History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Weston, 1716, who married Hannah Morse in 1742.
Though residing over the river, and so in another
town and comity, iiis public life is coiniected with
Naticlc. His house, finely placed on a gentle
swell of land upon the river-bank, was removed
only four years ago, when Mr. Benjamin P. Cheney
built liis beautiful mansion on the very spot.
Esquire Jones was an influential citizen ; justice
of the peace under royal and republican jurisdic-
tion, a colonel in the militia, considered conserva-
tive in his politics about the Revolutionary period.
He filled tlie office of proprietors' clerk, and was
an excellent surveyor. His plans of surveys at
Mt. Desert in 176:1 have been presented to the
Maine Historical Society by his grandson, Elijah
Perry, Esq. Some amusing extracts from his
journal as justice of the peace have been in print
recently. Mr. Jones was for many years deacon
in Mr. Badger's church. His second wife was
Tabitha Battle. He died in 180:J.
In the troubles with the mother country preceding
the Revolution Natick, like other New England
towns, was deeply moved. Crispus Attucks, —
that stalwart mulatto wlio with tliree others fell in
the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, — though he
had been servant to "William Brown of Framingham,
used to live just over the line in Natick. The
site of his hut is well known. There flowed in his
veins a tinge of Indian blood. At the time of his
death he was a sailor.
A company of minute-men had been formed here
March, 1775, and on the eventful 19th of April a
company under Captain Joseph Morse marched, on
the Lexington alarm, to harass the retreat of the
redcoats. A muster-roll in the state archives
registers seventy-six men, out of a population of
five hundred and thirty-five. Some of them were
veterans of the French and Indian wars. They
were leading men in the place, — the Morses,
Bacons, Broads, Sawins, and Manns.
The Natick men brought several prisoners who
settled in Dover.
These companies belonged to Colonel Samuel
BuUard's regiment. The town voted. May 12, to
dismiss " Captain Joseph Morse, Lieutenant Wil-
liam Boden, and Lieutenant Abel Perry from being
selectmen, as they are going into the Massachusetts
service." Captain Morse's company was with the
army at Cambridge, in Colonel Patterson's regi-
1 1)3
Gardner's company, in Colonel Brooks' regiment,
has eleven names from this town. A recruit
needed a suit of clothes. Tradition avers that the
sheep were sheared, and twelve maidens spun, wove,
cut, and made it, in twenty-four hours. Natick
had her sons at Bunker Hill. The British can-
nonade could have been heard in her peaceful
homes, and the smoke of burning Charlestown that
Saturday afternoon was to be seen from her iiill-
tops. Rev. Mr. Badger met witli serious pecuniary
loss, for Charlestown had been his home.
A town-meeting was called, June 20, 1776, "to
see whether the inliabitants will vote to stand by tiie
Continental Congress with tlieir lives and fortunes
in Case the Continental Congress shall in their
Wisdom, Declare for Independence of the Kingdom
of (ireat Britain." After reaching the article
they adjourned two and a half hours to await the
report of their committee, — Rev. Stephen Badger,
Captain John Coolidge, and Daniel Morse. Tiiese
presented a well-written, patriotic resolution, which
the town adopted. An extract will show the spirit
We will with our lives and fortunes
of the day : "
Join with the other inhabitants of this Colony, and
with those of the other Colonies, in supporting them
in said measure, and which, if we may be permitted
to suggest our opinion, the sooner it is Come into
we shall iiave fewer Difficulties to Conflict, and the
grand objects of peace. Liberty, and Safety will
be more likely Speedily to be Restored, and Estab-
lished in our once happy land."
July 3, 1776, Samuel Welles being moderator,
tlie town voted " seven pounds additional to the
boiuity of seven pounds, that the colony gives to
those that Inlest into the Canada Expedition." A
number went with Arnold on that toilsome march
tlirough the Elaine forests, ending in the brave but
unsuccessful assault upon Quebec.
The Declaration of Independence is recorded on
the town-book, in the handwriting of the clerk, a
true patriot and gallant soldier. Ensign Daniel
Morse. Soldiers enlisted, or " did a turn," as the
expression was, at Dorciiester, Canada, New York,
and Rhode Island. Some citizens paid their sub-
stitutes. Captain Josepii Morse, who had risen to
the rank of major, returned in poor health, and
died December 16, 1779. Ensign Sawin, the
father of her who founded Sawin Academy, served
in the Revohition. His cap and gun are still pre-
ment, until August 1, 1775 ; other Natick soldiers served m the family. Asa Drury became captain,
-were in Captain Mellen's company, of Colonel and lived respected years after the peace. Heze-
Ward's regiment. The next year Captain Aaron kiah Broad won a major's commission. He had
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