Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-08
NEWT NE.
Fought for Freedom.
"Reminiscences of Some Revolutionary
Soldiers who Bought wild Lands In
This County soon AFTER the War.

RemInIscen ces of Some Re evolutionary
Soldiers who Bought wild Lands In
This County soon Aner the War.
Rev. II. NJ. Dexter, editor OF the Con-
gregationalist, at his death left a manu-
script history of the Dexter family from
which | quote: Thomas Dexaer landed
in this country from England about 1880,
having, it seems nearly certain, come over
with the large immigration headed by
Dudley and Winthrop. he became at
once one of the first settlers of Lynn,
Mass, taking up 500 acres of land. He
signed the first deed now on the Essex
county registry. He soon built mill
and a weir on the Saugus river, and be-
fore long bought the peninsular of Nahant
of the Indian Sachem Poquanum or Black
WILL"
Descended from the original Thomas in
the fifth generation were two brothers,
David and Jonathan Dexter, who came up
TO Newfane Hill from "old' Rochester,
Mass, soon after the close of the Revolu-
tionary war. David the elder brother,
entering the army at 10 had served through
the war, having taken the place of broth
er with family, who was drafted. David
was born June II, 1850, and married Mary
Butler of Martha's Vineyard, April II,
1850. Coming to Newfane Hill the broth
ers bought wild land of Luke Knowlton in
| what is now Dover, but was then Wards
boro, and cleared up adjoining farms af-
forwards known as the Col. Woods farm
and the Bradley place.
While living on Newfane Hill, David
Dexter's oldest child, Charles Dexter,
father of Chester and Avery Dexter, was
born Oct. 3, 1888, four years before the
removal of the Shire from Westminster to
! Newfane Hill. When the home was
ready David moved with his wife and
baby TO Dover, their only path marked by
blazed trees. Coming back to Newfane
| Hill he worked by the day for Deacon
Moses Kenny, taking his pay in corn,
which was ground in the mill, the remains
of which nay still be seen at the outlet Of
Kenny pond near Joel CIRCUITS. He took
the bag of meal on his back and followed
the blazed trees to his home.
Jonathan Dexter, born Sept. :, 1862,
father of Joseph Dexter Of Williamsville,
married Hannah Church of Newfane for
his first wife and Dolly White of Wards
boro, Nov. II, 1900 for his second. An
incident is told Of his pioneer life in the
Dover wilderness: AwakeIe one night by
a commotion in his pigpen, he seized a
/ brand from the fireplace ana Tusneu Oul
Just in time TO see bear drag a porker
upon which he depended for winter meat
over the fence and disappear in the forest
He could do nothing but throw the fir
brand after the bear and retire.
David Dexter, while serving in tn,
Revolutionary war, witnessed the hanging
of Major Andre at West Point in l7S0
This, his grandson, Avery Dexter, late o
Wardsboro, has often heard him tell, an,
that "Gen. Washington was present, anC
wept like a child, and grandfather would
tell it over, and cry like child himself.
Gardner Howe of Shrewsbury, Mass.
born Nov. 20, 1853, grandfather of NJ. o
Howe of Newfane, also served in the wa
of the Revolution, and was also present a
the execution of Major Andre. He mar
red Abigail Sherman in 1889 and cleared
up from the primeval forest the How,
homestead in Dover where he died July
1854, age "a years months.
In the same graveyard at Dover Centr'
lies his old comrade, David Dexter, whC
departed this life Sept. IA of the sam,
year, aged "a. G.