American Union Lodge No. 1 - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic ...

8. John Williams Mix b: 8 DEC 1794 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
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Warham Parks
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bucknum/P160Db01.htm
Warham Parks was born 13 Mar 1752 at Westfield, MA; d. 6 Mar 1801 [of wounds received at the Battle of Saratoga [Stillwater],
where he served as aide to Gen. Benjamin Lincoln].
The Journal of Rev. Mr. Ballantine entry for July 20, 1768: “Went with my wife to Cambirdge. Attended public exercises
[Commencement at Harvard] … My wife came to Cambridge. Parks admitted.” That was Warham Parks then about 16 years old,
who had been fitted for college by Mr. Ballantine. He became one of Westfield’s very illustrious citizens, Gen. Warham Parks,
prominent in the war of the Revolution. In 1773 Warham graduated from Harvard College.
Upon the first alarm at Lexington he commanded a company of 70 men, all of whom were from Westfield. He became a major,
served throughout the Revolutionary War, and at the time of his death was a General. He lived in Westfield, where he was a large
land-owner; and was Selectman in 1790-1, 1797-98-99, and 1800.
Warham Parks married Mary ‘Molly’ Ingersoll, his cousin, a daughter of John Ingersoll, 15 Jan 1778. Mary Ingersoll was born 19
Feb 1755; d, 29 Aug 1790. [he was the son of Elisha Parks and Mary Ingersoll; Warham married second 1791 Rebecca Gorham, b.
1765, d/o Nathaniel Gorham and Rebecca Call].
Warham Parks served as a Captain of Danielson's Massachusetts Regiment from
May to Dec 1775; was a Captain of the 3rd Continental Infantry on 1 Jan 1776; a
Major of the 4th Massachusetts on 1 Jan 1777, encamped at Valley Forge, PA; was
wounded at Saratoga, NY on 7 Oct 1777; and resigned 1 Jul1778.
At the March meeting, 1778, the need of the army were considered. Major Warham
Parks was chosen to go to Boston “on the cost of the town,” as its agent in
consequence of certain letters received from Colonel Shepard and others in the
Continental Army. Then a committee consisting of John Ingersoll, Esq., Doct.
Mather, Elisha Parks, Esq., and Capt. David Mosley, was chosen “to remonstrate to
the General Court &c. of the Nakedness of the Army & of the Necessity of its being
supplied with Cloathing & other necessaries immediately.” In August a committee
consisting of Dea. Root, Elisha Parks, Esq., Capt. Daniel Sacket, Col. John Mosley,
and Mr. Samuel Fowler, was appointed to collect the clothing sent for the by the
General Court for the use of the Continental Army.
The Shays Rebellion - On 12 Jun 1782, a rabble of about 150 riotous persons,
gathered from different towns up the river, entered Springfield late in the afternoon
when a large part of the male inhabitants were absent at the funeral of Rev. Stephen
Williams of Longmeadow, and released Ely from the gaol. Col. Elisha Porter of
Hadley, high sheriff of the county, hastily organized a posse and the next day in
Northampton an agreement was reached between the mob and the representatives
of civil authority, whereby Ely was to be given up, but as he had already disappeared
he could not be produced, and three hostages were therefore given by the mob and
put into jail in Northampton to remain until Ely should be returned. This angered the
malcontents who had begun to disperse. They gathered again and were joined by
others the next day, while the guard about the jail was strong and vigilant. On
Saturday, June 16, the crowds increased and became so threatening that Colonel
Porter called upon various towns for assistance, and the services on the following
day were marked by the absence of many male worshipers usually in attendance.
The account in the Diary of Jonathan Judd, Jr., who was and eyewitness, is so vivid in its details of the proceedings on that eventful
Sunday as to warrant its reproduction. “Sunday 17. Got up about four went to the middle of the Town. Maj. Bannister, Capt. White &
Capt. Warner, who are leaning toward the Mobb go up to Hatfield. Was with a Committee to advise the Sheriff. Was at the Meeting
part of the Exercises. People collect but slow till Noon and after. Upon Maj. Bannister &c. coming back at 2 Phinehas Lyman, Noah
Smith & Dea. King go to the Mobb. All the return we have is that they will have the Hostages. They were then thought at Luke
Lymans. We answer they can not. At Dusk when Col. Porter had about 500 Men at the Jail and General Parks arrives with 160
more, they march to the Jail mostly on horses, being about 450 men one half armed with Clubbs. They fill the lane from the School
House to and in the Jail Yard. A Parley then began which lasted about 1 Hour and a half, in which Time Capt. Dickinson and other
Heads of the Mobb went into the Goal and saw the Prisoners. They had then one Idea of resigning up Ely, but as soon as they
came out Ely put off with speed. It was then agreed that the Mobb should go to the plain near the Burying Yard and they went and
Dickinson returned and the agreement was that the Question whether the Hostages should be delivered up should be brought to a
County Convention and their opinion sent to the General Court who should be the final Judges in the matter. When Dickinson
returned to the plain all his party had left him. Almost the whole Party might have been taken with very little loss, but we aimed to
show we did not want to Hurt them nor shed blood. Springfield people came while they were at the Jail with 1 field Piece and a
Number of Continental Soldiers. A large Guard was kept at the Goal, others scattered about a little not much; it was so near Day
before matters were settled.” It was surely a long and exciting day for Judd, lasting nearly twenty-four hours, during which he could
have had little if any rest. But late as was his hour of retiring he got up at 4 o’clock again on the following morning to find the leaders
as “obstinate as human creaturs can be. Nothing can be done with them. A Mobb man is almost certainly a Liar. Their cause is
principally carried on by Lying.”
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