Reading Sam Bishop’s articles detailing Gen. Washington’s correspondence, sent me looking through the book ” Mattapoisett and old Rochester”, a couple of copies of which are at the Rochester Historical Museum and also at the Plumb Library.
As mentioned previously, Rochester, more than any other Plymouth County town, was quick to fall in with the requests of the Boston Committee in their pursuit for independence and to join in on actions against the British. Town Meeting was aware early on of the pending need for a trained militia with officers to command military companies. The picture with the article shows the muster field where such training took place.
As early as 1774, they moved to purchase firearms, powder, flints and lead.
In 1775, Town Meeting voted to “hire one hundred pounds to buy war stores”, as well as two boats to be used by Capt. Nathaniel Hammond’s Company. It was also voted “to send to the West Indies by Capt. Moses Barlow for powder, firearms, molasses and other war supplies”.
All of the expenditures and planning were done by a town that voted in May of 1776, “that when the Honourable Congress shall think best to Declare themselves Independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain that we will Defend them with our Lives and Fortunes”.
By Connie Eshbach
