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HISTORICAL
NEW H A M P S H I R E
A
Issued
occasionally
by
P U B L I C A T I O N
the
N E W HAMPSHIRE
H I S T O R I C A L
SOCIETY
in the interest o f service to people w h o would broaden their knowledge
of N e w H a m p s h i r e ' s long and enduring history through an evergrowing understanding o f its collected books and papers and
its objects o f art and craftsmanship w h i c h are here preserved for safe-keeping, reference and inspiration.
October 1952
I N T H I S NUMBER:
" N e w Hampshire
Indians," by Robinson V . Smith.
Vol..
VIII
Remembers T h e
No. 2
�]VEW
H A M P S H I R E H I S T O R I C A L
C O I V C O R D ,
BMEW
S O C I E T Y
H A M P S H I R E
President
Huntley
N.
Spaulding.
Vice
Presidents
Louis
S.
Cox,
E l w i n L . Page. Secretary
Elmer M.
Hunt.
Treasurer
Dudley W . Orr.
Trustees
Huntley
N.
Spaulding,
Louis
S.
Cox, E l w i n
L.
Page,
Dudley
W . O r r , Foster
Stearns,
James
W . Jameson, Herbert W .
H i l l , Richard W . Sulloway, Archibald
M.
Peisch,
Harry
Merrill,
Robert W . U p t o n , L a u r e n c e F . W h i t temore, P h i l i p M . M a r s t o n , S h e r m a n
Adams,
William
G.
Saltonstall.
E L M E R MUNSON H U N T ,
Director
New Hampshire Remembers the Indians
BY
Member
Loo\ed
shire
at historically
have
ever
to see events
land
quite
religion
should
parts
of New
from
the Indians,
done
with
In
compiling
by
were
i6oo's
that
the
these
ijoo's.
woods,
fields,
It has been
Englanders,
as
out or ma\e
in some
New
Ossipees
the
and
permanent
of
the
fishing,
you
wish
fish
on these
and
It all.
right
some
Indians
and
shores
no other's.
There
guns
more
laid
But
fur
are
and
many
probably
and
here
cannot
more
we at least
deadly
way
wanted
The
in mapped
of these
squares
for
than
to stop
to roam
the
settlers
Indian
that
the
New
had
to
drive
Hamp-
time
and
they
that
receded
the
from.
Penacooks,
be
considered
have
of
as\ed
'aggression?
use for
both
our
out"
came
hunting
of
us
but
arrows,
so
we
you."
the countryside
Englishman
squares
have
on
roamed
might
an act
land
the
not "driven
tribes
is enough
in
from
ivho
originally
they
he
places
of the
advanced,
committing
deer-meat.
out his land
New
is true in New
of them
which
and
Penn's
however,
ingenious
in
a section
record
latter
Indians
return,
to this land,
have.
being
First
and
students
colonization
not
ta\en
is
Hampshire
here
were
coastwise
you
undoubtedly
game,
they
the
many
history
of the tribes
William
the
In
Your
The
in
many
of
"Are
as you
a general
a good
Pequaw\ets,
settlers,
contrive
The
of
the
as much
and
must
exception
in
and. Indians
Indians
them.
English
where
land-owners.
new
We have
As
and west
the
over
been
more
of times
by some
the
But
since
to research.
of New
memory
as occurred
Yorl{.
Hampshire.
With
with
just
in New
to the north
given
assumption
treaties
prevails
he has added
mountains.
cases,
of the Dutch
this
captures
found
over
churches
of Indian
weel^s
colonists
rivers
elsewhere,
shire
To
and
still
account
the
casual
induced
the Indians
French
has long
account
the
has then
Hamp-
been
did.
to perpetuate
the
them
of
he
in Neu/
that not much
many
between
numerous
and
at times
a chronological
in
that remain
jaith
concise
to the late
Indians,
names
French
has devoted
resulted
and
the land
the Indians
contests
affairs
and
The
Society
has usually
England
while
and
Smith
to give
there
events
a new
Mr.
reader
the settlers
be said
of it than
has endeavored
early
prevail.
and
of Indian
The
the New
it might
some
records
sense.
between
Hampshire
Hampshire,
which
jetv
between
SMITH
Hampshire Historical
made
as a quarrel
or a quarrel
which
ROBINSON V .
New
which
never
in
who
would
been
built
search
arrived
be
on
his
to
�HISTORICAL
2
N E W
HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
N E W
HAMPSHIRE
.3
this day.
Was there room enough
for both the white
man and
the
Indian?
This is one of the questions
raised by this
article.
Another
is the question
of colonization.
The Indians
were
free
from the domination
of a European
civilization
they had never
known.
The white man was not free from it and has never quite been to this
day.
He was a colonizer,
forced to pay tribute ta his native land.
His
traditions
were brought
from another continent.
The Indian
knowing
no other native land than this one paid no such tribute either in money
or sentiment.
The white
man in 7776 broke
off his relations
with
Europe,
apparently
forever,
only to become forced to return to them as
now.
This provocative
account of the New Hampshire
Indians
raises
the question
as to whether
the natives were not, in fact, nearer to what
we call "freedom"
than the colonists then were, and have since
become.
The New Hampshire
Historical
Society Library
is rich in
Indian
lore which has been drawn upon extensively
by the writer of this
article.
No less than three hundred
and twenty books on the American
Indian
are available
for research,
devoted
to such topics as Indian
treaties,
captivities,
wars and other general
headings.
The entire subject
has
long since needed to be explored,
explained
and organized
as Mr.
Smith
has now attempted
to do.
That the predominant
"captive"
element
found
here is unique
in
American
histcrry is evident.
In no other state in the union has such a
motive
on the part of the Indian
appeared
to such an extent.
The
native Indian
does not appear to have sought
primarily
to
annihilate
the aggressor
or scalp him.
He desired to capture and sell him just as
he did a deer or beaver skin.
His customers,
the French,
wished
to
buy the English
colonists in order to absorb them into their own
settlement project and to convert them to their religion.
It was not
necessary
for the French to tell the Indians this.
There was a vastly larger
market
for captives than for scalps and they k^ew
it.
Only with the
which
might better
these raids to obtain
of New Hampshire's
and slaughter,
but
captives,
who were
ending
of the so-called
French
and Indian
War,
have been called the French
and English
war,
did
captives
subside.
With rare exception
the
history
first
two hundred
years is not one of
"massacre"
one of Indian
treaties,
trading
and the taking
of
ultimately
ransomed.
In their desire to capture the settlers alive and then sell them,
the
Indians,
however,
defeated their own purpose.
For the white man survived and brought
a civilization
in which the Indian
way of life
could
not survive.
The Indian
names of rivers, trails, mountains,
lakes,
and
towns remain,
with here and there an exhibit
or tivo preserving
the
noiu almost forgotten
Indian relics in our
museums.
EDITOR.
f
I ^ H i s year ( 1 9 5 2 ) m a r k s the a n n i v e r s a r y of G e n e r a l J o h n S t a r k ' s e x p l o r a I
tory visit to R u m n e y , N e w H a m p s h i r e , the point on the B a k e r R i v e r
\r w h e r e he w a s c a p t u r e d by the I n d i a n s a n d t a k e n to C a n a d a . I t is
a n u n u s u a l c o i n c i d e n c e , s e l d o m r e c o g n i z e d by h i s t o r i a n s , that the
B a k e r R i v e r is n a m e d for T h o m a s B a k e r , w h o w a s also c a p t u r e d forty years
e a r l i e r a n d l i k e w i s e t a k e n to C a n a d a .
J o h n S t a r k w a s r a n s o m e d soon after his c ap t u re , t h r o u g h the efforts of
C a p t a i n P h i n e h a s Stevens a n d M a j o r N a t h a n i e l W h e e l w r i g h t , g r a n d s o n of the
f o u n d e r of the t o w n of E x e t e r , both ambassadors to the F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t of
C a n a d a sent to negotiate the e x c h a n g e of p r i s o n e r s .
T h u s is i n v o l v e d a series of i n t e r e s t i n g h i s t o r i c a l c oi n c i de n c e s, a l l r e l a t i n g to
the N e w H a m p s h i r e I n d i a n tribes a n d t h e i r n e i g h b o r s , to the efforts o n the part
of the colonies to become safe f r o m a t t a c k s , a n d to the w h o l e c o l o n i z a t i o n efiFort
of p r e - R e v o l u t i o n a r y days.
T h e first of these coincidences is as before stated, that T h o m a s B a k e r , J o h n
S t a r k a n d C a p t a i n Stevens h a d a l l been prisoners of the I n d i a n s . B a k e r not only
has a N e w H a m p s h i r e r i v e r b e a r i n g his n a m e , but received a g r a n t of l a n d , a
p a r t of w h i c h is n o w S a l i s b u r y , n a m e d B a k e r s t o w n i n his h o n o r .
O r i g i n a l l y a n a t i v e of N o r t h a m p t o n , Massachusetts, b o r n i n 1682, T h o m a s
B a k e r w a s t h i r t y years o l d w h e n he became a n " I n d i a n s c o u t " i n c o m m a n d of
a c o m p a n y of t h i r t y m e n o n a n e x p e d i t i o n agai n st the I n d i a n s i n the " N o r t h
C o u n t r y " u n d e r orders f r o m G o v e r n o r D u d l e y of Massachusetts.
H e undoubtedly received this a p p o i n t m e n t t h r o u g h h a v i n g been c a p t u r e d some ten years
e a r l i e r , a n experience w h i c h t a u g h t h i m I n d i a n modes a n d m e t h o d s . H i s other
i m p o r t a n t experience w a s his m e e t i n g i n C a n a d a , w h i l e a c a p t i v e , w i t h M a d a m e
C h r i s t i n e L e B e a u w h o , vi'hen three m o n t h s o l d , h a d been c a r r i e d there as C h r i s tine O t i s by the I n d i a n s .
�HISTORICAL
GENERAL
JOHN
STARK
was born
in Londonderry
1728.
When he made
his famous hunting trip and when captured
in 1752,
he was
ttnenty-fotir.
He served with Rogers's
Rangers
and
under
General
Amherst
at
Ticonderoga and Crown
Point.
John
Stark's
greatest
fame
was
achieved
at the Battle of
Bennington,
fought
largely on New
Yor/i soil at
Waloomstic.
There
he and his New
Hampshire
soldiers
intercepted
the
southern
march of Burgoyne's
army
and
defeated
it.
The occasion
was
said to be a turning
point in the
American
War of Independence.
Starli
was made a Brigadier
General.
He
was the author of New
Hampshire's
State Motto,
"Live
Free or
Die."
N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
5
shire H i s t o r i c a l Society's Collections,
T h u s C a p t a i n B a k e r became i n v o l v e d i n
one of the f e w r o m a n c e s g r o w i n g out of the
French and Indian W a r s . Christine L e B e a u
w a s the d a u g h t e r of R i c h a r d O t i s of D o v e r ,
and his w i f e M a r g a r e t W a r r e n . H e r father
had been k i l l e d a n d h i s house b u r n e d i n the
I n d i a n r a i d on D o v e r i n 1689, the r a i d w h i c h
w i t n e s s e d the s l a y i n g of M a j o r R i c h a r d W a l d r o n , one of the l e a d i n g figures i n the early
h i s t o r y of the c o l o n y .
II.
C . A l i c e B a k e r , i n her
New
England
this
Captives,
volume
True
has
Stories
also
of
described
affair.
Mr.
K e t c h u m is not c e r t a i n w h e t h e r
Cap-
t a i n B a k e r met h i s w i f e i n C a n a d a or
after
her r e t u r n to D o v e r , but he l e a r n e d that their
m a r r i a g e w a s a h a p p y one a n d that they h a d
six
children.
One
of
these,
Colonel
Otis
B a k e r , had a daughter, L y d i a , w h o married
Colonel A m o s
A r r i v i n g i n C a n a d a w i t h her m o t h e r , the
d a u g h t e r , C h r i s t i n e , h a d been b a p t i z e d i n the
F r e n c h C h u r c h a n d at s i x t e e n m a r r i e d to a
F r e n c h g e n t l e m a n , L e B e a u , w h o appears to
have d i e d soon after. T h u s she m i g h t legally
t a k e a d v a n t a g e of the p l a n for the e x c h a n g e
of prisoners a n d r e t u r n to D o v e r .
C o g s w e l l of D o v e r .
Another
L y d i a , b o r n of this m a r r i a g e , m a r r i e d P a u l
Wentworth
of
Sandwich
and
became
the
m o t h e r of the H o n o r a b l e J o h n ( " L o n g J o h n " )
W e n t w o r t h , first m a y o r of C h i c a g o .
Christine
Captain
T w o interested h i s t o r i a n s h a v e set d o w n
the events w h i c h o c c u r r e d i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h
the m a r r i a g e of M a d a m e L e B e a u to C a p t a i n
Baker.
One
was
the
Reverend
Silas
K e t c h u m , l o n g P r e s i d e n t of the N e w H a m p shire A n t i q u a r i a n Society, a n d a m e m b e r of
T h e N e w H a m p s h i r e H i s t o r i c a l Society to
w h i c h he left his l i b r a r y .
T h e Reverend
K e t c h u m ' s article appears i n the N e w H a m p -
Baker
Baker,
lived
her
to
be
husband,
Massachusetts
i n the l e g i s l a t u r e a n d d i e d i n
These
of
first
of
aged
town
the
representative
'753'
the
eighty-four.
was
Brookfield,
seventy-one.
were
not
the o n l y
captives.
The
I n d i a n h i s t o r y of N e w H a m p s h i r e i n fact is
m o r e a history of persons t a k e n to C a n a d a by
the I n d i a n s t h a n a history of battles or scalpings.
W h i l e other states w e r e the scenes of
e x c i t i n g battles
tured
in
with
books
and
the I n d i a n s , l o n g
legend
as
counters w i t h the n a t i v e s i n t h e i r f u l l
giving forth
INDIAN BORDER DECORATION. ENSIGN & THAYER'S
MAP
IN T H E N E W
HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S
COLLECTION.
war-whoops
tomahawks, N e w
and
pic-
bloody
en-
regalia
waving
their
H a m p s h i r e has to be c o n -
tent w i t h p e a c e - m a k i n g e n c o u n t e r s , occasional
"massacres,"
and
the
various
captivities
in
w h i c h a considerable n u m b e r of settlers w e r e
t a k e n to C a n a d a , a n d later r e d e e m e d .
I n d i a n h i s t o r y i n this state b e g a n w i t h the
coming
of
the colonists
i n the
1620's
and
lasted u n t i l the close of the so-called F r e n c h
and
I n d i a n W a r i n the
about
a century and a
1760's, a p e r i o d
half.
The
of
territory
w h i c h is n o w N e w H a m p s h i r e w i t h its l a k e s ,
rivers, mountains and
I n d i a n habitation.
valleys
was
ideal
for
F i s h and game abounded,
p r o v i d i n g both food a n d c l o t h i n g .
T h e tribes
w e r e by no m e a n s large a n d u s u a l l y content
to stay w i t h i n l i m i t e d areas.
F r a n c i s P a r k m a n , the h i s t o r i a n , has w r i t t e n
a d e s c r i p t i o n of the I n d i a n s to the n o r t h i n
A c a d i a w h i c h seems to a p p l y e q u a l l y w e l l to
New
GENERAL JOHN STARK.
FROM A
P R I N T IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
Hampshire.
I n l a n d A f a d i u , he says, w a s a l l forest, a n d
vast tracts of it are a p r i m e v a l forest s t i l l .
Flere r o a m e d the A b e n a k i s w i t h their k i n d r e d
tribes, a race w i l d as their haunts. I n habits
they were all m u c h a l i k e . T h e i r villages w e r e
on the waters of the A n d r o s c o g g i n , the Saco,
�6
HISTORICAL
"LONG
JOHN"
Wentworth
graduated jrom Dartmouth
in tlie Class oj
i8j6.
He was a member
of New
Hampshire's
distinguished
Wentworth
jamily.
After college he went to Chicago
and
became
editor
of
"The
Chicago
Democrat."
He served
as a
Representative
in Congress
and was
first elected Mayor of Chicago in 18^7.
He was the author of the
Wentworth
Genealogy.
N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
tlic K e n n e b e c , the Penobscot, the St. C r o i x ,
anil the St. J o h n ; here i n spring they planted
their c o r n , beans, a n d p u m p k i n s , a n d t h e n ,
leaving them to g r o w , w e n t d o w n to the sea i n
their birch-canoes.
T h e y returned towards the e n d of s u m m e r ,
gathered their harvest, and w e n t again to the
sea, w h e r e they lived i n abundance on d u c k s ,
geese, a n d other w a t e r f o w l .
D u r i n g winter,
most of the w o m e n , c h i l d r e n , a n d oltl m e n
7
r e m a i n e d i n the villages; w h i l e the hunters
ranged the forest i n chase of moose, deer,
caribou, beavers, a n d bears.
T h e i r s u m m e r stay at the seashore w a s perhaps the most pleasant, a n d certainly the
most picturesque, part of their lives. B i v o u acked by some of the i n n u m e r a b l e coves a n d
inlets that indent these coasts, they passed
their days i n that alternation of indolence a n d
action w h i c h is a second nature to the I n d i a n .
H e r e i n w e t weather, w h i l e the torpid w a t e r
was d i m p l e d w i t h rain-drops, a n d the u p turned canoes lay idle o n the pebbles, the listless w a r r i o r smoked his pipe u n d e r his roof
of b a r k , or launched his slender craft at the
d a w n of the J u l y d a y , w h e n shores a n d
islands were painted i n shadow against the
rosy east, ancl forests, d u s k y a n d cool, lay
w a i t i n g for the sunrise.
T h e w o m e n gathered raspberries or w h o r t l e berries i n the open places of the woods, or
clams a n d oysters i n the sands a n d s h a l l o w s ,
a d d i n g their shells as a contribution to the
shell-heaps that have accumulated for ages
along these shores. T h e m e n fished, speared
porpoises, o r shot seals. A priest w a s often i n
the c a m p w a t c h i n g over his flock, a n d saying
mass every day i n a chapel of b a r k . T h e r e w a s
no lack of altar candles, made by m i x i n g t a l l o w w i t h the w a x of the bayberry, w h i c h
abounded a m o n g the rocky h i l l s , a n d w a s
gathered i n profusion by the squaws a n d
children.
The
white
men
of
England
came
to
the
s o u t h e r n shores of t h i s t e r r i t o r y a n d the w h i t e
m e n f r o m F r a n c e to the n o r t h e r n
The
INDIAN
PIPE.
NEW
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S
COLLECTION.
T H E HONORABLE JOHN W F X T W O R I I I ,
FIRST MAYOR o r ("HICAOO. FROM A
PHOIOGRAPH IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
boundaries.
colonists of these t w o n a t i o n s differed
in
t h e i r r e l a t i o n s to the o r i g i n a l n a t i v e s , a l t h o u g h
both asserted
conversion
publicly that their purpose
was
a n d c i v i l i z a t i o n , not a n n i h i l a t i o n .
SECTION OF MURAL I N THE MASCOMA SAVINGS B A N K , LEBANON, BY BERNARD F .
CHAPMAN.
FROM ' T I E T Y - T H R E E YEARS
OF PROGRESS" I N T H E N E W H A M P SHIRE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S LIBRARY.
�s
HISTORICAL
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
K i n g J a m e s I for i n s t a n c e , Jiad said p i o u s l y
w h e n the colonists
the early
i6oo's
first
began to e m b a r k
that he
hoped
the
in
venture
" w o u l d result not o n l y i n profit but t e n d to
the g l o r y of G o d i n p r o p a g a t i n g the C h r i s t i a n
faith among
infidels a n d savages a n d
t h e m to h u m a n i t y a n d c i v i l i t y . "
bring
T h e French
colonists, l i k e w i s e , w e r e a l m o s t u n a n i m o u s i n
t h e i r z e a l to t u r n the I n d i a n s i n t o C h r i s t i a n s ,
a supreme
example
being Father Rasle
the priests associated
It cannot
the early
be a s s u m e d
New
and
with him.
by a n y m e a n s
Hampshire
colonists
here a n d b e g a n i m m e d i a t e w a r f a r e
to d r i v e the I n d i a n s out.
that
landed
intended
T h e r e w a s m u c h to
be l e a r n e d f r o m t h e m .
T h e science of t r a p -
p i n g , the habits of a g r i c u l t u r e a n d e v e n
skills
of
fishing
were
largely
the
unknown
to
t h e m a n d the I n d i a n s , as they t r a d e d , c o u l d
teach
them
a
great
p e r i o d of f r o m
deal.
1623
Thus
to 1675
the
first
w a s a t i m e of
peace-treaties a n d l a n d purchases, the agreements m a d e by the E n g l i s h b e i n g to a i d the
I n d i a n s against other tribes a n d to a l l o w t h e m
full h u n t i n g and
the
fishing
newcomers
privileges.
might
without molestation.
occupy
I n return
their
villages
T h a t this p l a n
worked
to a degree for a l m o s t a n e n t i r e g e n e r a t i o n
is
significant.
W h i l e there w a s a w a r against the I n d i a n s
INDIAN ARROW W I T H SIONK
ARROW-HEAD.
FROM T H E
N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
i n the first h a l f c e n t u r y of A m e r i c a n c o l o n i z a t i o n i n N e w E n g l a n d it d i d not occur i n N e w
Hampshire.
conducted
I t w a s against the P e q u o t s
l a r g e l y by C o n n e c t i c u t .
torian,
Belknap,
period.
Darby
reports
Field
h a v i n g discovered
sent there
who
is
to l o o k
the
the
savages except
with
gold
short
and
There
quarrel
war
and
Captain
a leading
figure
who
John
were
direct
effects
on
New
1643
of the N a r r a g a n s e t t
nomo,
enemy
i r e of
the
capture
of
the
had
and
Indians
a n d a treaty
was
m a d e by
with
success-
which
New
almost
t w o decades.
It
is
significant
that
during
this
period
o c c u r r e d one of the great events i n A m e r i c a n
h i s t o r y , the active
attempt
at c o n v e r s i o n
of
the A m e r i c a n I n d i a n s to the C h r i s t i a n f a i t h ,
i n k e e p i n g w i t h the professed a i m s of K i n g
J a m e s a n d his c o l o n i z e r s C a p t a i n J o h n S m i t h
and
Captain
New
John
Mason,
the
pioneers
of
Hampshire.
O b v i o u s l y , h o w e v e r , n o n e of these
gentle-
m e n h a d the o p p o r t u n i t y to do a n y t h i n g v e r y
p r a c t i c a l about i t , but J o h n
Eliot did.
He
" e n g a g e d i n the great w o r k of p r e a c h i n g u n t o
the
Indians,"
according
established
thus
in N e w
to
was
the
the
who
historian
forerunner
the
next
of
century
H a m p s h i r e as the
same
H o w m u c h the t h i r t y years of peace f r o m the
in
history.
against
Connecticut
the
other i n -
aroused
of
H a m p s h i r e w a s assured protection for
Wheelock,
in
Chieftain, Mianto-
Pequots,
Narragansett
ful
Eleazer
affairs
execution
Winthrop
U n c a s , C h i e f of the M o h e g a n s , w e r e
in
afterward
Hampshire
ill-advised
Governor
to
do
with
E l i o t ' s e n d e a v o r s is a m a t t e r
1630's to the
of
speculation,
i66o's
had
John
but c e r t a i n it is that there w a s peace i n those
years,
which
colonists
war, however,
The
E f f o r t s to p r e v e n t a w a r m a d e by R o g e r W i l l i a m s of R h o d e I s l a n d a n d a c o u n c i l h e l d by
and
h a d served i n t h a t w a r .
T h e Pequot
Samuel Eliot Morison,
in his admirable essay on John
Eliot,
sums
up
Eliot's
achievement
by
saying
that
"Indian
converts
could have
grasped
none oj the intellectual
subtleties
of
Puritanism,
hut if the mental
attitude
of prayer is worth anything Eliot
performed
a great and noble
work-"
JOHN E L I O T PREACHING TO T H E INDIANS.
FROM A P R I N T IN T H E N E W H A M P SHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
Gookin
part
subdued
Hampshire
While preaching to the Indians
many
significant
questions
were
asked
by
them
oj the preacher,
among
them:
"Why is sea-water salt and land
water
jresh?"
To which Eliot replied,
"Why
are strawberries
sweet and
cranberries
sour?"
Another question was, "Ij God could
not be seen with their eyes, how
could
He be seen tvith their sotds
within?"
Eliot's answer was, "If they saw a great
wigwam
wotdd
they think
that raccoons or foxes had built it that had
no wisdom?
No, hut they would
believe
some
wise
workman
made
it
though
they
did not see him.
So
should
they believe
concerning
God
when they looked up to Heaven,
Sun,
Moon and Stars, and saw this
great
house he hath made though
they do
not see him with their
eyes."
sort of preacher i n a s t i l l m o r e p r a c t i c a l w a y .
with
Underbill,
in N e w
JOHN
ELIOT
was horn in
England
in 1604, coming to America
in
1631.
As a minister at Roxhury
he met an
Indian prisoner jrom whom he learned
considerable
0/ the Indian
language.
He began preaching
to the Indians
in
1646.
He established
a mission
in
Massachusetts
jor "praying
Indians,"
and
with
his friend
Major
Daniel
Gookin extended his activities
throughout
New
England
prior
to
King
Philip's
War.
was
had
9
with
w h o d w e l t i n the southeastern
Connecticut
1637."
credited
w i t h the I n d i a n s .
remarkable
of
that
for
been, he s a i d , " n o
Pequots
T h e his-
during
the W h i t e M o u n t a i n s
i n part
p a r t to trade
that
and
N E W HAMPSHIRE
an
gave
the
opportunity
New
to
Hampshire
establish
them-
selves i n the n e w l a n d a n d b u i l d u p the protection they needed against
The
days
of
n o n e too l o n g .
preparation,
B y 1665
the
future.
however,
were
the g r o w t h of
New
the
E n g l a n d a n d the coast t o w n s of N e w
all
s h i r e h a d i n d i c a t e d a need for e x p a n s i o n
Hampto
N e w E n g l a n d of w h i c h N e w H a m p s h i r e w a s
the n o r t h w a r d .
a
T h e y h a d n o ideologies l i k e the m o d e r n ones
part
and
open
warfare
was
theatened.
T h e I n d i a n s k n e w this too.
�10
HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
II
K i n g P h i l i p ' s W a r i n 1676,
dron's
settlement
in
on M a j o r W a l -
Dover.
After
three
years of neglect of their c r o p s , h o w e v e r , the
Indians discontinued their attacks.
New
Hampshire
commemorated
King
P h i l i p ' s W a r h a l f a c e n t u r y later w h e n G o v ernor
Jonathan
Governor
Hampshire
John
Belcher
and
Wentworth
grants
to
the
Lieutenantmade
New
descendants
of
soldiers i n that w a r , m o s t l y f r o m M a s s a c h u setts: N a r r a g a n s e t t N u m b e r T h r e e , n o w A m herst;
Narragansett
Goffstown;
Number
and Narragansett
Four,
now
Number
Five,
now Bedford, were all named i n commemor a t i o n of the great N e w E n g l a n d w a r w h i c h
SMITH (MKRISON HOUSE. DOVER. FROM THE ORIGINAL PAINTIXC
IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
CAPTAIN
JOHN
LOCKE,
of Rye,
whose sword and the sickle with
which
he defended
himself against an attack
by Indians
who took his life, are
among the most valued possessions of
The New Hampshire
Historical
Society, came to America from
England
in the early i6oo's.
Settling in Dover
and later near Locke's
Neck i" Ry^,
he was reaping his fall harvest
when
several Indians attacked and killed him
but not before he had slashed one of
them with his sickle and cut of) his
nose.
Sickle
and sword
were
given
to The Society many years ago by The
Locke
family
Association,
to
which
they
descended
through
successive
generations
of Lockes.
of
" e n c r o a c h m e n t " or " a g g r e s s i o n "
resented
the
occupation
of
their
b u t they
coastwise
l a n d , their f i s h i n g w a t e r s a n d t h e i r i n t e r v a l e s
by
strangers
whose
civilization
seemed
to
m a k e t h e m p e r m a n e n t o w n e r s a n d not m e r e
tribal
transients as
the I n d i a n s h a d
always
been.
The
r e s u l t w a s a n occasion of f a r - r e a c h i n g
consequence
to
New
Hampshire.
King
P h i l i p ' s W a r w a s d i r e c t e d p r i m a r i l y at M a s s a chusetts, C o n n e c t i c u t a n d R h o d e I s l a n d b u t
it w a s a n a c t i o n by a great C o n f e d e r a t i o n of
Indian
tribes, w h i c h
England
i n c l u d e d a l l the
natives except
the P e n a c o o k s ,
Ossipees a n d the P e q u a w k e t s .
t i m e the
F o r the
w a r r i o r s i n c l u d e d the tribes
New
the
first
from
the n o r t h , w h i c h t o o k i n the M o h a w k s a n d
others later to be k n o w n as the " F i v e
Na-
tions."
The
colonists
blockhouses
h a s t i l y b u i l t stockades
and
a n d d i d a l l they c o u l d to erect
fortifications.
Nevertheless
there
were
I n d i a n attacks on B r o o k f i e l d , Deerfield a n d
Northfield
i n Massachusetts
and,
following
K I N G P H I L I P . FROM A PRINT IN T H E N E W
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
�12
HISTORICAL
THE
NARRAGANSETT
WAR had
other indirect
effects on New
Hampshire, in addition
to tlie naming
oj
its towns.
In this war tlie
wealthy
Captain
Thomas
Howard
was
killed
and his widow
later married
a Connecticut jarmer,
William Moor.
Upon
his death, liis son, Joshua Moor,
finding himselj
with more property
than
he needed, deeded land and
buildings
near Lebanon,
Connecticut
jor the
jounding
oj Moor's
Indian
Charity
School, which ajterward
became
Dartmouth
College.
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
completely
annihilated
the
on t h e i r t r a d i n g .
Narragansett
Waldron
W i t h a n u n s e t t l e d peace r e i g n i n g i n most
New
death,
England
the
New
following
Hampshire
King
killed.
Philip's
I n s t e a d the occasion t u r n e d
colonists
ginning
Indian
blockhouses
s c o u t i n g parties
sent out.
were
A
built,
defense
leader
of
the
colonists
fight
and
was
others
w e r e c a p t u r e d a n d t a k e n to C a n a d a , the be-
em-
north.
More
the
M a n y d i e d i n this
b a r k e d on a p o l i c y of a r m e d e x p a n s i o n to the
and
of
a long
attacks
series
of
such
continued
at
Salmon
E x e t e r , a n d the n e a r b y t o w n s .
force
captures.
Falls,
Y o r k , Maine,
w a s o r g a n i z e d i n a l m o s t every t o w n a n d v i l -
was
lage.
Exeter
ham, Rye, in N e w Hampshire, and Haverhill
were
declared
and
Haverhill,
the
frontier
Massachusetts
and
in
bounties
w e r e offered for I n d i a n scalps.
THE
FRENCH
had early reasons to
distrust the Colonists.
Belknap
points
out that the English,
under the Treaty
oj Breda
had ceded the land
jrom
the Penobscot
to Nona Scotia to the
French in exchange
jor the Island oj
St.
Christopher.
"On these lands," says Belknap,
"the
Baron de St. Castine had jor
many
years resided
and carried on a large
, trade tvith the Indians.
In the spring
'• oj i68S,
Governor
Andros
oj Massachusetts went in the jrigate Rose, and
plundered
Castine's
house and
jort,
leaving
only
the ornaments
oj his
^chapel to console him jor his loss oj
arms and goods.
This base action provoked Castine to excite the Indians to
King William's
War."
13
out to be a n a r m e d conflict i n w h i c h M a j o r
Indians.
of
N E W HAMPSHIRE
In
1680
New
b u r n e d a n d the I n d i a n s a t t a c k e d
Massachusetts.
Peace w a s m a d e w i t h the I n d i a n s by G o v -
H a m p s h i r e became a r o y a l
e r n o r D u d l e y i n 1703,
p r o v i n c e a n d the people left w i t h o n l y t h e m -
of
selves to l o o k to for p r o t e c t i o n . T h u s they c o n -
Anne.
t i n u e d u n t i l the o u t b r e a k of a n e w difficulty
themselves
k n o w n as K i n g W i l l i a m ' s W a r .
did
No
longer
w a s it against the s o u t h e r n I n d i a n s b u t the
fierce
tribes f r o m the N o r t h , the
William
the year of the d e a t h
I I I a n d the accession of
The
Indians,
at
St.
considerable
however,
Francis
in
trading
with
Canada
the
in N e w
H a m p s h i r e history a " t r a d i n g
at N a s h u a , c a l l e d Q u e e n ' s G a r r i s o n .
1689
meantime
allies
the
A i d e d i n A m e r i c a by t h e i r A b e n a k i
who
Penacooks,
in
turn
were
Cochecos
and
allied
with
the
Pequawkets,
the
of
there o c c u r r e d the
prisoners
and
the
lines
first
of
post"
I n the
exchange
towns
were
g r a d u a l l y e x t e n d e d to the n o r t h w a r d .
B e l k n a p , the h i s t o r i a n , says of this p e r i o d
F r e n c h a n d I n d i a n s w e r e a l l u n d e r the i m -
that " t h e g o v e r n o r of C a n a d a h a d e n c o u r a g e d
p l i c i t d i r e c t i o n of F r o n t e n a c at Q u e b e c .
the I n d i a n s w h o i n h a b i t e d the borders of N e w
T h e first o u t b r e a k o c c u r r e d at D o v e r w h e r e
England
the N e w H a m p s h i r e tribes h a d come to c a r r y
to r e m o v e
to
Canada"
where,
INDIAN
TOMAHAWK.
FROM
T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE H I S l O R i o A L SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
INDIAN T R I B A L CHIEF'S BEADED V E S T ,
W I T H H I S L I F E HISTORY ( F R O N T ) .
FROM
T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
and
New
E n g l a n d e r s , w h o established for the first t i m e
Abenakis.
a n d F r a n c e soon d e c l a r e d w a r o n
Queen
established
W i l l i a m I I I h a d become K i n g of E n g l a n d i n
English.
Dur-
INDIAN T R I B A L CHIEF'S BEADED V E S T ,
W I T H H I S L I F E HISTORY ( B A C K ) .
FROM
T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
he
�14
HISTORICAL
FOREMOST
among the French
missionaries
to the Indians
was
Father
Sebastian
Rasle, a much loved
Jesuit
priest, who apparently
possessed a great
personal
magnetism
in contrast to the
enthusiastic
but
comparatively
unimaginative
John
Eliot.
Father Rasle is said to have
hunted
and fished
with the Indians,
"always
erecting a chapel of bark that he might
say a daily mass."
His first church in
the colonies
was destroyed
by the
settlers in 170$ while
he was absent.
He built another,
adorned
with
paintings done by himself, and
maintained
an Indian
choir of forty voices
with
home-made
bayberry
candles
at the
altar which were said to have made a
"blaze
of
light."
Sebastian
Rasle compiled
a
French
dictionary
of Indian
terms which
has
been preserved.
He was killed
{1724)
near a cross he had erected
at Norridgewock
in Maine during
Lovewell's
War.
Many
years later a group
of
Protestants
and
Catholics
joined
to
erect
a monument
over
hts
grave
\
celebrating,
as his
biographer
• says, the "patient
toils of the
missionary and love of the darkened
soid of
*,the Indian,
placing the names of Eliot
and Rasle in a fellowship
which
they
indeed
would
both have rejected,
but
which we may regard as hallowed
and
true."
N E W HAMPSHIRE
adds, "they
the affairs
HISTORICAL
became
more
firmly
attached
of t h e F r e n c h a n d c o u l d be
N E W HAMPSHIRE
to
more
easily d i s p a t c h e d to the f r o n t i e r s . "
Thus
the
the conflect b e t w e e n
red
men
Indians
took
engaged
on
a
almost
the w h i t e s
new
wholly
seldom i n open w a r f a r e .
and
aspect.
in
The
"raids,"
C o m p a n i e s of
New
H a m p s h i r e v o l u n t e e r s often r e t u r n e d w i t h o u t
meeting
sudden
any,
w h i l e , as
attacks
by
in
1706,
small
there
bodies
on
were
Dover,
O y s t e r R i v e r a n d the t o w n s to the east.
the I n d i a n s descended
and
Great
Boar's
on E x e t e r ,
Head,
Later
Kingston,
taking
scalps
and
that
prevailed
prisoners.
Such
was
the c o n d i t i o n
the accession of K i n g G e o r g e I i n 1713.
at
The
s i g n i n g of the Peace T r e a t y of U t r e c h t i n that
year b r o u g h t a cessation of E u r o p e a n
hostili-
ties for a p e r i o d of t w e n t y - s i x years a n d
Hampshire
benefitted
accordingly.
New
INDIAN CHILD'S SNOWSHOES. N E W H A M P SHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
There
w e r e s e v e r a l e x c e p t i o n s , h o w e v e r , as far as the
Indians were concerned.
shire's t h i r d
I n 1722
New Hamp-
I n d i a n w a r occurred, k n o w n
as
L o v e w e l l ' s W a r , made famous through w i d e l y
circulated ballads a n d
The
Francis
first
serious
Indians
pamphlets.
attacks
at
were
Dover
in
by
the
1724.
St.
Cap-
t a i n J o h n L o v e w e l l of D u n s t a b l e i m m e d i a t e l y
o r g a n i z e d a c o m p a n y a n d m e t t h e m the n e x t
year at P e q u a w k e t , n o w F r y e b u r g .
Jonathan
F r y e , w h o s e n a m e the t o w n s bears, w a s C h a p lain
in
Maine,
F r y e b u r g w a s settled l a r g e l y by N e w
of
Hamp-
shire
Paugus
to
the
the
company.
people.
The
Indians
w e r e defeated
colonists.
Although
under
Chief
w i t h considerable
Chaplain Frye
was
i n the battle as w a s C a p t a i n L o v e w e l l .
loss
killed
The
N e w H a m p s h i r e t o w n of S u n c o o k , n o w P e m broke, was granted
years after
the
to L o v e w e l l ' s
men
three
fight.
B e l k n a p has d e s c r i b e d this p e r i o d i n I n d i a n
history v i v i d l y .
To
account, he says, for the frequent
w a r s w i t h the eastern I n d i a n s , u s u a l l y called
by the F r e n c h , the A b e n a q u i s , a n d their
unsteadiness both i n w a r and peace; w e m u s t
observe, that they were situated between the
colonies of t w o E u r o p e a n nations, w h o w e r e
often at w a r w i t h each other, antl w h o pursued
very different measures w i t h regard to t h e m .
As the lands o n w h i c h they l i v e d w e r e c o m prehended i n the patents granted by the c r o w n
of E n g l a n d , the natives were considered b y the
E n g l i s h as subjects of that c r o w n .
I n the
treaties a n d conferences held w i t h t h e m they
were styled the k i n g ' s subjects; w h e n w a r w a s
declared against t h e m , they w e r e called rebels;
PAUGUS
was one of the Chiefs of
the Pequawket
tribe.
He is said to
have organized
many of the
Indian
raids which brought on Lovewell's
War
in 172^.
His warriors
were
attacked
by Captain
Lovewell
on the
border
between
Maine
and New
Hampshire
near Fryeburg,
as they were about to
leave on an expedition
carrying
much
ammunition
together
with spare
blankets and moccasins for the use of captives.
Paugus
and all his men
were
killed in this attackA verse composed
the occasion
begins:
to
commemorate
'Twas Paugus led the Pequ'k't
tribe:
As runs the fox, would Paugus
run;
As howls
the wild
wolf, would
he
howl;
A huge bear-skin
had Paugus
on.
But Chamberlain,
of
Dunstable,
One whom
a savage ne'er shall
slay.
Met Paugus
by the
water-side.
And shot him dead upon that day.
and w h e n they w e r e compelled to m a k e peace,
they subscribed a n a c k n o w l e d g m e n t of their
perfidy a n d a declaration of their submission
to the g o v e r n m e n t w i t h o u t a n y j u s t ideas of
the m e a n i n g of those t e r m s ; a n d i t is a difficult point to determine w h a t k i n d of subjects
they w e r e .
Besides the patents derived f r o m the c r o w n
the E n g l i s h , i n general, were fond of obtaining f r o m the I n d i a n s , deeds of sale for tho.se
lands o n w h i c h they were disposed to m a k e
settlements.
Some of these deeds w e r e executed w i t h legal f o r m a l i t y , a n d a valuable
consideration w a s paid to the natives for the
purchase; others were obscure a n d u n c e r t a i n ;
but
the
memory
of
such
transactions
WAS soon lost a m o n g a people w h o h a d no
w r i t t e n records.
L a n d s h a d been purchased of the I n d i a n
chiefs on the rivers K c n n e b e c k a n d St. George
at a n early period; b u t the succeeding I n d i a n s
either h a d no k n o w l e d g e of the sales m a d e by
their ancestors, or had a n idea that such bargains were not b i n d i n g o n posterity w h o h a d
as m u c h need of the lands, a n d c o u l d use t h e m
to the same purpose as their fathers. A t first,
the I n d i a n s d i d not k n o w that the E u r o p e a n
m a n n e r of c u l t i v a t i n g lands a n d erecting m i l l s
and tlams w o u l d drive a w a y the game a n d
fish, and thereby deprive them of the means
of subsistence; a f t e r w a r d , finding by e x p e r i ence that this w a s the consec]uence of a d m i t ting foreigners to settle a m o n g t h e m , they
repented of their hospitality a n d were i n c l i n e d
to dispossess their n e w neighbors, as the o n l y
w a y of restoring the country to its pristine
state a n d of recovering their u s u a l mode of
subsistence.
T h e y were e x t r e m e l y offended by the settlements w h i c h the E n g l i s h , after the peace of
�i6
HISTORICAL
JEREMY
BELKNAP,
was horn
in
Boston,
IJ44,
entered
Harvard
at
fifteen, graduating
in 1762.
He tatiglit
sc/iool in New Hampshire
and
hecame
pastor
of the Dover
Congregational
Church.
He was the author
of the
first definitive
"History
of New
Hampshire"
in three volumes
and was one
of the founders
of The
Massachusetts
Historical
Society.
He died in
lygS.
N E W
HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
17
It was i n the power of the E n g l i s h to supply them w i t h provisions, a r m s , a m m u n i t i o n ,
blankets and other articles w h i c h they w a n t e d
cheaper than they could purchase them of the
French.
G o v e r n o r Shute hat! promised that
t r a i l i n g houses should be established a m o n g
t h e m , and that a s m i t h should be provided
to keep their a r m s and other i n s t r u m e n t s i n
repair; but the u n h a p p y contentions between
the governor and assembly of Massachusetts
|)revented a compliance w i t h this engagement.
T h e I n d i a n s were therefore obliged to submit to the impositions of private traders, or
to seek supplies f r o m the F r e n c h w h o failed
not to j o i n w i t h them i n reproaching the
E n g l i s h for this breach of promise, a n d for
their a v i d i t y i n getting a w a y the l a n d .
GOVERNOR SAMUEL SHUTE. FROM
A P R I N T IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
SAMUEL
SHUTE
was governor
of
New
Hampshire
and also
Massachusetts from 1716 to 1724.
Through
his
influence
and that of his hrother
fohn
Slitite,
Earl of Barrington,
tlie
Scotch
settlers in the north of Ireland
were
welcomed
to America
in 1718,
where
they
settled
in
Londonderry,
New
Hampshire.
INDUS- SIGNATURKS OX E A R L Y M A P OF
N E W HAMPSHIRE " N O R T H COUNTRY."
FROM
THE
NEW
HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
HAMPSHIRE
K i n g of F r a n c e ; and solitary traders resided
w i t h , or occasionally visited t h e m ; but no
attempt was made by any c o m p a n y to settle
on their lands.
U t r e c h t , inatle on the hmths to the eastward
and by their b u i l d i n j ; forts, block houses and
n u l l s ; whereby their mode of passing the rivers
and carrying-places was i n t e r r u p t e d ; and they
could not believe, though they were told w i t h
great solemnity, that these forufications w e r e
erected for their defence against i n v a s i o n .
W h e n conferences were held w i t h t h e m on this
subject, they either denied that the lands h a d
been sold, or pretended that the sachems h a d
exceedetl their power i n m a k i n g the bargains;
or had c o n v e j e d lands beyond the limits of
their tribe; or that the E n g l i s h had t a k e n
advantage of their d r u n k e n n e s s to m a k e t h e m
sign the deeds; or that no valuable consideration had been g i v e n for the purchase.
No
arguments or evidence w h i c h could be a d duced w o u l d satisfy them unless the lands w e r e
paid for a g a i n ; antl had this been done once,
their posterity after a few years w o u l d have
renewed the d e m a n d .
O n the other h a n d , the F r e n c h d i d not i n
a f o r m a l m a n n e r declare them subjects of the
c r o w n of F r a n c e but every tribe, h o w e v e r
s m a l l , w a s a l l o w e d to preserve its independence.
T h o s e w h o were situated i n the heart
of C a n a d a kept their lands to themselves,
w h i c h were never solicited f r o m t h e m ; those
w h o d w e l t on the rivers a n d shores of the
A d a n t i c , though distant f r o m the F r e n c h
colonies, received a n n u a l presents f r o m the
N E W
T h e inhabitants of the eastern parts of N e w
E n g l a n d were not of the best character for
religion and were ill-adapted to engage the
affections of the I n d i a n s by their e x a m p l e .
T h e frequent hostilities on this quarter, not
only kept alive a spirit of jealousy a n d revenge i n i n d i v i d u a l s , but jirevented a n y e n deavors
to propagate religious
knowledge
a m o n g the I n d i a n s by the g o v e r n m e n t ; though
it was one of the conditions of their charter;
and though m a n y good men w i s h e d it might
be attempted.
A t length. G o v e r n o r Shute, i n his conference w i t h their sachems at A r r o w s i c k , i n t r o duced this i m p o r t a n t business by
offering
thcni i n a f o r m a l m a n n e r , an I n d i a n bible,
and a protestant missionary; but they rejected
both, saying " G o d hath g i v e n us teaching a l ready, and if we should go f r o m i t , we should
displease h i m . " H e w o u l d have done m u c h
better service and perhaps prevented a w a r ,
if he had complied w i t h their earnest desire
to fix a boundary beyond w h i c h the E n g l i s h
should not extend their settlements. . \m a n , i n conversation w i t h one of
their
sachems, asked h i m w h y they w e r e so strongly
attached to the F r e n c h , f r o m w h o m they
could not expect to receive so m u c h benefit
as f r o m the E n g l i s h ; the sachem g r a v e l y a n s w e r e d , "because the F r e n c h have taught
us to prav to G o d , w h i c h the E n g l i s h never
did."
A considerable n u m b e r of prisoners h a v i n g
been t a k e n d u r i n g these t i m e s . N e w H a m p s h i r e , i n 1725, m a d e its first overtures to the
C a n a d i a n a u t h o r i t i e s for t h e i r r e t u r n .
The
F r e n c h g o v e r n o r at M o n t r e a l a r r a n g e d a
m e e t i n g of the C o m m i s s i o n , of w h i c h T h e o dore A t k i n s o n of N e w H a m p s h i r e w a s one,
w i t h the I n d i a n chiefs of the A b e n a k i tribe.
S i x t e e n captives w e r e r a n s o m e d as the result
of this m e e t i n g .
�HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
The
province
blessed
with
HISTORICAL
of
New
Hampshire
comparative
peace
I n d i a n s for the n e x t decade.
the
Settlements
i n tiers a n d n a m e d
ber, one, t w o , three a n d four.
by
19
was
with
ad-
v a n c e d to the n o r t h as t o w n after t o w n
g r a n t e d , often
N E W HAMPSHIRE
was
num-
N o t u n t i l the
accession of K i n g G e o r g e I I I i n 1741
d i d the
I n d i a n s a g a i n become a threat to N e w
Hamp-
shire.
T h e w a r s b e t w e e n the w h i t e m e n a n d
red
men
affairs.
had
heretofore
With
hostilities
been
purely
between
the
local
England
a n d S p a i n , i n w h i c h the F r e n c h a l l i e d t h e m selves against
the
began.
Hampshire
New
English, a world
would
conflict
be
drawn
i n t o this conflict, since it lay on the
border-
line between F r a n c e and E n g l a n d .
B y the year
between
1 7 4 4 there w a s open
the N e w
E n g l a n d colonies
warfare
and
the
F r e n c h to the n o r t h , s a i d to be to protect the
fishing
interests at C a p e B r e t o n but
to b e g i n
probably
a n e w series of attacks against
the
I n d i a n tribes c o n s i d e r e d to be a l l i e d w i t h the
French in
Canada.
T h e extent to w h i c h this w a s t r u e is u n certain.
As
early
as
1725
Vaudreuil,
the
F r e n c h G o v e r n o r of C a n a d a h a d i n s i s t e d t h a t
his g o v e r n m e n t
" h a d neither encouraged
or
s u p p l i e d t h e m for the purpose of w a r . " T h e y
were,
INDIAN M A L L E T . FROM T H E
N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
"an
he
asserted
independent
(meaning
the
Abenakis),
n a t i o n " a n d s a i d that
war
w a s " u n d e r t a k e n by t h e m i n defence of t h e i r
l a n d s w h i c h h a d been i n v a d e d by the people
of N e w
('oi.oNiAi. l^LocK HOUSE AND Situ.KADI,.
FROM A P R I N T IN
T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL S o c i E ' r Y ' s COLLECTION.
England."
INDIAN BEADED MOCCASINS IN T H E N E W
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
ONE of the New Hampshire
forts,
or "garrisons"
at Concord is
described
in a printed address given in i8go hefore Tlie
New
Hampsliire
Historical
Society.
It was htiilt, according to this
address: "of hewed logs, which lay flat
upon each
other."
The ends, heing fitted for the purpose, it continues,
ivere inserted
in
grooves
set in large posts, erected at
each corner.
They enclosed an area of
several square rods, were raised to the
height
of a common
dwelling-house,
and at two or more of the
corners
were placed hoxcs where sentinels
kept
watch.
In some cases, several
small
huildings,
erected
for the
temporary
accommodation
of families, were
within the enclosure.
Houses
not
connected with garrisons were all
deserted
hy their owners, and tire furniture
removed.
In the day-time
men
went
forth
to tlieir labors
in
companies,
always carrying their guns with
them,
and one or more of tlieir
number
placed on guard.
If the Indians
were
discovered
approaching,
alarm
guns
were fired, and the report
answered
from fort to fort.
On the Sabbath tJie
men went armed to the Iwuse of worship, stacked their guns around a post
in tile middle,
and sat down
with
bullet-pouch
and potvder-liorn
slung
across
their
shoulders,
while
their
pastor, the Rev. Timothy
Walker,
who
is said to have had the best gun in
the parish, prayed and preached
with
his gun standing in the
ptdpit.
Mr.
Atkinson,
shire
at
claimed
outside
the
representing
conference
t h a t the N e w
their
province
New
held
in
HampMontreal,
England
lands
and
the
that
were
whites
h a d as m u c h r i g h t there as the I n d i a n s .
is c e r t a i n that the N o r t h e r n I n d i a n s
o n l y a total of a f e w
Hampshire
One
square
It
occupied
m i l e s of
New
agreed
upon
territory.
thing
is a p p a r e n t
and
by h i s t o r i a n s : that the w a y to the a t t a c k
Cape
Breton
by
the N e w
Englanders
on
asso-
ciated as they w e r e w i t h the E n g l i s h C r o w n ,
lay t h r o u g h I n d i a n c o u n t r y a n d that the I n d i a n tribes there m u s t be o v e r c o m e
first.
appears,
another
however,
that
there
was
It
route a n d the battle of L o u i s b o u r g , the c i t a d e l
of C a p e
on
the
Breton, w a s actually fought
sea.
Most
of the
New
largely
Hampshire
v o l u n t e e r s w h o took p a r t i n it n e v e r s a w a n y
I n d i a n s , except those c o m p a r a t i v e l y
few
who
helped to m a n the forts p r o t e c t i n g the F r e n c h
c i t i z e n s of a n o t h e r w i s e
New
England
volunteers
clergy
peaceful
city.
had, according
to h i s t o r y ,
m o t i v e s ; first to protect the N e w
countryside
second
vaders,"
to
against
move
who
"aggression,"
the
had
t h i r d to
the
no
several
Hampshire
Northern
against
probably
and
The
w h o e n c o u r a g e d these
Indians;
French
"in-
i n t e n t i o n of
instigate
a
reli-
g i o u s " c r u s a d e " ostensibly opposed to that of
the F r e n c h , w h i c h w o u l d , as the
Reverend
G e o r g e W h i t e f i e l d p u t i t , be " u n d e r the l e a d -
�20
HISTORICAL
NEW
BRETON
was the name of
a New
Hampshire
town granted
by
Governor
Bcnning
Wentworth
in
ly^i
in honor of those w/io fought at Cape
Breton.
Among
the
applicants
for
land were Captain John Ladd and Captain Ebenezer
Webster, father of Daniel
Webster.
In lyyg
the town was renamed
Andovcr.
N E W
HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
N E W
21
HAMPSHIRE
e r s h i p of C h r i s t , " a n d i n the w o r d s of P a r s o n
the
M o o d y of P o r t s m o u t h , " h e w d o w n the a h a r s
C h a r l e s t o w n i n his h o n o r .
i n the F r e n c h c h u r c h e s . "
Indian
W h a t e v e r a c t u a l l y o c c u r r e d , the F r e n c h a n d
I n d i a n s d i d not t h e n i n v a d e N e w
since
Louisbourg
siege,
with
Shirley
was
subdued
Colonel
and
settlement
attacks
subsequently
similar
to
C h a r l e s t o w n , but a p p a r e n d y
England,
following
was
i n by the F r e n c h forces,
a
named
the
one
at
not p a r t i c i p a t e d
also took
place
at
R o c h e s t e r a n d at C o n c o r d ( t h e n called R u m -
Pepperrell,
Governor
f o r d ) d u r i n g the same p e r i o d .
Lieutenant-Governor
Vaughan
attack
in
1746,
known
T h e Concord
i n history
as
"The
e m e r g i n g as heroes, n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the fact
B r a d l e y M a s s a c r e , " r e s u l t e d i n the s l a y i n g of
that
five
i n the r e s u l t i n g treaty
of A i x - l a - C h a p -
citizens, whose
names
are i n s c r i b e d
on
pelle the E n g l i s h r e t u r n e d L o u i s b o u r g to its
w h a t is k n o w n as " T h e B r a d l e y
Monument"
original F r e n c h proprietors.
i n the w e s t e r n p a r t of the t o w n .
T h e monu-
T h e L o u i s b o u r g i n c i d e n t , h o w e v e r , w a s not
w i t h o u t its I n d i a n repercussions.
naki
The
tribes, bitter at the a p p a r e n t
t h e i r F r e n c h patrons, soon b e g a n
ment
Abe-
defeat
was
deeded
of
erected
to T h e
in
New
1837
and
was
Hampshire
later
Historical
Society.
retaliatory
A t the b e g i n n i n g of the S e v e n Y e a r s ' W a r ,
w a r f a r e i n earnest against N e w E n g l a n d a n d
k n o w n i n A m e r i c a as the F r e n c h a n d I n d i a n
New
W a r , N e w H a m p s h i r e v o l u n t e e r troops p a r t i -
Hampshire
in particular.
Forts
at once erected by Massachusetts
Four
or
Charlestown;
Great
at
were
Number
Meadow
W e s t m o r e l a n d ; G r e a t F a l l or W a l p o l e ;
Dummer
or
Hinsdale;
Upper
Ashuelot
H a m p s h i r e fortifications
Souhegan
East
or
or
The
Indian
these
places.
against
T h e encounters
do
most
ticut R i v e r
from
Canada
Indians,
directly
the
New
a
Johnson.
campaign
Hampshire
T h e f r o n t i e r t o w n s of S a l i s b u r y ,
not
down
and
the
seem
Connec-
preyed
located b e t w e e n the
panies of " R a n g e r s "
BRADLEY MONUMENT. D E E D E D TO T H E
N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Robert
interest.
Rogers
of w h i c h that of
T h e a c c o u n t of R o g e r s ' s R a n g e r s is
upon
Connec-
I n 1747, h o w e v e r . C a p t a i n P h i n e h a s Stevens
h a v i n g o r g a n i z e d w h a t w a s p r o b a b l y the
of
"Rangers,"
a r r i v e d at
t o w n f r o m D e e r f i e l d a n d set u p
first
Charles-
headquarters
i n the F o r t k n o w n as " N u m b e r F o u r , " u n d e r
the j u r i s d i c t i o n of M a s s a c h u s e t t s .
F o r almost
the first t i m e a n I n d i a n " b a t t l e " o c c u r r e d o n
N e w H a m p s h i r e s o i l , i n w h i c h the a t t a c k i n g
force
was composed,
diers.
Although
i n p a r t , of F r e n c h sol-
this force
apparently
out-
n u m b e r e d the g a r r i s o n t h e i r a t t a c k w a s u n successful.
a
sturdy
plan
The
fort,
four-sided
b u i l t i n the f o r m
log
of w h i c h has been
ported
to
be
the
best of
stockade,
preserved,
an
of
exact
was
re-
its k i n d i n
New
E n g l a n d a n d a m o d e l for other t o w n s .
Ad-
miral Sir Charles Knowles, in command
of
the E n g l i s h fleet at B o s t o n m a d e the g a r r i s o n
a gift of a h a n d s o m e
gold-hiked
sword
and
Major
c l a i m s the greatest h i s t o r i c a l
t i c u t a n d the M e r r i m a c k .
company
extent
the I n d i a n s
a n d captives t a k e n .
of
to h a v e been by l a r g e bodies of I n d i a n s , but
the settlements
not
T h e s e i n c i d e n t s l e d to the f o r m i n g of c o m -
recurred
small groups w h o came
the
was
W a l p o l e , H i n s d a l e and Keene were all raided
Rochester.
attacks
against
t h e i r allies.
Souhegan
W e s t or A m h e r s t a n d at L o n d o n d e r r y , C h e s ter, E p s o m a n d
this
to w h i c h the F r e n c h h a d m a d e
Hopkinton,
Merrimack,
While
soldiers h a d reason to l e a r n soon the
w e r e b u i l t at
Pcnacook, Suncook, Contoocook,
i n the a t t a c k on C r o w n P o i n t
u n d e r the d i r e c t i o n of S i r W i l l i a m
Fort
K e e n e a n d L o w e r A s h u e l o t or S w a n z e y .
New
cipated i n 1754
or
S I R W I L L I A M IOHNSON.
FROM A
P R I N T IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
�22
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
SIR WILLIAM
JOHNSON
was tlie
nephew of Admiral
Sir Peter
Warren,
tvho bore the same name as the New
Hampshire
town of Warren and who
received
a grant of land in the Mohawk Valley from the English
government.
Sir William
came to
America
and settled on this land in iJsS.
In
I74y it was largely through
his efforts
that the Mohawk
Indians
remained
peaceful
during
the
war
betiveen
England
and
Prance.
He held numerous
councils with the
tribes,
with whom
lie traded in furs
and othei- articles
and in 7755 was
given the "sole management
and direction of the affairs of the six nations of
Indians and their allies."
In this position he commanded
a force of some
two thousand
colonial
militia and two
or three
hundred
Indians.
In
iy6o
with a force of several hundred
Indians
lie joined
General
Amherst
in the
attack on
Montreal.
After the death of his first wife he
married
Molly
Brant,
a Mohawk
Indian and sister of Chief Joseph
Brant,
, whose Indian
name was
Thayendanegea and who was among the
Indians
educated
at Moor's
Indian
Charity
School at Lebanon,
Connecticut,
which
later hecame Dartmouth
College.
ROBERT R t x j E R S . FROM A P R I N T
IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE H I S TORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
told i n c o n s i d e r a b l e
in
his
which
Journal
The
of
d e t a i l by R o g e r s h i m s e l f
Major
New
Robert
Hampshire
ciety L i b r a r y has s e v e r a l
ing
is
first
Rogers
his
re-told
by
Rogers
T h e story
K e n n e t h Roberts
h i s t o r i c a l n o v e l , Northivest
Major
So-
editions i n c l u d -
the r a r e D u b l i n copy of 1770.
admirably
of
Historical
collected
in
Passage.
a group
of
excel-
l e n t m a r k s m e n , a l l m e n w e l l - e q u i p p e d to face
severe
hardships,
ments
i n the v i c i n i t y of F o r t E d w a r d , F o r t
William
and
Henry
after
and
several
Crown
engage-
Point,
the
R a n g e r s w e r e o r d e r e d by G e n e r a l A m h e r s t to
destroy
The
the I n d i a n v i l l a g e of S t . F r a n c i s .
march
took
T h e y were ordered
to k i l l w o m e n
them
twenty-one
and children.
They
the m e n , t a k i n g
and
returned
down
the
the
remainder
This
is t h e last n o t a b l e
New
Hampshire
history.
most
prisoners
Connecticut
G e n e r a l J o h n S t a r k w a s one of the
not
attacked
the v i l l a g e d u r i n g the n i g h t , d i s p a t c h e d
of
days.
by G e n e r a l A m h e r s t
River.
Rangers.
I n d i a n encounter
in
CAPTAIN JOSEPH BRANT, "THAYENDENEGEA." FROM AN ENGRAVING
IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
�24
HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
EMMA
COLEMAN,
in her
fine
study of "New England
Captives
Carried to Canada,"
says:
"Our Indian enemies
in the Intercolonial Wars were almost without exception from the missions, from
those
established
on the rivers of Maine by
priests going
to Indian
villages
and
from those in Canada, near
Montreal,
Three Rivers and Quebec, to which Indians from New England
and New
York had been urged to migrate.
And
back to their mission-homes
they carried our people, where today many of
their kin are
living."
SECTION OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH BLAXCHAUD'S MAP^ SHOWING ROUTE OVER
W H I C H INDIAN CAPTIVES W E R E T A K E N TO CANADA.
FROM T H E
ORIGINAL IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
I
or the I n d i a n s , c a m e
to A m e r i c a f r o m
they c o u l d h a v e w h a t they f o u n d h e r e , w h e t h e r
fish,
'America
h a d a precedent f r o m the S p a n i a r d s .
and brought
back
treasure
i n gold
and
E n g l a n d colonists k n e w there w a s n o g o l d a n d s i l v e r to be f o u n d .
is t o l d t h a t at one t i m e , l o n g after, a gifted
t h e e a r l y colonists of N e w
secution."
make
a
from
collected
considerable
either
South
the
New
The
story
speaker h a d t o l d h i s hearers
that
H a m p s h i r e " h a d c o m e here to escape r e l i g i o u s
per-
c a p t u r e a n d the events l e a d i n g u p to it.
Why
and
of
these people w e r e t a k e n to C a n a d a ,
h o w they w e r e treated a n d w h a t became
those
who
never
r e t u r n e d is w o r t h c o n -
s i d e r i n g at the outset.
of
colonization
was
T h e religious
as
important
H a m p s h i r e is u n i q u e i n h i s t o r y because of the fact
and
P u r i t a n of N e w E n g l a n d .
far
U n f o r t u n a t e l y for
H a m p s h i r e settlements
greater success
among
the
The
Indians
French
the F r e n c h
i n their
not
missionary
than
only
did
T h i s is one of the strange
M a n y of these captives w e r e t h u s
T h e s e prisoners
were
e l s e w h e r e , b u t of greater i m p o r t a n c e
the F r e n c h f a i t h , a d d i n g each t i m e , they h o p e d , to the s t r e n g t h of their
the F r e n c h . T h e i r v a l u e to the F r e n c h w a s
at
least
captures
threefold.
weaken
Not
the
only
would
E n g l i s h colonies,
over
to
own
c o l o n i z a t i o n i n C a n a d a a n d d i m i n i s h i n g that of the E n g l i s h colonies.
The
New
H a m p s h i r e H i s t o r i c a l Society's L i b r a r y has one of the best col-
lections i n A m e r i c a of " c a p t i v e " I n d i a n accounts.
S o m e are m e r e m a n u s c r i p t s .
MODEL OF BIKCH-BARK CANOE IN T H E N E W
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
to the
I n d i a n w a s the o p p o r t u n i t y of s e l l i n g t h e m to
paradoxes
carried back
adopted
i n t o the tribes at S t . F r a n c i s i n C a n a d a a n d
A g a i n a n d a g a i n the I n d i a n s descended f r o m the n o r t h o n a N e w H a m p s h i r e
prisoners."
for
m a s t e r y of N o r t h A m e r i c a .
an
r i v e r s a n d m o u n t a i n s to be sold to the F r e n c h , not as slaves but as converts
them
allies i n the great s t r u g g l e
of h i s t o r y .
t o w n or v i l l a g e to " t a k e
the
converted
e n t i r e l y n e w p r i n c i p l e ; they treated the settlers as they d i d furs a n d fish s e e k i n g
p r i m a r i l y to c a p t u r e t h e m a n d sell t h e m .
the
F r e n c h C a t h o l i c of C a n a d a as i t w a s to the
that i n s t e a d of
k i l l i n g the " i n t r u d e r s " the I n d i a n n a t i v e s of the soil adopted
aspect
to
money."
fighting
or
a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l g i v i n g the story of a specific
i n t o effective
first.
are
biographical
" N a y , " r e p l i e d someone i n the a u d i e n c e , " t h e y c a m e here to fish a n d
New
docu-
number
t h e m to t h e i r f a i t h but also c o n v e r t e d
England
H a d they not gone to
B u t soon
pamphlets,
English.
or g a m e or m i n e r a l s
silver!
printed
labors
or m e r e l y soil to be c u l t i v a t e d .
They
fragments
And
had
N T H E C O N T E S T W i t h the I n d i a n s i n N e w H a m p s h i r e the p r o b l e m before the
T h e s e settlers h a d been t o l d that i f they c a m e
are
ments.
the N e w
New Hampshire Persons T a k e n as Captives
by the Indians
settlers as to w h o s h o u l d h a v e the l a n d , they
Others
25
INDIAN D O L L .
N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
these
but
�HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL N E W HAMPSHIRE
THE
NEW
HAMPSHIRE
clergy
were particularly
irritated to find that
captives taken to Canada hy the Indians
had been given special protection
hy
the
French
Government.
Governor
Penning
Wentworth
voiced this concern when he wrote Lord
Holderness
in iy54 that "the young people
(captives)
are exposed
to the craft
oj
Romish clergy and are in great
danger
oj heing corrupted
with the
pernicious
principles oj the Church oj Rome, who
are assiduous in pro.^elytizing
them to
their own
religion."
The
first
27
captives to be t a k e n to
Canada
by the I n d i a n s w e r e those f r o m H a t f i e l d a n d
D e e r f i e l d , Massachusetts
of
King
Major
i n 1677
Philip's W a r .
Ebenezer
One
at the e n d
of
Hinsdale, from
these
was
whom
the
N e w Hampshire town was named.
w h o escaped,
Indians
apiece
for
though,
were
brought
expected
at
their
the
back news that
to
receive
captives
eight
in
at w a r
with
these
pounds
Canada
time, E n g l a n d
not openly
Another
and
one
even
France
another.
T h e C a n a d i a n I n d i a n s , it w a s b e l i e v e d , w o u l d
j o i n the n e x t r a i d i f this one p r o v e d
finan-
c i a l l y successful.
All
the captives w h o s u r v i v e d the t r e k to
C a n a d a w e r e redeemed
the f o l l o w i n g s p r i n g
i n c l u d i n g t w o infants aptly n a m e d
Waite
and
" C a p t i v i t y " Jennings.
"Canada"
In
order
to a c c o m p l i s h t h i s forty-six t o w n s c o n t r i b u t e d
344
p o u n d s , 3 s h i l l i n g s a n d 6 pence.
i n t e r e s t i n g to note
that the t o w n of
I t is
Ports-
m o u t h m a d e the second largest c o n t r i b u t i o n
to t h i s f u n d .
T h r e e h u n d r e d p o u n d s of the
total w e n t to C a n a d a as r a n s o m
money.
W h e t h e r or not these I n d i a n s f o u n d
trade i n N e w
creasing
Englanders
number
of
such
profitable,
this
an in-
depredations
oc-
c u r r e d d u r i n g the n e x t eighty years w i t h N e w
H a m p s h i r e l o s i n g its share of m e n ,
INDIAN WAMPUM B E L T .
FROM
T H E NEW
HAMPSHIRE HISTORCAL
SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
women
INDIAN C H I L E .
FROM A PAINTING
FORMERLY OWNED BY SAMUEL G .
D R A K E , HISTORIAN. N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
they w e r e u s e f u l for prisoner e x c h a n g e s
for r a n s o m m o n e y .
be e m p l o y e d
sparsely
to bolster the labor
populated
and
F u t h e r m o r e they m i g h t
New
France.
supply
of
To
the
c l e r i c a l interests it w a s c e r t a i n l y w o r t h w h i l e
to convert
these
heretics
to
what
they
be-
l i e v e d to be the t r u e f a i t h , a n d this w a s done
w h e n e v e r possible.
thorough-going
Francis
T h e r e f o r e , they set u p a
bounty system.
P a r k m a n , w r i t i n g of
King
Wil-
l i a m ' s W a r , points out that
" T w e n t y crowns iiad been offered for each
male w h i t e , ten crowns for each female, a n d
ten crowns for each scalp, whether I n d i a n or
E n g l i s h . T h e bounty o n prisoners produced
an excellent result, since instead of k i l l i n g
them the I n d i a n allies learned to b r i n g them to
Quebec. I f c h i l d r e n , they were placed i n the
convents; and if adults, they were distributed
to labor among the settlers. T h u s though
the royal letters show that the measure w a s
one of policy, it acted i n the interest of
humanity."
SECTION o r MURAL IN T H E MASCOMA
S . w i N G S BANK, LEBANON, BY BERNARD
F . CHAPMAN. FROM "FIFTY'-THREE YEARS
OF PROGRESS" IN T H E N E W FIAMPS H i R E HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S LIBRARY.
�28
HISTORICAL
JOHN
WHEELWRIGHT,
the
founder of Exeter, came from
Lincolnshire, England,
where he was a vicar
in
a country
cliurch.
Sailing
for
America
in about i6^^ he
purchased
land at Exeter from the Indians
who
are said to have given
him a
deed.
The matter was widely publicized
but
the deed
was never authenticated
as
genuine.
Mr. Wheelwright
was pastor of the Exeter Church,
later
moving
to
Maine.
N E W HAMPSHIRE
and
children,
"captivated"
T h e settlement
next
by
u p captives
the r a i d here
brutally
Indians.
to C a n a d a .
in which Major
W a l d r o n , I n d i a n trader a n d
of the l e a d i n g
the
at C o c h e c o ( D o v e r ) w a s the
to d e l i v e r
was
HISTORICAL
figures
It
Richard
fighter,
a n d one
i n the colony, w a s so
murdered.
T h e H a n n a h D u s t a n episode is a m o n g the
first
records to appear i n p r i n t e d f o r m .
and
Mary
Neff
Haverhill,
set
were
taken
Massachusetts,
off i n the d i r e c t i o n
She
prisoners
DEERFIELD
teas protected
by a
Palisade
with
twenty
soldiers,
who
however,
were not alert, and
considerably hampered
by a deep snow.
Miss
Baker, in her book says "The
Indians
came in at niglit like a flood
upon
them, and tlie morning
dawned
on a
scene of horror."
Emma Lewis
Coleman gives a total of one hundred
and
twenty
captives
taken to Canada
in
noi
from Deerfield
alone.
N A R R A T I V E
o r, T H B
C
captors
Merrimack
River,
of C a n a d a .
They
a n d there
most
Mrs.
is celebrated
the t w o places.
Mas.
V
I
T
Y
J O H N S O N .
An A C C O U N T i f IJCI r\.y:
i;P.IN'.N
during Four 'r'ears » I'l 1".- I . '
were
and F R E N c H .
a n d t a k e n to C a n a d a , the latter re-
t u r n i n g to become the m o t h e r
dren.
at
of H a v e r -
h i l l , a n d H a n n a h E a s t m a n of C o n c o r d
captured
I
while
by m o n u m e n t s
H a n n a h Bradley
T
Dustan
of the p a r t y
they slept, r e t u r n i n g by canoe to H a v e r h i l l .
H e r memory
P
o ?
stopped for the n i g h t near P e n a c o o k o n the
k i l l e d a n d scalped
A
at
a n d their
29
N E W HAMPSHIRE
Samuel
Gill
of n i n e
of S a l i s b u r y ,
chil-
Massachu-
setts, w a s t a k e n i n 1697 at the age of n i n e ,
growing
up i n Canada
English girl.
ferred to r e m a i n a m o n g
students
and marrying
at D a r t m o u t h
I n the Histoire
the I n d i a n s .
were
des Abena\is,
Indian
of
Samuel
Abbe
Gill
of
d a u g h t e r of the R e v e r e n d J o h n
seven
Quebec.
at
Wells,
Purchased
Maine
from
J i . , :
.
.KTSlURf.,
C A R L 1 S L E, jun.
and
grand-
Wheelwright,
and
AT
D A V I D
fifty-two
white
blood.
f o u n d e r of E x e t e r , w a s c a p t u r e d
P R I N T E D
By
Maurauk
I n 1703 E s t h e r W h e e l w r i g h t , great
of
Three
his grandsons.
records a total of n i n e h u n d r e d a n d
descendants
an
H e never r e t u r n e d , h a v i n g pre-
at the age
taken
to
the A b e n a k i I n -
T i i T . E PACE OE T i i t JOHNSON- N A R RATIVE. I N T H E NE-W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY'S
LIBRARY.
d i a n s by a F r e n c h priest, she b e c a m e a governess i n the f a m i l y of the F r e n c h g o v e r n o r ,
V a u d r e u i l a n d later entered a n U r s u l i n e
C o n v e n t , e v e n t u a l l y to become M o t h e r S u perior of the U r s u l i n e s at M o n t r e a l , d y i n g
i n 1780 at the age of eighty-four.
She was
the o n l y E n g l i s h w o m a n ever to be so elected.
A n o t h e r instance of the u n u s u a l o u t c o m e
of I n d i a n c a p t i v i t y is that of E u n i c e W i l l i a m s d a u g h t e r of P a r s o n J o h n W i l l i a m s of
D e e r f i e l d w h o w a s c a p t u r e d i n 1704 f o l l o w i n g the I n d i a n a t t a c k there a n d t a k e n to
Canada.
R e f u s i n g a l l entreaties o n the part
of h e r parents t o be r a n s o m e d a n d r e t u r n e d ,
she b e c a m e the w i f e of a n I n d i a n w h o h a d
been b a p t i z e d by the n a m e A m b r o s e .
HKAD o i - HANNAH Du.srAN'.s TO.MAHAWK.
FROM A P R I N T I N T H E N E W H A M P SHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
T h e r e w a s also the case of the R o l l i n s
f a m i l y of E x e t e r , w h e r e a m o t h e r a n d h e r
t w o d a u g h t e r s w e r e c a p t u r e d , a n d the m o t h e r
r e d e e m e d , w h i l e the d a u g h t e r s r e m a i n e d to
marry into F r e n c h families.
�HISTORICAL
N E W
HISTORICAL
HAMPSHIRE
In
1725
the
Hanson
household
was
a t t a c k e d by eleven I n d i a n s .
T h e husband
a n d a d a u g h t e r escaped, but M r s . H a n s o n ,
her m a i d a n d several of her c h i l d r e n w e r e
c a r r i e d off. M r s . H a n s o n , the m a i d a n d three
of her c h i l d r e n w e r e e v e n t u a l l y r a n s o m e d ,
the youngest c h i l d h a v i n g r e m a i n e d as the
w i f e of a F r e n c h n a t i v e . T w o other c h i l d r e n
d i e d at the h a n d s of the I n d i a n s at the t i m e
of the c a p t u r e .
I n 1754, j u s t at the b e g i n n i n g of the S e v e n
Y e a r ' s W a r , the I n d i a n s r a i d e d the c o u n t r y Hamp-
s h i r e , t h e n a n e w l y settled f a r m area k n o w n
as S t e v e n s t o w n .
Scribner,
H e r e they c a p t u r e d S a m u e l
Robert
Barber,
Enos
Bishop
and
N a t h a n i e l M e l o o n w i t h his w i f e a n d several
children.
J E I I R Y , LORD AMHERST.
FROM
A P R I N T IN T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
T h e M e l o o n s w e r e t a k e n to C a n a d a , a l o n g
w i t h the others, a n d sold to a F r e n c h priest
aboard
Intercepted
BEADED B E L T
MADE BY
RACHEL
MELOON
WHILE
S H E W A S AN INDIAN C A P TIVE IN CANADA, AND S E N T
lo P E T E R K I M B A L L AT BOS-
CAWEN.
ORIGINAL IN T H E
N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
by
a vessel b o u n d
an
for
Arriving
of the d a u g h t e r s ,
reluctantly
returning
where
married
New
she
Hampshire
remained in
to
Salisbury
" a d o p t e d . " M r s . Johnson's h u s b a n d w a s t a k e n
Reuben
to M o n t r e a l w i t h t w o others of the
Canada,
in
Greeley.
H i s t o r i c a l Society
purchased
The
a
for
seven
hundred
of her d a u g h t e r s j o i n e d the f a m i l y of the L i e u t e n a n t G o v e r n o r .
for
mistreated.
whose
Peter
Kimball
of
d i a r y is also i n the L i b r a r y , w r i t t e n
w h i l e he s e r v e d i n the w a r .
S a l i s b u r y captives w e r e
Of
New
Boscawen,
a l l the accounts
A l l the
other
of I n d i a n captives i n
H a m p s h i r e t a k e n to C a n a d a , the story
of the " J o h n s o n C a p t i v i t y " is perhaps
among
the best k n o w n .
A r a r e copy of the " N a r r a -
tive"
Walpole, N e w
by
printed i n
David
Narrative
oj the
containing
ing
is
four
in
Carlisle,
Jr.,
Captivity
an account
years
The
with
New
1796
Hampshire
and
oj Mrs.
of her
the Indians
Hampshire
sufferings
and
called
Johnson:
durFrench,
H i s t o r i c a l So-
ciety's L i b r a r y .
A c c o r d i n g to this record C a p t a i n J a m e s
J o h n s o n became a resident of
"Number
F o u r , " n o w C h a r l e s t o w n , i n 1750,
having
, ,
the
T h e y w e r e not
, .
C a p t a i n J o h n s o n w a s released on parole to enable h i m to secure a r a n s o m
of one h u n d r e d a n d fifty p o u n d s , w h i c h he obtained f r o m the N e w
government.
redeemed.
l i v r e s by
F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t a n d placed i n the f a m i l y of G o v e r n o r D u q u w n e w h i l e one
b e a d - w o r k belt m a d e by her w h e n a c a p t i v e ,
Captain
group.
L a t e r , she says, she w a s also t a k e n there a n d
1763
has
learned
into w h i c h appropriate ceremonies they w e r e
were
r e t u r n e d to N e w H a m p s h i r e . R a c h e l M e l o o n ,
one
at St. F r a n c i s the party
that the I n d i a n s w e r e of the S t . F r a n c i s tribe
France.
E n g l i s h ship, they
31
W h e t h e r their m o t i v e w a s to get these
articles a w a y f r o m J o h n s o n or not is u n c e r t a i n f r o m the account, but M r . J o h n s o n a n d
a l m o s t his entire household w e r e c a p t u r e d
on the n i g h t of his r e t u r n by a b a n d of seventeen I n d i a n s w h o took t h e m to C a n a d a w i t h
s u c h of t h e i r belongings as they c o u l d seize.
T h e a c c o u n t of the j o u r n e y c o n t a i n s a n u m ber of i n t e r e s t i n g i n c i d e n t s , a m o n g t h e m the
fact that the I n d i a n s d i d not t o r t u r e or m o lest t h e m a n d that one of the c h i l d r e n w a s
placed for the n i g h t b e t w e e n t w o I n d i a n s
a n d covered by a rope h e l d d o w n at each e n d
by a n I n d i a n w h o l a y on i t , so t h a t i f she
attempted to escape they w o u l d be a w a k e n e d .
D u r i n g the j o u r n e y a d a u g h t e r w a s b o r n to
M r s . J o h n s o n , w h o m she n a m e d " C a p t i v e "
Johnson.
w h o later placed M r s . M e l o o n a n d t w o of the
children
HAMPSHIRE
come u p the C o n n e c t i c u t R i v e r f r o m L u n e n burg
Massachusetts.
His
business
was
largely t r a d i n g w i t h the I n d i a n s , a n occupat i o n he seems to have enjoyed a n d profited
by. I n 1754 he left home to tour the c o u n t r y side i n .search of t r a d i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s .
He
appears a l w a y s to h a v e been o n f r i e n d l y
t e r m s w i t h the I n d i a n s a n d r e t u r n e d w i t h a
good stock of n e w articles he h a d p u r c h a s e d .
T h e H a n s o n c a p t i v i t y has been w i d e l y p u b l i c i z e d by a n a u t o b i o g r a p h y by M r s . E l i z a b e t h
H a n s o n of D o v e r w h i c h appeared i n several
e d i t i o n s , a n u m b e r of rare copies b e i n g i n
The New
H a m p s h i r e H i s t o r i c a l Society's
L i b r a r y . M r s . H a n s o n w a s the w i f e of J o h n
Hanson, a Quaker.
side i n the v i c i n i t y of S a l i s b u r y , N e w
N E W
A f t e r a year a n d a h a l f i n C a n a d a M r s
t v i t h her sisters a n d t w o d a u g h t e r s r e t u r n e d to the C o l o n i e s .
released after three years of c a p i v i t y .
a n u n in M o n t r e a l .
Ticonderoea.
Hampshire
J o h n s o n w a s released, a n d
M r . Johnson
was
O n e of the d a u g h t e r s r e n a m e d a n d became
C a p t a i n Johnson
later enlisted a n d w a s k i l l e d
M r s . J o h n s o n d i e d i n 1810.
j t-
m
,
1758
,
W i t h ^ t h e l ^ g i n n i n g of open w a r f a r e b e t w e e n F r a n c e a n d E n g a n d ,
^
at
,,
finally
r e s u l t i n g in the t a k i n g by the E n g l i s h of M o n t r e a l a n d Q u e b e c , the I n d i a n raids
on N e w
H a m p s h i r e cam'e to a n e n d , a l t h o u g h there w e r e
b e t w e e n the N e w
requent
encounters
E n g l a n d e r s a n d the I n d i a n s i n the v i c i n i t y ot the C a n a d i a n
border u n t i l after the close of the R e v o l u t i o n .
�HISTORICAL
32
New
N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL
Hampshire Indians H a v e Gone but
N
EW
HAMPSHIRE,
as
well
as
all A m e r i c a ,
may
it
might
have
gone
far
f o u g h t i n the R e v o l u t i o n .
PASSACONAWAY
was the
most
famous of the Penaeoot^ Indians
whose
lands bordered on the Merrimack
river
north of Concord, and their chief.
He
is said to have lived to be a
hundred
and tiventy years old. His dying
words
are recorded to have been; "Take
heed
how you quarrel with the English
for
though
you may do them much
mischief, you will be destroyed and rooted
of} the earth if you do."
Passaconaway's daughter is said to have
married
Winnepurkit
or Winnepocket
also of
the Penacook
tribe.
diflerendy
with
well
pay
tribute
to
the
H a d it not been for t h e m
soldiers
who
I t w a s i n the I n d i a n w a r s they l e a r n e d to
New
England
fight.
F o r m o r e t h a n t w o decades p r i o r to 1775,
m e n w e r e t r a i n e d here, t h a n k s to the I n d i a n s , to protect t h e i r h o m e s a n d g u a r d t h e i r
liberty.
O n e has but to r e a d the r e c o r d of
G e n e r a l John S t a r k a n d his fellow-patriots,
to sense the i m p o r t a n c e of the events that
preceded the w a r for the i n d e p e n d e n c e of
this c o u n t r y .
T h e early settlers h a d as m u c h difficulty i n
p r o n o u n c i n g the I n d i a n n a m e s as the I n d i a n s
d i d i n a t t e m p t i n g to m a k e t h e i r s p r o n o u n c able.
T h e y d i d , h o w e v e r , g i v e us
Coos
w h i c h they p r o n o u n c e d C o w a s h or C o w a s s ,
a n d w h i c h became the n a m e of a N e w
H a m p s h i r e c o u n t y . C o c h e c o w a s as near as
the colonists got to w h a t w a s
afterward
named Dover.
S u n a p e e the I n d i a n s apparently p r o n o u n c e d Soo-ni-pee, a s p e l l i n g s t i l l
occasionally to be seen o n old signs.
Occum
is the n a m e of a f a m o u s D a r t m o u t h I n d i a n
graduate.
.
WONOLANCET
was tlie son of
. Passaconaway.
Although
the
settlers
are said to have burned
one of his
•fenacook
villages in 167;, during
King
Philip's
War, the Penacooks
did
not
retaliate,
fohn Eliot,
writing
to his
friend
Sir Robert
Boyle, in
England,
calls
Wonolancet
"a sachem
of
tiie
greatest blood of the
country."
CHOCORUA. FROM A P R I N T I N
THE
N E W HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
CHOCORUA
is thought
to
have
been a member
of the Pequawket
or
Ossipee tribe,
but whatever
tribe Ite
was, he has always been New
Hampshire's favorie Indian.
In the earliest
records,
the Mountain
named for him
was
called
feckoyva
and
Chocorua
himself
is thought
to have spent a
good part of his life in the
vicinity
of Tamworth
and "died on the mountain, presumably
as a residt of a fall
from a
cliff."
Mr. Lawrence
Mayo, a life
member
of The New Hampshire
Historical
Society,
who
did considerable
research
on the "Legend
of Chocorua."
fhe
name of his monograph,
says,
"There
is a tradition
that Chocorua was killed
by white men and that his dying
curse
was responsible for a mysterious
bovine
malady in that region of New
Hampshire."
PASSACONAWAY. FROM A P R I N T IN T H E N E W
HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
33
L i k e w i s e w h i l e the n a m e s of our places
are l a r g e l y of E n g l i s h o r i g i n . N e w H a m p shire got m a n y of t h e m f r o m the I n d i a n s .
The
n a m e s of P e n a c o o k , Ossipee a n d P e q u a w k e t ( P i g w a c k e t ) are d e r i v e d
directly
f r o m the I n d i a n tribes.
O t h e r tribes w e r e
the N a s h u a s , the S o u h e g a n s , the N a t i c o o k s ,
the M o h a w k s , the N a m o s k e a g s ( A m o s k e a g ) ,
the N a r r a g a n s e t t s , the S u n c o o k s , the W i n n i pesaukees, a n d the P i s c a t a q u a s .
F r o m the
N e w H a m p s h i r e I n d i a n C h i e f s come our
n a m e s of P a s s a c o n a w a y , W o n o l a n c e t , C h o corua, Kancamagus, Waternome and Paugus.
T h e i r Names at Least R e m a i n
m e m o r y of the I n d i a n s for at least one t h i n g .
N E W HAMPSHIRE
SAMSON
OCCOM
(or Cecum)
was
an early Indian convert to the
Christian
faith, coming from the Mohegan
tribe
in Southern
Connecticut
of which,
in
1742, at the age of nineteen,
he had
become one of the
leaders.
Selected
by the Reverend
Eleazer
Wheelock
to attend his "college"
for
Indians
at Lebanon,
Connecticut,
then
called
Moor's
Indian
Charity
School,
and afterward
Dartmouth
College,
he
first became a school-teacher
and later
an ordained
minister
oj the
Gospel.
In 1764,
following
the close of tlie
French
and English
War, he was sent
by Wheelock to accompany
the
Evangelist,
George
Whitefield,
to
preach
and solicit contributions
to the
school
in England
and Scotland.
He is said
to have been instrumental
in
raising
a large endowment
fund, estimated at
twelve thousand pounds.
In his admirable book, "Samson
Occom,"
Harold
Blodgett
says that "without
Occom,
Dartmouth
wotdd
never
have
been
foimded."
C e r t a i n e n d i n g s o n our I n d i a n n a m e s fall
i n t o r e c o g n i z a b l e classes, s u c h as A n n a h o o k set ( H o o k s e t t ) , P e m i g e w a s s e t a n d N i t t i s s i t ,
a k i n to other n a m e s e n d i n g i n sit or set.
T h e e n d i n g coo\r 0 0 ^ ) finding itself i n
a g r o u p i n g of P e n a c o o k , P o n t o o c o o k , S u n cook,
Ahquedaukee,
Cowissawashook
( K e a r s a r g e ) , Aroostook, A m m o n u s u c , C o n toocook, M o o s i l a u k e , M o n o m o n o c , B a b o o s u c ,
U n c a n o o n u c , A s h u e l o c k ( A s h u e l o t ) , Massabesic, W a l o o m s u c , N e w i c h w a n n o c k , M e r r i m a c ( o n c e called M o n i a c k , M o n o m a c
or
M o n o m o c ) , has caused m u c h
speculation
a m o n g p h i l o l o g i s t s , some of w h o m consider
the e n d i n g oo\o m e a n m e r e l y at.
S i n c e there w e r e as m a n y different
ages or dialects a m o n g
the N e w
I n d i a n s as there are a m o n g
tions
the v a r i o u s
attached
there m i g h t
that w i t h
have
been
w o r d s to w h i c h the syllable at w a s
meaning
The
sec-
of the U n i t e d States, it is difficult
go f u r t h e r t h a n to conjecture
ooh
langu-
Hampshire
at
the
philologists
at g o i n g
mountain
seem
or
to h a v e
at
to
the
many
attached,
the
been
river
balked
further.
A n o t h e r g r o u p of N e w H a m p s h i r e I n d i a n
n a m e s a l l c o n t a i n the syllable squatrt.
Asquam
�34
HISTORICAL
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
N E W HAMPSHIRE
35
ljut w e r e at least i n use by the settlers w h i l e the I n d i a n s w e r e here.
THE HUTCHINSONS,
Indson,
John,
Asa and Abhy, of the "Tribe
of fesse"
were famous
in tlie annals of
New
Hampshire
history as America's
foremost family of singers.
They were a
choir
of thirteen
at the
beginning,
growing
up in Milford,
New
Hampshire.
Later as a quartet, they
toured
America from the 1840's to the
iSyo's.
shire n a t i v e s , but g i v e n i n h o n o r of great A m e r i c a n
T h e f o r e g o i n g l i s t of N e w H a m p s h i r e I n d i a n n a m e s is by no m e a n s c o m p l e t e ,
they w e r e
M a n y other tributes h a v e been p a i d to the N e w
England Indians.
Our evening
dance is seen no more.
Its sound has ceased to flow.
And each one sings a mournful
dirge
In accents sad and
slow.
The whites have swept our
friends
away,
Beneath the turf our fathers
lay,
We soon must join them in
death's
sleep
And leave our homes to mourn
and
weep.
Shall I the bravest of the
chiefs.
On this isle make my bed?
0 no! the whites' polluted
feet
Shall ne'er tread o'er my
head.
I've buried my hatchet 'neath the turf,
But I will rest beneath the
surf;
The foaming billows shall be my
grave,
For I'll not die a white man's
slave.
T h e col-
lege s o n g of A m h e r s t a n d m a n y a n o t h e r b a l l a d a n d story, a l l tell of the part they
p l a y e d i n our early h i s t o r y , of w h i c h the verses of L o n g f e l l o w
James F e n i m o r e
C o o p e r are e x a m p l e s .
a n d the books of
M o s t p o p u l a r a m o n g the
compositions
of a decade or t w o ago w a s a s o n g c o m p o s e d a n d s u n g by the H u t c h i n s o n s
"Glide O n , My Light Canoe," a
fitting
H i s t o r i c a l Society's L i b r a r y .
13
SAMSON- OCCUM. FROM A P R I N T IN T H E NE-W
HAMPSHIRE HISI-ORICAL SOCII:TY'S COLLECTION.
(Squam
Lake, mountain and river), W i n n i -
squam,
Asquam-Schumake
JVIonascon
or
Mascoma,
necticut)
Quampeagin,
(Baker
one they m i g h t
These names
do
the same tribe, so t h a t to
have meant something
different
f r o m another.
meaning
of squam
the n a m e S q u a m
(Con-
Squamannagonic,
(CJonic), and Squamscott.
not a l l c o m e f r o m
River),
Quonekticut
Several
quite
indicate
the
to be l a k e , i n w h i c h case
L a k e might, in
become L a k e L a k e !
translation
O t h e r squams
are
said
to be r i v e r s .
T h e n a m e s e n d i n g i n qua,
Piscataqua,
Pequawket,
a n d ]{et s u c h as
Wataqua,
Winni-
p a u k e t t , seem to i n d i c a t e w a t e r or r i v e r s also,
while
the
influence
of
the
French
may
be
t r a c e d , p e r h a p s , to the t r a n s l a t i o n of C h e b u c t o
to C h e b e a q u e , the n a m e F r a n c o i s
wa
(Plausua
Mountain),
p r o n o u n c e d t h e i r jr
Winnicoultt.
as pi,
since
and
to P l a u s a -
the
Indians
Winnicot
to
St. John Baptist was Sabbatis.
O d d n a m e s , s u c h as P a r m a c h e n e , A t t i l h a ,
Catamount, Mahomet, Monadnock, and Opechee are difficult to trace to I n d i a n o r i g i n .
called
t r i b u t e to this v a n i s h e d , b u t never-to-be-
forgotten race, a copy of w h i c h is one of the treasures i n T h e N e w
Glide on my light canoe, glide
on,
The morning
breeze is free,
I'll guide thee far, far out upon
The wild and troubled
sea.
Howl on ye blasts with all your
might.
Hide, hide thyself thou orb of light,
y.Roll on ye mountain
billows
roll.
The wonders of the deep
unfold.
And on the waves we're forced
to
roam;
There's
none to pity, none to save
The red man jrom the ocean
grave.
that
"here."
One of the most popular songs was
called "Glide
On, My Light
Canoe"
by J. W. Hutchinson
with these
words:
Glide on and bear me from the sight
Of yonder
shady
vale;
For oh! there is a with'ring
blight
Spread o'er my native
Isle;
The whites have driven
us from
our
home.
Hamp-
Indians.
but indicates some of the p e r m a n e n t records they h a v e left b e h i n d , s h o w i n g
They sang many popular songs and
popularized
others,
usually
on
such
subjects
as temperance
and
freedom,
calling
themselves
the Aeolian
Vocalists and singing
such ballads as
"The
Old Granite
State,"
"Let
My
People
Go,"
"What
Are
the
Wild
Waves
Saying,"
"The
Good Time
Coming,"
"The
Spider
and
the Fly,"
"Kind
Words Can Never Die" and many of
their own
compositions.
'l
~
, t
•
T h e names
T e c u m s e h a n d Osceola are late c o m e r s , not, of c o u r s e , related to the N e w
COVER OF INDIAN SONG, SUNG IJY T H E HUTCHINSON F A M I L Y .
FROM T H E N E W HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION.
Hampshire
�36
HISTORICAL
N E W HAMPSHIRE
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Atkinson, Theodore.
A c c o u n t ot* m y j o u r n e y as a C o m m i s s i o n e r f r o m the G o v e r n o r of N e w
H a m p s h i r e to C a n a d a , begun J a n u a r y the 15th. 1724-25.
P u b h s h e d by the Society of
C o l o n i a l W a r s , n o date.
f k l k n a p . R e v . Jeremy.
H i s t o r ) ' of N e w H a m p s h i r e ; 3 v o l u m e s .
I-'hiladelphia a n d B o s t o n ,
P r i n t e d for the A u t h o r , 1 7 8 4 - 9 2 .
Blodgett, H a r o l d . S a m s o n O c c o m . H a n o v e r , D a r t m o u t h C o l l e g e , 1935.
B o d g e , G e o r g e M . Soldiers i n K i n g P h i l i p ' s W a r . L e o m i n s t e r , P r i n t e d for the A u t h o r , 1896.
C a s w e l l , F r e d M . J o h n S t a r k , originator of N e w H a m p s h i r e ' s state motto.
Historical N e w
H a m p s h i r e , J u n e 1945.
C o l e m a n , E m m a L . N e w E^ngland captives c a r r i e d to C a n a d a between 1677 a n d 1 7 6 0 ; 2 v o l umes.
P o r t l a n d , S o u t h w o r t h , 1925,
C r a w f o r d , J o h n G . I n d i a n s of N e w H a m p s h i r e . Manchester H i s t o r i c Association Collections,
v o l u m e I , t)art 2. Manchester, G o u l d , 1897.
Douglas-Lithgow, R. A .
D i c t i o n a r y of A m e r i c a n - I n d i a n place a n d proper names i n N e w
England.
S a l e m , S a l e m Press, 1909.
D r a k e , Samuel Gardner.
B i o g r a p h y a n d history of the I n d i a n s of N o r t h A m e r i c a .
Boston,
Mussey, 1 8 5 1 .
T h e F a r m e r ' s M o n t h l y V i s i t o r , v o l u m e 12.
Manchester, 1852.
G o o k i n , D a n i e l . H i s t o r i c a l collections of the I n d i a n s of N e w E n g l a n d .
Massachusetts H i s torical Society Collections, first series, v o l u m e i .
H a n s o n , M r s . E l i z a b e t h . A c c o u n t of the captivity of E l i z a b e t h H a n s o n . L o n d o n , C l a r k , 1760.
Johnson, M r s . Susanna.
N a r r a t i v e of the c a p t i v i t y of M r s . John.son.
W a l p o l e , C a r l i s l e , 1796.
K e n t o n , E d n a , editor. T h e Jesuit Relations a n d allied documents.
N e w Y o r k , B o n i , 1925.
Kidder, Frederic.
T h e . \ b e n a k i I n d i a n s : their treaties of 1713 a n d 1717, a n d a v o c a b u lary. P o r t l a n d , T h u r s t o n , 1859.
i M c C l i n t o c k , J o h n N o r r i s . H i s t o r y of N e w H a m p s h i r e . I^oston, R u s s e l l , i 8 8 8 .
( i M a u r a u l t , O l i v i e r . T h e F r e n c h of C a n a d a a n d N e w E n g l a n d .
A n address before the N e w c o m e n Society, 1 9 5 1 .
Mayo, Lawrence Shaw.
H i s t o r y of the legend of C h o c o r u a .
T h e N e w England Quarterly,
v o l u m e 19, September 1946.
M o r i s o n , S a m u e l Elliot. B u i l d e r s of the B a y C o l o n y .
Boston, H o u g h t o n , 1930.
Morton, T h o m a s . N e w English Canaan.
Boston, P r i n c e Society, 1883.
N e w H a m p s h i r e P r o v i n c i a l Papers, v o l u m e s i a n d 2.
P a r k m a n , F r a n c i s . C o u n t F r o n t e n a c a n d N e w F r a n c e u n d e r L o u i s X I V . Boston, L i t t l e , 1904.
Penhallow, Samuel.
H i s t o r y of the w a r s of N e w E n g l a n d w i t h the eastern I n d i a n s . N e w
H a m p s h i r e H i s t o r i c a l Society Collections, v o l u m e i .
Roberts, K e n n e t h . N o r t h w e s t Passage.
G a r d e n C i t y , D o u b l e d a y , 1937.
Rogers, M a j o r Robert.
Journals.
D u b l i n , Potts, 1770,
S a u n d e r s o n , H e n r y F I . H i s t o r y of C h a r l e s t o w n , N e w H a m p s h i r e , the O l d N o . 4. C l a r e m o n t
M a n u f a c t u r i n g ' C o m p a n y , 1876.
Schoolcraft, H e n r y R . I n f o r m a t i o n respecting the I n d i a n tribes of the U n i t e d States, 6 v o l u m e s .
P h i l a d e l p h i a , L i p p i n c o t t , 1852-57.
��
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Indigenous Culture, Native Works, Objects, & Decoration
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Historical NH - October 1952 Issue - NH Remembers The Indians
Description
An account of the resource
A thirty-six page booklet created by the New Hampshire Historical Society. The Historical New Hampshire, Volume 8 Number 2, October 1952 Issue covers remembrances of indigenous populations, as researched and complied by by Robinson V. Smith. It is subtitled "NH Remembers the Indians." The accounts are exclusively told from European settler perspectives. The booklet contains as many European colonist representations as it does representations of indigenous populations.
This item contains biases and misinformation from early periods.
FHS-Kyle Leach
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New Hampshire Historical Society
Robinson V. Smith
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New Hampshire Historical Society
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New Hampshire Historical Society
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Late 1600's-mid 1700's
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October 1952
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October 1952
booklet
clothing
culture
history
Indian
Indigenous
information
language
narrative
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Historical Society
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settlers
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Text
WA^=Ti ME
WORIlCi l^'l
MAMB B©QM
l e a s ® road oa.Tt>xGll^« - ^ A
oil h a T i S anJ- s^igge rations
i n d l y r e p o r t tEQ2i to o f f i O Q o
W i l l ije g l a d to
u s e them
H J 0 c R o n d e a u Sfeoe G&.-i
�W A R - T I M £
W O R K E R ' S
HANDBOOK
What Every War
Worker Should
by
A.
C.
Know
CROFT
�1
MANPOWER
Copyright 1943
National Foremen's Institute Inc.
Deep River, Conn.
Printed in D.S.A.
All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any
manner without written permission from the publisher.
Wherever you may be employed on the
second line of our defense . . . amid the
brain-rattling din of a shipyard; the Hades
heat of a steel mill; the roar and clatter of
a factory; the quiet hush of a drafting
room . . . you represent American manpower.
You, men and women alike, are the soldiers of SUPPLY. No one has to tell you
NOW that you are as important to our final
victory as the soldiers, sailors and pilots
who man, fire and fly the instruments of
destruction you help manufacture.
All of you who read the newspapers
know that an army is only as good as its
suppHes. SUPPLY and communication lines
[1]
�must be established before an army can
move to the attack.
Those supplies which our armed forces
will need in ever-increasing tonnage are
being produced today by American war
workers. They are being produced by the
greatest industrial empire this world has
ever seen, created by men of genius, courage, strength and determination. Free men.
The mounting tide of our vast industrial
production has been accomphshed through
unity of effort on the part of management
and labor. When the citadel of American
liberty was attacked, management, labor,
and government forgot their differences for
a common cause. Today they stand like
the Three Musketeers—"one for all, all for
onel" . . . America.
ply and feed our allies. One hundred and
thirty-four odd miUion Americans must be
clothed and fed. •
The loss of a single worker in any part
of the war effort slows down production!
If you are a worker in a factory, or plant,
producing goods for civiHans your job is
just as important as that of any war worker.
Our generals and our leaders realize home
morale must be maintained. Our Axis enemies seek to destroy it. Propaganda and
violence are their weapons. YOUR presence on the job is just as important as that
of any war worker.
General MacArthur told his soldiers:
"Every American soldier must kill five
• Japs."
Manpower must be spread thin. Tremendous demands upon our great industrial
empire will be made during the next year
of war. Battle-losses must be replaced
quickly if the tempo of attack is to be maintained. Through Lend-Lease we must sup-
He was talking about Manpowerl He
was urging every soldier to do more than
his share . . . to stay in there fighting just
as long as it was humanly possible. General MacArthur knows that a soldier absent
from the ranks, no matter what the cause,
will be felt in the test of battle. Replace-
[2]
[3]
�ment takes time and might mean the difference between victory and defeat!
You, then, as a soldier of supply, must
stay on the battle-line of industrial production until Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini, and
their armies, have been completely crushed.
To stay on the job means something more
than desire. I don't think any real American would dehberately stay away from any
job he felt aided the war effort. There are,
however, imforeseen things . . . things we
don't think about which might be the
cause.
2
HEALTH
We must keep fit to do onr hit!
The common cold still ranks as the top
knocker-outer of men and women from the
ranks of manpower. There's much you can
do about beating this national menace: get
plenty of rest; drink plenty of liquids; eat
lots of nutritious foods; take medicines prescribed by a physician.
We live through four seasons—WinterSpring—Summer—Fall. Each season means
adjustments in the clothes we wear, the
exercise we take, the food we eat and the
way we live. I n all seasons sleep is important. War workers must have proper rest
to do their jobs. Eight hours should be
enough. Less than six is not.
[41
[5]
�All of us are making money. It is natural
we should want to spend some of it on a
"good time." Have your "good time" the
night before your day off. The next morning you can pound your ear.
Drinking. Too much alcohol off the job
can cause tragic accidents on the job. A
"hangover" can slow your reflexes up to
40%. On high speed machines this can
mean loss of a limb or eye. Don't drink on
the job—you are endangering yomr life and
the hves of fellow-workers.
As for seasonal habits:
Winter. Dress warmly. Your clothing
should be hght in weight, warm in texture.
Eat foods containing starches and proteins
(fats). Exercise. You should work up a
sweat, followed by a warm shower or bath.
Sleep. Warm, hght covers in room temperatures not over 65°.
temperatures) restore loss of salt in your
system through prescribed use of salt tablets. Sleep. (On-hot, humid nights this is
a problem). Wearlligl*, absorbent night
clothes. Use a fan to circulate the air
toward open vsdndows. Never direct the
blast of air at yourself. Cold wiU result. Hot
drinks (tea) are most cooling. Too many
iced drinks increase body temperatures.
Spring and Fall. These in-between seasons are the tapering off periods. They are
the most dangerous. Don't take chances of
shedding winter clothing too quickly in
Spring; or dressing too hghtly as Fall
arrives.
Summer. Dress lightly. Avoid long hours
in direct sunlight. Eat plenty of greens,
vegetables, fruits, and drink fruit juices. If
you take violent exercise (or work in high
Exercise. War work, war news, worry
over some relative or friend in service, tends
to tighten us up. Exercise relaxes and
invigorates. Bowling, handball, squash, tennis, volley-ball, golf, boxing, hiking, scores
of other sports are excellent. They condition you for your job, too. If you can, walk
to your plant and save the gas, oil and tires
Uncle Sam needs.
[6j
[71
�Women. If you have a home and family
to care for keep in good health. Get plenty
of rest, relaxation and exercise. If housing
conditions are bad and your child must be
boarded out in a nursery, keep in mind
that the job you do today makes for a better America tomorrow.
Injuries. Don't take chances! Cuts,
burns, scalds, foreign bodies in your eye,
should be treated at once by a doctor or
nurse, no matter how minor you think they
are. Infection fights with the Axis.
3
SAFETY
The plant in which you are employed
will have done everything within their
power to safeguard you on the job.
If you have any suggestions that will
further prevent accidents during operations
suggest them. Your foreman will be only
too glad to hear about it. Keep in mind
that during each and every working day
some worker discovers a new method of
operation, a new safeguard for workers, a
new shortcut to speed up production.
Your suggestions on safety, or any other
suggestion that will protect or produce,
will be gratefully received by the management.
[8]
[9]
�If uniforms are provided, or demanded,
in the work you are doing, wear them.
They are designed for your protection.
If you wear goggles operating abrasive
machines, or other machines from which
particles or sparks fly, wear them.
In a war plant the other day a worker
came into the plant hospital cursing. He
had a steel splinter in his eye.
"in be
1" he gritted. " I just hfted
my goggles for a minute and look what
happenedl"
He was off the job for three days suffering with that eye.
Wooziness. If you get that hght-in-thehead feeling report to your foreman at
once. Don't try to stick on the job in the
hopes that feeling will pass. I t might, but
a it does not you might suffer serious injury.
Good Housekeeping is the essential to
safety. Don't fling tools around carelessly;
[10]
don't allow spilled grease to remain on the
floor; don't toss inflammable waste into a
corner, or around your machine, or bench.
Put it in the metal container provided for
its disposal. T r y and keep the area in
which you work as clean as the living room
of yom: ovm home and you'll reduce accidents 70 per cent.
Most plants employ janitors to keep the
aisles clear, the grease mopped up, but,
make it your job to see to it that there is
less disorder, better housekeeping for your
own, and your fellow-worker's safety.
Cooperate.
If you are clean and orderly, take good
care of your tools and equipment, keep
your eye open for new safety methods, cooperate with your management and fellowworkers, you will produce more and
produce better and safeguard your life.
[11]
�That's where yon, the worker, come in.
Cooperate. Suggest.
4
COOPERATION
Only God is perfect. Keep that uppermost in your mind. Your foreman is a human being. He has the same headaches
(only more most of the time) that you
have. He makes mistakes just the same as
you do. He might make a mistake that directly affects you, but it isn't dehberate.
H e l l be glad to correct it because in the
last analysis he is interested in producing
the most with the least cost and waste of
time.
It's a safe bet that as human beings you
are not going^ to I3ce every worker in your
unit, or every foreman, or supervisor you
come in contact with. That is impossible.
We all know very well that ff, in a
gathering of a dozen people, we meet one
person we like instantly we have been very
lucky.
The important thing to keep in mind is
this: you are doing a job . . . a great job.
You are working to win the war. If you
don't like Jack or Sally that's too bad, but,
they too, are doing a job. They are working to win.
The same thing goes for management.
They will try to do everything for your
betterment and the betterment of the
plant's production but like all of us, human
beings, they might not think of eversrthing.
When you went to school, as a boy or
girl, you had a "pal" or a "friend" you i k e d
best. The rest of the class were just so
many other kids. It will be that way all
through your hfe. That's the way we're
made.
[12]
[13]
�" I can't stand that foreman," a worker
complained. "He's got a sense of htmior
like an undertaker."
He was right, too. The foreman was just
one of those men who was born with an
inverted sense of humor. He couldn't help
it and the harder he tried to be a "good
fellow" the deeper he shpped into the
quicksand of dissatisfaction with his
workers.
One worker solved it vsdth the others
over the table in a restaurant this way:
" I don't care a hang for Fred," (the foreman) he said, "but we've got to look at it
this way. We work for pay. We're working to knock Hitler and his pals for a loop.
Just because Fred happens to be a sourpuss
half of the time and about as fuimy as a
crutch the rest, doesn't mean we should all
lay down on the job. Let's just do our jobs
the best we know how. After all we're not
married to the guyl"
only side you should be on is Uncle Sam's
side.
All over this great country of ours there
are millions of people of different faiths,
different creeds, different colors, yet, we
have worked for a common cause . . . to
make this land of hberty and free enterprise the greatest in the world.
We have done that job because we have
done, each and every one of us, our ovra
jobs to the best of our abihty.
Let's all pull together and hang Hitler
and Company higher than kites.
That's a pretty swell ideal Do your job.
Don't take sides in shop "pohtics." The
[14]
[15]
�up of the amount and quantity of equipment they had on hand at the time.
Brig.-Gen. Claire .Chennault, leathery,
tough-fisted leader of'TTie"American Flying
Tigers, said:
ABSENTEEISM
Absenteeism is hurting the war production job. The bad thing about this high
rate of absenteeism is that most of it is due
not to sickness, or injury, but to deliberate
staying away from the job by war workers.
Unless a war worker is flat on his, or her
back, sick, or injured, or some serious emergency within their immediate family has
come up, they should not be absent from
their jobsl
For every hour lost, 'a soldier, sailor or
pilot will die in the blood and roar of battle.
"If we had the same mmiber of planes
the Japs have we would drive them the
heU out of Burma."
He was right. These reckless Knights of
the Blue shot down a ratio of fifty Japs for
every American. They were forced to make
repairs of active planes from parts of others
that had been shot dovra. Some of them
were actually held together with baling wire
toward the finish of that epic! Yet, these
Flying Tigers power-dived those ships
head-on into echelons of Jap bombers and
Zero fighters!
Military leaders always write the history
of their victories or defeats in the stmiming
When the alarm rang they were on the
job, ready, eager, with what equipment
they had, to tackle 'the Jap. They never
asked for time out. When the davm patrol,
which protected the Burma Road, was
called out, they all reported.
[16]
[17]
That's not propaganda^that's
the truth!
�Marshal Rommel, recognized as a brilliant strategist by Allied commanders,
couldn't do anything but flee with his army
when the British Eighth Army, and American fliers got together more guns, more
men, more tanks, more planes.
You can't produce equipment to beat the
Axis by staying away from your job. You've
got to be in there every working day, giving
your best.
The day we throw more shells, more
bullets, more men, tanks, jeeps, planes,
mechanized cannon at 'em the quicker the
war will be won and over.
hberately you're letting down a soldier,
sailor, or pilot who trusts you.
If you are going to be absent on something you know about in advance notify
the foreman. This gives him a chance to
replace you for the time you will be out.
If you don't notify him precious hours are
lost in making the replacement.
If you are taken sick during the night
have a member of your family call the
plant, or the foreman's home, and tell him
about your illness. Let him be prepared.
One days fighting all over the world
means the loss of life to thousands of Alhed
troops; the loss of hmbs and sight, and
hearing to thousands of others; capture and
abuses for thousands more.
I f what you do today can end the war
tomorrow those thousands of fighting men
will owe their lives to you!
When you are absent from the job de£18]
[19]
�6
ATTITUDE
What you think affects the way you act.
You must think right to act right.
There will always be a certain element of
the people who are "boss haters." A psychologist can tell you why they "hate" the
boss, or the plant, or their fellow-workers.
I t is simply this:
If they can't build a house of their own
they're determined to tear down the other
fellow's house.
There used to be a saying that people
never asked how you made money, just how
much did you make.
Don't believe that! Don't think the average hard-working American respects a
criminal with a lot of money. They respect
a man who has made money through sheer
abihty and drive.
[20]
I don't think that anyone resents the fact
Thomas Edison made a lot of money
through the discovery of the powers of
electricity. He brought a new life to milhons of people,all orer the world.
All men are created equal. Some men
do better in the race of life than others.
We all wind up equal at the grave.
You can't take it with you!
You, as a war worker, are paid wages
for the work that you do. The management
of your plant has the right to ask that you
do the job you are paid to do to the very
best of your ability.
If Y O U have a radio, or car, or whatnot,
repaired, you expect the radioman, or
garageman to do the best job he can for
you. I f he doesn't you feel justified in not
paying him for not doing it. Either that,
or he loses your confidence and your trade.
What Y O U expect from the other fellow
you should expect your boss, or management, to expect from you.
The management of your plant has a
tremendous investment at stake. I n one
large plant I know of, mathematics proved
[21]
�that each worker represented an investment
of more than $12,0001 That's not hay!
This money was invested in tools, equipment and plant space for each worker in
that plant.
Most workers don't realize values. This
is directly rated to their attitude. Tools
and equipment represent money. That
money had to come out of the profits of
the management and be returned to the
plant for repurchase of more tools and
more equipment.
Tools and equipment represent the earnings of management and labor.
Tools that are lost, strayed, stolen or
abused are dollars and cents in the working day.
Take the proper attitude toward your
machine, tools, and equipment. They are
entrusted to your care by management.
Treat your machine and tools as though
they were your own. I n the final analysis
they are. They represent the difference
between profit and loss.
A company cannot operate on a lossplus basis 1
[22]
Here is an example of a lack of values: a
worker dropped a valuable die on the floor.
He was sorry, blushed, and said to the foreman, "There goes twenty bucks!"
On the way off the shift that night the
foreman fell into step alongside the worker
and said, "Dick, you made a remark about
that die costing twenty bucks. Do you
know how much it really cost? Do you
care?"
"Sure I do," Dick rephed. "I'm sorry
about it."
"That die cost $130, Dick," the foreman
related, "and the time and man hours it
will take to replace it, plus the time lost in
our unit will run close to five himdred."
Normal depreciation of machines and
tools are figured out by plant managers.
What they can't figure on is a machine
slated to last the company 10 years burning itself out in half that time due to lack
of proper care by workers.
Dick had the right attitude but he had
no idea of values.
As we begin to scrape the bottom of the
barrel for raw materials replacement of ma[23]
�chines is going to be harder and harder.
This might well mean that replacement of
worn-out equipment, vital as it might be,
will have to go by the board.
That can only mean two things: the
operator of the worn-out machine is out
of work and our armed forces will have to
do the best they can with what we can
produce on the machines that are left.
If you l a v e the right attitude, if you are
interested in your job, interested in the
part your plant is playing in the war effort,
whether you are making arms and munitions, or civilian needs, you will be a good
worker and a happy one, too.
Sabotage and Espionage: Every wartime worker should know all they can about
them. There are saboteurs; there has been
sabotage . . . sabotage in which war-time
workers have lost their lives; sabotage that
has created crippling bottlenecks.
There are spies. They seek and pry. I t
is their job to find out: production rates;
new weapons we might manufacture; ship
and troop movements; to steal plans, and
work with the saboteur.
[24]
The Axis worked patiently for eight years
honey-combing this nation with spies and
saboteurs. We cannot undo that work in
one year. The FBI\has done a wonderful
job. State, local and industrial poHce will
continue to be alert. You, the war-time
•worker, must be alert. It is Y O U who might
and can detect attempted sabotage. Y O U
are on the job. You can spot a spy. While
the police number in thousands Y O U workers number in millions.
Don't talk about your jobi
Don't talk about new weaponsi
Don't talk about the things you make and
where they are shipped.
Don't associate with
repute!
people of shady
Don't be caught napping . . . it may
cost you and your fellow-workers your
fives!
T H E AXIS S O L D I E R S O F D E S T R U C T I O N A R E YOUR E N E M I E S . . . F I G H T
T H E M BY B E I N G A L E R T !
[25]
�pie can buy, or impose taxes, to pay the
cost.
When you read a headline—"War Cost to
Government 100 Billion"-that is 100 Billion
of our money, employer and employee alike.
WHY WORKER TAXES?
It is no secret that this war is costing
money. The more money we make the
more money we pay in taxes. That is the
way it should be. Each month billions of
American taxpayers' money is poured into
the vast cauldron of war. Economists figure it will cost the United States 10 times
as much to fight this war as Great Britain.
- . . 20 times as much as it will cost Russia.
Higher wages, higher costs for materials,
a higher standard of living are the reasons
for our heavy war debt.
The government hasn't any money. The
government makes no money. When the
government has a bill to pay for some project whether it is WPA, or a dam, or a
super-highway, it must issue bonds the peo[26]
This year there will be about 40 million
taxpayers. Simple arithmetic will give you
the answer to the individual cost to each
man, woman and child in America.
Pay-as-you-go taxation had to come and
a manner for the collection of these taxes
had to be devised. On the old system the
taxpayer paid in 1943 for earnings in 1942.
With millions of workers making from 25%
to 50% more than they ever earned before,
with more milHons working who never
worked before, the tax collection situation
looked bad.
Here is an example: John Smith was a
porter in an ofiice building earning $1,000
a year. Now he is a carpenter's helper at
$105 per week, or $5,260 per year. He
should have no trouble paying his taxes on
the latter income, but one of these days the
war will end and the need for carpenter's
[27]
�helpers will not be as great. If he is lucky
John Smith might get his $l,000-a-year job
back.
Now, if this happened under the old system John Smith would have a $985 tax bill
to pay with a $1,000 income. That would
leave him $15 for all other expenses and,
of course, he would wind up in the poor
house, or on relief.
Under the pay-as-you-go tax plan John
Smith pays his tax on $5,260 as he earns
it, then, should he ever retiu-n to his $1,000a-year job he pays-as-he-goes on that, too—
$89 tax on the porter's job leaving him $911
to live on instead of $15.
The twenty per cent withholding tax,
which goes into effect on July 1st, includes
the Victory Tax.
This is only the beginningi
President Roosevelt, in his budget message to Congress in January 1943, urged
that tax bills be framed to carry 50% of
the war-cost load.
The nation, today, is spending at the rate
of 100 Billions yearly and taxing at the rate
of 30 Billions. Roughly Americans are
called on to pay only about 30% of their
war burdens.
The Congress has devised that there shall
be a 20 per cent withholding tax. A withholding tax merely means that the government has asked that your management be
its collection agent, deducting from your
weekly earnings twenty per cent for payment of taxes.
I n New Zealand they pay 66% of their
war costs through direct taxation; in Great
Britain 56%, and in Canada 50%. A l l of
these countries (and it is costing every one
of them Bilhons less to wage war) are
looking toward the future, not wishing to
saddle their children, and their children's
children, with an overbearing debt burden.
The tax assessments you paid in March
and June will be applied to your 1943 tax
returns.
The Government will collect a little better than 36 Billions by taxes for 1943. The
President has proposed that Congress draft
[28]
[29]
�a tax bill aimed at raising 16 Billions additional for next year.
We have just begun to fight. Victories
so far have been "preliminary." Our losses
in men and materiels have been relatively
slight. When the "all out" invasion of the
European fortress Hitler has built gets
underway, Americans will then, for the first
time, really begin to understand the grim
tragedy of blood and dollars needed to be
spent before final Victory is won.
Our fighting men are facing Death hourly
with a courage and determination that will
carry them to final,Victory. '
We must face our tax problems with the
same courage and determination imtil
Fasci-sm is crushed forever.
Don't Gripe . . . G I V E !
Military experts state (at a minimum)
that conquest of Hitler will come in the
FaU of 1944. The minimum guess for
Japan's final mihtary destruction is early
1946.
At the minimum, then, we face three
long, gruelling years of savage war. The
more we attack and attack the higher our
losses in men and materiels—the higher the
costs of war soar—the higher our national
debt rises—the more lofty our tax increases.
There is the saying: "There are only two
sure things—Death and Taxes."
[30]
[31]
�8
SUMMARY
What does it all mean?
Do your job!
There isn't one element in our country
today—not even the Communists—who don't
think we've got one heck of a big job to
do together.
Democrats, Republicans, Management,
Labor, the Church, aU agree every one of
us must pitch in and give every ounce of
oui energies.
This is no time for petty bickering; this
is no time for one element to try and outstrip the other; this is no tune for anything
except complete agreement on one thing:
"WORK TO W I N ! "
Old workers or new workers . . . manpower or womanpower . . . management
[32]
and labor, must all hunch their shoulders
into the harness and pull together in ONE
direction.
Production miracles have been accomphshed since the smoke of Pearl Harbor
drifted away to reveal the treachery and
power of our enemies. What we thought
were great production figures ten years
ago are mere nothing today.
We are not fighting this war for Management, for Labor, for Democrats, or
Repubhcans.
We are fighting this war for freedom for
you and for me and in testimonial to those
thousands of American fighting men who
died at Pearl Harbor before they had a
chance to strike back.
We are ready to strike back now. When
we strike it will be a Joe Louis left hook
multiplied by the strength and devotion to
duty of milUons of fighting men and war
workers.
The Jap£ had it all figured out.
[33]
We
�would never rally. Management and Labor
were at each other's throats. The Republicans were sniping at the Democrats.
Subversive elements were nmning riot
throughout the country. We were fat, soft
and easy to take. What a shock they goti
Stay on the supply linet
Watch your health I
Be careful!
Cooperate!
Be on duty I
Think right!
Work to wini
134]
�IMPORTANT INFOHMATION
My department number is
My foreman's name is..
:^iii£.g.£^.„.:...^;4:.
UJ^-
My identification number is
My time clock number is
,
My locker number is..
My Social Security number is..
��
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Books, Booklets, Ledgers, & Diaries
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R O Rondeau Shoe Company War Time Workers Hand Book Circa 1943
Description
An account of the resource
A thirty-four page, World War II, R. O. Rondeau Shoe Company <em>War Time Workers Hand Book, What Every Worker Should Know,</em> circa 1943. <br /><br />This item belonged to Farmington worker 636, Department 52, which was stitching, all information written on the back inside cover, along with the worker Social Security number(not inlcued in scan). The Foreman for the worker was Louie Underburger. <br /><br />The booklet contains a fair amount of American propaganda, helpful home and work advice during wartime, financial advice, community service advice, commentary on the war, post Pearl Harbor Attack, and some forcasting on the war effort.<br /><br />This item does contain biases from earlier periods.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />FHS-Kyle Leach
Creator
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Written by A.C. Croft
National Foreman's Institute
R. O. Rondeau Shoe Company
Publisher
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National Foreman's Institute
R. O. Rondeau Shoe Company
Date
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1943
Date Created
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Circa 1943
Date Copyrighted
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1943
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Donated by Joann Doke
1940's
booklet
business
document
Farmington
industry
pdf
Rondeau Shoe Company
workers
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/12165/archive/files/3d98b66a7d3df232d891ca9d718c48cc.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=FBrWXmesJSYUZt9IdXs4zSdbHDLYPlSQkwEUsAcAjJsvHXTawr%7ES4qtMKuJWpUDkznObza3DVagJcQAY6FAeaDcGl9dxrkEpbp7um%7E56I7XK3lC755YcgDPdgIpoB29THKcxmKaZ5fhLXw71xzfl61CJtahhcRwypjJ7WKZYtJN0JIzCQURDw1miq9Zri1IZ38zIIwo1bIBQhRWxTDPHDAZZ6evxWafm8DHUnUWGDNT6rGDwk8DrJBo-IgGdoUnOTjTOHl6t4DdOsdL81rkXVn4uQcXpYl-T1%7Ex3OAA3j-o-1%7EWUB0DF%7E7NlNMsKjz3mFMQdPX6BZj3daj4QeZYPKw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
d741cb107a21edc78288214191977520
PDF Text
Text
The Cobbler in Congress: A Brief Biography of Henry Wilson
1. Jeremiah Jones Colbath
The boy who would become Henry Wilson was born under the name of Jeremiah Jones Colbath
in the small eastern New Hampshire town of Farmington on the 16th of February 1812. Wilson was the
eldest child of Winthrop and Abigail Colbath. The Colbath's had immigrated from Ireland early in the
18th century arriving in southern New Hampshire and living there for several generations until the
conclusion of the Revolutionary War when Wilson's great grandfather moved to the Farmington area.1
At the time of Wilson's birth Farmington had a population of roughly twelve hundred individuals most
of whom were farmers. Labor was the law of the land and consequently little formal education was
available to those who lived there, for what use was a boy in school who could otherwise be helping his
father plow the fields?2
The Colbaths had long lived a life of poverty and Wilson's father proved no exception.
Winthrop Colbath was primarily a manual laborer who bounced from one job to the next. He spent a
good portion of Wilson's childhood employed at a local sawmill. He constructed a house for his family
when Wilson was seven.3 Despite being quite capable, Winthrop was never able to provide for his
family due in large part to his alcoholism. A source described him as “too much interested in cider,”4 a
point of frustration for Wilson and one which later influenced his personal support for temperance. In
contrast to Wilson's oftentimes strained relationship with his father he maintained a stellar relationship
with his mother, Abigail, who was described as handsome, fond of reading, sensible, and industrious.5
All of these qualities could easily be attributed to Wilson himself and perhaps represents the special
bond the two shared. Although sources differ as to the exact number of Colbath children, general
consensus suggests that Abigail birthed eight children, all sons, three of whom would succumb to death
before Wilson, or “Jerry” as his friends called him, reached ten years of age.6 Wilson put it best with his
comment, “I was born in poverty, Want sat by my cradle. I know what it is to ask a mother for bread
1
�when she has none to give.”7 Poverty would define Wilson's childhood and much of his adult life. Yet,
poverty and adversity were also responsible for instilling in Wilson a sense of perseverance,
determination, and resourcefulness, these qualities perhaps more so than any others were responsible
for his success as a politician.
Wilson proved to be a bright and driven young man with a strong desire to learn. As a young
child Wilson enrolled in a local school overseen by a Mistress Guy who taught him basic reading,
spelling and basic arithmetic.8 One humorous story about his public schooling shows that Wilson's
sense of justice was also well developed at an early age. One cold morning Wilson noticed a group of
older boys who had laid claim to the schoolhouse fireplace preventing the younger children from using
it. Wilson sought to rectify the situation through that age old method of diplomacy: fist fighting. Wilson
challenged one of the larger boys and obtained permission for the younger boys to use the fire.
Unfortunately, Mistress Guy failed to see the just nature of Wilson's cause and punished him with a
flogging.9
Even more important to the growth of Wilson's mind was a chance encounter he had at the age
of eight with Mrs. Anstress Eastman the wife of the only lawyer in Farmington, Nehemiah Eastman.
Upon seeing the condition of Wilson's clothes Mrs. Eastman generously gave him some to wear and
asked him if he knew how to read. When Wilson proved that he could Mrs. Eastman provided him with
a copy of the New Testament and told him that if he read it the book would be his. Wilson, excited by
the prospect of owning his own book, read the entire New Testament in a week and promptly returned
to Mrs. Eastman who could scarcely believe that an eight year old had read the book so quickly.
However, as she tested him on its contents, he quickly displayed an excellent understanding of the book
from start to end. Amazed at his accomplishment Mrs. Eastman happily gave Wilson his first book.
Although not one for sentimentality Wilson held on to the book for the rest of his life. Wilson later
credited receiving the book as the starting point of his intellectual growth.10
2
�Wilson would continue to reap the benefit of his relationship with the Eastmans. Both Anstress
and Nehemiah took an active interest in the boy and opened up their substantial library to his
inquisitive mind. Over the next several years Wilson would use this opportunity often. He gladly
walked the fourteen miles to venture to and from the Eastmans residence to obtain books. Wilson's
appetite for books proved great and he soon began borrowing books from: a local judge, a grocer, the
deputy sheriff, and a local politician as well. As time passed and his interests broadened he also grew
interested in newspapers and magazines, of which the Eastmans had an ample supply. Allegedly. over
the course of his childhood Wilson had read over one thousand books not to mention countless
newspapers and magazines.11
At ten years of age Wilson was sold by his father into indentured servitude to a Mr. William
Knight, a hardworking farmer in Farmington who had need of an extra farmhand. Knight was a hardman and was extremely demanding of Wilson during his servitude. Wilson was expected to work daily
except for Sundays and could not depart the farm without Knight's consent. In addition to these basic
requirements Wilson was also denied the right to go the local tavern, gamble, drink alcohol, or pursue
relations with the opposite sex. If Wilson fulfilled his end of the contract he would receive six sheep
and a few oxen for the ten years of his life worked for the farmer. Knight further revealed his frugal
character when Wilson was unable to sell his oxen immediately upon receiving them. Wilson asked if
he could board the oxen at Knight's farm for the weekend. His master obliged but forced him to pay
fifty cents rent for two days.12
Despite the difficulty of his life under Knight, Wilson continued to prove an active reader. A
remarkable feat when one considers the fact that the only time he was able to read was after he had
completed his tasks for Mr. Knight. Wilson would frequently read late into the night by the light of the
fire.13 These books and works were Wilson's escape from his life as a farmhand, a life which in light of
his later decisions, clearly did not suit him. Wilson's dedication to reading granted him many of the
3
�skills that would define him during his political career. His analytical skills, excellent memory, and
ability to research and understand a subject were in large part the result of his love of literature.
Wilson proved to be a skilled farmhand, excelling at all tasks he was given and working
attentively for his master. For Mr. Knight the young Wilson had proved to be quite valuable. Finally at
the age twenty one, having spent more than half of his life in indentured servitude, Wilson completed
his service and sold his sheep and oxen for eighty-four dollars. Considering that prior to this point
Wilson had never had more than two dollars he likely felt downright rich with his new found wealth.14
Never one to sit idle, Wilson began to look towards his future and finding work.
Prior to this Wilson had one more task he wanted to complete, to formally change his name
from Jeremiah Jones Colbath to Henry Wilson. Little evidence suggests why he chose the name Henry
Wilson; most likely he was influenced by an individual of the same name, some biographers point to
Reverend Henry Wilson of England.15 Even less evidence exists to identify his reasons for the name
change, although many theories have been concocted in an attempt to explain this action. Perhaps the
best interpretation of this action comes from Adelaide Waldron of Rochester who claimed simply that,
“all thought that it would be to his advantage.”16 Perhaps more important than the motivations of his
name change was its symbolic nature. Jeremiah Jones Colbath's change to Henry Wilson in the summer
of 1833 not only provided him a new identity, it also symbolized the new path upon which the young
man from Farmington was about to set foot.
2. The Natick Cobbler
Wilson left Farmington in 1833. He realized that the town held little promise, and having
decided that he had no interest in farming, Wilson looked beyond New Hampshire in hopes of finding a
steady job for himself. Having heard from some other young men in the area about the expanding shoe
4
�manufacturing market in Natick, Massachusetts Henry Wilson decided that it was time for him to leave
his home in search of his future.17
In the bitter cold of December Henry Wilson packed up his meager belongings and started the
hundred mile journey from Farmington to Natick. Determined to make his journey as inexpensive as
possible, Wilson opted to make this journey of several days on foot. As usual when Wilson set his mind
to a task his resolve could not be shaken and he made great time, completing the hundred miles of
winter travel in four days. Wilson even managed to fit a visit to Bunker Hill and the office of The North
American Review (one of Wilson's favorite publications) into his trip. Upon arriving in Natick around
midnight on the fourth day Wilson found that he had managed to make the trip on a mere dollar and
five cents. Although the town of Natick was not aware of it at the time the young man who arrived in
December of 1833 would go on to become a leader in the community and eventually the nation.
The Natick which Wilson arrived in was a changing town. When Wilson arrived in Natick the
population was around 890, the town had no public high school, no library and not even a single
lawyer. Within twenty-five years however the population would boom to nearly 4100 and had
established a library and several schools. This transition was thanks to two things. The first was the
addition of the Boston and Worcester Railroad line which went directly through Natick making it a
center of commerce. The Second event was the growth of shoe making in the town thanks to Edward
Walcott. In 1828 Walcott began to produce more shoes than ever before attracting many other cobblers
to Natick. This trend would continue resulting in Natick, which had not even bothered to track the
value of its shoe manufacturing trade in 1833, to become the eighth biggest manufacturer in the state by
1850. It was this community which Wilson joined, little did he Natick know it had just received its
“most famous citizen.”18
Wilson's first professional relationship in town was formed with Mr. William P. Legro who, for
five month's labor, agreed to teach Wilson the trade of making shoes. At this time a single worker
5
�would make the entire shoe or “brogan.” Wilson proved, unsurprisingly, a highly skilled apprentice and
within seven weeks had mastered the trade, a task which was supposed to have taken five months.
Desiring to work for himself as quickly as possible Wilson offered Mr. Legro fifteen dollars to be freed
from his apprenticeship. Hoping to obtain enough money to pay for more education Wilson made shoes
at an amazing pace. He would frequently work up to sixteen hours a day. At one point Wilson became
determined to make fifty pairs of shoes, a task which would generally take a week, in one sitting.
Despite coming just short Wilson was allegedly able to make an unrivaled forty-seven and one-half
pairs of shoes before finally submitting to sleep.19
The shoe manufacturing trade would make a great deal of money for Wilson as he made shoes
off and on for the next two decades. The first several years of Wilson's period in Natick he worked
primarily with the interest of getting enough money to pursue an education. Over the two years and five
months between his arrival in Natick and his departure in 1836 Wilson produced roughly six-thousand
pairs of shoes, making a seven-hundred dollar profit for himself.20 After returning to Natick in 1837
Wilson became one of the largest shoe makers, both in the amount of shoes he made and the number of
people he employed, in Natick. By the end of 1838, a mere year after his return, Wilson would do an
astounding $17,000 worth of business. Wilson's production continued to expand and, by 1847, he
employed one-hundred and ninety employees and manufactured a staggering 122,000 shoes. Wilson
produced 664,000 pairs of shoes before leaving the trade for good.21
Wilson's first several years in Natick were important as they allowed Wilson to make a name for
himself not only financially, but also socially. Wilson quickly made connections with many important
citizens in Natick. Fittingly, one of the most important friendships Wilson was to make during his early
years in Natick was a result of his need to read. Natick, at the time of Wilson's arrival, had little in the
way of a public library. The sole exception was a small collection of about two-hundred volumes
overseen by Deacon William Coolidge, a leader in the town and one of Natick's most prominent
6
�citizens. Deacon Coolidge and his wife, much like the Eastmans before them, took an interest in the
young man from New Hampshire and offered him a room in which to stay. Wilson built a strong
relationship with the Coolidges going with them to church and on social outings. Eventually Wilson
would come to be treated as a son to this generous couple.22
Interestingly, for an individual who never joined the local congregation until much later in life
Wilson also built close relationships with the local ministers of the Natick Congregational Church.
Erasmus D. Moore was the minister of the Natick Congregation at the time of Wilson’s arrival and the
two quickly became fast friends sharing common interests. Moore became minister in 1831 and served
in that post for seven years during a time of rapid growth in the community. Wilson regularly relied on
Moore during his early years in Natick and the two stayed in touch after Moore left the community.
Later in life Wilson aided Moore by helping him receive several government posts.23 Upon Moore's
departure from Natick Wilson found another important friend in Moore's successor, Samuel Hunt.
Under Hunt's guidance Wilson assumed an active role in church life going so far as to teach a bible
class at Sunday School. The bond between the two men is represented the fact that when Hunt left his
post it was Wilson who spoke and presented Hunt with a watch which the community had purchased
for him.24
Another key event in the growth of the young uneducated farmhand occurred in 1834 with the
creation of the Natick Debating Society. Wilson, who had always been fond of debate, met Alexander
Thayer who shared Wilson's passion for debate and learning. The two became fast friends as Thayer
would frequently visit Wilson to share debates on history and politics. As time went on the two invited
more participants, eventually founding the Natick Debating Society. The society met either weekly or
biweekly to discyss topics ranging from the merits of fictional writing on broader society to slavery and
abolition. The society would become hugely influential to Natick's development over the next several
years insofar as the young men who made up its membership would go on to be leaders at national,
7
�state, or local levels. Those involved went on to become lawyers and doctors, newspaper editors and
several served on the legislatures of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. These young
men would in many cases go on to become lifelong friends of Wilson and oftentimes they would be his
strongest supporters in his political life. The society would hold roughly one hundred meetings until
1840 at which point it was merged with the Natick Lyceum.25
The obvious question here is: how did this exceptional group of young men accomplish so
much in the coming years? The answer is quite simple. The public speaking and analysis which these
men would take part in at every meeting clearly prepared them for their future careers. The number of
careers in fields such as law and government reveals a great deal about the way in which the debating
society was run. The men also benefited from the talents of their fellow members. The talented group
of young men who formed the core of the debating society, learned from one another to the advantage
of all. At a reunion held in 1860, members of the society supported for this point, claiming that the
debating society was in large part responsible for their standing in society.26 Henry Wilson in particular,
lacking the formal education of many of his peers, grew from his involvement in the society. Early on
Wilson, although intelligent and knowledgeable, had trouble particularly with his speech. His lack of
formal schooling showed in his grammar and pronunciation and he would often tremble while
speaking. His natural perseverance overcame his shortcomings and he soon became a capable debater
in his own right. Wilson's public speaking lacked flair and elegance however this would eventually
become one of his greatest assets in public life. Wilson's ability to pull together knowledge and
organize it allowed him to simply overwhelm an opponent with facts. As a result Wilson possessed an
undeniable need to research and understand a topic prior to his discussion. As a result when Wilson
arrived at a stance on a topic he would be immovable in his defense of it.27
It was during these early years in Natick that Wilson also developed his opposition to the
institution of slavery. Little is known about the original source of Wilson's hatred of slavery as sources
8
�give credit to many individuals including the influence of abolitionists Lydia Maria Child and George
Thompson. Wilson himself claims that he did not publicly share his feelings until he made a trip to the
South.28 In the spring of 1836 as a result of his work-ethic and bustling social life Wilson over tired
himself and fell very ill. Two years of engaging himself completely in his pursuits had finally taken
their toll on the inexhaustible Wilson. Initially he planned to attend a school in hopes of obtaining a law
degree, but, his health was so poor that a doctor suggested that before he get his education he should
take a trip south and relax. Eager to visit the nation's capital Wilson left Natick in May of 1836.29
Wilson enjoyed his trip until he entered Maryland and for the first time saw slavery. Wilson told a man
that slavery was an evil, to which the man responded that Wilson shouldn't express that opinion in the
state of Maryland. Wilson despised the idea that slavery could be supported and that his freedom to
speak his mind was hindered in a nation built on principle of liberty.30
As his journey continued Wilson was at times amazed, at times disgusted, and at times both. He
would go the capital where he saw legislation regarding the freedoms of blacks discussed. He watched
as Southern politicians dominated both the House and the Senate. Wilson was particularly amazed by
Senator Thomas Morris of Ohio the lone Senator to voice opposition to the slave power. Wilson later
visited a slave market where he saw slaves sold into bondage and exchanged between masters. Wilson
couldn't help but notice the contradiction: thousands of men were purchased on a daily basis within the
capitol of the nation claiming the be the worlds greatest champion of freedom. This moment would in
many regards come to define Wilson's political career. As long as Wilson was in public office all of his
decisions and actions were focused on destroying the slave trade and creating racial equality within the
United States.31
At the conclusion of his trip to the nation's capitol Wilson returned north going past Natick on
his way to Strafford, New Hampshire where he attended the local academy. Wilson did well in his first
term at Strafford and spoke in favor of slavery being abolished in the District of Columbia at the end of
9
�the term.32 Wilson would next move to Wolfesboro, New Hampshire in order to study under Miss
Eastman, the daughter of the Mr. and Mrs. Eastman who had played such an important role during his
childhood. Wilson did well even going on to be a school teacher at a school in Wolfsboro over the
winter. During the spring of 1837 Wilson continued his studies at Concord Academy in New
Hampshire. Wilson once again did well showing a particular skill in the field of rhetoric or speaking.33
After several terms of study Wilson ran out of money and was forced to give up his dream of becoming
a lawyer. Wilson had loaned most of his seven hundred dollars savings to a friend. During the “Panic of
1837”1 Wilson's friend went bankrupt and left Wilson once again without money. Although distraught
over the news Wilson was able to finish one more term of schooling thanks to the generosity of Samuel
Avery. When this term ended in November of 1837 Wilson returned to Natick, this time for good.34
The next three years would pass with relative quiet. Wilson continued to labor by day at his ever
expanding shoe manufacturing venture and spent his free time reading, attending the Debating Society
or socializing with peers and associates. This would all change in 1840, a year which would drastically
alter both his personal and private life.
One of the happiest moments in Wilson's life occurred on the 28th of October 1840, the day that
Miss Harriet Howe of Natick became Mrs. Harriet Wilson. The wedding ceremony between the two
was presided over by Wilson's good friend Hunt and many of Wilson's good friends from the debating
society as well as the Coolidges and likely Wilson's own family. Harriet Wilson was a perfect match for
the industrious and hard working Wilson, she was a well-educated and refined woman with a generous
heart. She was admired and appreciated by all who knew her and she had a natural ability to make
those around her happy. She embodied Wilson’s ideal woman: strong, sensitive and loyal. Wilson
would become an advocate of woman's suffrage later in his life, thanks in large part to Harriet's
influence. She wasn’t the type to remain in the background while Wilson became one of Natick's most
1 The Panic of 1837 was an economic depression that struck the nation as a result of the unregulated inflation which took
place in the aftermath of President Jackson's closure of the Second National bank. Some banks only began accepting
payment in silver or gold (specie) and the fragile system which had been set up on paper currency abruptly collapsed.
10
�prominent citizens. She quickly became involved in the community and played a very public role in the
Natick Congregation and, later, frequently accompanied Henry down to Washington for sessions of
Senate. Unfortunately Harriet was suffered from poor health and frailty and often needed bed rest. Her
ill health kept her from being around Henry as much as she would have liked.35 Six years later on
November 11th 1846 Harriet gave birth to Henry Hamilton Wilson, the only child that the couple would
have. By most accounts Henry was a family man who, although frequently away from his family, loved
them dearly and tried to play the role of father better than his own had.36
On a more public note 1840 was also the year when Henry Wilson became a household name in
the greater Natick community by becoming politically aware. Henry's first steps into politics actually
occurred in 1839 when some of his peers sought to have him elected to the General Court on a
temperance platform. Wilson came a few votes short in his bid and once again focused on his work.
Soon fate provided him with another opportunity to become politically involved. The presidential
election of 1840 was a highly contested race pitting former Democratic Vice-President Martin Van
Buren against William Henry Harrison of the Whig party. Wilson, in opposition to the Democratic
policies, decided to publicly support Harrison. His first speech was delivered in the Methodist meeting
house in Natick against a Mr. Joseph Fuller who was a supporter of Van Buren and a major democratic
figure in that part of the state.37 In this debate Wilson quickly proved his political ability and became a
strong supporter of the Whig Party. The success of his initial speech resulted in speaking engagements
throughout the greater Boston area. At the end of campaign season Wilson had given over sixty
speeches, all of them to large audiences and great effect.38 Such relentless campaigning and dedication
to voters would become characteristic of Wilson's political style and by the late 1860s he was one of
the most widely recognized politician in the nation.
Wilson's actions in the election of 1840, helped Harrison carry the region, and lifted Wilson
from an unknown to one of the most celebrated citizens of Natick. Not surprisingly, Natick's citizens
11
�recognized the promise in the young man and voted for him as Natick's representative to the General
Court of Massachusetts.39 At the age of twenty-eight Wilson won election to the General Court and
became a leader in Natick. This accomplishment had been a great achievement for Mr. Wilson,
however, he was at this point merely beginning a long political career.
3. Wilson the Whig
Wilson would serve as a representative of Natick for the next two and although he was not
overtly active at this early point in his career he took his responsibilities seriously. Upon his election
Wilson found that by the luck of the draw he had been placed in the back corner of the assembly and
thus was far from the action. In typical Wilsonian fashion, rather than accept his position, Wilson
noticed an older representative who had been placed in a closer location. Wilson offered the man three
dollars to switch seats. The former gladly consented but later claimed that it was somewhat arrogant of
Wilson to do such a thing, to which another representative who knew Wilson responded by saying that
Wilson's actions actually revealed a fierce desire to be able to take an active role in the House.40
Wilson's hardworking nature had once again pushed him to become the most successful politician that
he could be. During these first sessions Wilson did not speak often, preferring to observe and
understand the way in which the legislative body worked, preparing himself for an eventual active role.
His attendance at every meeting symbolizes his devotion to the office. 41
Despite the relative quiet of his first term Wilson did stay true to his values and consistently
supported the causes of abolition, temperance, and the working man. Wilson's own background
undoubtedly pushed him to support labor issues and passed legislation to that end. For example, Wilson
voted to lower or abolish taxes which would be particularly hard on the working class.42 Wilson
likewise continued to vote for legislation which would benefit the status of African-Americans and
slaves. Wilson voted in favor of the law to permit bi-racial marriage in Massachusetts consistently. His
12
�continued support of the abolitionist cause is represented by his proposal to allow the Massachusetts
Anti-Slavery society to hold a meeting in the hall of the House. This was considered highly radical at
this point in time.43
Unfortunately for Wilson his political career experienced a brief, albeit not unforeseen, lull in
1842 as he decided not to run for a third term in the House. Wilson sought a State Senate position as
one of the five representatives of Middlesex County, but was defeated when the Democratic party won
the county. Wilson briefly returned to his shoe manufacturing workshop with the intention of
eventually returning to politics. 44
In addition to Wilson's rise up the political ladder Henry also took an active role in military
affairs throughout his life. Wilson would become famous for his role as the Chairman of the Senate
Military Committee, a role he served with distinction. Wilson saw war as an evil but had long
possessed an interest in the military and militia and was well aware of its necessity for defensive
purposes. It was with this in mind that Wilson joined the militia in Farmington before his move to
Natick. His rise to prominence within the Massachusetts Militia largely coincided with was his political
ascendance. In 1843, unbeknownst to Wilson, he was elected Major of a local artillery regiment.
Wilson was not even aware of his own election to the post until he read about it in the local newspaper.
Three years hence in 1846 Wilson would be elected to the post of Colonel of the same regiment and
Brigadier-General of the Third Brigade of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia a mere six weeks later.
In typical fashion Wilson dedicated himself to expanding his understanding of military tactics and
affairs and thus becoming a proficient military officer. Wilson would never lead men in combat during
the five years he held this post, but he was able to instill pride and discipline in his men. Wilson was
said to have drilled his brigade to a higher degree than any other in the state and he was well liked by
the men he commanded. Wilson’s service would lead others to regularly refer to him as “General
Wilson” for the remainder of his life.45
13
�Wilson ran successfully for one of the Senatorial positions in Middlesex County in 1843. He
stayed true to his roots speaking once again in favor not only of halting the spread of slavery but also
protecting the rights of freedmen throughout the North. Wilson delivered an impassioned speech in
support of a law which protected the rights of all children, including African-Americans, to attend
public schools. Thanks in large part to Wilson's efforts a bill based off of this one would be passed by
the senate.46 Wilson also continually pursued his agenda of temperance not only at the state level, but
within the Natick community. He joined numerous temperance societies throughout his career in
Massachusetts and the nation’s capital.47
During Wilson's first stint on the state senate the crucial issue on both the national and state
level was the proposed annexation of Texas. For years American farmers had been moving to the region
and as early as the late 1830s the issue of annexation had been present in the state of Massachusetts.48
The admission of Texas was extremely complex primarily because of its implications on the spread of
the slave states and consequently the already strained relations between the North and the South.
Admission of Texas would have provided Southern Democrats with several more votes in both the
Senate and House granting them a political coup over their Northern and Western counterparts.
Meanwhile calls for expansion under the pretext of Manifest Destiny were running rampant throughout
the nation. By the time of Wilson's election to the state senate in 1843 the issue had come to a head and
the time had come for Massachusetts to take a stand on the issue. Wilson, joined with a group of young
Whigs who joined together to promote their anti-slavery views. With Charles Francis Adams, son of
Massachusetts Congressman John Quincy Adams, as their leader they pushed legislation instructing
their national representatives to block annexation.49
The “Young Whigs” quickly revealed their strength by getting the resolution passed. On the
national level Northern politicians were temporarily able to prevent the passage of annexation. But the
Whig victory proved short lived. Within a few months Democrat James Polk was voted into office and
14
�outgoing President John Tyler, in a show of brilliant statesmanship, had a treaty for annexation passed
by a joint resolution of both houses of Congress. While a Senate resolution would have required a twothirds majority the joint resolution required only a simple majority and during the last days of session
the treaty was approved by a single vote. Polk, upon taking up office, acted on the passage of the treaty
and within two years Texas entered as the 28th state in the Union.50
The Whigs had not only lost in their attempt to stop the annexation of Texas, but also split as a
party. The party platform had not changed with the times and its members could no longer agree on
issues. Texas and the election of 1844 drove a wedge between the factions of the party. Although the
Whig party would survive for several years but, in a decade it would be all but irrelevant.51 In response
to the passage of the treaty to annex Texas many of the younger Whigs took a strong position on the
issue and held a convention in January of 1845 to oppose the admittance of Texas as a state. As a
member of the Young Whigs, Wilson was a part of the five man committee which planned and
organized the event. The young Whigs invited members of other political parties to attend the
convention, a tactic that Wilson would use again to confront the Whig party five years later. The
convention was a huge success attracting over six hundred delegates from 141 towns and signifying a
new public position on the issue of slavery within Massachusetts. Speakers such as William Lloyd
Garrison, one of America's most outspoken abolitionists, enthralled audiences and symbolized the
monumental shift the party had undergone. Wilson claimed that this event led to the subsequent
fracturing of the Whigs into the Conscience or anti-slavery and Cotton or pro-slavery Whigs.52 Wilson
played an active role in countering Texas legislation over the course of 1845 in public forums, speaking
to audiences in Waltham in August. In October Wilson organized a meeting at Concord which brought
back much of the anti-annexation fervor that had died out in the preceding months.53 Despite the best
efforts of Conscience Whigs annexation could not be stopped which led directly to war with Mexico.
Despite these setbacks Wilson proved that he was prepared for a leadership role politically and, that the
15
�anti-slavery movement had a new and courageous champion.
Wilson declined to run for another term as a state senator in 1846 instead opting to return to the
House of Representatives as a constant supporter of the anti-slavery movement. Wilson, invigorated by
the new leadership position continued to lead the Conscience Whig party during this session. In early
February Wilson gave a speech proclaiming, “the unalterable hostility of Massachusetts to the further
extension and longer existence of slavery in America and her fixed determination to use all
constitutional and legal means for its extinction.”54 Wilson took this stance throughout that session but
it garnered heavy opposition from some of the more senior members of the Whig party. To Wilson such
opposition was meaningless for, although the Whig party was in power in Massachusetts, Wilson was
beginning to feel substantial misgivings about the party's policies as a whole.
Business problems and Harriet’s poor health forced Wilson to take a year of from politics in
1847. On a more positive note, Wilson was able to spend time with his newly-born son, Henry.55 This
break did not halt Wilson's political career however and he was once again thrust into the political
limelight in February of 1848 when, after decades of service to the state of Massachusetts, John Quincy
Adams died, leaving a vacant seat in the House of Representatives. Wilson, after only seven years in
politics, was one of three candidates proposed to fill the position. Wilson voluntarily withdrew in
support of Horace Mann, and was consequently appointed as a delegate to the Whig National
Convention for the upcoming fall presidential election.56 Ironically it was Wilson's appointment to this
position that allowed him to eventually destroy the Whig party. Had Whig strategists had any idea what
was to transpire they surely would not have sent the charismatic cobbler from Natick. Wilson's
appointment thrust him into the next stage in his career.
4. The Birth of Free-Soil
As the presidential election of 1848 approached the Whigs sought to recover from the election
16
�of Polk four years prior. This election forced the Whigs to set a direction for the party for the coming
years. Would they establish themselves firmly as the opponents to slavery, or would plod a course of
appeasement and inactivity? The conflict was particularly fierce in Massachusetts, once the seat of the
Whig Party's political power. The main source of contention was the Wilmot Proviso which would have
banned slavery in any lands or territories acquired from Mexico, hence Texas. Despite ultimately being
defeated, The Wilmot Proviso created a rift in the Democratic Party. The Van Buren Democrats offered
to work with any party willing to oppose the Democrats and Whigs while simultaneously supporting
the Wilmot Proviso.57 Meanwhile Whig leaders, in an attempt to garner wide public approval, looked to
Mexican War hero, Zachary Taylor as a presidential candidate. Many Whigs including Wilson
expressed hostility towards Taylor's nomination because he did not support the Wilmot Proviso. The
dissenters were nevertheless outvoted as it was believed that Taylor would attract the most votes and
consequently, he won the Whig’s nomination for the Presidency. Upset over his party’s direction
Wilson called for all of those who did not support Taylor to meet later that evening. Although Wilson's
call only produced fifteen participants, those involved quickly pledged to invite others from minor
factions and splinter parties to a new convention held in Buffalo in August of that year. 58 The Free-Soil
party was born.
Prior to the National convention in Buffalo the foundation for what was to become the Free Soil
Party was laid in Worcester on June 28, 1848. In response to what had occurred at the Whig Party
convention Wilson and his associates called for a convention to discuss the issues manifesting
themselves politically at the time, in particular the dominance of Southern interests and politicians over
their Northern counterparts. The convention exceeded even the most optimistic hopes of its
coordinators as over five thousand individuals, the majority of them Conscience Whigs, attended the
convention and pledged their support. The platform of the newly formed party focused on their
unshakeable dedication to prevent the extension of slavery while subsequently combating the growing
17
�influence of Southern politicians. Over the next several months the Free Soilers sought to attract other
parties to their growing ranks, primarily the Liberty Party and Van Buren Democrats. Their efforts paid
off as they attracted the better part of twenty thousand people to the national convention in Buffalo.
Despite the fact that Taylor was eventually elected to the presidency the establishment of the Free-soil
party held monumental implications for both state and national political climates.59 First and foremost
it directly combated the exceedingly ambitious agendas being pursued by Southern Politicians.
Secondly, the formation of the party demonstrated the influence which an adeptly managed alliance of
parties could have, an important lesson over the next few years. Finally, and perhaps most importantly
the formation of the Free-Soil party symbolized that slavery was a significant enough issue in and of
itself to be the central focus of a political party. Wilson had played a crucial role in the formation of this
new party yet, he was just getting started.
Throughout the early existence of the Free-Soil party Wilson had neglected to serve in the state
legislature, opting instead to help nurture the newly formed party. To aid himself in this task Wilson in
the fall of 1848 purchased the “Boston Republican” newspaper which became an invaluable asset to the
advancement of Free-Soil interests. Wilson wrote many of its articles, and served as editor from 18481851. Wilson lost a total of seven thousand dollars in support of the paper, yet for Wilson this was a
price he was willing to pay for the voice which the little newspaper had provided the fledgeling party. 60
Wilson was recognized for his dedication to the birth of the Free-Soil party by being named the
chairman of the Free-Soil State Committee in Massachusetts. Wilson served in this capacity for the
next four years, laboring tirelessly to set and attain the objectives of the Free Soil party while also
striving to ensure the success of the Massachusetts Free Soil Party and its coalition. Of all the
responsibilities Wilson bore during the time none was more arduous than ensuring amicable relations
between the different parties. During these four years Wilson championed the anti-slavery cause and
the rights of the workingman while simultaneously increasing the exposure of the Free-Soil party
18
�through pamphlets and issues of “The Republican.” It would be during these four years that Wilson
learned much of his leadership skills as well as the ability to preside over committees and
organizations. Wilson used many of the skills he learned during this period later in his political career.
It seems that as much as Wilson's efforts benefited the Free Soil Party they also paid dividends for
Wilson himself.61
Confident that the Free-Soil party could stand on its own Wilson once again ran for office. In
1849, he was voted into the Massachusetts House of Representatives as the representative from Natick
for two terms. Wilson played a far more active role in the political machine this time around and was
even nominated for the position of Speaker of the House by the Free Soilers, however, the Whigs
defeated him. During his time in the House, Wilson was a progressive, voting to defend the needs of
African-Americans, workers and the common man while seeking to end practices such as capital
punishment and flogging in the Navy. To some, even members of his own party, Wilson's policies were
highly radical, but Wilson was merely following his own values.62
Wilson was returned to the Massachusetts Senate in an election which represented the changing
nature of Massachusetts politics. Mobilized by Daniel Webster's support of the Compromise of 1850,
legislation which sought to manage the growing discontent over the slave issue, the Free Soilers and
Democrats were vying to take the state from the Whig party. In the elections in the fall of 1850
coalition representatives outnumbered the Whigs in both the House and the Senate. This disastrous
blow to the already reeling Whigs symbolized the end of their dominance in Massachusetts politics.
Wilson's coalition would be the dominant force in the state for the next three years.63 Fresh off their
victory in the state elections the coalition now had the difficult task of maintaining their shaky alliance
in the selection of state offices and a senator from the state. A compromise was reached in which the
Democrats would select state officers so long as a Free Soiler was elected to the national Senate seat. It
took all of Henry Wilson's skills to keep both factions in line and he more so than anyone else was
19
�responsible for the coalition's success during this period and throughout its existence. Both factions
would stay true to their word, and after several months of hard work Free Soiler Charles Sumner was
named the long term Senator from Massachusetts.64 Sumner would go on to be widely praised as a
champion of the abolitionist cause and one of the most famous senators of the time. It is ironic that
Sumner, who has become more well-known than Wilson in recent times, owes his senate seat to the
Natick Cobbler.
Wilson's management of the coalition government was acknowledged and rewarded when he
was elected to Senate in 1850 and named Senate President. Wilson would be responsible for the
selection of state offices and senators as well as overseeing the day to day workings of the state senate
during this period. He did well in this post and received praise from his peers at the conclusion of his
first term. Wilson was reelected to this post again and served with distinction until the spring of 1852 at
which time he had concluded his career in the state legislature.65 Nearly twenty years before Wilson had
arrived in the community of Natick with the clothes on his back and eighty dollars to his name. During
this time Wilson had made himself one of the most influential politicians in the state of Massachusetts.
Upon the conclusion of his duties in the state legislature Wilson continued to work tirelessly as
chairman of the Free-Soil Committee in the state. As 1852 was a Presidential election year there was
much to do to prepare for elections in the state and beyond. Wilson was selected as chairman of the
convention, a high and well deserved honor for the man who had been integral to the formation of the
party four years prior. The convention went extremely well and Wilson played a role both publicly and
behind the scenes. The convention nominated John Hale for the presidency and Samuel Lewis for the
Vice-Presidency.66 Despite Wilson's best efforts in the elections the Free Soilers lost much of the
momentum they held over the previous years at the national level of government as support on the had
fallen. Yet the coalition had fared extremely well throughout the state as many communities elected
coalition candidates. Wilson was thrilled with the results of the election claiming the downfall of the
20
�Whig party.67 Excited by the success of his party in the elections, Wilson was preparing another of the
Free-Soil party’s major operations in the state of Massachusetts as they prepared to hold the state
constitution committee over the summer of 1853.
One of Wilson's major goals was to hold a constitutional convention in order to amend and
rectify the state constitution. The Massachusetts' Constitution had already been amended twice, once in
1780 as a result of the Revolutionary War and again in 1820 when Maine broke from Massachusetts
and became an independent state.68 Delegates picked by each community came together in May of
1853 to form the convention. Wilson was so eager to be picked that he put his name in for
consideration in both his native Natick and the town of Berlin and was elected in both.69 Thanks to his
renown within the state and the fact that Coalitionists outnumbered Whig's Wilson was selected as the
chair of the Ways and Means Committee. He was the floor organizer and would preside over the
convention should the presiding officer be unable to fulfill his duties.70 Wilson spoke frequently and
forcefully during the sessions, and focused on reform in the areas of equality, the working man, and
race-based legislation. One of the central issues focused on the status of African-Americans in the state
militia, an issue which foreshadowed Wilson's later efforts to promote equal treatment of such soldiers
during the Civil War.71
Wilson played a crucial role in the convention and served as a party leader and one of the chief
Free Soil strategist during the formation of the new constitution. After the convention concluded all that
remained was for the people of Massachusetts to ratify the constitution. Wilson worked to ensure
ratification by distributing pamphlets and delivering numerous speeches throughout the late summer
and fall.72 Wilson was in for another pleasant surprise at the 1853 Free-Soil state convention when he
was nominated for the position of Governor by his peers. Wilson was thrilled, the shoe maker from
Natick was now nominated for the highest political office in the state.73 Not only had Wilson been
nominated, he was expecting great success. As the election grew nearer political theorists expected both
21
�the ratification of the new constitution and victory for Henry Wilson. Wilson was about to be elected to
the state’s highest elected office and see the convention he had worked so hard to reexamine receive the
support and blessing of his constituents. Unfortunately for Wilson the political scene quickly changed.
Thanks in large part to Whig offensives and abandonment by several key Free Soilers, Wilson found
himself defeated. The ratification of the constitution failed by a mere five-thousand votes but the vote
for governor was far more decisive and Wilson was nowhere to be seen in the final results. For all
extensive purposes Coalition was dead in the state of Massachusetts, defeated by the remnants of the
Whig party and dissent within its own ranks.74 And so as 1853 drew to a close Wilson’s political career
seemed all but over. His grandest piece of legislation to date had been rejected by voters and he had no
tangible means of support other than returning to shoe-manufacturing. Opponents rejoiced. The upstart
Natick Cobbler who had been a thorn in their side for the better part of a decade had met his demise.
The triumphs of these opponents would prove to be short lived. Henry Wilson had faced adversity
before and each time had returned with unwavering resolve. Henry Wilson was once again to prove that
when his back was against the wall rather than give he would knock the wall down.
5. Senator Elect
From the ashes of his state political career Henry Wilson would return on the national level with
the aid of an unlikely ally. As early as the 1830s objections to the increasing stream of immigrants
entering the nation began to surface. By the 1850s the number of immigrants had increased even more
and the number of Americans opposed to the immigrants increased just as rapidly. These nativists
mobilized and formed their own organization called the “Know-Nothings”. Also known as the
American Party this order had been in existence for several years prior to its role as a major political
force, primarily as secret societies. The party truly mobilized nationally in 1854 with the formation of
22
�the Grand-Council.75 This body would serve as a national political unifying force for the party and
helped direct its course. Wilson was working with the fledgling Republican Party at the time, but he
quickly realized that they had neither the resources nor the manpower to be a major force at the
moment and hence he reached out to the Know Nothings, becoming a member of the Order in 1854.76
Wilson did not cut his ties with the Republican Party and was nominated as the Gubernatorial
Candidate for the Republic Party in 1854, an honor which he accepted even though he was aware of the
fact he would be defeated. Perhaps, Wilson recognized of the power which this party would wield in
the coming years and sought to stay involved, or maybe it was merely to prevent himself from
alienating many of his supporters. Regardless of his reasons he would eventually become a Republican
candidate, but for the time being he was tied with the Know Nothings. When a spot in the Senate
opened up by the resignation of Edward Everett in 1854 Know-Nothing rallied around Wilson and on
February 10th 1855 he was voted into the senate.77 Four days before his forty-third birthday Wilson, the
self-educated farmhand and shoe maker who had spent ten years in indentured servitude, joined
Charles Sumner as the Senator from Massachusetts to form one the most radical challenges to slavery
the nation had seen.
Wilson's ties with the Know-Nothing party drew criticism from many of those who knew him,
both allies and opponents alike. It seemed completely out of place for Wilson, the champion of equality
to ally himself with a party born of anti-immigrant sentiment. However, many misunderstood the
motivation behind Wilson’s decision. Wilson was in no way hostile to foreigners or bigoted in his
views on immigration. In fact, Wilson actively opposed legislation that would deny or hinder the vote
to those who had been naturalized and claimed that, “he had no sympathy with the bigoted spirits who
would reject those who sought admittance into the United States.”78 These comments were even made
while Wilson was seeking Know Nothing support. Wilson's course in siding with these questionable
allies was, as always, determined by his desire to destroy the institution of slavery in the quickest way
23
�possible. As one contemporary put it, “He did evil so that good might come.”79 One cannot argue at the
logic behind Wilson's actions. The Coalition was destroyed by the defeats of the previous year and the
Republican Party was not strong enough to stand on its own. The Know Nothings had a stance towards
slavery which Wilson could support and, more importantly, they served the role of combating the
power of the Cotton Whigs. For Wilson the Know Nothing party was a means to an end and when in
1855 the party took a stance that supported the survival of slavery Wilson promptly abandoned them.80
Tensions had reached the boiling point on the national level by the time Wilson had reached the
Senate. Although relations between the North and South had been less than friendly for years the issue
of the Kansas-Nebraska Act raised hostilities to a new level. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a piece of
legislation authored by Stephen Douglas which would create the territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
More importantly Douglas' legislation would also repeal the Missouri Compromise, which said that
slavery could not exist in any territories north of Missouri. Instead the Kansas-Nebraska act promoted
popular sovereignty which meant that rather than the status of a state being decided by location, it
would instead be determined by a vote of its citizens.81 The passage of this legislation angered many
Northerners who saw the power of the South expanding. The admission of these territories and the
following battle over their admission as either free or slave states would place the nation on a powder
keg prone to explode at any moment. Violence, extortion, and bribery would become present not only
in the territories but around the nation. It was into this situation that Henry Wilson would be thrust.
As was the case with the majority of Wilson's political life he quickly proved himself to be a
proponent of the working man as well as abolition. Throughout his first short session and much of his
early political career Wilson formed a block with his fellow Northerners, most notably Sumner,
William Fessenden of Maine, and Benjamin Wade of Ohio. These four would later form the core of the
abolitionist Radical Republicans, one the most significant political forces over the next two decades.
Wilson would make his first address on slavery towards the conclusion of the short session, in which he
24
�stated his purpose of attacking the institution of slavery wherever Congress convened on the issue.82
At the end of his first term the issue of slavery was already driving a wedge in the Know
Nothing Party just as it had with the Whigs years before. Once again it Wilson took a leading role in
the attempt to radicalize the party. Nominated as a delegate to the Know Nothing National Committee
Wilson delivered a fiery speech in defense of his views, adopting a position behind which many
Northerners would rally. When it became apparent that the party's national platform would become
tolerant of slavery Wilson quickly held a separate meeting for Northerners who opposed this stance. At
the conclusion of this meeting several northern states, including Massachusetts, left the national party
and adopted a platform opposed to slavery and less strict in their nativist views.83 Once again Wilson
proved unstoppable in his pursuit of the death of slavery. This step would in many ways signify the end
of Wilson's ties with the Know Nothings as later in the summer of 1855 he along with many ex-Know
Nothings, Whigs and Free Soilers would throw their support behind the Republican Party, revitalizing
it and making it a major political force.84
While the chaos changed the political landscape in Washington and beyond the situation in
Kansas continued to become increasingly unstable. Led by extremists like John Brown, clashes
between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces within the territory were becoming more frequent and
simultaneously more violent. The birth of the conflict stemmed in large part over which faction would
have control of the state and hence the ability to elect their men to positions of influence within the
territory and also determine whether it was a free or slave state. Elections witnessed a great deal of
fraud as many of those who voted in these elections did not reside in Kansas but in the surrounding
territories. These false voters cast their ballots in hopes that they would elect either a Free or Slave state
government into power. This angered both groups and violence frequently ensued.85 Back in
Washington politicians realized the seriousness of the conflict and attempted to address it throughout
the year of 1856. Unfortunately, the senators proved just as inept at resolving the issue as their
25
�constituents and soon the conflict spilled into Congress.
Clear lines separated Northerners, the majority of whom pledged to prevent the spread of
slavery, and the Southerners who were just as dedicated to enabling the spread of slavery. Although
debates were held on the topic of Kansas the subject was merely a disguise for the overt sectionalism
present in the Thirty-Fourth Congress. Northerners and Southerners debated and argued, insulting one
another and their positions on issues. Quickly the situation escalated out of hand and threats of violence
became a part of senate life.86 Such threats became realities when Charles Sumner gave his famous
speech “The Crime against Kansas” On May 19th 1856. Sumner's speech brutally attacked Southerners
to such an extent that he upset many members of his own party. Southerners also disapproved and
sought to strike back for such an attack on their honor. On May 22nd Senator Preston Brooks of South
Carolina attacked Sumner and beat him unconscious with his cane at Sumner's own desk in the Senate
building. The beating was so brutal that Sumner was unable to return to his seat for nearly three and a
half years and experienced the lingering side effects of insomnia, headaches, and psychosomatic shock
for the rest of his life. Sumner would become a martyr for the abolition movement and a symbol for the
oppressive tactics used by southern politicians over their northern counterparts.87
Wilson addressed the senate asking for some sort of response. A committee was formed to
investigate the issue and on the 27th of May, Wilson testified in front of the Senate criticizing the
conduct of Brooks as “brutal, murderous, and cowardly.” Wilson’s comments angered Senator Andrew
Butler who was Brooks' uncle. Butler responded by challenging Wilson to a duel. Wilson intelligently
responded in a letter in which he respectfully, yet sternly declined Butler's challenge while also
denouncing the practice of dueling as outdated and barbaric. His response received great praise from
the Northern press and overnight made Henry Wilson a household name. As a result Wilson was
targeted by southern senators and others who threatened to use violence against him. Wilson,
determined to represent the north with civility, preferred to fight his battles in the senate chamber and
26
�called the South to task, gaining a great amount of sentiment for the Northern cause around the
nation.88 He thus emerged as one of the most outspoken republicans and a leader within the party.
Moreover, Wilson was also fulfilling the duties of two senators until Sumner would return to the Senate
three years later.
After the Brooks-Sumner Affair the senate grew far more partisan, sectionalized and explosive
than ever before. In this climate Henry Wilson became one of the most outspoken but also influential
senators in the nation. Wilson shared his opinions freely; perhaps his most famous speech during this
session was his response to Senator James Hammond's “King Cotton” Speech. Wilson defended the
economic and social practices of the North.89 Wilson again attracted the ire of fellow senators as
Senator William Gwin of California challenged Wilson to another duel. Wilson responded in the same
manner as he had with Butler and the crisis was averted.90 In the midst of sectional conflict Wilson
sought reelection in the fall of 1858. Despite the efforts of the Know-Nothing and Democratic parties
to block his reelection Wilson won easily, obtaining thirty-five out of forty votes from the
Massachusetts State Senate and 190 out of 226 from the state House of Representatives.91 Wilson's
victory was representative of the growing Republican power not only in Massachusetts but throughout
the North.
During the early part of this session Wilson and the senate as a whole focused on the creation of
the Pacific railroad. By 1859 Western expansion was no longer a dream, but a reality. Gold had been
found in California and the rolling plains of the Mid-West were being eyed by pioneers and politicians
alike. The creation of a railway to join this new land with the civilization of the East would be
instrumental to the success of western expansion. By 1859 most of the senate was in agreement that a
railway line should be created, the only issue stood over the location. Southerners called for a line that
would run through Arizona. This line was known as the “Disunion route” as it would fall into the hands
of Southerners in a Civil War. Wilson instead opted for a central route through Nebraska and Nevada.92
27
�Although legislation on the act would not be passed for another three years it marked the beginning of a
new era and greatly aidded the progress of American expansion.
War and disunion continued to loom menacingly on the horizon as sectionalism grew over time.
Perhaps no one contributed more to the growth of hostilities in the region than John Brown, an
abolitionist from New York. Brown had made a name for himself during “Bleeding Kansas” as a
guerrilla fighter. He raided homes with the objective of freeing slaves and often took overly militant
actions to achieve his ends. In 1859 Brown would stage his most famous raid, on the town of Harper's
Ferry, in what was at the time Virginia. Brown seized the armory in hopes of arming local slaves and
starting a revolt but he only had 21 men and his plan was eventually stopped by local farmers, state
troops and US marines. Brown was captured, put on trial and hung. To Northerners John Brown would
become a martyr in the name of freedom. To Southerners Brown would become infamous for his brutal
and cowardly assault against an undefended and innocent town. Several Southern senators implicated
Wilson in the plot, however evidence was stacked firmly in Wilson's favor and it’s doubtful that he had
any knowledge of Brown's plan.93 The nation was the closest it had even been so splitting, yet it had
not reached its breaking point. It would take the election of 1860 to push things over the edge and lead
to the most violent and brutal conflict the United States had seen.
John Brown's raid and the associations of the event with the Republican Party made the election
of 1860 an important one. The Republicans had the chance to take the White House from a Democratic
President, and for the first time in their existence serve as the majority party. This election was more
important because of the sectionalism present in the election. A Republican victory was a Northern
victory and a Democratic victory was a Southern victory. Wilson, although speaking in favor of the
party as a whole, did not support a particular candidate. As the time of the election grew near,
numerous candidates expected to take the presidential nomination. Chief among the contenders was
Henry Seward, but for much of the fall next to nothing was mentioned about Illinois Senator Abraham
28
�Lincoln. Nevertheless, when the votes were cast and the convention had spoken it was Lincoln who
was nominated as the Republican candidate for President with Henry Hamlin as his Vice-President.
Although some individuals such as Seward were opposed the selection, Wilson noted Lincoln's ability
to carry the West in the coming election.94 Wilson's prediction proved accurate, and with 180 electoral
votes, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States.95
Although it is believed that secession was an instantaneous response to the election of Lincoln
the truth is far more complex. In fact the first meeting of the senate after the election was amicable
compared to earlier sessions. Under the surface however, tensions loomed and despite the best efforts
of those in the Senate to prevent it several southern states began holding conventions. South Carolina
would be the first to leave the Union on December 20th 1860 and six weeks later on February 4th 1861
delegates from Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama and Georgia would meet to form
the Confederate States of America.96 From this point on the situation expanded quickly and outgoing
President Buchanan lacked the means to halt the crisis already underway. Although attempts were made
by the Senate to compromise with the South even Republicans could not agree on what steps would be
taken. Ultimately, little was done and slowly senators from those states that had seceded began to leave
Congress. Wilson and Jefferson Davis, the future President of the Confederacy had served together on
the military committee for some time and had adopted a mutual respect for one another during those
years. Before leaving Davis walked across the Senate Chamber, shook Wilson's hand and claimed that
he hoped the two could meet in calmer times.97 Although there was no way of knowing it at the time
calmer times would prove to be four years and hundreds of thousands of deaths away. On April 12th
1861 after Major Robert Anderson refused to yield to Southern demands to evacuate Fort Sumter,
South Carolina Southern forces fired off the opening shots of the Civil War. After a day and half of
shelling Major Anderson finally surrendered. Ironically during the opening fire fight of the most violent
war in US history not a single person was killed.98 And so one of the most important conflicts in
29
�American history had commenced; it lasted four years, took the lives of over 600,000 men and forever
change the course of our nation.
6. The Civil War Senator
The Union struggled to respond to the attack on Fort Sumter. Union leaders underestimated the
rebellion in both its size and significance and failed to adequately prepare themselves for the coming
hostilities. Wilson was among the few in the Senate to realize the seriousness of the rebellion. When
the President requested seventy-five thousand volunteers for service Wilson suggested a total of threehundred thousand, but neither the President nor the Secretary of War took his idea seriously. On that
same day Wilson wrote a letter to Massachusetts Governor John Andrew asking him to raise two
regiments of troops.99 Wilson involved himself closely with the formation of these regiments and often
times traveled to and from the nation’s capital to check on their progress. Over the next few weeks
Wilson traveled throughout the Northeast delivering goods and supplies, giving speeches or meeting
with officials about the war effort. As the rebellion grew President Lincoln realized that this was not
merely a minor revolt and attempted to prepare the Union for the battle ahead. In early July when a
special session of Congress was to assemble Wilson finally ceased his traveling and only then to do his
senatorial duties.100
The special session of the Senate convened on July 4th 1861, with the task of converting the
Union into a military machine. During this session of Senate, Wilson would undertake one of the most
important roles of his career, the chairmanship of the Senate Military Affairs Committee. Wilson had
long served on this committee, which had been chaired by Jefferson Davis until his departure from
Congress. The next two months were some of the most productive of his career. Over this time he
revolutionized the armed forces of the nation. Wilson began this process by passing legislation which
30
�called for five hundred thousand volunteers to serve for three years. Not content solely to recruit troops,
Wilson also engineered legislation to provide for the placement of these volunteers into organized units
and provided state governments with the ability to appoint officers for various posts within these units.
Wilson also sought to modernize the Regular Army by adding eleven additional regiments.101 Wilson
would also reorganize the Union’s armed forces to maximize their effectiveness. He added aides to the
staffs of officers and purchased arms and ammunition for these new troops. Wilson also earned the
respect of the troops themselves by increasing the pay of privates and abolishing the practice of
flogging, actions that earned him the nickname, “The Soldier's Friend”.102 Wilson was able to create
and implement such monumental changes in a scant month. The highest praise came from General
Winfield Scott, who claimed that “Senator Wilson had done more work in that short session than all the
chairmen of the military committees had done for the past twenty years”.103 Wilson's efforts during the
short session proved essential in the modernizing of the Union army and improving its preparedness for
the coming conflict.
One of the more interesting and highly contested points in Wilson's life involves his alleged
affair with Rose Greenhow, a Washington socialite and Confederate spy. Greenhow supposedly
romanced Wilson and obtained information from him on the Union's military actions, particularly
information regarding the battle of Bull Run. There are three apparent sources of information which
point to Wilson, yet none of them provide substantial evidence. The first source is an example of hearsay recorded by a Republican politician. The second source is a publication of Mrs. Greenhow's which
was written after her house arrest and subsequent banishment to the Confederacy. The final source is a
series of letters to Mrs. Greenhow signed by “H.” None of these sources bear much weight. The first
lacks substance due to the absence of a credible source. The second is written at a time when Mrs.
Greenhow was attempting to discredit many prominent Republican senators. Finally hand writing
analysts conclude that the handwriting on the “H” letters did not match Wilson's handwriting on other
31
�documents.104 However, Mrs. Greenhow did obtain information about the Union Army and their troop
movements and this would have substantial implications on the battle of Bull Run, a battle in which
Wilson himself would play a part.
Not content to sit by in Washington Wilson excused himself from his senatorial duties during
the short session long enough to follow troops to Manassas to aid troops there and observe the battle.
Wilson was at General McDowell's personal tent for some of the battle and some witnesses claim that
Wilson attempted to rally troops. Confederate forces quickly proved their prowess on the battlefield as
they easily defeated Union forces. Wilson was forced to retreat unceremoniously from the battle, which
led him to receive substantial ribbing from many other politicians.105 Wilson was never one to be easily
shaken from his ideals and as the short session of Senate ended he sought to play a more direct role in
the military machinations of the Union. Wilson was offered the position Brigadier-General by President
Lincoln, but declined the offer as it would remove him from his Senatorial duties. He opted instead to
recruit him own unit in Massachusetts. Thanks in large part to his popularity; Wilson was able to raise
nearly two-thousand three-hundred men in a mere forty days. These men were divided into several
different units including the 22nd Massachusetts in which Wilson was commissioned as Colonel. Wilson
would take his unit down to Washington where, after presenting them to General Meade, he resigned
from his post. Wilson remained in close contact with the regiment for the rest of the war, taking special
interest in its well-being and often times going out of his way to deliver mail and provide goods for the
troops.106 Wilson would continue his involvement with Union forces by linking up with George
McClellan's Army of the Potomac and serving as an aide. His service was brief but he was well liked
by McClellan who responded to Wilson's resignation by saying he was sad to see Wilson go and would
have loved to keep him longer were it not for his senatorial duties.107
Wilson returned to Washington in the fall of 1861 with an ambitious agenda. Despite making
great progress in the special session earlier in year the Republicans realized there was still work to be
32
�done if they were to combat the growing strength of the Confederacy. In his role as Chairman of the
Military Affairs Committee Wilson focused heavily on the continued restructuring of the Union's
Military. With a flurry of legislation Wilson addressed issues in all aspects of military affairs:
reorganizing the Signal Corps, adjusting pay for soldiers and modernizing disciplinary practices,
amongst other things. Many of Wilson's changes held long term implications. Firstly, Wilson created
the Congressional Medal of Honor to raise moral amongst Union forces, this citation remains the
highest honor that a member of the US Armed Forces can receive. Secondly, Wilson passed the first act
to allow persons of African descent to be eligible for military service. It was the first piece of
legislation to authorize the drafting and induction of African-American troops into the armed forces.108
Chief among Wilson's military goals was to provide the Union with the basis of her armed
forces, the rank and file foot soldier. Calls to the states to supply troops were at first met with patriotic
fervor. Yet, by late 1862 enthusiasm had reached its peak and volunteering had provided all that it
could. The war was nowhere near an end and the Union had suffered serious losses in the previous
months. Wilson initially sought to address this need with the passage of a bill calling for more
volunteers and giving the President the power to call forth state militias if necessary.109 This legislation
proved to be ineffective. In response Wilson passed one of his most famous pieces of legislation, the
Enrollment Act of 1863. This act was integral to the eventual victory of Union forces by providing
them with the sheer manpower necessary to triumph. Wilson's 36 section bill provided numerous
changes in the recruitment and structuring of the armed forces. One of the great triumphs of this
legislation lay in the creation of a National Guard, a standing force of reserves which could be called
upon for national defense. The legislation also provided for conscription of troops in regions that did
not provide the necessary amount of volunteers. The draft targeted men aged 18-45 and prioritized
them by age and marital status. If a man was drafted and didn't wish to fight he could defer his service
by providing a $300 dollar payment or a substitute to stand in his place. Wilson's act received criticism,
33
�particularly from Democrats, but it was revised, amended, and subsequently approved and put into law.
In addition to providing troops to combat the spread of the Confederacy the Enrollment Act provided
union forces with a massive morale boost and played a role in the eventual victory of Union forces.
Wilson was also active outside the military realm. During the Civil War Wilson's dedication to
the Union pushed him to seek humanitarian and technological reforms as well. He was in large part
responsible for the creation of the National Science Foundation. Wilson worked with some of the
greatest scientists in the nation including Louis Agassiz, the regent of the Smithsonian as well as
Alexander Bache of the Coastal Survey and Charles Davis of the Bureau of Navigation. The scientists
were responsible for the charter of the organization and its vision but it was Wilson who presented the
bill and used his political influence to get it passed. Wilson was fiercely proud of the organization and
would attend many of its meetings. In a painting of the founders both Lincoln and Wilson can be seen
standing with the scientists.110 Wilson also sought humanitarian reform through his support of, Clara
Barton, the founder of the Red Cross. Upon Barton's arrival to Washington she found a fast and loyal
friend in Wilson whom she would come to rely on throughout the War. Wilson would become Barton's
chief supporter sharing her reports on the status of the medical treatment the troops were receiving and
pushing strongly for more humane treatment of soldiers and a more proficient ambulance corp to treat
wounded soldiers. This alliance between these two individuals would result in some of the greatest
humanitarian efforts of the entire war.111
Wilson's chief concern during the Civil War was the advancement of rights for slaves and
freedmen in both the Union and Confederacy. Wilson worked closely with Republican Senate leaders,
Charles Sumner, Benjamin Wade, and Thaddeus Stevens to advocate abolition. These so called
“radicals” recognized the promise that the Civil War held for destroying slavery, but they also realized
that they needed to promote their cause once step at a time. The string of legislation leading to
Emancipation was a well thought out and directed attack against the institution of slavery. This process
34
�began with an act which made the capture and/or return of fugitive slaves to their masters a penal
offense. This meant that those slaves who fled their masters and made it to Union lines were free.112
Wilson then directly addressed the issue of slavery within the nation’s capital. On December 16th 1861,
twenty-five years after his first journey to Washington, Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery
within the District of Columbia. Initially this legislation met with fierce opposition, but Wilson and
other senators finally got the bill passed in the spring of the following year. Although it changed several
times the idea behind the legislation was clear and in many ways began the end of slavery.113 Wilson’s
goal was not only to free slaves, but to provide them with a tangible sense of equality. The District of
Columbia served as a testing ground for laws which could ensure equality. Initial legislation in the
District included the repealing of race based laws and the introduction of laws to make legal codes
relevant to all citizens, not just white citizens. One of the greatest accomplishmens was an act to
provide public education for the freedmen. Wilson also added a section repealing previous
discriminatory acts. Equality, at least in a legal sense, had become a reality in Washington.114
In the aftermath of emancipation within the capitol Wilson and his allies began a steady push to
expand abolition by appealing directly to the President. Wilson, Sumner, and Thaddeus Stevens
pestered Lincoln to make a public announcement expanding the Emancipation order on a nationwide
scale. The three were so driven in their views that the President actually complained about their
protests. Lincoln initially believed that the timing was not right delayed the issue. Finally, in July of
1862, Lincoln began discussing the proclamation with his cabinet and drafted a document. Lincoln was
a patient man and was convinced that he should not deliver the proclamation until a major military
victory. He waited until September 22nd 1862, five days after the bloody battle of Antietam to issue his
preliminary proclamation. This document stated that the goal of the war was to salvage the Union and
that emancipation would be paid for, however, any slaves living in states which had failed to yield to
the Union by January 1st 1863 were forever free. By the time January 1st arrived the slave states were
35
�still in open rebellion meaning that all slaves in these states were now recognized as freedmen by the
Union. It took more than two years and the death of the Confederacy for the Emancipation
Proclamation to be fully realized and even then freedom took time. The Emancipation Proclamation
committed the Union to the cause of abolishing slavery, a task which Henry Wilson had been trying too
accomplish for nearly three decades. This moment was the realization of his life's work but Wilson
knew there was still work to be done in defending the rights of freedmen.115
The years between 1861 and 1865 were the bloodiest in US history. Almost as many men died
in the Civil War than in all other American wars combined. The sectional differences of the past several
decades had come to a head and it took the major battles of Gettysburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and
Grant's bloody march to the Appomattox courthouse to finally end the bloodshed. Even after this point
the established peace was an uneasy one and the nation struggled to find its way. Over the course of
those four years Wilson saw many of his goals realized, most notably the destruction of slavery, but his
work was far from over. Reconstruction was to be one of the most trying eras in American history and
Wilson, as a senior Senator for the majority party, was sure to be a central figure. Wilson's career as a
Civil War politician was over. Now he looked forward to the last and final era in his life as a
Reconstruction politician.
7. End of an Era
Although bands of loyalists fought on for months afterward, the Civil War was all but over on
April 9th 1865 with the surrender of Robert Lee at Appomattox Courthouse. The Union was victorious
and the nation salvaged thanks in large part to the efforts of Wilson, Lincoln, and other leading
Republicans. These senior republicans stood poised to reconstruct the nation and the re-election of
Lincoln just a few months prior heralded the support of the masses. On April 14th Wilson had the honor
of being present to witness the raising of the Union flag over Fort Sumter, which had been in
36
�Confederate hands since the beginning of the war. It was here that Wilson received that grave news that
the President had been assassinated at Ford's Theater in Washington DC. Although the attack failed in
its goal of evoking further Confederate resistance it succeeded in significantly changing the political
climate in Washington. Republicans were taken aback by the loss of their leader, yet confident in the
abilities of his successor, Vice-President Andrew Johnson. But confidence soon turned to conflict as
Johnson's presidency came to be defined by clashes between the executive and legislative branches
leading to unforeseen obstacles in what was expected to be a smooth Reconstruction.116
The problems between Congress and the Presidency stemmed from Johnson's disregard for the
separation of powers. Johnson has been praised for his defense of the poor southern man but his
methods and motives were controversial and led to the return of pre-Civil War sectional tensions. The
years immediately following the Civil War were filled with conflict about the direction in which the
nation should be heading, particularly in regards to the reconstruction and re-admittance of the
seceding states. Congress, led by the likes of Wilson and other radical Republicans, sought to admit
states only if they agree to the emancipation of slaves and equal voting rights for all men. Johnson
disagreed fearing that this stance would result in a race war. These opposing beliefs defined the
Johnson presidency. Johnson consistently vetoed legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1866 as
well as the Freedmen Bureau reauthorization.117
Wilson remained a leader in the Senate during this time. Having seen his dream of emancipation
realized at the end of the war Wilson now sought voting rights, equality, and protection for the millions
of freedmen who had just become citizens. The Freedmen's Bureau was created in order to ensure that
these objectives were met. The Bureau was a source of conflict throughout its existence. Many
Southern Whites felt that the Bureau protected the rights of the freedmen in a manner which ran against
the norms of the south. The Bureau led to conflict between Johnson, who adopted a more sympathetic
stance towards Southern interests and other Republicans who felt that if Southerners were given any
37
�degree of freedom they would oppress the freedmen. As a result Wilson was involved in Bureau affairs
and often times voted to enlarge the Bureau so that it might better meet the needs of the nation.118
Wilson delivered one of the most powerful speeches of his career in defense of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Senator Edgar Cowan challenged Wilson asking, what he meant by saying, “all men in this country
must be equal?” Wilson's response revealed a great amount about the development of his beliefs as
both a citizen and a politician. Wilson claimed that even the poorest man, regardless of color or
background had the same right to equal protection by law as the most well off and elite man in the
nation. Wilson's speech was well received by his constituents and fellow Republicans. 119
At the same time as the creation of the Freedmen's Bureau, Congress passed the Civil Rights
Act of 1866. This document was authored by Wilson and sought to make a legislative precedent for the
13th Amendment which had outlawed slavery. The document voided any acts that discriminated on the
basis of race, color or descent and ensured equal treatment for all males of voting age so long as they
were citizens. This was one of Wilson's crowning achievements and he strongly defended it. It too
became a cause of conflict between Congress and the President who vetoed the bill. Congress,
recognizing the importance of the legislation, overruled the President’s veto and brought the Civil
Rights Act into law.120 After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Congress sought more immediate
means of addressing the issue of blacks who were not viewed as citizens. The Reconstruction
Committee authored what would become the basis of the 14th amendment. This document was designed
to protect freedmen throughout the nation. It has three major clauses. One which overruled
interpretations laid down by the Dred Scott decision; another which ensured the protection of rights on
the state level; and a third which ensured equal protection within a governing body.121 Although at the
time these clauses seemed vague they would form the basis of Civil Rights legislation for the better
part of the next century.
The status of the seceding states was also a major issue. There were two competing schools of
38
�thought, once again represented in the clash between Johnson and Congress. Many felt that seceding
states should be readmitted to the Union as soon as possible to ensure fair representation during the
process of Reconstruction. This perspective was the most forgiving towards the Southerners and was
heavily advocated by Southerners and Democrats as well as Johnson. The majority of Congress,
including Wilson, pursued a more strict policy for readmission requiring the Southern states to agree to
certain terms. These terms included the ratification of the 13th amendment, the legislation which
prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. Wilson sought to allow states’ readmission to the Union
to be a quick process, however, he was not willing to back down on the issue of the 13th amendment
fearing that progress during the Civil War would be lost should slavery be allowed to linger.122 Wilson
regularly claimed that only “loyal men” should be elected into office and was critical of the Johnson
administration’s approval of men who held “rebel sentiments.” The stances of both the executive and
legislative branches would lead to a continual deterioration of relations.
Despite his stance on the issue of re-admittance Wilson was very reasonable when it came to
forgiving individuals for their role in the rebellion. One of Wilson's strongest qualities as a politician
was his ability to form friendships and partnerships with individuals who had been political opponents.
His relationship with Charles Francis Adams perfectly embodies this quality Wilson and Adams had a
falling out in the 1850s but were again close friends by Wilson's later career. In the aftermath of the
Civil War, Wilson tired to bridge the gaps between Southerners and Northerners by reaching out to
many Southern leaders. Wilson advocated for the release of Confederate General William Jackson back
into civilian life. Wilson secured better conditions for Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens
who was being held at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor along with Postmaster General John Reagan.
Wilson maintained close relationships with both man and Alexander Stephens went as far as to say that
Wilson's intervention had saved his life. Reagan, after returning to Texas, claimed that he received a
prompt and courteous response from Wilson whenever Texas needed aid from Washington.123
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�Sometime during this period Wilson also found the time to author a book, “History of the Antislavery Measures of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses, 1861-1865.” Wilson's book was
about the legislative acts of the Civil War and the ending of slavery. Wilson's work was received with
great praise by many critics including the Atlantic Monthly. As someone who was deeply involved in
the Congresses Wilson had an insider’s perspective. He included the speeches of many of his
colleagues and at the time of its release “Anti-slavery Measures” was the definitive account of the
period.124 Less than a year later Wilson provided a similarly structured account on the military
legislation of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses in his work, “Military Measures of the
United States Congress 1861-1865.” Similar to “Anti-Slavery Measures,” “Military Measures” detailed
the proceedings of the period and Wilson, as Chairman of the Military Committee, was able to provide
excellent information.125
1865 and 1866 had been productive years for Wilson yet they also had their share of loss. On
December 24th, 1866 the Wilson's only child, Henry Hamilton, passed away, a result of an unknown
sickness which killed him in only two days. Hamilton had been highly influenced by his father, joining
the military as an officer and serving in several colored units before his final posting as a Lieutenant
Colonel in the 6th Cavalry. He had just turned twenty in November of that year and his unexpected
death left Henry and Harriet in shock. In a testament to the popularity of the Wilson family in Natick
local businesses were closed on the day of young Hamilton's funeral so that people might attend.126
Despite the difficulties of dealing with the loss of his son Wilson returned to Washington in
January of 1867 intending to continue his work on reconstruction. In addition to Wilson's focus on
racial issues during Reconstruction he continued to be a firm believer in temperance. Wilson and some
of his like-minded associates even brought the ideals of Temperance to Congress forming the
Congregational Temperance Society. Wilson spoke at length at the opening meeting and received the
great honor of being named the President of the organization.127 Wilson would serve in this post for the
40
�remainder of his years in Congress and successfully combated the drunkenness in Congress with
measures that supported his colleagues and prevented the sale of liquor in the Capitol Building.128
1867 also signaled a rapidly changing political climate within the Republican Party. Wilson
began the year by venturing to the south for several weeks in the spring to gauge the status of
Reconstruction and assess republican political interests in the region. Despite taking criticism for his
actions on the trip from both parties Wilson believed that peace in the South depended on cooperation
between radical whites and freedmen who could promote the Republican cause in the region. In another
show of his empathy towards Southerners Wilson also brought about the release of former colleague
and Confederate President Jefferson Davis.129 Displeasure with Andrew Johnson had reached a new
extreme and, even in this early part of 1867, Civil War hero Ulysses Grant was already being
mentioned as a candidate. Wilson, who as Chairman of the Military Committee had worked closely
with Grant, supported such a nomination and some even went so far as to say that the two could form
the Republican Presidential ticket in 1868.130
Despite the optimistic news issues between congress and the President remained. Wilson had
long been a proponent of finding a middle ground with the President but by 1867 he too had realized
that the gap could not be bridged. Congress had toyed with the idea of forcibly removing Johnson from
office, but they could find no legal way to do so. That changed in August of 1867 when Johnson tried
to forcibly remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from office. Stanton refused to leave and was
supported by the Tenure of Office Act. When Congress reconvened in January of 1868 they passed a
resolution disagreeing with the dismissal and reinstated Stanton. Johnson, convinced that the legislation
was unconstitutional, simply ignored it.131 Congress saw Johnson's actions as unconstitutional and on
February 25th 1868, after approval from the House of Representatives, Andrew Johnson became the
first United States President to be impeached in office. The impeachment hearing began on March 30th
and the senate focused on the impeachment proceedings for the next month and a half, providing
41
�evidence and speaking either in favor of or opposed to removal. When the final vote was tallied on
May 26th Johnson was acquitted in a 35 to 19 vote, one vote short of the two thirds majority required
for conviction. Despite the failure to remove Johnson from office the impeachment proceedings
heralded the beginning of the end for Johnson with the Presidential election now only months away.132
The Republican Party looked to the presidential election of 1868 as an opportunity to elect a
president who was more representative of party principals and ideas. At the start of the convention
Ulysses Grant had been all but nominated when the convention met. There was great speculation,
however, as to who would serve by his side as the Vice President. When the votes were tallied Schuyler
Colfax received the nomination.133 Grant handily won the election receiving 53 percent of the popular
vote and winning the electoral count by a total of 214 to 80. Republicans were ecstatic, after nearly four
years of struggling against Johnson the party had a man in office who would defend their views and
support their causes. A new age in Republican politics had begun.134
On March 30th 1870 Wilson witnessed one of the objectives to which he had been working since
the conclusion of the Civil war succeed. The 15th amendment tf the Constitution had been ratified. The
15th amendment guaranteed the enfranchisement of the millions of freedmen who had been denied the
vote for the past five years. Wilson’s advocacy for equality had finally been recognized and one of his
major objectives for Reconstruction was accomplished.135
With the passage of the 15th amendment Wilson now wanted to play a more active role in
Women's rights. Wilson had long been a supporter of Women's rights thanks to Harriet and his
friendship with Clara Barton. Wilson often said that his wife deserved all of the rights which he held;
however, he had wanted to wait for the passage of the 15th amendment before pushing for women’s
rights. As early as 1869 he was poised to support a 16th amendment to the constitution providing for
women's suffrage.136 Wilson was true to his word and worked closely with the American Women's
Suffrage Association over the next several years, attending and speaking at their meetings and signing
42
�an invitation for them to hold their 1870 conference in the nation’s capital.137 Wilson was rewarded for
his steadfast defense of women's rights in the presidential election of 1872 in which he was the vice
presidential candidate. In this election women played a bigger role than they ever had before by
actively campaigning and speaking on behalf of a Grant/Wilson ticket. There is little doubt that their
involvement in the election assured Wilson's presence on the Republican ticket.138
For Wilson this period of excitement was subject to further tragedy in his personal life. Harriet's
health had been declining steadily since 1867 and she had been unable to accompany Henry to
Washington as was her normal custom. Henry spent more and more time in Natick by her side yet little
could be done to reverse her condition. After three years of suffering she finally passed away in May of
1870 having spent three decades by Henry's side.139 Henry Wilson was known as a determined,
inexhaustible and committed individual yet the loss of his beloved wife left Wilson struck with grief.
Wilson relied on Harriet and had only good things to say about her. In a letter to her family he referred
to her as “one of the loveliest spirits that ever blessed kindred and friends by her presence, or left, in
passing through death to a higher life, more precious memories.”140 In an attempt to cope with the loss
of Harriet, Wilson spent the majority of the summer in 1871 in Europe. He enjoyed his trip but felt as
though he had not taken full advantage of his opportunity due to his overwhelming grief.141
Wilson was again thrust into the political limelight upon his return from Europe in the fall of
1871. Grant's first term was almost at an end the nation was abuzz about what the Republican ticket
might look like. As in 1868 there was little question as to who would receive the nomination for the
presidency, but questions abounded as to who would be nominated as vice president. Wilson and his
friend Schuyler Colfax were once again the top two candidates for the post. On June 6th 1872 the
Republican National Convention was called to order in Philadelphia with the objective of determining
which of these two candidates would eventually receive the nomination. In the initial balloting Wilson
carried much of the West as well as the South and was just short from receiving the votes required for
43
�the nomination. At the conclusion of the second balloting after also receiving support from Virginia,
West Virginia, and Georgia, Wilson had more than enough votes and soon received the unanimous
consent of the convention. The widespread support is not surprising as few politicians could claim to
have been as central to the success of the Republican party as Wilson. His opponent and friend Colfax
was extremely supportive of his friend and the two remained close even after the nomination.142 Wilson
quickly accepted his new position and in between his senate duties found time to campaign giving
several speeches during the fall of 1872. Wilson appeared confident during the election and believed he
and Grant would win by a substantial margin. Grant's popularity was only aided by Wilson's mass
appeal and the two won the election even more impressively than Grant had in 1868, receiving 286 out
of a possible 349 electoral votes and winning every northern state and several southern states as well.
With the results of the election in Wilson had accomplished another high aspiration and many believed
that this was merely a stepping stone for the Massachusetts senator. Remember that Grant was serving
his second term. Many believed that in 1876 Wilson would be headlining the Republican ticket.143
Sadly, this was not to be the case for Wilson. In comparison to his herculean efforts in the
Senate his service as Vice-President was relatively unexceptional. This was by no means by any fault of
his own but the result of recurring health problems that plagued him during his years as Vice President.
The first several months of his term in office represented what one might expect from Wilson. He
worked constantly, dedicating himself to his duties as Senate President and responding the unending
flow of letters that he received almost daily. At this point Wilson considered it a success if he were to
obtain just two hours of sleep in a day. Unfortunately, years of dedication to his nation had finally
caught up to the elder statesman and within a few months of his election to the office he suffered a
facial nerve paralysis. His health would steadily decline for the next three years; he was eventually
forced to take time away from Washington traveling and attempting to rest and recover. He did
however manage to use this time to author one more book, “The Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in
44
�America” which he completed in 1874.144 After completing this final work Wilson adopted a real sense
of his own mortality. When his associate and close friend Charles Sumner with whom he had served for
over 20 years passed away in 1874 Wilson was quoted as saying, “I soon shall follow him.”145
Wilson appeared to make a recovery in late 1874 and for a time continued his duties as Senate
President. For several months he seemed to be in good health as he made a tour of the South in the
spring of 1875 and in September oversaw the state Republican Convention at Worcester where he
delivered a well-received address. Wilson returned to Washington in November to see a doctor with
hopes of receiving treatment. On November 10th he was struck by another bout of paralysis, this one
more severe, but once again he recovered, many believed for good this time. He in fact felt so good that
he entertained guests and his physician no longer felt it necessary to be by his side. Ultimately, this
recovery proved short lived. On November 22nd 1875 Henry Wilson lay down on his couch in the Vice
President’s office and passed away.146
The response to Wilson's death was fitting for a man of his importance. Politicians around
Washington paid their respects regardless of party affiliation or personal beliefs. On the day of his
funeral all government departments in the capital were closed. An estimated 25,000 people came to pay
their respects while his body rested in the Rotunda. In Natick the people mourned for their cobbler as
black drapes hung from houses and bells tolled in all public buildings. It is fitting that Wilson was the
first Vice-President to have African-American pallbearers. As Wilson's body traveled from Washington
to his home in Natick thousands turned out regardless of train schedules or poor weather conditions. In
New York an estimated 200,000 thousand watched the parade, a total only rivaled by the parade given
to Abraham Lincoln. Wilson's body finally made it back to Massachusetts on November 27th of 1875
and, after stops in Worcester and Boston; Wilson's body was delivered to Natick where he was finally
laid to rest.147
Although Henry Wilson passed on his legacy remained and continues to this day. The poor
45
�uneducated child who spent the majority of his childhood in indentured servitude had risen to the
second most powerful position in the country. Along the way he dramatically altered both the political
and social realities of the United States, destroying and creating political parties and helping demolish
the institution of slavery. The Natick Cobbler helped lead the nation through the Civil War, emerged as
a preeminent figure in the struggle to reconstruct the nation afterward, and loomed as one of the most
influential individuals during a formative time in the nation’s development. His tireless demeanor and
unyielding dedication to the office would come to define him, overshadowed only by the convictions
which he held dear: equality and freedom. At his core Wilson represents the epitome of the American
politician, a selfless and empathetic individual who dedicated himself to the protection of the weak, the
downtrodden, and the marginalized. He was a champion for those groups that needed one, a man who
was not afraid to challenge the powers that be and, consequently, a man who rose to greatness, not on
the coattails of others, but by his own virtues and labors.
1 . John L Myers, Henry Wilson and the Coming of the Civil War (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of American,
2005), pg. 2
2 Elias Nason and Thomas Russell, The Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson (Philadelphia: B.B. Russell, 1876), pg.
14-15
3 Ibid pg. 15
4 John L. Myers, “Henry Wilson and the Coming of the Civil War” in Natick Bulletin, (Oct. 19, 1906), pg. 2.
5 Nason and Russell, pg. 15.
6 Myers, Henry Wilson and the Coming of the Civil War pg. 4
7 Nason and Russell, pg. 17.
8 Ibid pg. 15.
9 Myers, Coming of the Civil War, pg. 4.
10 Nason and Russell, pp. 16-17.
11 Myers, Coming of the Civil War, pg. 5
12 Ibid., pp. 6-7.
13 Nason and Russell, pg. 18.
14 Ibid.
15 Myers, Coming of the Civil War pg. 8.
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid .
18 Ibid , pg.10-12.
19 Ibid, pg 25-26.
20 Myers, Coming of the Civil War pg. 19
21 Ibid., pg 26-27.
22 Nason and Russell, pg 28-29.
23 Myers, Coming of the Civil War, pg. 15.
24 Nason and Russell, pg. 39.
25 Myers, Coming of the Civil War, pg. 15-16.
26 Ibid., pg.16.
46
�27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
Ibid., pg.17.
Ibid., pg. 18.
Nason & Russell pg. 29
Ibid 30
Ibid 30-31
Ibid pg. 32
Myers Coming of the Civil War. Pg. 20
Ibid pg. 21
Ibid pg. 29-30
Nason & Russell pg. 42
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 37
Nason & Russell Wilson pg 45
Ibid pg 46
Ibid
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 40
Ibid pg. 42
Ibid pg. 45
Ibid pg. 46
Nason & Russell pg 51-52
Ibid pg. 49-50
Ibid pg. 54-55
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 49-50
Ibid pg 52
Ibid pg. 57
Nason & Russell pg. 62-63
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 60-61
Ibid pg. 68-69
Nason & Russell pg. 65
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg.79
Nason & Russell pg. 89
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 87
Ibid pg. 89-90
Ibid pg. 97-99
Nason & Russell pg. 90
Ibid pg. 91
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg.116-117
Ibid pg. 143
Ibid pg. 149-150
Nason & Russell pg. 94
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg.190-191
Ibid pg. 200
Nason & Russell pg. 105
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg.206
Ibid pg. 207
Nason & Russell pg. 106-107
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 218
Ibid pg. 220
Ibid pg. 224-228
Ibid pg. 248-249
Ibid pg. 251
Nason & Russell pg, 121-122
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 255
Ibid
Nason & Russell pg. 139
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 234
Ibid pg. 278-279
Ibid pg. 290-291
47
�84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
Ibid pg. 301
Ibid pg. 313-314
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 315
Ibid pg. 322-323
Nason & Russell pg. 189-190
Ibid pg. 229
Ibid pg. 248-249
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 394
Nason & Russell pg. 250
Myers Coming of the Civil War pg. 399
Ibid pg. 421
Ibid pg. 428
Ibid pg. 433
Ibid pg. 437
Ibid pg. 445
Myers, John L. Senator Henry Wilson and the Civil War (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of American, 2008) pg.
4-5
100
Ibid pg. 11-12
101
Ibid pg. 13-14
102
Nason & Russell pg. 307
103
Ibid pg. 306
104
Myers Henry Wilson and the Civil War pg. 16-20
105
Ibid pg. 22
106
Nason & Russell pg. 309-310
107
Ibid pg. 312
108
Ibid pg. 315
109
Myers Wilson and the Civil War pg. 68
110
Ibid pg. 99-100
111
Ibid pg 9,147,180
112
Ibid pg. 39-40
113
Ibid pg. 52
114
Ibid pg. 53
115
Ibid pg. 77-78
116
Nason & Russell pg. 339-340
117
Myers, John L. Henry Wilson and the Era of Reconstruction (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of American,
2009) pg. 29, 32
118
Ibid pg.6, 15, 20
119
Nason & Russell pg. 355-356
120
Myers Wilson and Reconstruction pg.. 19, 32
121
Ibid pg. 17, 28,38
122
Nason & Russell 361-362
123
Myers Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 9
124
Nason & Russell 344
125
Ibid pg. 372
126
Myers Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 55-56
127
Ibid pg. 57
128
Ibid pg. 60
129
Ibid pg. 70
130
Ibid 74
131
Ibid pg. 87-88
132
Myers Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 89-92
133
Nason & Russel pg. 389
134
Myers Wilson and Reconstruction 105-106
135
PBS history, Passage of the fifteenth amendment retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/grant-fifteenth/ retrieved on 8/23/11 last updated
2010
136
Myers, Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 117-118
48
�137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
Ibid pg. 150
Ibid pg. 182
Nason & Russell pg. 397
Ibid pg. 399
Ibid pg. 399-400
Myers, Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 174
Ibid pg. 187
Nason & Russell pg. 417-420
Ibid pg. 420
Ibid pg. 423-425
Myers, Wilson and Reconstruction pg. 231-233
49
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Books, Booklets, Ledgers, & Diaries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Henery Wilson Emmanuel University Research- Cobbler In Congress
Description
An account of the resource
A digital PDF copy of "A Cobbler in Congress."
Javier F. Marion, Ph.D.Associate Professor of History contacted the Farmington Historical Society about donating a forty-nine page manuscript about Henry Wilson's life.
The following is paraphrased from Javier F. Marion, Ph.D:
Jordan Coulombe Ph.D had originally written this piece for the Natick Historical Society. They had asked Professor Javier Marion Ph.D. and Jordan Coulombe Ph.D to assist them in putting together a booklet-length piece on Wilson Jordan Coulombe was an aspiring graduate student at Emmanuel College at the time and he obliged. He wrote an informative essay titled, "A Cobbler in Congress" that was aimed at a lay (public history) audience. Professor Marion helped him edit the piece.Unfortunately, the manuscript was never utilized in any form.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jordan Coulombe Ph.D
Javier F. Marion, Ph.D. (editing)
Emmanuel University
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Javier F. Marion, Ph.D:
Jordan Coulombe Ph.D
Emmanuel University
booklet
famous
Farmington
Henry Wilson
history
pdf
people
-
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98a216d20921bcf2150b146a86ff99e2
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f148838ea99ee479e044adac5b6150a7
PDF Text
Text
1868
'^xtrcises
101st A n n i v e r s a r y M e m o r i a l
conducted by
1959
Day
C L A R E N C E L . PERKINS POST N o . 6 0 , AMERICAN L E G I O N
F A R M I N G T O N , NEW HAMPSHIRE
Eight O ' c l o c k i n the Forenoon
L i n e of M a r c h Forms at E d g e r l y Park
Officer of the D a y , A l l a n Drew
Parade M a r s h a l , L a w r e n c e G i l b e r t (18th Year)
F i r s t S g t . , "A" B t r y . , 172nd A r t y . - N . H . N . G .
�E X E R C I S E S E D G E R L Y PARK
Hymn
Sanford Community Band
Invocation
John Adams
Reading G e n e r a l Order N o . 11
Robert Hoage
D e c o r a t i o n of C i v i l W a r M e m o r i a l
M r s . M a u d Rand
P r e s i d e n t of C a r l t o n Womens R e l i e f C o r p s
" T h e Blue and the G r a y "
American Legion Aux. U n i t
Ceremony for the G o l d Star Mothers
V . F . W , Aux. Unit
EXERCISES TOWN HALL
Short S e l e c t i o n
Sanford Community Band
D e c o r a t i o n of W o r l d W a r I Honor R o l l
D e c o r a t i o n of M e m o r i a l T a b l e t
Prayer
J r . Aux.
M r s . Peggy G a r l a n d
Robert W a l k e r
C h a p l a i n , A m e r i c a n L e g i o n Post #60
D e c o r a t i o n of Honor R o l l
Boy S c o u t s
E X E R C I S E S AT S O U T H MAIN S T R E E T B R I D G E
"Anchors A w a y "
Remarks
Hymn
Sanford Community Band
M r s . Irene Wentworth
P a s t P r e s i d e n t , C a r l t o n Womens R e l i e f C o r p s
Sanford Community Band
Ceremony of C a s t i n g F l o w e r s & Dipping F l a g s
P r e s i d e n t , Womens R e l i e f C o r p s
C h a p l a i n , Womens R e l i e f C o r p s
P r e s i d e n t , V e t e r a n s of F o r e i g n W a r s
President, American Legion A u x . Unit
Commander, V e t e r a n s of F o r e i g n W a r s Post #6806
Commander, A m e r i c a n L e g i o n Post #60
Prayer
F i r i n g Squad
Taps
R e v . John Sindorf
A m e r i c a n L e g i o n Post #60
Band Bugler
�E X E R C I S E S AT VETERANS C E M E T E R Y L O T
"In Flander's F i e l d s "
M r s . Dorr G r e e n
"America's Answer"
M r s . Walter
D e c o r a t i o n of Monument
Newbury
R i c h a r d D e r b y , Commander,
Prayer
V.F.W.
R e v . E v e r e t t B . Moore
E X E R C I S E S AT C I V I L WAR M E M O R I A L
Prayer
F a t h e r Albert Gagnon
Hymn
Sanford Community Band
L i n c o l n ' s Gettysburg Address
A l a n Spear
D e c o r a t i o n of Monument
C a r l t o n Womens R e l i e f C o r p s
A d d r e s s by S p e a k e r of the D a y
Francis Gross Lewis
F i r i n g Squad
A m e r i c a n L e g i o n Post #60
Taps
Band Bugler
Echo
•
" S t a r Spangled B a n n e r "
Norman L e a r y , Troop 188
Sanford Community Band
EXERCISES TOWN HALL
Remarks
Benediction
A l l a n E . D r e w , P a s t Commander
Roscoe G . C h a m b e r l a i n
Refreshments for Adult M a r c h e r s at A m e r i c a n L e g i o n H a l l
R e f r e s h m e n t s for Youth Group M a r c h e r s at L o w e r Town H a l l
PROGRAM U N D E R D I R E C T I O N O F
C l a r e n c e L . Perkins Post # 6 0 , American Legion
A s s i s t e d by
W i l s o n - H u n t Post #6806, V . F . W .
W i l s o n - H u n t Post # 6 8 0 6 , V . F . W . A u x .
C a r l t o n Womens R e l i e f C o r p
C l a r e n c e L . Perkins Post # 6 0 , American Legion A u x .
Farmington S e l e c t m e n , P o l i c e D e p t . & F i r e D e p t .
C l e r g y from a l l the C h u r c h e s i n Town
Farmington & New Durham H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y
Farmington Womens C l u b
Farmington M e r c h a n t s & B u s i n e s s m e n
�ORDER OF M A R C H
Parade M a r s h a l l
Colors
Firing Squad
Police Department
React Team
Members and A l l Veterans
American Legion Aux. Unit
Junior A u x . U n i t
V . F . W . Aux. Unit
Gold Star Mothers
Carlton Womens Relief Corps
Farmington Selectmen
T r o o p 188 B o y S c o u t s
P a c k 188 C u b S c o u t s
G i r l Scouts
500 B o y s ' C l u b ( B a s e b a l l T e a m s )
School C h i l d r e n
Other Motor V e h i c l e s
40 & 8 L o c o m o t i v e a n d F i r e E n g i n e
A l l of our c i t i z e n s are c o r d i a l l y i n v i t e d to c o o p e r a t e a n d u n i t e w i t h
C l a r e n c e L . P e r k i n s P o s t # 6 0 , A m e r i c a n L e g i o n , i n the proper o b s e r v a n c e of M e m o r i a l D a y .
W e a l s o e x t e n d a n i n v i t a t i o n to a l l h o n o r a b l y d i s c h a r g e d V e t e r a n s
a n d t h o s e on l e a v e from p r e s e n t a r m e d f o r c e s to u n i t e w i t h u s i n
o b s e r v a n c e of the s a c r e d d u t i e s w e owe our d e p a r t e d c o m r a d e s .
Fred M a r s h , J r . , Commander
Robert H o a g e , F i n a n c e O f f i c e r
Harry Dodge, Adjutant
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Books, Booklets, Ledgers, & Diaries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
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Farmington NH 101st Anniversary Memorial Day Exercise Booklet 1969
Description
An account of the resource
Farmington NH 101st Anniversary Memorial Day Exercise Booklet 1969. The booklet is four pages, printed in blue ink on paper.
The front page is simply decorated with a single, five line, angle border, which extends across three quarters of the top and left side of the front page. The border frames an image in the center of the page, The image in the center is a bald eagle, holding an olive branch in its beak, sitting atop a shield with four stars and alternating dark and light stripes and a banner saying "Memorial Day ." Details of the event are at the middle of the page to the bottom of the page topped with a US American Legion emblem.
The details say that the 101st Anniversary Memorial Day exercise was conducted by Clarence L. Perkins, Post No. 60 American Legion, Farmington, NH. They were to begin at "eight o'clock in the forenoon," at Edgerly Park. Officer of the Day was Allan Drew. Parade Marshall was Lawrence Gilbert. It was his 18th year doing so.
It details the activities for Memorial Day on the second and third pages starting with a march at Edgerly Park, then Town Hall, then the Main Street bridge, Veterans Cemetery, the Civil War memorial, then ending at Town Hall., At all places they included prayer, remarks, song, and many a band or musician playing.
The last page is devoted to order of the march and a public invitation to join them in " the proper observance of Memorial Day."
Size: 6.25 W x 9.5" H
Condition. Very good. Booklet was folded and has a crease.
FHS-Kyle Leach
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
American Legion, Farmington, NH
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
American Legion, Farmington, NH
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1969
booklet
document
event
Farmington
holidays
march
memorial
Memorial Day
military
pdf
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PDF Text
Text
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
. . . ORDER OF E X E R C I S E S . . .
-
FOR
—
MEnoRiAL DAY,
<5i^nAY
31st,
1897^-^
1
i
UNDER
Carlton
T H E AUSPICES O F
Post, No. 24,
�O R D E R OF T H E DAY.
COMRADE H0D6D0N,
.
D K . J . C. P A E K E K ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Marshal
.
Assistant Marshal
AIDS.
D r . H . P . Wheatley
DwightE.Efltferly
E r w i n Brackett
F . O. Nutter
O R D E R
O F
M A R C H .
L i n e formed on M a i n Street at 1.30 P . M .
Opposite G . A. R . Headquarters.
F a r m i n g t o n Cadet B a n d , E , E . C a r l t o n , L e a d e r .
Marshal and Aids.
W i l s o n G u a r d s , Company F , 2nd Regiment
N . H N . G . , Capt. H . . J . P i k e .
C a r l t o n Post, No 24, G . A . R .
C a i l t o n W . R . C . l No. 18, i n Carriages.
W. C . T . i : . i n Carriages.
P r e s i d e n t ot the day, J o h n B . S . H a l l .
Clergymen, T o w n Officers, a n d Citizens i n C a r r i a g e s .
EXERCISES AT CEMETERY,
P R A Y E R
R E V .J . S. H A R R I N G T O N
R E A D I N G
OP N A T I O N A L
ADDRE.SS
TO POST
M E M O R I A L
O R D E R S
A D J U T A N T
POST
D E C O R A T I O N S
. 1 . M^
R I C K E R
OKEIOEKS O F T H E D A Y
S E I .ECTION
" A M E R I C A "
D E C O R A T I O N
O F G R A V E S . . . ,
D E C O R A T I O N
O F U N K N O W N
POST, A S S I S T E D E TY O U N G
C H A P L A I N .
B E N E D I C T I O N
COMMANDER
LADIES
W.
R. C.
�ORDER OF T H E
DAY.
k
EXERCISES AT THE
nONUHENT.
PRATER...
SELECTION
B A N D
INTRODUCTORY
P K E S I D E N T
ADDRESS
R E V .
J .S
J . E . S. H A L L
H A E R I N G T O N
SELECTION
B A N D
DECORATION OF MONUMENT
W. R . C .
SELECTION
B A N D
BENEDICTION
E X E R C I S E S A T T H E O P E R A HOUSE.
^
C O M M E N C E
A T
E I G H T
J O H N E . 8. H A L L ,
V I C E
P.
M .
President.
P R E S I D E N T S
COMRADE J F. S.4FE0RD,
:
E O N . C.'W.
TALPEY,
HON
J . F. HALL,
HON J . F. CLOUTMAN,
HON B . T . W I L t S O N ,
M R S . L . A . S M A L L , W. R . C ,
M R S . H A T T I E T I B B E T T S , W . E C , M R S . C . W . T A L P E Y , W. C T . U . ,
MISS V B L Z O R A N U T T E R ,
CAPT. H . J . PIKE,
1ST L I E U T . J . F .NUTTER, 2 D L I E U T . E . B . HAYES,
DR. J . C . P A R K E R ,
D E. BDGERLT,
DR. H. P . W H E A T L E Y ,
DR. A L B E R T GARLAND,
B . F. P E R K I N S ,
W. T . H A Y E S ,
ERWIN BRACKETT,
F R A N K O. N U T T E R .
OVERTURE
B A N D
P R A T E R
R E V .
SELECTION
MRS.
N O T E S
J . S.
H A R R I N G T O N
A N DM R S .
H A N S O N
R E V . E . W.
R I C K E R
SELECTION
B A N D
ORATION
SELECTION
B A N D
" M T
COUNTRY
'TIS O P
T H E E . "
�N a m e s of
Deceased Soldiers
FARMINGTON
J o h n O. H a y e s
Everett Leighton
Herbert E . Dame
Levi W. Hayes
Nahala Leigliton
John Lewis
Jas. W. Rogers
J o h n Martin
L o w e l l Sanborn
J o h n P. Moses
Edmund B. Small
Alonzo Nute
Lucius Smith
C. W. Nute
J o h n VV. S t e v e n s
Nathaniel Parker
John
D.VVallingford
Charles L . Pearl
Gates Wentworth
Rufus K. Pearl
Hirara Wentworth
Robert K. Peavey
Gates Cloutman
C. F . Whitehouse
WAR
OF
Sailors,
CEMETERY.
W i n g a t e Wh'Kehouse'
Winthrop Penijey
David Witham
Gates P i n k h a m
Charles Y o r k
Charles Richardson
Alamanda
Toung
Joseph Kicker
George E . P i n k h a m
J . L . Pik.i
J . B . Roberts
A. G . Bu'-rows
John Averill
Thomas Davis
William U. Hayes
Lester H , Alien
E . Dodge
William Itodgdon
Charles H. Austin
Woodbury- D o w n s
Albert H ' ward
Leonard liabb
Samuel A. Kimball
C. E . Ricker
Jeremiah Willey.
George L . Whitehouse.
and
Charles Durgin
George W. Hubbard
Dexter Bailey
Horaof E m e r y
Joseph Hurd
James Colomy
Samuel Flanders
Herman Jones
John F. Colomy
Rufus B. Foss
J a m e s M. Y o r k
•Ralph Carlton
Hiram Fiench
George Jones
Daniel P. Cilley
J . W. H a m
Charles Kelley
Leighton D. Colbath
Frank Hayes
Emerson Keniston
Dudley I . Colbath
Henry Hayes
H . C. Amazeen
1812.
Thnothy Davis.
TUomas H a m .
1812—TEN ROD
Daniel
Asa Willey.
Willey.
ROAD.
M a r k Demeritt. Nicholas Ricker. Samuel Chesley. S a r m e l C.
Timothy Henderson.
Dennis Downing.
Jones.
Chestnut Hill Road, J o h n K . Walker.
Rochester Road, Isaiah Peavey, J o h n Tanner.
MEXICVN
John F . Place
C. B. Roberts.
OUTSIDE
WAR.
Shapleigh,
(Florida
War.)
YARDS.
Augustus Horne. T e n Rod Road.
Thomas Pinkham, Hodgdon Y a r d .
J o n a t h a n Stevens, Stevens Y^ara. Samuel B u n k e r , B u n k e r Y a r d .
News P r i n t , E a r m i n s t o n , N. 11
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Title
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Documents, Papers, & Articles
Document
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Title
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1897 Farmington NH Memorial Day Order of Exercises Booklet
Description
An account of the resource
A May 31, 1897 Farmington, NH, Memorial Day Order of Exercises booklet. The booklet is four pages, printed in black ink on off paper.
The front page is ornately decorated with two borders one on the exterior edge, a block geometric floral and one framing an image in the center of the page, a simple triangle geometric repeat. The image in the center is a Grand Army of the Republic medal, hanging from a thirteen star American flag, placed equidistant over their field, topped by a bald eagle sitting atop two overlapping cannons and canon balls. The Grand Army of the Republic was a national fraternal organization. It was composed of veterans of the Union Army, Union Navy, Marines and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service.
It details the activities for Memorial Day on the second and third pages starting with a march at 1:30 PM on Main Street, followed by exercises at the cemetery & monument. Evening exercises were to start at 8 PM. At all places they included prayer, addresses, song, and bands playing.
The last page is devoted to honoring deceased soldiers and sailors and gives a list for those at the cemetery. Special sections specifically list those fallen in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. it also points out those in "outside yards" on Ten Rod Road, and the Hodgdon, Bunker, and Stevens yard.
Size: 4.25 W x 6.5" H
Condition. Fair. Corners are folded. Small tear on upper center, on front page. Defaced, interior upper pages " Property of Farmington- New Durham Historical Society." Stain on back page
FHS-Kyle Leach
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
May 31, 1897
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Army of the Republic
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Army of the Republic
booklet
cemetery
document
events
Farmington
memorial
Memorial Day
military
monument
Opera House
pdf
people
Pine Grove Cemetery