EARLY MILITARY HISTORY OF LEOMINSTER

Read before the Leominster Historical Society
by Charles S. Houghton, June 16, 1909

From all accounts the people of Leominster were just as loyal and faithful subjects to the King before the Revolution, as they afterward became to their first President, George Washington. hiring the whole time of the struggle for independence, no one to accused, or even suspected of being a Tory, or not in sympathy with the cause of equal rights to all. Nearly ten years previous to the Declaration of Independence, the people of Leominster were decided as regards their civil and religious liberty, as expressed by them in a special town meeting, at which time an address to the people of Boston was prepared in words having no uncertain sound. Note the closing words of that address, "We cannot part with our creation rights. We must, we can, we will he free." Numerous votes are on record from that time on through the terrible struggle, giving proof of their patriotism, love of country, and devotion to that principle for which they left their mother country for,—the cause of freedom.

 The first call for soldiers from this town in its early history, and their names Abiathar Houghton and Joseph Policy, occurred during the Indian Raids, when on July 5,1748, a band of over eighty savages made a revengeful raid, under the lead of an Indian, Sordody by name, upon the lonely garrison of John Fitch, a carpenter, living in what is now Ashby. Col. Samuel Willard was in command of the regiment, and he issued the following orders to Capt. Ephraim Wilder, Jr. of Lancaster: "You are hereby directed forthwith, to order as many of your troops to be ready to march tomorrow morning as you can possible, and I will go with you, for there are two soldiers killed at Fitches Fort, and the man and wife, and five children are carried into captivity, as is suspected at Lunenburg." Signed, Samuel Willard, Col. Dated at Lancaster, July 7, 1748. It proved too true as their enforced and hurried journey through the wilderness, with an uncertain and insufficient supply of food was attended with hardships seemingly beyond human endurance. Attended by French officers, and other prisoners, they arrived in New York on the 23d day of September, just eleven weeks and three days after their capture. The father and children arrived safely at home, but the wife and mother, she, who had 'suffered so much, was not permitted to see that home again. She died at Providence December 24, 1748.

 Immediately after the news of that ever memorable alarm at Lexington, the 19th of April, 1775, was received here, a company of men were enlisted from this town, and marched to Lexington. The roster of that company was as follows: Capt. David Wilder of Leominster, Lieuts. Joseph Bellows and Thomas Harkness of Lunenburg, Sergts. Thomas Garfield, Fitchburg, John Lock, Ashburnham, Rufus Houghton and Abijah Butler, Leominster. Privates—all from Leominster: David Kendall, Josiah Whitcomb, ;James Joslin, David Wilson, William Nichols, Ebenezer Stewart, Ephraim Buss, David dark, Josiah Colburn, Asa Kendall, Richard Stewart, and Reuben Gates. From Lunenburg: Noah Dodge, Phineas Carter, Israel Wyman, Richard Fowler, and Jonathan Martin. Immediately after the above company was formed, a company enlisted for eight months, for the Continental service, under command of Col. Asa Whitcomb, and were stationed at Prospect Hill, in Cambridge. The name of the regiment was the Continental 23d Regiment of Foot. I herewith give a partial roster of the regiment, giving only the names of those who went from Leominster: Capt. David Wilder, Lieut. Timothy Boutell, Sergts. William Warner, Josiah Carter, Peter Joslin; Corps. Levi Warner, Samuel Buss, James Butler; Drummer, Thomas Rogers; Fifer, Abijah Haskell. Privates, Charles Eames, James Boutell, Abel Bigelow, John Battles, Isaac Blodgett, Amos Brown, Levi Blood, Jonathan Colburn, Stephen Chase, Nathaniel Chapman, David dark, Elisha Carter, Josiah Colburn, Reuben Gates, Benjamin Hale, John Hale, Joshua Holt, David Hale, Luke Johnson, Jonathan Kendall, Asa Kendall, Amos Kendall, Ebenezer Osgood, Asa Priest, Joseph Smith, Benjamin Steams, Zebedee Simonds, John Stone, Othniel Taylor, Joshua White, Josiah White, Ebenezer Wood, James Wood, Luke Wilson, and Joseph Smith, Jr. The greater part of the patriots enlisted April 19th, the same day that their colonel received his commission. Leominster men in Rhode Island service. In October, 1777, under Gen. Joseph Spencer, the men from Leominster were as follows: Lieut. Thomas Wilder, Shubael Bailey, Phineas Carter, Asa Johnson, Simeon Perry, Benjamin Stevens, and Josiah White. Again in the following year (1778), a similar attack was made to recover Newport, by the combined effort of the newly arrived French fleet commanded by Count d'Estaing, and an army of 10,000 men under Gen. John Sullivan, with Gen. Nathaniel Green, and the Marquis De Lafayette, as division commanders. The expedition was finally brought to a close, which for a time gave promise of putting a glorious end to the war. In the regiment of Col. Nathaniel Wade, serving in Rhode Island at that time, were the following Leominster soldiers: Corp. Nathan Colburn, Thomas Follansbee, Calvin Hale, David Hale, Joel Hale, Robert Houghton, Luke Johnson, Jacob Symonds, and Zebedee Symonds. July 25, 1780, word came that Sir. Henry Clinton was to attack the French encampment at Newport, and the recruits that were raised in a part of Worcester county for the re-enforcement of the Continental arms were ordered to Rhode Island, in Capt. Joseph Elliott's company, Col. William Turner's regiment, at Butts Hill, December 1,1781.

Three men only went from Leominster, as follows: Benjamin Brown, Ephraim Lincoln, and Benjamin Tarbox. Leominster Continental two years soldiers: First regiment, Capt. George Webb's company: James Butler, John Battles. Fifth regiment, Capt. Job Whipple's company: Nichols Burham, Richard Patton, Benjamin Stewart, David Steams, Joshua White, Abel Wilder, Daniel Darling, Joshua Prouty, Samuel Rogers, Joshua Pierce, Luke Wilson, Joseph Hoar, and Ebenezer Winship. Seventh regiment, Capt. William Warner's company: Luke Aldridge, Levi Blood, John Buss, Silas Carter, Nathaniel Evans, Silas Sharon, John Joslin, Levi Page, Asa Priest, Joseph Robbins, Pomp Cuffirecrian, Micah Nichols, Thomas Robbins. Twelfth regiment, Capt. John Fray's company: Luke Marble. Col. Thomas Craft's Artillery, Capt. John Gill's company: William Carpenter, Daniel Colburn, Elisha Davis, Isaac Sollendine. The following enlisted for three years: Shubael Bailey, Levi Blood, Asa Buttrick, Elisha Davis, David Johnson, Ephraim Johnson, David Joslin, Job Priest, Phineas Rice, James Smith, Josiah Whitcomb, Caleb Wood, Samuel Wood. Bennington Alarm. Soon after the abandonment of Ticonderoga (July, 1777), with the disasters of Skenceborough and Hubbardton, was the cause of consternation to Vermont, spread throughout New England. A council of war was held, and several regiments were dispatched in hot haste to the scene. On August 2nd, a second re-enforcement was again demanded for the increase of the Massachusetts forces, under Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, who at that time was engaged in harassing the rear of Burgoyne's army. Major Silas Bailey of Bolton was in command. I herewith give a list of the men who went to Saratoga on the 9th of October, 1777, in Lieut. Stickney's company. Col. Abijah Steams' regiment:

Lieuts. Samuel Stickney and Thomas Wilder. Sergts. John Colburn and Levi Warner. Corps. Abijah Butler and Josiah Whitcomb. Privates, John Bowers, Ebenezer Butler, Abijah Carter, Josiah Carter, Jonathan Colburn, Ebenezer Houghton, David May, Francis Parker, Jacob Spafford, Josiah Swan, David Boutell, William Boutell, Jonas Gates, Silas Hale, Abiathar Houghton, Elisha White, David Wilder, and James Wood. A list of 79 men were procured from the county of Worcester, for a term of nine months from the time of their arrival in Fiskkill, N. Y. Capt. Andrew Haskell, of Lancaster, led the men, where they arrived June 17, 1778. The Leominster men with age, stature, and complexion:

Shubael Bailey       18 5-9       Dark     Thomas Page      48 5-10    Dark

Asa Buttrick           39 5-8       Dark     Simeon Parry      33 5-9      Light

David Johnson        18 5-9       Dark     Joseph Stuart      20 5-8     Dark

Speaking of age, height, etc., brings to mind the remark of Gen. Washington, when he wrote on July 29th, to President Reed, "that he had received no re-enforcements since the last campaign, excepting about 400 recruits from the state of Massachusetts Bay, a portion of whom, I am told, are children, hired at about $15.00 each, for about nine months service."

Shay's Rebellion, so called, from the fact that on the 20th of December, 1786, Daniel Shay in Springfield, at the head of 200 insurgents, took possession of the court house there. On the 5th of January following, he made an attempt at the head of 1100 men, to take possession of the arsenal. At this late day one is at a loss to account for so large a number of men willing to be numbered in such an undertaking. Gen. William Shepard, who commanded the state forces, ordered them to fire into the ranks of the insurgents, when three were killed, and several wounded. This settled the affair; the men fled disheartened, and the insurrection was closed by the capture of the leaders. This town had no difficulty in furnishing its quota of men, but we know not their names, as no record has been handed down to us, with the exception of two officers, viz: Ensign John Buss and Major Timothy Boutell. The latter we read in history was promoted in the following January to the rank of Colonel.

The names of soldiers who enlisted in the eight months service of 1775, are found in the so-called "Coat Rolls." April 23d the Provincial Congress in establishing the pay of troops, passed a resolve that in addition to the monthly stipend, a coat for a uniform be given to each of the non-commissioned officers and privates as soon as the state of the Province will admit it. July 5th, 13,000 coats were ordered for the army, each town being required to furnish a share of them proportionate to its last Provincial Tax.  Leominster's proportion, forty-three, but we do not know the names. This quota was filled as were all quotas given the town, by men who were patriotic and loyal to the town. In answering calls for both men and means, the demands were often more than complied with, so much so that at the end of the war a surplus of men remained to her credit.

At a town meeting held soon after the commemoration exercises of the death of the lamented President of the United States, George Washington, a committee was chosen to return the thanks of the town to Doctor Daniel Adams for the elegant and patriotic oration delivered by him on the twenty-second day of February 1800, and to request a copy for the press. A sufficient sum was appropriated by the town to defray the expense of the oration. It was also voted that this committee furnish every family in town with a copy, and Dr. Adams and the Rev. Francis Gardner with fifty copies each. Dr. Adams was a native of Townsend, where he married the daughter of Doctor Mulliken. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1797.