The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-17
REV. WILLIAM EMERSON.


in his diary that, although he knew the
numbers Of the British "were more than
treble ours" he twas uneasy till the fire
" was returned" That patriot preacher
was William Emerson, pastor of the first
church in Concord. His name and fame
are indissolubly connected with that Of Rut-
land, and his ashes mlngle with our soil,
although no man, at this day, knows the
exact place of his sepuchre, but bis son,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 10 about to erect q
monument TO his memory In the cemetery
near the old Methodist church in Center
Rutland, in which cemetery he was laid at
rest. In connection with this event some
notice of Mr.. Emerson may not be out Of
place.
The son of Rev. Joseph Emerson of
Maiden, and descended from Rev. Peter
Bulkeley, the first minister Of Concord, be
was born at Maiden, May 2lst, 1443, and
graduated at Harvard college in 17Gl, q
classmate of Rev. Samuel Williams, LII.
D., the historian of Vermont, and the first
clergyman In the east parish of Rutland.
He was ordained over the church in Con-
cord January /, 1868. Like most of the
clergymen of that day, be was an 'srrant
"rebel," and by political sermons" and
personal persuasit ns, he brought his peo-
Pile up to the point Of tebellon ard was
one of their leaders In resisting British
tyranny. On the memorable day of the
"Concord fight" after the "lberty pole" had
been abandoned and the provincisls had &C.
cupied new position, said Emerson to bis
comrades in arms, "Iet us stand our
'ground. If we die lei us die here"
Concord men had determined to resis,
and TO return shot for shot, but the leaders
the Barrels and the Butticks - whose
mingled blood a iws in the veins of many
a resident of Rutland, in the fourth and
nth generations -couneelled delay, reply
ing, ut will not do for us TO begin tht
"war." Shortly afterwards, however
Colonel Barrett gave Major Bultrick orders
to lead the attacking patty, and ButtricI
led on, exclaiming "Men, if you will follow
"me, We will 30 now and see what they ar
"ebout." The men did follow" and thI
events of that day are historic. War wa
now actually begun, aud Cor cord coult
not 10 g b Id such patriot as William
Emers N. Accordingly, he left his famil!
and PEG. le and enter d the army, Angus
| 10, 1716 as a chaplain under General Gate
at Ticonderosa. His term of service, how
ever, was destined to be short, an / we flnt
that, soon after. he was attacked with TIL
bilious f,ver. His ois-sse became NOR
and more serious, and, September 1G,
brother aplain write that he "was yer,
"low." Two days after, by the advice o
the surgeon, he ob,ained his dis charge an,
turned his face home ard, but was com
PEELED 10 stop at the house of Rev. Bena
jan Roots, the first settled minister o
ated on or rear the site of the presen
residence of Jessie L. Billings-where h
died Sunday morning, October 90, 1T7C
aged thirty three years.
The following day, Monday, the funera
ives attended at Mr.. Roots house and
funeral discourse preached by him, sfte
which the remains were inferred in the oil
cemetery, adjoining the Methodist chape
at Center Rutland, "with the honors o
"war by detachment of Col. Vsndyke'
regiment, commanded by Major Shepard
" SON." This detachment. consisting o.
ninety men, including officers, were unde
the command of Major John Shepardson
and "under Colonel Bsriett's inspection,
engaged in repairing the military roa
from mo. 4'--Charlestoa, New Hamp
sbire-to Mount Independence, aud il
building a bridge for the same over Ote
| Creek. In 1890, his SOD, Rev. William
Emerson of Boston, exhumed the remains
and found that his hair and nails had grow
since his death, and reverently reGuried him
Years thereafter, some thirty or forty year
ago, his grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson
the philosopher and poet, visited Rutland
but was unable to find the grave, and. a
we have said, no man, at this day, know
the exact place of his sepulchre. Perhap
| DIS character cannot be better summarize
| than it is on the monument erected to hi
memory in 1926, by the town of Concord
He was, says the inscription thereon, " en
"thusiastic, eloquent, affectlonate ant
"pous; he loved his family, his people
"his God and his country. And to thi
"last he yielded the cheerful sacrifice OF hi
"life." As connecting link between tn
centuries, we append the letter OF Rev. Dir
Roots to tho church at Concord. snnoun
cling Mr.. Emersons death:
"TO the Church and People of God a
| Concord: Men and Brethren. Havlni
| with mihe own hand at Ave o'clock In tn
| morning, October 20, closed The eyes o
your dear and greatly beloved pastor, (wh,
| | trust has fallen asleep IN Jesus) after
| long illness with ye bilious fever ATTENDED
with n tedious diarrhea of which he died
| And Divine Providence 80 ordered Ii, tina
| he took his flight from this world Of sin an(
sorrow to the realms of light and region
| of eternal day, on the same day of tn,
week that the Son OF righteousness aros,
| from the dark mansions of the grave; anC
probably the same hour of the day too, we,
the same day In which he assembled TO hi
meridian Il mean the highest heavens) wer,
This bright star Cor little SUM we trust ha
followed his glorious head and begun hi
eternal Sabbath early on the Lords daN
morning"
II most sincerely condole with you fo
your great and almost irreparahle loss, bu
doubtless TO his unspeakable gain. For Il
depart and be with Christ is far better
Far better than an abode In this clayel
tabernacle, where We see as but through
glass ,dsrkly. Doubtless he is now JOINED