Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/223

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MEN OF NOTTINGHAM AT BUNKER HILL.

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in the battle of Bunker Hill. In the September following he was bearer of dispatches from Washington to the Committee of Safety in New Hampshire, by whom he was treated with distinguished honors. In 1777 he was a private in Col. Stark's regiment, and fought bravely in all the battles till the surrender of Burgoyne. His son, Robert Morrison, Esq., resides in Northwood at the present time.

Joseph Jackson was sergeant in Capt. Dearborn's company at Bunker Hill, afterwards served in several campaigns and was captain of a company.

Samuel Johnson was not in the Bunker Hill fight, but was in the campaign of 1777, at Bennington, Stillwater and Saratoga, and took an active part under a commission which gave him the rank of colonel. He was one of the first settlers of Northwood at the Narrows, and was one of the selectmen of the town for fifteen years.

Simon Marston was from Deerfield, having settled on the Longfellow farm in 1763 ; he lived in the garrison house, erected by Jonathan Longfellow. He was sowing wheat when the courier, shouting the news of the battle of Lexington, rode past the field where he was at work. Marston left the measure, from which he was sowing, rushed to the house, filled his knapsack with pork and other necessaries, seized his gun, and hurried down to the Square. He acted in the capacity of an officer in Col. Reed's regiment at Bunker Hill; was an officer under Lieut. Col. Senter ; was captain of 1st Co. Col. Peabody's regiment ; was afterwards commissioned major and fought at Bennington, Stillwater and Saratoga. He was a brave man in war and energetic in peace. The others named, although they held no office of rank, were no less brave and faithful in performing perilous duties, and deserve to have their names recorded where they will never be forgotten.

After the Nottingham men arrived in Cambridge, and saw there was no danger of another attack immediatly by the troops in Boston, several returned home and commenced more thorough preparation for the coming conflict, but Dr. Dearborn and most of the men remained and were organized into a company, and Dearborn was elected captain the company became a part of Col. Stark's regiment and was stationed at Medford, whence they marched on the 17th of June and participated in the glories of "Breed's Hill." Captain Dearborn's company was No. 8, but he marched from Medford to the "Rail- fence," by the side of Col. Stark.

The following list of men comprising this company is no doubt correct, as it was furnished by Judge Nesmith for Cogswell's "History of Nottingham, Deerfield and Northwood," and the Judge is one of the best authorities in the State in such matters. The men were nearly all fron old Nottingham :

Captain, Henry Dearborn, Nottingham.

1st Lieut., Amos Morrill, Epsom.

2d " Michael McClary, Epsom.

1st Sergt., Jona. Clarke, Nottingham.

2d " And. McGaffey, Epsom.

3d " Jos. Jackson, Nottingham.

1st Corp., Jonah Moody, "

2d " Andrew Field, "

3d " Jona. Gilman, Deerfield.

4th " And. Bickford, "

Privates—-Simon Dearborn, Gideon Glidden, James Garland, John Harvey, David Mudgett (of Gilmanton), Simon Sanborn, Robt. Morrison, John Runnels, John Neally, Joseph Place, Abram Pettengale, Andrew Nealley, Peter Severance, John Wallace, Theop. Cass (of Epsom), Israel Clifford, Nathaniel Batchelder (of Deerfield), Jacob Morrill, John Simpson, John Wallace, Jr., Neal McGaffey (of Epsom), Jonah Libbey, Moses Locke, Francis Locke, Zebulon Marsh, Solomon Moody, Chas. Whitcher, Marsh Whitten, Noah Sinclair (drummer), James Randell (fifer), Nich. Brown, Benj. Berry (of Epsom), John Casey, Jona. Cram (of Deerfield), Jeremiah Conner, Elisha Hutchinson, Dudley Hutchinson, Benj. Judkins, Josh. Wells, Jere. Dowe, Jona. Dowe, John Dwyer, David Page, Jr., Beniah Libbey, William Rowell, Weymouth Wallace (of Epsom), Thomas Walsh and William McCrellis (of Epsom.

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