The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-22
UPTON'S MINUTE MEN.
An Interesting Historical Document

Brought to Light
There has just been discovered at the
public library brief document which
has more than a passing interest for
the antiquary or the student of our To-
cal and town history of ante-revolutIon-
airy days. 1t is the roll of the minute
men Of the town of Upton, with the OBJ
legations of the officers and privates,
and bears date: Upton, Sept 10, 1I7s. &"
1t opens as follows.
I'VE that have been made choice Of
officers to learn and instruct you in the
military art, we do promis severaly that
for ourselves we will meet YOU at time
and place that shall be appointed for
said purpose and that we will instruct
you to the best of our capacity, and If
we do not appear on said DAYS we that
are your head officers hereby become
obligated to pay fine of three Shillings
each if we cannot give Sufficient Rea-
sons therefor to the Satisfaction of the
Committee chosen for that purpose
1--WE, the Clerk and Sergeants, do
likewise promise to pay fine of two
Shillings each for our absence on said
days, upon our not offering Sufficient
Reason to said Committee.
ALSO, we do promise that neither Of
US will go TO the tavern on said days, il
we do we thereby become liable 70 pay
the above said fine; in witness whereof
we have hereunto set our hands
''Signed) Capt Thomas Mar Baker,
Lieut. Levi Legg, Ensign Francis Bow
man, Clerk David Kelley, Sergt Moses
Hayward, Sergt Arthur Palmer. Sergt.
Benin Sadler, Sergt BENZ Potter"
Then comes the obligations OF the
"high privates," which takes on this
form:
Owe, the subscribers, whose names
are underwritten, do bind ourselves to
the due observance of the following ar
ticles, being in full force for the space
of one year, viz:
''First-NYe promise to obey our Off
GERS when under arms We promise
also to behave ourselves decentiy to-
ward one another.
''Secondly-We promise 20 dress our
selves as decently as our circumstances
will admit of, and 10 appear at time
and place that shall be agreed upon.
''Thirdly-We promise not 70 shoot
any powder when we are embodied. or
after we are dismissed that night, with
out the express order or leave of our
officers
"Fonrthly-We promise not to go 70
the tavern after we are dismissed that
night to spend our time and money.
t4E-iftIt,r I'D - - 10
guilty of the breach of any Of these ar
ticles he or they shall be fined l shiIl-
ing, unless he or they shall give a sufi-
cient reason therefor, and TO bs deter
mined by ths committee chosen for that
purpose
"Sixthly-We do empower the clerk
of this company 70 collect such fines a.
shall be due, as above said, within &c
days, 10 buy or repair such warlike in
struments as said committee shall think
proper, in whereof We have hereuntc
set our hands
Signed, Joseph Pearce, Robert Fisk,
Sherebriclc Baker, Joshua Teaney,
Eleazer Hogg, Benjamin Fisk, Jr.,
James FlagR. Jr. Nathan Bracket, Jo-
nas Warren, 81, Seth Sadler. Temnas
Barnes, James Hayward, Elisha Brad
ism, Moses Wood, Jr.. Aaron Wood
Samuel Addans, Jonathan Gay. Enoch
Furbush, Peter Furbush, Daniel Wood,
Jr., Jonathan Bracket, Aaron Warren.
Jr., Elisha Warren. Abel Sadler, Jr.,
Samuel Furbush, Jonathan Warm.
Seth Warren, James Bracket Stephen
Warren Obadiah Bates
Francis oman. Robert Fisk. Moses
Hayward, BENJAMIN Fisk, Thomas Mar.
shall Baker, committee for said com
pany.
Upton, September, II. 1772"
II will be noticed that the grannat
.cal construction Of some Of the Ecn-
fences Is tr.fe loose, bat, no donbt, /
the men IN those times that tried ulen'i +.
souls fought just as well as Il they wers /
familiar with the rules Of gramrnsr as 1
was the late Lindley Murray himself (
Boston Herald