Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 1.djvu/318

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310

��BARNSTEAD REUNION.

��weaving, and making the garments for herself, husband and children.

Barnstead sent her best men to the General Court. Charles Hodsdon served from 1797 to 1821, excepting seven years. John Nutter, Wilson and Walker served their respective years down to the time when two representatives were chosen annually.

The first Town Clerk was Benjamin Nutter, elected in 1775, and serving six years. Then came Nelson, Bunker, Ben- jamin Hodsdon, Charles Hodsdon, Jew- ett, Charles Hodsdon, Jr., and Enos George, the latter serving forty-two years.

Barnstead has ever been noted for its active military spirit. The Common at the Parade was a fit place for the per- formance of military duty. Barnstead, Gilmanton, and Gilford constituted the Tenth Regiment, and three days in the year they met for regimental drill. The red coats, the buff pants, the stove pipe hat with red ribbons, the white feather with red top, a thousand men marching double quick to the music of the old Barnstead Brass Band, fired the youthful heart to the true military genius of the times. The light artillery of six pound- ers, drawn by a company of men six feet two inches in their stockings, the rattling of the wheels of the heavy artillery, and the deep thunderings of the cannon as they belched forth fire and smoke, woke the neighborhood from its usual quiet- ness and played upon the nerves of the sensitive people as the shot and shell upon Fort Sumpter. Commanded by such officers as Gen's Bickford, Leroy, Hoitt, Dow, Moulton and Walker, to- gether with the military spirit,genius and discipline of its soldiery, the old Tenth regiment was stamped with a name his- toric in the annals of the State.

"On a prancing steed with an escorting band Major Nutter rode on to take the command ; What authority dwelt in his resolute face, And dignity shone in Ids stately pace.

How his sword gleamed and flashed in the sun.

light fair, How his high toned voice ran out on the air; " Attention, battalion 1" each man of the host With closely clasped weapon stood firm at his

post."

��For the war of 1812, the Mexican war, and the war of the late rebellion, Barn- stead furnished brave men who went out to fight in their country's cause. Barn- stead has never faltered in the hour of need. The bravery and valor of its peo- ple are engraven upon the tablet of their country's memory. Many of them to- day are sleeping upon foreign soil, but they are not forgotten in the hearts of her citizens ; she reinembors her soldiers. Her Democracy is earnest, and her hero- ism devoted.

Barnstead has had a goodly number of self educated men. We will only men- tion a few of her college graduates.

Spofford D. Jewett — clergyman— grad- uated from Dartmouth, 1827.

George Franklin George, (son of Rev. Enos George), from Dartmouth.

Albert E. Hodgdon, from Dartmouth, 1842.

John P. Newell, from Dartmouth, and the first scholar of his class.

Horace Webster, L.L.D., from Dart- mouth, 1849.

John Wheeler, M.D., Dartmouth, 1850.

Rev. A. H. Quint, D. D., Dartmouth, 1846.

Hon. Lewis W. Clark, (now Judge,) Dartmouth, 1850.

Luther E. Shepard, Dartmouth, 1851.

David M. Edgerly, M.D.. from Dart- mouth, 1S64.

Charles A. Bunker, Dartmouth, 1864.

Nathaniel L. Hanson, Dartmouth, 1864. while Augustus C. Walker, Wm. Walker, and Arthur C. Newell were at Dartmouth College for the term of two years. We could add a long list of eminent physi- cians, natives of Barnstead, who have graduated from Medical Colleges, but there are so many of them I have not time to mention their names.

You will see by these names, (and to these .many others might be added, of those not graduates, but equally prom- inent) that Barnstead occupies no mean position as regards her literary and public men. Her soil may not be the richest— her hills are rocky, and her sandy plains barren. While other towns boast of their corn and wheat-fields, their potatoes and agricultural products (and

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