Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-07-08
EARLY NEWFANE HISTORY
An Entertaining Chapter From the
Olden Time.
The First White Men Who Wis
tied the Town.
THE OLD VILLAGE ON NEwFANE
HILL.


First Wagon Ride in To,vn---the First
Sermon Preached There.
Few towns have their histories so well
written as Newfane had by its centennial
committee and others in 1874. Still some
errors will creep into, and some things be
left out of, the best of such work. Prob
ably the first white men to pass through its
territory were Capt Eleazer Melvin and
his scattered men June /, 174S, on their
way to Fort Drummer after hi battle of
the day before with Indians near where
Jamaica depot is. The story of Capt.
Humphrey Hobbs's journey with 40 men
down Brookline brook and West river and
up the South Branch, and of his fight with
the Indian chief Sackett and his men on
Sunday, the 25th of the same June, is there
well told. OF the three men killed the
name of one, Samuel Gum, is, probably
by misprint, given as Samuel Green. The
wounded were not mentioned. They were
Samuel Graves, shot in the head so that
some of his brains came out; Daniel Nc
Kenny, thigh broken; Nathan Walker,
arm broken and bullet lodged between the
bones, and Ralph Ryce slightly wounded.
Sackett was killed, as was supposed, by
the last shot fired by Capt. Hobbs, who came
off about half a mile and buried his three
dead men as well as he could in the dark.
The next day he took the wounded to Fort
Drummer, and the next day after that to
NOrthfeld where they could be treated by
the Rev Mr.. Doolittle, who was also a
physician. Capt. Stevens, with 129 men,
pursued those who captured Sergeant lay
lor on July IA after at North Hinsdale and,
not overtaking them, returned by way of
the place of Hobbs's fight and buried again
his three men, (which the enemy had not
found, >" probably on the Robinson mead
ow below Williamsville.
The first charter of the town by the
name of Fame was granted in the name of
King George the Second by Benning
Wentworth, governor of the province of
New Hampshire, June 10, 1853. The In
dian war broke out again and nothing was
done towards settling the town under this
charter. Lieut.. Matthew Clesson, with -
men, set out from Deertield on Friday,
Aug. 8, 1855, on a scout for Indians and
went to Charlemont, through Halifax by
way of a branch of North river, through
Marlborough, past beaver meadow from
which a stream ran into the branch of
West river, went down that to the Dover
branch, which they reached on Monday, the
18th; on the next day they went to the
lower end of the Robinson meadow. where
the branch turns south, then left it and
went over the hill to West river above.
Here they found 'blind path down the
west side of the river and across the mouth
of the branch and, as he said in his jour
nal, the 'most cOnvenantest place for an
ambush l know Of This was near
where the railroad bridge and Williamsvile
depot are. They kept heir packs above the
branch and back from the west side of the
river and finding tracks of Indians stayed
about there over a week. During this
time he sent scouts up the river on the
east side five or six miles and back on the
west side; and to Fort Dummer direct, and
back by way of Catsbane, which was at
the island above the lower ferry of Con-
Indians were in the habit of crossing; and
they lay in ambush at the crossing of the
branch two days, above and below. On
Tuesday, the 10Th, one man had but one
4'bisket," and there were ''several others
but a little better ont" The next day one
man was not well, on Thursday the 21st
several were all out of provisions and they
started homeward. They reached Fort
Drummer a little after noon, went to Col
"Hinsdale's'' fort, which was below North
Hinsdale, where they refreshed and then
went toLieut. Sheldon's fort which was in
Bernardston. They travelled 26 miles
this day; not man but what complained
of sore feet"
The war slackened and a new charter
dated November 3, 1861, was granted,
mostly to the same persons ard their de-
scendants, instead of extending the old /;
and in this new charter the name of the
town was changed to New Fame Eben-
ezer Morse, who was a graduate of Har-
ward college, physician and clergyman of
Boylston, Mass, was a proprietor in both.
By decree of the king in council July 20,
1894, the west bank of Connecticut river
was made the boundary between the prov
inces of New Hampshire and New York ;
this brought Newfane into the province of
New York, and made a title under that
province supposed to be necessary. Mr..
Morse wrote and sent:
To The Honorable CddUgdHdder Golden.
Esq, Lit. Governor d. Commander IN
Chiefe at Netc York:
Most Noble ST
Permit me, in behalf of my Self, and
others, the Proprietors, of the Township
of New Fame $50 Called situated upon
Vest RiUer, Six Miles from Connecticut
River, to embrace, the first opportunity,
after being informed: That Sd Township
falls within the jurisdiction of New York
with profoundest Difference to request:
That, your HON., would not dispose, OF
Sd Township, by Charter; Until Sd Pro
prietors, Shall have Opportunity to make
proper application to your Honr in order
to secure their late property in Sd Town
ship: And which will be as soon as may
be. And That Your HON. would Signify
to me your Pleasure touching this matter
Who am your Hon most Humble Servant
EBENEZER MORSE.
Shrewsbury in New England
May % 1865.
And on the Sd of July he, Ephrain