History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

344 HISTORY OF AMESBURY.
dwelling house of Mr Joseph Hoyt including said Hoyt as a
separate district."
At the November election, the famous contest between Caleb
Cushing and Gayton P. Osgood began. Each was willing to
represent this Congressional district in Congress. The vote
stood : Cushing one hundred and thirty-nine, Osgood one
hundred and thirty-six, and fifty- eight scattering. Some twelve
or fifteen meetings were held to determine the matter.
The population of the town, according to the fifth census
taken this year, was two thousand, four hundred and forty-five.
Christopher Sargent, Esq., died November ioth, being more
than ninety years of age. He was the son of Moses and Sarah
Sargent and was born May 18th, 1740. William, 1st, was his
greatgrandfather. For nearly half a century he was a very
prominent man, holding all the offices in the gift of the people.
He was first chosen selectman in 1771, and subsquently served
the town in that capacity for thirteen years, his last term being
in 1 8 1 3. He was representative for fourteen years and town
clerk for nine years. During the revolutionary struggle he was
one of the few who directed affairs, and gave his whole influ-
ence to the cause of freedom. His home was the residence
now owned and occupied by his grandson, Moses Sargent, near
Bear hill. He not only managed his large farm, but, as a jus-
tice of the peace, wrote deeds and wills, settled estates and
performed many other duties which were connected with the
office in those days. He was the owner of the famous negro
"Forte," whom he bought at West Newbury for ^30. Forte
was a jolly fellow, a good fiddler and popular with the young-
folks, who generally consulted him in regard to the manage-
ment of their frolics, as without him and his fiddle but lit-
tle could be done in that line. But his promotion in this
direction rather unfitted him for waiting upon the esquire,
and, in fact, he finally became more independent than his
master. His fiddle brought him into such general notice that
he found it necessary to buy a horse, which he kept at the
esquire's, and, like the old-fashioned aristocracy, generally gave
some boy a four-pence half penny to saddle and bring him