History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

126 HI8T0BY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Kuiglits, who, with his worthy atid industrious
wife, is well remembered by many. He had been
a slave of Bernard Green, and was a sincere and
consistent Christian and a member of the Baptist
Church. He lived many years in a small house,
as black as himself, which stood in Haskin's Lane,
not far from the site of the Unitarian Chapel, and
died in July, 1S47. His funeral service, which
wns held in the Baptist Church, was attended
by the towns-people as that of a neighbor and
friend.
At the death of Mr. Emerson, in 1767, the North
Precinct and church again entered upon a season
of discord upon the cjucstion of the ministry; and
it was three years before one was found worthy to
wear the mantle of Wigglesworth aud Emerson.
This was a young man who had recently been
ministers who had upheld the faith of the churches
both in England and America. So uncommon was
his gravity, and such his fondness for books of
piety and religious conversation, that it was said
of him that he had never been a cliild. Though
plain of speech and manners, even to roughness,
in his daily life, yet, in the pulpit, a melodious
voice aud fervent speech, joined with a rich glow
of fancy, held the attention of tlie cultivated and
won the applause of the multitude. The celebrated
Whitefield esteeined him as tlie ablest preacher in
America, and looked upon him as one born for the
defence of N^ew England Orthodoxy. Nor was he
backward in the patriotic endeavors of the day,
but i)la,-rd liiiHM'ir at oinv ill the front rank of
those wli(j ill I he pulpit and by the ])en gave direc-
the great Over-ruler and Disposer of all events, so
direct and succeed your wise endeavors, as that the
yoke of tyrainiy may be cnliruly broken, and New
Etigland yet enjoy her invaluable privileges invio-'
late to the latest generations." At a ni(>etiiig licld
(o tlicir repivsciilalivc, Caplaiii Hhciic/rr I hinidi'ii,
in which they ])roclaiiiied " our linn, our deliberate
resolution, rather to risque our lives and fortunes
than to submit to these unrighteous acts of the ker Hill.
British Parliament which pretend to regulate the
government of this province ; " and they closed
with a sentence which is full of the spirit of freemen
who dare to be free :
" We are determined in
the strength of our God, that we will, in spite of
open force and private treachery, li\e and die as
becomes the descendants of such ancestors as ours,
who sacrificed their all, that they and their pos-
terity might be free."
While the tongue and pen of the minister bore
testimony to the patriotism of his peojjle, the men
of Maiden were not backward in more active ex-
pressions of their determination. The militia became
the subject of town ordinances, and frequent
drills were ordered. The regular company of mili-
tia, under Captain Benjamin Blaney, was placed
upon the alarm-list as minute-men, being about
graduated at Harvard College, and who, at the one-quarter of the enrolled militia, as prescribed
early age of eighteen years, was ordained by the by an order of the Provincial Congress. On the
Maiden church. Peter Thacher came of a race of alarin of April 19, 1775, they marched for the
scene of conflict with seventy-five men, bearing
doubtless arms that had seen service at Ticonde-
roga and Cape Breton, and the bayonets which
Captain John Dexter purchased in 1758. They
were under orders to report at Watertown; but,
on the way, they were intercepted by a general
officer, who ordered them to prdceed towards Lex-
ington. At "West Cambridge they came upon a
provision train, which had follo\\ed the detachment
General Gage had sent out under Lord Percy for
the relief of Colonel Smith, and by the aid of
others it was captured. Dr. Gordon states that
this exploit was performed under the leadership
of Eev. Phillips Payson of Chelsea; but the testimony
of Bernard Green, who was present, gave the
honor to the Maiden company. It is not improb-
tion and strength to the growing spirit of liberty. able that a gathering of the country-people had
His mind and energy gave form to the feelings of followed in the pursuit, and that Mr. Payson was
the town in several pajiers of note for their deep among them and took a part in the affair. The
a:id earnest patriotism and their fearlessness of Chelsea company that day was commanded by
utterance. In an address voted by the town to Captain Samuel Sprague. The Maiden company
the inhabitants of Boston in 1773 he wrote " : May joined in the pursuit and followed the rneiny to
Charlestown. As they passed over Winter Hill
they saw a portion of the Essex regiment ciiniiiig
through Medford. This regiment, in less than six
hours, had marched from Salem, a distance of
twenty miles. Another portion arrived later and
|i:isscd the night at Maiden. It was early even-
ing when Captiiiii Hlaney reached the vicinity of
Charlestown Neck, and his men saw the rearguard
of the British on the western slope of Bun