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LEXINGTON 


HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


PAPERS  RELATING  TO  THE 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN 


READ  BY  SOME  OF  THE  MEMBERS 


VOL. 


LEXINGTON    MASS. 
PUBLISHED    BY    THE    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY 

iScSo 


F' 


GEO.    II.    ELLIS     PRINTER 

T . 1 1     FRANKLIN    ST. 

BOSTON 


Gi.'!. 
The  S 

f?  0 


CONTENTS. 


Origin  of  the  Name  "  Lexington," 9 

A  Sketch  of  the  History  of  Lexington  Common,       .     .  17 

Robert  Munroe, 38 

Captain  John  Parker, 42 

A  Few  Words  for  our  Grandmothers  of  1775,      ...  48 

Matthew  Bridge, 54 

Reminiscences  of  a  Participant  in  the  Occurrences  of 

April  19,  1775, 59 

Amos  Locke, 67 

The  Old  Taverns  of  Lexington, 73 

Lexington  Academy, 88 

Lexington  Normal  School, 95 

A   Sketch   of  the   Life  and   Character   of  the    Late 

William  Eustis, 101 

Colonel  Francis  Faulkner  and  the  Battle  of  Lexing- 
ton,   no 

Lexington  in  1775  and  in  1861, 117 

Appendix  : 

The  Second  Meeting-house  in  Lexington, 129 

Some  Facts  relating  to  the  Third  Meeting-house  in  Lexington,  130 

List  of  Pew  Owners  in  the  Third  Church, 134 


Lexington  Historical  Society  was  organized  on  Tuesday 
evening,  March  16,  1S86,  for  the  purpose  of  local  historical  re- 
search, and  of  gathering  up  and  preserving  such  facts  and  tra- 
ditions relating  to  the  town  as  may  be  deemed  important.  Its 
officers  consist  of  a  president,  vice-president,  secretary,  treas- 
urer, historian,  custodian,  a  council,  and  a  committee  on  publi- 
cations. Meetings  are  held  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  October, 
December,  February,  March,  and  April,  when  papers  are  read, 
followed  by  discussions.  The  membership  includes  both  men 
and  women,  and  now  numbers  about  two  hundred.  Under  the 
following  vote,  the  first  volume  of  papers  is  now  printed. 

At  a  meeting  of  Lexington  Historical  Society,  held  March 
12,  1889,  the  following  report  of  the  Council  was  unanimously 
adopted :  — 

1.  The  Council  recommend  that  a  committee  of  three  per- 
sons, to  be  called  the  Committee  on  Publications,  be  chosen, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  make  such  selection  of  papers  read 
before  the  Society  for  publication  as  they  may  deem  advisable, 
and  that  the  Committee  be  authorized  to  make  such  arrange- 
ment and  emendation  of  those  selected  as  will  in  their 
judgment  best  promote  historic  knowledge  and  accuracy,  and 
publish  them  in  such  form  as  they  may  think  desirable. 

2.  That,  in  the  selection  and  printing  of  papers,  they  shall  be 
limited  to  those  which  relate  to  our  own  town  and  to  the  fam- 
ilies identified  with  its  history,  and  especially  to  such  important 
facts  and  knowledge  as  are  likely  to  be  lost,  if  not  so  gathered 
up  and  preserved  ;  that,  leaving  all  matters  which  have  been 
already  treated  by  historical  writers,  they  shall  publish  only 
those  papers  which  elucidate  Lexington  life  and  history  during 


8  PREFACE. 

the  two  and  a  half  centuries  since  the  original  settlement  of 
the  town. 

3.  The  Council  also  recommend  that  the  following  persons 
constitute  this  Committee  ;  namely,  Rev.  Carlton  A.  Staples, 
Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter,  and  Mrs.  Theodore  Robinson. 

Lexington,  Oct.  4,  18S9. 


ORIGIN    OF   THE   NAME   "LEXINGTON." 

Read  at  the  Meeting  of  the  Society,  May  13,  1886,  by 
A.  E.  Scott. 

The  origin  of  names  of  cities,  towns,  and  other  political 
divisions  is  an  interesting  study.  Taking  our  own  State 
for  illustration,  we  find  many  names  evidently  merely 
descriptive  of  situation,  as  the  different  "  fields," —  West- 
field,  Marshfield,  Brookfield,  Medfield  (Meadfield)  ;  or  the 
"  fords,"  like  Westford,  Medford  (Meadford)  ;  or  like 
Norton  (North  town)  or  Weston  (West  town).  Others 
are  descriptive  of  physical  features,  as  Watertown,  Stone- 
ham,  Roxbury  (Rocksbury),  Marblehead.  Occasionally, 
a  typical  name  is  adopted,  indicative,  perhaps,  of  the 
peaceful  nature  of  the  region  or  the  character  of  the 
people,  as  Concord,  Contentment,  the  original  name  of 
Dedham,  or  Hopedale,  or  a  Scriptural  name,  like  Salem 
or  Sharon.  A  few  Indian  names  are  retained, —  I  think 
it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  number  is  so  small, — 
as  Cohasset,  Scituate,  Natick. 

Many  names  were  adopted,  no  doubt,  in  honor  of  Eng- 
lish statesmen,  like  Leicester  (for  the  Earl  of  Leicester), 
Bedford  (Duke  of  Bedford),  and  Walpole ;  and  some  in 
honor  of  distinguished  men  at  home,  like  Harvard,  from 
Rev.  John  Harvard,  the  founder  of  Harvard  College. 
Many  names  of  prominent  counties  or  towns  in  England 
were  retained  by  the  colonists,  like  Worcester  and  Lan- 
caster, the  latter  taking  us  back  to  the  Roman  castra,  or 
camp,  on  the  river  Lune. 


IO  THE  NAME  "LEXINGTON." 

But  by  far  the  greater  number  of  towns  in  Massachu- 
setts received  their  names  from  smaller  villages  and 
obscure  places  in  the  "  mother  country,"  from  which  the 
early  settlers  came  or  with  which  their  families  were 
associated.  These  names  were  given  not  in  accordance 
with  any  general  plan  or  system,  except  that,  perhaps, 
changes  in  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  colonists  toward 
England  or  the  affiliations  and  tastes  of  men  in  authority 
had  their  influence  at  certain  periods  on  particular  classes 
of  names. 

Of  the  names  given  to  the  later  towns,  Arlington,  no 
doubt,  was  selected  because,  at  the  time  it  was  substi- 
tuted for  West  Cambridge,  the  name  was  somewhat 
prominently  before  the  country.  Physical  features  of  the 
localities  perhaps  suggested  Belmont  and  Rockland. 
Norfolk  took  the  name  of  its  county,  Everett  the  name 
of  the  orator ;  while  Wakefield,  Maynard,  Hudson,  Ayer, 
and  Bourne  were  named  from  individuals  or  families 
more  or  less  prominent  in  their  history  or  industries. 
For  the  same  reason,  South  Abington  has  just  adopted 
the  name  of  Whitman,  and  West  Medford  desires  to  be- 
come Brooks. 

Similar  processes  have  been  going  on  in  the  settle- 
ment of  the  great  West.  We  find  scattered  through  its 
whole  extent  counties  and  towns  named  from  prominent 
men  of  our  own  land,  from  the  features  of  the  localities, 
from  national  events,  and  from  the  Eastern  towns  and 
villages  from  whence  some  of  the  settlers  emigrated. 
The  names  of  all  our  Presidents  have  been  a  fruitful 
source  to  draw  from,  the  number  of  each  being  somewhat 
indicative  of  the  esteem  in  which  their  names  or  their 
virtues  are    held.     The    character   and    struggles   of   the 


THE  NAME  "LEXINGTON."  u 

first  settlers  of  Kansas,  no  doubt,  suggested  the  names 
of  Lawrence,  Franklin,  Liberty,  Washington,  Jefferson, 
Jackson,  Madison,  and  Independence.  The  War  for  the 
Union  has  furnished  to  many  towns  and  villages  in  the 
Far  West  such  names  as  Grant,  Logan,  Sherman,  Sheri- 
dan, Lincoln,  and  Stanton  ;  while  many  names — such  as 
Prairie  Dog,  Kill  Creek,  Driftwood,  Tombstone,  Yellow 
Medicine,  Fair  Play,  Skull  Valley,  You  Bet,  etc.— of 
places  that  have  sprung  up  in  regions  settled  by  reck- 
less adventurers  reflect  the  original  character  and  tone 
of  the  people. 

Perhaps  no  small  town  has  been  more  frequently  hon- 
ored by  the  adoption  of  its  name  than  Lexington.  Soon 
after  the  event  that  made  our  town  famous,  the  news 
reached  a  party  of  explorers  who  had  encamped  on  the 
spot  where  now  stands  the  beautiful  city  of  Lexington, 
Ky.  Professor  Ranck,  in  an  interesting  account  of  the 
settlement,  says  :  "  Delighted  with  the  virgin  charms  sur- 
rounding them,  they  resolved  to  make  the  site  of  our  city 
their  place  of  settlement,  and  then  and  there  named  it 
Lexington,  in  honor  of  that  glorious  field  where  the  rebels 
of  Massachusetts  had  died  but  a  few  weeks  before,  resist- 
ing the  encroachments  of  their  king." 

Here,  in  the  heart  of  a  Virginia  wilderness  and  by 
Kentucky  pioneers,  was  erected  the  first  monument  ever 
raised  on  this  continent  to  the  first  dead  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution. 

Other  Lexingtons  followed  ;  and  to-day  we  find  the  name 
given  to  county,  town,  village,  or  station  twenty-four  times 
at  least  in  the  following  States  :  South  Carolina,  Alabama, 
Georgia,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky,  Maine, 
Virginia,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  Mississippi,  Missouri,  New 
York,  North  Carolina,  Ohio,  Tennessee,  Texas. 


12  THE  NAME  "LEXINGTON." 

When  I  began  to  study  the  origin  of  the  name,  I  was 
not  aware  of  the  discussion  that  had  taken  place  in  regard 
to  it.  I  naturally  turned  to  English  sources  of  inquiry. 
Judge  of  my  surprise  to  find  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Bri- 
tannica  the  only  Lexington  mentioned  was  Lexington,  Ky. 
Chambers  gives  it  a  bare  mention  as  the  scene  of  the  first 
conflict  between  the  Americans  and  the  British  troops  in 
the  War  for  Independence.  Other  English  works  of  ref- 
erence were  significantly  silent. 

Turning  to  the  History  of  Lexington,  I  found  at  page 
422  that  Mr.  Hudson,  with  his  usual  care,  had  presented 
a  very  interesting  theory,  claiming  that  it  was  the  custom 
in  those  clays,  when  a  town  was  incorporated,  for  the  act 
to  be  passed  with  a  blank  for  the  name,  to  be  filled  in  by 
the  governor.  Joseph  Dudley  was  at  that  time  Governor 
of  the  Province,  and  allied  to  the  Sutton  family,  one  of 
whom,  Robert  Sutton,  being  raised  to  the  peerage,  had 
taken  the  name  of  Lord  Lexington,  and  at  this  time  was 
at  the  height  of  his  popularity.  Mr.  Hudson  claims  that 
the  name  was  given  or  suggested  by  the  then  governor  as 
a  compliment  to  himself  and  to  his  friend  and  relative. 

£oon  after  the  history  was  published,  a  carefully  pre- 
pared paper  was  presented  to  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society  by  a  member  (Mr.  W.  H.  Whitmore),  in  which  he 
took  issue  with  Mr.  Hudson,  claiming, —  first,  that  there 
was  no  proof  that  Governor  Dudley  was  related  or  ac- 
quainted with  Lord  Lexington ;  second,  that  Governor 
Dudley  had  nothing  to  do  with  naming  the  town,  that  the 
practice  to  which  Mr.  Hudson  referred  began  with  Gov- 
ernor Barnard  in  1732.  He  further  claims  that  it  was  not 
the  custom  of  the  legislature  at  that  period  to  honor  liv- 
ing Englishmen,  that  Lord   Lexington  was  not  pre-emi- 


THE  NAME    "LEXINGTON." 


13 


nent,  that  he  was  a  high  Tory,  and  that  the  choice  would 
not  in  any  event  have  fallen  on  him.  Relying  on  the  fact 
that  the  early  settlers  gave  to  their  new  homes  in  many 
instances  the  names  of  the  villages  whence  they  emi- 
grated, the  writer  urges  that  it  is  more  probable  that 
the  name  was  suggested  by  the  English  home  of  one  of 
the  settlers  of  this  precinct.  Lexington  was  incorporated 
in  1713,  but  it  was  set  off  as  a  precinct  in  1691.  In  sup- 
port of  his  theory,  the  writer  states  that  the  parish  rec- 
ords of  Laxton,  England,  show  that,  forty-two  years  be- 
fore, there  died  there  one  Francis  Whitmore,  and  that 
there  was  living  at  the  same  time  in  that  part  of  Cam- 
bridge which  was  afterward  called  Lexington  another 
Francis  Whitmore,  shown  by  the  order  fixing  the  boun- 
dary, the  line  running  "  on  the  south  side  of  Francis 
Whitmore's  house  towards  the  town  of  Cambridge  afore- 
said." 

It  is,  perhaps,  a  suggestive  coincidence  that  two  Fran- 
cis Whitmores  should  be  living  in  these  two  places  at 
about  the  same  time ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
Lexington  was  not  incorporated  for  over  sixty  years  after 
this  time,  and  probably  nearly  twenty  years  after  the 
decease  of  the  Cambridge  person  of  that  name.  And  it 
is  certainly  strange  that  no  mention  or  even  hint  of  Lex- 
ington is  found  in  any  records  of  this  family  or  precinct 
until  it  was  inserted  in  the  Act  of  Incorporation.  So 
that  the  theory  that  Lexington,  Mass.,  was  named  directly 
after  Laxton,  England,  although  very  ably  advanced,  is 
open,  I  think,  to  quite  as  serious  question  as  the  theory 
of  Mr.  Hudson  that  it  was  named  directly  from  Lord 
Lexington. 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  the  paper  above  referred 


I4  THE  NAME   "LEXINGTON" 

to,  there  appeared  in  the  Herald  and  Genealogist,  a  Lon- 
don periodical,  a  very  favorable  notice  of  the  paper,  but 
a  critical  review  of  the  arguments  and  conclusions.  The 
writer  claims  that,  when  the  Whitmores  lived  at  Laxton, 
its  former  name  Lexington  was  forgotten  or  disused ;  but, 
when  our  town  was  named  in  1712-1 3,  it  had  been  re- 
vived in  the  creation  of  the  new  Lord  Lexington,  which 
subsisted  until  1723;  and,  while  it  is  not  certain  that 
Governor  Dudley  was  related  to  the  Suttons,  there  are 
indications  that  he  was  desirous  of  being  so  considered  ; 
that  there  is  little  doubt  that  Leicester  was  named  by 
him  in  171 3-14,  after  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  whose  lands 
adjoined  his  own  in  England.  Why  should  he  not,  then, 
name  Lexington  in  171 2  and  Sutton  in  171 5  after  an 
English  lord,  who  was  certainly  somewhat  prominent  at 
the  time,  and  with  whom  he  might  well  desire  to  be 
thought  to  have  family  connections  ? 

Although  we  are  left  by  this  interesting  discussion  in 
some  doubt  as  to  the  direct  origin  of  the  name  as  applied 
to  our  town,  the  primary  source  seems  undisputed  ;  and, 
aside  from  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from  the  research 
and  discussion,  it  seems  to  be  of  little  moment  whether 
the  name  comes  from  Lord  Lexington  or  from  Laxton, 
the  manor  from  whence  the  title  sprang. 

Laxton  is  now  an  obscure  parish  in  Nottinghamshire  ; 
but,  in  the  time  of  Henry  III.,  it  was  of  considerable 
importance.  In  an  old  book;  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the 
Boston  Public  Library,  entitled  "Thoroton's  Antiquities 
of  Nottinghamshire,"  I  find  the  name  to  be  variously 
spelled  Lexington  and  Lessington, —  possibly  the  former 
being  a  euphonic  contraction  of  the  latter, —  Lexinton 
(without  the  "g"),  then  Laxington,  Laxinton,  and  finally 
Lexton  and  Laxton. 


THE  NAME   "LEXINGTON."  15 

The  original  Lord  Lexington  was  a  prominent  judge 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  He  was  also  noted  for  his 
great  piety  and  for  his  ecclesiastical  charities.  He  died 
in  1250,  without  offspring.  One  of  his  sisters,  Alicia, 
married  Robert  de  Sutton,  from  whom  sprang,  after  sev- 
eral generations,  the  last  Lord  Lexington,  to  whom  we 
have  made  frequent  reference. 


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A  SKETCH  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  LEXINGTON 

COMMON. 

Read  Oct.  12,  18S6,  by  C.  A.  Staples. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1707,  one  hundred  and  eighty 
years  ago,  a  public  meeting  was  held  at  Cambridge  Farms, 
now  Lexington,  to  consider  the  buying  of  a  certain  piece 
of  land  for  a  common.  A  committee  was  chosen,  as  the 
records  state,  to  treat  with  "  Nibour  Muzzy "  about  the 
purchase  of  a  parcel  of  land  lying  northward  of  the  meet- 
ing-house. Four  years  and  a  half  pass  away,  and  on  June 
7,  171 1,  the  committee  succeed  in  accomplishing  their 
object.  "Nibour  Muzzy"  deeds  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
most  northerly  precinct  of  Cambridge,  commonly  called 
"Cambridge  Farms,"  "a  certain  parcel  of  land  by  estima- 
tion one  acre  and  a  half,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  nigh 
the  meeting-house  and  bounded  northerly  by  the  said 
Muzzy  as  the  fence  now  stands,  and  on  the  other  lines  by 
highways ;  to  have  and  to  hold  with  all  the  timber,  stones, 
trees,  wood  and  underwood,  herbage  and  messuage,  with 
all  and  singular  the  profits,  privileges,  and  appurtenances 
thereto  belonging." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  Lexington  Common.  It  was 
bought  by  subscription.  The  sum  which  Muzzy  acknowl- 
edges to  have  been  paid  for  this  land  was  £16;  but,  as  the 
subscription  paper  containing  the  names  and  the  sum 
given  by  each  only  amounts  to  a  little  over  ^14,  it  is  pos- 
sible that  no  more  was  raised,  and  that  the  balance  was 


I  8  LEXINGTON  COMMON. 

donated  by  Mr.  Muzzy.  This  list  of  subscribers,  entered 
in  full  upon  our  records,  is  curious  and  valuable.  It 
contains  fifty-two  names,  and  probably  indicates  the  rela- 
tive wealth  of  the  people  living  here  at  that  time.  Seven- 
teen of  the  names  are  represented  in  Lexington  now  by 
their  descendants  or  others  bearing  them  ;  namely,  Esta- 
brooks,  Muzzy,  Bridge,  Stone,  Merriam,  Locke,  Russell, 
Munroe,  Winship,  Cutler,  Fiske,  Stearns,  Simonds, 
Blodget,  Brown,  Hunt,  and  Reed.  Forty  persons  on  this 
list,  out  of  fifty-two,  are  included  in  these  seventeen 
names ;  and  only  eleven  or  twelve  are  not  now  repre- 
sented here.  It  shows  a  permanence  of  families  quite 
remarkable  through  these  one  hundred  and  eighty  years. 

On  the  ist  of  February,  1722,  the  town  of  Lexington 
bought  of  Benjamin  and  John  Muzzy  one  acre  of  land  as 
an  addition  to  the  Common.  In  the  deed,  it  is  bounded 
easterly  61  rods  on  a  highway  leading  from  Mr.  Hancock's 
to  the  meeting-house  (now  Hancock  Street),  southerly  on 
the  Common  28  rods,  south-westerly  on  Concord  road 
8i  rods,  and  north-westerly  on  land  of  said  John  and 
Benjamin  Muzzy  to  a  heap  of  stones  at  the  east  cor- 
ner, near  where  Hancock  Church  now  stands.  For  this 
acre  the  town  pays  ^25.  Benjamin  Muzzy  is  spoken 
of  as  a  husbandman,  and  John,  as  an  innholder.  The 
meeting-house  referred  to  in  the  deed  was  the  first  one 
erected  here,  and  stood  a  little  below  the  meeting-house 
monument,  recently  placed  at  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  Common, —  probably  about  half-way  between  that  and 
the  watering-trough.  It  was  built  in  1692  ;  but  what  it 
was  like  in  external  appearance  no  mortal  can  tell. 

Benjamin  Muzzy,  who  sold  the  Common  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Cambridge  Farms,  came  to  this  place  in    1693. 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


19 


He  owned  the  land  now  known  as  the  Merriam  place; 
and  his  farm  included  the  estates  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Common, —  that  of  Hancock  Church,  the  Gould,  the 
Swan,  and  the  Simon  Robinson  places,  then  having  no 
houses  on  them,  but  enclosed  and  cultivated  as  a  part  of 
his  farm.  I  suppose  that  he  kept  a  public  house,  a  use  to 
which  the  place  was  devoted  by  himself,  and  subsequently 
by  his  son  John,  and  Messrs.  Buckman  and  Merriam,  for 
a  period  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  Evidently, 
he  was  willing  to  turn  his  hand  to  anything  whereby  an 
honest  penny  could  be  made  ;  for  we  find  him  employed 
"  to  ring  the  bell  on  Sabbaths,  at  burials,  and  on  Lecture 
days  —  sweep  the  meeting-house,  keep  the  basin  and  bring 
the  water  for  baptising,"  for  all  of  which  he  received  the 
sum  of  £1  i$s.  per  annum. 

The  first  use  made  of  the  Common  was  to  build  a  new 
meeting-house  upon  it,  in  1 71 3  ;  and  in  the  same  year 
stocks  were  made,  and  doubtless  placed  near  it, —  a  terror 
to  sinners  outside  and  to  sleepers  inside.  Much  use  seems 
to  have  been  made  of  them,  since  another  pair  was  built 
a  few  years  afterwards.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know 
whose  ancestors  of  the  present  inhabitants  of  Lexington 
were  sentenced  to  stand  in  the  stocks,  and  be  hooted  at 
and  pelted  by  the  boys.  But,  happily  for  their  peace  of 
mind,  no  record  of  these  transactions  has  been  preserved. 

The  new  meeting-house  stood  on  the  land  lately  pur- 
chased of  "  Nibour  Muzzy."  The  front,  facing  down  Main 
Street,  is  probably  indicated  very  nearly  by  the  position 
of  the  monument  there.  The  building  was  fifty  feet  in 
length  by  forty  feet  in  width,  and  twenty-eight  feet  in 
height,  with  three  tiers  of  windows,  and  with  two  galleries, 
one  above  the  other,  but  with  no  steeple.     It  cost  nearly 


20  LEXINGTON  COMMON. 

^500,  and  was  finished  with  pews  on  the  floor,  made 
against  the  walls,  and  the  interior  space  filled  in  with 
benches.  These  pews  were  built  by  individuals  who 
bought  the  space  for  them  of  the  town.  In  the  first  book 
of  records,  the  exact  location  of  each  family's  pew  is 
described.  The  edifice  belonged  to  the  town,  and,  as  well 
as  the  expenses  of  worship,  was  paid  for  by  a  town  tax. 
The  assignment  of  seats  on  the  benches  was  made  by  a 
committee  chosen  by  the  town,  who  were  instructed  "  to 
have  respect  first  for  age,  second  for  real  and  personal 
estate,  third  to  have  respect  to  but  one  head  in  a  family, 
and  to  place  the  children  where  they  may  be  inspected." 
The  selectmen  order  that  husband  and  wife  shall  sit 
together  with  their  family  if  there  be  room  convenient. 
The  pulpit  and  the  front  gallery  with  the  pillars  were 
colored ;  but  what  color  no  man  knoweth.  The  town 
clerk  has  left  this  record:  "Oct.  17,  17 14,  was  the  first 
Sabbath  day  we  mette  in  the  new  meeting-house."  It  was 
to  be  swept  "once  a  fortnight,  or  equivalent."  Here  we 
have  the  meeting-house  of  the  19th  of  April,  1775.  It 
was  a  square,  boxlike  building,  fronting  down  Main 
Street,  with  an  outside  door  in  the  centre,  and  opposite 
it  was  the  pulpit.  There  was  an  outside  door,  also,  in 
each  end.  The  record  shows  this  conclusively,  and  proves, 
also,  that  the  representation  of  the  meeting-house  in  the 
Doolittle  picture  of  the  battle  is  substantially  true. 

Around  this  meeting-house  poured  the  British  soldiers 
on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  April,  1775, —  a  brigade  of 
six  hundred  splendidly  equipped  and  disciplined  men  con- 
fronting a  company  of  seventy  untrained  farmers,  drawn 
up  there  to  protect  their  homes  and  defend  their  rights. 
In  the  afternoon,  the  meeting-house  was  perforated  by  a 


LEXINGTON   COMMON.  2\ 

ball  from  Percy's  cannon  used  to  cover  the  British  retreat ; 
and  it  cost  £i  is.  to  repair  the  breach. 

There  was  no  bell  attached  to  the  meeting-house ;  but  a 
bell  was  hung  on  what  is  called  a  "Turriott,"  and  was 
probably  the  bell  that  belonged  to  the  previous  edifice, 
given  to  the  town  by  Cambridge.  This  building  was  torn 
down  in  1794  to  give  place  to  a  more  pretentious,  com- 
fortable, and  beautiful  structure,  apparently  without  the 
slightest  hesitation  from  any  feeling  of  respect  for  the  ven- 
erable and  historic  house.  Governor  Hancock  was  fore- 
most in  urging  its  destruction,  donating  $100  to  the  town 
if  they  would  erect  a  new  house  of  worship.  Here  the 
bodies  of  the  dead  were  brought  and  laid  upon  the  floor 
after  the  battle ;  and  within  its  walls  were  gathered  the 
little  bands  that  went  forth  from  time  to  time  in  the  great 
struggle  for  independence,  to  invoke  the  blessing  of  God 
on  the  cause  to  which  they  dedicated  their  lives.  But 
the  fathers  thought  it  good  for  nothing  but  kindling- 
wood  !  Such  was  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  meeting- 
house of  1 7 14. 

The  next  use  made  of  the  Common  was  in  the  following 
year,  171 5,  when  the  first  school-house  in  Lexington  was 
built,  a  picture  of  which  as  sketched  by  Mrs.  Gardner  Bab- 
cock  from  ths  records  appears  as  the  frontispiece  of  this 
valume,  and  the  first  public  school  was  established.  That 
was  an  important  vote  passed  by  the  town,  Aug.  29, 
1715,  "  That  the  town  will  have  a  school";  and  a  com- 
mittee was  accordingly  chosen  to  provide  "a  schoolmas- 
ter that  will  answer  the  law."  In  November  of  the 
previous  year,  the  town  had  voted  "  to  eract  a  school- 
house  28  ft.  long,  20  ft.  wide,  and  8  or  9  ft.  stud,"  and  to 
place  it  on  the  land  lately  bought  of   "  Nibour  Muzzy," 


22  LEXINGTON  COMMON. 

and  that  it  be  finished  by  the  ist  of  October,  17 15. 
Captain  Joseph  Estabrook  is  employed  as  the  first  teacher, 
and  receives  .£15  for  five  months'  service,  beginning  in 
October  and  continuing  until  March.  For  several  years 
he  was  retained  in  this  position,  the  leader  in  a  long  line 
of  men  and  women  who  have  carried  on  the  work  of 
education  in  this  town,  among  whom  are  many  that 
have  become  distinguished  as  teachers,  lawyers,  ministers, 
and  men  of  literature  and  science.  Joseph  Estabrook 
was  a  brother  of  the  first  minister  of  Lexington,  Rev. 
Benjamin  Estabrook,  and  a  son  of  Rev.  Joseph  Estabrook, 
of  Concord.  He  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  the 
town,  and  was  evidently  much  trusted  in  the  management 
of  public  affairs.  This  was  not,  however,  a  free  school. 
The  town  voted  that  "  each  scholar  that  comes  to  it  shall 
pay  two  pens  per  week  for  reading,  and  three  pens  a 
week  for  righting  and  siphering — and  what  that  amounts 
to  at  a  year's  end,  so  much  to  be  deducted  out  of  the 
schoolmaster's  salary  and  stopped  in  the  town  treasury, 
for  the  next  year."  Shrewd  and  careful  men  were  the 
town  fathers  in  those  days.  The  school-house  here  was 
the  only  one  in  Lexington  for  a  period  of  eighty  years, 
but  schools  taught  by  women  were  kept  in  different  parts 
of  the  town  in  private  houses.  It  was  a  low  building, 
finished  in  one  room,  and  furnished  with  benches  and 
tables  for  the  scholars,  "a  great  chare"  for  the  master, 
and  an  hour-glass.  At  first,  girls  were  not  allowed  to 
attend  it,  but  afterwards  it  was  voted  that  "gairls"  should 
be  received  into  the  school.  Town-meetings  were  some- 
times held  in  the  school-house,  especially  in  cold  weather, 
when  it  was  difficult  to  keep  warm  in  the  meeting-house. 
It  was  provided  with  a  great  open  fireplace  at  one  end,  as 


LEXINGTON  COMMON.  33 

we  learn  from  the  frequent  bills  paid  for  repairing  the 
chimney,  and  the  fact  that  two  feet  of  wood  were  re- 
quired of  each  scholar,  to  keep  the  fire  burning.  At  the 
other  end  was  a  turret  built  up  on  the  outside,  in  which 
was  hung  the  meeting-house  bell.  From  these  particulars 
we  are  able  to  reproduce  the  original  school-house  in  our 
frontispiece,  and  show  how  it  appeared  a  hundred  and 
seventy-five  years  ago. 

After  standing  forty-seven  years,  in  1761  it  was  sold, 
and  a  new  one  erected  where  it  stood, —  a  much  smaller 
building,  being  only  twenty  feet  square  and  six  and  one- 
half  feet  between  joints.  It  cost  ,£43  13^.  6d.  iqr. 
While  it  was  building,  the  school  was  kept  in  Widow 
Harrington's  house,  who  was  paid  ^s.  6d.  for  rent.  This 
school-house  must  have  been  standing  on  the  Common 
at  the  time  of  the  battle,  but  it  is  not  shown  in  Doo- 
little's  picture.  It  remained  there  until  1797,  when  it 
was  sold  to  Matthew  Kelley  for  $48.50.  In  this  year, 
three  school-houses  were  built  in  the  town, —  namely,  in 
the  East,  South-west,  and  North  Districts  ;  and  the  schol- 
ars of  the  centre  were  to  be  accommodated  in  them. 

On  May  1,  1797,  the  town  voted  to  erect  the  monument 
on  School-house  Hill.  This  is  the  old  monument  standing 
on  the  Common  to-day.  It  was  erected  in  1799  on 
"School-house  Hill";  and  this  fact  proves  conclusively 
that  it  was  a  natural  elevation,  called  School-house  Hill 
because  the  first  two  school-houses  stood  there.  The 
mound,  therefore,  on  which  the  monument  stands  was  not 
of  man's  building,  but  Nature's  work,  shaped  by  the  hand 
of  man  after  the  second  school-house  had  been  removed. 
The  grading  of  the  place  was  done  by  the  voluntary  labor 
of  the  townspeople,  the  town   paying  for  their  food  and 


24 


LEXIXG  TOM  COM  MO  A', 


drink  while  they  were  doing  it.  It  would  have  been  a 
great  undertaking  to  raise  such  a  mound  by  filling  in 
stones  and  earth,  and  we  may  be  sure  that  $19.62,  paid 
Tavern-keeper  Dudley  for  drink  and  victuals,  "furnished 
when  fixing  the  ground  for  the  monument,"  as  the  record 
says,  would  have  been  wholly  insufficient. 

The  building  of  the  monument  was  a  great  event  in  the 
history  of  the  Common  ;  but  our  records  tell  us  nothing 
more  than  what  has  been  already  given,  except  that  it  was 
completed,  or  the  last  stone  put  in  place,  on  July  4,  1799, 
and  that  the  town  paid  a  bill  of  $87.63  for  cordage  to 
raise  it,  which  was  sold  again  for  $49.30.  But  we  may  be 
perfectly  sure  that  the  4th  of  July,  1799,  was  a  noisy  day 
on  Lexington  Common  and  that  much  New  England  rum 
was  disposed  of  at  the  taverns.  $50  was  appropriated  to 
cover  these  expenses. 

But  to  return  to  the  history  of  the  school-houses.  We 
have  seen  that  in  1797  the  old  one  was  sold  and  removed, 
to  make  a  place  for  the  monument.  For  the  next  seven 
years  there  was  no  school-house  in  this  village ;  but  one 
was  located  on  Mason's  Hill,  a  little  below  the  old  Mun- 
roe  Tavern,  to  accommodate  this  and  the  east  village. 
But  in  1804  another  school-house  —  the  third  —  was  built 
on  the  Common.  It  was  twenty-eight  feet  by  twenty- 
three  feet,  and  stood  forty  feet  north  of  the  monument 
toward  Elm  Avenue,  the  front  being  on  a  line  with  the 
rear  of  the  monument.  It  had  a  square  roof  coming  to 
a  point  in  the  centre.  Several  persons  now  living  well 
remember  this  building,  and  attended  school  in  it,  Rev. 
Artemas  Muzzey  and  Mr.  William  Locke  among  the  num- 
ber. In  1 82 1,  after  standing  there  seventeen  years,  it 
was  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Vine  Brook.     An  impor- 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


25 


tant  fact  in  connection  with  the  school  must  not  be 
omitted;  namely,  the  well  dug  and  stoned  in  1734,  sup- 
plied with  a  curb  and  sweep,  for  the  use  of  the  school 
and  the  "town  people  on  Sabbath  days  to  drink  at."  It 
cost  £$  icj-r.  When  it  was  filled  up  the  records  say  not, 
and  the  oldest  inhabitant  does  not  remember  it ;  but  some 
traces  of  it  were  discovered  in  the  recent  improvement 
of  the  Common  about  half-way  between  the  old  monu- 
ment and  the  flag-staff. 

But  let  us  pass  to  another  chapter  of  this  history, —  the 
building  of  a  belfry  for  a  new  bell.  The  account  of  this 
affair  is  curious  and  interesting.  At  a  town- meeting  held 
in  June,  1761,  Isaac  Stone,  as  the  record  says,  "came 
into  ye  meeting  and  gave  ye  town  a  bell  to  be  for 
ye  town's  use  forever ;  which  bell  was  there,  and  weighed 
463  lbs. —  and  ye  moderator  in  the  name  of  ye  town 
gave  him  thanks."  Immediately  it  was  voted  to  hang  "ye 
bell  on  ye  top  of  ye  hill,  north  of  Lt.  Jonas  Munroe's 
house,"  and  to  build  a  belfry  for  it,  taking  the  timber  from 
the  ministerial  land.  Accordingly,  it  was  built  on  the  top 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Belfry  Hill,  costing  ^23  ys.  6d. 
2far.,  and  the  new  bell  hung  there.  This  was  the  famous 
bell  which  rung  the  alarm  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of 
April,  1775,  whose  tongue  we  have  among  the  precious 
relics  in  Cary  Library.  But  the  new  belfry  was  not 
allowed  to  remain  long  in  peace.  Lieutenant  Jonas  Mun- 
roe  seems  to  have  been  a  sharp  man,  with  an  eye  for  the 
main  chance.  Here  was  an  opportunity  to  get  an  income 
from  the  fourteen  feet  square  of  barren  rock  on  which 
the  belfry  stood  ;  and  accordingly  he  demanded  rent  of  the 
town  for  that  piece  of  primitive  granite.  But  the  article 
in  the  town  warrant  which  contained  the  demand,  "  passed 


26  LEXINGTON  COMMON. 

in  the  negative."  At  the  next  town-meeting  he  renewed 
the  demand,  with  the  alternative  of  pay  or  leave.  The 
town  voted  to  leave.  Accordingly,  in  1767,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  move  it  down  and  place  it  "  where  Will 
Mun roe's  shop  formerly  stood  at  the  end  of  the  stables, 
near  the  country  road."  The  site  chosen  for  it  was  on 
the  west  side  of  Monument  Street,  probably  on  Mr.  Hud- 
son's or  Mr.  Ham's  grounds.  But  some  people  were 
much  opposed  to  its  standing  there ;  and  it  seems  to 
have  been  moved,  probably  in  the  night,  across  the  street 
on  to  the  Common.  Immediately  a  town-meeting  was 
called,  to  take  action  upon  the  matter.  There  were  four 
articles  in  the  town  warrant  regarding  the  belfry :  1. 
"  To  see  if  ye  town  cannot  agree  to  and  pitch  upon  some 
place  for  ye  bell  and  belfry  to  stand  for  ye  future,  and 
confirm  it  by  a  vote  that  may  have  a  tendency  to  make 
peace  in  ye  town  and  better  accommodate  ye  whole  town 
than  where  it  now  stands."  2.  "If  ye  town  obtains  a 
vote  to  remove  ye  bell  and  belfry,  to  see  if  ye  town  won't 
think  it  proper  to  pass  a  vote  that  the  persons  that  re- 
moved it  from  ye  place  where  ye  town  last  voted  it  should 
at  their  own  charge  remove  it  to  ye  place  where  ye  town 
shall  order  it."  3.  Upon  a  request  of  a  number  of  the 
inhabitants,  "  to  see  if  the  town  will  pass  a  vote  for  ye 
bell  to  stand  for  ye  future  upon  ye  town's  land  where  it 
now  stands."  4.  "  For  ye  town  to  do  what  they  think 
proper  relating  to  ye  bell  and  belfry."  The  town  "Voted 
to  'sett  ye  bell  and  belfry'  at  some  convenient  place  at 
ye  East  end  of  ye  school  house."  The  belfry  was  accord- 
ingly placed  where  the  town  voted,  and  it  stood  there  as 
represented  in  the  Doolittle  picture  on  the  19th  of  April. 
Subsequently,  a  door  was  cut  in  one  side,  and  the  town 
hearse  was  kept  in  it. 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


27 


The  Third  Meeting  house  of  Lexington,  erected  by  the  Town  in  1794,  as 
seen  from  monument  street,  near  the  residence  of  the  late  hon.  charles 
Hudson,  and  looking  toward  Main  Street.  The  Tower  of  the  Baptist  Church 
seen  in  the  distance.  It  was  destroyed  by  Fire  in  1S46.—  From  Barber's  His- 
torical Collections. 


When  the  new  meeting-house  was  built  in  1794,  it  was 
sold  to  John  Parker,  the  father  of  Theodore  Parker,  and 
carried  away  to  the  Parker  homestead,  where  it  long  did 
duty  as  a  wheelwright  shop  and  where  it  is  still  standing. 
Soon,  we  trust,  under  the  auspices  of  Lexington  His- 
torical Society,  it  will  come  creeping  back,  to  find  its  final 
resting-place  near  the  spot  of  its  birth,  It  should  be 
placed  on  some  height  overlooking  the  village,  and  re- 
stored to  its  original  form,  a  bell  procured  of  the  exact 
size  of  Deacon  Isaac  Stone's  gift,  the  old  tongue  put  in  it, 
and  on  every  anniversary  of  the  19th  of  April  it  should  be 
rung,  to  let  people  know  how  the  summons  sounded 
which  called  the  minute-men  to  the  Common  on  that 
eventful  morning. 


(North.) 


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WL 


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The  Intbrior  of  the  Third 
/■For  List  of  Pew 


'■*  Lo*£ 


(North.) 


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Mebting-house  of  Lexington. 
Owners,  see  Appendix.] 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


30 


On  the  19th  of  April,  1822,  forty-seven  years  after  the 
battle,  the  event  was  celebrated  on  the  Common  by  repre- 
senting it  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  manner  it  occurred. 
A  company  of  minute-men  was  commanded  by  Colonel 
William  Munroe,  the  orderly  sergeant  of  Captain  John 
Parker's  original  company.  About  twenty  of  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  battle  were  present,  and  formed  again  on 
the  very  spot  where  they  stood  on  that  day,  under  the 
direction  of  the  same  man.  The  line  rested  upon  Bed- 
ford Street,  near  the  point  where  the  bowlder  has  been 
placed,  and  extended  across  the  Common,  toward  the 
monument.  The  men  were  in  their  work-day  clothes, 
like  the  minute-men  of  1775.  They  bore  the  old  flint- 
lock muskets,  many  of  them  the  identical  guns  used 
on  that  day ;  and  Jonathan  Harrington,  the  original 
fifer,  gave  them  the  shrill  notes  of  his  old  instrument. 
Colonel  Benjamin  Wellington  commanded  the  red-coats, 
personating  Major  Pitcairn  of  the  British  army.  He 
rode  a  spirited  charger,  which  became  almost  unmanage- 
able under  the  firing ;  but  the  rearing  and  plunging  of 
his  steed  were  regarded  by  the  spectators  as  a  part  of 
the  acting,  admirably  done.  The  red-coats  marched  in  on 
the  double  quick,  and  formed  just  behind  the  meeting- 
house, Colonel  Wellington  riding  a  little  in  advance. 
Then,  in  imitation  of  Pitcairn,  using  probably  the  same 
words,  more  forcible  than  polite,  he  commanded  the  min- 
ute-men to  disperse;  but  they  stood  their  ground,  and, 
drawing  his  pistol,  he  fired  and  commanded  his  men  to 
fire.  This  was  followed  by  a  second  volley,  that  brought 
to  the  ground  a  number  of  our  men.  Then  came  the  rush 
of  the  red-coats,  with  fixed  bayonets,  upon  Parker's  little 
company,  and  the  command  for  them  to  retreat.     In  like 


3i 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


manner,  Colonel  Munroe  personated  Captain  Parker,  using 
his  strong  language,  now  inscribed  upon  the  bowlder,  and 
adding,  "Them  is  the  very  words  Captain  Parker  spoke." 
It  was  arranged  that  two  men  should  run  from  the  meet- 
ing-house, where  they  had  gone  for  powder,  and  that  at  a 
certain  spot  one  should  fall  by  a  British  bullet,  as  in  the 
original  scene.  And  so  it  was  acted ;  but  the  criticism 
was  made  that  he  recovered  too  soon  after  being  killed, 
and  took  his  place,  among  the  living.  Thus  the  battle  was 
fought  over  again  on  the  Common,  before  hundreds  of 
spectators,  without  bloodshed;  and  minute-men  and  red- 
coats remained  good  friends  after  it  was  over,  treating 
each  other  liberally  at  the  taverns. 

One  of  the  pleasant  reminiscences  associated  with  Lex- 
ington Common,  by  some  of  our  elderly  people,  relates  to 
the  visit  of  General  Lafayette  in  1824.  On  the  morning 
of  Thursday,  September  2,  he  was  received  by  a  troop  of 
horse  and  a  cavalcade  of  citizens  at  the  line  of  West  Cam- 
bridge, where  a  salute  was  fired  by  the  Lexington  Artillery 
Company.  From  this  point  he  was  escorted  up  Main  Street 
to  the  Common,  where  an  arch  had  been  erected,  trimmed 
with  evergreen  and  flowers,  and  bearing  the  inscription, 
"  Welcome,  friend  of  America,  to  the  birthplace  of  Ameri- 
can Liberty."  Here  another  salute  was  fired;  and,  stand- 
ing in  front  of  the  monument,  an  address  of  welcome  was 
made  by  Elias  Phinney,  Esq  ,  to  which  Lafayette  feelingly 
responded.  He  was  then  introduced  to  fourteen  survivors 
of  the  battle,  taking  the  hand  of  each  as  they  passed  by. 
All  the  school  children  of  the  town  were  present,  the  girls 
dressed  in  white,  and  the  boys  in  their  best  Sunday 
clothes,  each  wearing  a  badge  with  a  picture  of  Lafayette 
printed  on  it,  and  bearing  a  bouquet.     As  they  marched 


32  LEXINGTON  COMMON. 

by,  they  threw  their  flowers  at  his  feet.  A  great  multi- 
tude gathered  on  the  Common  and  along  the  streets, 
waving  handkerchiefs  and  shouting,  "  Welcome,  Lafay- 
ette!" It  was  a  scene  of  wild  and  joyous  enthusiasm, 
—  the  homage  of  the  people  to  their  country's  noble 
friend  and  benefactor.  A  parting  salute  was  given  him, 
and,  escorted  by  the  military  companies  and  half  the 
population  of  the  town  to  the  line  of  Lincoln,  he  rode 
on  to  Concord,  where  a  similar  reception  awaited  him. 
A  lady  now  residing  here,  then  a  child  too  young  to 
attend  the  reception,  remembers  that  she  was  rewarded 
by  her  father  and  mother  with  a  sugar  image  of  Lafayette, 
on  their  return,  which  was  long  and  reverently  cherished 
as  a  memento  of  his  visit. 

But  perhaps  the  most  noteworthy  occasion  connected 
with  the  history  of  Lexington  Common,  excepting  the 
19th  of  April,  1775,  was  the  removal  of  the  remains  of 
those  who  fell  in  the  battle  from  the  old  burying-ground 
to  a  stone  vault  prepared  for  them  in  the  rear  of  the  mon- 
ument. This  occurred  in  1835,  on  the  sixtieth  anniver- 
sary. The  19th  of  April  coming  that  year  on  Sunday,  the 
services  were  held  on  the  following  day.  The  remains 
were  taken  from  the  common  grave,  where  the  bodies 
were  originally  interred,  placed  in  a  box  lined  with  lead 
and  enclosed  in  a  mahogany  sarcophagus,  upon  which 
were  carved  eight  urns,  representing  the  number  of  the 
slain.  This  was  borne  from  the  cemetery  to  the  meeting- 
house, followed  by  ten  survivors  of  the  battle,  and  escorted 
by  the  military  companies  of  the  town  and  a  long  proces- 
sion of  invited  guests  and  citizens  of  Lexington.  The 
sarcophagus  was  deposited  in  the  broad  aisle  in  front  of 
the  pulpit,  where  a  platform  had  been  built  for  the  orator 


LEXINGTON  COMMON.  33 

of  the  day.  A  great  congregation  had  gathered  to  wit- 
ness the  ceremonies,  crowding  every  part  of  the  house 
and  filling  the  staging  erected  outside  on  a  level  with  the 
windows.  It  was  an  inspiring  audience,  including  many 
of  the  most  prominent  and  distinguished  men  of  the 
State,  among  whom  were  Chief  Justice  Story,  President 
Ouincy  of  Harvard  College,  Daniel  Webster,  and  Lieuten- 
ant Governor  Armstrong.  The  oration  was  given  by 
Edward  Everett,  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame;  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  no  more  eloquent,  stirring,  and  finished 
production  ever  fell  from  his  lips.  Though  occupying  two 
hours  in  its  delivery,  he  held  the  attention  of  the  people 
to  the  close,  often  kindling  high  enthusiasm  by  his  mar- 
vellous power.  At  its  conclusion,  the  procession  was  re- 
formed, and,  marching  around  the  Common  to  the  monu- 
ment, deposited  the  sarcophagus  in  its  final  resting-place, 
while  the  military  companies  fired  three  volleys  over  the 
sacred  spot.  It  was  a  scene  of  solemn  and  touching  inter- 
est. Several  of  those  who  witnessed  it  had  seen  the 
bodies  of  the  slain  brought  from  the  Common  where  they 
fell  into  the  meeting-house,  and  there  laid  upon  the  floor. 
They  had  seen  them  placed  in  boxes  made  of  rough  boards, 
and  borne  away  to  a  common  grave  amid  the  lamentations 
of  their  kindred,  neighbors,  and  friends,  full  of  anxious 
forebodings  concerning  the  issue  of  that  direful  event. 

And  now,  after  sixty  years,  they  saw  the  grave  re- 
opened, and  the  mouldering  relics  reverently  gathered 
up  and  placed  in  a  new  tomb,  near  the  spot  where  the 
heroes  fell;  while  the  people  of  the  town  and  State 
proudly  honored  their  memory.  Truly,  it  was  an  im- 
pressive scene,  and  one  long  to  be  remembered  in  Lex- 
ington. 


34 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


But  I  pass  on  to  briefly  notice  the  building  of  the  third 
meeting-house,  which  was  determined  upon  at  a  town- 
meeting  held  March  u,  1793,  by  a  unanimous  vote.  A 
proposition  of  Governor  Hancock  to  give  $100  toward  it 
whenever  the  town  began  the  work,  and  of  Rev.  Jonas 
Clark  to  add  $30  more,  probably  hastened  this  action. 
But,  when  the  question  of  the  location  and  place  of  the 
new  house  came  to  be  discussed,  this  unanimity  quickly 
disappeared ;  and  it  required  seven  town-meetings,  occu- 
pying nearly  a  year,  to  settle  these  important  matters. 
After  an  attempt  to  place  it  at  the  geographical  centre 
of  the  town,  wherever  that  might  be,  and  after  voting  to 
have  it  face  down  the  Great  road,  and  to  build  the  tower 
on  the  end  towards  the  Concord  road,  it  was  finally  agreed 
as  a  compromise  that  it  should  face  half-way  between 
south  and  south-east,  that  the  tower  for  the  bell  should 
be  set  on  the  easterly  end,  that  the  house  should  stand 
twenty  feet  farther  back  into  the  Common,  and  have 
three  porches  with  stairs  to  the  gallery  from  each.  Ac- 
cordingly, it  was  so  built.  It  had  a  central  aisle,  an  aisle 
along  the  four  sides,  and  two  aisles  running  from  cast 
to  west,  with  fifty-eight  large  square  pews  on  the  floor 
and  twenty-four  in  the  gallery,  besides  seats  in  the  gallery 
for  the  negroes.  The  cost  of  its  erection  we  do  not  know  ; 
but  it  was  more  than  defrayed  by  the  sale  of  the  pews, 
all  of  which  were  disposed  of  at  auction  on  the  23d  of  De- 
cember, 1794,  the  highest  bringing  $174.  The  town  chose 
Isaac  Hastings  vendue-master,  with  John  Mulliken  for  his 
clerk,  and  directed  that  the  price  should  be  in  dollars,  and 
no  bid  less  than  half  a  dollar  should  be  received.  When 
a  pew  was  put  up,  a  flag  was  to  be  hoisted  over  it,  and 
inscribed  "for  sail!'     No  means  of  warming  the  meeting- 


LEXINGTON  COMMON.  35 

house  were  provided  at  first ;  but,  subsequently,  two  enor- 
mous stoves  were  put  in,  with  pipes  running  around  the 
entire  building.  This  addition  to  the  people's  comfort, 
however,  was  stoutly  opposed  by  a  considerable  minority ; 
and  one  man  was  so  offended  at  the  innovation  that  he 
never  attended  meeting  afterward. 

It  was  voted  to  paint  the  exterior  "a  pea  green";  but 
the  interior  was  not  painted,  and  no  man  was  allowed  to 
paint  his  pew  "  without  a  consent  from  the  town."  The 
dedication  of  the  new  meeting-house  took  place  on  the 
15th  of  January,  1795,  at  11  a.m.,  under  the  direction  of 
Captain  John  Mulliken,  Captain  John  Chandler,  and 
Samuel  Downing,  the  committee  chosen  by  the  town ; 
and  the  day  was  given  up  to  the  imposing  ceremonies 
and  to  great  social  festivity  and  rejoicing.  This  edifice 
remained  substantially  as  it  was  built  until  1846,  when, 
after  extensive  and  costly  repairs,  on  the  night  before  it 
was  to  be  rededicated  it  took  fire  and  was  burned  to  the 
ground.  The  society  did  not  rebuild  on  the  Common, 
but  located  on  Elm  Avenue,  fronting  it  on  the  north  side. 
Thus  the  old  site  ceased  to  be  occupied  for  a  church,  after 
having  been  used  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

There  is  no  mention  of  an  enclosing  fence  to  the  Com- 
mon before  1820.  Up  to  that  time  it  lay  open,  and  roads 
and  paths  ran  across  it  in  various  directions.  But  in 
November  of  that  year  the  town  voted  to  build  a  fence 
around  the  Common,  of  oak  posts,  with  two  bars  or  joists 
between,  to  cost  $1.50  per  rod;  and  it  was  built  ac- 
cordingly. Dr.  Stillman  Spaulding,  Daniel  Chandler,  and 
Samuel  Downing  were  the  committee  to  carry  out  the 
vote  of  the  town.  After  the  completion  of  the  work,  it 
was  moved    in  town-meeting    that    the   fence   should  be 


:/< 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


painted  ;  but  the  proposition  was  voted  down  as  a  piece  of 
extravagance,  not  to  be  tolerated.  Two  years  afterward, 
however,  the  proposition  to  paint  the  fence,  at  an  expense 
of  $30,  was  carried.  The  fencing  of  the  Common  was 
not  done  originally  for  the  purpose  of  putting  it  in  better 
condition  and  beautifying  it,  but  for  the  income  to  be 
derived  from  renting  it  as  a  cow  pasture ;  and  the  commit- 
tee having  it  in  charge  were  instructed  to  ascertain  before 
building  it  the  probable  annual  rental,  which  they  reported 
to  be  $15.  The  sum  actually  received,  I  believe,  was  $12, 
which  was  generously  devoted  to  the  education  of  the 
children  in  the  schools.  Shrewd,  careful  men  ruled  Lex- 
ington in  those  days,  from  whom  we  might  well  learn 
lessons  of  practical  economy  in  these  extravagant  days. 
This  fence  of  oak  posts  and  rails  stood  for  twenty  years. 
In  January,  1840,  the  town  voted  to  build  a  new  one  in 
its  place,  of  split  stone  posts  and  joists,  at  a  cost  not 
exceeding  $350,  besides  the  materials  in  the  old  one. 
Here,  again,  appears  the  careful,  saving  spirit  of  the 
people  of  Lexington  half  a  century  ago.  The  money 
was  to  be  taken  from  the  town's  portion  of  the  surplus 
revenue,  and  the  rents  of  the  Common  to  be  applied  to 
reimburse  the  fund  to  the  amount  so  used.  Nothing  is 
done  for  this  precious  spot  made  forever  sacred  by  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  of  freedom  ;  nothing  is  done  for  it 
because  identified  with  the  town's  history  from  the  be- 
ginning, and  with  that  event  which  has  given  Lexington 
honor  and  glory  throughout  our  country  ;  nothing  is  done 
for  it  on  account  of  the  greater  attractiveness  and  beauty 
which  it  might  give  to  the  village:  but  it  is  fenced  in 
that  it  may  be  made  available  for  a  cow  pasture,  and  the 
income  used  to  pay  the  cost  of  enclosing  it ! 


LEXINGTON  COMMON. 


37 


Let  us  be  thankful  that  a  nobler  spirit  rules  in  Lexing- 
ton to-day.  The  years  which  have  gone  have  brought 
some  appreciation  of  the  glory  that  forever  encircles 
Lexington  Common.  The  town  has  just  expended  nearly 
$2,000  in  its  improvement,  making  it  as  beautiful  as  it 
is  sacred.  What  the  fathers  regarded  only  as  so  much 
common  earth  the  sons  and  daughters  regard  as  holy 
ground.  Let  it  be  kept  clean  and  bright  in  the  years  to 
come,  that  the  thousands  who  visit  it  from  far  and  near 
may  see  we  are  not  unworthy  possessors  and  guardians 
of  the  birthplace  of  American  Liberty ! 


ROBERT   MUNROE. 
Read  by  G.  W.  Sampson,  Oct.  12,  18S7. 

Among  old  Lexington  families,  the  Munroes  stand  sec- 
ond to  none.  In  civil  life  or  in  time  of  war,  they  were 
always  found  at  or  near  the  front.  Perhaps  the  three 
most  distinguished  in  the  Revolutionary  period  were  Rob- 
ert, Edmund,  and  William.  I  am  here  to  speak  for  Rob- 
ert, not  because  he  was  superior  in  any  way  to  the  others, 
but  because  he  was  my  ancestor.  Robert  Munroe  was 
born  in  Lexington,  May  4,  17 12. 

The  old  stock  of  Munroes  first  settled,  as  I  am  told,  in 
that  part  of  Lexington  which  takes  its  name,  "  Scotland," 
from  their  nationality.  They  can  be  traced  as  far  back  as 
the  time  of  Bruce  in  Scotland.  We  read  of  them  at  Ban- 
nockburn,  Berwick,  Edinburgh,  in  the  Protestant  war  in 
Germany,  in  Sweden,  and  even  in  India,  fighting  sturdily 
and  steadily  on  every  occasion.  Up  to  165 1  the  Munroes 
could  boast  of  three  generals,  eight  colonels,  five  lieuten- 
ant-colonels, eleven  majors,  more  than  thirty  captains, 
and  a  large  number  of  subalterns.  We  find  the  Munroes 
again  in  command  of  large  forces  in  the  Irish  Rebellion, 
at  Fontenoy,  at  Falkirk  and  elsewhere  ;  everywhere,  in- 
deed, but  in  the  rear,  when  there  was  fighting  at  the  front. 

It  is  an  old  saying  that  "  blood  will  tell."  When  a  mili- 
tary spirit  becomes  infused  through  generations,  it  only 
needs  a  spark  of  war  to  ignite  the  latent  energy  in  a  man 
and  develop  a  first-class  soldier.     It  follows  with  almost 


ROBERT  M  UN  ROE. 


39 


as  much  certainty  as  if  he  were  a  chemical  compound,  the 
occasion  for  the  display  of  warlike  attributes  being  the 
missing  link  in  the  component  parts.  We  read  with  no 
feeling  of  surprise,  therefore,  the  name  of  Robert  Munroe 
as  ensign  of  the  Lexington  quota  in  the  French  and  In- 
dian War.  In  the  expedition  against  Louisburg,  in  1758, 
he  was  color-bearer  in  that  memorable  attack,  reflecting 
honor  upon  Massachusetts  and  upon  Lexington.  In  1762, 
he  was  one  of  a  company  from  this  town  sent  to  watch 
the  Indians,  and  prevent  the  reopening  of  hostilities  be- 
fore peace  had  been  declared. 

In  regard  to  his  private  life  and  characteristics,  I  can 
give  no  information.  Those  who  knew  him  at  all,  passed 
away  more  than  a  generation  before  my  time ;  and  those 
who  knew  him  intimately,  more  than  two  generations. 
He  seems  to  have  been  a  typical  New  Englander  of  that 
period,  firm,  upright,  of  staunch  integrity,  but  of  consid- 
erable bigotry,  superstition,  and  prejudice;  a  grand  old 
Puritan,  who  abhorred  idleness,  dishonesty,  and  all  things 
superficial,  who  constantly  attended  church,  trained  in 
the  militia,  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  public  affairs,  tilled  his 
farm,  and  cheered  his  sorrow  with  good  New  England 
rum,  after  the  custom  of  that  time. 

He  had  four  children  :  Anna,  wife  of  Daniel  Harring- 
ton ;  Ruth,  wife  of  William  Tidd  ;  and  Ebenezer  and  John. 
Daniel  Harrington,  my  ancestor,  was  clerk  of  Captain 
Parker's  Company  at  the  time  of  the  battle ;  and  William 
Tidd  was  lieutenant.  Both  were  afterwards  prominent 
in  town  affairs,  and  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age.  From  some 
of  the  elder  members  of  my  family  I  have  heard  many 
anecdotes  of  "  Grandfather  Harrington "  and  his  black- 
smith shop,  and  of  "  Uncle  Bill  Tidd,"  as  they  were  famil- 


40 


ROBERT  MUNROE. 


iarly  called.  Ebenezer  and  John  Munroc,  like  most  of 
the  young  men  of  the  town,  were  in  the  events  of  the 
19th  of  April,  Ebenezer  also  seeing  service  in  the  Jersey 
campaign  of  1776. 

April  19,  1775,  was  the  last  day  on  earth  of  Robert 
Munroe.  When  aroused  from  his  bed  by  the  message  of 
Paul  Revere,  it  would  have  been  pardonable  in  a  man  of 
sixty-four,  who  had  twice  seen  service,  to  have  acted  on 
the  principle  of  "  old  men  for  counsel  and  young  men  for 
war."  He  might  well  have  decided  that  his  family  was 
fully  represented  on  the  field  by  his  two  sons  and  sons-in- 
law.  But  it  requires  a  more  vivid  imagination  than  I 
possess,  to  think  of  Robert  Munroe  as  hesitating  for  one 
instant. 

In  the  band  of  minute-men,  Munroe  and  his  family 
played  an  important  part.  Lieutenant  Tidd  was  next  in 
rank  to  Captain  Parker;  Daniel  Harrington  was  clerk 
of  the  Company ;  Munroe  himself  was  ensign,  and  next 
in  rank  to  lieutenant ;  while  his  two  sons  were  privates. 
Thus  the  father  and  his  sons  and  sons-in-law  all  stood  in 
line  on  the  Common.  At  the  first  volley,  the  old  hero 
was  struck  down.  Much  as  I  dislike  a  man  who  holds 
himself  aloof  from  his  fellow-men  on  account  of  the  supe- 
riority of  his  forefathers,  I  believe  that  a  proper  feeling 
of  pride  in  one's  ancestry  is  fitting  and  right.  When  I 
think  of  that  brave  old  man,  and  scores  like  him,  I  say 
Lexington  people  have  as  good  blood  in  their  ancestry  as 
any  people  of  the  Commonwealth. 

"What  the  fathers  won  the  sons  defended."  I  was  re- 
minded of  this  sentiment  last  Memorial  Day,  when  the 
grave  of  one  of  our  soldiers  was  being  decorated.  Over 
the  spot  where  he  rested  stood  the  color-bearer  and  Com- 


ROBERT  MUNROE.  4 1 

mander  of  the  Post,  all  three  —  the  living  and  the  dead  — 
direct  descendants  of  Robert  Munroe. 

Two  other  descendants  of  his  enlisted  from  a  neighbor- 
ing city  during  the  Rebellion,  and  there  were  probably 
others  who  followed  their  example.  Some  have  predicted 
that  this  country  will  degenerate  through  a  lack  of  in- 
terest in  her  welfare ;  but  I  believe  that  we  shall  always 
have  men  in  time  of  need  of  the  spirit  of  Robert  Munroe, 
who  will  spring  to  the  front,  and  bravely  defend  what  the 
fathers  won. 


CAPTAIN   JOHN   PARKER. 

READ   BEFORE  THE   LEXINGTON    HISTORICAL   SOCIETY,    DEC.    14, 

1886,  by  Miss  Elizabeth  S.  Parker. 

The  earliest  mention  in  history  of  the  name  of  Parker 
appears  about  the  eleventh  century.  He  was  a  Norman,  a 
follower  of  William  the  Conqueror,  and  was  a  keeper  of 
the  royal  parks,  hence  the  name,  which  we  find  variously 
spelled.  The  branch  of  this  scattered  family  to  which  we 
trace  our  ancestry  more  directly  sprang  from  a  family 
of  Browsholme,  Yorkshire,  which  came  to  this  country 
from  Lancashire.  It  seems  to  have  been  of  some  note  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  The  Parker  coat-of-arms  was  em- 
blazoned with  a  leopard's  head,  stars,  and  a  stag  pierced 
with  an  arrow,  for  a  crest,  with  the  motto,  "  Semper 
aude."  But  we  care  very  little  to  trace  mottoes,  coats-of- 
arms,  or  even  English  aristocracy  in  a  family  that  claims 
a  John  and  a  Theodore  Parker. 

Fifteen  years  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  Thomas 
Parker,  born  in  1607,  sailed  from  London,  and  settled  in 
Lynn  in  1635,  and  was  made  freeman  two  years  later.  He 
was  probably  driven  to  this  country  on  account  of  his  love 
of  religious  liberty,  as  the  Parkers  appear  quite  frequently 
among  those  opposed  to  the  Established  Church  of  Eng- 
land. He  was  one  of  the  seven  founders  of  the  First 
Church  in  Reading,  to  which  place  he  removed  in  1640. 
Thomas's  grandson,  John,  came  to  Lexington,  then  Cam- 
bridge Farms,  in   171 2,  one  year  before  the  town  was  in- 


CAPT.  JOHN  PARKER.  43 

corporated.  The  homestead  which  he  purchased  in  the 
south  part  of  the  town  has  been  in  the  family  ever  since, 
a  period  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  years.  We  next 
come  to  Josiah,  the  father  of  our  subject,  John,  who  died 
in  1760.  All  of  these  in  regular  succession,  Thomas, 
Hananiah,  John,  and  Josiah,  we  learn  from  the  records, 
were  men  prominent  in  both  town  and  church.  They 
were  selectmen,  town-clerks,  assessors,  and  two  of  them 
lieutenants.  They  were  members  of  the  church,  and  held 
high  places  in  the  "seating  of  the  meeting-house." 

Had  I,  when  a  child  of  eight  or  ten  years,  possessed 
the  wisdom  or  the  desire  which  I  now  have,  I  could 
give  many  incidents  of  our  great  day  in  Lexington  and 
many  characteristics  of  my  great-grandfather.  My  grand- 
father, Robert  Parker,  Captain  John  Parker's  youngest 
son,  died  when  I  was  too  young  to  have  any  remem- 
brance of  him.  But  my  grandmother  was  also  of  Revo- 
lutionary ancestry,  the  daughter  of  Joshua  Simonds,  who 
on  the  day  of  the  battle,  being  separated  from  the  com- 
pany, was  in  the  gallery  of  the  meeting-house  where  the 
town's  powder  was  kept,  and,  placing  the  muzzle  of  his 
gun  in  an  open  cask,  determined  to  blow  up  the  building, 
should  the  British  enter.  She  used  often  to  try  to  entice 
me  from  play,  to  listen  to  the  tale  that  was  of  burning 
interest  to  her.  But  her  wishes  were  seldom  heeded,  and 
it  has  been  a  life-long  regret  to  me  that  the  golden  oppor- 
tunity was  lost.  Thus  my  paper  to-night  is  robbed  of 
what  might  have  been  a  great  charm. 

Captain  John  Parker  was  born  in  1729,  and  passed 
most  of  his  life  in  the  daily  toil  of  the  farm,  with  few 
pleasures  and  many  hardships.  He  was  a  stout,  large- 
framed  man,  of  medium  height,  somewhat  like  his   illus- 


44  CAPT.  JOHN  PARKER. 

trious  grandson,  Theodore  Parker,  in  personal  appearance, 
but  had  a  much  longer  face.  He  was  fond  of  reading,  as 
we  learn  from  Parson  Clark's  diary  that  he  was  one  of 
those  who  often  borrowed  the  minister's  books,  regarded 
as  great  treasures  at  that  time. 

In  1755,  he  married  Lydia  Moore,  whose  parents  lived, 
if  I  have  been  correctly  informed,  not  far  west  of  the 
present  town  farm,  in  a  house  which  many  years  since 
was  in  ruins. 

I  think  no  sketch  of  Captain  Parker  should  be  written 
without  noting  the  influence  which  Parson  Jonas  Clark 
exerted  upon  him,  and  upon  the  church  and  town,  and 
even  upon  the  whole  State.  The  old  meeting-house  on 
the  common  was  not  only  the  storehouse  of  the  powder 
of  the  minute-men,  but  it  often  rang  with  the  stirring 
words  of  that  patriot  priest,  urging  them  to  make  good 
use  of  that  powder.  Mr.  Clark's  youngest  son,  Harry 
Clark,  whom  I  knew  very  well,  often  visited  at  our  home, 
and  spoke  of  the  intimacy  and  friendship  of  the  Clark  and 
Parker  families.  Captain  Parker  would  probably  have  had 
no  name  in  history,  had  not  the  events  and  circumstances 
of  the  time  led  the  British  to  Lexington.  The  whole  of 
Middlesex  County  was  equally  awake  to  the  momentous 
issue.  It  needed  only  a  spark  to  kindle  the  fire  of  liberty, 
and  any  village  green  might  have  been  the  scene  of 
the  first  encounter.  But  are  such  events  accidents  ?  Are 
not  man's  chances  God's  opportunities  ?  Was  not  sturdy 
Miles  Standish  the  fitting  captain  of  the  Plymouth  Colony? 
Was  it  an  accident  that  Abraham  Lincoln  was  President 
of  the  United  States  at  the  time  of  the  nation's  awful 
peril  ? 

The  result  shows  that  Parker  was  the  man  fitted  for  the 


CAPT.  JOHN  PARKER.  45 

occasion.  Not  bravery  alone  was  required,  but  cool  judg- 
ment as  well.  He  had  served  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War ;  and,  although  he  was  much  younger  and  had  seen 
less  service  than  many  of  his  company,  he  was  chosen  by 
those  patriots  to  command,  and  proved  a  worthy  leader 
of  a  noble  band.  In  his  company  were  a  brother  and  two 
cousins.  Of  one  of  the  cousins,  Everett  says,  "  History 
does  not  furnish  an  example  of  bravery  that  outshines 
that  of  Jonas  Parker  "  ;  and  Bancroft  writes :  "  A  wound 
brought  him  on  his  knees.  Having  discharged  his  gun, 
he  was  preparing  to  load  it  again,  when  as  sound  a  heart 
as  ever  throbbed  for  freedom  was  stilled  by  a  bayonet." 
Captain  Parker,  on  the  evening  of  the  18th,  when  rumors 
of  the  anticipated  march  of  the  British  reached  him, 
hastily  left  his  home  and  family.  He  had  a  wife  and 
seven  children, —  four  girls  and  three  boys,  the  eldest 
boy  only  fourteen  and  the  youngest  four.  He  knew  not 
what  to  expect.  Perhaps  he  was  about  to  die,  as  some 
of  his  company  did,  even  on  their  own  door-steps. 

It  is  a  cool,  moonlight  night.  With  many  doubts  and 
fears,  the  early  hours  are  passed.  At  two  in  the  morn- 
ing, by  the  ringing  of  the  bell  from  the  old  belfry  and 
the  beating  of  the  drums,  the  men  are  called  from  their 
firesides,  but  are  soon  dismissed.     At  half-past  four,  as 

"  Slowly  the  mist  o'er  the  meadow  is  creeping, 
Bright  on  the  dewy  buds  glistens  the  sun, 
When  from  his  couch,  while  his  children  were  sleeping, 
Rose  the  bold  rebel,  and  shoulders  his  gun." 

Parker  calls  the  roll  of  his  company.  Then  comes  the 
command,  "  Every  man  of  you  who  is  equipped  follow 
me,  and  those  who  are  not  go  into  the  meeting-house, 
and  furnish  yourselves  from  the  magazine,  and  immedi- 


46  CAPT.  JOHN  PARKER. 

ately  join  the  company."  Then  the  line  is  formed  near 
the  meeting-house. 

After  this  comes  the  order  to  load  the  guns.  One  of 
the  number  speaks,  "  There  are  so  few  of  us,  it  would  be 
folly  to  stand  here."  Captain  Parker  sternly  replies,  "The 
first  man  who  offers  to  run  shall  be  shot  clown."  The 
British  approach,  and  Pitcairn  cries  out,  "  Disperse,  ye 
rebels  ! "  but  they  firmly  stand  their  ground,  and  Parker 
says,  "  Don't  fire  unless  fired  upon  ;  but,  if  they  want  a 
war,  let  it  begin  here."  But  not  till  the  regulars  have 
fired  and  many  have  fallen  does  the  order  come  to  dis- 
perse. All  this  has  occupied  but  a  few  minutes,  but  the 
die  is  cast.     War  has  begun. 

The  British  pass  on  to  Concord,  having  killed  or 
wounded  one-quarter  of  the  brave  band.  Captain  Parker 
again  gathers  his  company,  and  follows  the  British  to 
Lincoln.  As  they  are  seen  returning,  he  leads  his  men 
aside  into  an  open  field ;  and  they  fire  once  more  upon 
the  enemy.  Early  in  May,  Captain  Parker  led  a  part  of 
his  company  —  forty-five  men  —  to  Cambridge  upon  call 
of  the  Provincial  Congress,  where  they  served  from  the 
sixth  to  the  tenth  of  the  month.  Again,  on  the  clay  of 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  he  is  at  Cambridge,  with  sixty- 
one  men  ready  for  action. 

During  this  time,  his  health  had  been  feeble  ;  and  the 
exertions  of  the  day  and  the  excitement  of  the  time  pro- 
duced such  an  effect  on  his  nervous  temperament  that  he 
died  of  consumption  a  few  months  afterward,  Sept.  17, 
1775,  only  forty-six  years  of  age. 

He  who  was  so  brave  and  true  at  the  beginning  of  the 
struggle  saw  not  the  end  nor  the  glory. 

I  think  we  can  say  of  Captain  John  Tarkcr  that  he  was 


CAPT.  JOHN  PARKER.  47 

a  man  of  no  little  mental  and  executive  ability,  of  strong 
will,  bold,  earnest,  and  daring  ;  a  man  sure  of  his  convic- 
tions and  true  to  his  convictions.  Jonathan  Harrington, 
the  last  survivor  of  the  battle,  said  that  on  that  day  "  he 
looked  as  though  he  could  face  anything " ;  and  most 
bravely  did  he  face  the  responsibilities  of  that  trying  time. 
There  hang  in  the  senate  chamber  of  the  State  House 
in  Boston  two  priceless  relics  of  Captain  John  Parker, — 
one  the  fowling-piece  which  he  carried  on  the  19th  of 
April,  1775,  and  the  other  the  first  gun  captured  from 
the  British  in  the  War  for  Independence,  both  gifts  of 
Theodore  Parker  to  the  State.  May  they  ever  be  re- 
garded with  reverence,  and 

"  Tell  to  our  sons  how  their  fathers  have  died  " ! 

Although  many  years  have  passed  away  since  our  fore- 
fathers gathered  on  the  common  to  resist  the  invaders, 
the  grave  of  Captain  John  Parker  has  never  been  marked 
until  recently  by  a  memorial  stone.  In  1884,  the  town 
appropriated  the  sum  of  $1,500  to  mark  spots  of  historic 
interest  in  Lexington ;  and,  among  others,  the  grave 
where  his  remains  were  supposed  to  rest  received  a  sub- 
stantial and  fitting  monument,  bearing  this  inscription  :  — 

TO   THE   MEMORY   OF   CAPT.   JOHN   PARKER, 

COMMANDER   OF   THE   MINUTE   MEN,    APRIL    IQTH,    1 775, 

BORN    JULY    I3TH,  1729,  DIED   SEPTEMBER    17TH,   1 775, 

THE   TOWN   ERECTS   THIS    MEMORIAL, 

1884. 


A  FEW  WORDS  FOR  OUR  GRANDMOTHERS 
OF  1775. 

Read  by  Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Harrington,  Dec.  14,  18S7. 

The  number  of  those  who  have  had  personal  communi- 
cation with  the  witnesses  of  the  opening  events  of  the 
War  of  Independence  is  now  very  small ;  but  fortune 
favors  me  in  having  an  uncle  and  aunt  still  living,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Otis  Munroe,  of  Boston,  respectively  eighty- 
eight  and  eighty-six  years  old,  both  with  clear  minds  and 
good  memories,  from  whom  I  have  gathered  a  few  facts  told 
them  by  eye-witnesses,  which  may  be  of  some  interest  to 
others. 

Looking  back  a  hundred  years  and  more,  I  find  that  my 
numerous  great-great-grand-parents,  uncles,  aunts,  and 
cousins,  composed  a  large  portion  of  the  scant  population 
of  Lexington  at  that  time.  You  must  pardon  me,  there- 
fore, if  I  talk  much  of  my  family.  From  Ensign  Robert 
Munroe,  my  great-great-grand-father,  prominent  in  the 
military  events  of  our  history  previous  to  the  19th  of 
April  1775,  and  who  was  the  first  man  to  give  his  life  to 
save  us  from  British  oppression,  down  to  those  of  us  who 
joined  the  great  army  of  women,  and  from  1861  to  1865 
were  found  in  the  hospitals  or  in  our  homes,  scraping  lint, 
rolling  bandages,  sewing  woollen  shirts,  and  knitting 
woollen  stockings  for  our  brave  men,  each  generation  has 
furnished  those  who  have  served  their  country  well. 

In   a   house   standing   between  those  of  George    liar- 


OUR   GRANDMOTHERS  OF  1775.  49 

rington  and  Mr.  Gould,  back  of  the  Common,  lived  my 
great-grand-parents,  Daniel  and  Anna  (Munroe)  Harring- 
ton, with  seven  or  eight  children.  His  blacksmith  shop 
stood  next  to  Jonathan  Harrington's,  the  house  in  which 
Mr.  Gould  now  lives.  There  must  have  been  little  sleep 
in  those  houses  on  the  night  of  the  18th,  when  danger  was 
abroad,  and  the  roll-call  of  Captain  Parker's  Company  was 
heard  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  About  seventy 
minute-men  gathered  on  the  Common ;  but  they  were 
dismissed,  and  recalled  at  four  o'clock,  when  the  Brit- 
ish troops  were  actually  approaching.  Probably  no 
word  of  farewell  was  spoken  by  Daniel,  as  he,  with 
his  son  Levi,  hurriedly  left  his  wife  to  take  his  place 
in  the  company.  His  son,  my  grandfather,  then  but  fif- 
teen years  old,  was  drummer ;  and  both  were  present 
when  Robert  Munroe  fell.  Think  of  the  agony  of  Mrs. 
Harrington  when,  in  the  dim  light  of  dawn,  the  dreadful 
firing  began  in  front  of  her  own  house,  and  she  soon 
learned  that  her  father  was  killed,  while  her  husband  and 
son  were  standing  before  the  volleys  of  the  British.  She 
doubtless  saw  her  neighbor,  Jonathan  Harrington,  reel 
with  outstretched  arms  toward  his  wife,  who  had  also 
witnessed  the  terrible  scene  from  her  window;  but  he 
dropped  dead  before  she  could  reach  him.  Those  women 
had  never  seen  the  horrors  of  war ;  and  it  must  have 
seemed  to  them  that  an  avalanche  of  British  soldiers  had 
fallen  upon  our  village,  and  all  their  defenders  were  to  be 
killed  before  their  eyes.  After  seven  men  were  killed  and 
nine  wounded  in  the  short  space  of  twenty  or  twenty-five 
minutes,  the  troops  moved  on  to  Concord,  and  quiet  was 
restored, —  the  dreadful  quiet  in  contrast  with  the  heavy 
tramp  of  soldiery  and  the  startling  and  unusual  sound  of 
firearms,  the  quiet  of  death. 


50  OUR    GRANDMOTHERS  OF  1775. 

Let  us  look  in  upon  those  two  houses  back  of  the  Com- 
mon, each  with  a  brave  man  lying  there,  who  half  an  hour 
before  had  sprung  from  his  bed  to  seize  his  musket  and 
rush  to  death.  Those  poor  women  could  not  tell  what 
the  next  hour  might  bring  forth.  How  could  they  let 
their  precious  dead  remain  in  their  homes  when  at  any 
moment  the  British  might  return,  ready  to  finish  the 
diabolical  work  of  the  morning  ?  They  had  no  time  to 
indulge  their  grief :  they  could  scarcely  realize  what  had 
happened.  They  had  no  time  even  to  pay  proper  atten- 
tion to  the  wounded,  but  must  hurry  away  to  a  place  of 
safety.  The  sparse  neighborhood  afforded  few  sympa- 
thizing friends  to  offer  help  and  condolence.  Quite 
likely,  each  was  alone  in  her  home,  or  alone  with  young 
children,  and  each  filled  with  anxious  thoughts  for  the 
safety  of  others  dear  to  her. 

And  what  must  have  been  the  distress  of  others,  who  in 
a  place  of  safety  heard  the  sound  of  guns,  when  every 
shot  might  be  carrying  death  to  those  whom  they  loved  ! 
All  sorts  of  vague  rumors  reached  them.  It  was  reported 
that  the  slaves  were  about  to  rise,  and  murder  the  de- 
fenceless women  and  children.  How  their  hearts  must 
have  quailed,  when  the  danger  long  threatened  now 
seemed  so  near !  Without  the  excitement  of  being  under 
arms  which  animated  the  men,  they  had  only  the  thought 
of  the  clanger  and  perhaps  death  of  their  fathers,  husbands, 
and  sons. 

Tuesday,  the  18th  of  April,  1775,  must  have  been  a  day 
of  great  apprehension.  On  the  spot  where  the  Russell 
House  now  stands  picture  to  yourself  a  low,  unpainted 
house,  in  which  lived  my  great-grand-parents,  Matthew 
Mead    and    his    wife,    with    their   daughter    Rhoda,    then 


OUR   GRANDMOTHERS  OF  1775.  51 

about  eighteen  years  old,  and  two  sons,  sixteen  and  four- 
teen. While  the  men  of  the  families  were  on  the  alert 
for  news,  the  women  were  looking  after  the  comfort  of 
their  households.  On  that  day  Rhoda  and  her  mother 
had  filled  the  great  brick  oven  with  the  beans  and  brown 
bread  so  dear  to  the  Yankees  of  that  day  as  well  as  this. 
Early  in  the  evening  a  sound  of  horses'  feet  rapidly  ap- 
proaching their  door  must  have  given  their  excited  nerves 
a  shock.  As  Rhoda  looked  out,  she  saw  three  mounted 
British  officers  draw  rein  at  the  house, —  probably  three 
of  the  ten  sergeants  sent  out  by  General  Gage,  who  dined 
at  Cambridge  and  then  scattered  along  the  different  roads 
out  of  Boston,  to  prevent  any  knowledge  of  the  expedi- 
tion reaching  the  country.  As  the  wind  blew  aside  their 
cloaks,  so  bright  was  the  moon  that  she  distinctly  saw 
their  red  coats..  Imagine  the  terror  of  Rhoda  and  her 
mother  as  these  men  entered  without  ceremony,  and  in- 
solently helped  themselves  to  the  day's  baking,  taking 
the  steaming  brown  bread  and  savory  baked  beans  from 
the  oven.  If  Rhoda's  cheek  paled  with  terror  when  she 
saw  these  men  enter,  can  you  not  picture  her  indignation 
bringing  back  the  color,  as  she  stood  there  in  her  home- 
spun gown,  homeknit  stockings,  and  stout  leather  shoes, 
watching  their  bold  impudence?  If  they  left  Boston  early 
in  the  morning,  though  they  did  dine  at  Cambridge,  their 
cold,  windy  ride  made  the  bread  and  beans,  hot  from  the 
oven,  a  savory  dish  for  them.  We  are  not  told  of  any 
conversation  between  them  and  the  ladies  whose  kitchen 
they  were  raiding ;  but  we  can  imagine  what  it  might 
have  been. 

When  Rhoda's  father  and  brothers  came  in   for   their 
supper,  the  father  having  spent  the  day  in  anxious  con- 


52  OUR   GRANDMOTHERS  OF  1775. 

ference  with  his  neighbors,  oiling  and  repairing  their  mus- 
kets and  pistols  and  sharpening  their  swords  for  possible 
need,  how  their  blood  must  have  boiled  as  they  heard  who 
had  been  there,  and  saw  the  empty  table  !  Little  supper 
or  sleep  for  the  father  that  night,  spent  as  it  must  have 
been  in  preparing  to  take  his  family  to  a  place  of  safety, 
which  he  did  early  in  the  morning  of  the  19th.  The 
women  and  children  were  carried  to  Mr.  Reed's,  in  Bur- 
lington. When  John  Hancock  was  persuaded  to  retire  to 
the  same  place,  brave  Dorothy  Quincy,  to  whom  he  was 
betrothed,  accompanied  him. 

Wednesday,  the  19th,  was  a  day  of  far  greater  trial  to  the 
women  than  Tuesday,  the  18th.  Nearly  on  the  spot  where 
the  house  stands  built  by  the  elder  Mr.  Sherburne  lived 
another  of  my  great-grandmothers,  Lydia  Mulliken.  Think 
of  her  trials  on  that  day  when  the  British  were  returning 
from  Concord.  She  was  the  widow  of  Nathaniel  Mulliken, 
the  famous  clock-maker,  whose  name  may  be  seen  on  many 
of  the  tall  clocks  treasured  by  lovers  of  antique  furniture. 
His  shop  was  quite  near  his  house.  Mr.  Hudson,  in  his  His- 
tory of  Lexington,  does  not  mention  his  occupation  ;  but  he 
was  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Otis  Munroe,  and  she  remem- 
bers the  fact.  Whether  by  his  clock-making  or  by  some 
other  means,  at  his  death,  eight  years  before,  he  left  his 
widow  a  large  property  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  19th, 
as  the  dreadful  news  flew  along  the  road  of  the  approach 
of  the  British,  there  was  a  hurried  hiding  and  burying  of 
Mrs.  Mulliken's  silver  and  other  valuables.  The  silver 
was  hidden  in  the  well  near  the  shop,  probably  the  one 
which  is  still  there.  My  aunt  now  owns  one  of  the  spoons 
hidden  in  the  well.  It  has  Lydia  Mulliken's  initials  on  it. 
My  grandmother,  Rebecca  Mulliken,  then  a  girl  of  thir- 


OUR   GRANDMOTHERS  OF  1775.  53 

teen,  often  spoke  of  her  great  regret  that  she  had  not  hid- 
den with  the  silver  a  pocket  which  with  great  pride  she 
had  embroidered  with  crewels,  but  which  was  lost  in  the 
fire.  On  the  return  of  the  British  from  Concord  in  the 
afternoon,  they  burned  the  house  and  shop,  and  she  lost 
above  four  hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 

The  people  of  Menotomy,  now  Arlington,  suffered 
greatly,  and  especially  the  women.  One  woman,  Mrs. 
Adams,  lying  ill  in  bed,  with  five  children  hidden  under 
it,  had  the  shock  of  seeing  the  bed-curtains  drawn  by  a 
soldier  who  pointed  a  bayonet  at  her  breast.  But  he  al- 
lowed her  to  escape.  She  threw  a  blanket  around  herself 
and  her  babe,  and  crawled  away  to  the  corn-barn.  Every- 
thing in  the  house  was  taken,  including  the  communion 
service  of  the  church,  which  was  kept  there,  and  the  ma- 
chinery out  of  a  tall  clock,  the  case  of  which  still  remains 
an  heirloom  in  the  family.  The  buildings  were  then 
fired;  but  the  flames  were  soon  extinguished,  and  they 
were  saved.  In  fact,  few  houses  escaped  after  the  re- 
treating British  had  rested  themselves  under  the  protec- 
tion of  Lord  Percy.  Think  of  the  return  of  Mrs.  Jason 
Russell  of  Menotomy  to  her  home  from  a  place  of  safety, 
to  find  there,  lying  side  by  side  in  their  own  blood,  her 
husband  and  eleven  others  !  Many  instances  are  re- 
membered of  the  bravery  of  the  women  of  those  trying 
times.  The  letters  of  Mrs.  Abigail  Adams  to  her  hus- 
band, while  he  was  in  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  should 
be  read  by  all  women  and  men,  in  order  to  realize  at 
what  cost  our  fore  fathers  and  mothers  gained  our  blessed 
independence. 


MATTHEW    BRIDGE. 
Read  by  Harry  W.  Davis,  Feu.  8,  18S7. 

The  Bridge  family  has  been  identified  with  the  history 
of  Lexington  from  its  earliest  settlement.  They  have 
shown  themselves  to  be  an  energetic,  upright,  religious 
family,  and  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community. 

There  were  two  Bridges,  John  and  Joseph,  in  Captain 
Parker's  Company,  on  the  Common,  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775  ;  and  in  the  Revolutionary  War  we  find  in  the  records 
that  there  was  a  Bridge  in  various  expeditions  and  battles. 
At  Bunker  Hill  and  White  Plains,  and  wherever  work  was 
to  be  done  or  battles  fought,  a  Bridge  was  ready  to  do  his 
share;  and,  when  in  1861  the  "sons  were  called  on  to 
defend  what  the  fathers  had  won,"  the  Bridges  did  not 
shrink  from  the  trust  bequeathed  to  them,  but,  shoulder- 
ing their  muskets,  helped  to  preserve  the  Union. 

John  Bridge,  the  earliest  ancestor  of  the  family  in 
America,  was  born  about  the  year  1578,  during  the  reign 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  Braintree,  Essex  County,  England. 
He  came  to  the  New  World  in  163 1  or  1632,  with  what 
was  called  the  Hooker  Company,  which  settled  in  that 
part  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony  then  known  as  New 
Townc. 

In  1634,  Hooker,  thinking  the  settlement  was  becoming 
too  crowded,  obtained  from  the  Great  and  General  Court 
leave  for  enlargement    or   removal.     He    accordingly   re- 


MA  TTHE  W  BRIDGE. 


55 


moved  to  Connecticut  with  the  larger  part  of  his  com- 
pany. But  John  Bridge  made  up  his  mind  to  stick  to  his 
new  home;  and  by  his  efforts  Rev.  Thomas  Shepard  came 
from  England  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  few  who  re- 
mained after  the  withdrawal  of  Hooker. 

To  John  Bridge,  therefore,  are  ascribed  indirectly  the 
founding  of  the  present  city  of  Cambridge  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  Harvard  College,  since  by  his  efforts  Shepard 
came  to  the  New  World,  and  by  Shepard's  efforts  Cam- 
bridge was  founded  and  Harvard  College  established. 
John  Bridge  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  good  com- 
mon sense,  upright,  conscientious,  and  religious.  He 
held  honors  in  the  town  of  Cambridge,  being  on  the  first 
Board  of  Selectmen,  first  deacon  of  the  church,  and  a 
member  of  the  General  Court. 

Matthew,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  son  of 
Matthew  and  Anne  (Danforth)  Bridge  and  the  grandson 
of  John.  He  was  born  in  Cambridge,  in  the  year  1650, 
on  a  spot  which  has  become  historic.  The  Bridge  home- 
stead was  on  what  is  known  as  the  Craigie  estate,  where 
Washington  had  his  head-quarters  while  in  Cambridge, 
and  recently  the  residence  of  Longfellow. 

Matthew  seems  to  have  inherited  the  traits  of  his  father 
and  grandfather,  being  of  a  sturdy  spirit  and  of  strict  in- 
tegrity. He  came  to  Lexington,  then  Cambridge  Farms, 
some  time  between  1660  and  1670,  his  father  having 
owned  land  here  as  early  as   1643. 

In  1682,  James  Cutler,  Matthew  Bridge,  Jr.,  David  Fiske, 
Sen.,  Samuel  Stone,  Sen.,  Francis  Whitmore,  John  Tidd, 
Ephraim  Winship,  and  John  Winter  petitioned  the  Gen- 
eral Court  to  be  set  off  as  a  separate  parish ;  but  the 
petition,  being  vigorously  opposed  by  the  people  of  Cam- 


56 


MATTHEW  BRIDGE. 


bridge,  was  not  granted,  and,  though  renewed  at  various 
times,  it  was  not  until  1691  that  a  committee  reported 
favorably,  and  the  parish  was  established  the  next  year. 
We  find  that  Matthew  Bridge  subscribed  £,\  toward  the 
building  of  the  first  meeting-house,  after  the  organization 
of  the  parish. 

He  was  married  in  1687  to  Abigal,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  Russel,  from  which  marriage  there  were  nine 
children.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  King  Philip's  War, 
and  also  in  the  ill-fated  Canadian  expedition  of  1690. 
He  was  also  chosen  on  town  and  precinct  committees, 
and  filled  at  some  time  nearly  every  office,  his  first  being 
that  of  constable  in  1693.  He  was  on  the  committee  to 
"  treat  with  Nibour  Muzzey  about  ye  purchas  of  a  parcell 
of  land  lying  northward  of  ye  meeting-hous."  This  is 
now  Lexington  Common,  and  no  one  subscribed  a  larger 
sum  toward  the  purchase. 

On  the  death  of  his  father  in  1700,  being  the  only  sur- 
viving son,  he  inherited  a  large  tract  of  land  situated 
south-westerly  of  Vine  Brook,  and  comprising  about  six 
hundred  acres. 

Upon  the  incorporation  of  the  town  in  171 2,  he  was 
elected  selectman,  town  clerk,  and  town  treasurer,  and 
was  re-elected  to  the  same  offices  in  171 3,  showing  that 
he  possessed  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  townsmen. 
He  served  as  "clerk"  of  the  parish  prior  to  the  incorpo- 
ration of  the  town,  being  first  chosen  in  1698,  and  con- 
tinuously until  171 4.  He  was  treasurer  of  the  town  from 
its  incorporation  in  1712  until  17 16,  inclusive.  At  the 
town-meeting  March  5,  1716,  it  was  voted  "that  Mr. 
Matthew  Bridge,  Treasurer  of  said  Town,  should  have 
three  pounds  allowed  him  for  the  first  two  years  he  kept 
the  Town    Treasury  and    twenty  shillings    a   year  after- 


MATTHEW  BRIDGE. 


$7 


ward  annually  to  whoever  sustaineth  that  office."  It  is  a 
curious  fact  in  regard  to  the  salary  of  the  town  treasurer 
that  this  sum  of  one  pound  remained  the  salary  for 
several  years,  without  any  endeavor  to  increase  it.  In 
1732,  Matthew  Bridge,  Jr.,  being  treasurer,  he  had  the 
following  article  inserted  in  the  warrant :  "  To  see  if  the 
Town  will  gratifie  Mr.  Matthew  Bridge,  Jr.,  his  request 
for  more  allowance  than  what  was  usual,  for  his  services 
as  Treasurer."  This  certainly  showed  a  progressive 
spirit  in  the  Bridge  family,  but  let  us  see  how  the  request 
was  treated. 

In  the  records  of  the  May  meeting  in  1732,  we  find 
the  following  :  "  Voted  to  see  if  the  Town  would  grant 
the  Treasurer,  Matthew  Bridge,  Jr.,  more  than  his  usual 
allowance  for  that  service,  and  it  passed  in  the  negative." 

Again,  in  1747,  there  appears  in  the  warrant,  "By  a 
request  of  Mr.  John  Bridge,  Town  Treasurer,  to  see  if 
the  town  will  allow  him  two  pounds  old  tenor  per  year 
for  serving  the  Town  as  Treasurer";  and  the  following 
action  was  taken  on  it:  "Voted  one  pound  old  tenor  a 
year  to  Mr.  John  Bridge  for  serving  the  Town  as  Treas- 
urer." 

It  seems  strange  that  the  sons  of  the  first  town  treas- 
urer should  have  been  the  only  men  filling  that  office  who 
remonstrated  at  the  paltry  allowance.  Matthew  Bridge 
was  one  of  the  committee  to  provide  the  first  schoolmas- 
ter "that  will  answer  the  law."  Captain  Joseph  Esta- 
brook  was  appointed. 

On  the  seating  of  the  second  meeting-house,  according 
to  the  vote  passed,  "  The  vacant  room  from  the  easterly 
end  of  the  pulpit  by  the  wall  of  said  house  to  the  easterly 
door,  is  granted  to  five  persons,  first  next  the  pulpit  to 


5  8 


MATTHEW  BRIDGE. 


Mr.  Matthew  Bridge  seven  foots  and  one  inch,"  etc. 
This  was  doubtless  considered  an  honorable  position,  and 
he  was  awarded  it  both  on  account  of  his  age  and  his 
extensive  lands. 

He  was  admitted  to  the  church  in  1718.  Upon  the 
marriage  of  his  four  sons,  he  built  each  of  them  a  sub. 
stantial  farm-house,  and  presented  each  with  one  hundred 
acres  of  land.  These  houses  are  still  standing,  and  in 
a  good  state  of  preservation.  The  house  built  for  his  son 
Matthew  is  situated  in  Waltham,  beyond  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Cornelius  Wellington.  John  occupied  the 
house  where  Messrs.  Estabrook  and  Blodgett  now  live ; 
Joseph,  the  house  where  Nehemiah  Wellington  lived,  now 
owned  by  Mr.  O'Brien;  and  Samuel,  who  was  my  ances- 
tor, the  house  owned  by  Mr.  Tompkins. 

Matthew  Bridge  died  in  1738,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-eight  years.  He  lived  an  upright  and  honorable  life, 
and  was  respected  and  honored  by  his  townsmen.  Many 
descendants  of  the  Puritan,  John  Bridge,  have  become  dis- 
tinguished, and  will  always  be  identified  with  the  history  of 
our  country, —  a  President  of  the  United  States,  a  cabinet 
officer,  generals,  and  others,  but  I  doubt  if  there  has 
been  or  will  be  one  of  stricter  integrity  or  more  upright 
character  than  Matthew  Bridge. 

Long  may  the  affairs  of  Lexington  be  directed  by  as  able 
and  conscientious  men ! 


REMINISCENCES  OF  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  THE 
OCCURRENCES   OF   APRIL    19,    1775. 

Read  April  12,  1887,  by  George  O.  Smith. 

Mr.  President, —  I  desire  to  offer  for  the  acceptance  of 
the  Society  the  spectacles  worn  by  Mrs.  Mary  Sanderson, 
together  with  her  pocket-knife,  and  the  mortar  and  pestle 
which  were  a  portion  of  her  marriage  outfit. 

The  knife  was  presented  to  me  by  her  grand-daughters 
a  few  days  after  the  decease  of  Mrs.  Sanderson,  and  has 
been  in  my  possession  since.  The  mortar  has  been  mine 
by  promise  for  some  time,  but,  being  in  use  by  the  family, 
has  only  come  into  my  possession  within  a  few  days.  It 
has  been  used  by  three  generations, —  the  youngest  of 
the  third  being  more  than  sixty  years  of  age, —  and  in 
common  use  one  hundred  and  fourteen  years.  The  spec- 
tacles I  received  a  short  time  since  from  her  surviving 
grandchildren  for  the  purpose  of  presentation  to  the 
Society,  if  deemed  acceptable. 

Many  of  our  older  residents  will  remember  Mrs.  San- 
derson as  "  Old  Lady  Sanderson,"  or  "  Grandma  Sander- 
son," names  by  which  she  was  familiarly  known. 

Born  in  this  town  before  the  dawn  of  the  Revolutionary 
period,  a  wife  and  mother  at  the  time,  and  an  eye-witness 
of  the  opening  scene  of  the  conflict,  in  which  her  husband 
took  part,  she  was  the  last  remaining  of  those  venerated 
worthies,  save  Jonathan  Harrington,  and  a  connecting  link 
between  those  memorable  times  and  our  own. 


(30  REMINISCENCES  OF 

A  few  reminiscences  incident  to  her  long  life  and 
residence  in  this  town  may  not  be  inappropriate  at  this 
time. 

Mary  Munroe,  a  daughter  of  William  Munroe,  Jr.,  and 
Rebeckah  Locke,  a  great-grand-daughter  of  William  Mun- 
roe, Sen.,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1652,  was  born 
Oct.  10,  1748,  in  the  north-easterly  part  of  Lexington, 
then  called  "  Scotland  "  because  of  the  number  of  Scottish 
settlers  residing  there,  the  location,  it  has  been  said, 
being  selected  because  of  its  resemblance  to  the  scenery 
of  their  native  country. 

This  section  I  have  always  understood  to  be  the  dis- 
trict lying  east  and  north  of  the  residence  of  Mr.  George 
Munroe,  extending  to  the  vicinity  of  the  residence  of  the 
late  Mr.  Hugh  Graham  on  the  north  and  to  the  town  line 
of  Woburn  on  the  east. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  1772,  when  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  she  married  Samuel  Sanderson  of  Waltham,  a 
carpenter,  or,  as  the  old  lady  in  later  years  termed  it,  "a 
jiner"  ;  and  they  went  to  live  in  the  house  now  standing, 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Ellery  I.  Garfield,  next  south-east 
of  the  old  "  Munroe  Tavern,"  her  husband  using  the 
basement  for  a  workshop.  Of  Mr.  Sanderson  little  is 
known,  aside  from  the  fact  that  he  was  a  member  of 
Captain  Parker's  company,  and  took  part  in  the  events 
of  April  19.  He  was  an  unassuming  and  rigidly  pious 
man.  In  those  days,  the  carpenter  or  joiner  was  the 
coffin-maker ;  and  Mrs.  Sanderson  related  that  many  a 
night  she  had  held  the  candle  while  her  husband  stained 
the  "  narrow  house  "  of  some  departed  neighbor  or  towns- 
man. In  this  house  they  resided  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775- 


APRIL    19,    1775.  6l 

On  that  morning,  on  the  alarm  being  sounded  and 
assurance  given  that  the  British  were  really  coming,  Mr. 
Sanderson  gathered  his  little  family,  consisting  of  his 
wife  Mary,  their  infant  child,  and  a  little  girl  who 
lived  with  them  ;  and,  taking  such  articles  as  they  could 
hurriedly  collect  and  carry  in  their  arms,  by  the  light  of 
a  lantern  he  piloted  their  way  to  a  refuge, —  the  home 
of  her  father  in  the  new  Scotland. 

Coming  within  sight  of  lights  in  her  father's  house,  he 
left  his  treasures  in  safety,  and,  hurriedly  returning  to 
his  home,  made  all  as  safe  as  possible  against  the  depre- 
dations of  the  enemy,  and  repaired  to  the  rendezvous  of 
Captain  Parker's  company. 

Mrs.  Sanderson,  on  arriving  at  the  house  of  her  father, 
found  her  mother  preparing  breakfast  for  her  two  sons, 
one  of  whom,  disbelieving  the  story  of  the  advancing 
soldiery,  was  loath  to  rise  and  take  so  early  a  breakfast. 

After  the  British  had  retreated  to  Boston,  on  returning 
to  his  home,  Mr.  Sanderson  found  his  house  sacked, 
many  articles  destroyed,  and  their  cow,  a  part  of  Mrs. 
Sanderson's  marriage  portion  or  dower,  killed,  and  a 
wounded  British  soldier  quartered  upon  them. 

Toward  evening,  Mr.  Sanderson  went  for  his  wife ;  and, 
on  learning  of  the  depredations  of  the  British  soldiers,  she 
was  greatly  exasperated,  declaring  she  would  not  return 
to  harbor  and  take  care  of  the  British  soldier.  She 
asked  her  husband  why  he  did  not  "knock  him  in  the 
head,"  saying  she  "would  not  have  him  in  the  house," 
and  that  she  "would  do  nothing  for  him, —  he  might 
starve." 

But  the  town  authorities  said  he  must  be  taken  care 
of,  and  he  remained.     The  soldier  begged  for  tea ;    but 


62  REMINISCENCES  OF 

she  insisted  he  should  have  none,  saying  :  "  What  shoold 
I  gie  him  tea  for  ?  He  shall  hae  nane."  And  she  gave 
him  none  till  her  father  told  her,  if  she  had  any,  to  give 
it  to  him,  and  he  would  make  it  up  to  her  from  his  own 
stock. 

Mrs.  Sanderson,  being  of  Scottish  descent,  and  living 
among  Scotch  people  in  her  youth,  gave  a  Scottish  accent 
to  many  words.  "  Should  "  and  "  would  "  she  pronounced 
"  shoold  "  and  "  woold,"  and  "  have  "  and  "  give  "  as  "  hae  " 
and  "  gie." 

Her  earlier  feelings  of  hatred  for  her  country's  enemies 
continued  in  her  old  age,  and  I  remember  well  her  excited 
manner  and  indignant  tones  whenever  she  spoke  of  them 
or  of  their  doings.  "The  Satanish  critters,"  she  said, 
"stole  and  destroyed  everything  in  the  house,  and  didn't 
leave  rags  enough  to  dress  the  wounds  of  their  own  man." 
When  over  one  hundred  years  of  age,  Mrs.  Sanderson 
described  with  minuteness  many  articles  of  her  wardrobe 
and  household  goods  which  were  destroyed  or  missing, 
rarely  failing  to  mention  the  cow,  and  that  she  was  a  part 
of  her  marriage  portion. 

So  plainly  was  Mrs.  Sanderson's  dislike  of  the  wounded 
man  shown  that  he  refused  food  or  drink  till  first  tasted 
by  some  of  the  family,  evidently  fearing  he  might  be 
poisoned.  This  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  old  lady's 
reply  when  asked,  "  Well,  grandma,  what  did  you  give 
him  ?"  "  Oh,  I  gae  him  all  he  wanted,  and  every  now 
and  then  I  gae  him  a  diivilish  honing" 

Many  incidents  were  related  by  Mrs.  Sanderson  con- 
nected with  the  early  history  and  struggle  of  the  colonies 
for  freedom,  which,  had  they  been  recorded,  would  be  of 
priceless  value  now. 


APRIL    19,    1775-  63 

In  my  boyhood,  I  saw  her  almost  daily,  and  had  a 
fondness  for  questioning  her  of  the  happenings  of  the 
Revolutionary  days  ;  and,  could  I  remember  the  answers 
she  made  to  my  boyish  questions,  a  much  more  interest- 
ing account  of  her  might  be  given.  She  lived  to  see  the 
fourth  generation,  herself  making  the  fifth,  and  could  say, 
in  fact,  "Arise,  daughter,  go  to  thy  daughter,  for  thy 
daughter's  daughter  hath  a  daughter,"  a  great-great-grand- 
daughter having  been  born  to  her. 

In  1776,  with  her  husband  she  moved  to  Lancaster, 
where  she  resided  until  his  death  in  1800,  when  she  went 
to  live  with  her  son  Samuel,  in  Waltham,  residing  with 
him  till  his  death  in  1829.  Subsequently,  she  lived  with 
a  grand-daughter  in  Weston  ;  and  in  1837  she  returned  to 
reside  with  the  widow  of  her  son  Samuel  in  East  Lex- 
ington. 

A  distant  relative  of  Mrs.  Sanderson,  writing  of  her  a 
short  time  previous  to  her  death,  says,  "  She  returned  to 
reside  with  her  old  friend,  the  widow  of  her  son  Samuel, 
with  which  incomparable  woman  and  her  two  daughters 
she  has  resided  for  the  last  fifteen  years." 

When  Kossuth  visited  Lexington  in  1852,  the  escort- 
ing cavalcade  halted,  and  Kossuth  paid  his  respects  to 
her.  Meanwhile,  the  band  played  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  the 
favorite  air  of  the  old  lady,  greatly  to  her  delight. 

Mrs.  Sanderson  was  of  a  lively,  cheerful  temperament, 
and  quick  and  facetious  in  reply. 

When  past  one  hundred  years,  a  distant  relative  —  a 
young  clergyman  —  complimented  her  upon  her  fair  com- 
plexion and  former  personal  attractions.  "  Ay,"  she 
replied  ;  "  and  it  was  lucky  for  you,  young  man,  that  you 
were  not  about  in  those  days." 


64  REMINISCENCES  OF 

As  I  remember  her,  though  always  in  a  sitting  posture, 
because  of  her  inability  to  stand  or  walk,  she  seemed  of 
tall  and  slender  physique,  with  a  pleasing  expression  of 
countenance.  In  her  age,  she  was  not  unattractive  ;  and 
one  would  judge  might,  in  her  younger  days,  have  been 
possessor  of  more  than  ordinary  personal  attractions. 

Said  a  relative :  "  She  was  one  of  the  most  slender  of 
her  family,  and  hence,  perhaps,  her  uncommon  care  of 
herself,  seldom,  if  ever,  going  abroad  after  sunset.  To 
this  care  of  herself,  her  plain,  simple  manner  of  living, 
and  the  salubrious  air  of  her  native  town,  may  be  attrib- 
uted her  great  longevity."  "  Until  above  seventy,  when 
her  power  to  move  about  began  to  fail  her,  she  continued 
to  be  an  active,  industrious  woman,  fulfilling  the  duties 
of  wife  and  mother  while  her  husband  lived,  and  giving 
valuable  aid  for  many  years  in  the  home  of  her  son  —  a 
farmer  —  and  in  the  nurture  of  her  grand-daughters,  who, 
in  her  years  of  age,  faithfully  repaid  her  care  of  them." 

When  past  ninety,  she.  could  use  her  needle,  and  sewed 
upon  many  useful  articles  for  her  friends. 

Her  Bible  and  "  Watts's  Hymns,"  together  with  the 
"  Farmer's  Almanac,"  were  her  constant  companions. 
The  "  Farmer's  Almanac  "  was  daily  consulted  by  herself 
or  her  attendant  for  her  benefit. 

On  account  of  her  extreme  age  and  participation  in  the 
events  of  the  Revolution,  it  was  a  custom  of  clergymen 
exchanging  with  the  pastors  in  the  village  to  call  upon 
"  Grandma  Sanderson  "  ;  and  her  grand-daughter  told  me 
that,  on  one  occasion,  being  told  that  the  minister  was 
below  and  coming  up  to  see  her,  she  quickly  took  her 
almanac  and  slipped  it  under  the  rug  at  her  feet,  saying, 
"  I  woold  na  read  sich  a  book  on  the  Lord's  Day,  but  I 
woold  na  give  him  cause  to  think  I  might." 


APRIL    19,    1775-  65 

Her  sight  returned  to  her  when  past  one  hundred, 
and  she  read  aloud  without  glasses. 

Something  more  than  a  year  before  her  decease,  she 
became  a  helpless  paralytic  and  a  constant  care.  Even 
then  she  understood  what  was  said  to  her,  and  noticed 
what  was  taking  place  about  her,  but  was  unable  to  ex- 
press herself  with  distinctness,  though  understood  by  her 
relatives,  and  in  the  last  hour  of  her  life  inquired  the  con- 
dition of  the  weather.  Her  death  occurred  on  the  15th 
of  October,  1852,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years  and  five  days. 

It  would  be  interesting  for  one  competent  to  do  so  to 
trace  the  great  historic  events  and  changes  and  to  note 
the  advance  in  material  progress  during  the  compass  of 
this  single  life.  To  fully  comprehend  and  realize  them 
would  seem  impossible. 

The  French  and  Indian  War,  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, of  1812  with  Great  Britain,  and  the  Mexican  War 
were  all  begun  and  ended  during  her  life. 

The  "  Stamp  Act,"  the  duty  on  tea  and  imports,  the 
"  Boston  Port  Bill,"  and  all  those  parliamentary  and  ag- 
gressive acts  which  led  to  a  separation  of  the  colonies 
from  Great  Britain,  were  enacted  after  she  was  nearly 
seventeen  years  of  age ;  and  it  is  probable  an  indepen- 
dent existence  for  the  colonies  had  not  been  dreamed  of 
by  the  most  sanguine  patriot  till  after  she  had  arrived  at 
womanhood. 

From  the  narrow  limits  occupied  by  the  thirteen  col- 
onies, sparsely  populated,  and  without  unity  of  govern- 
ment, had  grown  a  union  of  thirty-one  States,  extending 
from  ocean  to  ocean  and  from  the  lakes  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  with  a  population  of  twenty-five  millions. 

The  steam-engine  and  electric  telegraph,  perhaps  the 


66  APRIL    19,    1775- 

two  most  important  inventions  in  their  influence  upon 
civilization,  and  the  cotton-gin,  one  of  the  most  important 
inventions  in  its  effect  upon  American  commercial  prog- 
ress, were  brought  to  light,  and  their  use  and  benefits 
adopted  or  realized  by  every  civilized  nation  of  the  world, 
during  her  lifetime. 

These,  in  a  degree,  help  to  realize  her  extreme  age  ; 
and  I  need  not  trespass  further  on  your  time  or  patience. 

The  surviving  grandchildren  of  Mrs.  Sanderson  are : 
Mr.  Chester  Sanderson,  now  of  Brookline  (who  is  eighty 
years  of  age) ;  Mrs.  Caroline  Goodnow  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
H.  Sanderson,  of  Waltham,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
this  tender  of  the  spectacles  worn  by  their  venerable 
ancestor. 


AMOS   LOCKE. 

Read  by  Herbert  G.  Locke,  Dec.  14,  1887. 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  descendants  of  those  brave 
men  who  stood  on  Lexington  Green  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775,  in  defence  of  the  rights  of  America,  should  seek  to 
honor  their  names. 

Amos  Locke,  of  whose  life  and  characteristics  I  pro- 
pose to  give  a  brief  outline,  was  great-grandfather  of  the 
writer.  His  name  is  found  enrolled  in  Captain  Parker's 
famous  company  of  minute-men.  He  was  born  in  Lex- 
ington, Dec.  24,  1742,  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the 
centre  of  the  village  in  a  northerly  direction,  on  the  farm 
owned  by  his  father.  The  house  stood  where  the  house 
occupied  by  his  grandson,  William  Locke,  now  stands,  on 
the  pathway  known  in  those  days  as  "  Dog  Lane,"  and 
which  would  possibly  be  known  in  these  progressive  days 
as  "  Dog  Lane  Place." 

The  house  in  which  he  was  born  was  taken  down  about 
1830.  The  estate  has  been  owned  by  his  descendants  to 
the  present  time.  Amos  and  Reuben  Locke,  cousins, 
grandsons  of  Joseph  Locke,  Sen.,  both  resided  in  the  old 
house.  Joseph  Locke  was  a  descendant  in  the  second 
generation  of  Deacon  William  Locke,  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Lexington,  who  was  born  in  Stepney  Parish, 
London,  Dec.  13,  1628,  and  came  to  this  country  when  he 
was  but  six  years  of  age  in  the  ship  "  Planter." 

I  have  been  unable  to  obtain  the  maiden  name  of  Amos 


6S  AMOS  LOCKE. 

Locke's  mother.  Her  given  name  was  Sarah.  The 
family  were  remarkable  for  their  longevity,  his  father 
dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years  and  his  grand-parents 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  Amos  Locke,  when 
a  young  man,  received  the  education  common  to  young 
men  of  those  days,  and  when  not  engaged  in  his  studies 
labored  on  the  farm.  He  was  married  to  Sarah  Locke  in 
1769.  She  was  an  orphan,  adopted  and  brought  up  by 
Thomas  Locke.  Amos  Locke  found  in  her  a  diligent 
coworker  and  partner  in  his  struggles,  receiving  words  of 
encouragement  when  the  way  looked  darkest,  and  cheerful 
companionship  when  resting  from  his  daily  toil.  She 
survived  her  husband  by  seven  years,  dying  in  July,  1835, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  They  had  four  children,  all 
of  whom  were  sons. 

In  1776,  June  14,  his  father  sold  to  him,  for  the  nomi- 
nal sum  of  twelve  pounds,  his  part  of  the  house  and 
portions  of  several  pieces  of  land  in  Lexington  and  Wo- 
burn.  On  the  same  day,  he  gave  his  father  and  mother 
a  lease  of  the  same  premises  during  their  natural  lives, 
and  engaged  to  provide  them  with  good  nursing  in  sick- 
ness and  under  the  infirmities  of  advanced  age  until  their 
death.  He  became  a  large  owner  of  real  estate,  having 
bought,  in  addition  to  the  home  farm,  all  the  land  now 
belonging  to  Mr.  Phelps's  farm  on  Adams  Street.  Will- 
iam Locke,  uncle  of  the  writer,  holds  a  number  of  old 
deeds  and  documents,  one  of  which,  I  think,  is  signed  by 
the  king.  Amos  was  not  what  would  be  called  a  rich 
man,  but  simply  well-to-do,  intelligent  for  the  time,  an 
industrious  tiller  of  the  soil,  earning  his  bread  by  the 
sweat  of  his  brow,  and  performing  his  part  in  an  honest 
and  respectable  manner.     When  the  alarm  came  on  that 


AMOS  LOCKE.  69 

memorable  morning,  he  was  up,  and  ready  to  perform  his 
duty  faithfully  and  earnestly.  The  alarm  spread  rapidly 
through  Lexington  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  and  he 
hastened  to  the  scene  of  action,  coming  across  lots  over 
the  hill  by  George  Wright's  house  and  by  Warren  Duren's 
to  the  common.  On  his  arrival,  a  messenger,  who  had 
been  sent  towards  Boston,  returned,  and  reported  that  he 
could  not  learn  that  the  regulars  were  coming.  This 
threw  some  doubt  upon  the  correctness  of  the  alarm  of 
Paul  Revere.  The  weather  being  cool,  the  company  was 
dismissed,  some  returning  to  their  homes,  and  others 
going  to  the  Buckman  Tavern.  He  started  towards  home, 
but  had  not  proceeded  far  when  he  heard  the  sound  of 
the  drum  summoning  him  back.  I  know  of  no  better 
account  of  the  part  he  played  in  the  subsequent  events 
than  that  given  in  the  following  affidavit.  It  reads  as 
follows  :  — 

I,  Amos  Lock  of  Lexington,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  testify 
and  declare  that  between  two  and  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
April  the  19th,  1775,  I  heard  the  bell  ring  which  I  considered  as  an 
alarm  in  consequence  of  a  report  that  John  Hancock  and  Samuel 
Adams  were  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Jonas  Clarke,  and  that  it  was 
expected  that  the  British  would  attempt  to  take  them  Therefore 
Ebenezer  Locke  and  myself  both  being  armed,  repaired,  with  all  pos- 
sible speed,  to  the  meeting-house ;  on  our  arrival,  we  found  the  mi- 
litia were  collecting ;  but  shortly  after,  some  person  came  up  the  road 
with  the  report,  that  there  were  not  any  regulars  between  Boston  and 
Lexington,  consequently  we  concluded  to  return  to  our  families.  We 
had  not  proceeded  far,  before  we  heard  a  firing,  upon  which  we  im- 
mediately returned,  coming  up  towards  the  easterly  side  of  the  com- 
mon, where  under  the  cover  of  a  wall,  about  twenty  rods  distant 
from  the  common,  where  the  British  then  were,  we  found  Asaliel 
Porter  of  Woburn  shot  through  the  body;    upon  which    Ebenezer 


70 


AMOS  LOCKE. 


Lock  took  him,  and  discharged  his  gun  at  the  Britons  who  were  then 
but  about  twenty  rods  from  us.  We  then  fell  back  a  short  distance, 
and  the  enemy  soon  after  commenced  their  march  for  Concord. 

Amos  Lock. 

Middlesex,  ss.  Dec.  29,  1824. 

Then  the  above  named  Amos  Lock  personally  appeared,  and  made 
oath  to  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  affidavit  by  him  subscribed,  be- 
fore me.  Nathan  Chandler, 

Justice  of  the  Peace. 

I  have  been  unable  to  gather  much  information  of  his 
doings  from  1776  until  about  1810.  At  that  time  he  was 
employed  in  a  grist-mill  as  tender.  The  mill  .was  located 
at  Thomas  Locke's  pond  on  the  Middlesex  turnpike.  The 
pond  is  familiarly  known  at  the  present  time  as  "  Gran- 
ger's Pond."  When  business  was  dull  at  the  mill,  he 
would  return  to  his  farm,  which  was  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  mill ;  and,  when  farmers  came  to  have  their  corn 
ground,  they  would  take  from  the  beam  a  large  horn  and 
blow  it,  and  he  would  hasten  to  answer  their  wants,  the 
horn  being  kept  there  for  that  purpose.  I  believe  later 
he  became  owner  of  this  mill.  The  writer's  Uncle  William 
says  he  has  seen  him  in  winter  put  on  his  snow-shoes  and 
take  a  bushel  and  a  half  of  corn  on  his  back,  jump  over 
the  wall,  and  start  off  to  mill  to  grind  it,  and  bring  back 
the  meal  to  make  bread  for  breakfast.  The  snow-shoes 
are  still  in  existence.  It  was  a  favorite  pastime  of  his  to 
amuse  his  grandchildren  by  narrating  some  of  his  hunting 
expeditions,  while  they  were  gathered  about  a  blazing  fire 
of  four-foot  sticks.  They  would  seat  themselves  on  a 
bench  extending  into  the  side  of  the  fireplace,  while  he 
sat  exactly  in  front  of  the  fire  ;  and  the  whole  scene  would 
be  brilliantly  illuminated  by  a  small  pitch-pine  stump,  laid 


AMOS  LOCKE.  y\ 

on  the  blade  of  an  old  hoe  and  made  fast  to  one  side, 
forming  a  most  striking  picture.  Thus  he  would  sit  for 
hours  at  a  time,  and  entertain  those  gathered  about  him. 
I  will  endeavor  to  tell  one  of  his  stories,  which  seems  so 
fabulous  as  hardly  to  be  credible,  but  is  nevertheless  true. 
He  said  that,  during  one  of  his  exploits  with  his  old  flint- 
lock gun,  he  killed  at  one  shot  just  as  many  pigeons  as 
there  are  weeks  in  the  year,  fifty-two.  The  pigeons  in 
those  days  used  to  fly  over  in  large  flocks.  He  would 
build  a  booth,  or  hut,  in  which  to  conceal  himself.  On 
the  outside  of  his  hut  he  would  have  what  was  known  as  a 
"sweep,"  or,  as  we  should  say,  a  well-sweep.  To  the  end 
of  this  he  would  attach  a  live  pigeon,  and  then  shake  the 
sweep :  this  pigeon  would  flap  its  wings  as  the  flock  ap- 
proached, and  attract  their  attention,  when  they  would 
come  down  and  cover  the  sweep  and  the  ground.  And 
on  one  occasion  he  shot,  as  I  have  stated,  fifty-two,  or,  as 
he  expressed  it,  "just  as  many  as  there  are  weeks  in  the 
year,  at  one  shot." 

Amos  Locke  was  not  without  his  peculiarities.  He 
always  cut  his  food  with  a  jack-knife  and  ate  it  from  a 
wooden  plate.  He  used  to  point  out  with  pride  a  land- 
mark that  divided  his  farm,  the  shin-bone  of  a  horse, 
which  remained  in  the  rear  of  the  house  for  a  long  period. 
The  dividing  line  in  front  of  the  premises  ran  through  the 
centre  of  the  old  well. 

In  disposition  he  was  of  an  even  temperament,  lov- 
ing his  neighbor  as  himself,  and  doing  unto  others  as 
he  would  like  to  be  done  by.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he 
never  spoke  ill  of  his  neighbors  or  fellow-men.  He  be- 
lieved in  doing  all  he  had  to  do  well.    After  a  long,  linger- 


72 


AMOS  LOCKE. 


ing  illness,  he  was  called  from  earth  on  the  27th  of  July, 
1828,  dying  in  the  house  where  he  had  always  lived,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

Thus  ended  the  life  of  one  of  those  brave  men  who  was 
willing  to  seal  the  cause  of  American  liberty  with  his 
blood.  Surely,  the  descendants  of  those  patriots  should 
glory  in  the  heritage  of  freedom  which  the  fathers  be- 
queathed. 


THE  OLD  TAVERNS  OF  LEXINGTON. 

Read  by  Edward  P.  Bliss,  Dec.  13,  1887. 

It  is  probable  that  few  towns  in  New  England  suffered  a 
greater  change  than  befell  Lexington  in  consequence  of 
the  construction  of  railroads.  The  Lowell  Railroad  was 
built  in  1835,  and  the  Fitchburg  in  1842;  and  each  decade 
since  has  compassed  more  transformations  and  new  ways 
of  living  than  were  wrought  in  each  half-century  before. 
I  have  been  to  many  of  the  old  people  and  asked  them  to 
talk  of  Lexington  as  it  was  before  railroads  diverted  travel 
and  the  transportation  of  goods  from  the  old  cart-roads. 
I  have  awakened  their  memories  of  the  ox-loads  and  the 
four,  six,  even  eight,  horse  loads  of  the  products  of  the 
once  profitable  farms  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont, — 
great  wagons  laden  with  grain  or  piled  with  wooden  ware 
or  packed  with  homespun  woollens  and  many  other  com- 
modities,—  on  the  way  to  the  markets  of  Boston,  or  re- 
turning from  the  seaport  with  groceries,  cotton  goods,  salt 
fish,  and  the  many  other  necessities  and  luxuries  that 
commerce  brings  from  over  the  seas.  Old  villagers  recall 
the  stage-coaches  and  the  names  of  the  drivers.  Seventy- 
five  years  ago  Lexington  was  busy  with  coming  and  going. 
The  roads  were  sometimes  blocked  with  teams,  and  often 
at  noon-time  forty  wagons  would  be  drawn  up  before  a 
tavern  or  the  stores.  The  twelve  taverns  were  none  too 
many,  and  their  accommodations  were  pressed  to  a  degree 
unendurable  to  our  habits.     Two  beds  in  a  room  and  two 


74 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 


lodgers  in  a  bed  was  the  rule.  Twelve  taverns  !  Where 
were  they  ?  Six  of  them  are  still  standing  hospitably 
close  to  the  roadway. 

The  most  antique,  and  now  nearly  two  centuries  old,  is 
the  Buckman,  built  by  Benjamin  Muzzey,  who  owned  the 
land,  and  in  1693  was  licensed  to  keep  public  house; 
and  it  is  supposed  that  from  the  first  a  sign  hung  before 
it  promising  entertainment  for  man  and  beast.  It  was 
painted  a  yellow-white,  and  the  roof  was  green.  The  dor- 
mer windows  were  built  in  when  it  was  a  century  old. 
The  low  ell  running  out  cornerwise  is  as  old  as  the  house, 
and  is  framed  into  it.  In  it  was  the  first  store,  and  in  181 2 
the  first  post-office  in  Lexington.  The  tavern  sign  hung 
from  a  post  a  little  distance  south-west  of  the  house. 
There  were  formerly  six  out-buildings.  The  largest 
stable  stood  north  of  the  house,  partly  where  the  sidewalk 
now  runs ;  and  the  road  was  then  about  two  rods  nearer 
the  common  than  at  present.  The  ash-trees  on  the  road 
were  set  out  by  John  Buckman  more  than  a  century  ago, 
and  were  then  on  his  land. 

To  all  who  become  used  to  the  proportions  of  this  house 
there  comes  a  conviction  that  the  carpenters  were  also  in- 
telligent architects.  The  roofs  were  expanded  so  as  to 
brood  over  house  and  home.  The  honest  timbers  are 
frankly  displayed  in  the  dining-room,  and  the  fireplace 
in  this  room  is  arched  over  with  picturesque  effect ;  but 
this  construction  was  for  the  purpose  of  accommodating 
the  floors  above.  The  studding  of  the  rooms  on  the  lower 
floor  to  the  right  of  the  entry  is  lower  than  on  the  other 
side,  while  the  chambers  above  are  reversely  higher  and 
lower.  There  were  nine  open  fireplaces,  one  of  them  set 
in  brown  Dutch  tiles.     The  double  chamber  on  the  north 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 


75 


side  of  the  second  floor,  and  the  four  chambers  in  the  roof, 
were  for  guests. 

On  the  Nineteenth  of  April,  1775,  we  find  that  John 
Buckman  was  the  landlord.  He  was  then  thirty  years 
old,  a  member  of  Captain  Parker's  Company,  and  in  his 
public  house  the  patriots  assembled  the  night  before  the 
battle.  When  the  company  drew  up  on  the  Common 
some  of  their  number,  or  perhaps  sympathizing  fellow- 
patriots,  must  have  remained  in  the  tavern  ;  for  shots 
were  fired  at  the  British  from  the  tavern,  and  a  volley 
returned,  the  bullet-marks  of  which  are  still  visible.  Miss 
Mary  Merriam,  now  ninety  years  old,  relates  that  she  has 
often  heard  her  father,  who  was  then  a  boy  of  thirteen, 
say  that  he  stood  on  the  steps  of  the  tavern  that  morn- 
ing, and  that  some  men  —  as  she  expresses  it  —  "who 
wouldn't  stand  up  for  their  country  "  were  near  him,  and 
they  said  that  the  British  would  not  fire  on  them,  as  they 
were  brothers ;  but,  when  that  volley  was  fired  at  the 
house,  they  scrambled  to  the  attic  and  cellar, —  the  boy 
with  those  in  the  attic. 

On  the  retreat  of  the  British,  two  wounded  soldiers  were 
brought  into  the  house,  one  of  whom  died  there  and  was 
buried  with  others  in  an  unmarked  grave  in  the  old  bury- 
ing-ground.  John  Buckman  died  in  1792.  Of  his  per- 
sonality we  know  little,  but  he  was  a  jovial  man  and  fond 
of  a  joke.  One  evening  an  old  toper  brought  with  him 
a  few  pennies  to  buy  rum  to  take  home ;  the  landlord,  re- 
marking that  he  supposed  the  old  fellow  would  rather 
have  his  rum  than  anything  else  in  the  world,  was  an- 
swered that  nothing  could  induce  him  to  give  up  the 
bottle  he  was  taking  off.  The  toper  started  away  with 
his  rum      It  was  a  dark  night,  and  he  lived  back  on  the 


76  THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 

Concord  road.  John  Buckman  snatched  a  candlestick 
that  had  a  contrivance  that  snapped  like  the  click  of  a 
pistol,  and  followed  the  man  to  the  lonesomest  spot,  and 
then,  suddenly  clicking  the  candlestick,  put  the  cold  metal 
to  the  neck  of  the  terrified  man,  demanded  everything 
he  had  with  him,  and  got  the  rum.  That  was  a  fine 
story  to  tell  for  a  few  days ;  but  shortly  after  Buckman 
was  arrested,  and  fined  fifty  dollars  for  highway  robbery, 
and  afterward  he  kept  his  peace. 

Joshua  Simonds  came  into  possession  of  the  tavern  on 
the  death  of  Buckman,  and  in  1794  sold  it  to  Rufus  Mer- 
riam,  his  son-in-law,  on  condition  that  he  should  keep  a 
public  house.  Before  consenting  he  brought  his  chil- 
dren to  sleep  there  for  a  night,  to  try  if  they  could  endure 
the  noise.  He  had  the  date  1794  painted  on  the  sign.  A 
stage-coach  stopped  at  his  house ;  and  his  business  was 
rather  in  providing  meals  than  in  furnishing  lodgings. 
His  custom  was  more  with  "  carriage-folk "  than  with 
teamsters.  Balls  and  parties  were  given  here.  One  espe- 
cially notable  occasion  was  when  a  fashionable  company 
from  Boston  engaged  the  house  and  grounds  for  a  day,  to 
celebrate  the  close  of  the  War  of  18 12,  and  erected  a  mar- 
quee, or  tent,  for  dancing.  The  ladies  were  served  a  fine 
dinner  by  themselves  in  the  double  chamber,  and  the  gen- 
tlemen had  to  find  for  themselves  in  neighboring  taverns. 
There  was  a  guard  stationed  about  the  grounds  to  ex- 
clude Lexington  people.  This  house  was  seldom  opened 
as  a  public  house  after  181 5. 

The  sister  tavern  to  the  Buckman  was  the  Munroe,  built 
in  1695.  We  cannot  think  long  of  these  two  old  houses 
without  calling  up  in  imagination  the  sleepers  in  the  old 
burying-ground.      Under  these   roofs   and    around    these 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS.  yy 

chimneys  gathered  those  who  had  left  pleasant  country 
places  in  old  England  to  make  new  homes  in  "  Cambridge 
Farms,"  as  Lexington  was  then  called.  What  an  omis- 
sion never  to  be  remedied,  it  is,  that  these  people  did  not 
bring  with  them  the  English  habit  of  calling  their  homes, 
or  clusters  of  houses,  or  the  hills  and  woods,  by  names 
significant  and  imaginative !  And  why  did  none  of  them 
take  pains  to  pass  down  to  us  some  Indian  names? 
These  two  old  houses,  let  us  hope,  will  stand  till  some 
Scott  or  Hawthorne  shall  people  them  with  picturesque 
ghosts,  and  reopen  the  mysterious  wine-cellar  under  the 
Buckman,  now  for  so  long  time  solidly  walled  up. 

The  Munroe  Tavern  was  built  by  William  Munroe  in 
1695  ;  and  the  next  year  he  was  licensed  to  keep  a  house 
of  public  entertainment.  The  front  half  of  the  house  is 
the  oldest  part.  John  Comey,  William's  brother-in-law, 
succeeded  him  as  landlord.  In  1770,  William  Munroe,  a 
descendant  of  the  first  owner,  bought  the  house  of  Buck- 
man,  added  the  rear  part,  and  reopened  it  as  a  public 
house.  Afterward  he  built  an  ell  on  the  north  side,  the 
gable  end  of  which  was  toward  the  road.  The  upper  room 
of  this  ell  was  a  dance-hall  on  occasions ;  but  there  were 
usually  in  it  several  beds.  The  lower  room  was  a  shop  or 
store.  The  Hiram  Lodge  of  Free  Masons  was  organized 
in  the  hall,  which  they  long  used  as  a  lodge-room.  A  few 
years  ago  this  ell  was  removed. 

The  Munroe  Tavern  was  occupied  on  the  day  of  the 
battle  by  Earl  Percy,  who  rested  here  to  collect  his  re-en- 
forcements. The  house  was  sacked  by  the  soldiers,  and 
an  inoffensive  old  man  was  killed  while  trying  to  escape 
from  the  rear.  Several  of  the  wounded  soldiers  were 
brought  in,  and  their  wounds  were  dressed.     We  are  glad 


78  THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 

it  was  the  good  fortune  and  great  honor  of  that  landlord 
and  patriot,  William  Munroe,  to  entertain  as  a  guest  in 
his  house  President  Washington,  who  came  to  Lexington 
in  November,  1789,  and  dined  in  the  double  room  of  the 
second  floor  on  the  south-east  side.  The  boys  climbed 
into  the  elm-tree,  still  standing  before  the  front  of  the 
house,  to  get  a  sight  at  Washington. 

Jonas  Munroe  succeeded  his  father  William  as  landlord  ; 
and  he  experienced  the  highest  prosperity  of  tavern-keep- 
ing days  until  the  railroads  turned  away  the  course  of 
travellers.  The  Munroe  Tavern  was  always  a  home-like 
and  inviting  place.  The  doors  were  never  locked.  Many 
parties,  or  balls,  as  they  were  ambitiously  styled,  were 
given  here.  The  two  landlords,  William  and  his  son 
Jonas,  were  specially  endowed  with  the  qualities  of  heart 
and  manner  which  make  up  a  host  under  whose  care  it  is 
a  blessing  to  fall,  This  public  house  was  rather  a  public 
home  to  townspeople  and  to  strangers.  On  the  sign  was 
a  punch-bowl. 

Lydia  Tidd,  widow  of  Daniel,  was  licensed  to  keep  a 
public  house  in  1699.  Her  husband  died  in  1696,  leaving 
her  the  care  of  two  children.  Perhaps  her  prosperous 
father-in-law,  then  an  old  man,  let  her  have  the  use  of 
the  old  Tidd  House  in  North  Lexington,  which  was  his 
property ;  or  we  can  imagine  that  she  independently  set 
up  for  herself  and  her  children  in  some  other  house 
which  long  ago  lost  its  reputation  as  a  tavern. 

The  next  in  age  of  the  Lexington  taverns  was  that 
which  stood  on  the  old  Concord  road,  about  two  miles 
from  the  Buckman.  It  faced  the  old  road,  now  little  used, 
and  was  invaded  by  the  British  soldiers  and  the  bar  ran- 
sacked.    It  was  called  the  Bull  Tavern,  and  Daniel  Childs 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 


79 


first  kept  it.  In  1820,  Joel  Viles  bought  it;  and  it  con- 
tinued a  tavern  until  after  1850.  It  was  a  large  house,  had 
long  barns  on  one  side  for  horses,  and  space  in  sheds  on  the 
other  side  for  forty  yoke  of  oxen,  so  much  were  those  creat- 
ures then  made  of  service.  The  sign  was  a  bull :  hence 
it  was  called  "Bull  Tavern." 

A  little  tavern  which  I  have  included  in  the  twelve  is 
the  Hoar  Tavern,  which  is  just  within  the  precincts  of 
Lincoln.  Some  of  the  American  patriots,  meeting  to 
harass  the  British  on  their  retreat,  had  lunch  in  this 
house.  It  was  first  kept  by  John  Hoar,  then  by  Leonard 
Hoar,  and  lastly  by  Joseph  L.  Hoar.  It  was  not  alto- 
gether a  public  house  ;  but  it  was  a  place  at  which  a  meal 
or  a  bed  could  be  had.     Mr.  Sherman  lives  there  now. 

Most  affectionately  remembered  by  our  old  men  is  the 
Dudley  Tavern,  which  stood  north  of  the  brick  house 
opposite  the  flagstaff  on  the  Common.  Nathan  Dudley 
came  to  Lexington  in  1790,  and  soon  after  opened  this 
tavern,  which  he  kept  till  1835.  It  nas  been  entirely  re- 
moved. It  was  very  popular  with  teamsters,  who  stopped 
here  for  dinner  only ;  for  it  had  small  accommodations  for 
lodgers. 

Mr.  Dudley  made  such  good  flip,  and  was  so  happy  to 
have  his  neighbors  come  in,  that  it  is  said,  after  great 
snow-storms,  before  the  roads  were  broken  open,  foot- 
paths would  be  shovelled  from  all  directions  in  the  neigh- 
borhood up  to  the  Dudley  Tavern,  and  the  rigors  of  winter 
forgotten  in  good  fellowship  and  a  mug  of  flip.  On  Sun- 
days, between  services,  the  women  and  children  would 
eat  their  lunch  in  Mr.  Dudley's  parlor,  and  the  men 
would  collect  in  the  bar-room  and  purchase  gingerbread 
and  cheese.    Mr.  William  Locke,  now  eighty-five  years  old, 


So  THE    0LD    TAVERNS. 

can  remember  once  being  in  that  bar-room  after  morning 
services  ;  and  old  men  were  seated  in  a  semicircle  before 
a  peat  fire,  passing  a  great  mug  of  flip  from  one  to  the 
other,  and  talking  over  the  French  and  Indian  War,  m 
which  some  of  them  had  taken  part.  A  hundred  and 
fifty  years  back  in  oral  history  can  one  bright  old  man 
take  us,  who  still  lives  in  this  town  ! 

The  largest  and  most  considerable  in  the  busiest  tavern- 
keeping  times  was  the  Monument  House,  built  in  the 
year  1802,  by  Amos  Muzzey,  three  years  after  the  monu- 
ment was  placed  on  the  Common,  for  which  it  was  named. 
It  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Town  Hall.  It  had  a 
gambrel  roof,  with  two  dormer  windows,  and  was  painted 
yellow.     It  was  first  kept  by  Amos  Muzzey,  afterward  by 

John     Parker,   Haywood,     Oliver    Locke,    Samuel 

Chandler,  Elias  Mead,  and  last  by  J.  D.  How.  In 
1847,  Mr.  Benjamin  Muzzey,  who  owned  the  property,  tore 
down  the  old  house  and  built  a  hotel  costing  over  $20,000, 
which  passed  through  several  hands,  and  was  burned  down 
in  1867,  having  been  occupied  lastly  by  Dr.  Dio  Lewis 
for  a  girls'  boarding-school. 

This  old  Monument  House  was  the  most  prosperous  of 
all  the  taverns,  and  is  the  oftenest  spoken  of  by  old 
travellers.  The  sign  about  five  feet  square,  with  edges 
cut  in  ornamental  curves,  hung  thirty  feet  high  on  a  post 
over  the  pump  and  trough.  The  devices  on  the  sign 
were  emblematical  of  good  cheer.  On  one  side  was  a 
whitc-frocked  butcher,  standing  by  his  cart,  on  the  side 
of  which  was  painted  a  sirloin  of  beef.  On  the  reverse 
side  of  the  sign  were  two  fat  oxen,  red  and  white,  one 
looking  over  the  other's  back. 

Many  public  dinners  and  balls  were  given  in  this  house  ; 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS.  8 1 

and  sleighing  parties  came  here  on  winter  nights.  In  a 
frame  in  the  Massachusetts  House  there  are  cards  of 
invitation  to  these  entertainments.     The  oldest  reads  :  — 

This  card  admits  bearer  Mr.  Nathan  Chandler  to  the  Ball  at  Mr. 
Muzzey's  Hall,  Lexington,  on  the  first  of  January,  1S1 1.  To  commence 
at  5  p.m. 

Thos.  Johnson,  Samuel  Mulliken,  Oliver  Locke, 

Managers. 

Sometimes  the  dancing  commenced  at  four  o'clock ; 
and  the  custom  was  to  dance  till  the  same  hour  in  the 
morning, —  twelve  hours  of  brisk  dancing  to  a  single  fiddle, 
with  a  lunch  of  cream  toast !  There  were  two  open  fire- 
places in  this  old  dance-hall. 

It  is  related  that  a  half-crazy  fellow  named  Chaplin, 
always  acting  under  the  illusion  that  he  was  a  great 
soldier,  and  sometimes  even  an  entire  army,  one  day  came 
into  the  Monument  House,  where  he  was  familiarly 
known,  and  assuringly  said  to  the  landlord  that  he  thought 
he  had  sense  enough  to  have  a  glass  of  grog.  After 
some  banter,  the  landlord  gave  him  a  drink,  which  he 
swallowed  with  gusto,  and  then  calmly  remarked  that  he 
guessed  he  hadn't  cents  enough  to  pay  for  it,  and  went 
out,  leaving  the  landlord  to  take  the  guys  of  his  other 
guests  with  the  best  grace  he  could. 

Up  in  North  Lexington  there  is  a  neighborhood  of  well- 
built  white  houses.  Across  the  road  from  the  two-cen- 
turies-old cottage  is  the  Simonds  Tavern,  built  with  brick 
ends.  It  has  two  large  chimneys  and  two  front  doors, 
between  which  was  the  bar-room,  doubly  easy  of  access. 
There  were  two  kitchens  ;  and  there  must  have  been  good 
business  here,  for  it  was  enlarged  at  the  southern  end. 
There  was  a  large  room  which  could  be  used  as  a  dance- 


82  THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 

hall,  in  which  was  a  double  row  of  beds.  In  the  parlor  at 
the  northern  end  the  antiquarian  will  enjoy  the  panelling, 
the  heavy  cornice,  and  especially  the  chimney  mantel- 
shelf, high  and  narrow,  and  under  it  a  generous  fireplace, 
framed  in  blue  and  white  Dutch  tiles  with  Bible  pictures. 
This  tavern  was  kept  by  Joshua  Simonds  from  1802  till 
1828. 

The  second  house  beyond  this  was  also  a  tavern.  John 
P.  Reed  lives  in  the  house  now.  It  was  built  by  Christo- 
pher Reed  in  1822.  The  parlor  is  the  only  room  that  re- 
mains as  it  used  to  be.  The  room  at  the  left  of  the  hall 
was  the  bar-room ;  and  the  bar  itself  was  in  a  little  room 
now  removed.  There  was  the  usual  large  convertible 
dance-hall  bed-chamber  in  the  ell,  now  moved  back,  which 
formerly  stood  in  line  with  the  front  of  the  house ;  and 
the  large  barn,  now  turned  about,  stood  then  lengthwise 
in  line  with  the  rest  of  the  establishment. 

The  Davis  Tavern  stood  where  the  Catholic  church 
now  is.  From  1833  to  1843  it  was  kept  by  Joseph  Davis, 
who  came  here  from  Princeton. 

A  house  just  beyond  the  boundary  in  Burlington  was 
the  Richardson  Tavern,  standing  at  the  junction  of  the 
Burlington  road  and  the  Lowell  turnpike.  Three  stages 
stopped  here,  and  two  of  them  changed  horses,  thus  bring- 
ing to  the  dining-room  and  the  bar  much  custom.  The 
ceilings  of  the  rooms  in  this  house  are  almost  oppressively 
low.  There  was  once  a  dancing  party  given  here,  at- 
tended by  some  Lexington  young  people,  one  of  whom, 
now  quite  old,  remembers  that  a  great,  strapping  fellow, 
prominent  in  the  dancing,  suddenly  interrupted  the  gaiety 
by  falling  in  a  pretended  faint ;  and,  with  prompt  appli- 
ance of  resources  nearest  at  hand,  they  brought  him  to 
by  pouring  down  his  throat  a  bowl  of  oysters. 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 


83 


On  the  Concord  turnpike,  a  few  rods  from  the  Theodore 
Parker  birthplace,  stands  a  large  house  with  brick  ends, 
kept  by  William  Simonds  as  a  tavern  from  18 10  till  1828. 
Why  so  many  fine  old  buildings  were  constructed  with 
brick  ends  I  have  failed  to  learn. 

This  tavern  often  accommodated  forty  lodgers ;  but  it 
was  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  taverns  to  fail  of  custom, 
and  it  was  kept  rather  as  a  road-house  than  a  place  for 
lodgers.  In  those  days,  when  prosperous  farmers  of  New 
England  parentage  lived  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
there  was  a  dancing-school  in  this  tavern,  and  many  parties 
were  given  here. 

In  East  Lexington  there  was  the  Old  Bowman  Tavern, 
which  at  first  consisted  of  two  houses  joined  together, 
the  older  of  which  was  taken  down  in  1843.  The  land- 
lords were  Bowman,  Brown,  Spear,  Wyman,  then  Lemuel 
Lakin,  for  whom  it  was  called  "  Lakin's  Tavern."  He 
kept  it  from  1833  till  1840,  and  was  succeeded  by  Flint, 
Fields,  and  the  last  landlord,  James  W.  Colburn.  It  has 
been  a  private  dwelling-house  since  1843,  and  is  now 
occupied  by  Henry  Webber.  This  tavern  had  a  good 
share  of  custom.  In  the  busy  season  forty  horses  were 
put  up. 

Another  tavern  stood  where  the  Willard  House  now  is, 
and  was  kept  by  Stephen  Robbins ;  and  afterward  it  be- 
came known  as  "Cutler's." 

The  management  and  the  customs  of  these  public 
houses,  and  the  thrifty  yet  kindly  ways  of  the  landlords, 
with  their  hearty,  boisterous,  ever-changing  households, — 
these  are  the  topics  it  is  fascinating  to  set  the  old  men 
talking  about.  The  tavern-keepers  were  mostly  farmers, 
and  always  large   buyers  of   the  produce   of   neighbors. 


84  THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 

Hay  and  grain  sold  at  good  prices,  and  were  largely 
raised  here.  There  were  no  servants,  but  "  helpers,"  —  all 
American  born  and  equals.  The  wives  superintended  the 
kitchens,  and  were  the  cooks.  Their  own  or  neighbors' 
daughters  waited  at  table.  On  fine  occasions  there  were 
two  black  women  who  came  in  to  serve,  dressed  all  in 
white.  They  were  named  "the  Tulips."  Boys  worked  in 
the  stables ;  and  man's  as  well  as  woman's  work  was 
never  done. 

The  landlord,  besides  being  everywhere  and  knowing 
everybody,  usually  dispensed  the  beverages  at  the  bar ; 
for  toddy,  black-strap,  flip,  and  hard  cider  were  drunk  by 
nearly  all,  from  ministers  to  teamsters.  Although  there 
was  much  liquor  used,  drunkenness  was  not  common  ;  yet 
the  bad  effects  of  alcohol  were  in  various  ways  apparent. 
It  is  instructive  to  consider  how  free  the  use  of  rum  was 
in  those  times,  by  men  of  English  and  Scotch  descent, 
and  to  see  how  it  was  not  legislation,  but  good  sense,  that 
brought  them  to  abstain  from  it.  Our  ancestors,  newly 
come  from  Europe,  used  intoxicants  as  freely  as  the  newly 
arrived  Irish  do  to-day.  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  expect 
that  climate,  example,  and  good  sense  will  have  the  same 
effect  on  them,  making  them  naturally  and  not  perforce 
abstainers  ? 

In  old  times,  New  England  rum  was  the  common  drink, 
sold  at  wholesale  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a  gallon,  and 
at  three  or  five  cents  a  glass.  Flip  —  not  made  anywhere 
now  —  is  remembered  fondly  by  old  folks, —  a  most  "  insin- 
uating" drink  one  of  them  calls  it.  It  was  made  of  home- 
brewed beer,  sugar,  and  a  toss  of  Jamaica  rum,  stirred  in 
a  mug  with  a  red-hot  iron, —  called  a  "loggerhead," — 
which  made  it  boil  and  foam,  and  gave  it  a  burnt,  bitter 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS.  85 

flavor.  When  a  company  were  seated  before  the  fire,  one 
great  mug  of  it  was  passed  around, —  the  loving  cup.  So 
common  a  drink  was  it  in  winter-time  that  the  logger- 
head was  always  kept  in  the  fire. 

The  charge  for  a  lodging  in  half  a  bed  was  ten  cents, 
afterward  twelve  and  a  half  cents.  Breakfast  and  supper 
were  each  twelve  and  a  half  cents.  Dinner  was  twenty- 
five  cents.  Horses  were  put  up  for  fifty  cents,  which 
seems  high ;  but  they  were  well  fed,  and  grain  was  costly. 
We  can  see  why  the  farmers  dreaded  the  railroads,  and 
abused  them  as  bringing  ruin  to  the  country,  just  as  some 
provincials  speak  now  of  commerce. 

Some  saving  teamsters  brought  fodder  for  their  horses 
and  a  box  of  food  for  themselves,  paying  only  ten  cents 
for  a  lodging,  and,  of  course,  something  for  grog.  Yet 
they  were  welcome  to  the  taverns,  as  swelling  the  current 
of  business ;  and  gridirons  were  hung  about  the  bar-room 
fireplace  for  their  free  use. 

Breakfast  was  served  at  about  half-past  four  o'clock  in 
summer  and  at  five  in  winter,  as  the  teamsters  must  get 
on  the  road  early.  It  was  a  good  meal  of  beefsteak,  mut- 
ton chops,  eggs,  and  often  roast  chicken,  as  poultry-keep- 
ing had  a  large  share  in  tavern  economy.  Pie  was  often 
served  at  breakfast.  Dinner  was  a  real  country  repast, 
usually  something  boiled,  though  the  tin  kitchens  could 
produce  never-again-to-be-equalled  roasts.  We  can  im- 
agine the  drivers,  with  vigorous  appetite,  tearing  the 
meat  with  two-tined  forks,  and  passing  it  to  the  mouth  on 
broad-bladed  knives. 

Before  we  serve  supper,  let  us  see  who  are  the  arrivals 
in  town  during  the  day.  Mostly,  they  are  the  drivers  of 
loads  of  merchandise  from  the  back  country,  some  even 


36  THE    OLD    TAVERNS. 

from  Canada,  meeting  others  just  out  from  Boston. 
There  is  loud  interchange  of  news  and  the  gibes  of  good 
fellowship.  Let  it  be  a  November  afternoon.  There  are 
forty  wagons  in  some  of  the  barns.  There  have  come  into 
the  town  droves  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs,  which  are 
yarded  near  by.  Unfortunate  men  were  the  two  who  ar- 
rived just  before  sundown,  one  going  ahead  in  a  cart  and 
dropping  corn  and  the  other  afoot  in  the  rear  of  a  strag- 
gling, erratic  procession  of  a  thousand  turkeys.  Their 
misfortune  lay  in  not  getting  over  Concord  hill  before  sun- 
down ;  for,  as  soon  as  it  began  to  darken,  the  fowls,  gob- 
bling, halting,  stopped  and  craned  their  heads  toward 
the  trees  along  the  road,  and  no  urging  would  move 
them  onward.  One  and  another,  and  then  all  the  rest, 
flew  up  into  the  branches,  and  soon  were  quiet,  except 
for  the  breaking  of  a  limb  and  a  moment's  disturbance. 
Those  turkey-drivers  would  have  been  much  happier, 
had  their  turkeys  roosted  all  over  the  Munroe  Tavern 
and  the  out-buildings,  and  themselves  secured  the  hos- 
pitality of  Uncle  Jonas.  The  drivers  of  a  flock  of  geese 
two  days  before  had  arrived  in  good  season.  But,  when 
the  turkeys  were  in  the  trees,  and  the  dusk  deepened 
into  darkness,  the  men  rode  rapidly  into  town,  mindful 
that  they  must  anticipate  the  sunrise  in  awakening  their 
charge,  and  calling  them  into  line  by  scattering  corn. 
But  they  missed  great  sport  at  the  tavern  ;  for  a  little 
earlier  "Priest"  Muzzey  swaggered  up,  loud-voiced  and 
rough.  He  had  been  an  itinerant  minister,  but  was  now 
a  tavern  loafer.  Uncle  Jonas  was  feeling  somewhat 
Herculean  himself  that  afternoon,  and,  after  a  moment's 
banter,  he  threatened  to  lay  Priest  Muzzey  on  the  cold 
earth.     There    was    a   rush   together,  a   struggle,  and  — 


THE   OLD    TAVERNS. 


87 


Uncle  Jonas  was  the  under  half  of  that  heap  of  struggling 
humanity.  No  one  could  more  cheerfully  endure  to  be 
laughed  at  than  that  amiable  man  ;  and  every  onlooker 
among  his  guests  felt  that,  if  there  were  still  a  charm  in 
his  making  flip,  the  vanquished  would  be  the  triumphant 
host  before  bedtime.  Let  us  yield  to  the  kind  welcoming 
of  that  ideal  tavern-keeper,  and  be  present  ourselves  before 
the  big  fireplace  in  the  dull  glow  of  the  peat  embers,  and 
get  the  tidings  of  the  day,  talk  politics,  and  have  our  hearts 
as  well  as  ideas  enlarged  by  face  to  face  discussion. 

And  now,  having  brought  the  day  to  its  close,  and 
realizing  that  we  live  in  a  new  age,  can  we  not  distinctly 
recognize  that  the  hospitable  spirit  of  those  old  tavern- 
keeping  days  prevails  still  ?  for  have  not  many  of  us  felt 
that  the  sentiment  of  Lexington  to-day  is, — 

"  Come  in  and  make  yourself  at  Jiome"  ? 


LEXINGTON    ACADEMY. 
Read  by  A.  E.  Scott,  April  12,  1S87. 

The  Lexington  Academy  and  its  building  have  been 
identified  with  the  history  of  Lexington  to  such  an  extent 
that  a  short  paper  regarding  them  seems  desirable. 

I  find  by  the  county  records  that  the  land  between  the 
Clark  House,  on  Hancock  Street  (which  was  the  old  Bed- 
ford road),  and  the  Common  was  part  of  the  estate  of 
Rev.  Jonas  Clark. 

In  18 19,  the  heirs  of  Jonas  Clark,  the  deed  being  signed 
by  Thomas  Clark  and  fifteen  others,  conveyed  to  John 
Augustus,  described  as  a  cordwainer,  who  lived  in  the 
house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  James  Gould,  between  eight 
and  nine  acres  of  land,  bounded  by  the  town's  Common, 
the  old  and  new  roads  leading  to  Bedford,  and  other  land 
of  the  estate,  the  consideration  being  $1,100. 

Mr.  Augustus  conveyed  to  the  Trustees  of  Lexington 
Academy  a  part  of  the  same  land,  described  "as  being 
near  the  meeting-house  and  containing  about  half  an 
acre,"  and  as  "beginning  on  the  south-easterly  corner  by 
the  old  road  leading  to  Burlington,  and  by  the  town's 
Common,  thence  running  northerly  by  said  road  nine 
rods  to  a  stake  and  stones,  thence  running  westerly  about 
twelve  rods  to  a  stake  and  stones  at  the  new  road  leading 
to  Bedford,  thence  running  southerly  by  said  road  nine 
rods  and  ten  feet  to  the  town's  Common,  thence  running 
easterly  by  said  Common  to  the  bounds  first  mentioned." 


LEXINGTON  ACADEMY. 


39 


"For  the  purpose  of  erecting  an  Academy  by  the  name 
of  Lexington  Academy  and  for  such  other  purposes  as  the 
said  trustees  and  their  successors  shall  think  best  to  pro- 
mote the  designs  of  the  institution." 

It  appears  that  the  people  of  Lexington  were  thus  early 
interested  in  better  educational  advantages  than  the  town 
schools  afforded,  and  resolved  to  establish  an  Academy 
not  only  for  their  own  pupils,  but  also  for  all  who  might  be 
drawn  here  from  other  towns. 

Great  interest  was  felt  in  the  project,  and  nearly  all  of 
the  leading  people  subscribed  liberally. 

From  the  records  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State, 
I  find  that,  by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  in  1822,  a  charter 
was  granted,  establishing  "  an  Academy  by  the  name  of 
the  Lexington  Academy,"  "for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
religion  and  morality,  and  for  the  education  of  youth  in 
such  of  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences  as  the  trustees  for  the 
time  being  shall  direct,"  with  power  to  hold  property,  the 
income  of  which  should  not  exceed  three  thousand  dollars. 

Rufus  Meriam,  Esq.,  Dr.  Joseph  Fiske,  John  P.  Meriam, 
Esq.,  Dr.  Stillman  Spaulding,  Nathan  Reed,  John  Augus- 
tus, Joshua  Simonds,  Joseph  Simonds,  Christopher  Reed, 
Nathaniel  Harrington,  William  Chandler,  Aaron  P.  Rich- 
ardson, Thomas  Tufts,  Nathaniel  Harrington,  Jr.,  Nathan 
Dudley,  Hammond  Reed,  Ebenezer  Simonds,  Thomas 
Greenleaf,  Jonathan  Munroe,  Francis  Wyman,  and  William 
Smith,  Jr.,  were  appointed  Trustees. 

They  appear  to  have  proceeded  at  once  to  purchase  the 
land  and  to  erect  the  building  which  is  now  occupied  by 
the  Hancock  Congregational  Society.  The  building  seems 
to  have  been  well  constructed,  and  to  have  been  superior  to 
most  school  buildings  at  that  time.     It  contained  a  fine 


9o 


LEXINGTON  ACADEMY. 


hall  in  the  upper  story,  which,  with  other  conveniences, 
was  furnished  with  a  large  fireplace  at  each  end,  affording 
ventilation  and  good  cheer,  and  which  added  brilliancy  to 
many  occasions,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the  grand  ball 
that  closed  the  exercises  of  dedication. 

Rev.  Caleb  Stetson  was  the  first  principal,  assisted  by 
John  Wright.  By  the  first  catalogue  of  the  institution, — 
July,  1823, —  it  appears  that  the  school  was  started  under 
very  favorable  auspices.  Eighty-four  students  from  sev- 
eral States  were  enrolled,  seventeen  being  from  Lexing- 
ton. Those  from  other  towns  lived  with  different  families 
in  the  village.  Mr.  Stetson  remained  in  charge  of  the 
Academy  three  years,  and  was  followed  by  Mr.  Wright, 
Mr.  Sherman,  Mr.  Huntington,  Mr.  Hager,  and  Mr.  Rus- 
sell ;  but  its  early  years  seem  to  have  been  its  most  pros- 
perous ones.  It  had  no  endowment  from  which  an  income 
could  be  received,  it  failed  to  continue  self-supporting,  and 
was  finally  given  up.  The  early  graduates  seem  to  have 
felt  an  affectionate  regard  for  the  institution.  They 
formed  an  association  called  the  Lexington  Academy  As- 
sociation, which  held  reunions  in  Lexington  for  many 
years  after  the  Academy  was  discontinued. 

Other  teachers,  Mr.  Houghton,  Mr.  Whitney,  and  Mr. 
Blodgett,  and  Mrs.  Trask,  leased  the  building  at  different 
times ;  but  their  schools  were  not  long  prosperous,  and  it 
was  finally  closed. 

In  1833,  the  Trustees  of  the  Academy  sold  the  prop- 
erty, with  "  one  cast-iron  stove  and  pipe,"  to  Austin  Chit- 
tenden. This  is  the  last  record  I  have  been  able  to  find 
of  the  doings  of  the  Academy.  What  was  done  with  the 
funds  received  from  the  sale  of  the  property,  or  how  the 
affairs  of  the  Corporation  were  settled,  does  not  appear. 


L  EXING  TON  A  CA  DEM  Y. 


91 


In  1835,  Mr.  Chittenden  sold  the  property,  with  the 
same  stove  and  pipe,  to  Timothy  P.  Ropes.  It  appears 
from  a  catalogue  in  my  possession  that  Mr.  Ropes  and 
Samuel  Stetson  established  a  school,  which  they  called 
"Lexington  Manual  Labor  Seminary."  The  object  of  the 
school,  as  the  prospectus  states,  was  "to  blend  useful  in- 
struction and  innocent  recreation  with  habits  of  industry 
and  profitable  labor ;  to  furnish  youth  with  agreeable 
exercise ;  to  make  them  acquainted  with  the  use  of 
mechanical  tools  and  with  mechanical  operations,  also 
with  horticultural  pursuits."  Thus  one  of  the  earliest 
experiments  in  industrial  education  was  tried  at  Lexing- 
ton. 

For  the  purpose  of  carrying  this  plan  into  effect,  the 
prospectus  says,  "  We  have  taken  the  commodious  academ- 
ical building  in  this  village,  together  with  a  mechanical 
shop  and  sufficient  land  for  our  purpose."  The  scholars 
were  allowed  to  employ  their  leisure  hours  in  the  shop 
or  garden ;  and  the  products  of  their  labor  were  to  be  re- 
ceived at  a  fair  price  toward  their  tuition. 

The  basement  of  the  Academy  was  fitted  up  for  the 
shop ;  and  the  land  around  the  building,  and  probably  a 
larger  lot  near  by,  were  used  for  the  planting  of  trees  and 
a  garden.  The  window-blinds  on  the  house  formerly  of 
Captain  Phelps  are  said  to  have  been  made  there,  and  at 
times  there  were  sales  of  articles  made  in  the  shop ;  but  I 
have  not  been  able  to  learn  many  details. 

The  triangular  piece  of  land  now  in  front  of  the  Han- 
cock Church  was  cut  off  from  the  town's  Common  by  the 
laying  out  of  the  new  Bedford  road,  and  Mr.  Ropes  asked 
the  privilege  of  setting  trees  upon  it ;  but  objection  was 
made  in  town-meeting  that,  if  allowed,  it  might  be  doubt- 


92 


LEXINGTON  ACADEMY. 


ful  whether  the  trees  would  be  the  property  of  the  town 
or  of  Mr.  Ropes. 

The  plan  of  the  school  seems  to  have  been  well  con- 
ceived ;  but  it  was  evidently  not  a  financial  success,  for 
I  find  that  the  property  was  mortgaged  by  Mr.  Ropes,  in 
June,  1835,  t0  tne  Trustees  of  the  Ministerial  Fund ;  in 
December  following  to  Benjamin  Muzzey,  for  $200 ;  in 
March,  1836,  to  Thaddeus  Munroe,  for  $300;  in  Septem- 
ber following  to  A.  P.  Wyman,  for  $300 ;  and  in  May, 
1837,  t0  Calvin  Smith,  for  $500;  and  that  the  enterprise 
was  soon  thereafter  abandoned. 

In  1838,  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  passed  the 
resolve  making  an  appropriation  for  Normal  Schools. 

The  Board  of  Education  decided  that  they  would  be 
influenced  to  some  extent  as  to  the  location  of  the  schools 
by  the  interest  shown  by  the  people  in  the  object. 

Plymouth  County  was  early  in  the  field,  to  secure  one 
of  the  schools.  Wren t ham  and  Braintree  applied  for  Nor- 
folk ;  Barre,  Southbridge,  and  Lancaster,  for  Worcester ; 
Dummer  Academy  at  Byfield,  for  Essex.  Concord  com- 
peted with  Lexington  for  Middlesex ;  and  Topsfield, 
Worthington,  New  Salem,  and  Northfield  pressed  their 
claims.  Lexington  was  fortunate  in  having  at  that  time 
this  building,  which  could  be  availed  of.  This  the  people 
offered  free  of  rent,  and  in  addition  raised  by  subscription 
$543  towards  its  fitting  and  furnishing,  and  gave  further 
pledges  of  assistance. 

The  Board  of  Education  in  their  report  to  the  Legis- 
lature say :  — 

"  At  the  last  meeting,  on  the  28th  of  December,  we  re- 
ceived from  persons  interested  in  the  cause  of  education 
at   Lexington    the  offer  of  a  building  well  fitted  for  the 


LEXINGTON  ACADEMY. 


93 


purpose  and  of  liberal  pecuniary  co-operation  towards  the 
current  expenses  of  the  institution. 

"The  village  has  all  the  advantages  to  be  desired,  of 
local  situation.  Great  interest  is  manifested  in  its  estab- 
lishment in  behalf  of  many  citizens  of  the  place  ;  and  the 
premises  placed  at  the  disposition  of  the  Board  are  con- 
venient and  ample." 

As  soon  as  the  offer  made  by  Lexington  was  accepted, 
many  alterations  were  made  in  the  building :  the  base- 
ment was  fitted  for  a  kitchen  and  dining-room,  the  first 
story  for  the  model  school,  the  main  hall  for  the  principal 
school-room,  and  the  attic  story  was  divided  into  rooms 
for  pupils. 

This  building  was  occupied  by  the  Normal  School  from 
1839  t0  l844- 

After  the  removal  of  the  school,  it  had  a  curious  history. 
For  a  while  it  was  occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waite  for  a 
boarding  and  day  school.  The  school  seems  to  have  been 
well  patronized,  but  without  special  merit.  The  most 
notable  item  of  interest  in  its  history  is  the  fact  that  ex- 
Governor  Robinson  was  a  pupil ;  and  his  painstaking  in 
all  his  duties  and  his  energetic  essays  and  declamations 
are  well  remembered  by  his  associates.  For  still  another 
while  it  was  fitted  into  tenements,  and  rented  to  a  consid- 
erable number  of  Irish  tenants.  Later,  it  was  occupied 
as  a  grocery  store. 

April  27,  1842,  Nathaniel  Mulliken,  for  the  Trustees  of 
the  Ministerial  Fund,  took  formal  possession  of  the  prop- 
erty, under  foreclosure  of  mortgages,  stating  in  the  cer- 
tificate "  the  same  being  now  occupied  by  the  Board  of 
Education  for  a  Normal  School."  Two  of  these  mort- 
gages were  assigned  to  Thaddeus  Munroe ;  and  the  others 


94  LEXINGTON  ACADEMY. 

were  apparently  cut  out  by  the  foreclosure,  as  they  stand 
on  the  record  undischarged. 

Immediately  after  the  purchase  of  the  land,  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  Academy  leased  to  Mr.  Augustus,  for  ninety- 
nine  years,  the  rent  of  one  dollar  to  be  paid  in  twenty 
years,  a  strip  of  land  between  the  building  and  the  new 
Bedford  road,  on  the  condition  that  no  building  should  be 
erected  on  it.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that  he  sold  the 
land  for  the  purpose  of  an  Academy. 

The  building  ceasing  to  be  used  for  the  purpose,  Mr. 
Augustus  appears  to  have  made  some  claim  to  it,  and  in 
1833  assumed  to  convey  by  deed  the  whole  property  to 
John  P.  Meriam  for  $100,  describing  it  as  "the  same 
tract  which  he  sold  conditionally  to  the  Trustees  of  Lex- 
ington Academy  to  put  an  Academy  on." 

From  time  to  time,  some  obstructions  have  been  placed 
upon  portions  of  the  land,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of 
maintaining  the  claim  under  this  deed.  And  the  lease 
and  the  conditions  seem  still  to  attach  to  the  property. 

To  complete  the  chain  of  title,  in  1866  the  property  was 
conveyed  by  Mrs.  Rebecca  Randall,  of  Woburn,  daughter 
of  Thaddeus  Munroe,  to  Deacon  John  Field  and  Oliver  R. 
Clark,  and  later  (1868)  by  them  to  the  Hancock  Congre- 
gational Society. 


LEXINGTON  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

By  Miss  Rebecca  Viles,  an  Early  Graduate.    Read 
April  12,  1887. 

The  Normal  School  fills  a  creditable  place  in  the  his- 
tory of  Lexington.  The  Board  of  Education,  after  visit- 
ing several  towns  in  the  State,  decided  that  Lexington 
was  the  most  eligible  place,  and  made  known  their  wishes 
to  the  people  of  the  town.  It  was  an  experiment ;  but, 
after  much  consideration,  the  town  decided  to  accept 
their  propositions.  The  opening,  July  3,  1839,  was  a 
humble  one.  Only  three  timid  female  pioneers  presented 
themselves  for  examination, —  one  from  Lincoln,  one  from 
West  Cambridge  (now  Arlington),  and  another  from 
Charlestown.  They  occupied  the  building  now  used  as 
the  Hancock  Church,  which  had  been  occupied  previously 
for  many  years  by  a  private  school  or  academy.  It  has 
since  undergone  so  many  alterations  that  there  is  little 
now  to  suggest  the  old  school  building.  Rev.  Cyrus 
Pierce  was  selected  as  principal.  In  person,  he  was 
below  medium  height,  of  a  slightly  stooping  figure,  with 
long,  black,  silvered  hair,  parted  in  the  middle,  and 
brushed,  painfully  smooth,  behind  his  ears,  revealing  a 
brow  of  indomitable  will  and  energy.  He  was  possessed 
of  sterling  qualities,  scrupulously  conscientious,  never 
swerving  from  the  path  of  duty  to  win  the  applause  of 
others  ;  and,  though  not  brilliant,  he  gained  the  respect 
of  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him.     He  had  been  pastor 


96 


LEXINGTON  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


of  a  Unitarian  society  in  North  Reading,  but  came 
directly  from  Nantucket,  where  he  taught  the  High 
School  for  many  years,  bringing  with  him  an  estimable 
wife,  who  was  a  great  assistance  to  him  with  her  hopeful 
spirit,  and  who  proved  a  most  faithful  adviser  to  the 
young  ladies.  The  principal  soon  won  the  appellation  of 
"  Father  Pierce,"  which  he  deservedly  sustained  while 
connected  with  the  school.  The  outlook  was  not  very 
cheering  at  first,  and  the  empty  seats  at  times  disheart- 
ened him  ;  but  he  said,  "  I  have  put  my  hand  to  the 
plough,  the  furrow  must  be  driven  through,  and  the  whole 
field  turned  over,  before  I  will  relinquish  my  effort." 
Soon  the  soil  yielded  to  his  indomitable  perseverance, 
the  horizon  brightened,  as  each  week  brought  new  re- 
cruits from  the  neighboring  towns  and  cities ;  and,  ere 
the  first  term  had  closed,  quite  a  class  had  joined  the 
school.  Nantucket  was  well  represented,  a  place  prover- 
bial for  its  intellectual  culture  and  refinement.  Success 
now  seemed  assured ;  and  the  next  year  opened  with  a 
large  class,  including  many  from  Lexington,  the  writer 
among  the  number,  who  can  attest  the  truth  of  all  the 
commendation  ever  bestowed  upon  its  principal  and  his 
assistants.  No  one  who  did  not  know  Father  Pierce  per- 
sonally can  realize  the  amount  of  work  he  accomplished. 
He  never  allowed  himself  more  than  five  hours'  sleep, 
attending  to  all  his  correspondence,  examining  and  criti- 
cising each  school  journal,  and  performing  the  duties  of 
janitor.  He  regarded  no  work  as  degrading,  if  well  done. 
His  personal  influence  over  his  pupils  was  great,  and  he 
early  impressed  it  upon  their  minds  that  the  fate  of  the 
school  depended  largely  on  the  impression  they  made 
upon  the  public  when  they  went  out  to  teach. 


LEXINGTON  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 


97 


Never  was  there  a  more  earnest  and  self-sacrificing  set 
of  young  people  than  those  first  graduates,  and  they  real- 
ized his  most  sanguine  expectations.  Nothing  sectarian 
was  ever  connected  with  the  school,  no  superfluous  course 
of  instruction  was  instituted ;  but  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  all  the  English  branches,  including  music  and  drawing, 
was  insisted  upon.  He  made  a  specialty  of  reading,  and 
was  singularly  successful  in  teaching  it ;  also  mental 
arithmetic,  believing  that,  as  an  exercise,  it  had  great 
power  to  develop  concentration  of  mind.  He  never  ac- 
cepted any  half-way  analysis  of  a  question,  and  cancelled 
the  word/tf//  from  our  vocabulary.  Attempting  was  with 
him  synonymous  with  succeeding.  Everything  was 
taught  with  a  view  to  imparting  it  to  others.  There  was 
a  model  or  experimental  school,  composed  of  children 
from  the  village,  where  the  normal  pupils  were  led  by 
turns  under  Father  Pierce's  supervision  to  test  for  them- 
selves the  best  methods  of  governing  and  instructing. 
Thus  each  one,  when  she  graduated,  carried  with  her  some 
experience  in  conducting  a  school.  This  department 
proved  a  very  valuable  and  attractive  feature  of  the  insti- 
tution. 

A  paper  was  issued  monthly  by  the  students,  called  the 
Normal  Experiment,  filled  with  select  and  humorous  mat- 
ter, which  held  no  mean  rank  in  the  annals  of  the  school. 
As  Father  Pierce  listened  to  its  reading  with  an  approv- 
ing smile,  and  closed  the  exercises  of  the  day  with  a  sub- 
dued stroke  of  his  bell,  repeating  the  motto  over  his  desk, 
"  Live  to  the  truth,"  each  pupil  felt  its  significance :  it 
was  a  symbol  of  his  own  daily  life.  Social  and  intellect- 
ual development  were  pleasantly  combined. 

The  "Normal  Grove"  (now  owned  by  Mr.  B.  F.  Brown) 


98 


LEXINGTON  NORMAL   SCHOOL. 


was  a  part  of  the  institution,  fitted  up  with  every  conven- 
ience for  healthy  recreation  ;  and  many  pleasant  gather- 
ings were  enjoyed  under  the  shade  of  its  broad  trees. 
An  amusing  scene  occurred  there  at  the  last  reunion 
before  Father  Pierce  left  the  school.  His  pupils  pur- 
chased a  large  gold  pencil,  and  had  "  Live  to  the  truth  " 
engraved  on  the  stone  at  the  top.  It  was  to  be  presented 
by  one  of  the  pupils  with  a  little  speech  ;  but  the  mirth- 
fulness  of  the  occasion  seemed  to  forbid  a  suitable  time, 
unless  it  was  more  formal  than  they  desired.  In  the 
mean  time,  Father  Pierce,  wishing  to  say  a  few  words  to 
his  pupils,  mounted  a  high  seat,  and  in  his  stentorian 
voice  said,  "  Young  ladies,  please  give  your  attention  a 
few  moments,"  which  immediately  brought  them  around 
him.  Suiting  the  action  to  his  words,  the  pencil  was 
then  presented.  Too  much  surprised  for  any  reply,  and 
looking  like  a  bashful,  awkward  school-boy,  he  soon 
joined  in  the  laugh  he  had  unconsciously  caused.  Wise 
heads  were  interested  in  the  success  of  this  first  Normal 
School.  Such  men  as  Hon.  Horace  Mann,  Jared  Sparks, 
and  Robert  Rantoul  were  on  the  Board  of  Education,  and 
occasionally  by  their  presence  stimulated  our  advance- 
ment. They  often  said  that,  had  it  not  been  for  Father 
Pierce,  the  cause  of  normal  schools  would  have  failed 
or  been  postpone  1  for  an  indefinite  period.  In  1842,  at 
the  close  of  three  successful  years  of  teaching,  he  was 
obliged  to  resign.  Too  close  application  to  his  work  de- 
manded rest. 

Rev.  Samuel  J.  May  occupied  his  place  for  two  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  resigned.  This  bright  school 
record  in  Lexington  was  now  to  terminate.  More  money 
was  required  to  meet  its  exigencies  than  the  town  was 


LEXINGTON  NORMAL   SCHOOL. 


99 


willing  to  grant.  It  seemed  unwise  to  let  the  school  go, 
as  it  promised  to  far  more  than  repay  the  extra  outlay. 
It  had  already  increased  the  revenue  of  the  railroad  and 
post-office  departments,  bringing  many  visitors  and  resi- 
dents into  town  ;  and  it  was  sure  to  facilitate  the  intel- 
lectual development  of  the  rising  generation.  However, 
it  was  not  to  be  annihilated.  West  Newton  came  to  the 
rescue,  and  gladly  offered  to  take  it,  with  all  its  liabilities. 
Accordingly,  in  1844,  it  was  removed  there.  Entire 
repose  of  body  and  mind  had  so  recruited  Father  Pierce 
that  he  was  able  to  resume  his  labors.  For  five  years 
more  he  worked  on  with  his  wonted  fidelity  and  success, 
though  never  so  happy  and  contented  as  when  in  Lexing- 
ton. In  1849,  nis  health  again  compelled  him  to  resign, 
when  he  received  a  generous  donation  from  his  friends 
and  pupils,  which  enabled  him  to  travel  in  Europe,  the 
first  recreation  he  had  indulged  in  since  18 10,  when  he 
left  college.  After  his  return  in  1850,  for  several  years 
he  assisted  in  a  private  school  in  West  Newton,  where  he 
continued  to  live  until  he  died  in  i860,  after  an  experi- 
ence of  fifty  years  of  teaching,  mourned  by  a  large  circle 
of  friends,  who  will  always  remember  him  as  one  of  the 
most  successful  educators  of  this  century.  Some  years 
after  his  death,  several  members  of  the  first  graduating 
class  visited  Mrs.  Pierce  at  Nantucket,  and  laid  offerings 
of  grateful  remembrance  on  her  husband's  grave.  The 
attention  was  very  gratifying  to  her  ;  and  she  assured 
them  of  his  life-long  love  and  interest  in  his  Normal 
children,  as  he  often  called  them.  In  1884,  her  gentle 
spirit  joined  his,  leaving  tender  memories  with  many,  who 
will  ever  feel  the  influence  of  this  revered  and  worthy 
couple. 


IOo  LEXINGTON  NORMAL  SCHOOL. 

The  building  in  West  Newton  again  proved  inadequate 
to  the  increasing  numbers  of  the  school;  and  in  1853  it 
was  removed  to  Framingham,  where  it  still  remains  in 
a  very  flourishing  condition.  Miss  Ellen  Hyde,  a  devoted 
and  efficient  teacher,  is  now  the  principal.  The  success 
of  the  school  proves  that  its  work  was  admirably  adapted 
to  the  country's  needs  ;  and  similar  schools  have  since 
been  established  in  Bridgewater,  Westfield,  Salem,  Worces- 
ter, and  Boston.  The  biennials  of  the  graduates  at 
Framingham  are  attended  with  much  interest,  which  is 
largely  due  to  the  persevering  efforts  of  Mrs.  George 
Walton,  a  graduate  and  a  former  teacher  in  Lexington. 
Her  husband  is  now  acting  as  agent  for  the  Board  of 
Education,  spending  his  time  in  the  interest  of  the  public 
schools  of  Massachusetts.  In  1889  occurs  the  "Semi- 
centennial," when  it  is  proposed  to  have  a  grand  celebra- 
tion of  the  founding  of  this  the  first  normal  school  in 
America. 

I  will  close  by  expressing  the  wish  that  it  was  still  in 
old  historic  Lexington,  a  living  memorial  of  our  former 
educational  renown. 


A   SKETCH  OF  THE    LIFE   AND   CHARACTER 
OF  THE   LATE   WILLIAM    EUSTIS, 

WHO    DIED    WHILE    GOVERNOR    OF    MASSACHUSETTS. 

Read   Dec.    14,   1887,   by  the   Rev.   G.   W.   Porter,   D.D. 

One  of  the  many  illustrious  names  that  adorn  the  an- 
nals of  American  history  is  that  of  William  Eustis,  who 
was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  on  the  tenth  day  of  June, 
a.d.  1753.  He  was  the  second  son  of  Benjamin  and  Eliza- 
beth Eustis,  both  of  whom  were  persons  of  high  respecta- 
bility and  sterling  worth.  They  were  types  of  the  best 
grade  of  New  England  character.  They  early  espoused 
the  cause  of  American  independence,  and  were  its  earnest 
and  stanch  advocates  and  defenders  in  the  painful  strug- 
gle that  issued  in  its  establishment. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  they  were 
living  in  Boston,  where  Mr.  Eustis  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. But,  when  the  town  was  converted  into  a  British 
military  camp,  they  removed  to  Lexington,  in  order  to 
escape  the  discomforts  and  dangers  to  which  all  patriotic 
residents  of  Boston  were  exposed.  Later,  Mr.  Eustis 
returned  to  Boston,  and  died  there,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years,  May  4,  1804,  and  was  buried  in  Copp's  Hill 
Burying-ground.  His  wife  died  twenty-nine  years  before 
in  Lexington,  March  30,  1775,  or  just  twenty  days  before 
the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  ceme- 
tery of  this  ancient  and  memorable  town.     As  a  faithful 


xo2  GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 

and  devoted  mother,  she  superintended  the  early  years 
of  her  son,  and  by  the  excellence  of  her  disposition  left 
upon  his  mind  impressions  of  her  worth  that  never  were 
weakened  through  all  his  life.  He  had  the  early  misfort- 
une to  lose  her, —  a  loss  he  never  ceased  to  regret;  and 
it  was  his  earnest  desire,  frequently  expressed,  that  beside 
her  slumbering  ashes  his  own  might  repose.  After  a 
lapse  of  fifty  years,  that  filial  wish  was  gratified  ;  and  the 
dust  of  mother  and  that  of  son  now  commingle.  This 
wish  to  be  buried  by  his  mother's  side  was  not  only  ver- 
bally expressed,  but  he  carried  a  written  request  to  that 
effect  about  his  person  during  the  war ;  and  it  was  found 
in  his  pocket-book  at  the  time  of  his  death, —  an  evidence 
of  filial  affection  and  tender  veneration  for  a  mother 
which,  I  do  not  err  in  saying,  is  rarely  found. 

William's  early  education  was  obtained  at  the  grammar 
school  in  Boston,  under  the  celebrated  Mr.  John  Lovell. 
He  there  displayed  early  promise  of  future  eminence,  and 
became  a  favorite  of  both  the  master  and  his  usher.  At 
the  early  age  of  fourteen  years,  in  July,  1768,  he  entered 
Harvard  University.  While  there,  without  being  what  is 
usually  denominated  a  hard  student,  he  was  distinguished 
as  a  good  classical  scholar,  and  in  token  of  approbation 
as  such  received  a  detur  digniori  from  the  college  govern- 
ment. The  Rev.  Dr.  John  Eliot,  of  Boston,  a  man  of 
uncommon  worth,  was  both  his  room-mate  and  class-mate, 
for  whom  he  ever  entertained  a  high  respect  and  affection. 
With  reputation,  he  took  his  bachelor's  degree  at  the 
annual  commencement  in  1772,  on  which  occasion  an 
honorable  part  in  a  Greek  dialogue  was  assigned  to  him. 
Upon  his  graduation  at  college,  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  in  Boston,  under  Joseph  Warren,  M.D.,  sub- 


GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 


I03 


sequently  known  as  Major-General  Warren,  who  fell  at 
Bunker  Hill,  bravely  defending  American  liberty.  Mr. 
Eustis's  personal  appearance,  his  polished  manners,  and 
gentlemanly  address,  added  to  his  many  amiable  charac- 
teristics, and  an  intellect  naturally  strong  and  well  culti- 
vated, rendered  him  a  favorite  of  his  youthful  friends  and 
fellow-students,  and  secured  for  him  the  strong  and  grow- 
ing attachment  of  his  instructor.  Not  long  after  he  be- 
came his  pupil,  Dr.  Warren  ventured  to  a  friend  a  proph- 
ecy of  his  future  distinction,  which  was  literally  fulfilled 
in  a  career  of  long  and  distinguished  usefulness. 

In  the  year  1774,  while  yet  his  pupil,  Dr.  Warren  pro- 
posed an  appointment  to  him  as  surgeon's  mate  in  a 
British  regiment  stationed  at  Pensacola,  which  he  offered 
to  obtain  for  him  through  the  influence  of  a  very  respect- 
able physician  in  Boston.  Although  the  situation  was  no 
small  object  to  him  at  the  time,  yet,  foreseeing  the  event 
that  was  coming,  and  the  thought  striking  his  mind  that 
he  would  become  the  surgeon  of  men  who  might  turn  their 
arms  against  the  colonies,  he  politely  declined  the  proposal. 
A  short  time  afterward,  offering  his  services  in  defence  of 
his  country's  threatened  liberties,  he  caused  his  name  to 
be  enrolled  among  "  the  minute-men  of  Lexington  "  ;  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  in  April,  1775,  through 
the  recommendation  of  Dr.  Warren,  he  was  made  surgeon 
of  the  regiment  of  artillery,  then  at  Cambridge.  On  the 
19th  of  April,  1775,  while  Mr.  Eustis  was  a  student  with 
General  Warren,  an  express  arrived  in  Boston.  The  gen- 
eral mounted  his  horse,  called  Mr.  Eustis,  and  said:  "lam 
going  to  Lexington.  You  go  round  and  take  care  of  the 
patients."  In  making  the  visits,  the  youthful  physician 
found  everything  in  confusion.     The  patriots  were  contin- 


ic>4 


GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 


ually  coming  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Warren  for  news  ;  and 
his  own  mind  became  so  inspired  with  patriotic  ardor 
that,  having  discharged  his  duties  to  the  sick,  he  felt  that 
his  place  was  at  the  scene  of  conflict.  At  mid-day,  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  Gill  conveyed  him  to  Lexington  and 
Concord.  The  next  day,  Mr.  Eustis  returned  to  Cam- 
bridge. The  American  troops  were  fast  assembling. 
The  time  of  general  and  combined  resistance  to  armed 
aggression  had  come.  Regiments  were  formed.  General 
Warren  said  to  his  youthful  and  patriotic  pupil,  "  You 
must  be  surgeon  of  one  of  these  regiments."  His  answer 
was  :  "  I  am  too  young.  I  expect  that  such  men  as  you  and 
Dr.  Church  will  be  surgeons,  and  that  we  shall  be  mates." 
"  We  have  more  important  affairs  to  attend  to,"  said  the 
general ;  "  and  you  have  seen  more  practice  than  most  of 
these  gentlemen  from  the  country."  Accordingly,  Mr. 
Eustis  was  made  surgeon. 

Accidental  circumstances  sometimes  form  the  character, 
or  rather  develop  those  traits  of  it  which  otherwise  had 
slept  in  embryo.  It  was  so  now  with  Dr.  Eustis.  His 
introduction  to  his  new  situation  elicited  powers  of  which 
till  now  he  himself  was  perhaps  unconscious. 

Dr.  Eustis  was  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  served 
by  the  side  of  his  distinguished  friend,  the  patriotic  and 
valorous  Warren.  After  the  battle,  the  wounded  were 
brought  to  the  old  Vassall  House  in  Cambridge,  and 
placed  under  the  special  care  of  Dr.  Eustis  and  other 
surgeons.  Dr.  Eustis,  then  but  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
was  senior  surgeon  in  the  Camp  Hospital.  He  wrote  as 
follows  after  the  battle  :  "  I  will  assist  to  the  utmost  of 
my  ability  in  dressing  the  wounded.  I  see  their  distress, 
feel  for  them,  and  will  relieve  them  in  any  way  in  my 
power." 


GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 


I05 


Dr.  Eustis  continued  to  hold  the  office  of  physician 
and  surgeon,  either  regimental  or  general,  throughout 
the  Revolutionary  War.  Subsequently,  he  resigned,  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Boston,  where  he 
attained  eminence  and  success  in  his  profession. 

Dr.  Eustis  was  called  from  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  the  enjoyment  of  social  life,  which  he  so  highly 
adorned,  to  serve  the  State  that  he  had  contributed  so 
largely  to  make  free  and  independent.  While  still  young, 
he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of  his  native  State.  He 
served  a  number  of  years  in  the  Governor's  Council.  For 
a  much  longer  time,  he  represented  Massachusetts  in  the 
United  States  Congress.  On  the  inauguration  of  James 
Madison  as  President  of  the  United  States,  1809,  he  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  War,  which  position  he  held  until 
he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court 
of  the  Hague,  Mr.  Alexander  Everett  being  Secretary  of 
Legation. 

In  the  year  18 10,  Dr.  Eustis  married  Caroline,  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Woodbury  and  Sarah  Sherborn  Langdon, 
of  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  a  lady  remarkable  for  her  beauty, 
accomplishments,  amiable  characteristics,  and  conversa- 
tional powers.  While  residing  abroad,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Eustis  formed  many  distinguished  acquaintances,  which 
were  long  maintained  by  correspondence. 

Dr.  Eustis's  residence  on  the  Continent  gave  him  the 
opportunity  of  personal  intercourse  with  his  old  friend 
and  companion  in  arms,  General  Lafayette.  Between 
these  two  gentlemen  there  existed  a  warm  and  life-long 
friendship,  cemented  by  sharing  common  dangers  and  by 
united  efforts  in  the  cause  of  our  national  freedom. 

On  the  return  of  Mr.  Eustis  to  his  native  State  in  18 19, 


IQ6  GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 

he  purchased  the  Shirley  mansion  in  Roxbury,  built  by 
the  Colonial  Governor  Shirley  about  the  year  1750.  This 
house,  modelled  after  the  English  manor  house  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  was  of  magnificent 
proportions,  elaborately  and  expensively  constructed,  and 
situated  in  highly  ornamented  and  picturesque  grounds. 
During  its  occupancy  by  Mr.  Eustis,  it  was  the  scene 
of  a  generous  and  elegant  hospitality,  and  many  distin- 
guished persons  of  both  native  and  foreign  birth  were 
welcomed  to  its  open  portals  and  entertained  within  its 
ample  walls.  After  the  death  of  Governor  Eustis,  his 
widow  continued  to  occupy  the  mansion  until  her  death 
in  1865,  a  period  of  forty  years.  This  elegant  old  house 
still  stands,  it  having  been  removed  after  Madam  Eustis's 
death,  under  the  pressure  of  local  enterprise,  a  short 
distance  from  its  original  site. 

In  the  year  1820,  Mr.  Eustis  was  again  elected  to 
Congress,  and  represented  Massachusetts  in  the  House 
of  Representatives  from  1820  to  1823,  when  he  was 
chosen  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Commonwealth  as  suc- 
cessor to  Governor  Brooks.  Governor  Eustis  was  de- 
servedly popular  as  Chief  Magistrate.  His  policy  was 
liberal,  and  his  administration  was  efficient.  He  was  not 
the  scheming,  partisan  politician,  but  the  broad-minded, 
thoughtful,  and  patriotic  statesman. 

In  August,  1824,  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the 
Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  the  United  States  as  guest  of 
the  republic,  he  was  entertained  by  Governor  Eustis  at 
his  residence  in  Roxbury.  The  marquis  was  received  by 
a  cavalcade  of  citizens,  the  bells  were  rung,  while  salvos 
of  artillery  and  a  discharge  of  rockets  evinced  the  general 
enthusiasm  and  the  heartiness  of  the  welcome.     A  grand 


GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS.  loy 

entertainment  was  given  by  the  governor,  at  which  were 
present,  among  other  distinguished  gentlemen,  ex-Gov- 
ernor Brooks  and  General  Dearborn,  both  of  whom  had 
served  with  distinction  in  the  army.  After  making  a  tour 
through  the  United  States,  Lafayette  returned  to  Roxbury, 
where  he  passed  the  night  of  the  16th  of  June,  1825. 
The  next  morning  he  was  escorted  to  Bunker  Hill,  where, 
on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  battle,  he  assisted  in 
laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  monument.  Governor 
Eustis  was  elected  a  second  time  to  fill  the  gubernatorial 
chair ;  but  he  was  not  permitted  to  complete  the  allotted 
time  of  service.  On  the  first  day  of  February,  1825,  he 
left  his  home  in  Roxbury  for  the  council  chamber  in 
Boston,  in  his  usual  health.  At  the  moment  of  departure, 
he  took  a  pen,  and  wrote  on  a  slip  of  paper  these  words, 
"February  1st,  '25,  when  certainly  I  was  alive,"  and, 
accompanied  by  a  kiss,  gave  it  to  a  favorite  niece,  then  a 
child,  and  still  living.  He  never  returned  to  his  home 
alive.  He  took  a  cold,  which  resulted  in  an  attack  of 
pneumonia,  that  terminated  fatally  in  Boston  on  the 
6th  of  February,  1825.  Thus  suddenly  was  his  career  of 
usefulness  cut  short  by  the  great  destroyer.  His  death 
caused  universal  sorrow,  and  was  followed  by  a  public 
funeral  of  unusual  solemnity, —  an  event  still  remembered 
by  the  older  residents  of  Boston  and  vicinity.  His  inter- 
ment took  place  in  the  old  cemetery  in  Lexington.  The 
monument  erected  over  his  grave  bears  the  following 
inscription  on  the  face,  composed  by  his  friend,  the  Hon. 
Edward  Everett :  — 

"  Here  lies  the  body  of  His  Excellency,  William  Eustis, 
who  was  born  in  Cambridge  June  10th  a.d.  1753  and  died 
in  Boston  Feb'y  6th,  1825. 


108  GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 

"  He  served  his  country  as  a  surgeon  through  the 
Revolutionary  War  —  in  her  political  affairs  he  subse- 
quently took  an  active  lead  —  he  successively  filled  the 
distinguished  places  of  Secretary  of  War,  Envoy  Extraor- 
dinary and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  at  the  court  of  the 
Netherlands,  Representative  to  Congress,  and  Governor  of 
the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts." 

On  the  reverse  :  — 

"To  the  honored  and  beloved  memory  of  a  Revolu- 
tionary Patriot,  a  servant  of  his  country  in  its  highest 
trusts,  a  friend  of  his  country  in  its  darkest  hours,  an 
eloquent  orator,  a  practical  statesman,  a  dutiful  son,  an 
affectionate  husband,  this  monument  is  erected  by  his 
mourning  widow  Caroline  Langdon  Eustis. 

"  He  hastened  to  his  country's  service  on  the  eventful 
morning  of  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  and  here  within  the 
precincts  hallowed  by  the  blood  which  was  shed  that 
day,  after  an  honorable  and  useful  life,  he  rests  in  peace 
and  hope,  conformably  to  his  last  wish,  by  his  mother's 
side. 

"  How  sweetly  sink  the  brave  to  rest, 
With  all  their  country's  honors  blest !  " 

In  closing  this  sketch,  I  will  relate  one  or  two  incidents 
in  his  life  while  a  surgeon  in  the  Revolutionary  army. 

At  a  dark  period  of  the  war,  when  resources  for  support- 
ing the  army  or  maintaining  the  hospitals  were  nearly 
exhausted,  and  it  became  a  question  of  the  most  painful 
interest  whence  they  were  to  be  replenished,  Dr.  Eustis, 
with  characteristic  generosity  and  patriotism,  assumed 
the  entire  expense  for  many  months  of  the  hospital  under 
his  charge. 


GOV.    WILLIAM  EUSTIS. 


IO9 


In  this  connection,  I  may  add,  like  most  Revolutionary 
officers,  he  returned  poor  from  the  army.  Speaking  of 
this  circumstance,  he  said,  "With  but  a  single  coat,  four 
shirts,  and  one  pair  of  woollen  stockings,  in  the  hard 
winter  of  1780,  I  was  yet  one  of  the  happiest  men  on 
earth." 


COLONEL  FRANCIS  FAULKNER  AND  THE 
BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON. 

Portions   of   a    Paper    read   by  Rev.    Cyrus    Hamlin,  D.D., 
May  13,  1886. 

Colonel  Francis  Faulkner,  of  Acton,  was  my  grand- 
father on  the  maternal  side.  His  eldest  son,  Francis,  Jr., 
was  in  his  sixteenth  year  at  the  battle  of  Lexington. 

Although  most  of  our  neighbors  in  my  native  place, 
Waterford,  Maine,  were  Revolutionary  soldiers,  or  brothers 
of  such,  it  was  from  Uncle  Francis  that  I  received  the 
most  vivid  account  of  the  great  day  of  Lexington. 

I  was  then  about  thirteen  or  fourteen.  It  was  during 
his  first  remembered  visit  to  Maine,  though  I  had  after- 
ward opportunities  to  talk  with  him  when  I  had  visited 
these  scenes  myself. 

Before  speaking  of  the  family  history,  I  will  give  the 
substance  of  his  narration.  Some  of  the  minute  events 
which  gave  a  dramatic  interest  are  of  course  forgotten, 
but  most  of  them  were  indelibly  impressed  upon  my  mem- 
ory. I  had  seen  soldiers  from  Saratoga  and  Yorktown, 
but  never  from  Lexington  and  Concord.  Those  names 
were  sacred,  separated  from  all  others,  and  belonged  rather 
to  the  Holy  Land. 

Francis,  Jr.,  said  he  was  lying  awake  early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  no  one  yet  moving,  and 
listening  to  the  clatter  of  a  horse's  feet  drawing  nearer 


COLONEL   FRANCIS  FAULKNER.  m 

and  nearer.  Suddenly  he  leaped  from  his  bed,  ran  to  his 
father's  room,  and  cried  out, — 

"  Father,  there's  a  horse  coming  on  the  full  run ;  and 
he's  bringing  news  !  " 

His  father,  Colonel  Francis,  already  had  on  his  panta- 
loons and  his  gun  in  his  hand.  The  fleet  horseman 
wheeled  across  the  bridge  and  up  to  the  house,  and 
shouted :  — 

"Rouse  your  minute-men,  Mr.  Faulkner!  The  British 
are  marching  on  Lexington  and  Concord  !  "  And  away  he 
went  to  speed  on  the  news. 

Mr.  Faulkner,  without  stopping  to  dress,  fired  three 
times,  as  fast  as  he  could  load  and  fire,  that  being  the 
preconcerted  signal  to  call  out  the  minute-men.  As  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  of  Safety  and  colonel  of  the  Mid- 
dlesex Regiment  of  Militia,  the  men  were  to  assemble  at 
his  house. 

Almost  immediately  a  neighbor  repeated  the  signal,  and 
the  boy  Francis  listened  with  breathless  interest  to  hear 
the  signal  guns  grow  fainter  and  fainter  off  in  the  distant 
farm-houses.  Signal  fires  were  also  lighted,  and  every 
house  awoke  from  its  slumbers  to  the  terrors  of  war. 

By  this  time  the  family  were  all  up  in  the  greatest  com- 
motion, the  younger  children  crying  because  the  British 
would  come  and  kill  them  all. 

Very  soon  the  minute-men  began  to  come  in,  every  one 
with  his  gun,  powder-horn,  pouch  of  bullets,  and  a  piece 
of  bread  and  cheese, —  the  only  breakfast  he  proposed  to 
make  before  meeting  the  enemy  of  his  country.  Some 
came  hurrying  in  with  their  wives  and  children,  in  the 
greatest  excitement,  to  get  more  certain  news  and  to  know 
what  was  to  be  done.     Captain  Davis  came  down  with 


II2  COLONEL  FRANCIS  FAULKNER. 

some  of  his  men,  and  said  he  would  march  as  soon  as  thirty 
should  come  in. 

In  the  mean  time  they  were  busy  driving  down  stakes  on 
the  lawn  and  hanging  kettles  for  cooking  the  soldiers' 
dinner.  They  brought  from  the  houses  beef  and  pork, 
potatoes  and  cabbages.  The  women  would  cook  the  din- 
ner, and  some  of  the  elder  boys  —  of  whom  Francis,  Jr., 
was  one  —  were  designated  to  bring  it  along,  packed  in 
saddle-bags. 

By  the  time  these  preliminaries  for  dinner  were  made, 
Captain  Davis  formed  his  men,  and  they  marched  amid 
the  prayers  and  tears  of  their  families.  Colonel  Faulkner 
accompanied  them,  to  take  command  of  the  Middlesex 
Regiment,  as  the  other  companies  would  come  in  at  Con- 
cord. 

Uncle  Francis,  the  boy,  waited  with  great  impatience 
for  the  dinner  to  be  cooked  and  packed.  Every  woman 
wanted  to  prepare  the  dinner,  complete  and  separate,  for 
her  husband  or  sons.  But  after  much  discussion  it  was 
agreed  to  pack  all  the  beef,  pork,  bread,  and  vegetables  in 
quantity,  each  kind  by  itself,  and  let  the  men  themselves 
divide  it.  At  length,  after  some  hours  of  talking  and  boil- 
ing and  packing,  the  horses  were  loaded  and  the  boys 
started  off.  I  asked  Uncle  Francis  why  in  the  world  they 
did  not  take  a  wagon,  and  one  horse  would  be  enough  for 
the  whole.     Didn't  they  know  enough  to  do  that  ? 

"Oh,  yes,  my  son:  they  knew  too  much  to  do  that. 
The  British  soldiers  might  have  the  road.  If  we  saw  a 
'  red-coat,'  we  were  told  to  give  him  a  wide  berth,  or  he 
might  get  us  and  our  dinners.  We  could  quickly  topple 
over  a  stone  wall,  or  take  out  a  few  rails,  and  escape 
through  the  fields  and  find  our  men  wherever  they  might 
be." 


COLONEL    FRANCIS  FAULKNER. 


13 


Thus  mounted,  the  boys  pushed  on  to  Concord.  They 
met  with  no  one  to  give  them  news.  Every  house  was 
deserted  or  waiting  in  the  greatest  anxiety.  Firing  had 
been  heard,  and  that  was  all  that  they  knew.  Everybody 
had  gone  ;  nobody  had  returned. 

Arrived  at  Concord,  they  learned  that  the  British  had 
retreated ;  that  Captain  Davis  and  Mr.  Hosmer  were 
killed,  and  Mr.  Heywood  mortally  wounded, —  all  of  them 
Acton  neighbors.  But  the  British  were  on  the  run  for 
Boston,  and  the  minute-men  were  pressing  them  on  both 
sides  of  the  road  and  would  kill  or  capture  them  all. 

The  boys  pressed  on  toward  Lexington  with  their  din- 
ners. Francis  was  feeling  very  badly  that  three  of  their 
own  townsmen  were  already  killed  and  perhaps  his  own 
father  had  fallen.  As  they  rode  along,  he  saw  a  man, 
wounded  or  dead,  lying  beside  a  wall  in  the  field. 

"  O  boys,  that  is  my  father!"  he  cried,  and,  jumping 
off  his  horse,  ran  to  him.  It  was  a  dreadful  sight  to  the 
boy.  He  had  never  seen  death  in  such  bloody  and  ghastly 
form  before.  But  it  was  not  his  father,  and  he  returned 
with  the  somewhat  cheerful  declaration,  "  That's  not  my 
father,  boys  ;  and  I  don't  know  who  it  is." 

Pursuing  their  way  toward  Lexington,  they  found  the 
road  deserted  and  could  learn  but  little.  The  women  and 
children  had  run  away,  and  the  men  had  gone  after  the 
British.  Confusion,  destruction,  and  signs  of  rapid  flight 
everywhere  !  Again  and  again  did  they  see  a  dead  body 
with  fear  and  trembling. 

As  they  approached  Lexington,  they  heard  the  report  of 
cannon  and  learned  that  re-enforcements  had  come  out 
from  Boston  and  stopped  the  flight. 

Here,   after   wandering   to   right  and  left  and   making 


ii4 


COLONEL   FRANCIS  FAULKNER. 


many  inquiries,  they  found  the  Acton  men,  who  were  glad 
of  their  dinner.  They  were  watching  the  British,  out  of 
range  of  their  muskets  and  the  cannon  they  had  ceased  to 
fear.  The  balls  did  no  execution  except  upon  the  earth 
For  the  minute-men  avoided  exposing  themselves,  or,  if 
exposed,  they  changed  their  position  too  quickly  to  allow 
the  enemy  to  get  the  range. 

To  the  great  surprise  of  the  boy,  he  found  the  Acton 
men  in  the  highest  spirits.  They  had  made  the  "  red- 
coats" run  for  their  lives;  they  had  shot  them  down  ; 
they  had  seen  them  fall ;  they  had  avenged  upon  the  mur- 
derers the  death  of  the  Acton  men  tenfold,  and  would 
destroy  them  all  before  they  could  get  to  Boston.  The 
minute-men  were  coming  in  on  all  sides.  They  ridiculed 
the  cannon  that  hurt  nobody  and  the  marksmanship  of  the 
soldiers,  who,  they  said,  fired  by  guess.  They  only  wished 
they  had  the  powder  and  ball  the  "  red-coats "  wasted. 
The  boy  wondered  greatly  to  find  his  father  and  all  the 
Acton  men  full  of  confidence  and  fight.  The  colonel  was 
organizing  his  regiment  to  work  upon  the  flank  of  the 
enemy  as  soon  as  he  should  move  again  for  Boston. 

The  boys,  having  delivered  the  dinners,  were  all  sent 
back  to  tell  the  anxious  families  the  news,  every  one  of 
them  wishing  he  could  get  a  shot  at  the  murderous  British. 
Indignation  filled  every  heart. 

Many  stories  were  afterward  told  about  the  terror  and 
flight  of  families  from  the  empty  houses.  One  woman, 
finding  the  British  were  really  approaching  and  close  at. 
hand,  caught  up  her  child  and  ran  nearly  a  mile  to  a  house 
off  the  road.  When  she  arrived,  out  of  breath  and  ready 
to  sink  down,  she  found,  to  her  horror,  that  she  had  taken 
the  old  cat.     She  flew  back  with  still  swifter  steps,  and 


COLONEL  FRANCIS  FAULKNER. 


115 


was  overjoyed  to  find  her  child  uninjured.  It  should  be 
remembered  to  the  credit  of  the  English  army  that  it 
spared  the  life  of  an  unprotected  infant.  To  have  killed  it 
would  have  been  in  keeping  with  many  of  their  atrocities 
on  that  memorable  day. 

The  boys  returned  at  night  to  assure  the  waiting 
mothers  and  sisters  that  their  victory  was  complete,  and 
not  a  minute-man  would  turn  back  so  long  as  there  was  a 
prospect  of  destroying  the  British  invaders. 

Colonel  Faulkner  followed  them  and  harassed  their 
flank  until  they  reached  Cambridge  and  were  under  the 
protection  of  the  fleet  on  Charles  River. 

From  that  day  forward  the  boy  Francis  was  forced  into 
sudden  manhood.  His  father  was  most  of  the  time  away 
from  home,  involved  in  the  great  contest ;  and,  as  the 
eldest  of  the  children  and  naturally  fearless  and  ambitious, 
he  dashed  into  a  manhood  that  was  to  have  nearly  seventy 
years  of  great  activity  from  that  day  onward. 

As  one  object  of  our  society  is  to  rescue,  so  far  as  possi- 
ble, the  fading  histories  of  those  Revolutionary  families 
that  took  an  active  part  in  the  conflict  of  April  19,  I  will 
here  sketch  some  of  the  leading  facts  of  Colonel  Faulk- 
ner's life. 

For  thirty-five  successive  years  he  was  chosen  town 
clerk  of  Acton,  and  the  records  are  kept  with  neatness, 
clearness,  and  order.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  1774,  and  a  representative  to  the  General 
Court  in  1783-85.  In  his  military  life  after  Lexington  and 
Concord,  he  served  under  Washington  on  Dorchester 
Heights;  and  Francis,  Jr.,  often  went  thither  to  carry 
clothes  and  provisions.  He  recalled,  with  special  interest, 
the  admiration  he  had  of  his  father  in  his  new  uniform 


n6  COLONEL  FRANCIS  FAULKNER. 

and  mounted  on  his  white  horse.  Colonel  Faulkner  also 
served  under  Gates  at  Saratoga.  He  guarded  the  British 
prisoners  surrendered  by  Burgoyne,  and  conducted  them 
to  Cambridge.  He  had  the  satisfaction  of  leading  the 
enemies  of  his  country  as  prisoners  over  the  same  ground 
where  they  had  brutally  opened  the  war  and  where,  two 
and  a  half  years  before,  he  had  helped  pursue  them  in 
ignominious  flight  to  the  shelter  of  their  fleet. 

I  do  not  find  any  record  of  further  military  service  ex- 
cept that  in  Shattuck's  History  of  Concord  it  is  said  that 
"  Lieut. -Colonel  Francis  Faulkner  and  Capt.  Simon  Hunt 
were  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains." 

He  was  for  many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  one  of 
the  selectmen  of  his  town  and  a  deacon  of  the  church. 
He  died  in  1805,  honored  and  lamented.  In  the  History 
of  Acton,  after  stating  the  chief  facts  of  his  life,  it  is  said  : 
"In  all  places  he  exhibited  the  character  of  a  gentleman  of 
sound  judgment,  of  cultivated  mind,  and  of  good,  practical 
common  sense.  He  was  a  courageous  military  officer,  an 
able  legislator,  an  impartial  justice,  and  an  exemplary 
Christian." 


LEXINGTON    IN    1775    AND  IN    1861. 
Read  by  Walter  Sampson,  March  12,  1889. 

April  19,  1775,  began  a  struggle  which  lasted  for  seven 
long  years,  ending  with  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at 
Yorktown,  when  these  colonies  of  Great  Britain  became 
free  and  independent.  It  seemed  as  if  nothing  was  lack- 
ing for  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States.  But  Yorktown,  far  from  being  the  end, 
was  but  the  beginning  of  the  end. 

Here  were  thirteen  confederacies,  linked  together  by  a 
weak  bond, —  the  Articles  of  Confederation, —  practically 
powerless  to  protect  themselves  not  only  from  foreign  in- 
vasion, but  possibly  from  one  another,  should  any  serious 
internal  difficulty  arise.  Finally,  by  discussions  and  com- 
promises, they  found  a  rock  on  which  all  could  stand, 
brought  into  being  the  Federal  Constitution,  and  thus 
concluded  another  great  epoch  in  the  history  of  our  coun- 
try. This  was  progress ;  but,  like  Yorktown,  it  was  but 
the  beginning  of  the  end. 

It  had  been  asserted  by  the  great  minds  of  the  Old 
World  that,  though  the  United  States  were  very  prosper- 
ous and  apparently  very  strong,  in  reality  they  were  the 
reverse ;  that,  naturally,  our  ship  of  State  would  sail 
serenely  in  fair  weather,  but  that  a  government  of  the  peo- 
ple could  not  stand  any  severe  storm  ;  that,  should  civil 
dissensions  eventually  plunge  this  country  into  war,  she 
could  not  stand  the  pressure,  but  would  meet  a  fate  which 


H8  LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  l86l« 

seemed  to  them  inevitable.  We  were  looked  upon  as  a 
feeble  power,  and,  in  fact,  hardly  dared  to  ask  ourselves 
if  we  could  survive  any  great  trial.  Such  a  trial  was  near 
at  hand.  The  question  whether  "this  government,"  to 
quote  the  words  of  Lincoln,  "could  endure  half  slave  and 
half  free,"  must  eventually  come  to  a  settlement.  Careful 
manoeuvrings  had  gone  on  for  years, —  the  admission  first 
of  a  slave,  then  of  a  free  State,  each  side  watching  for  an 
advantage,  the  South  in  the  ascendency,  but  the  North 
growing  stronger  and  more  determined,  until  at  last,  upon 
the  election  of  Lincoln,  the  South  endeavored  to  set  up 
and  maintain  a  government  of  her  own. 

That  brought  us  face  to  face  with  the  issue ;  and,  as  the 
blood  shed  on  Lexington  Common  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775,  was  the  beginning  of  the  first  chapter  in  the  history 
of  a  perfect  Union,  so  the  New  England  blood  spilled  in 
the  streets  of  Baltimore  on  the  19th  of  April,  1861, 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  last,  and  made  the  19th  of 
April  doubly  honored  and  doubly  sacred.  I  feel  that  to 
hail  from  Middlesex  County,  the  home  of  Parker  and 
Munroe  in  1775,  and  Ladd  and  Whitney  in  1861,  is  an 
honor  not  to  be  lightly  regarded. 

It  is  a  matter  of  great  interest  to  know  what  part  Lex- 
ington took  in  the  war  which  united  us  beyond  the  possi- 
bility of  separation.  Some  may  think  the  subject  is  too 
hackneyed.  But  a  large  proportion  of  the  young  members 
of  this  society  have  scant  recollection  of  our  Civil  War ; 
and  to  many  others,  including  myself,  born  at  or  near  its 
close,  it  is  as  strange  a  story  as  the  Revolution  itself. 

The  great  heroes  of  our  fathers  were  Washington, 
Green,  Lafayette,  Knox ;  while  our  heroes  are  Lincoln, 
Grant,   Sherman,   Sheridan,  Thomas,  and   Meade.      They 


LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND   IN  1S61.  ng 

were  wont  to  hold  in  highest  veneration  the  names  of 
Hancock,  Otis,  Quincy,  and  Adams ;  while  we  hold  in  no 
less  esteem  the  men  who  reflected  credit  on  the  old  Bay- 
State  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  We  rejoice  that  we  are 
members  of  the  same  Commonwealth  that  produced  An- 
drew, Sumner,  Wilson,  Butler,  and  Banks. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  town,  held  April  30,  1861,  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were  adopted  :  — 

Whereas  an  insurrection  exists  in  several  States  of  this 
Union,  and  the  insurgents  have  trampled  upon  the  laws, 
Constitution,  and  property,  and  insulted  the  flag  of  the 
country  by  commencing  war  upon  the  brave  troops  and 
loyal  citizens  who  rested  in  its  folds,  and  are  now  threat- 
ening the  capital  of  the  country  ;  and 

Whereas  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  obedi- 
ence to  his  oath  of  office  and  the  requirements  of  the  laws, 
has  called  upon  the  States  to  furnish  certain  quotas  to  sus- 
tain the  Constitution  and  the  laws,  to  defend  the  capital 
of  the  country  and  protect  the  property  and  lives  of  our 
citizens,—  be  it 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  all  good  citizens  to 
obey  the  call  of  the  Government  and  flock  to  the  standard 
of  our  country,  and  thus  preserve  our  glorious  Constitu- 
tion, under  which  we  have  enjoyed  greater  blessings  than 
have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  other  people ;  and 

That  to  show  our  devotion  to  our  institutions,  and  our 
just  appreciation  of  the  patriotism  of  the  young  men  who 
are  willing  to  respond  to  their  country's  call,  it  is 

Voted,  That  a  sum  not  exceeding  $4,000  (four  thou- 
sand dollars)  be  appropriated  from  any  money  in  the 
treasury,  to  be  expended  under  the  direction  of  a  commit- 
tee of  ten  (10),  for  the  purpose  of  clothing  and  otherwise 
encouraging  the  gallant  men  who  may  enter  the  service, 
and  for  the  support  of  the  families  of  those  who  may 
have  families  dependent  on  them  for  their  labor,  during 
the  period  for  which  they  were  called  into  service. 


,20  LEXINGTON  IN  1775  AND  IN  1861. 

The  committee  of  ten  was  as  follows  :  Charles  Tidd, 
Loring  S.  Pierce,  William  D.  Phelps,  Sylvanus  W.  Smith, 
Charles  K.  Tucker,  William  W.  Keith,  Winslow  Welling- 
ton, Eli  Simonds,  Reuben  W.  Reed,  and  Charles  Hudson. 

Voted,  That  the  committee  be  instructed  to  pay  $10 
(ten)  per  month  for  single  men  without  any  families,  and 
i&  1 5  to  men  with  families. 

To  further  this  object,  it  was  voted  to  reconsider  the 
vote  whereby  the  town  voted  to  pay  $2,000  toward  the 
payment  of  the  town  debt. 

The  committee  subsequently  reported  for  clothing, 
drilling,  aid  to  two  families,  and  other  items,  that  they 
had  expended  the  sum  of  $579.94. 

July  19,  1862,  the  town  voted  a  bounty  of  $100  to  every 
soldier,  and  afterwards  increased  it  to  $200. 

Lexington  always  kept  her  quota  full,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  war  had  nine  more  men  in  the  field  than  she  was 
obliged  to  send.  In  addition  to  these  sums,  various  in- 
dividuals contributed  $4,000  or  thereabouts.  Mr.  Leon- 
ard A.  Saville  was  town  treasurer  at  the  close  of  the  war  ; 
and  at  the  time  when  the  town,  after  several  unsuccessful 
attempts,  finally  voted  to  reimburse  these  parties,  direct- 
ing him  as  treasurer  to  proceed  to  do  so,  which  he  did, 
a  number  of  citizens  who  were  not  in  sweet  accord  with 
the  putting  down  of  the  Rebellion,  especially  when  their 
pocket-books  were  touched,  paid  their  taxes  under  protest. 
But  a  case  occurred  where  another  town  had  done  the 
same  thing,  under  nearly  similar  circumstances ;  and,  on 
the  matter  being  brought  to  the  Supreme  Court,  it  was 
decided  that  the  treasurer  of  that  town  and  his  bondsmen 
were  personally  liable.     However,   nothing  came  of    it; 


LEXINGTON  IN  1775  AND  IN  1861.  I2i 

but  it  shows  how  carefully  the  financial  affairs  of  a  town 
must  be  managed,  in  order  to  avert  legal  difficulties  of 
various  kinds. 

It  would  weary  you  to  detail  the  votes  passed,  money 
raised  and  expended,  and  patriotic  measures  adopted  dur- 
ing the  four  years ;  but  those  I  have  given  you  will  serve 
as  examples.  Suffice  to  say,  the  cost  to  Lexington  for 
the  maintenance  of  her  quota  and  all  matters  connected 
therewith  was  about  $27,000. 

I  will  here  enumerate  the  names  of  the  direct  descend- 
ants of  those  who  fought  on  the  Common  on  the  morning 
of  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  who  enlisted  in  the  war  of  the 
Rebellion  :  — 

Edward  T.  Chandler,  Lexington's  first  volunteer,  en- 
listed four  days  after  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  in  3d 
Regiment,  Company  C,  for  three  months,  and  re-enlisted 
for  three  years  in  the  22d  Massachusetts  Regiment,  and 
was  wounded  near  the  Wilderness,  May,  1864. 

His  brother,  Samuel  E.  Chandler,  who  enlisted  in  the 
5th  Regiment,  Company  K,  for  three  months,  was 
wounded,  taken  prisoner,  and  confined  in  Richmond. 
Upon  his  release  in  February,  1862,  he  was  met  on  his 
return  home  at  the  Arlington  line,  escorted  through  the 
town,  and  presented  with  a  gold  watch  by  its  citizens.  He 
afterwards  re-enlisted  for  three  years. 

Joseph  Chandler,  another  brother,  was  in  the  army. 
All  were  descendants  of  John  Chandler  and  Amos 
Muzzey. 

Mr.  Franklin  V.  Butters,  a  fellow-member  of  this 
society,  descended  from  Joel  Viles ;  Joseph  H.  P.,  Charles 
A.,  and  Alexander  Fiske,  descendants  of  Dr.  Joseph 
Fiske  ;  Charles  H.    Fiske,    descendant   of  "  Fifer   David 


I22  LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  1861. 

Fiske," —  all  were  in  the  war  ;  and  the  latter  gave  his  life, 
that  the  nation  might  live,  on  the  field  of  Antietam. 

Besides  the  Chandler  brothers,  Amos  Muzzey  had  three 
other  descendants  who  were  Lexington  soldiers.  It  seems 
hard  to  realize  that  our  fellow-townsman,  George  E. 
Muzzey,  and  his  brother,  Major  Loring  W.  Muzzey,  both 
respected  citizens,  now  rounding  off  a  half-century  of 
life,  could  ever  have  been  boys  in  blue ;  but  the  records 
so  declare.  Both  were  members  of  the  famous  Webster 
Regiment,  otherwise  known  as  the  12th  Massachusetts  ; 
and  both  by  successive  promotions  reached  the  ranks  of 
First  Lieutenant  and  Major  respectively. 

Charles  O.  Muzzey,  another  brother,  was  in  the  naval 
service,  and  was  killed  by  the  explosion  of  a  torpedo  in 
Charleston  Harbor,  while  on  the  steamer  "  Housatonic," 
Feb.   18,  1864. 

Windsor  Smith  and  George  H.  Smith,  descendants  of 
Josiah  Smith,  and  Charles  Cutler,  descendant  of  Thomas 
Cutler,  died  of  disease  contracted  in  the  service.  Cyrus 
M.  and  Alfred  D.  Cutler,  also  descendants  of  Thomas 
Cutler,  and  Charles  B.  Harrington,  descendant  of  Robert 
Munroe  and  Daniel  Harrington,  died  in  the  service. 
George  D.  Harrington,  brother  of  Charles,  our  respected 
fellow-citizen  and  former  Commander  of  the  Grand  Army 
Post  of  Lexington,  was  also  in  the  service. 

In  the  same  regiment  with  Cyrus  Cutler  and  George  D. 
Harrington  was  a  young  man  who  was  a  great  favorite 
for  his  gentlemanly  demeanor  and  nobility  of  character. 
Every  one  who  knew  him  speaks  well  of  Joseph  Simonds, 
son  of  Mr.  Joseph  F.  Simonds.  He  enlisted  September, 
1 86 1,  in  the  22d  Regiment,  for  three  years,  but  was 
severely  wounded  at  Malvern    Hill,    and    died    from    the 


LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  1S61.  ^3 

effects  of  his  wounds  soon  after.  The  loss  to  posterity 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  thousands  of  men  of  the  stamp 
of  Joseph  Simonds  cannot  indeed  be  estimated.  He  was 
a  descendant  of  Joseph  Simonds  and  Joel  Viles,  minute- 
men  in  Captain  Parker's  Company. 

Captain  John  Parker  had  a  great-grandson  in  the  per- 
son of  Charles  M.  Parker,  a  member  of  this  society,  who 
did  his  share  towards  the  preservation  of  that  Union  the 
first  blow  for  which  was  struck  by  his  illustrious  ancestor. 
He  enlisted  in  the  24th  Regiment.  While  he  was  at  the 
front,  his  mother  did  her  share  at  home.  She  was  always 
a  central  figure  in  the  sewing-society ;  and  I  have  often 
heard  the  older  members  of  my  family  tell  how  she  would 
purchase  a  large  side  of  leather  at  VValtham,  a  heavy  and 
clumsy  bundle  for  a  woman  to  handle,  and  carry  it  up  to 
the  sewing-room  from  her  sleigh  or  wagon,  as  easily  as 
though  it  were  feathers, —  the  leather  being  used  to  make 
extra  soles  for  the  soldiers'  boots.  If  any  of  you  should 
ever  meet  her,  you  will  find  a  keen,  vigorous  old  lady,  well 
up  to  the  times,  and  one  whom  you  might  well  believe 
would  speed  her  sons  to  battle  for  freedom,  without  hesi- 
tation or  question. 

Charles  L.  Tidd,  descendant  of  John  Tidd,  our  friend 
and  townsman,  Mr.  Everett  S.  Locke,  descendant  of  Amos 
Locke,  Grovenor  A.  Page,  a  descendant  of  the  Harring- 
tons and  Munroes,  and  his  cousins  William  C.  and  Thad- 
deus  Page,  and  perhaps  others  not  recorded,  form  a  list  of 
great  interest. 

In  this  connection,  I  would  recall  the  names  of  two 
direct  descendants  of  the  Revolutionary  sires  that  fell  on 
the  Common  on  the  morning  of  April  19th,  who  have  not 
only  reflected  upon  Lexington  the  honor  which  belongs 


I24  LEXINGTON  IN  1775  AND  IN  1S61. 

to  all  her  sons  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  but  who  have 
since  achieved  distinction  throughout  the  Commonwealth 
in  perpetuating  that  military  spirit  which  has  proved  the 
nation's  safety  in  her  hour  of  danger. 

George  H.  Patch,  a  descendant  of  Nathan  Munroe,  is 
an  example  of  what  a  man  can  make  of  himself.  Begin- 
ning life  under  circumstances  peculiarly  discouraging, 
he  worked  his  way  to  success  through  difficulties  which 
would  have  broken  down  a  weaker  will,  a  purpose  less 
determined,  or  the  high  ambition  of  a  nature  less  honora- 
ble and  incorruptible.  "  A  Grand  Army  man,"  said  ex- 
Governor  Robinson,  "belongs  to  a  peculiarly  exclusive 
association  ;  for  blood  is  the  one  qualification  for  admis- 
sion, and  it  is  therefore  the  most  aristocratic  body,  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  word,  that  can  exist."  These  ringing 
words  of  one  who  has  himself  reflected  great  credit  on 
Lexington  we  all  indorse. 

The  sudden  death  of  Commander  Patch,  in  the  summer 
of  1887,  was  a  shock  to  the  Commonwealth.  As  a  Lex- 
ington boy,  I  attended  the  funeral  in  the  town  of  Fram- 
ingham,  Mass.,  and  had  an  opportunity  to  observe  the 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  not  only  by  his  military 
comrades,  but  by  his  former  associates,  railroad  and  jour- 
nalistic. Prominent  among  the  military  bodies  on  that  oc- 
casion was  the  now  famous  regiment  which  is  the  pride 
of  Massachusetts,  the  one  selected  to  do  her  honor  on  all 
important  occasions. 

No  casual  observer  can  form  any  estimate  of  the  labor, 
time,  and  trouble  required  for  the  establishment  of  such  a 
regiment.  None  but  a  soldier  can  form  any  idea  of  the 
great  achievements  in  military  tactics  accomplished  by 
Austin  Clark  Wellington,  the  commander,  a  descendant  of 


LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND   IN  1861.  J2$ 

Timothy  Wellington,  a  Lexingtonian  by  birth,  and  for  many 
years  a  resident  of  this  town.  He  attained  the  rank  of 
First  Lieutenant  in  the  38th  Massachusetts  Regiment 
during  the  Rebellion,  and  in  the  State  Militia  commanded 
a  company  of  the  1st  Regiment,  and  rose  by  successive 
promotions  to  be  its  Colonel.  I  may  safely  say  that  he 
made  the  regiment  what  it  is.  Gentlemanly,  courteous, 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  the  youngest  among  us  will 
be  palsied  and  gray  before  the  name  of  Colonel  Wellington 
will  have  passed  into  oblivion.  I  would  state  here  that, 
had  he  lived,  arrangements  had  been  made  on  the  occasion 
of  the  115th  Anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington,  in 
1890,  for  the  entire  1st  Regiment,  under  his  leadership,  to 
be  present,  and  reproduce  by  a  sham  battle  the  scenes  in 
which  his  ancestors  participated.  Colonel  Austin  C.  Wel- 
lington had  five  cousins,  sons  of  Horatio  and  T.  W.  Wel- 
lington, who  were  in  the  service. 

By  reason  of  previous  service  in  affairs  of  State  and 
his  well-known  judgment  in  municipal  matters,  Hon. 
Charles  Hudson  was  pre-eminently  qualified  to  be  the 
town's  adviser  and  counsellor  in  time  of  difficulty.  Up 
to  1862,  he  was  on  the  Board  of  Selectmen;  but,  having 
been  appointed  to  the  office  of  United  States  Assessor, 
he  found  his  time  too  much  occupied  to  fill  the  duties  of 
both  positions.  His  advice  was  always  readily  sought 
and  gladly  given. 

Webster  Smith,  the  present  Chairman  of  the  Board, 
was  Selectman  during  the  whole  of  that  period ;  and  he, 
with  Hammon  Reed  and  William  H.  Smith,  brother  of 
George  O.  Smith,  formed  the  Board  for  the  balance  of  the 
war.  Their  administration  was  wise  and  efficient  The 
town  thought  well  of  their  service ;  and,  at  the  close  of 


126  LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  1S61. 

the  war,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  given  Mr.  Reed,  as  Chair- 
man of  the  Board,  for  the  able  manner  in  which  he  had 
discharged  his  duties. 

The  churches  at  this  time  were  nearly  all  in  a  somewhat 
unsettled  state,  with  the  exception  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional, which  had  for  its  pastor  a  man  who  was  indeed  a 
true  patriot,  Rev.  Leonard  J.  Livermore.  His  labors  in 
behalf  of  the  town  during  the  Rebellion  can  only  be  appre- 
ciated by  those  who  were  living  here  at  that  time.  I 
judge  from  all  I  can  gather  that  he  in  a  measure  filled  the 
place  of  Jonas  Clarke  of  Revolutionary  days.  During  the 
war,  two  of  his  sermons  were  published  by  request. 

Though  I  did  not  purpose  to  mention  any  but  direct 
descendants  of  Revolutionary  soldiers,  yet  I  cannot  forbear 
to  allude  to  a  lady  whose  labors  in  behalf  of  the  soldiers 
were  second  only  to  those  of  the  soldiers  themselves,  in 
devotion  to  the  Union, —  Mrs.  Mary  P.  Olnhausen,  a 
daughter  of  Elias  Phinney,  Esq.  From  1862  to  1865,  she 
served  as  a  hospital  nurse  at  Alexandria,  Morehead  City, 
Beaufort,  and  Smithville,  N.C.  She  made  for  herself  a 
very  high  reputation  in  the  service.  To  quote  from  Mr. 
Hudson's  account  of  her  in  his  history:  "We  naturally 
extol  the  heroism  of  the  gallant  soldier  who  promptly  faces 
danger  on  the  field  of  battle ;  but  it  requires  as  much 
moral  courage  and  as  much  self-sacrifice  to  brave  the 
diseases  of  the  hospital  as  it  does  to  face  the  enemy  on 
the  field." 

Lexington  had  two  well-equipped  sewing- societies, 
which  kept  the  soldiers  at  the  front  supplied  with  every- 
thing needful  for  their  comfort.  It  was  the  custom  all 
over  the  country  for  young  ladies  to  enclose  a  slip  of  paper 
in  some  of  the  garments  they  made,  bearing  their  names. 


LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  1S61.  {2y 

The  soldier  receiving  it  would  immediately  write  a  letter 
in  return.  One  of  our  Lexington  girls,  an  aunt  of  mine, 
had  a  flourishing  correspondence  for  some  time  with  one 
of  them.  A  few  years  ago,  he  was  again  heard  from.  He 
is  now  a  sedate,  elderly  man,  living  somewhere  in  the 
Western  country.  In  another  case  of  that  kind  in  our 
town,  the  lady,  not  caring  to  continue  writing  to  an  entire 
stranger  after  the  war,  requested  that  the  correspondence 
should  cease ;  and  accordingly  it  was  dropped.  In  a  few 
years  she  died,  and  the  matter  was  forgotten  by  her  rela- 
tives. The  soldier  went  into  civil  life,  and  probably  for- 
got it,  too.  But  he  was  detailed  in  the  guard  of  honor  at 
General  Grant's  funeral  in  1885  ;  and,  naturally  enough, 
the  memory  of  the  war  came  back  to  him,  bringing  recol- 
lection of  his  former  correspondent.  He  then  sat  down 
and  wrote  to  her  address  at  Lexington.  The  letter  was 
opened  by  her  relatives,  who  remembered  the  man's  name, 
and  who  sent  an  answer,  telling  him  the  circumstances. 
Some  correspondence  ensued,  and  there  the  matter  rested. 
But  on  Memorial  Day,  two  years  ago,  he  wrote  to  a  mem- 
ber of  our  Grand  Army  Post,  requesting  that  her  grave  be 
decorated  at  his  expense,  which  was  done. 

We  honor  the  patriots  who  fought  at  Lexington,  Bunker 
Hill,  Saratoga,  Yorktown,  and  on  the  other  battle-fields  of 
the  Revolution.  Their  memories  are  enshrined  in  the 
hearts  of  a  grateful  posterity ;  and  their  heroic  deeds  will 
be  rehearsed  in  story  and  song  as  long  as  this  nation  shall 
remain  free  and  independent.  But,  however  we  may 
honor  the  one  who  builds  the  structure,  surely  he  who 
bravely  defends  it  from  attack  is  entitled  to  equal  consid- 
eration and  esteem. 

The  heroic  defenders  of  the  Union  will  not  be  with  us 


I28  LEXINGTON  IN  1775   AND  IN  1861. 

much  longer.  The  malaria  caught  in  Southern  swamps 
and  prisons,  the  wounds  received  in  many  a  hard-fought 
battle,  are  fast  doing  their  work,  and  causing  them  to  fall 
short  of  a  green  old  age. 

Let  us  keep  the  pledges  we  made  to  them,  and  remem- 
ber that  the  same  spirit  animated  the  men  on  Lexington 
Common  and  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  at  Saratoga 
and  Gettysburg,  at  Yorktown  and  Appomattox. 

By  paying  them  their  just  dues  we  prove  that  we  possess 
something  of  the  spirit  of  1775  and  1861. 


APPENDIX. 


THE    SECOND    MEETING-HOUSE    IN    LEXINGTON, 

ERECTED    BY   THE   TOWN    IN    1714. 

The  cost  of  this  building  appears  to  have  been  about  .£500 
sterling.  The  town  appropriated  ^"416  when  it  was  first  voted 
to  erect  it.  Afterwards,  permission  was  given  individuals  to 
increase  the  height  "four  feet  upward"  at  their  own  expense, 
in  order  to  add  a  second  gallery.  This  was  accordingly  done, 
but  the  gallery  was  not  finished  when  the  meeting-house  was 
built.  Two  years  afterwards,  the  town  voted  to  pay  Joseph 
Merriam  ,£54,  12s.,  "  when  the  uppermost  gallery  in  the  new 
meeting  house  is  finished  "  ;  but  not  until  1722  is  this  bill  finally 
paid,  which  seems  to  indicate  that  the  building  was  not  com- 
pleted until  about  that  date.  There  is  no  account  of  a  service 
of  dedication,  but  "Oct.  17,  1714,  was  the  first  Sabbath  day 
that  we  did  mette  in  the  new  meeting  house,"  as  the  town 
clerk  has  recorded.  The  upper  gallery  was  probably  used  orig- 
inally for  seats  for  the  town  paupers  and  the  slaves.  Here 
also  the  town's  powder  was  kept,  and  here  two  of  the  minute- 
men  had  come  to  get  a  supply  when  the  house  was  surrounded 
by  the  British  soldiers  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  April, 
one  of  whom,  Caleb  Harrington,  was  killed  in  attempting  to 
escape. 

The  arrangement  of  pews  and  benches  is  shown  in  the  plate 
on  page  16,  the  only  pews  being  those  built  by  individuals 
against  the  walls,  who  bought  the  spaces  for  them  from  the 


I30  APPENDIX. 

town.  The  benches  were  for  the  use  of  all  others  of  the  towns- 
people, and  on  these  the  place  of  each  person  was  assigned  by 
a  committee  chosen  by  the  town  for  "  seating  the  meeting 
house."  Here  they  were  placed  according  to  their  age  and 
their  taxable  property,  the  old  people  having  the  front  seats, 
and  the  men  and  women  seated  on  opposite  sides  of  the  cen- 
tral aisle.  That  there  might  be  no  mistake  in  regard  to  their 
rightful  positions,  the  people  were  ordered  "  to  bring  in  their 
ages  to  the  selectmen  "  before  a  given  date.  When  there  was 
a  reseating  of  the  meeting-house,  the  committee  was  instructed 
"  not  to  degrade  any  person."  The  children  were  probably 
placed  on  the  rear  benches,  excepting  those  sitting  with  their 
parents  in  the  pews,  "  where  they  could  be  inspected  "  by  the 
tithingmen  appointed  to  keep  order.  In  the  first  meeting- 
house probably  there  were  no  pews,  but  only  benches. 


SOME  FACTS  RELATING  TO  THE  THIRD  MEETING- 
HOUSE IN  LEXINGTON, 

BUILT    BY    THE    TOWN     IN     1 794. 

No  dimensions  of  the  building  are  found  upon  the  records ; 
but  Mr.  Charles  A.  Wellington,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the 
plan  of  the  interior  on  pages  28  and  29,  drawn  from  such  data  as 
he  was  able  to  gather,  has  obtained  much  information  regard- 
ing the  size  and  appearance  of  this  ancient  edifice  by  diligent 
inquiry  among  those  who  best  remember  it.  We  have,  there- 
fore, a  very  accurate  representation  of  the  pulpit,  pews,  aisles, 
and  porches  of  this  meeting-house,  reproduced  by  his  pains- 
taking care  and  skill.  From  this  information,  we  know  that 
it  was  about  seventy  feet  in  length  and  between  forty  and  fifty 
feet  in  width.  At  first,  a  space  in  front  of  the  pulpit  was  filled 
with  rows  of  seats  extending  on  either  side  of  the  broad  aisle 
to  the  side  aisles ;  but  afterward  these  were  removed,  and  pews 


APPENDIX. 


131 


built  in  their  place.  Thus  the  entire  floor  of  the  house  was 
devoted  to  pews,  fifty-eight  in  number,  which  were  sold  at 
auction  and  bought  by  individuals.  The  pews  against  the  walls 
on  the  four  sides  were  raised  six  inches  above  the  aisles,  and 
the  seats  in  all  the  pews  were  lifted  up  in  prayer-time,  that 
people  might  stand  more  easily.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
prayer,  they  were  let  down  with  a  bang,  much  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  children.  The  pulpit  was  raised  about  eight  feet 
above  the  floor,  and  was  reached  by  stairs  on  each  side,  which 
turned  at  the  top,  where  a  door  opened  into  it.  The  front  of 
the  pulpit  was  circular  between  the  stairs  and  finished  down- 
ward, in  shape  like  the  end  of  a  melon.  Under  the  pulpit  in 
front  were  the  deacons'  seats,  and  above  it  was  a  sounding- 
board  directly  over  the  preacher's  head.  This  was  in  octagon 
form,  and  about  five  inches  in  thickness,  ornamented  with 
filigree  work  around  the  edges,  and  the  under  side,  as  seen  from 
below,  covered  with  red  damask  drawn  to  the  centre.  It  was 
suspended  by  an  iron  rod  from  the  ceiling,  twisted  in  imitation 
of  a  rope,  and  the  whole  painted  white,  with  streaks  of  gold. 
The  pulpit  was  also  painted  white ;  but,  with  these  exceptions, 
the  interior  was  in  the  natural  color  of  the  wood.  Behind  the 
pulpit  was  a  window  with  a  red  damask  curtain  drawn  in  flutes, 
and  under  it  the  seat  finished  into  the  wall,  also  covered  with 
red  damask.  The  pews  were  panelled,  and  finished  above  the 
panel-work  with  a  rail  about  ten  inches  from  the  top,  filled  in 
with  upright  turned  spindles,  which  the  children  delighted  to 
turn  and  make  them  squeak ;  a  misdemeanor  for  which  they 
often  received  a  tap  on  the  head  from  some  older  and  more 
devout  member  of  the  family.  In  the  wall  pews,  the  sills  of 
the  windows  came  just  above  the  backs  of  the  seats,  and  chil- 
dren were  sometimes  seated  on  them.  One  man  remembers 
sitting  there  when  a  boy  and  counting  the  teams  that  passed 
by  in  the  road  toward  Lowell.  There  were  porches  at  the  three 
outside  doors.      That  at  the  door  looking  down  Main  Street 


132 


APPENDIX. 


was  about  thirteen  feet  by  ten,  and  had  a  bookcase  containing 
the  Sunday-school  library  on  the  right  hand  of  the  entrance, 
and  on  the  left  were  the  stairs  leading  to  the  gallery.  A  porch 
of  the  same  dimensions,  with  stairs  to  the  gallery,  was  over  the 
door  toward  Monument  Street.  On  the  front  of  the  meeting- 
house, toward  the  Buckman  tavern,  or  Merriam  House,  was 
a  porch  and  the  bell-tower.  This  porch  had  three  outside 
doors,  a  large  one  in  front  and  a  smafler  one  on  each  side. 
On  the  left  of  the  front  door  were  stairs  leading  to  the  gallery, 
which  had  two  turns,  and  filled  the  whole  space  between  the 
front  and  side  doors.  The  bell-rope  usually  lay  in  the  middle 
of  this  porch  on  the  floor,  nicely  coiled.  A  window  between 
this  porch  and  the  interior  of  the  house,  having  but  one  pane 
of  glass,  allowed  the  bell  ringer  to  see  the  minister  enter  the 
pulpit,  when  he  was  to  stop  tolling  the  bell. 

A  spacious  gallery  extended  around  three  sides  of  the  house. 
It  had  a  row  of  pews  against  the  wall  and  three  rows  of 
seats  on  each  side  inclining  toward  the  front :  those  oppo- 
site the  pulpit  were  occupied  by  the  singers,  who  stood  be- 
hind red  curtains  hung  on  iron  rods.  The  gallery  front,  as 
seen  from  below,  was  finished  in  horizontal  panelling;  and  the 
top  had  a  width  of  eight  or  ten  inches,  whereon  daring  boys 
used  to  run  sometimes  during  the  intermission  on  Sundays. 
The  town  paupers  sat  in  the  gallery  seats  on  the  west  side  of 
the  house,  and  probably  the  colored  people,  also,  though  there 
had  ceased  to  be  any  slaves  in  Massachusetts  before  this  house 
was  built.  The  gallery  was  supported  by  six  fluted  columns 
placed  in  the  pews  below.  The  ceiling  and  the  walls  of  the 
house  were  roughly  plastered. 

Outside  of  the  meeting-house  in  front  was  a  row  of  hewn 
stone  posts  with  a  chain  running  over  the  top,  and  horse-blocks 
were  originally  placed  at  the  porches  for  the  convenience  of 
those  who  rode  on  horseback  or  in  wagons.  It  is  related  that 
on  one  occasion  a  woman,  having  tied  her  horse  to  a  post, 


APPENDIX. 


33 


stooped  down  to  pass  under  the  chain,  when  the  horse  caught 
her  bonnet  in  his  mouth,  and  appropriated  it  for  his  noon-day 
meal. 

Captain  John  Underwood  is  remembered  as  the  leader  of  the 
choir,  and  Josiah  Smith  as  his  successor.  A  big  bass-viol 
furnished  the  instrumental  music,  and  the  children  used  to  gaze 
with  wonder  upon  the  end  that  could  be  seen  under  the  curtain, 
as  they  sat  in  the  pews  below. 

This  being  the  only  church  in  the  town,  and  the  custom  of 
attending  church  being  universal,  the  roads  leading  toward  the 
meeting-house  are  said  to  have  been  black  with  people  on 
Sundays,  going  and  returning.  Boys  were  allowed  six  cents 
by  their  parents  to  buy  a  sheet  of  gingerbread  for  the  Sunday 
lunch  between  services,  and  it  was  usually  divided  among 
three.  The  post-office  was  kept  open  for  an  hour  at  noon  for 
the  accommodation  of  those  who  came  to  the  village  only  on 
Sundays. 

In  the  plan  of  the  interior  of  this  meeting-house  the  names 
of  the  pew-owners  and  the  numbers  of  the  pews  are  taken  from 
the  record  of  the  sale  when  the  church  was  built,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  those  which  were  added  in  front  of  the  pulpit  when 
the  long  seats  were  removed :  for  these  we  are  indebted  to  a 
later  plan  belonging  to  Mr.  H.  B.  Sampson.  Of  course  there 
were  many  changes  in  the  ownership  and  occupancy  of  pews 
in  after  years.  Hence  the  names  remembered  by  some  now 
living  will  be  very  different  from  those  on  the  plan.  But  in 
several  instances  the  descendants  of  the  original  proprietors 
occupied  the  same  pews  at  the  time  of  the  reconstruction  of 
the  house  in  1846.  The  cost  of  the  third  meeting-house  is  no- 
where given,  but  the  sale  of  pews  amounted  to  about  $7,000 ; 
and,  as  a  considerable  surplus  remained  over  and  above  the 
cost,  it  could  not  have  been  far  from  $6,000,  which  represents 
a  sum  at  least  three  times  as  large  in  purchasing  and  building 
means  as  the  same  sum  to-day. 


34 


APPENDIX. 


A  list  of  pew-owners  in  the  Third  Church,  with  the  sum 
paid  by  each  person  when  bid  off  at  public  auction,  Dec.  23, 
1794:  — 

No.  1.  Ebenezer  Bowman,  Esq., $174.00 

2.  Ministerial  pew, 

3.  John  Parkhurst, 152.00 

4.  Simon  Winship, 151.00 

5.  Joshua  Reed,  Jr., I54-5Q 

6.  Joseph  Underwood, 117.00 

7.  Josiah  Smith, 104.00 

8.  Jonathan  Loring, 116.00 

9.  Rufus  Merriam,  £, 75-oo 

"   Joshua  Simonds,  Jr.,  £, 75-oo 

10.  Jonathan  Smith,  Jr.,  £, 78.25 

"    Jonas  Stone,  £, 78.25 

11.  Abraham  Smith, 106.50 

12.  Isaac  Stone,  £, 58.00 

"     Ebenezer  Munroe,  \, 58.00 

13.  Jonas  Bridge, 103.00 

14.  Joel  Viles, 100.00 

15.  Dr.  Joseph  Fiske,  £, 57-oo 

"     Dr.  Joseph  Fiske,  Jr.,  J, 57.00 

16.  William  Tidd,  h, 65.00 

"     Nathan  Chandler,  £, 65.00 

17.  Attai  Estabrook, 135.00 

18.  Joshua  Simonds, 130.00 

19.  John  Muzzy, 1 11.00 

20.  Levi  Mead,  £, 85.00 

"    Josiah  Mead,  £, 85.00 

21.  Captain  Samuel  Hastings, 130.00 

22.  Captain  John  Mulliken, I37-5Q 

23.  Josiah  Nelson, 116.00 

24.  Jonathan  Harrington,  £, 33-5° 

"    Jonathan  Harrington,  \, 16.75 

"     Rebecca  Munro,  \, 16.75 

25.  Thomas  Tufts, 87.50 

26.  Deacon  Nathan  Reed, 123.00 

27.  Hammon  Reed,  £, 70.00 

Amount  carried  forward,       $3,221.50 


APPENDIX.  135 

Amount  brought  forward, $3,221.50 

No.  27.  Haramon  Reed,  Jr.,  £, 70.00 

28.  John  Simonds,  J, 64.00 

"     Samuel  Simonds,  £, 64.00 

29.  Captain  James  Brown,  J, 72.50 

"     Samuel  Downing,  £, 72.50 

30.  Joseph  Simonds, 113.00 

31.  Captain  Joseph  Smith, 100.00 

32.  Bezaleel  Lawrence, 58.00 

33.  Thomas  Lock,         106.00 

34.  Dr.  David  Fiske, 81.00 

35.  Benjamin  Willington, 117.00 

36.  Captain  Frances  Bowman,  f, 75-633 

"     Charles  Harrington,  \, 37-33§ 

37.  Frances  Bowman, 93-5° 

38.  Abner  Pierce, 119.00 

39.  Benjamin  Phinney, 67.00 

40.  Thadeus  Harrington,  \, 35-5° 

"    Joshua  Swan,  £       35-So 

41.  Colonel  William  Munro, 89.00 

42.  Jonathan  Bridge, 126.00 

43.  Amos  Muzzy,  \, 52.00 

"    William  Abbot,  J, 52.00 

44.  Deacon  John  Bridge, 106.00 

45.  Amos  Marrett,  Jr., 68.00 

46.  James  Reed, 120.50 

47.  Robert  Moore, 78.50 

48.  Thomas  Cutler, 87.00 

49.  Captain  John  Chandler, 151-50 

50.  Isaac  Hastings, 146.00 

51.  Abijah  Childs, 120.00 

52.  Lydia  Reed,  ^, 85.00 

"     Robert  Reed,  £, 85.00 

53.  Amos  Marrett, 143.00 

54.  Captain  Daniel  Harrington, 100.00 

$6,129.47 

Six   pews   were   afterwards    put   in   where   long   seats   were 

originally  placed,  but  who  bought  them  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing. 


1 36  APPENDIX. 

GALLERY   PEWS. 

No.  i.  Parker  Emerson, $51.00 

2.  Benjamin  and  Oliver  Wellington, 27.00 

3.  Jacob  Robinson, 42.50 

4.  Nathan  Fessenden, 22.00 

5.  Amos  Muzzy, 19.00 

6.  Nehemiah  Munro, 32.00 

7.  James  Wyman,  Jr.,  £, 15.25 

"    Swithen  Reed,  |, 15.25 

8.  Deacon  Nathan  Reed,  £, 20.25 

"   Joseph  Simonds,  £, 20.25 

9.  Thomas  Fessenden, 34-oo 

10.  William  Smith,  Jr., 40.50 

11.  Abijah  Harrington, 46.50 

12.  Nathan  Dudley,  ^, 14.00 

"     Nathan  Culley,  i, 14.00 

13.  Benjamin  Lock,  Sr.,  i, 15.00 

"     Joseph  Munro,  £, 15.00 

14.  Abner  Pierce, 39-50 

15.  Widow  Mary  Parker,  i,       

"     Robert  Parker,  i, 47.00 

16.  Benjamin  Lock,  Jr., 33-50 

17.  John  Parker, 57-oo 

1 8.  David  Willington,       25.00 

19.  Nathan  Russell, 46.00 

20.  Daniel  Harrington,  Jr., 16.50 

21.  Moses  Harrington, •     .     .  18.50 

22.  Thomas  Cutler,  Jr., 44.00 

23.  Nathan  Munro, 26.00 

24.  Samuel  Stone, 60.00 

Amount  of  gallery  pews, $856.50 

Amount  of  floor  pews, 6,129.47 

Whole  amount  of  pews  sold $6,985.97 

Besides  the  six  subsequently  added,  which  were  valued  by  the 
town  at  $600. 


APPENDIX. 


137 


Number  of  pews  in  the  gallery, 24 

Number  of  pews  on  the  floor,     ......       5S 

Making  in  all, 82 

Besides  the  ministerial  pew. 

There  are  nearly  one  hundred  different  persons  represented 
in  the  ownership  of  these  pews. 


proceedings. 


The  Lexington  Historical  Society  was  organized  at  a  meeting  of 
citizens  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  March  16,  1886,  the  following  call 
having  been  previously  issued  :  — 

THE  LEXINGTON  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 

Dear  Sir, — It  is  proposed  to  form  a  society  in  Lexington  for  his- 
torical research  and  study  in  matters  connected  with  the  history  of 
the  town,  and  of  families  and  individuals  who  have  been  identified 
with  it,  also  for  suitably  commemorating  from  year  to  year  by  ap- 
propriate services  the  great  event  which  has  rendered  the  town  for- 
ever memorable  in  the  annals  of  our  country,  the  object  being  to 
perpetuate  a  knowledge  of  our  local  history,  and  to  awaken  and 
sustain  new  interest  in  the  honor  and  good  name  of  Lexington. 
For  the  purpose  of  organizing  this  society,  a  meeting  will  be  held 
in  the  Selectmen's  Room  at  the  Town  Hall,  on  Tuesday  evening, 
March  16,  1886,  at  7.30  o'clock,  to  which  you  are  cordially  invited. 
(Signed)  E.  G.  Porter. 

C.  A.  Staples. 

Lexington,  March  1,  1886. 

At  this  meeting  a  paper  was  circulated  for  signatures  of  those  who 
wished  to  become  members  of  such  a  society  ;  and  eighty-four  names 
were  obtained. 

Committees  were  chosen  to  prepare  a  constitution  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Society,  and  to  arrange  appropriate  exercises  for  the 
celebration  of  the  19th  of  April. 

March  23,  1886. 
Adjourned  meeting.     George  0.  Whiting  in  the  chair. 
The  constitution  presented  by  the  committee  was  adopted,  and  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  nominate  a  list  of  officers  for  the  ensu- 
ing year. 

April  13,  1886. 
Adjourned  meeting.     George  O.  Whiting  in  the  chair. 


viii  PROCEEDINGS. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  by  ballot :  — 

President,  Augustus  E.  Scott. 

Vice-Presidents,  Miss  Mary  E.  Hudson,  Matthew  H.  Merriam, 
Herbert  G.  Locke,  William  A.  Tower,  Miss  Kate  Whitman. 

Treasurer,  Leonard  A.  Saville. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter. 

Recording  Secretary,  Alonzo  E.  Locke. 

Historian,  Rev.  Carlton  A.  Staples. 

Custodian,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Lawrence. 

Rev.  E.  G.  Porter  presented  to  the  Society  the  following  interest- 
ing relics,  the  gift  of  Mr.  Frederick  F.  Hassam  : 

Thomas  Hancock's  sun  dial. 

Printed  account  of  the  "  Bloody  Butchery,  etc.,  of  April  19,  1775." 

Tobacco  box  of  Caleb  Harrington. 

Paul  Revere's  lantern. 

Military  order  to  Paymaster  Ebenezer  Hancock,  signed  by  Gov- 
ernor Gates. 

Letter  to  Thomas  Hancock  from  the  Messrs.  Hope,  bankers  of 
Amsterdam,  1750. 

Letter  from  Commodore  Hull  to  Lieutenant  Commander  John 
Percival. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  read  entertaining  extracts  from  the  old  records 
of  the  town. 

There  had  been  a  long-felt  desire  among  our  citizens  to  possess  a 
picture  preserving  upon  canvas  the  landmarks  of  the  old  battle- 
ground, and  representing  an  ideal  of  the  stand  for  right  made 
thereon  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  and  the  Historical  Society  thus 
early  entered  upon  the  work  of  procuring  one.  Mr.  Henry  Sandham, 
a  prominent  artist  of  Boston,  had  for  many  months  been  at  work 
upon  such  a  picture,  which  was  believed  to  be  fine  as  a  work  of  art, 
and  historically  correct.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  negotiate 
with  Mr.  Sandham  for  his  painting  entitled  "  The  Dawn  of  Liberty," 
with  authority  to  collect  funds  for  its  purchase. 


CELEBRATION  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  ELEVENTH 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON. 

Commemorative  services  were  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  Sunday 
evening,  April  18,  1886.  The  exercises  consisted  of  singing  by  a 
chorus  of  forty  voices,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  J.  N.  Morse,  and 


PROCEEDINGS.  ix 

addresses  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter,  Hon.  James  M.  Usher,  Rev.  G.  W. 
Porter,  D.  D.,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples,  Dr.  Charles  W.  Emerson.  The 
morning  of  the  19th  was  ushered  in  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the 
firing  of  guns.  In  the  afternoon,  a  children's  celebration  was  held 
in  the  Town  Hall.     The  following  is  the  programme  of  exercises  : — 

1.  Music.  2.  Prayer,  Cyrus  Hamlin,  D.D.,  L.L.D.  3.  Singing. 
4.  Address  of  Welcome,  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter.  5.  Singing.  6.  Read- 
ing. Miss.  Eldridge.  7.  Singing.  8.  Declamation,  Edward  P.  Mer- 
riam.  9.  Recitation,  Miss  Bullock.  10.  Singing.  11.  Reading, 
Carleton  A.  Shaw.  12.  Recitation,  Miss  Rogers.  13.  Singing.  14. 
Declamation,  David  S.  Muzzey.  15.  Address,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples 
16.  Singing.    17.  Reading,  Miss  Eldiidge.    18.  Singing,  "  America." 

May  11,  1886. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  following  relics  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 

Copy  of  the  election  sermon  of  Rev.  Jonas  Clark,  preached  in 
1781,  the  year  of  Governor  Hancock's  election,  from  Hamilton  A. 
Hill,  Esq. 

Fac-simile  of  the  deposition  of  Captain  John  Parker,  taken  six 
days  after  the  battle  of  Lexington  by  order  of  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress. 

Bank-note  engraved  by  Paul  Revere. 

Proceedings  of  the  Bostonian  Society  at  the  annual  meeting,  Jan. 
12,  1886. 

An  essay  on  the  origin  of  the  names  of  towns  in  Massachusetts 
settled  prior  to  1775,  to  which  is  prefixed  an  essay  on  the  name  of 
the  town  of  Lexington,  by  William  Henry  Whitmore,  1873. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  On  the  name  "  Lexington,"  by 
President  A.  E.  Scott;  "Colonel  Francis  Faulker  of  Acton,  a  Par- 
ticipant in  the  Events  of  April  19,  1775,"  by  Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin. 

July  20,  1886. 

Special  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  following  articles  were  presented  to  the  Society  : — 

A  cradle  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  old  and  a  foot- 
stove  used  in  the  old  church,  by  Mr.  Amos  Locke. 

The  original  drawing  of  the  seal  of  the  town  of  Lexington,  with 
the  first  impress  of  the  seal,  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter. 

Steel  engraving,  from  painting  by  Copley,  of  Mrs.  John  Hancock, 
by  Mrs.  William  Wales,  of  Dorchester. 


x  PROCEEDINGS. 

An  English  coin,  supposed  to  be  a  penny,  dated  1775,  found  July  16, 
1886,  on  the  Common  about  where  it  is  supposed  the  line  of  minute- 
men  stood  on  April  19,  1775,  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Shippee. 

A  brass  button  of  antique  pattern,  and  a  small  bullet,  recently 
found  on  the  Common. 

In  order  to  more  conveniently  manage  the  property  of  the  Society 
and  carry  out  its  objects,  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  organize  the 
Society  as  a  corporation  under  the  laws  of  the  Commonwealth,  and 
to  this  end  it  was  voted  : 

"  That  the  Council  cause  a  corporation  to  be  formed  of  as  many 
of  their  number  as  is  convenient ;  that  the  organization  and  by-laws 
conform  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  present  organization  and  Con- 
stitution of  the  Society  ;  and  that  the  by-laws  provide  that  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  shall  be  members  of  the  corporation." 

ORGANIZATION   OF  THE  CORPORATION. 

July  28,  1886. 

A  meeting  of  the  subscribers  to  the  agreement  of  association  to 

form  a  corporation  was  holden  this  evening.     The  corporation  was 

duly  organized  as  required  by  statute,  and  the  followiug  By-laws 

were  adopted  : — 

Article  I. 
Name.— The  corporation  shall  be  called  the  "  Lexington  Histori- 
cal Society." 

Article  II. 

Objects.— The  objects  of  this  Society  shall  be  the  study  of  the 
history  of  Lexington  and  of  individuals  and  families  identified  with 
it,  the  preservation  of  such  knowledge  and  of  such  relics  as  illus- 
trate its  history,  and  the  commemoration,  by  fitting  public  services, 
of  the  event  which  has  rendered  the  town  forever  memorable  in 
the  annals  of  our  country. 

Article  III. 

Membership. — All  persons  who  are  now  members  of  the  associa- 
tion known  as  the  "  Lexington  Historical  Society  "  shall  be  mem- 
bers of  this  corporation.  Any  person  who  has  been  nominated  by 
the  Council  may  be  elected  to  membership  by  ballot.  Each  mem- 
ber shall  pay  an  admission  fee  of  one  dollar  ($1)  and  an  annual  as- 
sessment of  fifty  cents  (.50)  after  the  year  of  admission.  Any  mem- 
ber who  for  two  consecutive  years  shall  fail  to  pay  his  assessments 
shall  cease  to  belong  to  this  Society.     The  Society  may  elect  hon- 


PROCEEDINGS.  xi 

orary  and  corresponding  members  in  the  same  manner ;  but  such 
members  shall  have  no  voice  in  the  management  of  the  Society  and 
shall  not  be  subject  to  assessments. 

Article;  IV. 

Officers. — The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  be  elected  annually 
by  ballot,  and  shall  consist  of  a  President,  five  Vice-Presidents,  a 
Recording  Secretary,  who  shall  also  be  clerk  of  the  corporation,  a 
Corresponding  Secretary,  a  Treasurer,  a  Custodian  and  an  Historian, 
whose  duties  shall  be  those  usually  pertaining  to  such  offices,  and 
who  shall  be  elected  members  of  and  shall  together  constitute  a 
Council  with  the  powers  of  Directors. 

Article  V. 

Meetingi. — The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society  shall  be  held  on 
the  second  Tuesday  evening  of  March. 

Regular  meetings  shall  be  held  on  the  second  Tuesday  evenings 
of  October,  December,  February,  and  April. 

Special  meetings  may  be  called  by  order  of  the  Council.  All 
meetings  shall  be  called  by  the  Clerk,  by  sending  to  each  member 
a  written  or  printed  notice  thereof  by  mail,  post-paid,  three  days  at 
least  before  the  time  of  meeting,  or  by  publishing  such  notice  in 
some  newspaper  published  in  said  Lexington. 

At  all  meetings  of  the  Society,  fifteen  members  shall  constitute  a 
quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business.  Meetings  of  the  Council 
shall  be  called  by  the  Clerk  at  the  request  of  the  President,  by 
giving  to  each  member  personal  or  witten  notice,  or  by  sending 
such  notice  by  mail,  post-paid,  twenty-four  hours  at  least  before  the 
time  of  meeting.  Meetings  of  the  Council  at  which  all  the  mem- 
bers are  present  may  be  held  without  such  notice.  The  President 
shall  call  meetings  of  the  Council  at  the  request  of  three  members 
thereof.  At  all  meetings  of  the  Council,  a  majority  of  its  members 
shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

Article  VI. 

Amendments. — These  By-laws  may  be  amended  by  a  vote  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present  at  any  regular  meeting,  notice  of  the 
proposed  amendment  being  given  at  the  preceeding  meeting. 

The  following  officers  were  then  elected  : — 
President,  Augustus  E.  Scott. 

Vice-Presidents,  Matthew  H.  Merriam,  Herbert  G.  Locke,  William 
A.  Tower,  Mary  E.  Hudson,  Kate  Whitman. 
Treasurer,  Leonard  A.  Saville. 
Custodian,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Lawrence. 
Historian,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter. 
Recording  Secretary  and  Clerk,  Alonzo  E.  Locke. 


xii  PROCEEDINGS. 

The  committee  appointed  by  the  association  to  negotiate  for  the 
purchase  of  "  The  Dawn  of  Liberty  "  reported  that  the  price  of  the 
picture  was  $4,000,  including  the  cost  of  such  photogravures  of  the 
painting  as  the  committee  might  require,  and  that  it  had  been  ar- 
ranged to  present  these  photogravures  to  the  subscribers.  The 
funds  in  the  hands  of  the  committee  were  transferred  to  the  treas- 
urer of  the  corporation,  and  the  treasurer  was  instructed  to  pay  to 
Mr.  Sandham  the  price  named  by  him. 

August  ii,  1886. 

Special  meeting.  The  last  meeting  of  the  Society  as  an  associa- 
tion was  holden  this  evening  in  the  Town  Hall,  President  Scott  in 
the  chair.  It  was  voted  to  transfer  all  the  property  of  the  associa- 
tion known  as  the  Lexington  Historical  Society  to  the  corporation. 

A  special  meeting  of  the  corporation  was  holden  to  celebrate  the 
reception  and  unveiling  of  the  painting  "The  Dawn  of  Liberty." 
A  large  audience  was  in  attendance.  The  platform  was  finely  dec- 
orated with  flowers  and  exotic  plants.  The  picture  was  hung  in 
the  alcove  back  of  the  platform. 

Mr.  M.  H.  Merriam,  in  behalf  of  the  committee,  made  a  report  of 
the  work  of  the  committee,  and  presented  the  painting  to  the  So- 
ciety. Miss  Jessie  Eldridge  read  "Paul  Revere 's  Ride,"  at  the 
conclusion  of  which  the  painting  was  unveiled.  The  president  de- 
livered an  address,  receiving  the  painting  in  behalf  of  the  Society, 
and  thanking  those  who  had  contributed  toward  it.  Addresses  were 
also  made  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter  and  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 

October  12,  1886. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  military  coat  of  Fifer  Josiah  Smith,  also  his  commission  as 
Master  of  Band,  dated  1822,  were  presented  to  the  Society  by  George 
H.  Smith,  Esq.,  of  Waltham,  Mass. 

The  following  gifts  were  also  received  :  — 

"  History  of  Dedham,"  from  Erastus  Worthington. 

"  Memento  Mori  ;  sacred  to  the  Memory  of  George  Washington," 
executed  with  pen  bv  Nathan  Chandler. 

Pair  of  spectacles  used  in  the  eighteenth  century  by  members  of 
the  Chandler  and  Tidd  families,  from  J.  Q.  A.  Chandler. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  presented  the  following  papers  :  — 

"Order  of  Services  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  Jason  Whitman 
over  First  Parish  Church,  Lexington,  July  30,  1845." 


PROCEEDINGS.  xiii 

"Order  of  Services  at  the  Dedication  of  Church  of  First  Congre- 
gational Society,  Lexington,  Feb.  28,  1848." 

"Order  of  Exercises  at  Ordination  of  Rev.  N.  A.  Staples  as  pastor 
of  First  Congregational  Society,  Lexington,  Sept.  20,  1854." 

Dr.  R.  M.  Lawrence  presented  photographs  of  Buckman  and 
Munroe  Taverns  taken  in  1886. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"  Robert  Munroe,"  by  G.  Walter  Sampson. 

"History  of  Lexington  Common,"  by  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 

December  14,  1886. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  following  relics  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 

By  Mrs.  G.  W.  Porter,  the  boots  and  spurs  of  Governor  William 
Eustis;  photographic  portrait  of  the  same,  and  hat  worn  by  him. 
Mrs.  Porter  loaned  the  Society  the  diplomatic  coat  worn  by  Gov- 
ernor Eustis. 

By  Mr.  Walter  Faxon,  a  heliotype  of  the  "  Battle  of  Lexington." 

By  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter,  a  rolling-pin  given  by  Jonathan  Harrington 
to  Sally  the  day  of  her  marriage  to  Charles  Ellins,  Feb.  8,  1830. 

By  Dr.  R.  M.  Lawrence,  an  autograph  letter  of  Daniel  Webster, 
written  March,  1830,  to  Amos  Lawrence. 

By  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples,  the  sleeve-buttons  worn  by  Captain  John 
Parker  and  donated  to  the  Society  by  Mrs.  Isaac  Parker. 

The  historian  read  an  interesting  review  of  the  prominent  events 
of  the  year,  noting  the  formation  of  the  Lexington  Historical  So- 
ciety and  the  improvement  of  the  Common. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"  Amos  Locke,"  by  H.  G.  Locke. 

"Experiences  of  our  Grandmothers,  April  19,  1775,"  by  Miss 
Elizabeth  W.  Harrington. 

"  The  Life  of  the  late  Governor  William  Eustis,"  by  Rev.  G.  W. 
Porter,  D.D. 

February  8,  1887. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

Mrs.  J.  Q.  A.  Chandler  loaned  the  Society  the  wedding  vest  of 
Governor  Thomas  Dudley. 

The  following  gifts  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 

A  stamp  for  is.  6d.  used  under  the  "  Stamp  Act  "  by  Dr.  R.  M. 
Lawrence. 


xiv  PROCEEDINGS. 

Indenture  of  Agreement  between  Thomas  Hancock  and  Isaac 
Moody,  a  small  box  made  from  wood  taken  from  the  old  Hancock 
mansion  dining-room,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Minns,  of  Boston. 

The  Council  was  instructed  to  take  action  relative  to  securing  or 
saving  from  destruction  the  old  house  formerly  of  Rev.  Jonas  Clark. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  arrange  a  programme  for  the  ob- 
servance of  the  19th  of  April. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"  Matthew  Bridge,"  by  Harry  W.  Davis. 

"John  Lawrence,  of  Wisset,  England,  and  Some  of  his  Descend- 
ants," by  Dr.  Robert  M.  Lawrence. 

"  The  First  Normal  School  in  America,"  by  A.  E.  Scott. 

March  8,  1887. 

Annual  meeting.     Vice-President  M.  H.  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  :  — 

President,  Augustus  E.  Scott. 

Vice  Presidents,  Matthew  H.  Merriam,  Herbert  G.  Locke,  George 
E.  Muzzey,  Miss  Elizabeth  S.  Parker,  Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Harring- 
ton. 

Treasurer,  Leonard  A.  Saville. 

Historian,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Lawrence. 

Custodian,  Emory  A.  Mulliken. 

Recording  Secretary  and  Clerk,  G.  W.  Sampson. 

The  following  gifts  were  received  :  — 

Copies  of  advertisements  from  Boston  Gazette  of  May  12,  1766,  and 
Feb.  13,  1769. 

A  valuable  collection  of  old  documents,  mostly  relating  to  the 
Reed  family,  from  Miss  Sarah  Chandler. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  take  in  charge  the  celebration  of 
the  coming  19th  of  April. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"Thomas  Hancock,  a  Native  of  Lexington,"  by  Rev.  C.  A. 
Staples. 

"Captain  John  Parker,"  by  Miss  E.  S.  Parker. 

April,  12,  1887. 
Regular  meeting.     Vice-President  H.  G.  Locke  in  the  chair. 
The  following  gifts  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 
An  old  muster  roll,  by  Dr.  R.  M.  Lawrence 


PROCEEDINGS.  xv 

Two  muster  rolls  of  the  companies  commanded  by  Captains 
William  and  Benjamin  Reed,  by  Messrs.  Charles  M.  and  Theodore 
J.  Parker. 

An  old  tavern  sign,  with  a  portrait  of  John  Hancock  painted 
thereon,  and  a  picture,  by  Miss  Ellen  A.  Stone. 

A  pair  of  spectacles  worn  by  Mrs.  Mary  Sanderson,  and  a  pocket 
knife  and  mortar  used  by  the  same  lady. 

The  following  papers  were  presented  :  — 

"The  First  Normal  School  in  America,"  by  Miss  Rebecca  D. 
Viles. 

"Reminiscences  of  a  Participant  in  the  Eventsof  April  19,  1775," 
by  George  O.  Smith. 

"The  Pitcairn  Family,"  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter. 


CELEBRATION  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWELFTH 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON. 

A  general  meeting  of  citizens  was  holden  in  the  Town  Hall  on 
Sunday  evening.  The  hall  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Music 
was  furnished  by  a  chorus  lunder  the  direction  of  Professor  H.  E. 
Holt.  Addresses  were  delivered  by  Rev.  L.  B.  Hatch  and  E.  H. 
Capen,  D.D. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th,  at  an  early  hour,  the  First  Regiment 
Drum  and  Fife  Corps  marched  through  the  streets  of  the  town, 
arousing  the  people  by  their  patriotic  music.  An  old-fashioned 
breakfast  was  served  at  the  Massachusetts  House.  In  the  afternoon, 
an  entertainment  was  given  in  the  Town  Hall,  designed  especially 
for  the  children.  The  music  was  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Holt.  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  delivered  an  address  descriptive  of  the 
appearance  of  the  town  and  of  the  battle  fought  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775.  Addresses  were  also  made  by  Rev.  C.  J.  Staples,  of  Reading, 
and  Rev.  W.  L.  Robbins,  of  Lexington,  and  several  selections  were 
read  by  Miss  Jessie  Eldridge.  In  the  evening,  a  social  party  was 
held  in  the  Town  Hall. 

The  hall  was  decorated  with  beautiful  plants,  and  the  music  was 
furnished  by  Richardson's  Orchestra. 

October  ii,  1887. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

Dr.  Seth  Saltmarsh  read  a  paper  on  "John  Wyckliffe  :  His  Influ- 
ence on  the  Revolution." 


xvi  PROCEEDINGS. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Porter,  D.D.,  presented  to  the  Society  the  "Oration 
of  General  Joseph  Warren,  delivered  March  6,  1775,  on  the  Boston 
Massacre,"  and  read  a  brief  sketch  of  General  Warren's  life  and  ex- 
tracts from  the  oration. 

December  13,  1887. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  following  gifts  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 

Copy  of  the  Independent  Chronicle  ;  pair  of  shoe-buckles  belong- 
ing to  Elisha  Whitney,  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  J.  Q.  A.  Chandler  ; 
picture  of  the  hospital  of  Sir  Robert  Dudley;  also  a  large  collection 
of  original  deeds  of  various  estates  in  Lexington,  many  containing 
the  names  of  old  families, — all  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Q.  A.  Chandler. 

An  old  paper  containing  an  account  of  the  coronation  of  Queen 
Victoria,  by  Miss  Louisa  Angier. 

An  autograph  letter  of  Laura  Bridgman,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Porter. 

An  old  deed  of  Samuel  Stone  to  David  Fiske,  dated  1664,  proba- 
bly conveying  the  present  Cary  farm,  by  William  H.  Smith. 

Portrait  of  Jonathan  Harrington,  with  autograph,  by  Mrs.  War- 
ren Duren. 

The  historian  read  a  report  referring  to  the  important  events 
connected  with  the  town  during  the  year,  among  which  was  the  of- 
fer to  the  town  by  Hon.  William  A.  Tower  of  a  beautiful  library 
building  and  of  a  site  for  the  same  by  Miss  Alice  B.  Cary. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"John  Hancock,"  by  L.  E.  Bennink. 

"  The  Old  Taverns  of  Lexington,"  by  E.  P.  Bliss. 

"  Modes  of  Conveyance  through  Lexington  before  the  Railroads," 
by  George  O.  Smith. 

February  14,  1888. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  following  gifts  to  the  Society  were  announced :  — 

A  copy  of  the  sermon  of  Rev.  Avery  Williams  on  the  one  hun- 
dredth anniversary  of  the  incorporation  of  Lexington,  from  Miss 
Sarah  Chandler. 

A  daguerreotype  of  Theodore  Parker  and  a  portrait  of  his  study, 
from  Miss  Matilda  Goodwin. 

An  inkstand  used  by  Theodore  Parker,  from  Mrs.  Curtis,  of  Boston. 

A  piece  of  wood,  a  portion  of  the  belfry  of  the  old  North  Church, 
from  which  were  swung  the  Paul  Revere  lanterns  on  the  night  of 
April  18,  1775,  from  Albert  T.  Whiting,  of  Boston. 


PROCEEDINGS.  xvii 

Committees  were  appointed  to  take  charge  of  trie  celebration  of 
the  19th  of  April,  and  to  secure  an  appropriation  by  the  town  for 
the  purpose. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"Early  Parish  and  Town  Government  in  Massachusetts,"  by 
Robert  P.  Clapp. 

"  Lexington  Academy  and  its  Building,"  by  Hon.  A.  E.  Scott. 

April  10,  1888. 

Annual  meeting.     President  Scott  in  the  chair. 

The  annual  reports  of  the  officers  were  read  and  accepted. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  : 

President,  M.  H.  Merriam. 

Vice-Presidents,  Albert  S.  Parsons,  Charles  A.  Wellington,  Harry 
W.  Davis,  Mrs.  C.  C.  Goodwin,  Mrs.  Theodore  C.  Robinson. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Lawrence. 

Recording  Secretary  and  Clerk,  L.  E.  Bennink. 

Historian,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 

Custodian,  Emory  A.  Mulliken. 

Treasurer,  L.  A.  Saville. 

The  president-elect  was  escorted  to  the  chair,  and  made  a  brief 
speech  of  acceptance. 

A  letter  from  the  Worcester  Society  of  Antiquity  was  read,  ac- 
cepting an  invitation  to  visit  Lexington  ;  and  a  committee  of  seven 
was  appointed  to  arrange  for  their  reception. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  read  a  paper  entitled  "The  Story  of  the 
Hancock-Clark  House  in  Lexington,"  giving  its  history,  and  citing 
many  of  the  events  and  associations  that  make  it  memorable  in  our 
history,  closing  with  an  eloquent  appeal  for  its  preservation. 


CELEBRATION  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTEENTH 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON. 

Commemorative  services  were  held  in  the  Town  Hall,  Sunday 
evening,  April  15.  Appropriate  music  was  furnished  by  a  select 
chorus,  under  the  direction  of  Professor  Holt.  An  address  was  de- 
livered by  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Livermore.  Subject,  "The  Women  of  the 
Revolution." 

At  sunrise  and  sunset  on  Thursday,  April  19,  bells  were  rung ; 
and  at  an  early  hour  the  Massachusetts  First  Regiment  Drum  Corps 
marched  over  the  route  taken  by  the  British  troops  April  19,  1775. 


xviii  PROCEEDINGS. 

An  old-fashioned  breakfast  was  served  at  the  Massachusetts 
House,  which  was  largely  participated  in  by  our  citizens. 

In  the  afternoon  a  large  audience  gathered  in  the  Town  Hall  to 
listen  to  exercises  arranged  especially  for  the  instruction  and  en- 
tertainment of  the  children  of  the  public  schools.  Instrumental 
music  was  furnished  by  the  band,  and  the  children  joined  in  singing 
patriotic  songs.  A  recitation  was  given  by  Master  Warren  A.  Lord, 
of  Boston.  An  address  was  delivered  by  Colonel  T.  W.  Higginson. 
Subject,  "Opening  Scenes  of  the  Civil  War  "  ;  and  short  addresses 
were  given  by  others.  The  celebration  closed  with  a  grand  prom- 
enade concert  and  ball  at  the  Town  Hall  in  the  evening. 


VISIT  OF  THE   WORCESTER  SOCIETY   OF   ANTIQUITY  TO 
LEXINGTON,  JUNE  16,  1S88. 

The  Worcester  Society  of  Antiquity  are  accustomed  to  have  an 
annual  Field  Day  in  Summer,  on  which  they  visit  some  historic 
town  and  spend  the  day  in  making  themselves  familiar  with  the 
locality,  and  the  interesting  events  associated  with  it.  Knowing 
this  fact,  the  Lexington  Historical  Society  extended  an  invitation 
to  them  to  make  Lexington  the  place  of  their  Field  Day,  and  to  ac- 
cept its  hospitality  on  that  occasion.  The  invitation,  voted  at  the 
meeting  in  March,  1888,  was  gratefully  accepted  ;  and  subsequently 
a  committee  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  was  appointed  by  the  Lexing- 
ton Society  to  make  all  necessary  arrangements  for  their  entertain- 
ment. Saturday,  June  16,  was  the  day  chosen  for  the  excursion  ; 
and  upwards  of  eighty  persons  came  in  the  company.  They  were 
received  by  the  Lexington  committee  on  their  arrival  at  the  station, 
and  conducted  to  the  Town  Hall,  where  an  address  of  welcome  was 
made  by  President  M.  H.  Merriam  and  responded  to  by  Mr.  E.  B. 
Crane  of  the  Worcester  Society.  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  then  gave  some 
account  of  the  events  which  have  made  Lexington  renowned  in  the 
history  of  our  country  and  the  spots  identified  with  them.  The 
party  then  proceeded  to  visit  the  Common,  and  the  houses  around 
it  marked  with  memorial  tablets,  and  the  monument  to  Captain 
John  Parker  in  the  old  cemetery,  ending  with  a  collation  in  the 
vestry  of  the  Unitarian  church,  prepared  by  the  committee,  which 
was  duly  appreciated  by  the  guests.     In  the  afternoon,  carriages 


PROCEEDINGS.  xix 

were  taken  from  the  church,  and  a  visit  made  to  the  splendid 
rhododendron  exhibition  of  Mrs.  Francis  B.  Hayes,  with  a  drive 
through  her  beautiful  grounds,  calling  on  the  way  at  the  Hancock- 
Clark  House,  which  proved  to  be  an  object  of  great  interest  to  the 
visitors,  and  was  kindly  opened  to  their  inspection  by  the  occu- 
pants. Afterwards  a  visit  was  made  to  the  old  Munroe  Tavern, 
which  was  generously  opened  by  the  proprietor,  who  also  dispensed 
something  of  the  kindly  cheer  for  which  it  was  famous  in  the  olden 
time.  Finally,  the  company  assembled  in  the  hall  of  Gary  Library, 
where,  after  an  examination  of  the  many  interesting  and  precious 
relics  of  antiquity  which  it  contains,  resolutions  were  passed  by  the 
guests,  thanking  the  Lexington  Historical  Society  for  their  gener- 
ous hospitality  and  for  the  interesting  and  profitable  day  they  had 
enjoyed.  Thus  ended  an  occasion  of  mutual  acquaintance  and  fel- 
lowship by  two  societies  engaged  in  a  common  object,  which  is  re- 
membered with  pleasure  by  all. 

October  9,  1888. 

Regular  meeting.     Vice-President  Parsons  in  the  chair. 

The  historian  made  a  brief  report  touching  recent  events.  The 
corresponding  secretary  presented  data  regarding  Fort  Castle  Wil- 
liam, now  known  as  Fort  Independence,  in  Boston  Harbor.  He 
also  presented  to  the  Society  the  "History  of  North  America,"  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Cooper. 

A  paper  was  read  by  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples,  entitled,  "Were  the  Old 
Times  Better  than  the  New  in  Lexington?  " 

December  h,  1888. 
Owing  to  a  violent  storm,  no  meeting  was  held. 


February  12,  1889. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

Committees  were  appointed  to  arrange  for  the  celebration  of  the 
19th  of  April  and  to  obtain  an  appropriation  from  the  town  therefor. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Porter,  D.D.,  loaned  the  Society  the  commission  of 
Major  Moses  Porter,  signed  by  John  Adams,  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  Samuel  Dexter,  Secretary  of  War.  A  paper  was  read 
by  Rev.  Alfred  P.  Putnam,  D.D.,  of  Concord,  Mass.,  entitled  "Gen- 
eral Moses  Porter,  an  Unrecognized  Hero  of  American  History." 


xx  PROCEEDINGS. 

March  12,  1889. 

Annual  meeting.     President  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  :  — 

President,  M.  H.  Merriam. 

Vice-Presidents,  F.  O.  Vaille,  George  O.  Smith,  George  C.  Good. 
win,  Miss  F.  M.  Robinson,  Miss  Clara  Harrington. 

Historian,  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 

Custodian,  Emory  A.  Mulliken. 

Recording  Secretary,  L.  E.  Bennink. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  Albert  S.  Parsons. 

Treasurer,  L.  A.  Saville. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  secure,  if  possible,  for  the  Society 
the  Diary  of  Rev.  Jonas  Clark. 

The  Council  was  instructed  to  arrange  for  the  proper  celebration 
of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  visit  of  President  Washing- 
ton to  Lexington,  Nov.  5,  1789. 

A  cannon-ball  recently  dug  up  in  the  meadow  north  of  the  battle- 
ground, supposed  to  have  been  fired  April  19,  1775,  was  presented 
by  Miss  F.  M.  Robinson. 

The  following  papers  were  read  :  — 

"  1775  and  1861,"  by  G.  W.  Sampson. 

"An  Account  of  the  First  Proprietors  of  Lexington  Village,"  by 
Rev.  C.  A.  Staples. 


April  9,  1889. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

Rev  C.  A.  Staples,  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter,  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  E.  Rob- 
inson were  appointed  a  committee  to  arrange  the  proceedings  of 
the  Society  for  publication. 

The  historian  gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  visit  of  the  Worces- 
ter Society  of  Antiquity  to  Lexington.  He  also  called  attention  to 
the  loose  manner  of  preserving  the  old  records  of  Lexington.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  arrange  with  the  Worcester  Society  of 
Antiquity  for  a  joint  meeting  on  the  old  Indian  battle-ground  at 
Sudbury. 

The  following  papers  were  read :  — 

"  Charles  Hudson,"  by  W.  W.  Spencer. 

"The  Shelter,  Clothing,  and  Subsistence  of  the  Olden  Time,"  by 
M.  H.  Merriam. 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxi 

CELEBRATION  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FOURTEENTH 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON. 

Rev.  Minot  J.  Savage,  of  Boston,  delivered  an  address  to  a  large 
audience  in  the  Town  Hall,  on  Sunday  evening,  April  14.  Subject, 
''General  Washington." 

Friday,  April  19,  was  observed  in  substantially  the  same  manner 
as  in  previous  years.  A  pleasant  feature  of  the  day  was  the  display 
of  national  colors  throughout  the  town. 

Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale  delivered  the  address  at  the  children's 
ntertainment  in  the  afternoon,  descriptive  of  the  ride  of  Paul 
Revere,  the  march  of  Lord  Percy,  and  the  subsequent  events  on  Lex- 
ington Green,  closing  with  an  original  poem  entitled  "  New  Eng- 
land Chevy  Chace." 

The  Massachusetts  Sixth  Regiment  Association  visited  Lexington 
during  the  day,  and  were  escorted  by  George  G.  Meade,  Post  119, 
G.  A.  R.,  to  the  battle-ground. 

October  8,  1889. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

The  following  books  were  presented  to  the  Society  by  William 
Power  Wilson,  of  Boston  :  — 

One  volume  Colonial  Laws  from  1670  to  1672. 

One  volume  Colonial  Laws  from  1672  to  1685. 

Old  State  House  Memorial. 

Sheridan  Memorial. 

Paine  Burgess  Memorial. 

Engravings  of  William  Lloyd  Garrison  and  Wendell  Phillips, 
and  a  photograph  of  the  Parker  Monument,  were  presented  from 
Mrs.  Sarah  Otis,  of  Boston. 

The  clerk  reported  for  the  Council  the  programme  arranged  for 
the  observance  of  the  anniversary  of  Washington's  visit  to  Lexing- 
ton. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Staples,  for  the  Committee  on  Publications,  reported 
that  they  had  arranged  for  publication,  with  the  proceedings,  four- 
teen of  the  papers  which  had  been  read  before  the  Society  since  its 
organization, — by  vote  of  the  Society,  the  committee  were  confined 
to  those  papers  which  related  to  our  local  history,  and  thus  others 
equally  worthy  of  publication  were  excluded  ;  that  the  Society  was 
indebted  to  Mrs.  Frances  C.  Babcock  and  Mr.  Charles  A.  Welling- 
ton for  their  assistance  in  reproducing  the  first  school-house  erected 


xxii  PROCEEDINGS. 

in  Lexington,  and  the  second  and  third  meeting-houses,  together 
with  the  interior  of  the  second  meeting-house,  showing  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  pews. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the  expediency  of  adopt- 
ing some  plan  by  which  the  old  town  records  may  be  more  safely 
kept  and  arranged  for  the  use  of  those  who  are  interested  in  histor- 
ical matters. 

Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  read  a  paper  entitled  "The  Villages  of  the 
Praying  Indians  in  the  Massachusetts  Colony." 

Nov.  5,  1889. 

The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  Washington's  visit  to  Lexing- 
ton was  observed  by  the  Historical  Society  with  appropriate  services 
on  Tuesday,  Nov.  5,  1889. 

The  Council  was  instructed  by  vote  of  the  Society  at  the  regular 
meeting  on  Tuesday  evening,  April  9,  to  adopt  such  measures  for  a 
due  observance  of  the  occasion  as  they  should  deem  advisable. 
Accordingly,  different  committees  were  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  the  proceedings  and  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  Council. 

The  plan  adopted  was  to  visit  the  old  Munroe  tavern  where  Wash- 
ington dined  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  inspect  the  relics  gathered 
there  connected  with  him  and  with  events  of  our  town  history,  end- 
ing with  a  banquet  at  the  Russell  House  at  6  p.  m.  This  plan  proved 
to  be  a  satisfactory  one,  and  was  well  executed  by  the  various  com- 
mittees. During  the  afternoon  a  large  number  of  people,  including 
many  of  the  pupils  in  the  public  schools,  visited  the  Munroe  tavern, 
where  they  were  kindly  received  by  the  proprietor,  Mr.  William 
Munroe,  and  by  the  occupants,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Champney,  and  shown 
through  the  different  rooms  of  this  interesting  old  house.  The  col- 
lection of  relics  loaned  by  various  persons  for  the  occasion,  a  list  of 
which  will  be  found  printed  at  end  of  Proceedings,  was  large  and 
valuable,  and  called  forth  many  expressions  of  interest  and  delight. 
In  the  evening  at  the  appointed  hour,  the  members  of  the  Society 
with  their  friends  and  invited  guests  assembled  at  the  Russell 
House,  where  a  bountiful  collation  was  spread  in  the  large  hall, 
which  had  been  handsomely  decorated  with  flowers  for  the  occasion. 
Among  the  decorations  was  a  large  and  elegant  flower  piece,  de- 
signed and  presented  by  Mr.  Frank  B.  Hayes,  composed  of  chrys- 
anthemums, pinks,  and  azaleas,  bordered  with  delicate  ferns,  and 
bearing  across  the  face  the  name  "Washington"  in  blue  violets, 
and  below  the  dates  1789-1889. 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxiii 

The  divine  blessing  was  invoked  by  Rev.  G.  W.  Porter,  D.D. ; 
and,  after  a  full  discussion  of  the  viands  with  which  the  tables  were 
spread,  the  president,  Mr.  Matthew  H.  Merriam,  called  the  assem- 
bly to  order,  and  opened  the  literary  entertainment  with  the  follow- 
ing address  of  welcome  :  — 

ADDRESS  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Members  of  the  Lexington  Historical  Society  : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen, — It  gives  me  pleasure  to  welcome  you  one 
and  all  to  this  festival  to-night,  in  commemoration  of  an  event  full 
of  interest  to  the  people  of  this  town.  We  are  here,  not  only  as 
students  of  history,  concerned  in  the  verification  of  its  facts  and 
their  relations,  but  to  draw  from  them,  as  we  contemplate  the  life, 
character,  and  influence  of  the  most  eminent  personage  in  Ameri- 
can history,  inspirations  which  shall  kindle  in  our  breasts  anew 
sentiments  of  lofty  patriotism,  of  disinterested  devotion  to  the  com- 
mon welfare,  the  purification  and  elevation  of  sound  politics,  as  ex- 
emplified by  the  grand  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  of  Washington. 

It  is  opportune  that  the  day  we  celebrate  occurs  on  this  election 
day,  in  which  we  have  been  permitted  to  exercise  the  high  privi- 
lege and  duty  of  American  citizenship,  for  which  we  are  indebted 
more  than  to  any  other  to  the  sturdy  probity,  patriotic  purposes, 
indomitable  courage,  persistent  patience,  amid  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances in  the  darkest  periods  of  our  history,  to  that  prophet 
whose  far-seeing  intelligence  presaged  a  government  founded  on 
the  will  of  the  people. 

His  tour  in  the  fall  of  1789  in  these  Northern  States  had  a  greater 
significance  and  political  importance  than  has  been  customary  to 
accord  to  it,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  scant  place  it  has  had  in  the 
memoirs  of  his  life.  To  appreciate  this,  we  need  to  recall  the 
political  condition  of  the  colonies  for  the  ten  years  previous, 
embracing  the  period  of  Washington's  more  prominent  participa- 
tion in  colonial  affairs. 

There  was  the  breaking  away  from  the  ties  of  fatherland  and  an 
established  government,  and  entering  upon  that  period  of  uncer- 
tainties which  followed,  compelled  to  carry  on  a  long  and  tedious 
warfare  for  self-preservation,  supported  with  grudging  assistance 
from  separate  and  diversely  interested  colonies,  torn  by  divisions, 
jealousies,  and  rival  ambitions,  and  weighted  down  by  the  incubus 


xxiv  PROCEEDINGS. 

of  an  imbecile  Continental  Congress,  having  the  show  and  pretence 
of  a  government,  without  ability  to  enforce  its  decrees  or  raise  a 
dollar  in  money  ;  these  culminating  in  the  framing  in  convention 
of  that  new  device,  the  Federal  Constitution. 

When  that  Constitution  was  launched  and  committed  to  its  fate, 
it  was  by  no  means  the  popular  measure  we  may  suppose  it  to  have 
been :  it  was  regarded  with  doubt  and  misgivings,  assailed  with 
violent  opposition.  In  Massachusetts  even,  it  was  hesitatingly 
adopted  by  a  small  majority.  Yet  in  all  this  turmoil  and  distraction 
we  behold  the  towering  genius  of  Washington  prevailing  over  all 
by  the  tremendous  force  of  his  personality.  With  wonderful  in- 
sight, more  than  others,  he  saw  the  glorious  possibilities  of  the 
future ;  and  to  the  accomplishment  of  these  he  directed  all  the 
energies  of  his  versatile  powers. 

When  that  Constitution  was  finally  adopted,  and  Washington 
unanimously  selected  as  the  first  President,  he  felt  keenly  the 
responsibilities  of  the  administration  of  it,  and  had  great  anxiety 
for  its  ultimate  success.  The  majority  was  too  narrow  to  be  trusted 
for  permanent  results.  He  was  not  deceived  by  his  personal  popu. 
larity,  but  knew  as  well  as  anybody  that  a  large  element  of  it  was 
due  to  the  attachment  to  his  person  by  the  army.  A  very  different 
thing  this  from  an  obedience  to  the  cold  forms  of  stable  laws,  a 
passive,  not  to  say  active  or  enthusiastic,  support  of  new,  untried, 
and  questionable  forms  of  government. 

From  New  York,  south,  his  contact  with  the  leading  men  of  the 
time  and  his  indefatigable  persistence  secured  large  support  for 
the  new  government.  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and  Con- 
necticut needed  harmonizing  and  consolidation  in  support  of  it. 
Hence  the  significance  and  importance  of  meeting  the  people  of 
these  States,  in  order  to  fortify  and  confirm  the  loyalty  of  the 
people.  The  power  of  his  commanding  presence,  the  magnetism 
of  his  person,  the  gravity  of  his  speech,  swayed  men,  and  his 
dictum  ended  controversy  and  compacted  union.  The  tidal  wave 
of  enthusiasm  swept  away  opposition,  and  the  new  government 
settled  to  its  firm  foundations.  Such  were  some  of  the  effects  of 
that  memorial  visit  to  these  States.  As  he  passed  through  these 
streets  in  profound  sympathy  with  the  brave  men  who  fought  on 
yonder  green,  he  donned  his  military  uniform,  and  thus  identified 
himself  with  those  heroes  of  the  Revolution  and  did  special  honor 
to  our  town. 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxv 

From  that  time  till  now,  Lexington  and  Massachusetts  have 
never  swerved  from  true  loyalty  and  devoted  patriotism. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  let  the  genius  of  Washington  be  our  guest 
to-night  ;  let  us  light  afresh  the  torch  of  liberty  with  a  purer  flame, 
and  pass  the  fire  to  posterity  through  ages  yet  to  come, 

"  Till  old  time  shall  hide  the  sun  in  gloom, 
And  this  proud  empire  seeks  its  laureled  tomb." 

Song  by  a  quartet  choir  led  by  Prof.  H.  E.  Holt,  "  Hail 
Columbia." 

The  president  then  introduced  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples  as  follows  : 
Among  the  remarkable  things  that  Washington  did  is  that  he  kept  a 
diary.  I  take  it  that  a  man  who  can  keep  a  diary  continuously  and 
persistently  has  in  him  some  element  of  greatness.  Washington 
was  pre-eminently  a  silent  man,  but  in  his  diary  which  he  faith- 
fully kept  we  learn  much  of  the  man  himself  that  we  can  find  out 
from  no  other  sources.  One  of  our  number  has  given  that  diary 
careful  attention,  and  we  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  his  glean- 
ings in  that  direction  that  our  knowledge  of  the  character  of  Wash- 
ington may  be  more  complete. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  the  Rev.  C.  A.  Staples,  of 
Lexington. 

WASHINGTON'S  VISIT  TO  LEXINGTON 

Nov.  5,  1789. 

Washington  visited  New  England  at  four  different  times.  First,, 
in  the  year  after  General  Braddock's  defeat,  February,  1756,  he 
came  to  Boston  to  consult  with  Governor  Shirley,  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  his  Majesty's  forces  in  North  America,  in  regard  to  the 
precedence  of  rank  between  British  and  colonial  officers.  At  this 
time,  he  was  in  command  of  the  Virginia  militia.  He  wished  to 
know  whether  precedence  of  rank  was  to  be  determined  by  senior- 
ity of  commission,  as  he  contended  it  should  be,  or  by  the  service 
to  which  one  belonged.  The  British  officers  maintained  that  they 
outranked  the  American  or  colonial  officers,  because  they  were  in 
the  service  of  the  king.  Washington  gained  his  point;  and  the 
vexed  question,  which  had  caused  much  bickering  and  bitterness, 
was  ended.  He  was  then  twenty-four  years  old,  and  not  unlikely 
he  had  another  object  in  view  besides  the  settling  of  military  rank 


xxvi  PROCEEDINGS. 

in  his  first  visit  to  New  England.  In  coming  here  and  returning, 
at  that  time,  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  Beverley  Robinson  in  New 
York,  where  the  beautiful  Mary  Phillipse  was  staying,  and,  it  is 
said,  urged  what  proved  an  unsuccessful  suit  for  her  hand.  His 
second  visit  was  nineteen  years  afterward,  —  namely,  in  July,  1775, 
—  when  he  came  to  take  command  of  the  American  troops  around 
Boston  and  assume  the  military  leadership  of  the  patriotic  cause. 
Here  he  remained  conducting  the  siege  of  Boston  until  March 
of  the  following  year,  when  the  British  were  driven  out  of  the  town 
by  the  ever-tightening  cords  which  he  drew  around  it.  The  third 
visit,  that  which  we  have  met  to  commemorate,  took  place  in  1789, 
six  months  after  his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 
It  was  undertaken,  as  he  says,  to  see  how  the  people  were  affected 
toward  the  new  government,  and  to  learn  the  actual  condition  of 
the  country,  its  agriculture,  manufactures,  and  commerce.  His 
retinue  consisted  of  his  two  secretaries,  Dr.  Tobias  Lear  and  Major 
Jackson,  and  six  servants,  probably  negro  slaves.  He  rode  in  his 
own  carriage  drawn  by  four  horses,  —  "driven  in  hand,"  probably 
the  postilion  and  footman  on  the  outside,  Washington  with  his 
secretaries  inside,  and  four  servants  on  their  horses  in  advance. 
Thus  the  party  consisted  of  nine  men  and  eight  horses,  with  the 
heavy  cumbersome  but  stylish  English  carriage.  We  can  well 
imagine  what  a  sensation  the  arrival  and  departure  of  so  striking  a 
procession  must  have  caused  in  the  quiet  villages  through  which  it 
passed.  The  people  were  unused  to  such  splended  equipages  as 
that  of  the  President.  Even  stage-coaches  were  then  rare  in  New 
England.  Washington  took  great  pride  in  fine  horses,  elegant  car- 
riages, and  substantial  trappings  and  equipments  of  every  sort.  He 
always  ordered  the  best  of  materials  in  clothing  and  furniture  for 
himself  and  family.  He  liked  to  see  richly  dressed  ladies  at  his 
receptions,  and  often  notes  the  number  of  such  in  his  diary.  He  had 
the  stately  manners  of  an  English  gentleman  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  strictly  observed  the  etiquette  which  he  thought  becom- 
ng  his  station,  and  expected  it  of  those  who  visited  him.  The 
plain,  Puritanic  New  England  people,  accustomed  to  a  state  of 
society  where  almost  universal  equality  prevailed,  were  much  im- 
pressed by  the  dignity  and  splendor  of  Washington's  party.  They 
had  seldom  or  never  seen  such  a  display  of  fine  horses  and  servants. 
Even  Governor  Hancock,  travelling  in  his  dashing  red  coach 
drawn   by  four  horses,  with   postilion   and    footman   mounted  [in 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxvii 

their  places,  did  not  rival  the  impressive  dignity  of  the  President 
in  his  great  carriage  rolling  slowly  on  from  town  to  town. 

Washington's  plan  of  the  journey  was  carefully  formed  before 
starting.  He  fixed  upon  his  route,  the  time  he  would  give  to  it, 
the  stopping  places,  and  the  objects  to  be  noticed  ;  and  he  was 
reluctant  to  deviate  from  his  plan  in  the  slightest  particular.  He 
aimed  to  travel  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  each  day,  starting  early 
in  the  morning,  and  going  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  then  stopping  for  an 
hour  or  two  to  breakfast  and  to  feed  the  horses,  afterward  resuming 
the  journey  and  continuing  until  dinner  time,  then  another  rest 
and  meal,  and  after  that  travelling  on  until  he  had  reached  the 
tavern  where  he  was  to  spend  the  night.  He  did  not  accept  of 
private  hospitality,  except  to  dine  or  sup  with  some  public  man, 
but  always  went  to  houses  of  public  entertainment,  where  he  could 
pay  his  own  bills.  He  intended  to  avoid  military  receptions  and 
parades,  and  discouraged  them  whenever  informed  of  their  prepar- 
ation ;  but  he  could  not  prevent  the  assembling  of  the  militia  and 
firing  of  salutes  in  the  principal  towns  on  his  arrival  and  depart- 
ure, nor  the  addresses  of  civic,  religious,  and  educational  bodies 
in  the  towns  through  which  he  passed.  No  doubt  these  often 
gave  him  much  annoyance  ;  but  he  received  them  courteously,  and 
invariably  replied  —  either  at  the  time  they  were  given  in  a  formal 
speech  or  afterwards  in  writing. 

Starting  from  New  York  on  Thursday,  Oct.  15,  1789,  about  nine 
o'clock,  he  proceeds  slowly  over  the  rough  roads  along  the  shore  of 
the  Sound,  arriving  at  Fairfield  in  Connecticut  after  two  days' 
journeying.  In  his  diary,  noting  the  events  and  observations  of  each 
day,  are  many  interesting  and  curious  facts.  Thus  he  records  that 
the  cattle  are  of  good  quality,  and  that  every  farm-house  abounds 
in  geese,  the  roads  are  extremely  rough  and  the  land  stony,  but 
covered  with  grass  and  good  crops  of  Indian  corn.  The  hogs  are 
large,  but  rather  long  legged.  No  house  is  seen  without  a  chim- 
ney of  stone  or  brick,  and  rarely  without  a  shingled  roof,  and  gen- 
erally the  sides  are  shingled.  The  country  is  immensely  stony. 
At  Fairfield,  he  tells  us  that  the  superb  landscape  to  be  seen  from 
the  meeting-house  is  a  rich  regalia.  The  farmers  are  busy  in 
gathering  their  apples  and  making  cider,  the  apple  crop  rather 
above  mediocrity.  The  average  yield  of  wheat  about  fifteen 
bushels  to  the  acre,  but  often  twenty  to  twenty-five.  Destructive 
vidences  of  British  cruelty  during  the  war  are  yet  visible.     The 


xxviii  PROCEEDINGS. 

chimneys  of  many  burnt  houses  are  standing.  The  principal  ex- 
ports are  horses  and  cattle,  salted  beef  and  pork  ;  lumber  and  corn 
to  the  West  Indies,  and  in  a  small  degree  wheat  and  flour. 

He  leaves  Fairfield  a  little  after  sunrise,  and  rides  ten  miles  to 
Stamford  to  breakfast.  "Here  I  was  received  with  an  effort  of 
military  parade,  and  attended  to  the  ferry,  which  is  near  half  a 
mile  wide.  At  Milford,  I  saw  the  handsome  cascade  over  the 
tumbling  dam.  One  of  the  prettiest  things  of  this  kind,  however, 
is  at  Stamford.  It  is  near  a  hundred  yards  wide,  and  the  water 
now  being  of  a  proper  height  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  falling  upon 
it  as  we  passed  had  a  pretty  effect  upon  the  foaming  water  as  it 
fell."  He  reaches  New  Haven  on  Saturday  afternoon,  having 
missed  on  the  road  a  committee  of  the  legislature  sent  out  to  re- 
ceive him,  but  did  not  escape  their  address,  and  also  one  from  the 
clergy  the  same  evening,  and  a  visit  from  the  governor,  lieutenant- 
governor,  and  mayor.  At  New  Haven,  he  remains  over  Sunday, 
attending  the  Episcopal  church  in  the  morning  and  the  Congre- 
gational in  the  afternoon.  The  State  officials  dined  with  him  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Brown  "  who  keeps  a  good  tavern." 

"  In  the  evening  received  the  officers  of  the  State  belonging  to 
the  late  Continental  Army,  and  drank  tea  with  the  mayor,  Roger 
Sherman."  Then  followed  statistics  of  the  population,  the 
churches,  Yale  College,  the  exports,  the  tonnage  on  the  river,  and 
the  depth  of  water, — everything,  in  short,  relating  to  the  trade 
and  growth  of  the  town.  Monday,  at  six  o'clock,  he  is  again  on 
the  way  riding  thirteen  miles  to  breakfast  and  reaching  Hartford 
at  three  in  the  afternoon.  Here  he  remains  during  the  following 
day,  Tuesday  visiting  a  woollen  factory  where  broadcloth  was 
made,  and  ordering  a  suit  sent  him  at  New  York  and  "a  whole 
piece  of  Everlasting  to  make  breeches  for  my  servant."  Then  we 
have  the  usual  accounts  of  trade,  commerce,  population,  and  the 
depth  of  the  river.  The  next  afternoon  at  four,  he  arrives  in 
Springfield,  examines  the  continental  stores,  which  he  found  in 
good  condition,  especially  the  powder,  which  he  says  "was  very 
dry  ;  but  the  barracks  and  the  laboratory  belonging  to  the  United 
States  are  in  a  decaying  state."  He  stops  at  Parson's  tavern  in' 
Springfield  which  he  pronounces  as  a  good  house,  where  he  was 
visited  by  the  adjutant-general  of  Massachusetts  and  other  military 
and  civic  officials.  He  remarks  that  "  there  is  a  great  equality  in 
the  people  of  Connecticut,  few  or   no  opulent  men  and  no  poor, 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxix 

great  similitude  in  their  buildings,  the  general  fashion  of  which  is 
a  chimney  (always  of  stone  or  brick)  and  door  in  the  middle, 
with  a  staircase  fronting  the  door  and  running  up  by  the  side  of 
the  chimney,  two  flush  stories,  with  a  very  good  show  of  sash  and 
glass  windows.  The  size  is  generally  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  in 
length  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  in  width,  exclusive  of  a  back 
shed,  which  seems  to  be  added  as  the  family  increases.  The  farms 
are  small,  not  averaging  more  than  one  hundred  acres ;  and  they 
are  worked  chiefly  by  oxen,  which  have  no  other  feed  than  hay, 
with  a  horse  and  sometimes  two  before  them,  both  in  plough  and 
cart.  In  their  light  lands  and  in  their  sleighs,  they  work  horses, 
but  find  them  much  more  expensive.  Springfield  stands  under  the 
hill  on  interval  land,  and  has  but  one  meeting-house.  On  Thurs- 
day, set  out  at  seven  o'clock,  and  rode  over  an  almost  uninhabited 
pine  plain  for  eight  miles,  and  then,  before  the  road  descends  into 
the  valley  of  the  Chicopee,  it  is  hilly,  rocky  and  steep,  and  con- 
tinues so  for  many  miles,  till  we  came  to  Palmer,  where  we  break- 
fasted at  the  house  of  one  Scott.  Among  these  pines  are  ponds  of 
fresh  water.  From  Palmer  to  Brookfield  to  one  Hitchcock's,  fifteen 
miles  farther,  part  of  which  is  pretty  good  and  part  over  the  hills 
is  very  bad ;  but,  when  over,  the  ground  begins  to  get  tolerably 
good  and  the  country  better  cultivated,  though  crops  of  corn  do 
not  look  well,  and  have  been  injured,  it  is  said,  by  an  early  frost  in 
September.  A  beautiful  fresh-water  pond  and  large  is  in  the  plain 
at  Brookfield.  The  fashion  of  the  houses  is  more  diversified  than 
in  Connecticut,  though  many  are  built  in  their  style.  The  enclos- 
ures have  but  indifferent  fences,  wood  or  stone,  according  as  the 
country  abounds  in  the  latter,  of  which  it  is  full  after  passing  the 
pine  levels.  At  Brookfield  fed  the  horses  and  despatched  an  ex- 
press sent  by  Governor  Hancock,  giving  notice  of  the  measures  he 
was  about  to  pursue  for  my  reception  on  the  road  and  in  Boston, 
with  a  request  to  lodge  at  his  house  [which  he  respectfully  de- 
clines]. Continued  on  to  Spencer,  through  pretty  good  roads,  ten 
miles,  and  lodged  at  the  house  of  one  Jenks,  who  keeps  a  pretty 
good  tavern.  Friday,  commenced  our  course  with  the  sun,  and, 
passing  through  Leicester,  met  some  gentlemen  of  the  town  of 
Worcester,  to  escort  us  on  our  way.  Arrived  at  ten  o'clock  and 
breakfasted.  Here  we  were  received  by  a  handsome  company  of 
militia  artillery  in  uniform,  who  saluted  with  thirteen  guns  on  our 
entry  and  departure.     At  this  place  also,  we  met  a  committee  of 


xxx  PROCEEDINGS. 

the  town  of  Boston  and  an  adjutant  of  Major-General  Brooks,  of 
the  Middlesex  militia,  who  had  proceeded  to  this  place  in  order  to 
make  some  arrangements  of  military  and  other  parade  on  my  way 
to  and  in  the  town  of  Boston,  and  to  fix  with  me  on  the  hours  at 
which  I  should  pass  through  Cambridge  and  enter  Boston.  Find- 
ing that  this  ceremony  was  not  to  be  avoided,  though  I  had  made 
every  effort  to  do  it,  I  named  the  hour  of  ten  to  pass  the  militia  of 
Middlesex  Country  at  Cambridge  and  the  hour  of  twelve  to  enter 
Boston.  On  the  line  between  Worcester  and  Middlesex,  I  was 
met  by  a  troop  of  light  horse,  who  escorted  me  to  Marlborough, 
sixteen  miles,  where  we  dined,  and  thence  to  Weston,  where  we 
lodged.  The  country  about  Worcester,  and  onwards  toward  Boston 
is  better  improved  and  the  lands  of  better  quality  than  we  travelled 
through  yesterday.  The  crops,  it  is  said,  have  been  good.  Indian 
corn,  rye,  buckwheat,  and  grass,  with  beef,  pork  and  cattle,  are  the 
produce  of  the  farms.  Saturday,  24th,  dressed  by  seven  o'clock 
and  set  out  by  eight.  At  ten  arrived  in  Cambridge,  according  to 
appointment,  but  the  militia  were  not  in  line  until  eleven.  They 
made,  however,  an  excellent  appearance,  with  General  Brooks  at 
their  head.  At  this  place  the  lieutenant  governor,  Mr.  Samuel 
Adams,  with  the  executive  council,  met  me,  and  preceded  my  en- 
trance into  town,  which  was  in  every  degree  flattering  and  hon- 
orable." 

I  will  now  leave  the  transcript  of  the  diary,  and  give  a  brief  nar- 
rative of  the  subsequent  proceedings.  Washington  had  already 
been  detained  an  hour  longer  at  Cambridge  than  he  expected, 
waiting  for  the  militia ;  and,  when  he  arrived  at  the  line  between 
Roxbury  and  Boston,  another  long  delay  occurred.  Here  the 
selectmen  of  Boston  claimed  him  as  the  guest  of  the  town  ;  but  the 
State  authorities  had  already  assumed  the  care  of  the  presidential 
party,  and  insisted  upon  retaining  it.  The  day  was  wet  and  cold  ; 
and  Washington  became  impatient  over  the  miserable  bickering, 
and  at  last  called  upon  his  aide  to  show  him  some  other  way  into 
the  town  by  which  he  could  be  rid  of  this  wrangling.  Finally,  the 
State  authorities  yielded  precedence  to  the  selectmen  ;  and  the 
procession  passed  down  what  is  now  Washington  Street  to  the" 
old  State  House,  where  a  splendid  arch  had  been  thrown  over  the 
street,  with  a  canopy  above  it  twenty  feet  in  height,  on  which  an 
American  eagle  perched.  He  entered  the  State  House  by  the  south 
door,  and  came  out  upon  the  balcony  fronting  Washington  Street, 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxxi 

where  an  immense  concourse  of  people,  filling  the  streets  and  the 
windows  and  covering  the  roofs  of  the  buildings,  greeted  him  with 
an  enthusiastic  welcome.  Then  followed  an  ode,  he  says,  "ad- 
dressed to  the  President,  and  well  sung  by  a  band  of  select  singers, 
followed  by  a  procession  of  the  trades  and  mechanics  of  the  town." 
He  soon  retired  to  his  lodgings  at  Widow  Ingersoll's  which,  he 
says,  is  a  very  decent  and  good  house.  This  was  at  the  corner  of 
Tremont  and  Court  Streets,  where  the  new  Hemingway  Building 
now  stands.  Washington  had  engaged  to  dine  at  Governor  Han- 
cock's on  this  day  ;  but  the  governor  had  not  come  to  meet  him, 
and  he  decided  to  break  the  engagement,  dining  at  his  lodgings 
with  the  Vice-President,  John  Adams,  "who,"  he  says,  "favored 
me  with  his  company."  This  was  a  great  disappointment  and 
mortification  to  Hancock,  who  had  set  his  heart  upon  entertaining 
the  President  in  his  splendid  mansion,  and  prepared  a  sumptuous 
dinner  for  the  occasion.  But  Washington  believed  that  Governor 
Hancock  did  not  come  out  to  receive  and  welcome  him  because  he 
held  himself  to  be  superior  to  the  President  in  the  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts, where  he  was  the  head  of  the  government.  This  he 
would  not  concede.  Massachusetts  was  only  a  part  of  the  na- 
tion, and  the  authority  of  the  nation  was  supreme  over  all  its 
parts.  He  represented  that  authority,  and  it  must  be  acknowledged 
supreme  in  every  part  of  the  country.  "  I  shall  not  see  Governor 
Hancock,"  he  said  to  Samuel  Adams  and  the  council,  "unless  at 
my  own  lodgings.  This,"  he  says,  "  I  told  them  in  explicit  terms." 
Washington  was  no  stickler  for  personal  honors,  but  he  was  no 
believer  in  the  doctrine  of  State  rights.  We  were  now  one  nation, 
and  not  thirteen  independent  nations  ;  and  he  meant  that  fact 
should  be  recognized  in  every  quarter  of  the  Union.  This  occurred 
on  Saturday  night.  Sunday  he  attended  worship  at  King's  Chapel, 
the  Episcopal  church,  in  the  morning,  and  at  Brattle  Street  Con- 
gregational in  the  afternoon.  In  the  mean  time,  Governor  Han- 
cock had  seen  the  folly  of  trying  to  set  himself  above  the  President, 
even  in  Boston.  The  people  were  indignant  at  his  conduct,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  yield.  Accordingly,  he  wrote  to  Washington, 
saying:  "If  agreeable  to  your  Excellency,  I  will  call  upon  you  at 
some  hour  this  afternoon.  I  am  suffering  extremely  from  an 
attack  of  the  gout,  and  it  may  be  at  the  peril  of  my  life.  But  I  am 
resolved  to  do  myself  the  honor,  if  it  be  agreeable  to  the  Presi- 
dent."    Washington  replied  that  it  would  give  him  great  pleasure 


xxxii  PROCEEDINGS. 

to  receive  a  visit  from  Governor  Hancock  at  any  hour,  but  begged 
him  not  to  endanger  his  life  by  such  an  exposure ;  that  it  gave 
him  great  pain  to  hear  of  the  governor's  illness,  and  he  trusted 
that  he  might  speedily  recover.  At  the  appointed  time  the  governor 
came,  swathed  in  flannel,  and  borne  in  the  arms  of  his  servants, 
to  Washington's  lodgings,  where  in  his  person  Massachusetts  paid 
due  obeisance  to  the  supremacy  of  the  nation,  —  an  obeisance 
which  she  has  cheerfully  paid  from  that  day  to  this. 

On  Monday,  it  was  cold  and  rainy ;  and  Washington  was  suffer- 
ing from  a  cold  caught  while  waiting  at  Cambridge  and  during  the 
exposure  of  his  reception  in  Boston.  One  eye  was  badly  inflamed, 
and  he  felt  obliged  to  give  up  his  proposed  visit  to  Lexington  on 
that  day.  It  had  been  a  part  of  his  plan  to  make  a  special  visit  to 
this  town,  where,  he  says,  "the  first  blood  in  the  dispute  with 
Great  Britain  was  drawn."  Probably,  had  this  plan  been  carried 
out,  he  would  have  received  a  formal  reception  here ;  but  he  was 
obliged  to  defer  his  visit  to  a  later  and  an  uncertain  date,  which 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  no  preparation  was  made  here  to  give 
him  a  public  reception.  But,  in  spite  of  the  cold  and  the  inflamed 
eye,  he  drank  tea  with  Governor  Hancock  on  Monday  evening, 
when  doubtless  a  complete  reconciliation  took  place  over  the  fra- 
grant beverage  in  the  governor's  beautiful  china,  of  which  he  was 
very  proud.  On  the  following  day,  Tuesday,  Washington  was 
again  on  the  move,  first  receiving  the  clergy  of  the  town,  and  after- 
wards, at  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  attending  an  oratorio  at  King's 
Chapel.  Then  followed  addresses  from  the  governor  and  council, 
from  the  selectmen  of  Boston,  and  from  the  president  of  Harvard 
College  ;  and  at  three  in  the  afternoon  he  partook  of  an  elegant 
dinner  at  Faneuil  Hall,  given  by  the  State  authorities.  These  long 
ceremonies  seem  to  have  cured  the  cold  and  the  inflamed  eye ;  and 
the  next  day  he  was  ready  for  wider  explorations,  visiting  the 
manufacturing  establishments  and  the  forts  and  gun-ships  in  the 
harbor,  and,  as  usual,  noting  statistics  of  various  kinds,  dining  at 
Mr.  Bowdoin's  and  attending  an  assembly  in  the  evening,  where, 
he  says,  "were  one  hundred  ladies,  whose  appearance  was  elegant, 
and  many  of  them  very  handsome." 

His  stay  in  Boston  was  now  ended  ;  and  on  Thursday  morning  he 
goes  out  to  Cambridge  through  Charlestown,  but,  strangely  enough, 
does  not  mention  Bunker  Hill,  which  he  must  have  passed  on  the 
way,  and  where  the  famous  redoubt  thrown  up  by  the  Americans 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxxiii 

was  then  plainly  seen.  President  Willard  shows  him  the  orrery, 
the  library  of  thirteen  thousand  volumes,  and  the  museum  of  Har- 
vard, after  which  he  proceeds  on  his  way  through  Lynn  to  Marble- 
head,  which  he  much  desired  to  see,  and  thence  to  Salem,  where 
he  passed  the  night,  attending  an  assembly  in  the  evening.  Here, 
again,  he  meets  "one  hundred  handsome,  well-dressed  ladies," 
but  does  not  fail  to  notice  the  cotton  manufacturing  and  the  com- 
merce. On  Saturday  he  reaches  Portsmouth,  and  is  welcomed  by 
the  citizens  with  odes  sung  to  his  honor  and  speeches  made  in  his 
praise.  Sunday  he  goes  to  the  Episcopal  church  in  the  morning 
and  to  the  Congregational  in  the  afternoon,  Dr.  Buckminster's- 
Then  followed  two  days  of  sight  seeing,  visiting  the  harbor,  fort, 
and  light-house,  taking  a  fishing  excursion,  and,  as  he  says,  catch- 
ing two  or  three  cod  ;  but  he  modestly  refrains  from  telling  how 
much  they  weighed,  —  a  worthy  example  to  all  amateur  fishermen. 
The  fatigue  of  the  day's  sport,  however,  caused  him  to  retire  at 
seven  o'clock.  But  he  did  not  escape  the  inevitable  addresses  from 
church  and  State  authorities,  nor  the  evening  assembly,  where 
"  seventy-five  well-dressed  and  handsome  ladies  appeared,"  among 
whom  he  says,  "  was  a  greater  proportion  with  much  blacker  hair 
than  is  usually  seen  in  the  Southern  States."  In  Portsmouth,  he 
was  requested  to  sit  for  his  portrait,  and  kindly  consented,  giving 
up  two  hours  to  that  delightful  occupation. 

And  now,  having  reached  the  limit  of  his  proposed  tour,  he  turns 
his  face  homeward.  On  Wednesday  morning,  November  4,  he 
leaves  Portsmouth  for  Exeter,  and  pushes  on  to  Haverhill,  where 
he  passes  the  night.  At  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the  5th,  one 
hundred  years  ago  to-day,  he  leaves  for  Andover,  breakfasting  at 
Abbott's  tavern  in  that  town,  where  he  met  with  much  attention 
from  Mr.  Samuel  Phillips.  "  Mr.  Phillips  accompanied  me  through 
Billariki  to  Lexington,  where  I  dined,  and  viewed  the  spot  on 
which  the  first  blood  was  spilt  on  the  19th  April,  1775.  Here  I 
parted  with  Mr.  Phillips,  and  proceeded  to  Watertown,  8  miles. 
We  lodged  at  the  house  of  a  Widow  Coolidge  near  the  bridge, 
and  a  very  indifferent  house  it  is."  He  speaks  of  the  country 
between  Lexington  and  Watertown  as  very  pleasant,  and  the  roads 
as  generally  good,  but  expresses  some  indignation  that  he  should 
have  been  directed  to  go  through  Watertown  instead  of  Waltham, 
thereby  adding  five  miles  to  the  length  of  his  journey,  which  he 
would  gladly  have  been  spared,  and  the  night  at  Widow  Coolidge's 


xxxiv  PROCEEDINGS. 

"very  indifferent  house."  But  the  widow  did  not  keep  him  long 
in  the  morning.  He  was  up  and  off  at  an  early  hour,  riding  six- 
teen miles  before  breakfast,  which  he  took  at  Sherborn  ;  and  in  the 
evening  of  that  day  he  reached  Taft's  tavern  in  the  western  part  of 
Uxbridge,  where  he  passed  the  night.  The  quaint  old  house  is 
still  standing,  and  remains  in  almost  precisely  the  same  condition 
it  was  when  Washington  was  its  guest,  and  is  still  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  the  Tafts.  Washington  had  purposed  to  pass  the  night  at 
Mendon,  five  miles  this  side,  at  the  tavern  of  Colonel  Amidown  ; 
but  he  found  the  proprietor  absent,  and  his  wife  too  sick  or  too 
scared  to  receive  them,  and  so  he  passed  on  to  Uxbridge,  where  the 
Mendon  people  went  to  call  upon  him  in  the  evening.  He  had 
already  retired  when  they  arrived,  and  they  were  keenly  disap- 
pointed ;  but,  being  informed  of  the  matter,  he  rose,  dressed  him- 
self, and  received  them  in  the  kindest  manner,  though  the  ladies 
were  not  probably  so  handsome  or  so  richly  dressed  as  those  whom 
he  had  received  in  Boston,  Salem,  and  Portsmouth.  But  they  had 
come  many  miles  on  horseback  that  chilly  November  evening  to 
pay  their  respects  to  the  President,  and  he  said,  "They  shall  not 
be  disappointed."  At  this  old  tavern  of  Taft's  were  two  young 
girls,  the  landlord's  daughters,  one  of  whom  was  named  for  Mrs. 
Washington,  Martha  W.  Taft. 

He  had  never  heard  of  them  before.  They  were  bright,  modest 
girls,  and  showed  much  attention  to  Washington,  trying  to  make 
him  as  comfortable  as  possible  in  what  must  have  been  even  then 
a  rather  forlorn  place.  On  reaching  Hartford  the  following  Mon- 
day, November  9,  he  wrote  their  father  this  letter,  namely  :  — 

"  Sir,  — Being  informed  that  you  have  given  my  name  to  one  of 
your  sons  and  called  another  after  Mrs.  Washington's  family,  and 
being,  moreover,  very  much  pleased  with  the  modest  and  innocent 
looks  of  your  two  daughters,  Patty  and  Polly,  I  do  for  these  reasons 
send  each  of  these  girls  a  piece  of  chintz  ;  and  to  Patty,  who  bears 
the  name  of  Mrs.  Washington,  and  who  waited  upon  us  more  than 
Polly  did,  I  send  five  guineas,  with  which  she  may  buy  herself  any 
little  ornaments  she  may  want,  or  she  may  dispose  of  them  in  any 
other  manner  more  agreeable  to  herself. 

"  As  I  do  not  give  these  things  with  a  view  to  have  it  talked  of> 
or  even  to  its  being  known,  the  less  there  is  said  about  the  matter, 
the  better  you  will  please  me  ;  but  that  I  may  be  sure  that  the 
chintz  and  money  have  got  safe  to  hand,  let  Patty,  who  I  dare  say 
is  equal  to  it,  write  me  a  line  informing  me  thereof,  directed  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States  at  New  York.  I  wish  you  and  your 
family  well,  and  am  your  humble  servant, 

"George  Washington." 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxxv 

On  the  following  day,  Saturday,  November  7,  he  left  Taft's  at 
sunrise  with  the  purpose  of  visiting  General  Putnam  at  Pomfret; 
but,  finding  that  it  would  be  five  miles  out  of  his  way,  and  that  it 
would  iconsiderably  delay  his  journey  and  derange  his  plans,  he 
gave  it  up,  and  went  on  to  Ashford,  Conn.,  where  he  lodged  at  the 
tavern  of  Squire  Perkins  and  spent  the  Sabbath.  I  copy  the  entry 
in  the  diary  for  Sunday  entire.  It  is  as  follows  :  "Sunday,  8th. — 
It  being  contrary  to  law  and  disagreeable  to  the  people  of  this 
State  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  my  horses,  after  passing 
through  such  intolerable  roads,  wanting  rest,  I  stayed  at  Perkin's 
tavern  (which,  by  the  bye,  is  not  a  good  one)  all  day  ;  and,  a  meet- 
ing-house being  within  a  few  rods  of  the  door,  I  attended  morning 
and  evening  service,  and  heard  very  lame  discourses  from  a  Mr. 
Pond." 

Washington  returned  by  nearly  the  same  route  through  Connec- 
ticut that  he  came,  reaching  his  house  in  New  York  at  3  p.m.  on 
Friday,  November  13,  after  an  absence  of  about  a  month.  It  had 
been  a  long  and  tedious  journey,  over  what  he  calls  "amazingly 
crooked  roads,  made  to  suit  the  convenience  of  every  man's  fields, 
and  the  directions  you  receive  from  the  people  equally  blind  and 
ignorant." 

In  this  diary  of  his  journey,  we  are  impressed  with  Washington's 
acuteness  of  observation,  both  iu  regard  to  things  in  general  —  the 
appearance  of  the  country,  the  manners  and  characteristics  of  the 
people,  their  various  industries  and  the  sources  of  their  prosperity 
—  and  also  in  regard  to  the  minutest  particulars  of  their  thrift  and 
welfare.  He  describes  their  crops,  their  houses,  their  cattle,  fences 
rivers  and  forests.  He  saw  everything  with  an  understanding 
mind,  and  was  wonderfully  accurate  and  discriminating  in  his 
observations.  Then,  again,  he  impresses  us  as  a  man  of  inflexible 
will  and  indomitable  energy.  Nothing  could  turn  him  aside  from 
his  deliberate  purpose  aud  plan.  It  must  be  carried  through.  No 
amount  of  trouble  and  travel,  of  sight-seeing  and  speech  hearing 
of  dinners  and  receptions,  seemed  to  exhaust  him.  A  rigid  adher- 
ence to  system,  punctuality  to  the  minute  on  every  occasion,  pay 
ing  the  last  cent  wherever  due,  and  the  same  charges  for  his 
servants  as  for  himself  at  the  taverns,  accepting  no  favors  that  he 
could  not  return,  thoughtful,  kind,  and  generous  toward  those  whc 
were  associated  with  him  and  who  served  him,  —  such  was  the 
man  whose  visit  to  our  historic  town  we  celebrate  to-night,  as  he 


xxxvi  PROCEEDINGS. 

appears  in  the  brief  records  of  his  diary.  In  honoring  the  memory 
of  one  so  just,  so  pure,  so  unselfish  in  his  patriotism,  so  devoted  to 
the  interest  and  the  service  of  the  people,  we  are  honoring  that 
which  is  most  sure  of  the  everlasting  remembrance  of  mankind. 

President  Merriam  introduced  the  next  speaker  in  the  following 
words  :  — 

On  his  way  through  our  town,  happily  for  us,  and  this  day's 
celebration,  Washington  dined  at  the  old  Munroe  tavern,  which 
has  been  opened  to  us  to-day  that  we  might  inspect  the  locality 
and  see  the  things  which  he  saw  and  handle  the  things  which  he 
handled.  Most  of  us,  I  hope  all,  have  made  this  pilgrimage 
to-day  ;  and,  as  we  reverently  touched  the  things  which  the  great 
man  handled,  it  vividly  brought  to  our  minds  the  past  and  linked 
it  with  the  present. 

It  is  pleasant  to  remember  that  the  descendants  of  Washington's 
host  are  still  with  us  and  still  retain  possession  of  the  old  hostelry. 
One  of  them  will  doubtless  draw  inspiration  from  these  facts,  hav- 
ing grown  from  childhood  to  manhood  under  the  shadow  of  the  old 
mansion  and  its  wide-spreading  elms.  He  is  well  fitted  to  give  us 
an  account  of  that  dinner  and  the  memorial  associations  connected 
therewith.     I  introduce  to  you  Mr.  James  P.  Munroe  of  Lexington. 


WASHINGTON'S   DINNER  AT  THE   MUNROE  TAVERN. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  —  When  I  was  asked  to  assume  the  hon- 
orable task  of  representing  my  great-grandfather  here  to-night,  I, 
naturally,  searched  the  old  Munroe  tavern  for  memorials  of  him, 
but  without  success.  A  hunt  through  the  garret  of  the  old  Mason 
house,  was,  however,  more  fortunate,  as  it  resulted  in  this  letter. 
The  original,  of  which  this  is  a  copy,  bears  the  date  Nov.  7,  1789, 
and  is  indorsed,  in  a  fine  Italian  hand,  "  Miss  Sarah  Munroe,  Lex- 
ington, to  Miss  Mary  Mason,  New  York."  Sarah  was  the  second 
daughter  of  Colonel  William  Munroe,  the  other  children  being 
William,  Anna,  Jonas,  Lucinda,  and  Edmund.  Mary  was  the 
only  daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph  Mason,  a  famous  pedagogue,  and  for 
many  years,  including  1789,  town  clerk.  Of  the  reason  of  Miss 
Mason's  sojourn  in  New  York,  we  are  not  informed. 

The  letter  is  as  follows :  — 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxxvii 

My  ever  deare  Mary  :  — 

I  crave  your  patience  in  this  Episle,  as  I  must  finish  it  to  go  by 
the  Sunday  Coach,  and  therfore  indight  it  by  a  bad  candle,  dip'd, 
I  warrant,  by  Brother  Jonas,  who  is  ever  slack  in  all  except  his 
play.  We  have  had  great  doings  here.  Our  Loved  President  has 
journied  here  to  Lex.  &  has  took  dinner  at  our  very  House.  I 
suppose  you,  in  the  Great  City  of  New  York  can  have  little  inter- 
rest  in  the  small  haps  of  a  Country  Town,  but  remember  it  is  the 
birth-place  of  you,  and  of  American  Freedom !  I  suppose,  by 
this  time,  the  Boston  news  have  reached  you,  with  the  relation  of 
the  Jurney  of  Mr.  Washington  to  Boston  and  of  his  reseption 
therein,  how  he  stood  many  hours  in  the  peircing  Wind,  waiting 
for  an  end  to  the  bikkerings  of  the  Honourable  Selectmen,  and 
how,  therby,  he  incured  a  most  vile  Grippe  wh.  his  loyal  subjects 
thereupon  took  to  themselves,  being  only  too  Happy,  so  they 
declared,  to  share  even  the  Infloowenza  with  the  Noble  Wash- 
ington !  But  know  you,  what  the  News-letters  have  doubtles  not 
recount'd  that  this  very  infloowenza  has  been  to  my  Respected 
Step-mother  the  cause  of  much  Distres.  For  you  must  know  that 
our  reverend  Parson  having  gone  to  Town  of  a  friday,  to  see  the 
great  President  and  to  aske  the  helth  of  his  Cousn  the  Wurshipfull 
Gov.  Hancock,  wch  is  sorely  plaged  with  the  Gowt,  comes  back 
with  the  tydings  that  Mr.  Washington  with  Genl.  Lincoln  and 
many  others  with  him,  was  Minded  to  come  to  Lexington  of  the 
Monday  folowing,  being  the  26th  of  ithe  last  mo.  And  therupon 
did  the  Parson  make,  on  the  Sabbath,  3  most  eddyfying  Discourses,  , 
tending  to  prepare  our  Hearts  for  the  Visit,  (they  being,  of  course, 
Decent,  and  touching  upon  Worldly  things  only  so  far  as  might 
be  seemly.)  Now,  after  2d  meeting,  my  respected  Step-mother  had 
much  ado  wether  or  no  she  could  put  the  Pyes  and  pudings  wch  we, 
with  the  aid  of  Mistress  Downing  and  your  Worthy  Mother,  had 
prepar'd  on  the  Saturday,  into  the  Oven  on  a  Sabbath  afternoon 
afore  the  Sun  setting.  Hapily  the  afternoon  was  over-cast  and  the 
hour  of  Setting  come  early.  Then  did  we  all,  exsept  the  Children 
who  have  little  care  in  these  maters  but  to  require  to  be  constant 
Chid,  set  up  the  whole  night  to  watch  the  oven  lest  some  miss- 
chance  befal  the  contents.  You  may  juge  we  looked  befrowzeled, 
come  Morning,  but  soon  after  cork-Crow  came  a  messenjer  rid  out 
at  the  Command  of  'the  Sec'y  of  the  wurshipfull  Gov°r,  to  tell  us 
that  Mr.  Washington  was  to  sick,  the  infloowenza  having  seezed  his 


xxxviii  PROCEEDINGS. 

left  Eye,  to  attend  us,  the  day  being  Raw  and  blusterry.  Then 
such  a  borling  as  was  heard  from  the  children,  espesialy  Lucindy, 
who  is  ever  forward  in  the  making  of  noyse,  and  my  step-Mother 
was  like  to  say  hard  words  dispite  the  Parson  his  so  recent  eddyfy- 
ing  Discourses.  Now  was  great  Questioning  if  his  Highness  (for  so 
I  like  to  call  him)  wd  come  to  our  Town  at  all,  till  at  last  'was 
roomered  that  having  great  Desire  to  see  the  field  of  Lexington, 
therefore  he  wd  turn  his  road  in  this  Direction  on  his  coming  back 
from  the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  Mother,  thereupon,  bad  Lu- 
cindy,  who  still  borled  lustyly,  to  make  her  respecs  to  naybors 
Mulliken  and  Downing  (and  I  warrant  you  Naybors  Mason  were 
not  forgot)  and  to  ask  them  come  eat  the  President  his  Feast. 
They  all  came  in  good  time  and  my  honnered  Father  set  out  to 
make  them  Merry,  but  it  was  easy  seen  that  he  tho't  naybor  Down- 
ing but  a  sorry  makeshift  for  his  exspected  guest.  Your  good  par- 
rents  be,  of  course,  always  Wellcome. 

But  you  must  be  uneasy  to  hear  tell  of  Mr.  Washington  his  real 
Visit.  'Twas  on  Thursday  last,  and  Wednesday,  you  may  be 
bound,  was  a  bussy  day,  what  with  Baking  and  mixing  and  the 
Brewwing  of  a  fresh  Lot  of  beer  for  the  Flip.  Then  to,  had  all  the 
plate  to  be  scowr'd  and  the  brases  rubbed  and  the  Floors  new 
sanded  ('tis  a  shame  to  my  thinking,  that  we  slid  have  no  carpet 
when  even  the  Taylor,  Master  Bond,  hath  one)  and  my  ribbands  and 
gown  to  be  furbish'd,  for  'twas  decided  that  none  but  Lucindy  shd 
have  a  new  frock,  so  I  had  to  go  without,  while  she,  pert  minx,  had 
a  most  loveley  Gown  of  green  callimanco,  with  Plumes  to  her  hat. 
I  wore  my  old  tammie  which  is  to  thin  for  the  seeson  and  has,  more- 
by-token,  been  turn'd. 

We  were  not,  this  time,  so  Forward  in  setting  up  the  Night,  as 
we  were  mightyly  tyred,  you  may  beleive.  Come  Morning  'twas 
clear,  tho'  somewhat  Frosty,  and  good  sister  Anna  minding  to  stay 
home  &  help  Step-mother  lay  the  table,  Jonas  &  Edmund  &  I 
and  the  pert  Lucindy,  who  is  truley  a  great  cross  to  me,  set  out  for 
the  Green.  'Twas  tho't  that  Mr.  Washington  wod  come  by  ten  of 
the  clock,  but  'twas  full  noon  ere  he  come.  As  he  must  enter  by 
the  road  by  the  Parson's,  I  was  for  Walking  out  to  meet  him,  but 
Jonas  would  not,  wether  from  Sloth  or  from  fear,  I  know  not. 
Betimes  Mr.  Washington  appered,  bestridding  a  most  hansome 
White  horse.  He  wore  a  millitary  Habit,  much  like  that  of  my 
Worthy  Father,  only  gayer  and  with  fine  things,  I  mind  not  what 


PROCEEDINGS.  xxxix 

they  call  'em,  on  the  showlders.  His  Hat  he  wore  under  his  arm, 
and  he  bent  himself  to  the  one  side  and  the  other  as  he  Passed.  I 
promise  you  we  huzzared  stoutly,  but  he  bowed  not,  only  leaned,  as 
one  shd  say,  towards  us.  Beside  him  road  the  Honble  Mr.  Phillips, 
the  Worshippfull  President  of  the  Sennate.  Behind  come  the  two 
Seccretars  Major  ( or  Col°  )  Jackson  &  Mr.  Tobbias  Lear,  &  ahind 
all  grined  a  Black  man.  Over  against  the  Meeting  House  stood  to 
meet  Mr-  Washington  all  the  great  men  of  the  Town  (exsepting  my 
Father  who  could  not  be  spar'd  from  the  House)  and  them  that  was 
in  the  fight.  There  was  the  Selectmen  Masters  Hammond  Reed, 
John  Chandler,  Amos  Marrett  and  Joseph  Smith,  there  was  the 
Honble  Mr.  Simons  of  the  General  Court  and  there  was  old  Mr. 
Bridge  and  Maj.  John  Bridge,  Sarjent  Brown  with  his  cheek  all 
scared,  Nath.  Farmer  with  his  arm  in  a  Sling,  tho'  'twas  well,  years 
agone,  well  favorred  Master  Chandler  who  has  gone  and  marryed 
more's  the  pitty  and  is  to  be  a  Capn  in  the  Millisha,  many  Harring- 
tons &  Smiths  and  Sundry  others,  not  forgeting  Prince  Fstabrook 
the  Black  man,  who  was  being  made  ackwainted,  tho'  stiffly,  with 
Mr-  Washington  his  servents,  who  had  come  up  with  his  Coach. 
And  there  in  the  Front  was  your  Father  and  the  Parson.  Your  dad 
wd  have  held  the  Pres1  his  stirup,  but  he  wd  not  permitt  of  it,  & 
threw  himself  from  the  sadle  with  a  Jump,  for  'tis  said  he  is  won- 
derus  strong,  tho'  so  old.  Then  was  there  some  figetting,  none 
knowing  what  'twas  fiting  to  do.  But  Mr-  Washington  let  them  not 
stand  long  abbashed,  for  he  said,  "Where  is  Leftenent  Tidd,  who 
was  next  to  Cap'n  Parker?  "  and  when  they  put  Master  Tidd  for- 
ward, the  President  gave  him  a  fine  grasp  of  the  hand,  saying 
nought,  however.  Then  took  he  respectfuly  the  Parson  his  Hand, 
saying,  "Our  distinguish'd  and  dear  Friend  the  Honble  Govener 
has  told  me  much  of  his  fearless  Kinsman,  Parson  Clark."  Then 
followed  some  Speach  which  I  heard  not,  daring  to  venture  no 
nearer  than  I  was,  being  that  I  had  an  old  Frock,  and  compeled  to 
hold  back  Lucindy.  Soon  the  whole  Troupe  betook  themselves  to 
the  Spot  where  the  Blood  was  spilled. 

Mr-  Washington  seemed  somthing  sollem  at  first,  but  soon  waxed 
livlyer  and  asked  many  Questions,  they  told  me,  of  the  Fight.  He 
would,  moreover,  see  the  Houses  round  about,  and  when  he  enterred 
Mr-  Buckman  his  Tavern,  I  was  in  great  figget  'till  he  come  out, 
fearing  lest  Mr-  Merriam  who  is  but  just  approbbated  as  a  taverner 
and  knows  nought  about  the  Bisness,  might  entreat  him  into  Eating 


xl  PROCEEDINGS. 

there.  At  last  it  being  close  onto  two  of  the  clock,  the  hour  set  for 
the  dining,  we  set  out,  the  Pres1  and  the  rest  riding  and  walking  at 
the  head,  and  the  Coach  and  the  Townsfolk  taging  after,  huzzaring 
and  waving  kerchefs.  'Twas  a  pitty  we  gave  him  no  set  speach  as 
'twas  did  in  many  Towns  no  bigerthan  ours,  and  your  Father  could 
have  writ  it  exselent.  When  we  come  to  the  house  there  stood  my 
Father  and  step-mother  at  the  tap-room  Door,  Anna  and  the  naybors 
skulking  in  the  parlour.  My  Father  looked  grandly  in  his  rejimen- 
tels  and  proud  indeed  was  I  of  him  as  he  led  the  way  to  the  Dinner- 
room  prepar'd  for  Mr-  Washington  in  the  upper  room,  looking 
towards  your  House.  'Twas  arrang'd  that  my  Step-mother  dish  the 
vittles  in  the  kitch'n,  yours  should  bring  them  to  the  stares  (the 
short  way,  thou  knows't,  thro'  the  shop  &  the  Tap-room)  and  then 
my  Father  shod  serve  them  to  the  gests.  'Twas  permited  me  to 
stand  in  the  corner  betwixt  the  windows,  to  give  what  help  was 
needed.  We  had  a  right  fine  feast,  I  can  tell  you,  and  much  of  it ; 
rosted  Beef,  a  showlder  of  pork,  Chickins,  pyes,  Puddings,  Sylly- 
bubs,  and,  best  of  all,  some  fine  young  Pigens  sent  in  by  the  Widow 
Mulliken.  My-  Washington  would  have  none  but  plane  things, 
however,  saying,  as  my  Father  handed  the  others  to  him,  That  is  to 
good  for  me.  When  the  pigens,  of  which  there  was  but  few,  were 
served,  the  Pres*  said  Are  all  these  fine  kickshores  for  my  servents 
to  ?  My  Father  stamering  that  he  had  not  tho't  to  give  them  Such, 
his  Highness  bade  the  dish  of  Squobs  be  divided  in  half  that  his 
Black  men,  forsooth,  might  have  the  same  as  him.  During  the  din- 
ing he  talked  of  little  other  than  the  Vilenes  of  the  Roads,  calling 
them  as  Blind  and  Ignorent  as  the  directions  of  the  Inhabittems. 
He  had  more  to  say  than  was  seemly,  to  my  thinking,  of  the 
Ladyes,  how  hansome  he  found  them,  their  black  Hair  being  to  his 
liking.  He  was  exceeding  Frugall  in  his  drinking,  as  well  as  in  his 
Feeding,  for  he  took  but  one  Mug  of  beer  and  two  glasses  of  wine 
during  the  whole  meal.  After  the  second  Glass  he  rellated  sundry 
Aneckdotes,  but  with  such  gravy  ty  &  slowness  that  none  durst  smile. 
He  told  us  that  Mr-  Franklin  having  been  much  Vexed  in  England 
by  the  British  complaneing  that  the  Yankees,  as  they  term  us,  took 
a  wrong  advanttage  on  the  19th  of  April,  in  firing  from  behind 
Stone-walls,  the  great  phileosofer  had  retort'd  "  Were  they  not  two 
sides  to  the  Walls  ?  "  The  only  other  Storey  I  mind  his  telling  is 
of  his  having  come  to  a  Tavern  where  the  Host  was  away  and  where 
they  had  to  arowse  the  Mistress,  she  being  in  bed  ;  on  hearing  that 


PROCEEDINGS.  xli 

the  President  was  below,  seeking  shelter,  she  would  have  nought  to 
do  with  him,  beleiving  him  to  be  but  the  President  of  the  little 
Yale  Colledge  in  Conn*-  A  most  diverting  Thing  took  place  after 
this ;  Mr-  Washington,  you  must  know,  is  much  besstirred  over 
Farming  matters  and  had  much  to  ask  of  the  crops  et  cetera,  and  so 
talking,  he  turned  to  Mr.  Marrett  and  asked  if  he  tho't  not  that  the 
hogs  in  N.  E.  have  exseeding  long  legs ;  this  well-nigh  upsett  the 
comp'y,  for  you  must  know  that  'twas  Mr.  Marrett  who,  at  the  last 
town  meeting,  contend'd  that  the  Hogs  shd  be  impownded,  &,  more 
by  token,  he  will  soon  be  named  for  Hog-reave  himself,  being  about 
to  Marry.  The  mirth  at  this  might  have  prov'd  Unbecoming  had 
not  just  then  arose  a  great  cracking  and  howling,  We  rushed  to 
the  Window  and  there  in  the  butt'nwood  Tree  was  Jonas,  clinging 
to  the  fril  of  Lucindy's  skirt,  and  she  dangeling  in  mid-air.  Before 
we  could  get  out  of  the  Room,  one  of  the  Black-men  had  climed  the 
tree  and  caught  Lucindy  by  the  Neck  like  a  Cat,  and  carryed  her 
down.  The  silly  child  had  led  Jonas  into  climing  the  Tree  with 
her  to  look  in  at  the  dinner-room  Window,  and  a  limb  having 
snapped  she  wod,  but  for  Jonas,  have  broke  her  neck.  Her  new 
frock  was  quite  spoyled.  After  the  meal  my  Father  shew  the 
comp'y  the  Massonic  Hall  over  the  shopp  for  Mr-  Washington  is  a 
mason,  but,  sayes  my  Father,  a  very  lukewarm  one,  thro'  Pollicy. 
The  forwerd  L,ucindy  had  meanwhile  been  put  into  an  apon  to  hyde 
the  Rents  in  her  frock,  and  now  she  pushed  herself  into  the  Presi- 
dent his  presense.  He  notised  her,  perforce,  and  the  minx  was 
thereat  Bold  enough  to  intreat  him  go  with  her  to  get  Pares  from 
the  old  button-pare  tree  in  the  Hollow.  He  indulgentley  consent'd 
&  she  led  him  thither.  He  raised  her  in  his  arms  that  she  might 
reach  the  Pares,  and  on  letting  her  down,  I  cannot  Sware  to  it,  but 
I  firmly  beleive,  that  he  gave  her  a  Smack.  She  is  quite  to  Old, 
to  my  thinking,  for  such  foldy-rol.  His  Highness  then  stood  for 
a  while  afore  the  House,  admiring  at  the  trees,  himself  the  center 
of  all  Eyes.  Spying  something  White  behind  the  wall  oposite, 
he  querried  what  it  might  be,  at  wch  we  well-nighe  burst  with 
larffing,  for,  in  truth,  'twas  your  Granney  herself,  who  had  crawled 
up  with  much  ado,  &  who  was  now  peeping,  her  Cap  all  a-wry,  to 
see  the  Pres4. 

The  Sun  being  now  low,  M*  Washington  entered  his  carrige,  and 
started  off  to- wards  Watertown,  having  denied  a  Mug  of  Flip  which 
my  Father,  with  much  pains,  had  prepar'd.     Messiers  Tobyas  Lear 


xlii  PROCEEDINGS. 

and  Jackson  and  the  Black  men  did  not  say  him  nay,  tho',  I  war- 
rant you. 

I  have  burned  3  Dips,  which  is  sinfull,  &  have  set  up  long  beyond 
Bell-ringing  to  send  you  this,  so  now  must  I  stop. 

Your  ever  afectionate 

Sally. 

Post-scriptum.  The  President  payed  no  Heed  to  me,  wch,  indeed, 
I  would  not  have  alowed,  as  did  Lucindy. 

Post-scriptum  2.  If  thou  have  a  new  Shalloon  for  Madam  Wash- 
ington's Friday  route,  do  not  ackwaint  me  of  it  lest  I  die  with 
covetting. 

Song,  "Star  Spangled  Banner,"  sung  by  Mrs.  Holt. 

President  Merriam. — As  you  have  already  learned,  in  his  tour 
Washington  tarried  at  Andover  and  was  the  guest  of  Samuel  Phil- 
lips, then  lieutenant-governor,  who  accompanied  him  from  Andover 
to  Lexington.  Governor  Phillips  was  the  founder  of  that  venerable 
institution  of  learning  familiar  to  us  as  Phillips  Academy.  Andover 
could  have  no  more  fitting  representative  at  our  table  to-night  than 
the  able  instructor  and  principal  of  that  institution,  who  will,  with 
his  enlivening  words  and  manner,  interest  you  in  historical  remin- 
iscenses  of  Washington's  visit  at  Andover. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you  Dr.  C.  F.  P.  Bancroft, 
Principal  of  Phillips  Academy  of  Andover. 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen, — I  wish  to  state  at  the 
outset  what  most  speakers  reserve  to  the  close  of  their  remarks,  that 
I  appreciate  very  highly  the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  this  society, 
and  especially  of  its  officers  in  inviting  me  to  be  present  and  to  take 
some  part  in  this  celebration.  There  are  many  men  in  Andover, 
some  of  them  eminent  in  historical  and  antiquarian  lore,  who 
could  more  fittingly  respond  for  our  ancient  town  ;  for  we  had  our 
share  in  that  memorable  day,  a  century  ago,  which  Washington 
divided  between  Haverhill  where  he  slept  the  night  before,  An- 
dover where  he  breakfasted  and  paid  a  visit  of  courtesy,  Lexington 
where  he  visited  the  battlefield  and  dined,  and  Watertown  where 
he  supped  and  spent  the  night, —  not  to  omit  Bradford,  Wilming- 
ton, and  Billerica,  through  which  he  passed.  Our  share  in  the  day 
was  less  than  yours,  but  we  have  treasured  up  the  memories  of  it. 
Captain  Osgood  and  a  company  of  horsemen  had  been  sent  from 
Andover  at  the  instance  of  Judge  Phillips  to  escort  the  General  as 
he  journeyed  from  Salem  to  Newburyport,  and  Judge  Phillips  had 


PROCEEDINGS.  xliii 

himself  accompanied  him  after  his  visit  in  Andover  to  Lexington, 
where  he  went  over  the  historic  ground  with  him  and  dined  with 
him  at  the  Munroe  Tavern,  returning  to  Andover  when  Washing- 
ton set  forward  for  Watertown.  The  house  where  Washington 
took  his  early  breakfast  is  still  standing  on  the  North  Andover 
road,  and  is  now  the  residence  of  one  of  our  substantial  citizens, 
Hon.  Samuel  B.  Locke.  The  daughters  relate  that  strangers  often 
ask  the  privilege  of  entering  the  house  made  memorable  by  this 
visit.  It  was  then  known  as  the  Abbot  Tavern,  and  there 
Mr.  Phillips  and  several  other  local  dignitaries  met  the  President, 
and  were  entertained  with  him.  There  is  a  pretty  tradition  that 
Washington  asked  the  landlord's  little  daughter  to  mend  his  rid- 
ing-glove, and  that  he  sealed  his  approval  of  her  skill  by  taking 
her  upon  his  lap  and  kissing  her,  whereat  Miss  Priscilla  was  so 
elated  that  she  refused  to  have  her  face  washed  for  a  whole  week 
afterwards.  This  anecdote,  coupled  with  a  similar  one  in  your 
own  annals,  seems  to  give  historical  precedent  and  warrant  for 
General  Sherman's  habit  of  giving  expressive  salutations  to  the 
young  ladies  of  our  day. 

After  breakfast,  Washington,  accompanied  by  an  increasing 
throng,  moved  westward  past  the  South  Church  and  the  minister's 
house,  where  several  of  his  kinsmen  found  their  home  while 
students  in  the  academy,  and  up  what  is  now  School  Street,  then 
lined  on  both  sides  by  forest,  to  the  new  and  for  the  times  very 
elegant  mansion  of  Judge  Phillips,  a  house  most  unfortunately 
destroyed  by  fire  two  years  ago  this  present  month.  Here  he  spent 
a  short  time  conversing  with  Madame  Phillips  and  her  childen  and 
a  few  invited  guests.  It  is  said  that  the  moment  he  left  the  house 
Madame  Phillips  tied  a  band  of  blue  ribbon  to  the  chair  in  which 
he  had  sat,  and  at  his  death,  ten  years  afterwards,  she  replaced  the 
ribbon  with  a  piece  of  crape.  Ribbon  and  crape  disappeared  long 
ago,  but  the  chair  is  fortunately  preserved  in  the  library  of  the 
Theological  Seminary,  and  with  it  another  just  like  it.  Accord- 
ingly, we  invite  visitors  to  sit  first  in  one  and  then  in  the  other,  that 
they  may  be  able  to  say  positively  that  they  have  sat  in  Washing- 
ton's seat. 

After  his  call  at  the  Mansion  House,  the  President  mounted  his 
horse,  and  sat  for  a  few  moments  on  the  green  opposite,  receiving 
the  respectful  homage  of  citizens,  teachers  and  boys  from  the 
academy,  and  persons  from   the  adjoining  towns.     He  then   rode 


xliv  PROCEEDINGS. 

slowly  down  the  Wilmington  road,  past  what  is  now  Latin 
Commons,  on  his  way  to  Lexington. 

We  have,  then,  the  old  Abbot  Tavern,  the  site  of  the  Mansion 
House,  a  chair,  and  a  few  traditions  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of 
Washington's  visit.  These  is,  besides,  in  the  academy  building  a 
cast  of  Houdon's  bust ;  and,  on  the  22d  of  February,  now  and  then 
waggish  boys  have  been  known  to  decorate  it  with  hatchets  and 
branches  of  some  neighboring  cherry-tree.  There  is  somewhere  — 
I  have  lost  trace  of  it  —  a  portrait  of  Washington,  possibly  by 
Stuart,  but,  if  not  a  Stuart,  certainly  a  clever  copy,  which  was  sent 
by  Thomas  Lee  of  Virginia  in  the  name  of  his  son,  a  grand-nephew 
of  Washington,  as  a  present  to  John,  the  son  of  Samuel  Phillips,  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  kindness  young  Lee  had  received  in 
Mr.  Phillips's  family  and  the  friendship  between  the  two  boys.  I 
have  always  hoped  that  at  some  suitable  time  this  portrait  might 
return  to  Andover,  and  be  preserved  in  the  academy  collection. 

In  this  visit,  Washington  renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Judge 
Phillips,  an  acquaintance  which  began  during  the  siege  of  Boston 
in  1775,  Mr.  Phillips  being  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress, 
and  repeatedly  appointed  on  committees  to  confer  with  the  com- 
mander of  the  forces.  Mr.  Phillips  had  been  very  active,  too,  in 
manufacturing,  at  Andover,  gunpowder  for  the  army,  and  in  other 
ways  had  been  brought  to  Washington's  favorable  notice.  Previous 
to  this  visit,  Washington's  nephew,  Howell  Lewis,  the  son  of  his 
sister  Betty,  had  been  sent  to  Phillips  Academy,  and,  after  his  visit, 
Augustine  Washington,  Bushrod  Washington,  George  Corbin  Wash- 
ington, brothers,  sons  of  Colonel  William  Augustine  and  Jane 
Washington,  and  double  grand-nephews  of  Washington  ;  Richard 
Henry  Lee  Washington  and  John  Augustine  Washington,  sons  of 
Corbin  and  Hannah  (Lee)  Washington, —  *.  e.,  grand-nephews  of 
Washington  and  grandchildren  of  Richard  Henry  Lee ;  Cassius 
Lee  and  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee,  brothers,  grandsons  of  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  and  grand-nephews  of  Washington  on  the  side  of  their 
mother,  Mildred  Washington.  In  all,  eight  of  Washington's  own 
immediate  kindred  were  in  the  academy.  There  are  letters  con- 
cerning these  boys  from  Washington  to  Judge  Phillips,  —  letters 
now  in  the  possession  of  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks, —  which  show  how 
immediate  was  Washington's  interest  in  the  education  of  these 
boys. 

We  have  heard  this  evening  with  what  enthusiasm,  with  what 


PROCEEDINGS.  xlv 

marks  of  affection  and  admiration  Washington  was  greeted  at  every 
stage  in  his  journey.  It  is  not  surprising.  He  had  not  only  shown 
himself  "first  in  war,"  but  in  the  slow  and  difficult  creation  of  the 
Constitution,  and  in  the  organization  and  installation  of  the  new 
government,  he  had  already  become  "  first  in  peace  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen."  More  than  this.  I  suppose  that  at  this 
time  he  was  the  most  distinguished  man  in  the  whole  world.  The 
baleful  Corsican  star  had  not  yet  risen  to  dazzle  and  appall  man- 
kind. In  France  and  in  England,  his  name  was  a  household  word. 
Wherever  liberty  stirred,  his  name  was  the  watchword  of  freedom. 
The  eyes  of  the  whole  civilized  world  had  been  turned  upon  that 
infant  nation  which  had  triumphed  in  the  unequal  struggle  with 
Great  Britain,  and  had  entered  so  boldly  on  an  untried  experiment 
in  government.  To  see  this  renowned  general,  this  consummate 
statesman,  this  idol  of  the  people,  this  father  of  his  country,  this 
first  President,  to  hear  his  voice,  to  grasp  his  hand, —  this  was  a 
great  event  for  our  fathers  ;  and  it  is  worthy  to  be  celebrated  by 
their  children.  Whether  we  regard  the  character  of  Washington 
or  his  achievements,  his  virtues  or  his  career,  we  do  well  to  follow 
the  injunction  of  the  eminent  British  statesman,  Lord  Brougham, 
and  "  let  no  occasion  pass  of  commemorating  this  illustrious  man." 

Ode  by  the  quartet,  sung  in  Boston  at  Washington's  reception, 
Nov.  5,  1789. 

The  President, —  On  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  there  is  a  shrine 
to  which  all  Americans  have  made,  or  desire  to  make,  a  pilgrim- 
age. An  unpretentious  tomb  contains  all  that  is  left  of  the  great 
and  good  man.  There  is  with  us  one  whose  ancestors  were  promi- 
nent and  efficient  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  They  nominally 
represent  the  four  quarters  .  of  the  globe, —  Europeus,  Asiaticus, 
Africus,  and  Americus.  A  descendant  of  one  of  these,  to  fame  not 
unknown,  some  years  ago  made  the  pilgrimage  to  Mount  Vernon, 
and  obtained  access  to  the  premises  under  circumstances  singular 
and  interesting,  who  will  give  you  his  experience  thirty  years  ago. 

I  introduce  to  you  Dr.  Hamlin,  of  Lexington. 


rivi  PROCEEDINGS. 


MY   VISIT  TO   MOUNT  VERNON. 
May,  1837. 

I  had  some  special  reason  in  childhood  and  youth  for  having  an 
almost  religious  adoration  of  Washington.  Both  my  grandfathers, 
Faulkner  and  Hamlin,  were  with  Washington,  the  former  on  Dor- 
chester Heights,  the  latter  at  Yorktown.  Grandfather  Hamlin  had 
two  sons  that  fought  through  the  long  Revolutionary  War. 
Africus,  the  eldest  son,  kept  a  minute  diary,  Boswell-like,  of  every- 
thing he  knew,  saw,  or  heard  of  Washington.  Besides  four  Ham- 
lins,  there  were  twenty-eight  Revolutionary  soldiers  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Waterford,  Me.,  my  native  place  ;  and  they  brought 
with  them  sons  and  brothers.  I  was  born  into  the  outskirts  of  the 
camps  of  the  Revolution.  The  above-named  journal  was  always  in 
request  among  those  old  soldiers,  and  not  less  so  among  their  sons. 
It  was  hopelessly  lost  full  seventy  years  ago.     Woe  worth  the  day  ! 

When  I  received  my  appointment  as  a  missionary  to  Turkey,  Feb. 
4,  1837,  I  resolved  to  visit  Washington  and  Mount  Vernon,  if  I 
could  possibly  compass  it.  Fortunately,  I  had  a  commission  which 
paid  my  expenses.  I  fell  in  with  good  company  by  the  way,  which 
introduced  me  beyond  any  expectation.  I  was  in  clover  at  once. 
When  I  inquired  about  visiting  Mount  Vernon,  I  was  told,  "  The 
weekly  Mount  Vernon  steamer  went  yesterday  with  its  party  ;  and 
you  cannot  go  till  next  week  Wednesday."  It  was  impossible  to 
wait  ;  and,  against  the  protestation  of  friends  that  it  would  be  use- 
less, and,  if  I  could  reach  the  place,  I  would  not  be  admitted,  for 
all  visits  were  confined  to  that  one  day,  unless  very  specially  intro- 
duced, I  resolved  to  try  it.  I  would  at  least  see  the  place  from 
without,  and  visit  the  tomb.  I  took  the  steamer  to  Alexandria, 
and  called  there  upon  a  college  friend,  Professor  Packard  of  the 
Episcopal  Seminary,  of  which  he  is  now  the  dean.  He  discouraged 
my  going.  The  walk  would  be  too  long  and  wearisome,  and  I 
would  not  be  received  by  Mrs.  Washington,*  the  ravages  of  visitors 
having  compelled  to  great  strictness.  I  resolved,  however,  to  try 
my  luck.     After  a  rapid  walk  of  seven  miles,  made  nine  by  devia- 

*Mrs.  Jane  Washington,  wife  of  Mr.  John  A.  Washington,  nephew  of  Bushrod.  Mr. 
Washington  was  absent  at  the  time. 


PROCEEDINGS.  xlvii 

tions,  I  reached  the  gate  of  the  grounds,  and  was  positively  refused 
admittance  by  the  old  janitor,  a  solid,  well-built,  white-haired, 
venerable,  good-looking  negro.  "  It  is  impossible,  sah,  without 
you  give  me  a  letter.  If  you  give  me  a  letter,  I  take  it  to  Massa 
Washington,  and  receive  her  commands."  I  pleaded  my  case  ;  I 
gave  him  an  account  of  myself  and  the  distance  I  had  come  from 
way  down  East,  etc.  "  I  be  very  sorry,  sah.  You  go  right  back  to 
Washington,  and  bring  a  good  letter.  Dat's  what  you'll  do,  and 
massa  will  receive  you  kindly." 

I  then  said  :  "Take  me  to  the  tomb,  at  least.  That  will  hurt 
nobody."  "  'Gainst  my  orders,  sah.  O  Lord,  if  we  let  'em  in, 
dey'll  carry  off  dis  gate  and  all  dese  trees.  Dey  are  all  like  sav- 
ages." His  talk  was  very  amusing  ;  but  I  finally  gained  a  point  on 
him  by  asking  when  that  conservatory  was  burned,  and  if  that 
great  singed  cactus  was  planted  by  Massa  Washington  himself.  He 
declared  it  was.  It  may  have  been,  for  aught  I  know  ;  but,  if  I  had 
asked  him  anything  else,  it  would  have  been  of  the  great  Massa 
Washington.  He  let  me  in  just  to  touch  the  plant  which  Washing- 
ton had  touched.  I  declared  to  him  I  had  not  come  to  Mount 
Vernon  in  vain.  I  stood  before  the  very  plant  the  great  Father  of 
his  Country  had  planted.  He  repeated  his  advice  about  a  letter, 
and  then  he  would  take  great  pleasure  to  show  me  everything. 
"Oh,  it's  a  letter  you  want,"  I  said.  "Well,  I  will  give  you  a 
letter."  So  I  tore  a  leaf  from  my  note-book,  wrote  an  appeal  to 
Mrs.  Washington,  folded  it  up,  and  addressed  it  to  her.  Then  we 
had  a  comical  argument  about  that's  being  a  letter,  he  denying,  I 
affirming.  Finally,  I  said  :  "  Let  Madame  Washington  decide.  If 
she  rejects  it,  I  go  right  out  of  that  gate.  If  she  accepts  it,  you  are 
all  right."  He  yielded,  but  went  to  the  house  so  slowly  that  I 
feared  he  would  turn  back.  He  went  in,  however  ;  I  waited  in  sus- 
pense. Soon  he  came  out,  his  dark  face  all  aglow,  and  motioned 
me  to  come  in.  He  opened  the  door,  and  bowed  me  into  the  hall 
with  all  the  grace  and  dignity  of  a  servant  of  Washington. 

Mrs.  Washington  met  me  half-way  in  the  hall,  gave  me  her  hand, 
and  with  charming  cordiality  said  it  gave  her  pleasure  to  welcome 
one  who  had  made  so  long  a  pilgrimage.  I  must  be  very  weary 
with  my  long  walk.  She  gave  me  Washington's  leaf  chair  to  rest 
in  and  in  his  library.  I  was  almost  bewildered  by  such  hospitality. 
She  inquired  about  my  destined  life  abroad,  and  seemed  interested 
in  it.     She  showed  me  the  key  of  the  Bastile,  "  the  chamber  where 


xlviii  PROCEEDINGS. 

the  good  inan  met  his  fate,"  and  various  gifts  of  value  from  foreign 
sources.  She  then  sent  a  servant  with  me  to  the  tomb,  and  told 
him  to  cut  some  ends  of  branches  of  the  cedar.  I  entered  on  the 
way  the  old  tomb,  still  partly  arched  over,  and  broke  off  a  piece  of 
decayed  board  of  the  box  that  had  enclosed  the  casket.  Thirty- 
seven  years  in  the  damp  tomb  had  taken  the  life  out  of  the  wood, 
so  that  I  broke  it  without  difficulty.  I  surveyed  the  marble  sar- 
cophagus in  the  new  tomb  through  the  double  iron  grill,  received 
the  cedar  branches,  and  returned  to  express  my  profound  gratitude 
to  Mrs.  Washington.  There  was  one  thing  more  to  complete  that 
immortal  day.  Mrs.  Washington  had  prepared  a  simple,  abundant 
collatiou  of  cold  meat,  bread  and  butter,  and  a  decanter  of  wine, 
and  remarked  that  every  article,  including  the  chair  placed  for  me, 
was  in  use  by  Washington  himself  ;  and  the  food  and  wine  were 
products  of  Mount  Vernon.  This  was  "  Southern  hospitality  ?  "  It 
was  more  than  that :  it  was  Christian  hospitality, —  the  hospitality 
of  a  refined  and  noble  lady,  who  believed  me  truthful  and  honest, 
and  entered  directly,  with  true  womanly  feeling,  into  sympathy 
with  the  dusty  youth, —  an  absolute  stranger, —  who  considered  as 
nothing  his  double  walk  between  Alexandria  and  Mount  Vernon 
for  the  love  and  reverence  he  cherished. 

President  Merriam. —  The  reputation  of  Washington  even  in 
the  early  part  of  his  career,  still  more  later  as  his  achievements 
became  known,  extended  to  other  countries ;  and  eminent  men 
have  joined  with  us  in  their  tribute  of  praise  and  of  commendation 
of  our  Washington.  We  have  with  us  tonight  one  who  has 
travelled  much,  seen  much,  and  who  has  an  eminent  faculty  of 
obtaining  access  to  persons  of  importance  in  their  various  coun- 
tries, and  from  his  personal  contact  with  many  European  states- 
men he  is  well  qualified  to  tell  you  of  the  high  appreciation  in 
which  Washington  is  held  by  the  great  men  of  England  and  of 
Europe. 

I  introduce  the  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter,  of  Lexington. 


ADDRESS  OF  EDWARD  G.  PORTER. 

Mr.  President \  Ladies  and  Gentlemen, —  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to 
me,  after  so  long  an  absence,  to  find  our  society  in  such  a  flourish- 
ing condition.  I  have  read  many  of  the  papers  which  you  have 
printed,  and  found  them  both  entertaining  and  instructive.  I  trust 
you  will  be  encouraged  to  go  forward  in  this  good  work,  and  con- 


PROCEEDINGS.  xlix 

tinue  your  researches  in  all  matters  relating  to  the  history  of  our 
town. 

Your  committee  have  done  well  in  providing  for  such  an  appro- 
priate observance  of  the  interesting  occasion  which  brings  us 
together.  Is  it  not  a  cause  for  mutual  congratulation  that  we  live 
in  a  town  which  offers  us  from  time  to  time  something  worthy  of 
being  celebrated  ? 

I  have  been  asked  to  say  a  few  words  upon  the  estimation  in 
which  Washington  is  held  among  foreigners.  We  are  not  sur- 
prised to  learn  that  one  so  eminent  in  his  own  country  should  win 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  other  lands.  This  could  hardly  be 
otherwise  in  the  case  of  Washington  ;  for  his  qualities  as  a  patriot, 
a  soldier,  and  a  statesman,  were  so  commanding  as  to  attract  uni- 
versal attention.  This  was  true  even  in  his  own  time,  and  in  the 
mother  country,  where  the  cause  he  represented  was  anything  but 
popular.  Whatever  opprobrium  rested  upon  the  cause,  or  upon 
some  of  its  leaders,  very  little  was  ever  heard  in  England  against 
the  name  or  the  character  of  Washington.  Even  Lord  North  and 
his  ministry  abstained  from  pouring  out  the  vials  of  their  wrath 
upon  him,  knowing,  as  they  did,  his  unimpeachable  integrity  and 
his  chivalrous  devotion  to  the  land  of  his  birth.  The  friends  of 
America  in  Parliament  were  greatly  strengthened  in  their  position 
by  the  noble  bearing  and  singular  magnanimity  of  Washington  in 
the  many  trying  emergencies  in  which  he  was  placed.  Burke, 
Chatham,  Fox,  Erskine,  Brougham,  and  other  eloquent  defenders 
of  our  cause,  found  in  him  those  exalted  and  heroic  traits  which 
they  could  proudly  point  to  as  a  source  of  strength  to  the  colonial 
cause,  and  as  qualities  which  no  true  Englishman  could  refuse  to 
admire. 

The  influence  of  such  an  example  went  far  to  carry  conviction  to 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  England  that  the  demands  of  America 
were  not  so  unjust  as  at  first  was  generally  supposed.  And,  after 
the  war,  so  rapid  was  the  change  of  sentiment  that  few  public  men 
were  left  who  ventured  to  denounce  a  government  over  which  pre- 
sided the  man  who  had  won  golden  opinions  from  all  lovers  of 
liberty  the  world  over.  This  is  evident  from  the  writings  of  that 
period,  and  from  the  changed  legislation  of  Great  Britain,  new 
reforms  being  soon  demanded  in  accordance  with  the  principles 
which  this  country  had  shown  were  not  incompatible  with  the 
dignity  of  law  or  the  preservation  of  order. 


1  PROCEEDINGS. 

The  English  statesmen  of  our  time  have  unanimously  indorsed 
this  verdict;  and  such  leaders  as  Cobden,  Bright,  and  Gladstone 
have  repeatedly  spoken  in  the  highest  terms,  not  only  of  Washing- 
ton, personally,  but  of  the  patriots  who  were  associated  with  him 
in  the  struggle  for  independence. 

And  the  opinion  of  England  has  been  the  opinion  of  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe.  Kings  and  princes,  diplomatists  and  statesmen, 
scholars  and  poets,  have  not  failed  to  see  that  our  chosen  leader 
was  worthy  to  lead.  Their  tributes  to  his  greatness  are  all  the 
more  significant  because  the  existing  institutions  of  the  Old  World 
were  hostile  to  the  political  doctrines  maintained  in  the  New  ;  and 
the  success  of  our  arms  was  clearly  understood  to  menace  the 
arbitrary  and  despotic  systems  then  so  widely  prevalent. 

Our  achievement  of  liberty  became  an  inspiration  to  thousands, — 
first  in  France  and  afterwards  in  Germany,  where  at  the  time  there 
seemed  to  be  little  hope  of  any  change.  The  idea  of  human  rights 
began  to  be  discussed  in  secret  clubs  and  among  the  students  of  the 
universities.  Interdicted  pamphlets  and  popular  songs  embodied 
the  new  hope,  and  prepared  the  way  for  those  political  upheavals 
which  have  followed,  one  after  the  other,  until  most  European 
countries  have  now  obtained  a  constitutional  form  of  government. 

There  are  many  brilliant  names  among  those  who  have  been  the 
recognized  leaders  in  the  great  national  movements  of  modern 
times.  The  world  is  paying  increasing  honors  to  such  men  as 
William  of  Orange,  Cromwell,  Hampden,  Coligny,  Cavour,  Gari- 
baldi, and  Castellar.  In  this  galaxy,  Washington  will  ever  have  a 
place ;  and,  judging  both  by  what  he  was  and  by  what  he  did,  it 
will  be  a  place  second  to  none. 

I  am  happy  to  tell  you,  my  friends,  that  Asia  is  at  last  coming  to 
know  our  history  and  to  appreciate  our  position.  Thousands  of 
young  men  in  the  missionary  colleges  of  Turkey,  in  the  universi- 
ties of  India,  and  in  the  popular  schools  of  Japan,  are  studying 
with  eager  delight  the  career  of  our  Washington  and  his  contem- 
poraries, hoping  from  such  models  to  introduce  among  the  nations 
of  the  East  those  types  of  civilization  which  have  become  the  chief 
ornament  and  glory  of  the  West. 

And  Australia  is  sufficiently  advanced  on  the  road  to  independ- 
ence to  appreciate  the  stimulating  influence  of  such  a  name  as  that 
which  we  honor  to-day.  I  saw  in  several  of  her  public  buildings 
and  private  residences  portraits  and  busts  of  Washington,  as  well 


PROCEEDINGS.  li 

as  one  of  Franklin  in  the  Sydney  Art  Gallery,  and  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  with  Hancock's  familiar  signature,  hanging  in 
the  Museum  of  Brisbane.  Yes  :  you  may  be  sure  that,  wherever 
liberty  gets  a  foothold  in  the  world,  there  our  country  will  be  hon- 
ored, and  there  our  Washington  will  be  exalted  to  the  highest 
pinnacle  of  fame. 

But,  Mr.  President,  I  cannot  indulge  in  these  reflections  any 
further,  because  I  have  here  an  original  letter  of  some  length, 
describing  Washington's  visit  to  Boston,  which  I  think  you  will  all 
be  glad  to  hear.  It  was  written  by  Joseph  Barrell,*  a  well-known 
merchant  of  the  time,  and  one  of  the  committee  of  three  appointed 
to  wait  upon  the  President  at  Worcester,  and  arrange  for  his  recep. 
tion  at  Cambridge  and  Boston.  The  letter  was  written  to  a  brother- 
in-law,  General  Samuel  B.  Webb,  a  former  private  secretary  and 
aide-de-camp  to  Washington  who  served  with  distinction  in  the 
war,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati 
in  1783.  He  held  the  Bible  when  Washington  took  the  oath  of 
office  at  New  York  as  the  first  President.  His  son,  James  Watson 
Webb,  became  eminent  as  a  journalist  and  a  diplomatist,  and  I 
might  add  as  a  duelist,  and  died  in  New  York  as  late  as  1884. 

This  letter  came  into  my  hands,  with  some  others  of  that  period, 
in  a  most  unexpected  way.  I  was  lately  visiting  some  friends  in 
Morristown,  N.  J.,  where  I  became  much  interested  in  the  fine  old 
mansion  known  as  the  headquarters  of  General  Washington  during 
the  winter  of  1777.  It  is  strikingly  like  the  Longfellow  house  at 
Cambridge.  Having  within  a  few  years  become  the  property  of  a 
patriotic  association  in  New  Jersey,  it  receives  an  annual  State 
appropriation  for  its  maintenance,  and,  with  the  spacious  grounds, 
is  daily  thrown  open  to  the  public.  Many  Revolutionary  relics 
(two  thousand,  I  was  told)  have  been  placed  there  on  exhibition, 
including  several  articles  of  furniture  that  once  belonged  to  Wash- 
ington. In  a  large  glass  case  in  one  of  the  rooms  I  noticed  a  hand- 
some velvet  coat  and  vest,  described  as  having  been  worn  by 
Joseph  Barrell  at  the  reception  given  to  Washington  at  Boston  in 
October,  1789.  The  president  of  the  association,  Mr.  Roberts, 
kindly  gave  me  the  address  of  the  owner,  Miss  Mary  Barrell,  a 
grand-daughter  of  the  Boston  merchant ;  and  from  her  I  have 
obtained  this  valuable  letter,  which  I  will  now  proceed  to  read  :  — 

*Mr.  Barrell  afterward  resided  on  the  fine  estate  now  occupied  by  the  McLean  Asylum 
at  Somerville. 


lii  PROCEEDINGS. 

Boston,  ist  Novem.  1789. 

Dear  Sam 

For  the  last  10  days  we  have  done  nothing  but  prepare 
for,  and  enjoy  the  visit  of  the  best  of  men.  I  am  sure  after  this 
'twill  be  needless  to  mention  His  Majesty  the  President  who  does 
in  a  wonderful  manner  unite  all  hearts  in  sincere  respect.  To  give 
you  a  detail  of  our  proceedings  would  be  only  repeating  the  ac- 
counts already  published,  but  I  am  persuaded  both  Jackson  and 
Lear1  will  inform  you  that  every  attention  that  was  paid  appeared 
to  be,  and  I  have  no  doubt  was,  the  effusion  of  the  heart. 

I  had  the  houoi  with  Mr.  Breck-  and  Dr.  Eustis8  to  be  appointed 
a  committee  from  the  Town  to  wait  on  the  good  man  at  Worcester, 
to  make  the  arrangements  for  his  entrance  into  town,  and  we  were 
determined  to  go  in  taste,  in  a  coach  and  4  horses,  (Breck's  and 
mine)  2  postilions  and  a  servant  on  horseback.  We  were  received 
with  that  politeness  and  dignity  which  marks  every  action  of  that 
illustrious  character.  After  settling  our  business  we  set  off  for 
Boston  and  arrived  in  9  hours  and  a  half  and  timely  effectually  to 
arrange  the  procession. 

I  am  told  that  His  Majesty  was  much  pleased  with  the  order  and 
regularity  of  the  procession,  saying  it  could  not  have  been  better 
had  a  soldier  been  posted  by  every  citizen  to  keep  them  in  order. 

I  have  had  the  further  honor  to  dine  with  him  in  Fanuel  Hall 
and  at  Governor  Bowdoin's,  who  was  so  polite.  .  .  . 

We  were  honored  at  the  Assembly  by  his  presence.  The  Hall4 
was  elegantly  decorated.  Behind  His  Majesty  was  hung  my  hand- 
somest tapestry  and  before  him,  as  a  carpet,  the  other.  He  was 
seated  on  a  settee  with  the  Vice  President6  and  Lt.  Governor"  and 
Governor  Bowdoin.  The  ladies  were  very  handsomely  dressed,  and 
every  one  strove,  here  as  well  as  every  where  else,  who  should  pay 
the  most  respect.  We  had  a  very  pretty  Desert  for  supper  with  3 
fine  Cakes  (one  for  each  set).  .   .  . 

The  next  morning  at  8  o'clock  he  left  us  attended  by  a  number  of 
gentlemen  in  carriages  and  on  horseback.  I  had  the  honor  with 
my  worthy  Parson,7  to  be  the  only  carriage  that  was  at  his  lodg- 
ings before  he  set  off.  We  were  there  10  minutes  before  8,  know- 
ing that  would  do.  The  others  came  10  minutes  after,  which  we 
knew  would  not. 

The  ladies  were  most  of  them  decorated  at  the  Assembly  with 
sashes  and  caps  (Martha's  was  a  cap  and  thought  it  brilliant,)  with 
G.    W.   and   various  devices.     .  .  .    On   those   for   Hetty8   and   my 

1  The  President's  secretaries. 

2  Samuel  Breck,  a  wealthy  citizen,  who  lived  in  a  fine  old  mansion  on  the  north  corner  of 
Tremont  and  Wimer  Streets,  where  Karl  Percy  for  a  short  time  had  his  quarters  at  the' 
beginning  of  the  war.     See  "  Recollections  of  Samuel  Breck,"  edited  by  Mr.  Scudder. 

3  Dr.  William  Kustis,  afterward  governor  of  Massachusetts,  died  1825,  buried  at  Lex- 
ington. 

4  Concert  Hall  on  Court  Street.  5  John  Adams. 

6  Samuel  Adams.  7  James  Freeman. 

8  Miss  Webb,  sister  of  Sally,  who  married  Mr.  Barrel  1. 


PROCEEDINGS.  liii 

daughter  Hanah*  (who  made  her  first  appearance)  were  a  tolera- 
ble good  likeness  of  the  man  himself  with  the  trophies  of  war 
under  his  feet  and  the  olive  branch  of  Peace  in  his  hand.  Above, 
Justice  crowning  him  with  a  wreath  of  laurel,  and  the  motto  : 
"  Vittue  rewarded."  On  one  of  the  trophies  the  name  Washington 
in  gold  letters. 

His  Majesty  while  here  went  to  the  manufactory  of  sail  cloth, 
and  was  exceedingly  pleased.  The  spinning  of  this  manufactory  is 
done  by  a  number  of  girls  who  were  dressed  clean,  and  in  general 
are  likely.  His  Majesty  made  himself  merry  on  this  occasion,  tell- 
ing the  overseer  he  believed  they  collected  the  prettiest  girls  in 
Boston. 

The  card  manufactory  he  also  visited,  and  as  everything  that 
promises  advantage  to  America  must  be  pleasing  to  our  friend, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  he  was  pleased.  .  .  . 

Sally,  Hetty,  Hanah  and  Mr.  N.  B.  junr.  who  are  present  desire 
their  love  to  you.  We  all  should  have  been  glad  to  have  seen  you 
the  time  His  Majesty  was  here.  .  .  .  We  are  all  sick  with  colds, 
which  we  term  Washington  colds,  t  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
stops  on  the  Neck.  ...  I  had  rather  have  one  of  his  virtues  than 
all  his  colds  collected,  but  I  will  compound  if  he  is  not  indisposed 
himself. 

Remember  me  to  all  enquiring  friends,  not  forgetting  Colo.  Smith 
in  a  particular  manner. 

I  am  your  friend  and  bro. 

Jo.  Barreu*. 
S.  B.  Webb  Esq.  N.Y. 

Fav.  Mr.  B.  Joy. 

Allow  me,  Mr.  President,  to  refer  to  a  few  additional  matters, 
which  I  am  sure  will  be  of  interest  to  Lexington  people.  No  one 
here  has  mentioned  the  fact  that  the  Colonnade,  which  was  erected 
at  the  west  end  of  the  Old  State  House  for  the  reception  of  Wash- 
ington, was  designed  by  the  Hon.  William  Dawes,  who  on  the 
night  of  the  18th  of  April,  1775,  brought  to  Lexington  the  news  of 
the  coming  of  the  regulars.  By  a  preconcerted  arrangement,  he 
rode  out  over  the  Neck  while  Revere  came  by  Charlestown. 

The  quaint  music  which  Mr.  Holt  and  his  singers  have  given  us 
so  well  to-night  was  originally  sung  by  a  choir  stationed  on  the 
Triumphal  Arch  which  spanned  the  street  opposite  the  Colonnade. 
The  composer  was  Oliver  Holden  of  Charlestown,  who,  four  years 
later,  wrote  "  Coronation,"  that  magnificent  tune  which  I  have 
heard   in  scores   of   languages   all   round   the   globe.     His   grand - 

*  Eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Barrell  by  a  former  marriage,  afterward  Mrs.  Joy  of  Boston. 
t  When  President  Tyler  visited   Boston  in   1843,  an  influenza  became  very  prevalent  and 
was  known  as  the  Tyler  grip. 


liv  PROCEEDINGS. 

daughter,  Mrs.  Edward  Tyler,  has  for  three  summers  been  a  guest 
at  this  house.  I  shall  in  due  time  take  pleasure  in  presenting  to 
this  society  the  book  which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  as  a  gift  from  Mrs. 
Tyler.  It  is  entitled  "  Funeral  Music  for  22d  February  :  Sacred 
Dirges,  Hymns  and  Anthems,  Commemorative  of  the  Death  of 
General  George  Washington,  the  Guardian  of  his  Country  and  the 
Friend  of  Man.  An  original  Composition  by  a  citizen  of  Massa- 
chusetts." This  was  Oliver  Holden,  although  he  was  too  modest 
to  allow  his  name  to  appear.  Dr.  Bancroft  has  told  us  of  the  Presi- 
dent's visit  to  Andover.  At  Haverhill  the  day  previous,  Washing- 
ton took  occasion  to  call  upon  Sheriff  Bartlett,  whose  official  ser- 
vices he  had  enjoyed  on  the  journey.  Sheriff  Bartlett  was  the 
father  of  our  late  fellow-citizen  Charles  L.  Bartlett  and  the  grand- 
father of  General  William  Francis  Bartlett,  whose  bust  adorns  our 
Cary  Library. 

Thus  we  find  in  many  ways  that  our  connection  with  Washing- 
ton's visit  is  made  very  close  and  real  to  us.  While  we  are  proud 
of  our  inheritance,  let  us  be  true  to  the  obligations  of  citizenship 
which  the  memory  of  Washington  has  forever  consecrated  in  the 
hearts  of  our  countrymen. 

Mr.  President,  I  see  on  my  right  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hussey,  of  Bille- 
rica.  We  must  not  forget  that  Washington  passed  through  Bille- 
rica  that  same  day,  and  I  hope  Mr.  Hussey  will  be  good  enough  to 
say  a  few  words  to  us. 

President  Merriam. —  I  have  been  auticipated  in  an  intention 
to  call  upon  one  of  our  neighbors  who  is  our  guest  to-night,  and 
who  comes  from  an  adjoining  town  through  which  Washington 
passed,  whom  I  will  call  upon  to  address  you  in  those  eloquent 
words  which  he  knows  so  well  how  to  use. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you  the  Rev.  C.  C.  Hussey, 
of  Billerica. 

ADDRESS   OF   REV.  C.  C.  HUSSEY. 

Mr.  President  and  Friends, —  My  name  not  beiug  on  the  list  of 
speakers  of  the  evening,  I  have  sat  without  care,  and  given  myself 
up  to  the  enjoyment  of  others'  words.  Now  my  sense  of  security  is 
suddenly,  if  courteously,  invaded  ;  and,  almost  entirely  without 
preparation,  I  must  say  something  in  response  to  the  call. 

Let  me,  friends,  put  you  at  ease  from  the  start,  and  at  this  late 
hour  earn  your  gratitude  by  saying  that  I  do  not  intend  a  speech. 


PROCEEDINGS.  lv 

I  can  do,  and  certainly  wish  to  do  as  much  as  this,— express  my 
obligation  for  the  kindness  by  which  I,  an  outsider,  am  here,  enjoy- 
ing one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  satisfactory  occasions  in  which  I 
ever  shared. 

And  I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  giving  utterance  to  a  heart- 
felt appreciation  of  the  work  of  the  Lexington  Historical  Society, 
to  which  we  are  indebted  for  this  interesting  evening,  as  well  as  for 
very  much  that  tends  to  the  satisfaction  and  improvement  of  the 
entire  community. 

When  I  was  called  upon  to  speak,  it  was  for  the  purpose,  it  was 
said,  of  my  saying  some  word  in  behalf  of  your  neighboring  town, 
Billerica.  Well,  we  have  not  much  there,  that  I  have  knowledge 
of,  that  has  an  association  with  Washington  or  his  visit  here.  Of 
Revolutionary  reminiscences  we  have  a  few,  which  I  will  make  go 
as  far  as  I  can,  for  a  substitute.  The  house  is  standing,  but  little 
changed,  from  which  went  the  first  man  who  fell  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill ;  also  the  house  at  which  a  company  of  volunteer 
militia  stopped  for  breakfast,  when  hurrying  to  the  help  of  Lex- 
ington, on  the  ever  memorable  19th  of  April.  And  on  the  same 
farm  the  large  iron  kettle  has  stood  until  within  a  short  time,  in 
which  powder  was  made  for  the  local  militia,  in  the  time  of  the 
country's  scarcity  of  ammunition. 

A  detachment  from  Billerica,  it  was,  in  part,  at  least,  which  met 
and  helped  to  harass  the  retreating  British,  at  Merriam's  Corner  in 
Concord. 

A  native  born  might  tell  of  occurrences  of  more  interest.  One 
thing  claimed  my  attention.  Washington's  diary  tells  of  his  going 
through  Billerica,  on  his  way  from  Andover  to  Lexington.  He 
might  have  gone  some  other  way,  but  he  did  not ;  and  I  take  this 
to  be  a  compliment  to  the  place,  at  least  to  its  natural  position, 
which  is  scarcely  excelled  by  that  of  any  town  in  the  Common- 
wealth. I  wish  to  congratulate  you  on  the  privilege  you  enjoy  of 
being  only  eight  miles  from  Billerica. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  any  of  you,  probably,  to  understand 
the  thoughts  and  feelings  with  which,  as  a  boy,  in  my  island 
home,  I  used  to  hear  or  read  in  my  school-books  of  the  battle 
fought  here  on  your  common,  the  "Battle  of  Lexington,"  which 
then  seemed  to  me  a  far-off,  wonderful  land.  Born  of  a  long  line 
of  Quaker  ancestry,  in  a  town  where  the  society  of  Quakers,  or 
Friends,  so  largely  prevailed  that  their  principles,  including  the 


lvi  PROCEEDINGS. 

prominent  one  of  non-resistance,  pervaded  and  largely  ruled  the 
whole  community,  I  regarded,  without  reasoning  about  it,  all  war- 
fare, defensive  as  well  as  offensive,  as  unchristian.  The  "  Battle  of 
Lexington,"  and  quite  innocently  and  unconsciously  the  people  of 
Lexington,  stood  to  me  as  quite  other  than  saintly,  not  to  say  any- 
thing more  expressive.  Taught  in  life's  great  school,  I  came  later 
to  be  reconstructed,  and  to  learn  more  fully  that  all  true  success, 
national  as  personal,  is  attained  only  through  struggle, —  that  strife 
and  warrings  are  the  price  of  greatness.  Still  later,  I  came  into 
personal  acquaintance  with  Lexington  people.  I  found  they  were 
not  sinners  above  others,  and  were  altogether  a  respectable,  peace- 
able, kindly  disposed  folk,  if  their  ancestors  were  fighters, —  noble, 
heroic  fighters,  some  of  them,  giving  up  their  lives  for  God  and 
their  country. 

Yours,  friends  of  the  Lexington  Historical  Society,  is  a  noble 
work.  I  want  to  pay  my  tribute  to  it  this  evening.  There  are  times 
when  to  look  back  is  to  move  forward  ;  and  to  ponder  the  people  and 
the  ways  of  a  hundred  years  ago,  as  we  have  been  doing  so  interest" 
ingly  this  evening,  cannot  but  arouse  and  strengthen  some  of  the 
noblest  impulses  of  our  humanity.  To  be  put  into  contact,  as  we 
have  been,  with  the  life  of  days  forever  memorable,  must  stir  us  to 
"  make  our  lives  more  sublime."  The  gains  of  our  age  and  of  our 
own  country,  yet  young  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  we  own 
with  wonder  and  gratitude.  The  marvellous  changes  continually 
going  on  in  the  social,  political,  financial,  and  religious  economy 
of  our  land,  tell  us  that  "the  face  of  man  is  toward  the  light  and 
the  day."  But  it  may  not  be  amiss,  living  in  such  an  era  of  pro- 
gress, to  consider  that  some  things  of  value  may  be  dropped  in  a 
rapid  march,  and  for  the  time  be  left  behind.  In  the  men  and  the 
times  on  which  our  minds  have  dwelt  there  was  a  stability  of 
character,  a  solidity  and  conscientiousness  of  purpose,  which  we  of 
to-day  do  well  to  exalt  in  our  regard,  and  cherish  into  vigorous 
life.  Whatever  he  was  whom  we  have  met  this  evening  to  honor, 
or  was  not,  he  was  a  man  of  deep  religious  principle.  This  gave  to 
his  character  its  crowning  excellence.  It  was  the  sentiment  of  duty, 
rising  above  all  merely  personal  considerations,  a  conviction  of 
right,  and  the  service  man  owes  the  right  that  made  him,  and 
those  who  labored  with  him,  in  that  grand  historic  period,  strong 
to  battle  with  banded  error  and  crowned  wrong,   invincible  and 


PROCEEDINGS.  lvii 

triumphant  in  trie  warfare  they  waged,  steady  and  grounded,  what- 
soever waves  of  opposition  or  hate  might  roll  around  them. 

"  Our  fathers'  toil  our  ease  hath  wrought : 
They  sowed  in  tears,  in  joy  we  reap." 

Comforts,  refinements,  blessings  without  number,  have  gathered 
around  our  path  ;  but  life's  warfare  is  not  o'er. 

The  battle-ground  is  different,  to  be  sure,  the  foes  we  have  to 
meet  are  changed,  less  tangible,  less  rough,  fairer-speaking,  and 
more  hidden  beneath  a  covering  of  worldly  prosperity  and  easy, 
luxurious  living ;  but  the  battle  must  go  on  still  if  we,  or  the 
nation,  go  on  toward  the  highest  and  best.  Still  must  the  armor 
be  kept  bright,  still  the  strongholds  of  our  fathers  resorted  to,  — 
unwavering  loyalty  to  an  inward  sense  of  right,  a  willingness  to 
suffer,  if  need  require,  for  the  right,  and  trust  in  the  eternal  God. 

And  so,  friends,  in  the  occupations  of  this  evening,  its  social 
minglings,  its  eloquent  words  and  fitting  songs,  which  have  yielded 
us  so  much  enjoyment,  and  in  the  work  which  your  society  and 
like  associations  are  doing,  we  will  build  our  altars  of  memorial 
to  the  highest  truth  of  national  and  personal  life,  to  our  country, 
and  to  the  man  whom  we  delight  to  honor  ;  and,  putting  our  de- 
pendence where  our  fathers  placed  theirs,  we  ourselves  will  move 
on  to  do  our  part  of  the  work  of  time,  and  transmit  unimpared,  and 
possibly,  by  Divine  help,  improved,  the  inheritance  the  ages  have 
bequeathed  to  us. 

President  Merriam.  —  I  cannot  allow  the  exercises  of  this 
occasion  to  close  without  calling  attention  to  the  magnificent  floral 
piece  on  my  right  which  is  the  design  and  gift  of  Mr.  F.  B.  Hayes. 
The  name  of  Washington  is  well  worthy  to  be  glorified  in  nature's 
most  beautiful  forms  and  colors. 

Song  by  the  company  :  "  Washington  "  :  Pierpont's  Ode. 


Articles  of  historic  interest  on  exhibition  at  the  old  Munroe 
Tavern  Nov.  5,  1889,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  Washing- 
ton's visit  to  Lexington  :  — 

PERTAINING    TO   WASHINGTON. 
Chair,  pewter  plate,  cup,   silver  spoon,  used  by  Washington  at 
dinner  Nov.  5,  1789. 


lviii  PROCEEDINGS. 

Engraving  from  Stuart's  portrait  of  Washington  by  Marshall, 
loaned  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Gookin. 

Engraving  from  a  portrait  of  Washington  by  Schnessele,  loaned 
by  Mr.  E.  G.  Champney. 

Engraving  from  a  portrait  of  Washington  by  (?),  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Ellen  Stone. 

Certificate  of  membership  in  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  of  Governor 
Eustis,  signed  by  Washington,  loaned  by  Dr.  G.  W.  Porter. 

Leaf  from  the  tomb  of  Washington,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Ellen  Stone. 

Printed  hankerchief  in  commemoration  of  Washington's  resig- 
nation from  the  Presidency,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Ellen  Stone. 

Memorial  engraving,  "  Sacred  to  the  Memory  of  the  Illustrious 
G.  Washington,"  printed  in  1801. 

Personal  letters  of  Washington,  1  vol.,  8vo,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Ellen 
Stone. 

Funeral  sermon  preached  in  Newburyport  upon  the  death  of 
Washington,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Ellen  Stone. 

Washington  memorial  pitcher,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Francis  Wyman. 

PERTAINING  TO  THE   19TH   OF  APRIL,  1775- 

Sign  of  the  old  tavern  "  Entertainment  by  William  Munroe." 

Bullet-hole  made  in  the  ceiling  of  the  bar-room  by  the  musket  of 
a  British  soldier. 

Mahogany  table  used  by  British  soldiers  in  making  bonfire  in  the 
bar-room,  with  the  purpose  of  burning  the  tavern,  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Meserve. 

Bar-room  chair,  used  for  same  purpose,  loaned  by  Miss  L.  M. 
Brigham. 

ARTICLES    IN   THE  TAVERN   AT  THE  TIME  OF  WASHINGTON'S  VISIT. 

Wedding  ring  of  Anna  Smith,  first  wife  of  Colonel  Munroe,  1767. 

Wedding  slipper  of  Anna  Smith,  first  wife  of  Colonel  Munroe. 

Wedding  furniture  of  William  and  Anna  Munroe,  1767. 

Round  mahogany  table,  two  arm-chairs,  looking-glass,  hat-tree, 
brittannia  teapot,  silver  table-spoon  (marked  W.  A.),  loaned  by 
Miss  L,.  M.  Brigham. 

Spinning-wheel. 

Rush-bottom  chair. 

Pewter  candlestick. 


PROCEEDINGS,  lix 

Copper  sauce-pan. 

Iron  fire  dogs. 

Warming-pan. 

"Loggerheads,"  for  making  flip. 

Lemon-squeezer,  for  making  punch. 

Block  used  during  the  Revolution  for  stamping  fabrics. 

OTHER   ARTICLES. 

Masonic  punch-bowl  presented  to  Colonel  William  Munroe  by 
the  Hiram  Lodge. 

Map  of  the  United  States  in  1792,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Ellen  Stone. 

Printed  hankerchief  showing  plan  of  city  of  Washington  early  in 
this  century,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Stone. 

Photograph  of  the  Washington  monument  with  a  piece  of  the 
stone,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Stone. 

Two  books  printed  in  the  last  century,  loaned  by  Mr.  George  W. 
Robinson. 

Old  vouchers,  etc.,  from  town  records,  loaned  by  Rev.  C.  A. 
Staples. 

Bill  of  sale  of  a  slave  woman  called  Betty  for  ^"100  to  Isaac  Stone, 
of  Lexington,  1743. 

Printed  handkerchief,  fac-simile  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, loaned  by  Mrs.  Francis  Wyman. 

Glass  mug  over  two  hundred  years  old,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Francis 
Wyman. 

Silhouette  (by  King)  of  Miss  Wyman,  loaned  by  Mrs.  Francis 
Wyman. 

Photograph  of  Mr.  Francis  Wyman  (born  1789),  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Francis  Wyman. 

Portrait  of  Colonel  William  Munroe,  by  Greenwood  ;  portrait  of 
Jonas  Munroe,  by  Pope;  portrait  of  William  H.  Munroe,  by  E.  G# 
Champney  ;  photographs  of  Jonas,  James  S.,  William  R.,  and 
Robert  G.  Munroe  (five  generations). 

Walking-stick,  military  breeches,  and  iron  spectacles  belonging 
to  Colonel  William  Munroe. 

Baptismal  shoe  of  William  Munroe's  second  wife  (Polly  Rogers), 
1756. 

Child's  stocking,  belonging  to  William  Munroe's  second  wife. 

Silhouettes  (by  King)  of  William  Munroe  and  Anna,  his  first 
wife. 


lx  PROCEEDINGS. 

Embroidered  slippers  belonging  to  one  of  the  wives  of  William 
Munroe. 

Bill  of  Rev.  Timothy  Minot  against  the  town  of  Lexington  for 
eighteen  days'  preaching  in  1754 


December  io,  1889. 

Regular  meeting.     President  Merriam  in  the  chair. 

The  following  articles  were  presented  to  the  Society  :  — 

Two  small  English  coins  found  at  the  Hancock-Clark  House 
presented  by  Mr.  Rumwell. 

A  copy  of  Biographical  Memoirs  of  the  illustrious  General  George 
Washington. 

Several  papers  relating  to  Rev.  Jonas  Clark. 

A  petition  to  the  selectmen,  dated  1744. 

The  historian  made  a  detailed  report  of  the  celebration  of  the 
Washington  anniversary. 

The  following  papers  were  presented  :  — 

"The  Early  Schools  of  Lexington,"  by  Alonzo  E.  Locke. 

"Dorothy  Quincy,"  by  Raiph  E.  Lane." 


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