History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

A. D. 1775. Resolved and voted that the above
draught of an association is ajDproved of, and that
the same be entered in the District Book of rec-
ords, and that the same be signed by tlie several
inhabitants of said district, and that the committee
of corresjiondence see that the same is done or in-
form the district at their next district meeting of !
every person who shall delay or refuse to sign the
same, so that the district may take such further
order thereon as they may think proper."
This liearty and unanimous response to the pro-
ceedings of tlie First Continental Congress proved
that the patriotism of Shirley was without any mix-
ture of tory alloy.
By such decision on tiie part of tlie yeomanry of
the country a formal separation from Britisli rule
was encouraged, and nerve was given to the daring
of the council and to the valor of the battle-field. I
The pledges that were made by the people of
Shirley were nobly redeemed. Wlien the tidings ;
of the Lexington battle reached town, every man I
old enough to bear arms, except seven, volunteered
SHIRLEY. 308
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his services and marched to Cambridge. The age leaders, who committed acts of violence by stop-
and infirmities of these, or the situation of their ping courts of justice, arresting private citizens and
families, prevented them from joining tlieir brethren. holding them in durance, and in some instances by
One of them, Mr. William Longley, known to the pillage and robbery.
people as Old Will the Miller, though bent down Now, although the people of Shirley had, with-
with age and supporting himself with two staves,
said he would join the company, and when reminded
of his infirmity, replied, " I know that I cannot
handle a musket, yet I will figlit tlie redcoats with
my two canes," at the same moment brandisliing
those formidable weapons aloft.
The churcli common was crowded with the eager
citizens. Women and children were there to en-
courage their sons and brothers to be true to the
principles of liberty, to supply them with the com-
forts needed on their march to join the army before
Boston, to invoke the blessing of Heaven upon the
enterprise, ami to bid tliem what might prove a
last farewell ! These movements were unmistak-
able tokens of the patriotism of the actors.
Volunteers went, from time to time, as militiamen
before the opening of the memorable campaign
Twenty-two men were then raised for the
of 1 7 7 7 .
regular army, and the town voted each man tiius
raised §20 additional bounty.
Subsequently the citizens of Shirley were re-
quired to supply other support in the service of
the war, such as muskets, military coats, and camp
stores, all of which were readily contributed.
In 1780 more men were wanted, and the town
voted every volunteer one hundred silver dollars,
and it also voted to give £40 to each recruit who
would serve three months additional to his ap-
pointed time.
At the next annual town-meeting tlie town voted
to raise $1,200 in silver, to be assessed on the in-
habitants, towards paying tiie soldiers hired for
three years, whose time had 'expired.
Added to this heavy war expense in camp and
field, the town appointed a committee to provide
for the wants of the families of the absent soldiers,
in addition to the ordinary current expenses of the
town.
But when peace came, and the armies of foreign
oppression were withdrawn, there was not that harmony
of action established that is required to build
up and sustain a well-ordered republic. In Massachusetts
insurrectionary movements commenced
with petitions from popular assemblies to the state
government for a redress of grievances, which were
not duly regarded. The result was that armed
forces assembled in several counties, under different
out a solitary exception, sustained the cause of
American independence, they were, with one or
two exceptions, in favor of some movement
to ameliorate the existing condition of things.
And it may be that a majority did not discoun-
tenance a resort to forcible measures, should milder
efi"orts fail. It was the first purpose of the hisurgents
to suppress the courts of sessions until some
action should be taken to stay the flood of execu-
tions which wasted their property and made their
homes desolate. Hence, a party from Shirley
joined another party from Groton, under the command
of Job Shattuck, of the last-named place, who
had served in the French and Revolutionary wars,
and was otherwise qualified to be conspicuous in
such a cause.
Connected with Mr. Shattuck in this command
were two brothers, residents of Shirley, — Sylvanus
and Nathan Smith, — both of whom had been ofii-
cers in the late War for Independence. The party
marched to Concord on the 12th of September,
bivouacked for the night, and by preventing the ses-
sion of the court on the following day accomplished
their object, and returned to their homes.
In January, 1787, the army head(iuarters of the