Lockwood, John. Westfield and Its Historic Influences 1669–1919, volume 2

Extracts from
John Lockwood, Westfield and Its Historic Influences 1669–1919, volume 2

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Chapter I.

The Impending Crisis

p 523

They [the Provincial Congress] recommended to the towns to arm thoroughly and drill frequently the minute men, and to send Representatives to a similar Congress to convene several weeks later.
In anticipation of that event the town of Westfield provided for it at a meeting held Nov. 14, 1774, Deacon Joseph Root, Moderator: “Voted. That Mr. Elisha Parks and Capt. John Mosely be desired to attend the next session of the Congress at Cambridge.
At the same meeting it was also “Voted—and accepted the list of the soldiers as returned by the Committee, viz., Eldad Taylor, Elisha Parks, Dea. Joseph Root, Capt. John Mosely, Daniel Sacket, Jr., Daniel Fowler, Oliver Ingersoll, Capt. Wm Shepard appointed to make a division of the Town into 2 Companies.

p 526

The people of Westfield, realizing increasing responsibilities, held a meeting Feb. 6, 1775.
Col. Elisha Parks chosen Moderator.
2nd thing in ye warrant,
To see if ye Town will do anything to encourage the Company of ye Minute Men who have generously offered their servic to ye Public. Voted in ye affirmative.
...
Article 4th—To see if ye Town will appoint a Comtee of Correspondence & Committee of Inspection & to carry into execution the Resolves of the Grand Provincial Congress.
Voted—to chuse a Comitee of 13 Persons—Doct. Mather, Colo. John Mosely, Capt. Wm Shepard, Eldad Tayloe Esq. Colo. Parks, Daniel Mosely, Daniel Fowler, Capt. David Mosely, Dea. Joseph Root, William Sacket, Samuel Fowler, Lt. John Shepard Jr., Mr. John Phelps, were chosen as above Committee.

Chapter II

The Maturing Struggle

pp 534–535 [Apr. 1775]

According to the roster of Mr. Bartlett, taken from the Provincial records, the company which then started from Westfield consisted of fifty-two men, including the following officers: first lieutenant, John Shepard; second lieutenant, Zechariah Bush; sergeants, Benjamin Dewey, Moses Dewey, Gideon Shepard, Asa Noble; corporals, Israel Sackett, Roger Noble, Benjamin Winchell, James Nimocks. The drummer was Ruggles Winchell, and the fifer was Jedediah Taylor. The name of the Captain is not given, but the muster roll makes Lieutenant Shepard the commanding officer.
Among the old Westfield family names included in the list are six Deweys, two Taylors, two Sacketts, three Nobles, and the same number of Bushes and Gunns.

p 538 (facing) [picture caption]

The Washington Tavern (So-called).
Still standing at the end of Western Avenue, near where the original trail, and later cartway and road, leading to Kinderhook and Albany, turns up the mountain. It was built by a member of the Sackett family in early Revolutionary times. Stephen Sackett, born 1748, lived there after his marriage.

p 546

At a meeting held July 5 [1775], called to see whether the town would choose a new Committee of Correspondence, or add to the one already chosen, it was voted to add five men—Ensign Zechariah Bush, Doct. Israel Ashley, Aaron Bush, Lt. Daniel Sacket & Aaron King.
At town meeting in the following March, five of the Committee were chosen Selectmen, Col. John Moseley, Daniel Fowler, Daniel Bagg, Doct. Samuel Mather, and Daniel Sacket, and another, Bohan King, was chosen constable.

p 561

March 10 [1776] a new Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety was chosen, Capt. David Moseley, Bohan King, Benjamin Saxton, Daniel Fowler, Lt. Zechariah Bush, David Weller, Jr., Martin Root, Saniel Sacket, Capt. John Gray, the new name appearing then having been Benjamin Saxton, born in 1720, second son of Benjamin, who was the first child born in Westfield in 1666.

pp 563–564

In May [1777] it was voted “to build a house to accomodate those Persons who might be taken with the Small Pox in the Town.
In the following February, 1778, at a meeting of which David Mosley was Chairman, the above action was repeated, with the specification “that the house should be built with logs, 35 or 36 feet long & 18 feet wide.” The Committee chosen for the work consisted of Elisha Parks Esqr. Dean Joseph Root, Capn Daniel Sacket, Martin Root and Capn David Mosley, who were to look up a convenient place for the house and negotiate for the land.
...
It was also agreed “that the houses belonging to Ozean Sacket, Moses Sacket, Asher & Abner Sacket be devoted to the use of Inoculation,” and “that no person should be inoculated after the 15th Day of February instant.” Any person who should be inoculated without the consent of the Committee was to “be prosecuted at common Law.” Mr. Samll Fowler and James Taylor were chosen Prosecutors. At a meeting held Feb. 26 liberty of inoculation was again refused, and a week later that action was again reversed, but inoculation was to be in some part not “in the Town Plot.” After sundry related votes it was finally decided “to allow of a House at Lump’s Bottom belonging to George Phelps for Inoculation” and “all the houses Eastward or below Capn. Daniel Sacket’s” for the same use.

Chapter IV

The Concluding Conflict

Letters concerning the state of the army in winter 1778:

pp 575–576

“Camp at Valley Forge Pa. Jan. 25th 1778
... I do assure you Sir, that there is at least fore hundred men in the Brigade which I belong to that have not a shoe nor a stocking to put on, and more than that number that have not a shirt apiece, and many officers that have not a second shirt to put on in this situation in this cold season of the year we are obliged to do our duty.
To see men almost going naked going into the snow and frost to defend the rights of those very men that are contriving every way to distress the poor soldiers now in service by putting their specie at such exorbitant price and under-valuing the currency now passing, the soldiers wages are stated at a certain price which is out of there power to alter, and they cannot revenge themselves by there folley, it greives me to my very soul.
God bless you. I wish you helth and happiness. Believe me Sir, I am with esteem your sincere friend and most obedient Hule Serv’t
David Mosley
Wm Shepard.
Westfield.

p 577

Camp at Valley Forge
Feb. 21st 1778.
Brother King. I would gladly undertake to give you a Particular account of the Circumstances of our Army at Present were I able to do it, but being unable I should fall much short of a true description of the miserable situation we are in at Present that I shall not attempt it no farther than this. That we are at this Present Reched and miserable, Poor and Blind and Naked. This account is short but it is true—no doubt before this time you have seen Letters from Colo Shepard or some other gentlemen in the Army that has given a direct account about the army and the siuation we are in on the account of clothing which we suffer the most for of any article at all. Hope you will write often, must conclude,
Your Friend & Brother, E. Lyman.

p 578

At a meeting held the second month following, April 15, 1778, practical action was taken relative to that heartrending statement of conditions at Valley Forge. A committee was chosen, Major Warham Parks, Capt. Daniel Sacket, Lieut. Winchell, Lieut. Zechariah Bush and Doct. Israel Ashley, “to provide fifty-three Shirts & Fifty three pair of Shoes & Stockings for the use of the Continental Army at the Cost & Charge of the Town.

p 578

In August [1778] a committee consisting of Dea. Root, Elisha Parks, Esq., Capt. Daniel Sacket, Col. John Mosley, and Mr. Samuel Fowler, was appointed to collect the clothing sent for by the General Court for the use of the Continental Army.

pp 579–580

At a meeting in May, 1780, the Committee which had been appointed to consider the new State Constitution reported objections to some of its features and the town voted not to accept it “without Alteration or Amendment.” The vote stood 17 for and 36 against. May 23 it was voted to accept the Constitution “excepting those Articles which are objected to by the Committee chosen for that Purpose.
...
The Constitution was formally adopted, June 16, 1780. Oct. 20, 1779, the sum of thirty pounds was voted for each soldier then to be raised for the Continental service and destined for Claverack and mileage money of two shillings per mile. Five days later it was decided to raise the men aforesaid “on the cost of the town and not by Detachment.” The militia officers were to be indemnified from all fines which might be laid upon them because of raising the men in that way and not “according to an order of the General Court.” A committee of nine persons—Daniel Fowler, Ozem Sacket, Luke Phelps, Martin Tinker, Moses Dewey, Simeon Tremaine, Stephen Lee, Lieut. Adnah Sacket and Benjamin Dewey—was chosen to assist in this matter. They were to agree with the men for 20 shillings per month, the old way, exclusive of their bounty, mileage and wages allowed by the State. Finally it was “Voted after a long Debate that the Committee chosen to hire the soldiers above should be directed to agree with them at any Rate they shall think reasonable.
June 16, 1780, a new quota of nineteen soldiers for the Continental Army was exacted of the town and a Committee of twelve persons was chosen to secure it. They were Capt. Martin Tinker, Capt. Daniel Sacket, Simeon Tremaine, Lt. Richard Falley, Jabez Baldwin, Ichabod Lee, Moses Dewey, Capt. Gray, Capt. Kellogg, Asa Noble, Jr., James Taylor and Daniel Fowler.

pp 491–492

[Appendix showing ownership of lands]
[In a list of 106 householders, Sacket holdings were:]
The Distribution of Outer-Commons, July 10, 1731-2

Householders	Acres
Benony Sacket	81
William Sacket	199
Samuel Sacket	80
Joseph Sacket	91
John Sacket, Sen.	324

pp 492ndash;493

At a meeting, January 28, 1733-4, on a report of a committee, the inner-commons were allotted at the rate of 2 acres of land to one £ real estate, and List is as followeth:

Householders [106 names]	Acres
Benoni Sacket	07
Joseph Sacket	26
William Sacket	44
Samuel Sacket	15
Sargeant Sacket	32–10
John Sacket, Jr.	16–5
Daniel Sacket	16–5

p 494

A Copy of Lieut. John Shepard’s Muster Roll Minute Men, Westfield, lists 52 minute men, including:

Israel Sacket, Westfield, Corpl, [from home] Apr. 20 [1775], [Amot £.s.d.] 12.6¾, Enlisted Apr. 28
Abner Sacket, Westfield, Private, [from home] Apr. 20 [1775], [Amot £.s.d.] 11.5, Enlisted Apr. 28

p 496

Westfield’s Revolutionary Soldiers
[List includes:]

Sacket, Abner
    "     Asher
    "     Daniel, Capt.
    "     David
    "     Gad
    "     Israel
    "     Ozem
    "     William
    "     Zavan

p 499

Graves of Revolutionary Soldiers in the Old Cemetery
[List includes:]

Sacket, Adnah
    "     Stephen
    "     William