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No event of much local importance occurred in town for many years preceding the revolution. The whole current of thought was turned into this one channel, the arbitrary exactions of parlia ment. All men were looking forward beyond their immediate anxiety, to the darker prospect that clouded the future. The principle of resistance was at work in every village. It is quite important to dwell somewhat at large upon the transactions of the town at this period, and till the termination of the war. Possibly all are not aware how much was accomplished by towns, as such; how many sacrifices were made in every way, to help on the cherished undertaking. New England contributed more, both in men and money, to the success of the great struggle, than all the other provinces; and those miniature republics, the towns, so singular a feature in the body politic, gave to New England, weight and importance.

At a town meeting, in January, 1773, "The dangerous condition of public affairs, in particular the independency of the Superior Judges, came into discussion, as a subject of great interest. The representative received particular instructions, herein, and also as to the right claimed by the mother country, to transport persons to England for trial. He was directed to use his utmost endeavours to obtain a radical redress of grievances.

A committee was chosen, and reported the following resolves: "That this and every other town in the Province, has an undoubted right to meet together and consult upon all matters interesting to them, when, and so often, as they shall judge fit. And it is more especially their duty so to do, when any infringement is made upon their civil or religious liberties.

"That the raising a revenue in the colonies, without their consent, either by themselves or their representatives, is an infringement of that right, which every freeman has to dispose of his own property.

"That the granting a salary to His Excellency the Governor of this province, out of the revenue unconstitutionally raised from us, is an innovation of a very alarming tendency.

"That it is of the highest importance to the security of liberty, life an property, that the public administration of justice, should be pure and impartial, and that the Judges should be free from every bias, either in favour of the crown or the subject.

"That the absolute dependence of the Judges of the superior *Dr. William Dunsmoor, Messrs. John Prescott, Aaron Sawyer, Josiah Kendall, Joseph White, Nathaniel Wyman and Ebenezer Allen.

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Court of this province upon the crown for their support, would if it should ever take place, have the strongest tendency to bias the minds of the Judges, and would weaken our confidence in them.

"That the extension of the power of the Court of Vice Admiralty to its present enormous degree, is a great grievance and deprives the subject, in many instances, of the noble privilege of Englishmen, trial by jury.*

In Sept. 1774, William Dunsmoor, David Wilder,† Aaron Sawyer, Asa Whitcomb, Hezekiah Gates, John Prescott and Ephraim Sawyer, were chosen as a committee of correspondence.‡ £50 were voted to buy ammunition; two field pieces were purchased, and one hundred men were raised as volunteers, to be ready, at a minute's warning, to turn out upon any emergency; to be formed into two companies and choose their own officers."

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Committees were also chosen to draw up a covenant and for non-consumption of certain articles, and to be signed by the inhabitants." Also, "to post up such persons as continue to buy, sell or consume any East India Teas, in some public place in town;" and, in January, 1775, to "receive subscriptions for the suffering poor of the town of Boston," cruelly oppressed by the port bill.

On the alarm of the commencement of hostilities, on the 19th of April, 1775, the company of minute men marched directly to Lexington, and the company of Cavalry§ under the command of Capt. Thomas Gates, proceeded to Cambridge, to aid in driving the British troops to Boston. The cavalry remained in Cambridge while their aid was considered necessary. Ten of their number enlisted into the service of their country in the Massachusetts line.

I have no data at hand, by which to ascertain the number of men from this town, who joined the army during the war. The demands from head quarters for soldiers were numerous and were

*In 1774, the town instructed the representative, Col. Asa Whitcomb, "not to vote for compensation to the owners of the tea destroyed, neither by tax nor by assessment on the people."

+ Mr. Wilder was foreman of the grand jury that voted, April, 1774, "that should Peter Oliver, Esq. appear and act as Judge at this present Court, (Supreme Court at Worcester,) they would not proceed to business,but would utterly refuse."

The committe of correspondence and safety in 1777, consisted of Col. Asa Whitcomb, Capt. Thomas Gates, Joshua Fletcher, Elisha Allen and Jabez Fairbanks.

Of this company James Goodwin, the oldest man in Lancaster, Moses Burpee, Samuel Sawyer, John Hawkes, Phineas Fletcher and Joseph Blood, are living. The company of minute men was commanded by Capt. Benjamin Houghton. In June following, Andrew Haskell was the Captain,

all answered by the town with great cheerfulness. Indeed, I have no reason to doubt, that at different periods of the long conflict, all the able bodied inhabitants either in person or by substitute, were in the field, in defence of their country.* * Large sums of money were voted at various times, to encourage those who were drafted. Clothing for the troops and great quantities of provision were often purchased; committees were chosen to furnish the families of those who had enlisted with the necessaries and conveniences of life, and in short, great and unwearied efforts were made by the town to help on the struggle to a successful termination. In one instance only was there any hesitation. In June, 1780, an order came from Government for a draft of forty men, for six months. When the subject was brought before the town, Josiah Kendall, a leading and flaming patriot, addressed himself to the question, and declared that the town could not furnish the supply, being exhausted by repeated efforts. Samuel Ward, Esq.‡ seeing the course that was likely to be taken, urged a compliance with the order, and was pursuaded that a course which he suggested, might be adopted, that would satisfy the men to be drafted. On his motion, a Committee§ was im

About forty were engaged in the service over nine months; the rest were out for less terms of time, from one to nine months. Messrs. Jonathan Wilder, Silas Thurston and Jacob Z. Weares were at the taking of Burgoyne,

+ Prices were annually set to every article of life. In the summer of 1777, farming labor was 3s per day, wheat 6s 8d. rye 4s 6d. per bushelPhysician fees-emetic 1s, cathartic 1s, travel 8d. per mile, vist 8d, pulling tooth do.

cester.

This gentleman died August 14, 1826, aged 87. He was born in WorAt the age of sixteen, he entered the army, early in the French war. He was first out as a private in 1756, and rose before 1760 to be Adjutant in Col. Abijah Willard's regiment. He was at the taking of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, by Gen. Amherst, in 1759, and of Isle aux Noix and Montreal, in 1760. Towards the close of the war, he commenced business in Groton, and moved to Lancaster, in 1767. He represented the town in the General Court in 1800 and 1801, and for a great number of years served in various offices in the town.

Few individuals, who have not been extensively engaged in public life, have been so widely known. His acquaintance was sought by all. No one who ever knew him, though but slightly, could forget him. His powers of entertainment were never exhausted: his hospitality was inexhaustible. His knowledge was eminently practical, and had he enjoyed the advantages of a public education, he would have been distinguished as a Statesman. A mind of uncommon acuteness, a quick and keen perception of character, wide views of men and things, belonged to Mr. Ward, and enabled him to be highly useful as a citizen. In the daily charities of life, in giving aid to objects of public benevolence and usefulness, in distributions to the poor, he was ever active and ready. The indigent in this town have lost a valuable friend; one who for many years, week by week, ministered to their necessities, and whose good deeds will cause him to be long remembered in future years.

Na thaniel Balch, so celebrated for his powers of entertainment, so "merry and facete," the life of Gov. Hancock, and the great wit of his day,

mediately chosen of which he was chairman, and they proceeded to take measures to pay the men. The bounty in addition to the wages, was sometimes paid in continental money, and, at others, in corn, beef, live stock, land, &c. At this time, the old emission compared with gold and silver, was as 68 to 1,* and as compared with the new emission, as 40 to 1. The men received their bounties, in different ways. One of them, named Dunsmoor, was asked in what he would receive his bounty. He answered that Deacon Moore, (one of the committee,) had a piece of land adjoining his own farm, and he wished to own it. "Take it," cried Moore, "take it; I'd rather part with that land, which is the best I have, than loose the whole by my neglect in aiding the cause of my country." The effort succeeded: the forty men were drafted, paid off, and commenced their march within twelve days.

In June, 1777, in pursuance of a resolve of the General Assembly, Col. Asa Whitcomb was chosen "to collect evidence against such persons as shall be deemed internal enemies to the state." Soon after, the names of a number of citizens† were placed on the list in town meeting, as being included in the above description. Most of them were afterwards stricken off. It is related of Rev. Mr. Harrington, one of the number, that when his name was added to the list, on the foolish motion of some individual, the venerable and truly excellent man, bared his breast before his people and exclaimed, "strike, strike here, with your daggers; I am a true friend to my country." The passion for proscribing innocent persons, soon subsided in a measure, and a new mode of managing the was one of the committee. He was quite a whig, without a persecuting spirit; but not liking "guns and drums," he left Boston and resided in Lancaster, during the war. Here he was of much service in moderating the violence, oftentimes so unnecessary, but to which the feelings of patriotism frequently urged the patriots. He lived a little to the north of the church, on the Wrifford place.

*That is, on 16th June, 1780, one Spanish milled dollar was equal to sixty eight dollars of the old emission. On the first of April previous, the proportion was 40 to 1.

+ Moses Gerrish, Daniel Allen, Ezra Houghton, Joseph Moore, Solomon Houghton, James Carter and Rev. Timothy Harrington. At the commence. ment of hostilities, Col. Abijah Williard,a mandamus counsellor, and his brother, Abel Williard, Esq. went to Boston, and remained there during the siege. They left the country before the war terminated. They were both very much beloved, particularly the latter, and their departure was a cause of regret to the inhabitants. Indeed, they might have remained without being molested. Like many others, believing that the contest was hopeless, and that inevitable defeat would place the country in a state of servitude, they left their homes, and when convinced that their course was not well chosen, it was too late to remedy the error.

business was devised.

The examinations of the suspected were afterwards conducted by the committee of safety, where less excitement, and somewhat of a calm and dispassionate way of proceeding was introduced. No great violence however, no mobs, no riotous conduct disturbed the general state of the town. The spirit of liberty was deeply rooted and widely extended; indeed, so general was it, that it did not demand the moral refreshing of a mob to impart an active principle.

A number of the citizens who joined the army, were killed in battle, or died of their wounds. Of these, David Robbins was killed at Bunker Hill. Robert Phelps, wounded there, died in August, 1775: John Ballard, Abel Wyman and John Bennett, died in 1776 : Jonathan Sawyer, killed in 1777: Joseph Phelps died of his wounds in 1778 he was on board an armed vessel: Joseph Wilder died on board the same vessel. There were but few officers from this town in the continental service. Col. Henry Haskell, was a native of this town, lived here most of his life and died here. The other officers were Capt. Andrew Haskell, Lieuts. John Hewitt, Winslow Phelps, Philip Corey, and Jeremeel Haskell. Andrew Haskell

was a brave soldier, and deserves a passing notice. When the appeal was made to arms, he marched to Lexington as Lieutenant of the company of minute men. He joined the army soon after. He was subsequently promoted to be a Captain in the Massachusetts line, and afterwards in the continental army. He possessed but lit-” tle education, and of course but little refinement, and though a candidate for higher rank, was kept from promotion by his want of proper dignity and self respect. Irritated with this treatment, he suddenly left the service. But his love of country was too powerful, to suffer him to remain idle. In the course of a few weeks, he again enlisted, and served as a common soldier in the continental army, till the peace of 1783. After this period, he lived in Lancaster till 1791, when he joined the army led by the unfortunate Major Gen. Arthur St. Clair, against the Indians northwest of the Ohio, and was killed in the memorable battle near the Miamies' villages, Nov. 3, 1791, when the American forces suffered a sad overthrow. In Feb. 1778, the "articles of confederation and perpetual union between the colonies, were accepted on the part of the town. The various temporary constitutions for a state government, were agreed to, and the Constitution of this Commonwealth as it stood till 1821, received the assent of the town by a vote of one hundred and three, to seven, in May, 1780. In the choice of Governor the

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