Rochester, New Hampshire
Civil War Facts
The
First To Enlist From Rochester
Joseph
D. Horn
As soon
as he heard of Fort Sumter being fired upon he left for Lawrence, Mass., and
eagerly stepped forward to help fill a company in the 6th Mass. After surviving his
enlistment of three months he re-enlisted for three years and was promoted to a
sergeant, in the 26th
Mass., and he died in New Orleans of disease on August 25,1864. His name
deserves the honor of being cherished in our memories for generations to come.
May we hope that at some future time, when the trials of this day and
generations are passed, and peace and prosperity and the blessings of an
undivided country once more smiles upon us, that his native town may not forget
to appropriately honor the memories of her fallen patriotic sons, and let at
the apex, of the pyramid of names, be found that of the noble volunteer who
first enlisted from Rochester.
Friday, April 21,1865
DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT
Notice of the Event in Rochester
Services at Congregational Church
The death of President Lincoln was received in Rochester
on Saturday noon, and cast a deep gloom over the community. The appalling
circumstances of his death seemed to strike everyone with terror and it could
scarcely be realized. Our little
business community was dressed in mourning all work was suspended, the flags
were hoisted at half mast draped with crape, and the people went about with a
sad and downcast faces, relating the particulars of the assassination to astounded
crowds on the corners of all the streets and in all public places. No business
was transacted and no work was done.
On Wednesday the day of the funeral, in pursuance of the
Proclamation to that effect, arrangements were made to observe the day in a
fitting and proper manner. A preliminary meeting was held on Monday evening,
after the lecture and a committee of citizens consisting of Messrs. Jas. H.
Edgerly, J.H. Ella, Dr. Jas. Farrington, E.G. Wallace, J.F. Place and Henry
Sondheim were appointed to make the proper arrangements. That committee decided
upon a public meeting at the Congregational Church and invited John McDuffee
Esq., to preside.
On Wednesday at the appointed hour, public notice of the meeting
and of the proper observance of the day having been given under authority of
the Selectmen, there was a large attendance of people in the village and from
different sections of the town. The order of exercises we give below:
The Church was very appropriately draped in mourning and
in back of the altar were large portraits of Washington and Lincoln, adorned
with drapery and rosettes of lace and pendants, while the front of the organ
was a splendid specimen of the Stars and Stripes. Mr. McDuffee, in opening the
meeting made a few timely remarks touching the occasion which had called the
people together, and its import and solemnity to all hearts. He closed by
reading the Governor’s Proclamation in relation to a public observance of the
day of the funeral obsequies of the President. Rev. W.T. Smith then read a
portion of scriptures and offered an appropriate prayer.
After singing by the congregational Choir, Rev. Fay
proceeded to deliver his address. Rev. Fay occupied some three fourths of an
hour in its delivery and was listened to most attentively throughout. He eluded
very feelingly to the President and his many virtues, to the trials and
responsibilities of his position and to the only reward which vile traitors
gave him for his goodness of heart towards him.
After the close of his address, and singing by the choir,
Rev. Smith made some appropriate remarks, alluding to the time and occasion and
severely denouncing the conspiracy, and the assassin, and eulogizing the
virtues of our beloved President, who had been so foully murdered.
As he concluded, Hon. J.H. Ella, on behalf of the
Committee of Citizens gave a brief speech alluding to the Presidents death and
to the universal depression and grief, which it had brought upon the people.
May 6,1870
Memorial Day
To the Citizens of Rochester
By Order of the Grand Commander of the National
Encampment of the G.A.R., the 30th of May will be served as
Decoration Day.
The officers and Comrades of Sampson Post, No. 22, of
this place, deem it a sacred duty resting upon them as survivors of the many
brave soldiers and Sailors who went forth to fight the battles of their
country, many of whom are now sleeping in our cemeteries, that this day should
be observed by them, by appropriate ceremonies (so that the memory of our
fallen comrades shall be cherished and that a lesson of patriotism and love of
their country be imparted to the rising generation, into whose hands the destiny
of this country must fall) and knowing the patriotism of the citizens of
Rochester and with the assurance of their full sympathy in this duty that we
owe our fallen comrades: they have no hesitation in asking their aid and
cooperation.
Committees will be appointed to wait upon the citizens and give such assistance as may be required.
Contributions of Flowers, Evergreens &c., are
earnestly requested. Places will be designated, where the flowers may be left.
Persons wishing to contribute flowers for the special
decoration of the graves of friends should attach the names of the friend on
whose grave they desire the flowers to be deposited.
It is the desire of the Post to decorate the grave of
every soldier and Sailor who dies in the late war or who has dies since and is
buried in the immediate vicinity of this village; and in order that none may be
over looked, parties having friends buried here, will please leave their names
at the Courier Office or at the Office of Noah Tebbetts, Esq., or with any
other comrade of the Post.
Per order,
Edwin F. Ricker
Chairman of Com.
Rochester, May
5,1870
May 27 1870
Decoration Day
The Officers and Comrades of the Post will meet at
Headquarters, on Monday, May 30, at 10 o’clock A.M., where they will form as a
Company of Infantry, and at 11 o’clock and will carry out the following.
PROGRAMME:
Presentation of the flag by the ladies of Rochester on
Central Square, at 11 1-2 o’clock.
The Post, preceded by the East Rochester Cornet Band will
march by the following route: From Central Square to the grave of Lieut. John
C. Sampson. Returning decorate the grave of private Jonathan Jenness, then down
Main Street to the old Cemetery – thence to the new cemetery where will be
Prayers, Singing by the Rochester Glee Club, Music by the Band and addresses by
the citizens.
The oration will be delivered by Frank McDuffee, Esq., at
the Town Hall at 8 o’clock P.M., to which all are cordially invited; the band
and Glee Club will be in attendance.
A detail of comrades will decorate the graves, outside of
the village limits early in the morning.
This is the first public observance in Rochester, of a
day, which has become marked and national for this sacred occasion. The
officers and comrades of Sampson Post, intend that the ceremonies on this day
shall be such as to reflect credit upon themselves and honor to the town; and
to further this object they desire the attendance of every one upon this
occasion, thereby showing their sympathy and appreciation of our humble efforts
to remember the deaths of our fallen comrades and they extend an invitation to
all honorably discharged soldiers and sailors and to citizens generally to join
in the procession.
Contribution of flowers may be left at Miss M.A.
Sanborn’s Millinery Store. Special decorations should be marked.
Speak not of Things of Which Ye Know Nothing
We learned that some of our citizens whose sympathies
were never very strong for our Soldiers, were mourning over the extravagance
displayed on Memorial Day; said one of them in conversation with an
acquaintance, “This day will be awful expensive to the town, our taxes will be
terrible next year, for the town has got to pay for all the flowers, for the
music, and the soldiers for their time spent today – Oh Dear, what are we
coming to? We hope this person will lose no sleep in his anxiety on account of
taxes, as we have not yet reached standing so high, that the towns are to pay
the expenses of the observances of Memorial Day.
July 24, 1885
Gen. U. S. Grant Dead
General Grant, the nation’s hero, died at Mt. McGregor,
Thursday morning at 7:56 o’clock. Just nine months ago the general, who had met
face to face with death on so many battlefields, called upon Dr. Douglas and
showed him his throat, in which the cancer had fastened. From that day until
now a nation, the whole-civilized world has bung up the words transmitted over
the wires announcing the condition of the slowly dying hero. They saw in him
one who, from the humblest walks of life, had become the second father of his
country, and they placed his name beside that of the immortal Washington. The
people are familiar with his history, and while they remembered the battles for
the Union, yet during sickness they saw him as one who was guided by faith and
matchless fortitude. He is dead, but he has left a record; his words remain,
his example survives. The nation bows to the will of Providence, and holds in
grateful remembrances the memory and fame of U. S. Grant. The bells in every
city, village and hamlet have already tolled peals of sorrow tones, each
cadence saying farewell, farewell, patriot, statesman, and friend.
Rochester
G.A.R. Drapes Flag
Immediately upon the news reaching Rochester of the Death
of Gen. Grant, the Grand Army flag, draped with crape, was displayed from the
headquarters of Sampson Post. The bells were tolled at 12 o’clock, and several
places of business were draped in mourning.
Memorial
Service in Rochester for General Grant
There will be a memorial service on the death of General
Grant at the Congregational Church next Sunday at 3 P. M., the Rev. Geo will
deliver the address. A. Mills. Other clergymen will take part in the exercises.
Col. Whitehouse will conduct singing. Sampson Post, G.A.R., will attend in a
body. All veterans are invited to meet with the post at headquarters at 2 P. M.
October 21,1892
Columbus Day
It will be observed as a Great Day in this City
If the weather is fine Columbus Day will be celebrated in
Rochester on a grand scale.
In the forenoon will be the public school exercises, as
previously announced.
At eleven o’clock the grand parade will be formed under
the command of Quartermaster E.W. Emerson, with Capt. I.D. Piercy as his chief
of staff and John M. Pingree, E.W. Brock, Frank Hussey, Isadore Marcotte and
Joseph Wingate as aids. The order will be as follows:
Platoon of Police; Chief Marshal and Aids; American Band;
Sturtevant Guards, Co. E, N.H.N.G.; Sampson Post, No. 22, G.A.R.; Democratic
Drum Corps, City Fire Department, Rochester Cadet Band, St. Jean Baptist
Society; Republican Drum Corps; School Children; Merchants’ displays and the
Mayor and city council in carriages.
The procession will start from the square, march down
Main Street, over Liberty, down Charles, over Academy, down Main to the
Commons, and countermarch up Main and Market to the park.
At the park there will be fine horse trotting as previously
advertised a grand clambake and athletic sports. In the evening a concert will
be given in Hayes’ Opera House by local talent, assisted by Mrs. Lucia Meade
Priest, and in McDuffee Hall a grand ball will be given. Admission to the
entire day’s attractions is only one dollar for adults, 50 cents for children.
Separate admissions are as follows: To the park, adults 35 cents, children 25
cents; carriages 15 cents; grand stand 15 cents; clam bake 50 cents; concert 25
cents; ball 50 cents. There are reduced fares on all railroads.
Memorial
Day in Rochester - 1910
May
27,1910
TO
HONOR SAILORS
New
Departure in the Observance of Memorial Day to be Made This Year.
The observance of Memorial Day this year will be marked by one
new departure for this place, although similar ceremonies have been held
elsewhere on many occasions.
The procession in the afternoon, on its return from the
soldiers’ monument and cemetery, will march up to the stone bridge on Main St.,
where the relief corps will strew flowers upon the water in memory of the
sailors who gave their lives to preserve our nation.
The other exercises of the day will be much as usual. The orator
will be Major David E. Proctor of Wilton, who is noted for his eloquence and
whose address will undoubtedly be a treat. Mayor Joseph Warren will be
president of the day in the carriage with these two in the afternoon will ride
Charles W. Springfield and Sidney B. Hayes. The city marshal and platoons of
police will head the procession, followed by the Hanson American band, A.S.
Nevers leader, the Sons of Veterans, Sampson Post, G.A.R., and the W.R.C., the
veterans and ladies of the corps riding in carriages. The ex-mayors of the
city, present city government, clergymen and the male quartet will also ride
and citizens in carriages will complete the line.
The first halt will be at the monument, where Rev. William
Warren will offer prayer and the male quartet will sing. At the cemetery prayer
will be offered by Rev. Arthur M Shattuck, there will be singing by the
quartet, services of decoration, music by the band, speeches by the president
of the day and others and benediction by Rev. Frank H. Leavitt.
In the evening at the opera house the quartet will sing, Rev.
Wesley A. Paige will offer prayer, pupils of the seventh and eighth grades of
the grammar school will recite Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and also the poem,
“Captain, My Captain.” Major Proctor will deliver his address and Rev. E.W.
Cummings will pronounce the benediction.
William Foss is commander of Sampson Post and Mrs. Ella Mason is
president of the relief corps.
Memorial Sunday was a perfect day and there was a large audience
at the Congregational church, where Sampson Post, the W.R.C. and the Sons of
Veterans attended in a body.
Rev. C.H. Percival delivered an eloquent sermon, full of thought. Mr. Percival’s text was Matt. X. 34; “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace but a sword.” He said: “The day and the text both speak to us of the place of antagonism in all human society, in all progress, in all national life.” “The real antagonism of the war, the sword behind the sword, was between a civilization with human slavery and one without, and the real antagonisms bequeathed to us by the war of the rebellion-the sword within the sword-are ignorance, intemperance and false aristocracies.”
The sermon pointed out with great emphasis how these evils grew
out of the war and how they must be overcome in our present national life.
The music by Mrs. Dora McDuffee, soprano, and C.H. Toby,
organist, added much to the impressive character of the service, the song, “Not
Lost but Gone Before,” being especially effective. Mr. Toby gave as a voluntary
an arrangement of his own various well-known national airs that was stirring
and inspiring.
In the
evening, the last of the vesper services was held in this church, Dr. George R.
Clark of Boston, bass soloist, and Miss Eleanor Soule Hayden of Boston, with
organ chimes, being the artist from abroad. Mrs. McDuffee and Mr. Toby also
took a prominent part in the program. Mr. Clark has a rare deep bass voice of
great power and his songs were greatly enjoyed, especially the dramatic one
with which he closed, “The Deathless Army,” highly appropriate to Memorial
Sunday. Mr. Toby’s accompaniments were, as usual, superb. And his solo numbers
on the organ were splendid, especially the air with variations by Grison. Mrs.
McDuffee was at her best in the song of Beck’s, “I will Lay Me Down in Peace,”
giving it with an art and a dramatic effect characteristic of her singing. The
organ chimes added variety to the program many well-known hymns being rendered
with good effect.
Memorial day, as usual, provided the customary rain, but not
enough to interfere with the exercises. The chief feature was the tribute to
the sailor dead at the stone bridge, by the relief corps. The program here
consisted of the playing of the hymn, “Nearer My God, to Thee,” by the band;
responsive reading by the president, senior vice president, secretary and
chaplain of the corps; selection by the band; prayer by Rev. A.M. Shattuck; and
the strewing of the flowers on the water by officers of the corps, who recited
appropriate lines, as did others of the corps and 75 children of the seventh
and eighth grades of the public schools, Commander William Foss of Sampson Post
and Arthur E. Hurd of the Sons of Veterans each threw a wreath on the water and
recited appropriate words. Those present sang America and Rev. William Warren
pronounced the benediction.
The exercises at the hall had as a noble feature the recital of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address by pupils of the seventh and eighth grades and also the poem, “Captain, My Captain.” The address by Maj. David E. Proctor of Wilton was a fine one and much enjoyed.
June 3,1932
Memorial Day
The
Memorial Day exercises in Rochester were among the most interesting and
impressive ever held here. It was a beautiful day and many people were out in
the morning to see the parade and hear the programs given at the World War
Tablet on the city building lot, the common and the cemetery.
At the commons honor was paid
to the four surviving Civil War veterans of this city, James Lucey, Clarence
Mallette, John Pugsley and Charles Brackett.
Mr. Small’s address at the commons:
Fellow citizens:
In most of the northern states of the Union May 30 is a
legal holiday, set apart by statute as a day for decorating the graves of the
soldiers who fell in the Civil War, and for holding exercises in their memory,
in order that their sufferings and heroisms may never be forgotten.
While we pay tribute to the memory of our soldiers who
died during the Civil War, let us not forget our soldiers of the rebellion who
have since died; neither should we forget our soldiers who are living. The
lines are growing thinner each year and the time will come soon when there will
be no comrade left to take part in Memorial Day.
Venerable men of the G.A.R., you fought a good fight. You
have kept the faith, and your place in history is secure. To our soldiers of
the Civil War-living and dead-let us cherish the sentiment: Cheers for the
living, tears for the dead.”