In last week’s article, I mentioned steps that the Rochester Town Meeting took to prepare for the possibility of war with Great Britain. The Town Meetings continued to address events as they occurred. On Dec. 12, 1772, they met to read a Letter of Correspondence from Boston. After the letter was presented, Deacon Seth Dexter, Samuel Briggs, Jr., Ebenezer White, Nathaniel Hammond, David Wing, Noah Sprague and Thomas West were chosen to consider the letter’s contents. At that point, the meeting was adjourned to be reconvened on Jan.11, 1773.The group’s findings were presented, and the Town Meeting adopted the resolves put forward in the Boston correspondence.
Among the Resolves were:
“Resolved, that we are entitled to all the Rights of natural born subjects of Great Britain; and have not forfeited said Rights.” In addition, the new taxes being levied were, “invariance of our Rights, established by Charter.” The Resolves also included, a “right to petition” and to “pursue every legal measure for our political salvation.”
As the relationship with England continued to worsen, in March of 1775, Nathaniel Briggs, Joseph Parker and David Wing were chosen to make sure that the “Minute Men” had equipped themselves. This became important as a Rochester Company of “Minute Men” responded to the first call on April 19, 1775. They were led by Capt. Edward Hammond. A second “foot company” of militia responded to the “Lexington Alarm.” It was led by Capt. Nathaniel Hammond.
Following the Colonial victory at Concord and Lexington, many more votes were taken at subsequent Town Meetings. On July 3, 1775, it was voted, “to hire one hundred pounds to buy war stores.” It was then voted that those who had good guns, but no ammunition should draw “1/2 pound of powder, ball answerable; they paying for the same or leaving their names.”
In August of 1775, several local people donated 216 3/4yds. of thick cloth to be made into army uniforms.
On May 23, 1776, Town Meeting voted, “that when Congress shall declare Independence,” we will defend them with lives and fortunes.” Rev. Nobel Warren Everett of Wareham who gave the Oration at Rochester’s Bicentennial Celebration stated, “Rochester furnished more men in proportion to territory or inhabitants than any other town in the Old Colony.” It is fitting that Rochester now has a memorial to those who served in the Revolutionary War.
As we honor those men, we also want to remember the women, children and elders of those who fought and the sacrifices that they made. It is interesting to note that Town Meeting took two votes, one in 1777, to give supplies to soldiers’ families and another in 1778, to provide for families of soldiers who were in the Continental Army.
We hope you will join the Rochester Historical Commission and the Rochester Historical Society in dedicating our Revolutionary War Memorial on May 7 at 2:00 in front of Town Hall.
By Connie Eshbach