History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

414 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
1763 the wars, wliich for so many years had been
waged between England and France, were terminated
by the treaty of Paris. It is quite worth onr while
to review so far as we can the part Waltham took
of the two countries. The excise tax which the
town in 1754. desired might " not be negatived "
was an outgrowth of it, and the Stamp Act, against
which the whole colony a few years after vigorously
protested, was another of its fruits. But it gave
our hardy yeomen military experience and training,
and taught them that the men they had fought by
the side of in wars with a foreign foe would not be
their superiors in courage, prowess, or skill when
opposed to them in the ranks of their enemies.
While the town records abound in military titles,
it is doubtful whether these were won at the annual
training or on the battle-field. We find, how-
ever, among the heroes of the Revolution, quite a
number of the names of those who were veterans
in the old French and Indian wars.
In the state records we find better evidence of
Waltham's share in the colonial troubles. In 174-0
we find that Ebenezer Bigelow — husbandman —
was in Captain Stephen Richard's company. In
1744 Captain John Cutting's name appears on the
muster-rolls. In 1748 Nathan Morse and John
Barnard were in Captain John Catlin's company at
Fort Sliirley. But in 1756 and 1757 the names
follow in rapid succession. In Captain Ebenezer
Learned's company was Ensign Robert Smith, aged
twenty-eight, born in Waltham, enlisted in Worcester.
In Captain Timothy Houghton's company
were the following, all volunteers, from Waltham :
Lieutenant Ebenezer Brown, Sergeant William
Cox, Clerk Jonas Cutter, Cornet Jonathan Peirce,
Privates John Dean, Phineas Stearns, Joseph Wel-
lington, Thomas ^Vcllingl(ln, William ]5enjnmin,
Daniel Fisk, Abraliam Hill, Abijali Brown, Thomas
llarringlcm, W.v.n: (;i,.,son, .io'siah Wliitney, and
Davi.l Fi