Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-10-31

PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Oct 9Th, 1862.

For the Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph.
! PORTSMOUTH, N. H.. Oct. 9Th, 1862.
Dear 7slegraph:-We promised you
few s:facts" from the old records
of this "city by the sea- 1t is
situated upon the Piseataqua river,
one mile from its mouth. 'SThe first
rambler upon its shores was Martin
Pring, in 1908" Eleven years after,
the noted Captain John Smith paid it
a visit, and discovered the now called
Isles of Shoals, ten miles out o. the
harbor, and gave them the name of
Smith Isles. Smith drew the first
map of our coast, and on presenting it
to Prince Charles, with request that
he would give the country name, it
was, for the first time, by him called
New England" In 1872 banner was
unfurled, bearing this inscription -
Freedom and independence. In1644
/ there was s'decision Of the local court
that African slavery could not here be
tolerated. Gas early as the year 1862,
it was in general town meeting, "Cr-
dered, that cage be made, or some
other means invented by the Selecmen,
to punish such as sleep or take teoacco
on the Lords day, out Of the meeting,
in the time Of publiqe exercise!' The
carrying out Of this order was delayed
nine years; but in 1871 contract was
made with Capt. John Pickering to
build cage II feet square and z feet
high. The studs to be inches thick,
and the openings between them to be
inches. The studs are to he round
the said cage, and at the bottom aud
overhead. The said Pickering to make
good, strong dore, and make substan
tial payre of stocks and place the same
in said cage, and also build on the rough
Of said cage, firm pillory. All which
cage, stock and pillory to be built and
raised some convenient space from the
westward end of the meeting house, by
the last day Of October next ensuing"
The bargain also included 'laduer."
1t is well that such "cages" are not "or-
dered'' in these days-I fear they would
contain the larger half of the congrega-
tions! .
ssIn 1774, an order was passed by the
King in council, prohibiting the expor
tation of gunpowder and military stores
to America. The information was re-
ceived by the "eommittee Of safety" by
express. Capt Pickering, Ga son of
the above) knowing that no time should
be lost, called on his friend, Maj. Lang
don, (afterward Governor) and invited
him to accompany IN to Fort William
and Mary, Chen in the hands of the
British) at the mouth of the river, to
take glass of wine with Capt Cochran,
its commander. The Major, with his
usual caution, replied, that it would not
do under the present state of affairs to
take such step" But when the Capt.
told his plans, he agreed to 60 with
him. The Captain wanted only twenty
eight men,. The plan Of operations was
arranged in the most secret manner,
and dozen men were privately informed
at the town Of Durham, that they were
wanted at Portsmouth. On the 18th
of December, IVA, a dozen men left
Durham, in a gondola, on clear, cold
night, and went down the river to Ports
mouth, where they were Joined by Pick
ering ard his party. They then pro-
ceedel to the Fort, in the possession of
of the British. The water was SO shall
low that they could not bring their
boat to within rod of the shore.
They waded through the water in
perfect silence, mounted the Fort, sur
prised the garrison, took the Captain
and bound him, and frightened away
the soldiers. They found in the Fort
one hundred casks of powder, and one
hundred small arms, which they brought
down to the boat, again wading through
the water that froze on them, and made
their way back to Durham. The arms
were found to be defective, and unfit
for use A part of the powder was put
under the pulpit of the old meeting
house, in Durham-afterwar stored
in magazine which a citizen had con-
structed in his cellar. A portion of
this powder was sent to Cam mbridge,
Mass. This act was recorded in the
British Annals as the first action of the
rebels aga inst British soldiery, prepsr-