|
|
 |
|
FACTORYVILLE AND WAVERLY
Factoryville, in the town of Barton,* received its name
from the mills that were erected there in the early part of the century.
First a fulling mill, carding machines, and saw mill, by Messrs. Shepard
and Crocker in 1809; then a factory by Messrs. Isaac and Job Shepard, afterwards
bought and enlarged by Mr. A. Brooks. This was consumed by fire in
1853. A tannery is now in operation on the same ground. Another
tannery just across the State line was established by Jerry Adams about
fifty years ago, and is now owned by John A. Perkins.
A survey of Factoryville was made in 1819, by Major Flower,
from the State line to George Walker’s. The Ithaca turnpike was made
in 1821, and the Owego and Chemung road opened about the same time.
A post office was established in 1812, first at the factory,
and afterward removed to Mr. I. Shepard’s store, on the Owego and Chemung
road.
The district was divided into large lots of land by John
Shepard, Esq., and sold, reserving a number of acres for the mill lot,
to Thomas Willcox, Moses and Larnard. These lots were again divided
into village lots, which were sold, and neat and comfortable dwellings
erected, and it is now a pleasant and thriving village.
Mr. John Barker was a gentleman of intelligence and refinement,
cheerful and agreeable. His society was much sought, and he was beloved
and respected by all. He came from Durham, N.Y., in 1830, to settle
the estate of his nephew, young Hotchkiss, a merchant who had established
himself at Factoryville a short time before, and died suddenly of a fever.
Mr. Barker continued the business and became a citizen.
He married a sister of Mrs. Isaac Shepard, and they were pleasantly situated
in Factoryville, when death removed the daughter, husband and son, in a
few successive years. Mr. Barker died in New York City, 1855.
John Hotchkiss, a younger brother of the early merchant,
was a clerk for Mr. Barker many years. Industrious and enterprising,
he went to California, was successful in business, came home and was married,
returned again, and died of yellow fever on his passage back to California,
in 1853.
Mrs. Larnard, who resided many years at Factoryville,
is a lady in whom refinement of manners, good sense and devoted piety are
happily combined, and is still living at an advanced age.
* The town of Barton was taken from Tioga, March, 1824, extending
on the State line from the Susquehanna to the Tioga River. The names
of the pioneers near the Susquehanna River were Ellis, Mills, Saunders
and Hanna. The latter lived to be over one hundred years of age.
The early settlers on Shepard’s Creek were Hedges, Barnes, Newel, Lyon,
Bingham and English. Blackberries and maple sugar were abundant,
and furnished partial sustenance to the inhabitants. These early
settlers were principally from New England, and were among the most industrious
and reliable people. The Ithaca turnpike, made in 1821, was a great
advantage to them.
The first Presbyterian Church of Factoryville was formed
in the spring of 1847, eighteen of its members receiving letters from the
Church of Athens. The Methodist and Baptist Churches were formed
there a little previously. The Episcopal Church was formed and house
built about 1853. These churches are now all located in Waverly.
Waverly is also in the town of Barton. In 1796 Mr.
John Shepard purchases of General Thomas, of Westchester County, N.Y.,
one thousand acres of land at five dollars per acre, extending along the
State line from Shepard’s Creek at Factoryville, near the 59th mile stone,
to 60th mile stone; thence across the north end of Spanish Hill to the
Chemung River, and from the Narrows across the mountain beyond Shepard’s
Creek; thence down to the State line again, embracing Waverly, Factoryville,
and many fine localities back of these villages, as has been already stated.
This tract was an entire wilderness at this time, except
the flats and a few openings near them where the red man had tilled his
corn a few years previously, and it had made a charming home for the wild
deer and many other inoffensive animals, which herded and grazed, and roamed
through the forest, and drank from the waters of the rivers and the pure
springs from the mountain. The venomous rattlesnake was sometimes
seen in numbers, but these reptiles, like the savages, have disappeared
before the improvements of the white man.
In 1819 Deacon Ephraim Strong bought one hundred and fifty-three
and one-half acres of land on this tract, just across the State line, one
hundred rods in width, about an equal distance between Shepard’s Creek
and Chemung River, and extending back to the mountain.
Here Mr. Strong, with his numerous sons, made an opening
in the pines, of several acres; planted corn and potatoes, sowed buckwheat,
built a snug frame house, dug a well, and set out an orchard. Some
of the trees are still standing on the lot now occupied by Mr. Fuller.
Here this godly, intelligent, and well educated household,
the father of a graduate of Yale College, and the mother of a superior
woman, lived several years. It was a privilege to call on this family
and learn how to live and enjoy the comforts of a retired life, and look
into their well-read library, and hear this priest of his own family in
the solitude of the forest offer the morning and evening sacrifice.
Scott’s Commentary was Mrs. Strong’s principal reading, and in her obituary,
many years after, it was said that she had read this work through seven
times. The family removed to Hudson, Ohio, where many of them have
died.
About 1825 Mr. Shepard paid Mr. Strong for his improvements
and sold the land to General Welles. Shortly after November 1st,
1835, Mr. John Spalding, of Athens, bought the farm.
One of the “old fields” adjoining this farm on the west
extended from the locality where Mr. Waldo’s drug store now is to the spot
near where the depot stands, north of the State line, and is the ground
on which the west part of Waverly is built. The other field was on
the Pennsylvania side, where South Waverly stands. The old road from
Milltown to Chemung formerly passed between the old fields. There
is a tradition that the old fields were cultivated by the Aborigines, and
they were sometimes called the “Indian Fields.” These fields were
very familiar to the early settlers, and their animals were often pastured
there from some distance.
The public road* was opened from Barton to Chemung through
these lands and the lands of Isaac and Job Shepard, and a gradual improvement
made. In 1846 Mr. E. Brigham built a hotel where the Methodist Church
now is, which he called the Waverly House. The street running south
from there was opened soon after, which was called the Waverly Street.
A few buildings had been erected in anticipation of a
future village, and a Presbyterian Church was built in 1848. The
lot was given to the congregation by Mr. Owen Spalding.
The Erie Railway now being constructed and fast approaching,
the village began to grow rapidly, and many dwellings and stores were in
progress, and in the fall of 1849 the railway reached this point.
A depot was built, and soon the sound of the engine whistle and the rattling
of cars announced their arrival at the newly made village, animating and
cheering the expectant inhabitants.
The village was incorporated in 1854, and received the
name of Waverly. A few votes more would have given it the name of
Loder. Since that time Waverly has had a very rapid growth.
The business of the place has constantly increased, and now its busy streets,
its churches, banks, printing offices and other mechanical establishments,
its stores, and an institute of learning of high standing, all give unmistakable
evidence of thrift and prosperity.
The early purchaser of this valuable tract of land once
said, “It would not be surprising if at some future time you should see
the spires of ten or a dozen churches between these rivers,” and five or
six are seen already in Waverly alone; and in a little more than twenty
years a village of more than 3,000 inhabitants has sprung up on this ground.
Spanish Hill lies a little west of Waverly. It is
disrobed of much of its foliage, and divested of its crowning beauty—the
ancient and mysterious fortifications on its summit. It lies principally
in Athens, and has been described there.
The post office was established in Waverly in 1849; the
first great fire in March, 1855; Waverly Bank chartered 1855; Waverly Institute
built 1857; First National Bank chartered 1863.
* The road originally did not run straight across, as Chemung Street indicates, but from Barton to Factoryville, the tannery neighborhood—thence toward Chemung, forming an angle. Mr. Isaac Shepard, when a young man, rode horseback to Washington to have a post office located there—and received the appointment as postmaster February 12, 1823.
REMARKABLE EVENTS
After the destruction, by a storm, of the large yellow
pine trees of the last century, and the new trees had sprung up and were
clothed with verdure, the locusts appeared in 1800 and devoured every green
thing before them. At first a worm that worked itself out of the
earth in vast numbers appeared. The ground was alive with them.
A shell next formed, which after a little time opened on the back and the
locust came out with wings and legs, resembling the grasshopper, but much
larger. They soon flew to the trees and bushes in multitudes, and
devoured the foliage. They passed off the same season, but came again
in 1814, which many now living very well remember. The singing of
the locusts in the pine plains above the village of Athens made it difficult
to hear conversation by the way. They nearly all left the same season.
American locusts are said to resemble those of the eastern hemisphere,
but are not so large.
The total eclipse of 1806 is remembered by many now living
as a grand and sublime scene, a recurrence of which is not expected in
this longitude during the present generation. The late eclipse of
August 7th, 1869, approached nearer to it than any other we have witnessed,
and a few degrees west of us the sun’s disk was entirely obscured.
A grand celestial phenomenon, a meteoric shower, was exhibited
in the heavens on Thursday morning, the 13th of November, 1833, between
the hours of two and five o’clock, and was witnessed by many people in
this part of the country, and in this village, as well as through the country
generally. Those who were fortunate enough to be up at that hour
in the morning spoke of it as brilliant beyond description. It is
a phenomenon that is fully substantiated by astronomers as occurring periodically,
though not always visible to the same extent, in the same place.
Some suppose there is a region in the space through which the earth passes
in its orbit, where such meteoric scenes continually prevail, and more
or less may be seen every year in November, about the 12th or 13th.
The newspapers throughout the land contained notices of it under the caption,
“Remarkable Phenomenon,” “Extraordinary Phenomenon,” “Falling
Stars.” One writer remarked, “The shooting stars were harmless, and
as a general thing vanished before they reached the earth.”
Another remarkable scene was witnessed in 1838, an annular
eclipse of the sun, as predicted by astronomers, when a most beautiful
luminous ring was seen in the heavens while the moon appeared on the center
of the sun’s disk.
These unusual events strike us with wonder, which the
ordinary exhibitions of the heavenly bodies make but little impression.
“The glorious Architect,
This, His universal temple, hung
With lustres, with innumerable lights—
Let not man withhold his homage.”
IMPROVEMENTS
When our fathers first came to Tioga Point there were no
roads for the white man. An Indian trail, following the riverbanks,
was the only opening through the thick pines. These paths, with the
river itself, had afforded the only facilities for traveling. They
were used only by footmen, the river was navigated by means of the “light
canoe.” With a little improvement these Indian roads were used by
the white people for many years. When the first survey of this town
was made a road was laid out nearly in its present course from Athens to
Milltown. The most direct route for the traveler, or the mail from
Owego to Newtown, was by the way of Tioga Point, until about 1821, when
a road was opened from the Susquehanna, via Factoryville, to the Chemung
river, thereby leaving Tioga Point out of the accustomed route of travel,
considerably to its disadvantage. A private road had been opened
from Milltown through the thick pines to Chemung, which was also much used
by travelers, and afterwards became a public road. The circuit from
Tioga Point to Milltown, thence across to the Chemung, and down the river
to the village again, affords a very pleasant ride. A few gay young
men of former times once tried it on a Sunday in a lumber sleigh filled
with straw. They scattered the straw as they rode along in their
merriment, and thus the route obtained the name of “the straw line,” by
which it has been called ever since. It is said that complaint was
entered against them, and they suffered the penalty for the violation of
the law.
Modes of traveling and conveyance were very different
in former times from the present. Canals, railroads, steamboats,
and even stagecoaches, were unknown at the beginning of this century.
It was common to see the footman traveling with his knapsack on his back.
Riding on horseback was the common mode of conveyance from place to place,
and even of making long journeys. Sometimes a gentleman and lady,
or a father and mother with two children, might be seen pursuing their
way in this style.* Another very safe method of traveling was by
means of oxen attached to a cart or sled, and often whole families were
conveyed in this way to a social gathering, or to the place of worship.
Long trains of emigrants thus pursued their way to Allegheny or Ohio.
As the country improved a chaise or gig was occasionally seen, and in due
time, wagons, stages, and coaches were introduced.
Parties to a hymeneal engagement might sometimes be seen
wending their way on horseback to the house of the minister or magistrate.
My father, being a magistrate, wedding ceremonies were often performed
at his house.
*It is related that “a bridal party from Catharinestown on Seneca Lake,
visited Tioga Point, in 1793, on horseback, to find
the nearest justice authorized
to perform the ceremony.” The magistrate was probably Noah Murray,
Esq., father of the
late Norah Murray, well
known in Athens.
The parties generally came without attendants, and frequently both riding
one horse. One cold and blustering December day, when the doors were
closed and the family gathered around a large fire, a sprightly young man
with his espoused helpmeet alighted at the door and inquired for Squire
Shepard. The object was soon disclosed to the Squire, and readily
understood by the family, when every other engagement yielded to the occasion
in hand. The nuptials were soon solemnized, and the groom and bride
were ready for their departure. A white dress and thin shawl were
the only protection of the lady from the inclemency of the weather, and
as she stood upon the horseblock awaiting the movements of her spouse,
with the wind whistling through her garments, she exclaimed,
“Why, Philander, I shall freeze.” “Oh, no,” said he in blandest
tones, “that would not be consistent,” and soon they rode rapidly away
with colors flying. Squire Shepard never required a fee for performing
a marriage ceremony. Moreover it was his practice to present the
bride with a Bible, desiring her to make it the guide of her life.
Athens, or Tioga Point, was formerly noted for the number
of its distilleries, there having been at one time not less than six or
seven in operation at once. The first one of the last century was
built of logs on the back part of the lot where we now live. The
well for the distillery, and now in use, was dug by Daniel Moore, a Hessian,
who remained in the country after the close of the Revolutionary War.
The well was in a dilapidated condition, and remains of the pump that had
been used were still in it when we came into possession of the lot.
The distillery was carried on for many years by Daniel Alexander, and was
then a lucrative business and considered reputable. The degraded
whites and Indians who still remained in the country were there supplied
with whiskey. Another in the north part of the village succeeded
this, on an improved plan, having a windmill connected with it for grinding
the grain. There was another at Milltown, and another still at Chemung
Narrows. As these began to run down, three or four more were started
on the west side of the Chemung river, all in this town, and were in full
operation many years, when the temperance movement seemed to affect them
unfavorably, and they tottered and fell. The whiskey now used at
Athens is altogether supplied from other places, none being manufactured
in the place or vicinity.
The effect of the failure of these distilleries has been
a decided improvement in the cause of temperance, and we may expect that
when foreign supplies cease temperance will triumph.
A most striking instance of the effects of intemperance
was the case of Moses Roberts, a graduate of Yale College. He came
to this country about the close of the last century, and bought a farm
in Athens, became an inebriate, and sank step by step to a stupid sot.
He married an imbecile woman, became demented himself, his farm was sold,
his children bound out, and for many years he made splint brooms for a
living. He died near a distillery, and was buried as a town pauper
in 1824.
The Pennsylvania canal was surveyed through this part
of the state by Mr. Randall, Chief Engineer, about the year 1830, and went
into operation in 1854. Much of the lumber and other property that
was formerly run on the river, now finds a surer and safer conveyance by
the canal. Large quantities of coal from our mining regions are transported
by the canal to market in the northern part of the state, and in the state
of New York.
The Pennsylvania canal was surveyed through this part of
the state by Mr. Randall, Chief Engineer, about the year 1830, and went
into operation in 1854. Much of the lumber and other property that
was formerly run on the river, now finds a surer and safer conveyance by
the canal. Large quantities of coal from our mining regions are transported
by the canal to market in the northern part of the state, and in the state
of New York.
The Pennsylvania and New York railroad was surveyed in
the summer of 1866. The first train entered the village from Towanda,
November 26th, 1867. Regular trips on the road, from New York, were
commenced September 20th, 1869, thus facilitating travel along the river,
and affording to the passenger a marked contrast to the previous mode,
over a very hilly and winding road. We can now sit by our fireside
and hear the whistle and rattle of the Erie trains, and can see trains
on the North Pennsylvania railroad, many times in a day, as they pass along
with whistle and echo. These with the foundry and tannery, make a
combination of sounds evincing substantial and cheering improvement.
A bridge over the Chemung river was built in 1820, and
rebuilt in 1836. Another, and much longer and more expensive one
over the Susquehanna, was built in the year 1841. A bridge over the
Chemung, at “Tozer’s,” was built about the same time.
These bridges take the place of the ferries of former
times, which were often difficult and sometimes dangerous to pass.
In 1844 it was announced in the public prints that Professor
Morse had discovered a plan, by the aid of electricity, to send messages
from place to place, with a speed exceeding anything before known.
He applied to Congress for aid to make trial of his invention, on a line
between Baltimore and Washington city, which was granted him. It
was soon put in operation. Now the novelty is passed, and we with
other towns can readily avail ourselves of telegraphic facilities.
THE DEER HUNT OF 1818
“Up men! Arouse for the chase!
The wild buck is quitting his lair,
The hills are gilded with light,
And there’s health in the balmy air.”
When the New York and Pennsylvania boys engaged in a grand
deer hunt in this beautiful valley, in the fall of 1818, it was a gala
day, such as they seldom enjoyed. The necessary plans and arrangements
had all been matured. Fires had been lighted on the North Mountains
the previous night, and the hounds sent out early to drive the deer down
to the plains. Marshals for the day had been chosen to lead their
respective bands. The appointed day anxiously looked for arrived,
when about two hundred men, armed with guns and rifles, sallied forth from
their homes in the early morning to engage in the exciting sport.
A circle of men, several miles in extent, was to be formed on the broad
plains between the Susquehanna and Chemung rivers, extending beyond the
hills on the north, and to the southern limit of the pine woods towards
the south. They were to move in uniform time and regular order, toward
one common center, driving before them the deer that traversed the plains
and hills, and were thus surrounded by the hunters, or hemmed in by the
rivers. Many have doubtless been the joyous and frolicsome days of
the sons of the forest, when with their simple bow and arrow they sallied
forth in numbers, and traversed the same ground for the same object.
The Indian and his game have long since passed away from these scenes,
before the resistless march of civilization, and they must now be sought
toward the “setting sun.”
But to the hunt. The marshals of the day, at the
head of their respective commands, and clothed with due authority for the
occasion, mounted their steeds and rode forth at early dawn, each having
under command about one hundred men. Mr. Elias Mathewson, leading
the Pennsylvanians, posted his men along the borders of the pine forest
below the Mile Hill, extending his line from river to river, about two
miles above the junction of the two streams.
The line of the New York men was stretched from the Chemung
river, near Buckville, across the hills to Shepard’s creek, on the north,
all being at their posts, and in due order and readiness. At the
appointed time the march commenced. Highly excited, the men on both
sides pressed forward, eager for the game, watching every hillock and glen,
and scouring every thicket that might serve as a hiding place for the deer.
Often a lusty buck was started from his retreat. Here and there through
the forest the timid doe and fawn might be seen darting away from their
pursuers, who, still urging them toward the place of rendezvous, a point
not far from the center of the present village of Waverly. Occasionally
an animal more fortunate than the rest would break through the ring, and
make his escape, but this only added to the excitement and eagerness of
the hunters. The men were not to shot any of the game until orders
were given. But now the lines close in as they approach the rendezvous
from every side. Quite a number of deer are discovered to be within
the ring—excitement is at its height, and orders are given to fire.
The woods ring with the report of the musket and the crack of the rifle.
Many a noble buck is brought down. Some of them stand at bay for
a while, but all in vain; while the cringing doe and helpless fawn become
an easy prey to the pitiless foe, who give no quarter at such time.
As they approached the center of the ring (said to be near where the Waverly
foundry now stands), the excitement increased to rashness and recklessness.
In their great anxiety to secure the whole of the game, the hunters shot
in every direction.
“In the heat of excitement men do not stop to consider,”
and suddenly it was announced that a man was wounded. This arrested
the attention of all for a time, such an interlude not have been in the
program. The marshal ordered a cessation of firing, and the eager
inquiry “who is it?” went round the circle. The unfortunate hunter
thought himself desperately, if not fatally, wounded, and the woods resounded
with his piteous cries. Great was the consternation, and deep the
sympathy among his friends and neighbors. The surgeon examined the
wound with great caution, and not a little anxiety. As he removed
the garments, anxious friends were relieved upon ascertaining that it was
not a serious wound; indeed it proved to be rather a slight one, from which
the man soon recovered. “Big Decker” also narrowly escaped being
shot, a ball having struck a tree where he was standing, about six inches
over his head. His ire being a little aroused, he asked to borrow
a gun, having none of his own, to return the fire. But better counsels
prevailed, and all was calm again. The business of the day had not
yet come to an end. There were about thirty slaughtered animals to
be cared for still, skinned, dressed and divided among the men, that each
might have his share of the spoils and results of the day. This was
the drudgery of the hour, but skilled hands applied themselves to the work
with a will, and it was soon accomplished. Distribution was then
made of a part, the remainder sold at vendue, and the men dispersed to
their several homes, glad to rest, and with the coming of night all was
quiet and still.
Such were among the sports and recreations of the dwellers
in this valley half a century ago. Those who remain among us still,
delight to recount the feats of skill and daring performed by them in their
youth and early manhood in the various methods of hunting the deer, both
by day and by night. Some of their encounters with the deer were
not without considerable peril, though for the most part, hunting was regarded
only as a pastime.
At an early day, and for some time subsequent to the first
settlement of the country, the deer were quite numerous. Often might
they be seen bounding along their path, or turning to gaze at the passing
traveler. We have seen a little solitary fawn pursued by the dogs
almost to our very door, and have often watched them grazing on the fields
of green wheat not far from our home, and could scarcely begrudge them
their delicious repast. Hunting the deer was quite a business with
a certain class, and their skins were among the articles of trade with
the merchant. Venison was a very important article of sustenance,
and when corned or jerked could be kept any length of time. The game
from the forests and the fish from the rivers afforded the aborigines almost
indispensable means of subsistence.
SOLDIERS
At the time of the Declaration of Independence,
in 1776, the soil of Athens had scarcely been trod by the white man.
Traders had occasionally passed through the valley, and it is said that
a partial survey of the township was made as early as 1777, by John Jenkins,
the noted and fearless surveyor of the Susquehanna Company.
But soon after that time the Tories assembled here and at Chemung in great
numbers, and planned their fiendish designs against Wyoming.
Several companies had been raised for the Continental
service from the lower part of the valley much to the disadvantage of the
inhabitants, leaving them unprotected from British and savage ferocity
combined, which overwhelmed them in 1778.
Many of the old settlers, after the close of the war,
removed from Wyoming up the river, and quite a number located in and about
this place, then called Tioga Point. We remember some of the aged
veterans, and should like to record the names of them all if they could
be obtained. Several soldiers and some prominent officers settled
at Sheshequin. Many of them lie in our burying places. Colonel
Franklin and Major Flower were buried on their farms across the river.
It was a custom with the merchants of the place to collect
from the government the pensions of these aged soldiers, making advances
to them in goods, provisions, etc., and when they assembled annually for
a settlement, and to greet each other, to give them an entertainment at
the hotel. On such occasions they sometimes assembled at the place
of public worship to hear an appropriate discourse. There was an
agreement between two of these veterans, Archy Temple and Solomon Talliday,
that when the first died the survivor should fire a volley over his grave,
which was fulfilled to the letter.
Military customs were kept up by our people from the earliest
settlement. Regular seasons for drilling were observed, and at the
time appointed for general training the various companies collected on
parade, with martial music to enliven the scene. “A light horse company,”
so-called, with uniform of blue and red, with flowing sashes and nodding
plumes, made a specially fine appearance on their noble steeds. When
called upon, in 1812, to resist British aggression again, they were somewhat
prepared for the conflict. Several volunteer companies went from
this region to the Canada lines, the seat of war.
Captain Julius Tozer, with three of his sons, Julius,
Samuel, and Guy, were among the number; together with Elishama Tozer, Daniel
Satterlee, John Brown, William Drown, Samuel Baldwin, several of the name
of Wilson, four named Ellis, and several from neighboring towns; all attached
and several from neighboring towns; all attached to the regiment of Colonel
Dobbins. The effect of this war was not felt so much in this part
of the country as in many other places, except by the soldiers themselves,
and its influence upon prices, which were marvelously high. When
it was announced in the newspapers, in December, 1815, that peace had been
proclaimed, and confirmed by the arrival of Conrad Teter, the driver and
proprietor of the weekly stage, with his white flag flying, it was a time
of great rejoicing, and Athens was brightly illuminated at night, and the
merry sleigh bells were sounding in the street till a late hour of that
cold December night.
The nation was less prepared for war in 1861. There
had been a long period of uninterrupted peace. The militia system
was in bad repute generally. In this place, and in many parts of
our country, it had been treated with ridicule and contempt. It had
come to be considered so incompatible with the genius of our civil institutions
that militia drills and parades were no longer witness. The feeling
of security was such that military matters were very unpopular, and all
attention to them considered an unnecessary expense of time and money.
The present generation had not heard the sound of war or battle.
We were at peace among ourselves and with other nations, and when the attack
was made upon Fort Sumter, in April, 1861, and the proclamation of the
President was issued, calling for 75,000 men, to hasten to Washington,
for the defense of the Capital and the government, we were but poorly prepared
to meet the emergency. Men of peaceable and quiet habits of life,
aroused by the necessities of the case, began to ask what they could do
for their country, and boys, too, whose inquiring minds had led them to
examine military books, were inspired with a martial spirit, and offered
themselves willingly in response to the call. They left their peaceful
homes and joined the army, where they found themselves subjected to many
discomforts and deprivations, but they were not forgotten by friends who
remained at home. From the commencement of the war, many supplies
were sent from time to time by the ladies of Athens to their sons and brothers,
of which no account was kept. But on the 30th of May, 1864, the ladies
met at the basement of the Episcopal church for the purpose of forming
a society to aid the Christian Commission. After the election of
officers, it was resolved to divide the town into districts, and appoint
a committee of sixteen to solicit contributions monthly to the Ladies Aid
Society, auxiliary to the American Christian Commission, for the relief
and benefit of the soldiers. The society went into successful operation,
and the object was faithfully followed up until the close of the war.
The money raised that year by this society amounted to $638, besides thirty-three
boxes sent by the society and individuals. The bounty money for soldiers
raised by taxation in the borough of Athens amounted to $15,100, and besides
these sums, other contributions were made by the people for the benefit
of the soldiers; thus showing their sympathy for the cause of their common
country.
The firing on Fort Sumter and the President’s proclamation
calling to arms were in April. The first company was raised at Athens
in May, and reported at Harrisburg,
commanded by Captain William Bradbury, Company F, Sixth Regiment Pennsylvania
Reserves. The following is a list of the men belonging to Captain
Bradbury’s company: Captain, Wm. Bradbury; 1st Lieutenant, L. D.
Forrest; 2nd Lieutenant, W. A. Meeker. Sergeants—1st, William S.
Briggs; 2nd, Horace W. Perkins; 3rd G. F. Kinney; 4th, Myron Low; 5th,
Marshall O. Hicks. Corporals—1st, O.D. Lyons; 2nd, George Perkins
Rogers; + 3rd, George L. Gardner; 4th, Silas J. Fritcher; 5th, Samuel
S. Baker; 6th, Jeremiah French; 7th, John W. Schouten; 8th, William Langford.+
Privates—Orlando Benson, + Patrick Burk, ++ Jason F. Bloodgood, William
Boughton, Eben Brown, Edward Brigham, Enbulus Brigham, Thomas Barney, ++
Charles E. Brown, Franklin M. Cole, Samuel W. Cole, John P. Coleman, F.D.
Campbell, Nathaniel Campbell, W. M. Chapman, Stephen Crayon, William Crayon,
James Cooper, Benjamin M. Clark, Aaron Daily, James E. Demarest, Elijah
DeCroff, Cornelius Driscoll, Dennis Drummy, Malcolm H., Droyce,++ Walter
Farnsworth, Charley F. Fuller, John F. Flinn,++ Orison Forest, Lorin W.
Forest, William Foran, Joseph French, S.G. French, Bennett French, Truman
E. French, Owen Finlan, Alfred H. Forest, James R. Fox, Gordon Wellington,*
Julius M. Hughes,# Michael Heavener, Sevellan Hicks, James E. Hall,
Isaac Jones, Richard King, Horace Keeler, John Keyser, Orrin D.S. Kinney,
C.S. Kinney, Fleming T. Lent, William Murray, John Munn, Tilden Munn, C.B.
McNannon, Charles Merritt, Michael Moughan, Alfred D.C. Miller, D.T. McKean,
William Nolte, Vincent Odell, A.J. Oret, John C. Pierce, Jacob E. Phelps,
George M. Page, Isaac A. Rice, Murray M. Rogers, Mason E. Rogers,* Francis
M. Sherman, George W. Spalding, John M. Schrymer, James Struble, Horace
Struble, Aaron Stone, Daniel Smith, William Tanner, Perry C. Taylor, William
N. Waldron, D.C. Wright, Francis E. Wheaton,* James H. Wilson, William
Walker, Hezekiah Wallace. Musicians—Dighton Phelps, William H. Lawrence,
Harry Smith.
*Killed at Antietam. ++ Killed at Fredericksburg.
+ Promoted to Sergeant. # Killed at Bull Run.
Company H, 57th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, commanded
by Captain John Griffin, was the second company raised at Athens.
This was in the fall of 1861. The following is a list of officers
and men at its muster November 25th, 1861:
Captain, John Griffin; 1st Lieutenant, Daniel Miner;
2nd Lieutenant, Richard Sinsabaugh; 1st Sergeant, Joseph Brady; Musician,
S. Gibson Shaw; Wagoner, Samuel Marshall. Privates—Mortimer
Anthony, Joseph Armstrong, Henry Armstrong, John Burnside, James Brady,
James Childs, Joseph Clark, Charles Chandler, John M. Chandler, Joseph
Clark, George Conrad, Willard Conrad, William Conrad, Francis Conrad, William
Drake, Ward Eastabrooks, Lyman Forest, Henry Forbes, Almon Gillett, D.
Webster Gore, Samuel W. Gore, Eli F. Hudson, Abram Miller, Milo Miller,
Solomon Miller, Amos Miller, Orrin O. Merrill, Charles W. Murray, John
E. Moore, John O’Conner, Henry Owens, John C. Parkes, Elmer Phelps, Alvin
R. Phalon, William Phinney, Hanford Robi9nson, Alpheus Sinsabaugh, Victor
Stephens, Orange Shores, Bemer Smith, William Smith, Emery Stickles, Joseph
Tripp, Harrison Van Vechten, Levi Anson, Lafayette Anson, Daniel Keeler,
William Strickland, Russel Sisson, Edward S. Perkins, Henry Williams, Charles
Williams, Oscar Shores, Robert Edmiston, Erastus Green, Hugh Farley, L.
Orville Snell, Ezra Spalding, Thomas Dunglass, Allen Chandler, Harrison
S. Munn, O.D. Roberts, John H. Row, Nathan Gordon, William Wright, John
M. Rolfe, Adelbert Hart, Patrick Doherty, Pison Ellis, Merrill McAllister,
Harrison C. Perkins, John M. Chamberlain, Thomas M. Guernsay, Joepsh B.
Evans, John Griffin, James A. Shores, George M. Burns, Samuel Laton,
M.D. Mills, George W. Perkins,* Lewis F. Roe, Franklin Shaw, James Wheaton,
William Crans, William Decker, James L. Murty, Charles W. Hepburn.
*Promoted to Colonel.
The third company commanded by Captain J.B. Reeve, was
raised in connection with an effort made at Springfield, in this county,
to raise a company. The volunteers of both places were consolidated
and formed one company in August, 1862, Company E, 141st Regiment Pennsylvania
Volunteers.
The following is a list of the men belonging to
Captain Reeve’s Company: Captain, Joseph B. Reeve; 1st Lieutenant,
J.F. Clark; 2nd Lieutenant, G. C. Page; Sergeants—Stephen Evans,
Tracy S. Knapp, Mason Long, William S. Wright, William Carner. Corporals—Orlando
E. Loomis, James W. Clark, Alonzo D. Beach, Charles M. Neal,*
William R. Campbell, C.T. Hull, R. Clafflin.+ Musicians—W.H.
Powers, B. Munn. Privates—H.D. Kinney, Calvin Alexander, James M.
Beach, E.W. Baker, Eli R. Booth, Lyman Dunn, Daniel Daines, Melvin Douglass,
Aaron Eddy, George Frederick, Wm. Frederick, Abram Frederick, John Frederick,
Michael Finney, Truman Galusha, Thomas N. Gilmore, Franklin Granger, Isaac
Gillet, John Henry, George Huff, John Huff, Andrew Huff, Lorenzo D. Hill,
Matthew Howie, Daniel Hiney, Horace Howe, Russel Hadlock, James H. Harris,
George Johnson, E.M. Jackson, John M. Jackson, Charles A Knapp,* Jas. Lawrence,
Alexander Lane, 2nd, Isaac C. Lane, William E. Loring, E.P. Lenox, George
W. Lord, John Mustart, John Miller, Alanson Miller, Elias H. Herithew,
William Miller, James K. Martin, Robert McKinney, Franklin Nickerson, Riley
Pruyne, Martin B. Phelps, W.D. Powers, Charles H. Packard, George Powers,
Edward Price, Levi B. Rogers, George Rogers, Adson B. Stone, William Smith,
Orrin D. Snyder, John P. Snyder, John Sanster, Charles G. Sawyer, Charles
Tibbetts, Evarts Wandall, W.W. Wilson, Dealmond Watkins, Albert Watkins.
Many other volunteers went from this place and enlisted
in the State of New York and other places. Among the number were
Henry W. and Augustus S. Perkins, brothers, both of whom joined the 50th
New York Engineer Regiment as Lieutenants. Both were promoted to
Captaincies. The former was soon appointed aide to General Butterfield,
with additional rank, and served with high credit for capacity and bravery
to the close of the war, and was honorably discharged with the rank of
Brigadier-General. Augustus was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg,
in December, 1862, deeply lamented by his companions in arms and by all
who knew him.
*Killed at Chacellorsville. +Killed at Gettysburg.
