The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-05-25


on the extreme verge of civilization. He
appears to have been an active, busy cltl-
zen, holding the offices of constable and Sc
| lectman, as well as others whose titles are
almost meaningless to our ears, OF deer
reeve, field driver and tything-man. HIS
members of the First church. They had
thirteen children, eight of whom were sons,
The youngest was drowned in 1773; the
other seven served in the Revolutionary
war, in one way or another. One was at
! Bunker Hill. AS if he had not seen fight
ing enough in his life, we find Richard at
| 81, enlisted in Col. Thomas Johnson COM
pany of minute men in l775 He died IN
| 1884, in his list year. His descendants are
very numerous in all this region, and others
have, inheriting the restless qualities OF
their race, wandered to all parts OF the
country; some very prominent people are
among them. Five of his sons are buried
near him.
| A daughter of Richard Chamberlain mar
ried John Foreman, a native of Maryland,
who served seven years in the French and
Indian war. In the spring of 1853, he, with
two others, left Three Rivers to make their
way through the wilderness toward their
homes. They became lost in the woods,
and wandered nearly six months, subslst-
| ing upon wild fruits and game. At one
time they came so near starvation that they
sat down on fallen tree to decide by lot
which of the three should be food for the
others. While thus engaged they saw a
moose and two calves. They shot and Sc
cured the mother and one calf, remaining
at that place some days, recruiting their
strength, and preparing their meat so that
it could be more easily carried. They also
carried their small stock of silver money as
burden. Soon after resumlng their jour
ney they reached the head waters of the
Connecticut, and after many days came to
the meadows in Haverhill, to one of which
they gave its name by shooting a horse
which they found feeding there. A few
hours later, the three, more dead than alive,
made their appearance in the little settle
ment ON the Ok Bow. They gave up one
or more of their guns in payment for the
horse they had shot, but The settlers, on
learning their story, raised a subscription,
paid for the horse and restored their guns.
1t is said that FOreman's gun was carried
by Silas Chamberlain at Bunker Hill. John
Foreman married Rebecca Chamberlain in
1854. They afterward removed TO Bath,
settling near the mouth of the AmonOoSuc.
He served in the Revolutionary war, and
after his death in 1892, most of the family
removed to western New York. Their
name is now spelled Farman, and among
their numerous descendants is Hon. E. E.
Farman of Warsaw, V. g., lawyer, jurist
at Cairo, and Judge on the part of the Unit
ed States, of Mixed Tribunals of Egypt. In
these important positions he has rendered
this country valuable services. He also
prepared what is known as the "Farman
Collections of Egyptian antiquities" in the
Metropolitan Art Museum in New York,
and it was through his inStrumentality that
the Obelisk was secured for Central Park.
[ am indebted to the courtesy of Judge
Farman for these particulars regarding his
ancestor, John Foreman, which add cousid-
erably to what is said of him in the "His-
tory of Coos"
Nehemiah LoveweIl, who is buried near
the driveway which crosses the older part
of the cemetery, came, like Richard Cham
berlain, of fighting stock. His great grand
father. John LOvewell, was an ensign in
CromwelPS army, who, coming to America,
settled at Dunstable, N. Ii. He lived to the
remarkable age of 100 years. Hisson, John
was the hero of the famous battle with the
Indians at LovewelPs pond, near Frysburg,
Me, in 1925. Nehemiah, son of the latter,
was a captain in the Old French war. He
came to Newbury before 1878, afterwards
removing to Corinth, and several of his
children settled there. He also held the
his son, bearing the same name, who lived
here.
The frame of Col. T. Johnson's house on
the Ok Bow, where the Heaths live now;
was raised the day the news of the battle of
Lexington reached Newbury. Three young
Nehemiah LOvewell, Jr., started at once for
the seat of war and were at the battle of
Bunker Hill, in Col. Reeds regiment of
Starks brigade. johnson was wounded,
the others escaped unframed.
In 1777. he was in Canada with Col. Be-
delPs regiment as captain, and was sent
in company with Capt. John Powell of
to St John, across the enemy's
lines with a flag of truce. They were ar
rested as spies, sent to Montreal and i'm
prisoned nearly year. They suffered |
many privatiOns, and to relieve their neces-
stiles drew an order upon Col. Bedell for
$50. In 1898, Bedell being dead, suit was
brought against the two men for that sum
and interest which they were compelled to |
repay. They petitiOned the General AS |
sembly for relief. which admitted the JUS |
tice of their case, but denied the petition on |
the ground that the matter belonged to
Congress.
In the summer of 1881 when an invasion
Of New England was expected from Can
ada, he was sent with two companies of |
militia to Peacham to guard the HaZen |
SOad. He seems to have been quite prom
inent man here in the latter years of the |
and kept tavern in what is now the |
Sawyer House. He died in 1901 in his 50tn
year. His widow, the first white child born
In Newbury, survived him 40 years. 1t may
be mentioned In proof of his personal pop
ularity, that for several years after his
death number of children were named for
Nehemiah Lovewell.
After the death of DR.. Samuel White.
which occurred Jan. %, 1S4S, on jefferson
Hill, in his 98th year, Thomas Mellen,
who is buried near the middle gate. was left
the last Revolutionary soldier in Newbury.
He worked on Gen. John Stark's farm
while young man, and was one of his body
guard in the expedition to Canada. His
name has place in history from the fol-
lowing circumstance:
In 1913, Rev. James ID. Butler. professor
in Middlebury college, supplying the pull
pit at Wells River, was appointed by the
General Assembly to address that body up
on the occasion of the cannon captured at
Bennington being placed in the State House
at Montpelier. He learned that survivor
of that battle was still living i'm this town,
and visiting Mr.. Mellen, obtained from
him full account of his connection with that
1t is too long to quote from in
this place, but may be found entire in Ca
leb Stark's life of Gen, John Stark, pages
$685. Most of the the later historians of
Burgoyne's campaign have made use of his
recollections, and both President Bartlett in
his Centennial address at Bennington I'M
1877, and Ex-Minister Phelps, at the dedi-
cation of the monument, allude to 'the mar
rative of Thomas Mellen" He died Jan, 81