History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

for the regaining of sucli privileges as have been
wrested from us, and establishing those we do en-
joy " ; and to be ever watchful that they " be not
induced by any means to consent to any vote or
votes in the Great and General Assembly that may
have a tendency to weaken our constitutional rights
and jjrivileges." Resolutions of sympathy, en-
couragement, and co-operation, " at the risk of life
and treasure," were sent to the Committee of Cor-
respondence in Boston ; and a Committee of Safety
was chosen to act with the committees in other
towns. lu January, 1766, Mr. Emerson preached
a thanksgiving sermon on the repeal of the Stamp
Act, and this sermon was printed for general circu-
in a regiment, of which William Prescott was appointed
colonel, and Henry Woods major. The
Pepperell company was commanded by Captaui
John Nutthig.
William Prescott was born in Groton Centre,
February 20, 1726, but before he was of age had
removed to the West Parish, and taken a farm in the
tract called Grotou Gore. He had been a lieutenant
of provincial troops in 1755, and on his return from
the expedition to Nova Scotia had been promoted
to a captaincy.
About nine o'clock on the morning of April 19,
1775, a messenger from Concord arrived in Pepperell
with tidings of the fight at Lexington, and
the advance of the redcoats towards Concord.
Colonel Prescott immediately gave orders to the
companies in Pepperell and in Hollis to march to
Groton, and join the other companies there. So
well prepared were the Pepperell mmute-men, and
so ready for such an emergency, that they arrived
at the Groton rendezvous, five miles distant, before
the company there was ready to march ; and after a
j
halt of a few minutes they marched on without
waiting for the other comjwnies.
Abel Parker— afterwards Judge of Probate for
Cheshire County, New Hampshire, and fatlier of
the late Chief Justice Joel Parker — was plough-
ing on his farm two or three miles distant ; but as
soon as he heard the alarm, leaving his oxen un-
yoked, he seized his gun hi one hand and his best
coat in the other, started on a run, and did nol stop
until he overtook his comrades, about three miles
below Groton.
Another of Captain Nutting's company, Edmund
PEPFERELL. 268
i the
Maine when the messenger arrived at his father's
house. His father ran out into the field, and
mounting a large rock called to his son, who re-
turned to the house, changed his clothes, took his
gun, and started towards Concord.
Colonel Prescott, witli his regiment, hastened on
to Concord ; but, being unable to overtake the
British on their retreat, proceeded to Cambridge,
and made that place his headcjuarters.
The women of those towns were not a whit in-
ferior to the men in patriotism and courage. After
departure of the minute-men, the women in
the vicinity of the bridge over Nashua River (now
the covered bridge) collected, dressed in their
I
1
lation. A company of minute-men was enlisted, absent husbands' clothes, and armed with such
which, with companies in IloUis, New Hampshire, weapons as they could find. Having chosen Mrs.
Grotou, and other neighboring towns, was included David Wright commander, they patrolled the road,
' Of
determined that no enemy to freedom should pass
that bridge ; and to good purpose, for soon they
had the satisfaction of arresting Captain Leonard
Whiting, of Hollis, a noted tory, and the bearer
of despatches from Canada to Boston. He was
searched, and the treasonable correspondence which
was found in his boots was sent to the Committee
of Safety, while he was detained as prisoner.
tlie fifteen hundred provincial soldiers who
fought at the memorable battle of Bunker Hill,
Pepperell furnished the commander and about
sixty men, of whom eight were killed and eight
wounded, as follows :
Bancroft, afterwards captain, had just started for destined to insulate New Euijlaiid from the other
—
Killed, — Joseph Spauhling, aged thirty-seven;
Nathaniel Parker, Jr., aged thirty-three ; William
Warren, aged twenty-eight ; Ebenezer Laughton,
aged , twenty-seven ; Waiuwright Fisk, aged twen-
ty-four; Jeremiah Shattuck, aged twenty-one;
Edmund Pierce, aged forty-four ; Benjamin Wood,
aged twenty.
Wounded, — William Sjiaulding, John Adams,
Abel Parker, Moses Blood, Simon Green, Jonathan
Stevens, Thomas Lawrence, 3d, William Green.
Colonel Prescott remained in the service until
the close of 1776. He was stationed at Govern-
or's Island, New York, until the American troops
were obliged to retreat from New York, when he
withdrew his regiment in such good order as to call
forth the public commendation of General Wash-
ington. Li the fall of 1777 he, with several of his
former officers, went as a volunteer to oppose the
onward march of Burgoyne, and was present at the
surrender of the formidable but discomfited army,
which, according to the British programme, was