Patriotically named Independence Booth was born on July 4, 1776 in Enfield, Connecticut, to Captain Joseph and Mary Hale Booth. Perhaps Independence (did she have a shorter nickname?) got her name because her father Captain Joseph Booth was a patriotic soldier. His grave in Enfield, Connecticut, includes the information that he "served in the French and Indian Wars from 1755-1762 and the War of the Revolution from 1775-1777 and received his commission as Captain Mar. 21st, 1777."
Independence married twice. Her first husband Danforth Charles, whom she married in 1802, died prematurely in 1807. They had a daughter Hannah, who was born after her father's death. Independence married a second time to Lewis Barber in 1817. Her grave can be found in Ludlow's Fuller Cemetery at the corner of Church and Center Streets.
Independence had several gravestone carvers in her family, including Enos Booth, who signed a stone in the Fuller cemetery–a rare find made more unusual as the signature appears on the back of the stone. Cousin Enos didn't carve her stone, though, nor her cousin Hanan Cooley, who also has a signed stone in the same cemetery, since they both pre-deceased her. A third carver, Herman Newell also signed a stone in Fuller Cemetery; he is a possible carver for her stone.
In early 1776, Belchertown, like most of Massachusetts was caught up in the spirit of independence. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense had been published in January, the Massachusetts Provincial Government had drafted a new constitution, and towns and cities were preparing to declare their position on the issue of independence from Great Britain.
On June 25, 1776 a town meeting was held to consider this last question and by “a univercel vote” the residents voted to support independence and pledged to “firmly Ingage with their Lives and Fortunes” to assist the cause. This document memorializes that event.
Prominent among the names recorded on this document is Nathaniel Dwight, who was a scion of the town’s influential Dwight family. An innkeeper, he was a member of the Board of Selectmen and also Town Clerk, at the time. A month earlier, he had been chosen by a town meeting as a delegate to the Watertown Congress. At that time, it was also “voted that said Nathaniel Dwight shall go armed as there is every danger of invasion by the King’s troops that are now stationed at Boston, there being about 4000 men and the Governments of Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire have 30,000 men that are stationed round about Boston.”
These two notebooks contain the Revolutionary War Record and Accounts of Dr. Estes Howe, 1775-1785. Book I is entitled, “Estes Howe, his book, Peeks Kill, June 7, 1777, Belcherton [sic], May 14” and is 56 pages, 6x7½ in., paper cover, stitched. Book II has no cover, but contains his Revolutionary War Records, 1775-1776, and his notes as Belchertown Town Clerk, 1782 – 1783. It is 68 pages, 6x7¼ in., stitched paper. Also available: a partial list of other content found in the journals.
Please note, this transcription is still under construction. The "Remedies" notes are still being researched. If you have any expertise in 18th century medicine, please contact us!
Capt. Name | Persons Sick | Rank | Disorders | Remedys Applyd. |
Angle | Isaac Whord | Privet | Dysentary | Rhii Ipecac d. albis |
Roundsevel | Lemuel Tabor | Lieut. | “—“ | Rhii. Ial. Niter d. albis |
Jepther Ashley | Privet | Slow Fever | Sal. Niter Dilut Tea | |
August 4 | Timathy Ingrums | —“— | Dysentary | Rhii Cort?? |
Jacob Laisdell | —“— | “—“ | Eonatick?? | |
Abner Cody | Sergt | Dys on decl | Bitters with ?? | |
Wm. Allen | Privet | Dysentary | Rhii?? | |
Bardwell | James McClantick | —“— | “—“ | Rh?? |
Jona. Olds | —“— | “—“ | “ as above— | |
Stuard Key | —“— | Rumitism | Bill Cache of ?? | |
Elijah Knights | —“— | Wounded | Dressing Peculars | |
August 5 | Lemuel Tabor | Lieut. | gone home | ——— |
Roundsevel | Timathy Ingrums | Privet | Dysentary | Rhis Cat do Albis?? |
Daniel Ward | “—“ | Slow Fever | ??Bitters | |
Daniel Giles | “—“ | Dysentary | Ematick?? | |
Walbridge | Asher Nickels | —“— | Slow Fever | Rhii?? |
Robert Parkes | —“— | “—“ | Oint Cont.?? | |
——Parker | —“— | “—“ | “—Rhiis Sal Nitre? | |
Esm. Mungar | —“— | Epelepsey | Pell??? | |
Danforth | Elijah Mason | —“— | Dys on decl | Rhii Car?? |
Daniel Bullock | —“— | Billius Collick | Pell Cache ?? | |
Isaac Goff | —“— | Dys on decl | Rhii?? | |
Aaron Millar | —“— | Dysentary | Ematick d’albis?? | |
Simeon Whelan | —“— | “—“ | “—“ “—“ | |
[?]allen | —— Ingalsen | Capt. | Hypondrical | “—“ “—“ |
——Gutterage | Lieut. | Dysentary | Rhii?? | |
Capt. Name | Persons Sick | Rank | Disorders | Remedys Applyd. |
August 5 | Jacob Lasdell | Privet | Dysentary | Rhii?? |
Bardwell | James McClentick | —“— | “—“ | Rhii Sal Niter?? |
Jona. Olds | —“— | “—“ | “——“ ”——“ | |
Wm. Allen | —“— | “—“ | “——“ ”——“ | |
Elijah Knights | —“— | Wounded | Dress and Dressings | |
King | Job Dean | —“— | Dysentary | Rhii d’albas at Nite?? |
Colton | Benj. Colton | Drummer | Dyerhea | Ematick ——“— |
Richard Fairman | Privet | Cold | Betrl Bolis d’albis | |
Henry | David Picher | —“— | Dysentary | Rhii ?? |
Azariah Holloway | —“— | Pain in abdomen | Pill Cache | |
Angel | Isaac Hoard | —“— | Dysentary | Rhii Sal Morab del albis?? |
Jedediah Jewett | Corp. | “——“ | Ematick?? | |
Peckard | John Potama | Negro | “——“ | Rhii d’albas?? |
Jedediah Gilbart | —“— | Slow Fever | ?? | |
6th | Israel Gaff | Privet | Dyst. on decline | Rhii?? |
Danforth | Aaron Millar | —“— | Inflam. Fever | Rhii Sal Niter d Albis |
Elisha Mason | —“— | Dysentary | Rhii Sal Niter | |
Stephen Ingals | —“— | Dyst. on decline | Tint Cort?? | |
Roundsevel | Timathy Ingram | —“— | Dysentary | Gone to the Horspittal |
Wm. Parker | —“— | “—“ | Ematick?? | |
Peckard | Joseph Wood | Corp. | Dysentary | Gone to the Horspittal |
Josiah Wood | Privet | Foul Stomach | Ematick—— | |
Lemuel [?] | —“— | “—“ | “—“—“— | |
Henry | Elisha Hocam | —“— | Dysentary | Ematick?? at Night |
David Picher | —“— | “——“ | Dectan Cortet Elix??? |
Sometime around 1799, a family register was made to record the births, marriages, and deaths in Samuel Colton's family. This printed and hand-colored register was almost certainly created by Richard Brunton (1750-1832), a notorious engraver, counterfeiter and British deserter. Born in 1750 in Birmingham, England, he apprenticed with an engraver before enlisting in the British Army Grenadiers. He served from 1774-1779 in America during the Revolution, and saw heavy action, including the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Battle of Brandywine, and the British retreat from Philadelphia before deserting in New York in 1779. His career in engraving included counterfeiting currency, which landed him in prison on more than one occasion, including a two-year sentence at hard labor served at Connecticut's New-Gate prison, where he earned money to repay the costs of his prosecution as well as better living conditions by painting portraits of the warden and his family and by creating engravings. In 1807, Brunton was arrested again, this time in Massachusetts, and was given a life sentence. Four years later, the state granted his petition for release due to ill health. In exchange for the early release, he promised to return to his native England, but instead went to live in Groton, Massachusetts, where he died in the poorhouse in 1832.
One of Brunton's legitimate, and perhaps more lucrative creations, were family registers--documents with decorative borders that often included depictions of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Peace, and left room for the recording of the family births, deaths and marriages. These pre-printed family registers are considered some of the earliest American examples. The Colton register includes Samuel and Flavia Colton's marriage, the births (and deaths) of their children, his second marriage to Lucy Colton and their family. These types of family registers were considered proof for official documentation.
Samuel Colton (1727-1784) was a well-known wealthy Longmeadow merchant, earning him the nickname, "Marchant" Colton. His impressive large home, built circa 1754, stood on a rise just south of the Longmeadow town green. When the house was demolished in the early 20th century, parts of the house were salvaged as souvenirs, including the very imposing "Connecticut River God" front doorway, which now resides in a place of honor in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1776, a kind of local "tea party" took place at Samuel Colton's shop. Unhappy with Colton's prices for the West India goods he imported (essentials such as rum), townspeople, including his brother-in-law, dressed up as Native Americans and raided his shop. They removed the disputed goods, calculated what they felt to be fair prices and left that sum in exchange. Colton's suit for legal redress failed, and he is said to have remained bitter for the rest of this life about the "theft."
To learn more about Richard Brunton's fascinating life, see Deborah Child's book, Soldier, Engraver, Forger: Richard Brunton's Life on the Fringe in America's New Republic. For more information about Samuel Colton, see Barbara Smith's book, After the Revolution.
As the British Empire spread around the world, so too did the “Brown Bess” flintlock musket. From the early 18th century to the mid 19th century, it was the ubiquitous weapon of the British infantry. Known officially as the Land Pattern Musket, it marked the start of the era of standardization of arms across the British infantry.
To operate it, all a soldier had to do was:
1. Bite open the cartridge.
2. Open the musket pan.
3. Pour in a small amount of powder.
4. Close the pan.
5. Hold the musket vertically.
6. Pour remaining powder down the barrel.
7. Push the cartridge paper into the barrel.
8. Remove the ramrod.
9. Ram the paper and bullet down the barrel.
10. Put the ramrod back.
11. Aim.
12. Fire.
British soldiers were trained to reload and shoot every 20 seconds, even while under enemy fire. Under 50 yards, the Brown Bess was devastatingly effective. However, at distances of 100 yards or more, it was wildly inaccurate. It was said, derisively, that it took a man’s weight in bullets to kill him. Although it could never be as accurate as a gun with a rifled barrel, its accuracy improved in the hands of more highly trained, experienced soldiers.
The fate of this musket’s original owner is unknown. After General John Burgoyne’s surrender at the Battle of Saratoga, militia Captain John Fellows of Shelburne picked it up off the battlefield. Fellows carved his initials into the brass plate alongside those of the original owner “RD 1777.”
Story Addendum
The musket's story, however, did not end when Captain Fellows brought it home from Saratoga. Nor did it end when it was donated to Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in 1882 by John Fellows, grandson of Captain Fellows. The decision to donate the musket would be a point of contention in the Fellows family for decades to come.
By the early 1900s, John Fellows' great-grandson, Allen, was particularly incensed by his father's decision to donate the musket, which he considered a family heirloom. When confronted, John conceded that he believed he had only loaned the musket to PVMA for safe keeping. Thus Allen went to the museum to retrieve the musket. But when he attempted to do so, he was turned away by PVMA's founder, George Sheldon, who provided the legal documentation proving the transfer of ownership.
Just one generation later, Robert Fellows Wood lamented John's "impulsive" decision to donate the musket to "keen, old" George Sheldon. Robert had the opportunity to see it on exhibit in 1930 at PVMA's Memorial Hall Museum. However, on a return visit to the museum in 1954, Robert and his wife, Elizabeth, were unable to locate the musket in the case where it had been exhibited 24 years earlier. The museum's curator then missidentified the musket they were looking for, leading to confusion and fear that the musket had been mislabled, altered, or worse.
Today the musket is exhibited in Memorial Hall Museum's Military Gallery, correctly labeled and unaltered, thanks to the foresight of John Fellows.