-work. Viburnum, Viburnum sp. FERNS. Polypodium vjilgare, L., Common Polypody. Adiantum pedatuvi, L., Maiden-hair. Pteris aquilina, L., Brake or Bracken. Woodzvaj'dia Virginica, Smith, Chain-fern. Aspleniuni TricJi07nanes, L. Aspleniuvi ebenejun. Ait., Ebony-fern. Aspleniuni tJielypteroides, Michx. Aspleniuni Filix-fcemina, Bernh., Lady-fern. Phegopteris Jiexagonoptera, F6e, Beech-fern. Phegopteris Dryopteris, Fee, Ternate Beech-fern. Aspidium Thelypteris, Svvartz, Shield-fern. Aspidium Noveboracense, Swartz. NATURAL HISTORY 335 Aspidium siimilatnm. Aspidium spiniilosjim, var. i^itcnnedhnn, Eaton. Aspidium Boottii, Tuckerman. Aspiditivi cristatujH, Swartz. Aspidium marginale, Swartz. Aspidimn acrosticJioidcs, Christmas-fern. Cystopteris fragilis, Bernh., Bladder-fern. Onoclea sensibilis, L., Sensitive-fern. Woodsia Ilvensis, R. Brown. Woodsia obtiisa, Torr. Dicksonia pilosinsai,la, Willd. Lygodiimi palniatiini, Swartz, Climbing Fern. Osmtmda regalis, L., Flowering Fern. Osmunda Claytoniana^ L. , Interrupted Osmunda. Os7minda ci?tiiamoinea, L., Cinnamon-fern. BotrycJmini ternatmn var. obliq^tiini. Botrychi7i7n tej'natnvi var. dissectum. BotrycJiinvi Virginianjim, Swartz. Ophioglosstim vulgatimi, L. FAUNA. Common animals abound, as the woodchuck, skunk, chipmunk, red squirrel, gray squirrel, flying squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, weasel, muskrat, fox, mink, and otters are occasionally taken. Among reptiles may be men- tioned several kinds of tortoises and snakes, including the rattlesnake, which is found in the vicinity of Rocky Woods. The amphibians are represented by several varieties of frogs, toads, and salamanders. Trout, pickerel, perch, eels, hornpouts, and other fishes inhabit the stream. And spiders and insects are found in great number and variety. 336 HISTORY OF DOVER BIRDS.' The following list of birds is not designed to be a contribution to ornithology, but to present in brief form as correct and complete an enumeration of the bird-fauna of Dover as it is practicable to procure at the present time, and thereby stimulate observation. It is the result of personal observations made during many years, partly in Dover, but more largely in those portions of Sherborn, Natick, and Wellesley imme- diately adjoining, and, in addition, of verbal notes communicated by other persons living in the vicinity. Owing to the lack of resident observers a list of local records would of necessity be so meagre as to be of little use, and would give an erroneous impression of the fauna. Persons desirous of obtaining fuller in- formation on this subject should consult the "Anno- tated List of Birds of Wellesley and Vicinity," published by the author of the present list. All of the species enumerated have been noted within a short distance, nearly all within a mile, of the town boundaries, and most of them in the town itself. Addi- tional species, chiefly of the water-birds and shore-birds, doubtless occur from time to time, records of which in the immediate vicinity I have been unable to secure. The economic importance of birds is often overlooked even by those who are most benefited. They are one of nature's most efficient means for keeping in check the myriads of injurious insects with which the agri- culturist has to contend. As a class, even the pre- daceous birds — the hawks and owls — do vastly more ' Contributed by Albert Pitts Morse, curator of the Zoological Museum, Wellesley College. NATURAL HISTORY 337 good than harm, destroying multitudes of field-mice and other small rodents of the farm, though individuals often merit and receive condemnation and punishment at the hands of the irate poultry-raiser. In addition to their economic importance the birds appeal most forcibly to our aesthetic sense. The wooing and mating, and building of the nest, the eggs - — dumb miracles of life, the rearing of the brood, the instinct that draws them irresistibly to dare the perils of the un- known in extended journeys at the appointed time, — these have appealed to the sympathies of mankind since the remotest ages. In their cries find expression all the gladsomeness of day and the weirdness of night, the freedom of the plain and the mystery of the forest, the hopefulness of dawn, the serenity and trust of evening, the yearning of spring and the melancholy of autumn. In their silence is death. Holboell's Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Colyiiibus Jiol- bcellii.' Occasional on river ; migrant. Horned Grebe, " Crested Grebe," Colymbus anritiis. Occasional on river ; migrant. Pied-billed Grebe, " Dipper," Podilymbus podiccps. Common on river in fall. Loon, Urinator iniber. Frequently seen on neighbor- ing ponds in fall and spring. Dovekie, " Little Auk," AUe alle. A number were seen after a severe storm a score of years ago. American Herring Gull, Lams ai'gentatiis smith- ' The terminology and sequence of species is that adopted by the American Orni- thologists" Union. 338 HISTORY OF DOVER sonianiis. A large gull, probably of this species, was found dead in the west part some years ago. Bonaparte's Gull, Lams pJiiladclpJiia. Has been taken on neighboring ponds. Tern, Sterna sp. (.^) Examples are occasionally seen about neighboring lakes after hard storms. Greater Shearwater, Piiffimis gravis. A specimen was taken on the Cheney estate several years ago. American Merganser, " Sheldrake," Merganser avicri- canus. Occasional on river and common on neighboring ponds in spring. Hooded Merganser, LopJiodytcs cuciillatiis. Scarce. Has been taken on the river in spring. Mallard, Anas boschas. Has been taken in former years, now rare. Black Duck, Anas obscjira. Common in fall. A few breed. Baldpate, Anas anicricana. Has been taken on neighboring ponds. Green-winged Teal, Anas carolincnsis. Formerly common on the river in fall, but now scarce. Blue-winged Teal, Anas discojs. Scarce, formerly not uncommon. Wood Duck, Aix sponsa. Common. Summer resi- dent. Most numerous in August and September. Lesser Scaup Duck, Little Blackhead, AytJiya affinis. Occasional on neighboring ponds. Ring-necked Duck, Aytliya collaris. Occasional on neighboring ponds. Golden-eye, " Whistlewing," CIa)igula clangnla anicri- cana. Common in spring on neighboring ponds. Sometimes seen on the river. NATURAL HISTORY 339 Buffle-head, CJiaritonetta albeola. Occasional on neighboring ponds. Migrant. American Scoter, OidcDiia americana. Occasional on neighboring ponds. Migrant. Surf Scoter, Oidcniia perspicillata. Occasional on neighboring ponds. Migrant. Ruddy Duck, Erisvwtnra jamaiccnsis. Not uncom- mon in fall. Canada Goose, Wild Goose, Branta canadcjisis. Usu- ally seen in numbers when migrating. Occasionally a flock alights in the river or neighboring lakes. Bittern, " Stake-driver," Botaiims lentiginosiis. A not uncommon summer resident. Great Blue Heron, Ardea Jierodias. Common along the river in spring and late summer. American Egret, White Heron, Ardea cgretta. Mr. A. L. Babcock, of Sherborn, states that a specimen of this species was killed by Mr. Abram Bigelow on the river some years ago. Green Heron, Ai'dea vircsccns. Common along the river in summer. Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax iiLEviiis. Frequently seen in spring and summer. Virginia Rail, Rallns virginia)uis. Not uncommon. Summer resident, but seldom seen until fall. Sora, Carolina Rail, "Meadow Hen," Porzana Caro- lina. Common summer resident. Most often seen in September. Florida Gallinule, Gallimila galeata. Rare. American Coot, Fiilica americana. Not uncommon in fall. American Woodcock, PhiloJiela viinor. Migrant. Common in flights. A few breed. 340 HISTORY OF DOVER Wilson's Snipe, Gallinago delicata. Locally common in spring and fall. Dowitcher, Red-breasted Snipe, MacrorhampJms orriseiis. Occasional. o Least Sandpiper, Tringa minittilla. Occasional. Greater Yellowlegs, Totaniis inelajioleticus. Occa- sional. Yellowlegs, Tot anus flavipes. Occasional after storms in summer. Solitary Sandpiper, Totajiiis solitariits. Common in midsummer along the river. Spotted Sandpiper, " Teeter-tail," Actitis uiacularia. Common summer resident. Killdeer, yEgialitis vocifera. Rare. Has 'been seen in former years. Bob-white, Quail, Colintis virgiiiicDuis. Common resident. Ruffed Grouse, " Partridge," Bonasa Jiinbelbis. Com- mon resident. Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorijis. Very rare. Formerly common summer resident. Mourning Dove, Zenaidura macroiira. A not uncom- mon summer resident. Marsh Hawk, Circus hudsonius. Summer resident. Rather common, especially in spring and fall. Sharp-shinned Hawk, "Chicken Hawk," Accipiter velox. Common summer resident. Very troublesome to young poultry. Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii. Occasionally met with. Breeds. American Goshawk, Accipiter atricapillus. Rarely seen, in fall and winter. NATURAL HISTORY 341 Red-tailed Hawk, " Hen-hawk," Butco borealis. Not uncommon. , Breeds. Red-shouldered Hawk, " Hen-hawk," Buteo lineatiis. Not uncommon. Breeds. Bald Eagle, Haliaetiis lencoccpJialns. \^ery rare. One specimen shot and another seen, at South Sher- born, some years ago. Pigeon Hawk, Falco columbarins. Scarce. American Sparrow Hawk, Falco spai'vcruis. Occa- sionally seen. American Osprey, Fish Hawk, Pandion Jialiactus caroli)iensis. Frequently seen along the river. American Barn Owl, Strix pTatincola. Accidental. One specimen taken several years ago and now in museum of Wellesley College. American Long-eared Owl, Asio unlsonianns. Not uncommon. Resident. Short-eared Owl, Asio accipitrimis. Rather rare. Barred Owl, Syrniiivi iiebulosuni. Scarce, but occa- sionally seen in fall. Saw-whet Owl, Nyctala acadica. Not common. Resi- dent, or winter visitor. Screech Owl, Megascops asio. Common resident. Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianns. Frequently taken. Resident. Snowy Owl, Nyctca nyctea. Rarely seen, in fall or winter. American Hawk Owl, Sjtrnia 7ilnla caparocJi. Very rare, but has been taken in this vicinity. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccy:ziis americamis. Com- mon summer resident. Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccy Z7is erytJiropJitJialmus. Common summer resident. 342 HISTORY OF DOVER Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon. Not uncommon summer resident. Hairy Woodpecker, Dry abates villosns. Not uncom- mon visitor in fall and winter. Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates piibcsccns mediamis. Common resident. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides arcticns. Very rare. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapiciis varius. Fre- quently seen in migrations. Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes eryt/uvcephalus. Irregular visitor. Sometimes not rare in fall. Flicker, Golden-winged Woodpecker, Colaptes aiiratiis. Common summer resident. A few pass the winter. Whip-poor-will, Antrostovius vociferns. Common summer resident. Nighthawk, CJiordeiles virginimms. Not uncommon. Summer resident. Chimney Swift, Ch(Etura pelagica. Abundant sum- mer resident. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Trochilus colubris. Common summer resident. Kingbird, Tyrannus tyraiinus. Very common sum- mer resident. Crested Flycatcher, Myiarchiis crinitiis. Scarce and somewhat local summer resident. Phoebe, Pewee, Sayoniis phcebe. Common summer resident. Olive-sided Flycatcher, Contopus borealis. Formerly rather common, now rare. Wood Pewee, Contopus virens. Common summer resident. NATURAL HISTORY 343 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flavivcntris. Not uncommon migrant. Least Flycatcher, "Chebec," Empidonax minimus. Very common summer resident. Horned Lark, Otocoris alpestris. Rarely seen in spring and fall. Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata. Abundant resident. American Crow, Corvus americanus. Common resident. Bobolink, DolicJionyx oryzivorus. Common summer resident. Cowbird, Molot/irus atcr. Common summer resident. Red-winged Blackbird, Agclaiiis pJuvnicens. Abun- dant summer resident. Meadowlark, Stnrnclla magna. Common summer resident. Orchard Oriole, Icterus spavins. Rare summer resi- dent. Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula. Common summer resident. Rusty Blackbird, ScolecopJiagus carolinus. Common migrant, especially numerous in fall. Bronzed Grackle, Crow Blackbird, Qniscahts quiscula (Eneus. Common. A few breed. Often appears in very large flocks in fall. Evening Grosbeak, Coccotkraustes vespertinus. Sev- eral specimens were taken just across the river in South Natick and Wellesley early in 1890, during an incur- sion of this species from the West. Pine Grosbeak, Pinicola cnucleator. Irregular winter visitor, sometimes common. Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpurais. Common sum- mer resident. Sometimes a few winter. 344 HISTORY OF DOVER English Sparrow, Passer domcsticiis. Common resi- dent. Red Crossbill, Loxia cnrvirostra mmo7: A not un- common winter visitor. White-winged Crossbill, Loxia hnicoptcra. Scarce. Irregular winter visitor. Redpoll, Acanthis linaria. Common but irregular winter visitor. American Goldfinch, Spimis tristis. Common resi- dent. Pine Siskin, Spinns phuis. Rare fall and winter visitor. Snowflake, Snow Bunting, PlectivpJicnax nivalis. Common but irregular winter visitor. Vesper Sparrow, Grass Finch, Pooc- A., 314. Funeral customs, 200. Galleries in meeting-house, 36. Gardner, Thomas, 122. Gay, Ebenezer, 122. Gay, Edwin F., 314. Gay, Ezra, 123. Gay, James, 123. Gay, Jesse, 13S. Gay, Stephen, 123. General Court, 149. General Court, representative to, 252. Geography, 206. Geology, 323- Gilbert, Henrj', 321. Gilman, Hibbard W., 315. Gilman, John T., 314. Gilman, Lewis E., 315. Girls, 79. Glen Street, 18. Good Templars, 276. Governor's Island, 105. Graduating exercises, 213. Grand Army, 202. Gravestones, 200. Great Spring, 6. Greenwood, Thomas, 31. Groce, William R., 315. Guide-posts, 227. Hanks, Henry J., 315. Hanscom, C. Dwight, 315. Hart, William G., 315. Hartford Street, 18. Hartford turnpike, 236. Haven Christian Endeavor Society, 192. Haven, Elias, 92, 123. Haven Street, 19. Headley, Rev. P. C, 191. Healthfulness of Dover, 12. Hearse, 197. Herbs, 72. Herring, Lemuel, 123. Herring, Petitiah, 123. Herring, Petitiah, Jr., 124. Hewins, Joseph, 31. High-school course, 216. Highways, S, 256, 257. Hogan, John, 315. Home Guards, 305. Home Missionary Society, 190. Horse-sheds, 36. Hotchkiss, Willard J., 321. Howard, Rev. H. L., 191. Husking-panies, 80. Incorporation of district of Dover, 225. Indians, g. Instructions to Samuel Dexter, Esq., 84. Inventions, 293. Jennings, Henry C, 304, 315. Jones, Adam, 124. Jones, John, 2, 84, 86. Jones, John, Jr., 86, 93. Jones, Thomas, 45. Kenrick, Oliver, 124. Kitchen, 75. Kingsbury, Samuel, 52. Knapp, Jesse, 124. Ladies' Benevolent Society, 181. Land, acres of, 13. Larrabee, Joseph, 133. Larrabee, Thomas, 99, 124. Latitude, i. Leach, Augustus A., 316. Lennon, William, 316. Leonard, Rev. Edwin, 192. Liberty-pole, 302. Lincoln, Abraham, 10 1. Locke, Rev. Calvin S., 172. Locke, .Samuel, 51. Longitude, i. Louisburg, 82. Lynn, Daniel, 13S. McAllister, William, 316. McLaughlin, John, 316. Main street, 18. Malaria, 7. Mann, Daniel, 13S. Mann, Elbridge L., 316. Mann, George H., 316. Mann, James, 124. Mann, Lorenzo, 13S. Mann, Willard, 139. Manning, Joseph, 47, 48. Mansfield, William, 125. Manufacture of boots, 288. Manufacture of paper, 284. Manufacture of whips, 2S2. Marden, Ellis, 317. Marketmen, 290. Markham, George R., 304, 316. Marriage notices, 169. Martin, William, 3 16. Mason, Asa, 124. Mason, John, 124. Mason, Dr. Lowell, 155. Mason, Moses, 124. Meeting-house, 29. Meeting-house burned, 40, 143. Meeting-house site, 33. Mellen, Nathaniel, 125. Memorial Day, 142. Mendon Association, 64. Menotomy, 92. Metcalf, Nathaniel, 125. Metropolitan Park System, 26S. Militia, 82, 134, 269. Milk business, 291. Mill Brook, 5. Mill Street, 19, 258. 352 INDEX Miller, Benjamin, 317. Miller Hill, 4. Millerites, 193. Mineralogy, 323. Minister called, 47. Minute-men, gi, 302. Mitchell, Robert, 321. Monroe, Thomas, 317. Morse, Daniel, 139. Morse, Thomas, 125. Mudy, Joseph, 139. Muster-roll, Lexington alarm, 94. Myer, Charles \V., 317. Nail factory, 2S1. Name of town, 2. Needham Farmers' and Mechanics" Asso- ciation, 27S. Neponset River, 6. New England primer, 205. New meeting-house, 144, 146. New Mill Road, 259. New York & New England Railroad, 2. Newell, Ebenezer, 125, 139, 241. Newell, Josiah, Jr., 139. Newell, Reuben, 139. Newell, Theodore, 125. Newell's Bridge, S, 266. Newport, 106. Newspaper, 68. Nimrod's Rock, 7. Noanet, g. Noanet Brook, 5. Noanet's Hall, 251. Noon house, 69. Norfolk Agricultural Society, 157. Norfolk Congregational Association, 65. Norfolk County, i. Norfolk County Temperance Union, 276. Norfolk Turnpike, 260. Noyes, Nathaniel, 52. Northwest Territory, 113. Norton, Rev. T. .S., iSg. Oak Hill, 4. O'Donnell, Michael, 317. Officers in Civil War, 303. Old houses, 74. O'Ragan, Timothy, 317. Original bounds, 14. Otter, 12. Ox-teaming, 70. Palmer, Rev. Stephen, 65. Parish wood-lot, 61. Parker, Joseph, 125. Parks, 266. Parsonage, 61. Patriotic women, 309. Paupers, 245. Pegan Hill, 3. Pegan Indians, 9. Pegan Street, 19. Perry, Amos, 109. Perry, Lowell, 139. Petition, 27. Pews in meeting-house, 42, 43. Pewter, 76. Physicians, 233. Piano, 251. Pillar of Liberty, 85. Pinch, Rev. Pierce, 190. Pine Rock Hill, 4. Pine Street, iS. Plan of meeting-house, 42, 43. Pleasant Street, 19. Ploughs, 2S8. Pontoon Bridge, 8. Population, 67. Ports blockaded, 133. Postmasters, 233. Post-office, 232. Potatoes, 13, 76. Pound, 227. Powder-house, 228. Powisset Indians, g. Powisset Street, iS, 261. Printing business, 293. Proctor, Rev. George, 171. Proprietors' Library, 243. Providence, R.I., 106. Public balls, 242. Public library, 158, 215. Public school education, 156. Public worship, permanent, 46. Pulpit, 35. Pyncham, William, 14. Railroads, 160, 26g. Rattlesnakes, 12. Road-scraper, 261. Road surveyors, 262. Record, Philo, 317. Record, Seth, 317. Recruiting committee, 306. Red coat, 93. Reed, John, 126. Relics, 113. Representatives to General Court, 227. Reseri'e Pond, 6. Rhode Island, 106. Rice, Rev. A. M., 191. Richards, Abijah, 126. Richards, Asa, 126, 139. Richards, Calvin, 139. Richards, Calvin, Jr., 140. Richards, David, 126. Richards, Ebenezer, 126. Richards, Jesse, 126. Richards, Josiah, 126. Richards, Lemuel, 127. Richards, Luther, 140. Richards, Moses, 127. Richards, Richard, 127. Richards, Samuel, 128. Richards, Solomon, 128, 140. Richards, Thadeus, 128. Richards, William, 140. Rolling-mill, 2S1. Roxbury, 106, 145. Sanger, Ralph, 140, 150, 152, 162. Sanger schooihouse, 213, 215. Saw-mill, 289. School districts, 208, 213. School libraries, 219. School, North, 219. School report, 211. lA'DEX 353 School superintendent, 211. School year, 209. Schoolhouses, 240. Schoolmasters, 205. Schools, no. Schools, consolidation of, 217. Scofield, Coleman, 321. Seating the meeting-house, 36, 38, 39. Seats in meeting-house, 35. Second Congregational Church, 244, 1S6. Second Congregational Churcli deacons, Second Congregational Church parsonage, 189. Second Congregational Meeting-house, 1S7. Selectmen, 253. Settle. 75. Sewell, Rev. Charles C, 249. Shays"s Rebellion, 132. Sherman, Nathaniel, 51. Shingle-mill, 284. Ship-timber, 13. Shoemakers, 76. Shnickrove, Daniel, 317. Shrubs, 333. Shumway, Amos W., 141. Shumway, John, 140. Singers, 36. Singing, 180. Singing in schools, 213. Singing-schools, 79, 242. Silver money, 235. Slitting-mill, 281. Small-pox hospital, 237. Smith, Barach, 12S. Smith, Ebenezer, 12S. Smith, Fred E., 318. Smith, Joseph, 129. Smith, Lewis, 140. Smith, Lewis. Jr., 318. Smith, Peter T., 51. Smith Street, 18, 259. Smitherest, Lewellen, 322. Social pleasures, 242. Soldiers killed in Civil \\'ar, 304. Sons of Liberty, S5, 86, 240. Sons of Temperance, 276. Soule, Ale.xander, 14. South School, 217, 2r8. Spinning-wlieels, 76. Springdale Avenue, 18, 258. Springfield Parish, 2, 90. Stamp Act, 84, 85. Staples, Howard A., 318. Statistics, 299. Stevens, John, 304, 318. Stimson, Elias, 129. Stinson, Alfred A., 322. Stone, Eliab, 52. Stone steps, 36. Stores, 291. Stoves, 6g, 147. Stowe, Re\-. Calvin E., 243. Stowe, Walter, 141. Strang, John E., 318. Straw business, 282. Strawberry Hill, 4. StrawbeiTy Hill Street, 19. Streets, 17. Substitutes, 30S. Suffolk County, i, 20, 24. Suffolk resolutions, 89. Sumner, Ebenezer, 141. Sumner, Eugene, 318. Sunday-school library, 179. Sunday-schools, 177. Superintendent of schools, 255. Superintendent of streets, 263. Sylva, 332. Taft, Silas, 129. Tailoress, 76. Talbot, Levi A., 318. Tanner^', 285. Tavern, 23S. Tavern-keepers, 241. Tax-list, 25. Taylor, Charles H., 319. Taylor, William, 322. Tea, 88. Tea-parties. 71. Temperance reform, 275. Tennor, Erastus L., 319. Thacher, Rev. P. S., 174. Thayer, Ezra, 52. Thomas, Benjamin W., 319. Thomas, Samuel G. , 316. Thomas, William H., 319. Ticonderoga, 100. Tisdale, .A.nsel K., 319. Tisdale, Billings, 141. Tisdale, Henrj-, 129, 141. Tisdale, James, 141. Tithing-men, 169. Titles, 40. Toll-gates, 237. Tombs, 19S. Torj'ism, 86, 89. Towle, James ISL, 319. Town clerks, 254. Town Hall, 175, 247, 249. Town, how- bounded, i. Town librarj', 244, 252. Tow-n-meetings, 229, 230. To\^-n seal, i6. Town treasurers, 255. Training-days, 240. Travel, 77. Trenton, battle of, 101. Trout Brook, 5. Tub wreck Brook, 5. Tyler, Rev. A. H., 191. L'nion Congregational Society, 251. L'nited States, 132. Upham, Jonathan, 141. Valley Forge, 104. Vines, 333. Wade, John H., 319. Wall, Patrick, 319. Walpole Street, 18, 25S. War envelopes, 311. War of 1812, 133. Ware, Joseph, 31. Warming-pan, 75. 354 INDEX Washington, George, gS, 103. Webster, Daniel, 91, 146. Weeds, 331. Welsh, James, 319. Welsh, Michael, 320. West School, 216. Wheelwright, 286. Whiting, Aaron, 97, 129, 133, 149. Whiting, Daniel, 104, iii, 113, 241. Whiting, Ellis, 130. Whiting, Ithamar, 320. Whiting, Jabez, 130. Whiting, Jonathan, 130. Whiting, William, 320. Whitney, Job, 53. Whitney, Phineas, 53. Whitwell, William, 52. Wight, Seth, Jr., 131. Wight Street, iS, 261. Wight's Bridge, 8. Wildcats, 12." Wilkinson, Ebenezer, 134. Will of Joseph Larrabee, 246. Williams, John, 141, 241. Williams, John F., 320. Williams, Joseph, 31. Williams, Dr. Samuel, 57. Williams Tavern, 239, 240. Willow Street, 19, 258. Wilson, Ephraim, 131. Wilson, Henry, 22. Wilson, Rev. J. G., 189. Wilson, Samuel, 131. Wilsondale Street, 18, 259. Winchester, Jonathan, 52. Wisset Indians, 9. Wolves, 12. Women teachers, 205. Wood, Rev. John, 190. Woodenware, 76. Woods, Albert A., 304, 320. Young men's seats, 38. Young women's seats, 38. 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