Shays's Rebellion Chapter 8

 

Shays's Rebellion Chapter 8

THE SHAYS REBELLION 171

 

far fewer contestants than the combined force of Shays and Par-

sons, is explained in General Lincoln's official report to have been

due to his purpose to so overawe Day by a vastly superior force

as to frighten him to submission without bloodshed, realizing

that defensive action would be hopeless.

 

As the government troops advanced across the ice the guard

at the ferry house retreated, and after a slight show of resistance

fled with their comrades to Northampton, a few of them having

been taken prisoners by the light horse. So feverish was their

stampede that, according to Holland, they left their bread and

their pork and beans baking in the ovens of the inhabitants and

fled by way of Southampton to Northampton, often casting away

all impediments to their progress and strewing their path with

muskets, knapsacks, and amm.unition.

 

Shays having learned of the rout of Day's forces retreated be-

fore General Shepard through South Hadley to Amherst, losing

an adjutant who was shot through the blunder of his men, sup-

posing that their own rear guard was the van of Lincoln's army.

They foraged for food among the inhabitants as they hurried on-

ward. From the house of Major Goodman in South Hadley they

took two barrels of rum, sundry articles of furniture and bed cloth-

ing, besides breaking windows. It really seems like an act of

poetic justice upon the Major for withholding such an ample

supply of rum from General Shepard's troop while parched before

the arsenal a few days earlier. Other houses also were looted by

the desperadoes.

 

With this complete collapse of the organized rebellion, condi-

tions became so favorable to the government as to justify the

dissolution of the body of Middlesex militia, which to the number

of 2000 had marched into Worcester county on the way to re-

inforce the governmental troops in Hampshire.

 

The advance of General Shepard, which had begun at two o'clock

in the morning, General Lincoln having joined him later in the day,

was continued until, arriving in Amherst, it was found that Shays

had pushed on to Pelham, whither Day had preceded him, passing

over from Northampton with numbers reduced from 400 to 240

men. Information reached General Lincoln at Amherst to the

effect that ten sleighloads of provisions from Berkshire had also

pressed on to Pelham for the use of the insurgents. Having inter-

dicted any further supply from Amherst, General Lincoln retired

to Hadley to secure shelter and rest for his troops. On the morn-

 

 

 

172 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

 

ing after reaching there word was brought to him that some of

General Shepard's men had been captured at Southampton and that

a considerable force of the enemy was in control there. Colonel

Baldwin with the Brookfield volunteers to the number of fifty, in

sleighs, with a hundred horsemen under Colonel Crafts, were dis-

patched thither to find that the insurgents numbering about eighty

had gone westward in ten sleighs. They were followed to Middle-

field where they were quartered for the night. The pursuing

party reached there about midnight and fifty-nine of the rebels,

with one Ludington their captain and ten sleighloads of provisions,

were captured. The conquerors returned next day, with the pro-

ceeds of their successful venture, to the army at Hadley.

 

The following letter was sent from Hadley on January 30, 1787,

by General Lincoln, to Captain Shays and the officers commanding

the men in arms against the government of the Commonwealth :

 

Whether you are convinced or not of your error in flying to arms,

I am fully persuaded that before this hour, you must have the fullest con-

viction upon your own minds, that you are not able to execute your original

purposes.

 

Your resources are few, your force is inconsiderable, and hourly de-

creasing from the disaffection of your men; you are in a post where you

have neither cover nor supplies, and in a situation in which you can neither

give aid to your friends, nor discomfort to the supporters of good order

and government, —

 

Under these circumstances you cannot hesitate a moment to disband

your deluded followers. If you should not, I must approach and apprehend

the most influential characters among you. Should you attempt to fire

upon the troops of government, the consequences must be fatal to many

of your men, the least guilty. To prevent bloodshed, you will communicate

to your privates, that if they will instantly lay down their arms, surrender

themselves to government, and take and subscribe the oath of allegiance to

this Commonwealth, they shall be recommended to the General Court for

mercy. If you should either withhold this information from them, or

suffer your people to fire upon our approach, you must be answerable for

all the ills which may exist in consequence thereof.

 

Shays sent the following reply on the same day :

 

Pelham, January 30th, 1787.

To General Lincoln commanding the government troops at Hadley —

 

Sir. The people assembled in arms from the counties of Middlesex,

Worcester, Hampshire and Berkshire, taking into serious consideration the

purport of the flag just received, return for answer, that however un-

justifiable the measures may be which the people have adopted, in having

recourse to arms, various circumstances have induced them thereto. We

are sensible of the embarrassments the people are under; but that virtue

 

 

 

THE SHAYS REBELLION 173

 

which truly characterizes the citizens of a republican government, hath

hitherto marked our paths with a degree of innocence; and we wish and

trust it will still be the case. At the same time the people are willing to

lay down their arms, on condition of a general pardon, and will return

to their homes, as they are unwilling to stain the land, which we in the

late war purchased at so dear a rate, with the blood of our brethren and

neighbors. Theerfore, we pray that hostilities may cease, on your part,

until our united prayers may be presented to the General Court, and we

receive an answer, as a person is gone for that purpose. If this request

may be complied with, government shall meet with no interruption from

the people, but let each army occupy the post where they now are.

 

Daniel Shays, Captain.

(Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 190, p. 335.)

 

The next day three of the insurgent leaders delivered the fol-

lowing letter at headquarters :

 

The Honorable General Lincoln —

 

Sir. As the officers of the people now convened in defence of their

rights and privileges, have sent a petition to the General Court, for the

sole purpose of accommodating our present affairs, we justly expect that

hostilities may cease on both sides, until we have a return from our Leg-

islature. Your Honor will therefore be pleased to give us an answer.

Per order of the committee for reconciliation —

 

Francis Stone, Chairman.

 

Daniel Shays, Captain.

 

Adam Wheeler.

Pelham, January 31, 1787.

 

The following brief and trenchant reply was made :

 

Hadley, January 31st, 1787.

Gentlemen: Your request is totally inadmissible, as no powers are dele-

gated to me which would justify a delay of my operation. Hostilities I

have not commenced.

 

I have again to warn the people in arms against government, immedi-

ately to disband, as they would avoid the ill consequences which may ensue,

should they be inattentive to this caution.

 

B. Lincoln.

To Francis Stone,

Daniel Shays,

Adam Wheeler.

 

In forwarding to the Governor copies respectively of his letter

to Shays dated Hadley, January 30, 1787, and Shays' reply, Gen-

eral Lincoln sent also the following letter:

 

Head Quarters Hadley, Jan. 30th, 1787.

Dear Sir — Soon after closing my last, I received information that Shays

was at Amherst; we moved about two o'clock on Monday morning in

 

 

 

174 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

 

hopes that we should overtake him there sometime in the day; — a little after

noon we arrived in that town, but not till Shays had retired from it to

Pelham, a very strong mountainous country, we then fled off to the left,

and took post here & in Hatfield.

 

The inclosed paper No. 1 is a copy of my observations forwarded to

Shays this morning by General Putnam, Mr. Cabot & Mr. Gushing, the

paper No. 2, is his answer which came to hand about 8 o'clock this evening.

I have had many applications from towns pretty much in the language

of those which have been made to your Excellency & Gouncil; I have

given them all the same answer, that I cannot suspend any operations,

& if they wish to prevent the shedding of blood, they must apply to Shays

to disband his troops.

 

He is receiving daily supplies of provision, & some few recruits, it

will be difficult, if not impossible, to put an end to such disorders, unless

a rebellion is declared to exist. Shays & his abettors, must be treated as

open enemies, the sooner it is done the better. For if we drive him from

one strong post to another, he could not be supported in those movements,

if he was not comforted by the many disaffected in these counties.

 

I hope the General Court will not hesitate, but come to the point at

once, & act with that decision, & firmness which in my opinion, a regard

to the well-being of the State so manifestly demands.

 

In a postscript he requests that a few copies of the rules for

governing the militia in the field, and a copy of the Constitution,

might be forwarded to him.

 

The disturbance in Berkshire county became so grievous that a

force of three hundred men under General John Patterson at

Stockbridge on the 29th of January gathered in eighty-four pris-

oners and still felt obliged to send to General Lincoln for rein-

forcements, reporting that the "deportment of the Faction in this

county against government had induced a kind of frenzy." Three

days later, in Hadley, there was an outbreak of lawlessness among

General Lincoln's troops and seven of them were sentenced by

court-martial to march before the army on parade bearing on their

breasts placards on which was printed in capital letters FOR

PLUNDERING, their crime having been looting the houses of

private citizens.

 

Nor were conditions in Springfield as secure as could have been

desired. Colonel Burt warned General Lincoln that it would not

be safe to withdraw the light horse from there, since both east

and west of the town there was bitter animosity against the gov-

ernment. He had discovered that a hundred and twenty armed

insurgents were seen on the road between Southwick and West-

field. He found it hard to hold the soldiers at Springfield, since

they were impatient to return to their homes. He says, "It is

 

 

 

THE SHAYS REBELLION 175

 

very difficult for me to obtain men who I can confide in to bring

& carry Intelligence & horse who will parole Roads."

 

A Baptist Church was formed in New Salem in January, 1722,

It gradually increased until 1785, when it had 38 members. In

the winter of 1787 the insurgents marched into the region and on

to Petersham. Rev. Samuel Bigelow, the pastor, wrote to a

friend August 31, 1787; "Chuich travel and ordinances have ceased

here ever since the people took up arms against government ;

though at present we are better united as to public worship. There

is a general good agreement between me and the body of the

people about worship. I have said but little about the family

quarrel that has been in this Commonwealth the year past ; but

what I have said has been to condemn both sides. I think the

political fathers have provoked their children to wrath, and by

oppression wise men have been mad, and the children have been

unruly and rebellious." (Backus History of the Baptists, Vol. II,

p. 470.)

 

The disorderly stampede to the northward of the several bodies

of the enemy so changed the aspect of affairs that it seemed per-

fectly safe to discharge 2000 of the militia, but when Shays made

his stand at Pelham it seemed necessary to increase again the

government force though the action was soon afterward proved to

be unwarranted. The Governor therefore called out 2600 of the

militia of the middle counties. It was really impossible to fore-

cast just what power of resistance the insurgents might develop

or where their hostility would become violent. It was better to

have ample forces in the field if actually needed than to have to

await their mobilization after depredations had been committed.

 

Shays, however, did not tarry long at Pelham, but short as was

his stay it was utilized as a chance to frame and dispatch a petition

quite admirable in its phrasing but lacking the ring of sincerity

and making preposterous demands.

 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

To the Honourable the SENATE, and the Honourable House of REP-

RESENTATIVES, in General Court at their next Session.

 

A PETITION of the OFFICERS of the Counties of Worcester, Hamp-

shire, Middlesex and Berkshire, now at arms.

 

HUMBLY SHEWETH,

THAT your petitioners being sensible that we have been in an error,

in having recourse to arms, and not seeking redress in a constitutional

way; we therefore heartily pray your honours, to overlook our failing, in

respect to our rising in arms, as your houours must be sensible, we had

 

 

 

176 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

 

great cause of uneasiness, as will appear by your redressing many griev-

ances, the last session; yet we declare, that it is our hearts' desire, that

good government may be kept up in a constitutional way; and as it ap-

pears to us, that the time is near approaching, when much human blood

will be spilt, unless a reconciliation can immediately take place, which

same strikes us with horror, let the foundation cause be where it may;

 

We therefore solemnly promise, that we will lay down our arms, and

repair to our respective homes, in a peaceable and quiet manner, and so

remain, provided your honours will grant to your petitioners, and all those

of our brethren who have had recourse to arms, or otherwise aided or

assisted in our cause, a general pardon for their past ofifences; — All which

we humbly submit to the wisdom, candour and benevolence of your honours,

as we in duty bound shall ever pray.

 

Francis Stone, Chairman of the Committee

 

for the above counties.

Read and accepted by the officers.

Pelham, January 30, 1787.

 

That was the document to which reference was made in the

communication borne by three officers to General Lincoln on Jan.

31 as noted above. Owing to the disturbed condition of affairs,

the Legislature, which should have convened on Jan. 31, did not

hold its first formal session until Feb. 3.

 

In his speech at the opening of Court, Governor Bowdoin re-

hearsed with considerable elaboration recent public events and ex-

isting conditions, emphasized the fact that he had sought faith-

fully to conform to the resolution of the Court of Oct. 24 preceding,

which urged him to persevere in his attempts to restore and pre-

serve order in the Commonwealth, and suggested that further

means might be employed to discriminate between good citizens

and insurgents, "the former as their country's friends to be pro-

tected; and the latter as public enemies, and to be effectually sup-

pressed," and insisted that at such a time every man ought to show

his colors, take his stand and not vibrate from one side to the other.

 

The spirit of that session differed widely from that of the body

which had met during the preceding autumn. There was no weak-

ness or shilly-shallying in its course relative to the insurgents ar-

rayed against law and order. "Vigor, decision and energy" marked

its proceedings. The Senate passed promptly a declaration of

rebellion, and the lower House concurred therein. At the same

time the clemency and forbearance of General Lincoln toward the

rank and file of the hostile forces were warmly approved, while

approving also of the positive action of the Governor in dealing

with the malcontents, and of the spirited conduct of General Shep-

 

 

 

THE SHAYS REBELLION 177

 

ard in defending the arsenal and maintaining the authority of the

Commonwealth, in a resolve quoted in a previous chapter.

 

And when, after mature consideration of the petition from Pel-

ham, an answer to it was framed, there was no mincing of matters,

or delicate diplomacy on the part of the General Court, with a view

either to conciliate the armed rebels or to spare their feelings. It

was voted that the petition "cannot be sustained" and seven co-

gent reasons for such action were urged. Among the reasons cited

were the attempt of the petitioners to justify themselves, in part

at least; the threat of great effusion of blood in case their plea

should not be granted immediately ; their avowed purpose of con-

tinuing armed resistance to the government unless all who had

been in any way concerned with them should be pardoned uncon-

ditionally ; and finally the fact that so many falsehoods had marked

their previous negotiations as to bring under suspicion any prom-

ises then proposed.

 

This reply was not formulated until Feb. 8, and without waiting

for a revelation of its character. Shays, on the very day that saw

the Legislature convene, withdrew his forces from Pelham and led

them across the hills to Petersham, where it was possible to se-

cure better shelter and more ample supplies for his troops. Gen-

eral Lincoln having heard of the movement at noon of that day,

and supposing that it was merely a shifting of camp from one hill

to another in Pelham, still being on the alert for anything more

serious on the part of the enemy, immediately ordered his army

to prepare provisions for three days and to be ready to march at

a moment's notice. More definite reports reached him at six o'-

clock, and two hours later he had his whole command on the move.

The conditions, unfavorable at the start, soon became serious, and

after reaching New Salem at two o'clock the next morning they

became terrible. The cold had been extreme, and the march over

the bleak hills had been exhausting, but from then on it was pur-

sued in the teeth of a blinding snowstorm which rendered their

progress almost impossible with cannon to be forced through deep-

ening snowdrifts. There was practically no shelter, and the men

could not stop to bivouac even long enough to take needed food

and rest. They had no recourse but to keep plodding on amid in-

creasing difficulties and hardships. Their only alternative was to

drop perishing by the roadside ; even as it was. General Lincoln

reports, "the greater part of our men were frozen in some part or

other."

 

W. Mass. — 12

 

 

 

178 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

 

The insurgents, snugly quartered beneath the roofs of Petersham,

had apparent reason for complacency over the distance separating

them from their opponents. When at nine o'clock that morning

word was brought to Shays that the advanced guard of light horse

had entered the town, no surprise could have been more complete

and incredible, since he had no reason to doubt that the govern-

ment forces were resting comfortably in Hadley and would not

move thence for several days. He and the bulk of his followers

had only time to snatch their arms and some scant provisions be-

fore beginning a wild stampede along back roads toward Athol.

General Lincoln in his official report says, after describing some

of their hardships : "We approached this town nearly in the

center where Shays had covered his men ; and had we not been

prevented by the steepness of the hill and the depth of the snow,

from throwing our men rapidly into it, we should have arrested

very probably one half of his force, for they were so nearly surprised

as it was, that they had no time to call in their own parties or

even their guards. About 150 fell into our hands, and some es-

caped but by the most precipitate flight in different directions ; but

most of their men fled to Athol."

 

Many of them sought their several homes. The privates who

were captured after having been disarmed and taken the oath of

allegiance were allowed to depart whither they would.

 

When all the conditions of that movement through the cold, the

storm and the night, over thirty miles of snow-laden paths, are

considered, it does not seem strange that an able historian has

characterized it as "one of the most indefatigable marches that

ever was performed in America."

 

That heroic efl^ort scattered the forces of Shays permanently ;

they never reformed under his leadership. Three days later at

Winchester, Vermont, only three hundred out of those two thous-

and followers attended him.

 

From this time forward, the conditions of the conflict were

changed, no considerable number of rebels having united in any

formidable resistance to the government forces. They acted in

scattered bands at various points, committing petty depredations,

disturbing, and in some cases making captives of, loyal citizens,

and making themselves generally pestiferous in various commun-

ities. The primary task of the government was, therefore, to limit,

and as far as possible to prevent, such lawless proceedings. A sec-

ondary task, more delicate and hardly less difficult, was to deal

 

 

 

THE SHAYS REBELLION 179

 

wisely but effectively with those insurgents who had been cap-

tured, as well as to devise politic measures of treating with those

who still eluded arrest. It would not have been safe for the author-

ities to inflict upon offenders, even such as had been ringleaders

in the rebellion, penalties more severe than the sentiment of the

better part of the public would have approved. There was still

widespread hostility to the government and its regular methods

of administering affairs, and it was essential to pursue a policy

which would not intensify into bitterness and hatred the prejudices

of moderate opponents who were demanding, not the overthrow

of the government and the Constitution, but simply various re-

forms which might ameliorate hard conditions under which multi-

tudes of worthy citizens smarted. The whole question of dis-

franchising citizens of the Commonwealth was a new one, full of

perplexities and complications. It was not until Feb. 16th that a

decision was finally reached by the Legislature, and in view of the

fact that it related to political criminals, who had been in armed

and organized rebellion against the authority of the sovereign

state, its terms were less drastic than might have been expected.

That decision was actually based on the broadest and most enlight-

ened grounds of public policy, encouraging wrongdoers to cease

from their hostility and deterring malcontents who had not yet

formally leagued themselves with the rebels from making their

opposition open and violent.

 

The terms of indemnity finally offered to non-commissioned

officers and privates were that they should lay down their arms,

take the oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth, and keep the

peace for three years, during which period they should be debarred

from serving as jurors, holding any town or government office;

neither should they be allowed to engage in the occupation of

schoolmasters, innkeepers, or retailers of spirituous liquors, or to

vote for an}' civil or military officer within the Commonwealth.

Authority was delegated to the Governor to absolve from any or

all of these restrictions such privates as had, after bearing arms

against the government, taken up arms in its support previously

to Feb. 1 ; and such as had, within three days after its promulgation,

voluntarily laid down their arms and taken the oath of allegiance

in response to the proposals of General Lincoln dated Jan. 30 and

31.

 

It was in response to this Legislative Resolve that seventeen

Westfield insurgents took action as shown by the following docu-

 

 

 

180 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

 

ment, recorded on a loose sheet in the town archives :

 

A List of the Names of the Several Persons who have taken & sub-

scribed the Oath of allegiance & fidelity belonging to the Town of West-

field—

 

Gad Kellogg, Zebadiah Williams, Jacob Noble Junr., Nahamiah Carter

Junr., Ichabod Lee, Ezra Clap & Gun, Stephen Lee, Ebenezr Wil-

liams Junr., Thomas Williams returned his Gun, Naboth Williams returned

his Gun, Army Mein, John White, Nehimiah Carter, John Loomis returned

two Guns, William Carter returned Gun, Eager Noble returned Gun,

Benjamin Bewell returned Gun.

 

Westfield, March 26th, 1787.

 

Coram S. Mather, Just. Pacis.

To the Town Clerk of Westfield.

 

The exceptions to the act of indemnity included several classes

which it is important to note. Such as had taken up arms without

having been citizens of the State ; such as had been members of

any General Court of the State, or of any State or County Conven-

tion, or had held any commissioned office, civil or military ; such

as had taken up arms again after having laid them down and taken

the oath of allegiance ; such as had wounded or even fired upon any

citizen of the Commonwealth ; such as had acted on committees

or as advisers or counselors of the rebels ; such as in former years

had been in arms against the government as officers and later had

been pardoned. This last provision was aimed at the Tory element

in the rebel forces, though how considerable it actually was we

have no means af ascertaining.

 

This list, quoted above, does not include all the insurgents of

the town, though there are no data for the completion of the roll.

Gad Sacket's name does not appear, neither does that of Killum

whom General Shepard specifies as one of the most notorious of-

fenders. Of the seventeen persons enumerated it is noteworthy

that only five of them had served as Revolutionary soldiers : Gad

Kellogg, Jacob Noble, Junior, Army Mein, John Loomis, and Wil-

liam Carter, to whom must be added Gad Sacket and Richard

Nimocks.

 

That the former, though proscribed, was not the most culpable

of the town's rebels in the estimation of its Major General is evi-

dent from an appeal which General Shepard sent to Governor

Bowdoin from Northampton, Feb. 21, 1878:

 

"Sir, — Gad Sacket of Westfield has desired liberty to surrender

himself, if he may be admitted to bail. He was appointed one of

the committee to organize the militia under Shays, but never knew

 

 

 

THE SHAYS REBELLION 181