History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

533 HISTOBT OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
undaunted, they at length drew off. A flag of truce
was then sent demanding a surrender, under the
threat, if this was not complied with, "We'll cut
you as small as tobacco before to-morrow morn-
ing." Captain Converse's answer was to come on,
for he wanted work. The invitation was not ac-
cepted, and in a few hours the baffled chief retired
from the contest, leaving the brave garrison vic-
tors in the unequal fight. For this act of courage
and intrepidity Captain Converse was promoted by
Governor Phips to the rank of major, and made
commander of all the Massachusetts forces in that
quarter.
Twenty-five years later Woburn was again in-
volved in the struggles with the Eastern Indians. It
took a prominent part in the celebrated Lovewell's
Fight. Of the thirty-four men engaged in that
coiirtict six were from Woburn, one of whom was
killed early in the action, and three were wounded.
Setli Wyman, of AVoburn, was ensign of the com-
pany, and its command fell upon him after the
death of Captain Lovewell and the disabling of
Lieutenants Wyman and Farwell. He restored
the flagging spirits of the company, and kept up
the fight till near niglit. The Indians first left the
field, but the number of dead being great, and the
wounded requiring medical treatment, a retreat
was begun early in the night for the fort near
Ossipee Pond, which had been built as a place of
rendezvous in case of need. This retreat was a
sad and suffering one. The fort was found aban-
doned, those left in charge having received a
false report of the fight. The men divided them-
selves into three parties, and after several days of ex-
treme hardship arrived at the frontier settlements.
Isaac Johnson, the grandson of Captain Edward
Johnson, was the Woburn soldier who was killed.
Three others were severely wounded. The conduct
of Ensign Wyman was greatly commended by the
colonial authorities. He was promoted to the
rank of captain, and presented with a sword as
a mark of public esteem for his steadiness and
bravery.
Tiie death of Rev. Jabe/, Fox has been previ-
ously mentioned as having occurred in 1702. His
son, Mr. Joiin Fox, was then keeping the grammar
school in Woburn. His position and attainments
gave him favor among his townsmen, and he was
invited to preach three months on probation. His
efforts were so satisfactory that lie was chosen as
])crniani'nt ])astor, and ordained in November,
17l);i. 'i'he salary voted him was 1 10 in money
and £-10 in provisions, at money price. "A piece
of land " was also given to him adjoining his own
estate. At the opening of his ministry Mr. Fox
appears to have desired a restatement of the belief
of the church. About this time some heresies
were creeping into the established doctrines which
greatly alarmed those who held steadfastly to the
faith of the fathers. These were the adoption of
the practice of admitting personsto the communion
who had not given evidence of full regeneration,
and the adhesion of some (at least secretly) to the
views of the Anabaptists, who had been crushed
out in Woburn thirty years before. Mr. Fox was
anxious to clear up these points by a restatement
of doctrines. Accordingly a paper was drawn up
which heartily reaffirmed the confession of faith
adopted at Cambridge in 16i8, which was sub-
stantially that of the Westminster Assembly of
1652. Mr. Fox, being thus sustained in his
views of evangelical truth, went on with his
mhiistry successfully and happily for many years.
There were, however, other causes for disagreement
and wrangling in the town, or parish (they
being for a long period substantially one), besides
those arising from differing theological sentiments.
One of these was the disposition of certain lands
which had been granted to the town in 166-1. This
grant consisted of 2,000 acres, wliich the town had
the right to select from any unappropriated lauds
within the colony. But it was fifty years before
the selection was made. A committee was then
chosen to take up the land, who pitched upon a
tract called Turkey Hill, lying within the limits
of the present town of Lunenburg. The land was
surveyed, and the town took possession. Nothing
was done with it for several years. At length, it
was voted to sell it in one lot to the highest bidder.
The purchaser was Israel Reed, of Woburn,
who paid for it £3,000 in provincial bonds, which
was then equivalent to $3,666. The interest of
this sum was used by the town for some time in its
annual expenditures or in discharge of the province
tax. In a few years, however, the fund proved
to be more of a curse than a blessing, for it led
to serious contention as to its custody, perpetual
wrangling at town-meetings, and finally to its utter
extinction through bad management.
Contemporary with this period, troubles and
embarrassments fell upon the people through the
loans granted to the towns by the General Court.
Monev was scarce, and poverty laid ils hand uj)on
nearly all the colonists. To remedy tliis evil a