New England Magazine - March 1900 - Page 110
New Ipswich Historical Society
Recap of page 109
Page 110
commenced their march before dark. Several parties proceeded as far as Captain Heald's, where they took a few hours' repose; and others spent most of the night in and near the middle of the town, but took up their march before daylight; and before the sun rose the next morning not less than a hundred and fifty men, the very bone and muscle of the town, were press- ing forward, some on foot and some on horseback, towards Concord. Provisions were collected and forwarded in carts, under the direction of the Committee of Safety. Deacon Appleton, like Cincinnatus, had left his plough in the furrow at the moment of the alarm, and soon after mounted his horse and carried the news to Peterborough. The next morning a company from that patriotic town, with Captain Wilson in command, passed through New Ipswich, then nearly deserted by the men, the deacon hastening on with them, not stopping to even take leave of his family, though he passed near his own door."
Then follow passages no less graphic, describing the part taken by New Ipswich men at Bunker Hill. Farther on we come by and by on the excitement which spread all through this New Hampshire country when Stark was gathering his men for Bennington; and here is a picture, given by one of the venerable men whose memory ran back to the time, of the way the New Ipswich men looked as they began their march to Bennington:
"To a man they wore smallclothes, coming down and fastening just below the knee, and long stockings with cowhide shoes ornamented by large buckles, while not a pair of boots graced the company. The coats and waistcoats were loose and of huge dimensions, with colors as various as the barks of oak, sumach[sic] and other trees of our hills and swamps could make them, and their shirts were all made of flax, and like every other part of the dress, were homespun. On their heads was worn a large round top and broad- brimmed hat. Their arms were as various as their costume; here an old soldier carried a heavy Queen's Arm, with which he had done service at the conquest of Canada twenty years previous, while by his side walked a stripling boy, with a Spanish fuzee not half its weight or calibre[sic], which his grandfather may have taken at the Havana, while not a few had old French pieces that dated back to the reduction of Louisburg. Instead of the cartridge box, a large powder horn was slung under the arm, and occasionally a bayonet might be seen bristling in the ranks. Some of the swords of the officers had been made by our Province blacksmiths, perhaps from some farming utensil; they looked serviceable, but heavy and uncouth. Such was the appearance of the Continentals, to whom a well-apopinted[sic] army was soon to…
(continued tomorrow)
On this day - January 21, 1898
William Jurian Kaula diary - no entry
On this day - January 21, 1909
James Roger diary entry
21st (Thursday)
Frosty fine day, good sun heat wind south west. David teaming lumber from mountain to Greenville Depot for Joe Silver. George Silver team tripped and delayed them for some time home about 6:30 pm. Got letter from Hamish last night, all well. I went to Mrs. Amee’s and took down the hammock, and tidied up a little in the house.
On this day - January 21, 2010
Early morning in Smithville
On this day - January 21, 2012
New Ipswich Businesses
(above) Hair Collage on Turnpike Road - 21 Jan 2012
(above) Grand opening of Romeril Tax & Accounting LLC office on Turnpike Road.
Smithville is a lovely place to be in, almost surreal when one reflects what 's going on in the rest of the world. Reading's Kidder's or Chandler's account of life in the 1700's and the sacrifices (and hardships) endured by the early Americans makes one humble and appreciative of our present status. As Benjamin Franklin said in 1787 (to paraphrase): "You now have a republic if only you can keep it". Do we present day Americans, have the same resolve and courage of those early Americans?