Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/198

 172 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

was no fire in the church in winter. The older men chose to have it under- stood that their zeal kept them warm ; while the young men, fearing perhaps lest their reputation for hardihood might suffer in the eyes of the gentler sex, would not confess that they were to be made to feel cold by any weather. But it has been intimated that there were lads, who when the thermometer was at zero, by the middle of the afternoon sermon, were ready, after some mis- givings, to give up their reputation for zeal and pride of sex, for the chance of holding their fingers for a kw moments over their mothers foot-stove.

Many of the town papers relating to the affairs of Wilton during the war of the Revolution, have been lost. An examination of those remaining prove, that nearly every able-bodied man belonging in the town, was out in the war, and either did service personally, or hired another to fill his place for a longer or shorter period. Wilton was represented in the battle of Bunker Hill, and a large number of her men were in the army at Cambridge, It is known that at least eight, and probably more, were in the battle of Bennington, one of whom, Ebenezer Perry, was killed. Eleven of those that were lost, died in the campaign of 1776, in the north-western army. Two died at New York about the time of the battle of White Plains, and two at Valley Forge. Others were wounded, but it is not known that more than one was killed in battle. An anecdote is related which shows the spirit that prevailed. A young man came to the muster-master (Maj. Abiel Abbot,) to be enrolled for the army, but was found not so tall as the law required. He insisted on being measured again, and it being with the same result, in his passionate disappointment, he burst into tears. He was, however, finally enrolled, on the ground that zeal and courage were of more value in a soldier, than an inch more or less, in height. In 1777, Ichabod Perry, enlisted for during the war. The first three years men who enUsted in 1777, were Humphrey Cram, David Hazleton, William Burton, Asa Lewis, Uriah Ballard, Joseph Grey, Christopher Martin, Nehemiah Holt, Amos Holt, William Pettengill and William A. Hawkins. The following are names of those who died in the Revolutionary service, William Burton, Valley Forge, 1778; Asa Cram, Jonathan Grey, Jeremiah Holt, Amos Holt, Soloman Holt, James Holden, John Honey, James Hutchin- son, Joseph Lewis, Lieut. Samuel Pettengill, Benj. Pettengill, his son, Ebenezer Perry, Ebenezer Perry 2d, Jonas Perry, Caleb Putnam, Peter Putnam, Josiah Parker, Asa Pierce, Isaac Russell, Nurss Sawyer, Archilaus Wilkins, Jr.

During the ten years following the Revolution, the average price of wheat was one dollar and a half a bushel ; rye one dollar, and corn seventy-five cents. The usual wages of a hired man on a farm were from forty to fifty dollars a year, while those employed only during the haying season were given forty cents a day. A letter written by Dr. Abiel Abbot in 1839, he being in the seventy-fifth year of his age to Ephraim Peabody, contains a minute and vivied picture of the early customs of the town. He says : "As I have so good an opportunity to send to you, I will not neglect it ; and it being Sunday evening, I will say a word about Sunday of olden times. On Saturday evening the work of the week was finished. My father, after washing and putting on a skillet of water, would get his razor and soap, sit down by the fire and take off his beard ; after which he would take his Bible, sometimes some other book. My mother, after washing the potatoes &c., and preparing the Sunday food, used to make hasty pudding for supper, which was eaten in milk, or that want- ing, with butter and molasses. The litde children were then put to bed early in the evening. My father read a chapter in the Bible and offered a prayer, soon after which the younger part of the family and the hired help went to bed ; indeed, the family every night went to their rest soon after supper, especial- ly in summer. Saturday night and Sunday, and Sunday night, a perfect still-

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