
Northbridge in the Revolutionary
War Period
by Carolyn Lavallee
August 2014
According to Hurd’s Worcester County History, Peter Aldrich was an original settler in 1710 in the Quaker Street section of Northbridge.
“..Peter Aldrich was probably the 1st resident of what became Northbridge. Other early settlers were John and James Adams and Christopher Winter.”
Northbridge was officially incorporated on July 14, 1772. The town was once part of Mendon (1667 to 1726) and part of Uxbridge (1727 to 1772). It is located on the north side of Uxbridge and thereby got its name. Until 1786 it was called a district. By 1774 the population was 481 men, women and children. (Source: 1)
On August 25, 1774 the Town organized the Committee of Correspondence. The Committee included Josiah Wood, Lemuel Powers, and Samuel Baldwin. Of note, Lemuel Powers was an ancestor of Abigail Powers Fillmore, 13th First Lady of the United States.* The whole Town voted to collect guns, gun powder, and bullets and delegated David Batcheller to buy a barrel of gun powder, and lead and flints.
Northbridge also voted not to import nor consume any English goods. There were 10 families who were Quakers and did not believe in fighting, but gave material and taxes toward material and served as Town officials. The town sent clothes and blankets equal to 1/10 of the population for several years. (Source: 2)
Sixteen men served at Lexington and Concord, and marched under the command of Capt. Josiah Wood, who also let the militia to Roxbury. Captain David Batcheller led the town to Providence RI, West Point, Hudson and Peekskill battles. They also served in Boston before the evacuation, and the Ft. Ticonderoga and Burgongns Surrender. (Source: 2)
When the Centennial Army was unable to meet its obligations, the Captain’s wife, Abigail Bacon Batcheller, mortgaged the farm on Benson Road to pay the wages of the soldiers. The mortgage went unpaid for 50 years while the country recovered from the Revolution. (Source: 2)
The population at that time was 481, men women and children. Seventy seven were men. By 1790 the population was 569. For enlistment quotas 1/7 of the male population over 16 years of age had to serve during the 8 years of war. That was 11 to 12 men at any one time. A total of 116 men served in many battles during the 8 years of war. The town had to hire men outside of town in order to meet their enlistment quotas. (Source: 2) Women were very important to the support of the army. They made cloth garments, blankets, grew and prepared food and filled gun cartages. They often had to take care of the farm or business while the men in the family were called to serve. (Source: 3)
143 men from Northbridge enlisted as Revolutionary Soldiers. Click here to see their names.
Service was often a matter of days or weeks. Most men would go for a short period and return to take care of business. Often it was the poor youth who were paid a bounty to go for the older business men and farmers. They were committed to serve 3 years in the Centennial Army. Israel Taft joined the Army at 16 years of age as a substitute for his father. He served in several campaigns, including West Point and other places along the Hudson. (Source: 2)
According to Town records John Hopkins, Joseph Wood and Amos White died while in the Centennial Army serving under Captain David Batcheller. (Source: 4) However, State of Massachusetts enlistment records do not confirm the death of John Hopkins or Joseph Wood. (Source: 5) The graves of many Revolutionary War Veterans can be found in Northbridge Center, Cooper Road and Carr Street Cemeteries.
After the war Captain David Batcheller was elevated to a Major and was thereafter known about town as Major Batcheller. His family home was located on Benson road across from the Olson house. His grave is in Northbridge Center Cemetery.
*Note: Abigail Powers Fillmore, the granddaughter of Abigail & Lemuel Powers Jr. of Northbridge, married Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States. Lemuel Powers served in the Revolution and is buried at the Northbridge Center Cemetery. Her Great Grandparents were Thankful Leland and Lemuel Powers. Lemuel Powers was a town meeting official at the 1st Town Meeting.
Sources:
1. Town of Northbridge-Bicentennial Commemorative Journal 1772-1972, Spaulding R. Aldrich, Editor
Northbridge-by Peter Hackett P.11-13.
a. Charles O. Batcheller- Northbridge Historical Notes. 1660-1875: handwritten notes at Whitinsville Social Library.
b. Selectmen’s meeting minutes 1772-1783: Town Hall Northbridge.
c. History of Worcester County, Volume I, D. Hurd, 1989, Northbridge section by John R. Thurston, Whitinsville Social Library.
d. History of Worcester County. Peter Whitney, 1994 Worcester Public Library.
e. History of Worcester County, Volume II, C.F. Jewett 1879. Northbridge Section by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin, Whitinsville Social Library.
f. Annuls of the Town of Mendon, 1659-1880, John G. Medcalf ,M.D. , Whitinsville Social Library.
g. History of the Town of Sutton, 1704-1876, Rev. William Benedict and Rev. Hiram A. Tracy: Whitinsville Social Library.
h. Old Friends and New: Jane Dudley and William Emerson 1906. Pictorial Book: Whitinsville Social Library.
2. Town of Northbridge- Bicentennial Commemorative Journal 1772-1972, Spaulding R. Aldrich, Editor.
“Short Sketches” From the lives of Revolutionary War Soldiers. By Clara Fletcher Wood, Abigail Batcheller Chapter, Northbridge, Daughters of the American Revolution. Mrs. Wood was on the National Research Committee of the DAR and written about 1920. p. 29-31.
3. A Peoples' History of the American Revolution. Ray Raphael. P. 139
4. Selectmen’s Minutes, Town of Northbridge, 1772-1783.
5. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. , Whitinsville Social Library, History Room.
by Carolyn Lavallee
August 2014
According to Hurd’s Worcester County History, Peter Aldrich was an original settler in 1710 in the Quaker Street section of Northbridge.
“..Peter Aldrich was probably the 1st resident of what became Northbridge. Other early settlers were John and James Adams and Christopher Winter.”
Northbridge was officially incorporated on July 14, 1772. The town was once part of Mendon (1667 to 1726) and part of Uxbridge (1727 to 1772). It is located on the north side of Uxbridge and thereby got its name. Until 1786 it was called a district. By 1774 the population was 481 men, women and children. (Source: 1)
On August 25, 1774 the Town organized the Committee of Correspondence. The Committee included Josiah Wood, Lemuel Powers, and Samuel Baldwin. Of note, Lemuel Powers was an ancestor of Abigail Powers Fillmore, 13th First Lady of the United States.* The whole Town voted to collect guns, gun powder, and bullets and delegated David Batcheller to buy a barrel of gun powder, and lead and flints.
Northbridge also voted not to import nor consume any English goods. There were 10 families who were Quakers and did not believe in fighting, but gave material and taxes toward material and served as Town officials. The town sent clothes and blankets equal to 1/10 of the population for several years. (Source: 2)
Sixteen men served at Lexington and Concord, and marched under the command of Capt. Josiah Wood, who also let the militia to Roxbury. Captain David Batcheller led the town to Providence RI, West Point, Hudson and Peekskill battles. They also served in Boston before the evacuation, and the Ft. Ticonderoga and Burgongns Surrender. (Source: 2)
When the Centennial Army was unable to meet its obligations, the Captain’s wife, Abigail Bacon Batcheller, mortgaged the farm on Benson Road to pay the wages of the soldiers. The mortgage went unpaid for 50 years while the country recovered from the Revolution. (Source: 2)
The population at that time was 481, men women and children. Seventy seven were men. By 1790 the population was 569. For enlistment quotas 1/7 of the male population over 16 years of age had to serve during the 8 years of war. That was 11 to 12 men at any one time. A total of 116 men served in many battles during the 8 years of war. The town had to hire men outside of town in order to meet their enlistment quotas. (Source: 2) Women were very important to the support of the army. They made cloth garments, blankets, grew and prepared food and filled gun cartages. They often had to take care of the farm or business while the men in the family were called to serve. (Source: 3)
143 men from Northbridge enlisted as Revolutionary Soldiers. Click here to see their names.
Service was often a matter of days or weeks. Most men would go for a short period and return to take care of business. Often it was the poor youth who were paid a bounty to go for the older business men and farmers. They were committed to serve 3 years in the Centennial Army. Israel Taft joined the Army at 16 years of age as a substitute for his father. He served in several campaigns, including West Point and other places along the Hudson. (Source: 2)
According to Town records John Hopkins, Joseph Wood and Amos White died while in the Centennial Army serving under Captain David Batcheller. (Source: 4) However, State of Massachusetts enlistment records do not confirm the death of John Hopkins or Joseph Wood. (Source: 5) The graves of many Revolutionary War Veterans can be found in Northbridge Center, Cooper Road and Carr Street Cemeteries.
After the war Captain David Batcheller was elevated to a Major and was thereafter known about town as Major Batcheller. His family home was located on Benson road across from the Olson house. His grave is in Northbridge Center Cemetery.
*Note: Abigail Powers Fillmore, the granddaughter of Abigail & Lemuel Powers Jr. of Northbridge, married Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States. Lemuel Powers served in the Revolution and is buried at the Northbridge Center Cemetery. Her Great Grandparents were Thankful Leland and Lemuel Powers. Lemuel Powers was a town meeting official at the 1st Town Meeting.
Sources:
1. Town of Northbridge-Bicentennial Commemorative Journal 1772-1972, Spaulding R. Aldrich, Editor
Northbridge-by Peter Hackett P.11-13.
a. Charles O. Batcheller- Northbridge Historical Notes. 1660-1875: handwritten notes at Whitinsville Social Library.
b. Selectmen’s meeting minutes 1772-1783: Town Hall Northbridge.
c. History of Worcester County, Volume I, D. Hurd, 1989, Northbridge section by John R. Thurston, Whitinsville Social Library.
d. History of Worcester County. Peter Whitney, 1994 Worcester Public Library.
e. History of Worcester County, Volume II, C.F. Jewett 1879. Northbridge Section by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin, Whitinsville Social Library.
f. Annuls of the Town of Mendon, 1659-1880, John G. Medcalf ,M.D. , Whitinsville Social Library.
g. History of the Town of Sutton, 1704-1876, Rev. William Benedict and Rev. Hiram A. Tracy: Whitinsville Social Library.
h. Old Friends and New: Jane Dudley and William Emerson 1906. Pictorial Book: Whitinsville Social Library.
2. Town of Northbridge- Bicentennial Commemorative Journal 1772-1972, Spaulding R. Aldrich, Editor.
“Short Sketches” From the lives of Revolutionary War Soldiers. By Clara Fletcher Wood, Abigail Batcheller Chapter, Northbridge, Daughters of the American Revolution. Mrs. Wood was on the National Research Committee of the DAR and written about 1920. p. 29-31.
3. A Peoples' History of the American Revolution. Ray Raphael. P. 139
4. Selectmen’s Minutes, Town of Northbridge, 1772-1783.
5. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. , Whitinsville Social Library, History Room.