The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-10-15
Daniel Webster.


isOuff, lNtW IdhlpShiIe. ilio ediiee'
ancestor, of whom the family has an,
certain knowledge, was Thomas Web
ster. lie was settled in Hampton, az
early as 1896. The descent from hin
TO Daniel Webster, can be found record
ed in the Church and Town Records o
Hampton, (now East Kingston) and Sal
sbury.
| The family came originally from Scot
land two centuries ago and more. i
is probable, however, from certain cir
cumstances, that they tarried in Englanc
awhile, befrre emigra,ing to a new world
They did not bring over with them, al
th, peculiariiies of their coun,rymep
the Scottish accent had become a mere
tradition, in the time of Mr.. Webster:
fathers father. The personal charac-
tersiics of the family are strongly mark.
ed light compilations, sandy-hair in
great profusion, bushy eyebrows, and
slender, rather tlan broad frames attest
the Teuionc aud common origin of the
race. DR.. Noah Webster the compi-
Ter of The Dictionary,--was, in personal
appearance, the rera cGgics Of the fam
lily.
The unces of Daniel Webster had
the same characteristics. They were
fair haired, and Of rather slender form.
His father, however, was Of different
physical organization. No two persons
could look like each other less, than Eb-
enezer Webster-the father of Daniel
and either of his brothers. They re-
sembled their father, who had the hcred.
ilary features and form but Ebenezer
Webster had the black hair, eyes, and
complexion of his mother, whose maiden
name was Bachelor. She was de,
sccndani Of the Rev. Stephen BacheIder,
a man famous in his time in the County
of Rockingham, and towns circumja-
cent. There are many persons now a.
live in Kingston, who will tell you, they
have heard their fathers say, she was a
woman Of uncommon strength of char>
acter, and sterling sense. Daniel, and
his only brother of the whole blood, E.
zekiel. alone of the five sons of Ebcn-
ezer Webster, had the Bachelor cons
p!exion: the others ran Off into the gen.
eral characteristics of the race.
Many persons in Kingston and Sails
bury still live, who recollect Ebenezcr
Webster well. They say his personal
appearance was striking lie was tall
and erect six fee, in height; of stall
wat form, broad and full in the chest.
His complexion was swarthy. features
large anu prominent with Roman
nose, and eyes Of a remarkable brillan-
cy. lie had military air and carriage.
the result, perhaps, of his service IN
the army. lie enlisted. early in life, as
a common soldier in the Provincial troops,
and during the war Of sc served under
Gen. Amherst, on the northwestern
frontier accompanying that comman-
der in the invasion of Canada. He at
tracted the attention and secured the
goodwill Of his superior officers by his
faithful and gallant conduct and before
the close of the wars, rose from the ranks
TO captaiucy. Peace between Eng
land and France soun following the cap
ture of Quebec. and conquest of Cana
da, the Provincial troops were disband'
ed, and returned to their homes.
Previous to the year l763. the settle
ments of New Hampshire had made lit
tie or no progress towards the interior o
the State. For more than half a cen.
tury, the itful irruptions of the French
from Canada, and the more constant, il
not more cruel assaults of their su5si
dized allies - the lndIans-repress
any movement inward, into the country
To defend what they held, by kind ol
Gordon miiitdirc OF ock.houses, was all
the frontier men hoped.
The cessicn of Canada, however, to
England, by the treaty Of Paris, in l7G3
removing the great obstacle to farther
progress into the interior. the royal Gov
ernor of New Hampshire, Benning
Wentworth, began to make grants o.
townships in the central part Of the State
Col. Stevens, with some other persons
about Kingston-mostly retired soldiers
-obtained a grant of the township o
Salisbury, then called from the principa
grantee, Stevens-lown. This town il
situated exactly at the head waters Of ih'
Merrmac River; which river is forme,
by the confluence Of the Pemigew asse
and Wlnnipiseogee. Under this gran,
Ebenezer Webster obtained lot sit1a
ted in the north part of the town. More
adventurous than others Of the compan,
who obtained grants, he cut his wal
deeper into the wilderness, making th'
road he could no, find. Here, in l764
he built log cabin and llghled his fire