The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-13
H0N0RED
A Local Hero
of '76.
/. VALIANT SOLDIER.
Quebec, Saratoga, Monmouth
"A Romantic Marriage.


w Va NhC 4Jlu VI april loolbs the oOJn an
adversary of Concord and Lexington,
lhe city government and the people of
worcester assembled on the common
No dedicate a monument to the memory
.sDf their most famous revolutionary sol
Y lier. This was Col Timothy Bigelow,
who was no less bold and active in the
Y POLITICAL agitation which led to the ex-
siting events of '76 than he was valiant
md efficient in war.
Two hours after the ceremonies of
dedication were over, and the monu-
ment had been transferred to the city
for perpetual care and maintenance,
came the news that the Sixth regiment,
which included the Worcester Light
Infantry, had been mobbed in the
streets Of Baltimore, and three Massa-
chusetts soldiers had been killed
That day is crowded with dramatic
memories for Worcester. In this year
of war and foreign conquest, it is per-
tinent to recall the services of the SOL
dieHs who won freedom for America
and to recount the triumphs of our own
revolutionary heroes. Worcester did
her share in this, the first of our ma
tional wars. About 1875 Worcester men
We're in Washington's army at the
siege of Boston, and in the seven years
that interviewed between Boston and
Yorktown, more than one-half of the
adult male population of the town are
said to have been under arms against
King George.
Timothy Bigelow was born in Wor-
cester, Aug. 2, 1893. He died in Worces-
ter JAIL March 81, 1890, and the manner
of his death is less discredit to the old
soldier than to the men of his time.
Worn out in body, broken in fortune,
disheartened by the death of a favorite
son and by his numerous misfortunes,
he fell into debt and became the victim
of creditors to whom historians have
applied hard names. He learned the
blacksmith's trade in youth, and though
he married an heiresS of considerable
fortune for those days his private
means were seriously impaired in the
service of the colonies, and his pay as
soldier being in arrears, this colonel
of a continental regiment returned
from the war so poor that he was
forced to resort to the forge again to
earn his daily bread.
When the troubles between the colo
MES and the mother country became
acute, Timothy Bigelow entered
promptly and eagerly into the struggle.
In 1873 he was made one of a commit
tee of FIVE to report to the town upon
the grievances of the province Other
well known Worcester names appear
upon the committee list. These are
William Young, David Bancroft, Sam
uel Curtis and Stephen Salisbury. one
of their recommendations was the
formation of a committee OF corre-
70 n cir q >
local committees throughout the colo
ny. and of this committee Bigelow was
a member At a meeting held in the
Old South Church, resolutions that were
considered revolutionary and even
reasonable were presented for adop-
ton, but Bigelow carried them through.
despite the elaborate argument OF
James Putnam, the pest laWyer IA
North America" Courage was required
IN champion the colonial cause in Wor-
cester. for the records say that the
wealth and education of the town were
found largely among the tories or 10y
alists, as indeed was the case in Bos-
ton. New York and many another town.
This was distinctly revolution OF the
people.
Tn August. 1774, a company of minute
men was enrolled in Worcester, and
Ripelow was unanimously elected cap
tain Eight months later, or on April ~
1775. at IL o'clock in the morning, TO
quote one authority, horseman rode
into Worcester announcing the BRUSH
attack on Concord and Lexington. Blge-
low and his Company, true TO their
name of minute men, assembled at once
and after prayer by the Rev. Thaddeus
Maccarty. of the Old South Church
started to the rescue of capt. Parker
and Mai. Buttrick's men, who had al
ready met Col. Smith and Maj. Pit
CAIRNS regulars at Lexington green and
Concord bridge. AT SUDBURY BlgeioW
learned of the repulse of the British
and there a second company of Worces-
fer men under Capt. Benz. Flagg, Joined
him. together they pushed on to Cam
bridge and when subsequently wash
dngton took command and held re-
view of the troops concentrated Tor the
siege of Boston, he specially compll-
1nented Bigelow. and his men. 'This IS
discipline, indeed" are the words which
tradition says were used by the COM
Ynander in chief.
As result of the efficiency of his
company, Bigelow was made a major,
and the Worcester company was incor-
porated in Col. Jonathan Wards regi-
9nent. Its position was on the right of
the line of investment, out on Dorches-
ter heights, not towards Charlestown
ana Bunker hill.
when Arnold started on his enter
prising and courageous but iH-starred
expedition for the reduction of Quebec,
Bigelow and Capt. Jonas Hubbard, who
succeeded him in command of the Wor-
eester company, volunteered with IL
other worcester men. Bigelow was as
s signed to command one of the three
dfvisions Of Arnold's column, which
was to penetrate the Maine wilderness
and invest Quebec on the east, while
Motngomery came up from Ticonderoga
ia shut In the city on the west.
The expedition might be likened to
Napoleon's Russian campaign. The men
suffered cruelty from exposure, fatigue
dogs and chew boots and harness in
order to sustain the breath of life.
They set sail from Newburyport, Sept
10. i775. and landed near the site of
Augusta, on the Kennebec river At the
head waters of that stream is an emf
nence named Mount Bigelow, in honor
Of the Worcester major Arnold Or
dered him to climb the hill to see if
he could descry Quebec, but there was
only the wilderness. as far as the eye
could discern. Arnold arrived at Quebec
Nov f3, hut being short of men and
Ammunition, had to sit down and wait
for Montgomery, who had already
taken Montreal. In the assault which
took place Dec. 81, in a driving Snow
storm, Montgomery was killed, Arnold
was wounded. and Bigelow was taken
prisoner. probably after he had pene-
rated the city with Morgan and his
handful of Virginia rifiemen Hubbard
was MORALLY wounded in the assault
and was buried in alien soil Sergt.
Gilas Wesson and Private Timothy
Tice Of worcester were also killed.
,ofY a q