Page:Sketches of representative women of New England.djvu/245

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182
REPRESENTATIVE WOMEN OF NEW ENGLAND


examining officer, I stretched myself all I could, and was accepted. I was nine months in Jackson's regiment, six months at Provi- dence under Captain Job Crocker, nine months in Shepard's regiment under Captain Griffiths, of Yarmouth, in my father's name, and in the last twenty-four months of the war under Shepard, a part of the time in my father's name and a part in my own, serving in all four years, eight months.

" I stayed until peace was declared, and was discharged back of Newburg before General Washington took possession of New York, without a cent to pay my expenses home, which I reached after suffering many privations, to find my father and family in distresse(l circumstances, as neither of us had received any compensation for our services. At this time the Continental script was of such depre- ciation in value that a month's wages would not buy a bushel of corn.

"I travelled to Boston to secure our wages, which the government was paying by issuing notes, and found that Lieutenant Hamblin of the Fourth Regiment, who was paymaster, had disposed of our notes and run away to Canada with the proceeds, so that was the last that I ever heard of our w^ges. I was in the battle of Rhode Island under General Sullivan and in many other scrimmages, one at Moriseny, another near Redden between Valley Forge and Philadelphia, and many others, in which we stood our ground bravely and were not daunted to see a redcoat."

After the war Joseph Young married an esti- mable young woman, Anna Nickerson, daughter of Moses Nickerson. As he had no property to speak of, her family, who were Tories, ob- jected to the match, but in vain. He succeeded in surmounting all difficulties, and in later years assisted in the support of the Tory family and many of their relations.

Joseph Young displayed the same courage and determination in business that he had shown as a soldier, and rose from fisherman to master and owner of vessels. But the embargo came, and his vessels lay idle, causing him heavy losses. In the War of 1812 one of his vessels, within twenty-four hours of home, was captured, and two of his sons, Joseph, Jr., and Reuben, who were on board, were sent to Dartmoor Prison, being afterward released.

After the war was over, Joseph Young succeeded in retrieving his losses. It is related of him that he accunmlated a handsome property for his time. He reared a large family, six daughters and three sons, and was a very prominent citizen of Chatham, holding all the highest offices in the town and serving several years in the Legislature. He built a cotton factory in Harwich and a woollen factory in Chatham, and was, in fact, a leader in any enterprise that would help the community. He was very public-spirited, and was liberal in his benefactions to the poor. No one was ever turned away from his door empty-handed. A firm believer in the doctrine of universal salvation, he contributed largely to the building of the first Universalist meeting-house on Cape Cod. Joseph Young, Jr., was born February 20, 1796, and died November 27, 1869. Isaac B. Young, his son, who is now (1904) eighty-six years old and the last survivor of his branch of the family, is an honored citizen of Chatham. His youngest brother, George W. Young, died August 5, 1903. Maria J. Marston Young, wife of Isaac B., died January 3, 1894. She was a daughter of Arthur B. and Hannah J. (Jones) Marston, of West Barnstable, Cape Cod, Mass.

Helen C. Mulford was educated in the public schools of Chatham, and before sixteen years of age began a successful career as a teacher. She had the love and respect of all her pupils, and her popularity among them was an evidence of her kindness, her good judgment, and ability in dealing with those under her charge. She was engaged in this profession for several years, and among her most devoted friends are some of her former pupils. On July 14, 1864, she married Joseph W. Mulford, an Acting Ensign in the United States navy. Since her marriage Mrs. MulfoKi has resided in Boston and Taunton, Mass. (where she conducted a millinery and fancy goods business), and Bridgewater, and for several years has lived at her father's home in Chatham, Mass.

Mrs. Mulford is interested in the Universalist church in Chatham, of which her great-