History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

408 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1690.
was doing military duty there, the objection urged against
him on account of removal from that place, was of no
value.
1
It was an Attempt This coutrovcrsy, the counterpart of which
to oust the old
Commanders.
j^ various phases of life, is by no means un-
•
i 1
j t j c v i
known at the present day, grew out ot the
unsettled state of affairs owing to the change of government.
In reality it was an attempt to oust the former officers.
Military honors were sought after in those days when
titles meant something and gave the recipients position in
the community. The decision of the court, however, seemsto
have been contrary to the desire of citizens, as was
proved by their future action. The prospect for immediate
active service was imminent, and the Northampton company
was soon to have its share.
sergt. King, the Scrgt. King secms to have been quite active-
Prime Mover. {^ tliis affair, and he undoubtedly aspired to
He Threatens to .
,
t p n ttti j.-l
Sue the Town. the commaiid or the company. W hen tne
"council for Safety," called for the election
of delegates to establish a government, Sergt. King was
chosen to represent Northampton, as Major Pynchon states,
through the influence of Medad Pomeroy (whose daughter
his son married). He figures soon after in a suit against the
town, incited no doubt by his disa]3pointment in not obtaining
the coveted rank in the militia. The town refused
"to pay him for going twice to the Bay as their Representative
or deputy. And the Towne Looking on it that they
sent him But once." King was chosen a delegate to the
second convention, which met in May, re-established the
old government, and ordered an election of deputies in accordance
with former methods of procedure. Northampton
held no election under this latter order. A General
Court, consisting of the former magistrates and the newly
elected deputies, convened in June, and King, evidently
acting upon the supposition that he had been chosen deputy
for the year, attended that session, ^ Hence the suit. Mr.
1 There is the evidence of Major Cook, that King was present at the June meeting
of the Legislature, for he says that King brought the order for reorganizing the mili-
tia. That order was passed June 14"", 1689.