History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

344 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
wealth and the facihties for improvement were
limited. Stoiieham was a poor town, inferior to
most of its neighbors in territory, population, and
wealth, the number of its people being probably
about three hundred, with fifty houses, including
those which now form parts of Melrose and Wake-
field. In 1767 the valuation included 10 slaves,
42 horses, 41 oxen, l-li, cows, -311 sheep, I'i'-^
swine. There were ;i,:346 bushels of grain, and
526 barrels of cider. The money at interest was
£1,160. May 9, 176S, the town voted the fol-
lowing amount to defray the expenses for the year
ensuing.
For Schooling S,^ Qs. Od.
Paper for town's use 2
For keeping Sloueliain nieeling-liouse . 4
For sweeping siiid meeting-liouse . .040
For wood for school . . . . 10
Tiie purchasing of a bell appears to have been
agitated as long ago as 1772, as an article was in-
serted in the warrant for a meeting of that year held
if not the necessity of having one was seen.
Although nearly half a century had passed since
the incorporation of the town, there iiad been a
general unanimity of action in its public affairs,
but this tranquillity was soon to be disturbed by a
foreign foe. The change in the administration of
government in the mother country had given rise
to feelings of intense anxiety. The peoi)le believed,
with all the colonies, that their rights liad been in-
vaded. Expression was given to tlieir views on the
subject by the calling of meetings, writing uf letters,
passage of resolutions, etc. In January, 1773, a
communication was despatched to Boston, in which
they declared their belief that, as the right of freedom
is the gift of Almighty God, it is not in the
jjower of man to nlieiinte it. At a meeting held
August 1, and adjourned to November 1, 1774,
a covenant was made which contained the follow-
ing: "That having taken into serious considera-
tion the ])resent distressed condition of this in-
sulted i)roviiice, embarrassed as it is by several
acts of the Brittish ])arliainent. That lirnecforth
we will suspend all intercourse with Great liritaiii,
That we will not buy, ])urchase, or consume aiiy
goods or merchandise which shall arrive in America
from Great Briton. These things we solemidv
promise to observe, provided no better schinie
shall be devised to answer the same ends hv tin-
Congress who are to meet the next mouth at ['liila-
delphia." C'ai)tain Samuel Sprague was chosen
delegate to the provincial congress holden at Con-
cord, October 11, 1774, and also to the one convened
at Cambridge, February 5, 1775. During
the time of the Revolution the house of Deacon
Edward Bucknain, at that time town-clerk, was
the place of rendezvous. An arrangement was
made that no gun should be discharged in town,
except under the following rule : A certain number
was chosen to give an alarm. The first person that
received the notice was immediately with two or
more individuals to repair to the Common, in front
of the old meeting-house. The discharge of the
muskets in succession was considered as a general
alarm, when the members of the company were
immediately to repair to the jjlace of rendezvous.
This ancient dwelling was recently owned by Iliram
Marston, and was taken down in 1873. "The
population wns small ; but a common enthusiasm
possessed the hearts of the whole community, aiul
a company of sixty minute-men was organized,
July 9, and although the vote relative to its purchase which comprised nearly all the iidiabitants capable
was negatived, a few months later the desirability, of bearing arms. Sainuel Sprague was captain
Joseph Bryant, lieutenant; Abraham Gould, en-
sign. John Bucknam and Daniel Bryant were ser-
geants; and David ami Joseph Geary, drummers.
They were called together at early morn, on the
19tli of April, 1775, and hurried over the hills to
Lexington, arriving there in time to meet the Brit-
ish as they were retreating from Concord, and ])ur-
sue them to Charlestown. The first shock over,
the war fairly commenced, and the history of Stoneham
was that of almost every other Massachusetts
town. Captain Sprague and Major Joseph Bryant
were sent as rej)resentativcs to the Provincial Congress.
Among those who were killed during the war
were John Noice and AVilliam Connery. E])hraim
and George Brown and John Noble were prisoners
of war. The roll of honor embraced the names of
Peter Hay, Priilxii and David Geary, Nathan
VViIKy, J.'.liu llill, .lohn Holden, Charles Richardsou,
Joseph Jlatthews, Joseph Holden, John
Wright, William Deadman, Samuel Clap, Beiijiimin
Eaton, Jonathan Farley, Thomas Hay, Eli
Mclutire, John Thayer, Jabez Upton, Jacob Brown,
Sainuel Brown, Joliii Boyd, Henry Hawks, Daniel
Holden, Samuel Howland, Samuel Ingals, John
Knight, James Weston, Joshua Geary, Daniel
Bryant, Daniel Hay, Freeman Sharper, Cato Freeman,
John and Job Potaina, and Pompey Magus,
the last five of whom were negroes, some of them
obtaining their liberty by eidistiiig in the army.
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