Historical Collections, by John Warner Barber

245

DEERFIELD.

Southern view of Conway.

2,415 merino sheep; other kinds of sheep, 2,415; merino wool produced, 7,245 lbs. ; other kinds of wool, 7,245; average weight of fleece, 3 lbs. ; value of wool, $5,071; capital invested, $7,245. The following votes, passed during the "Revolutionary times," are copied from the records of this town. They will serve to show the process used against those who were disaffected towards the American cause, and who dared, like freemen, to let their sentiments be known. The orthography is retained.

At a legal meeting, held June 25, 1777, Voted to try the minds of the town with regard to the enemical persons that the selectmen have entered in a list and laid before the town as such seperately.

Voted, the following persons are dangerously enemical to the American States, viz. Joseph Catlin, Elias Dickinson, Joseph Brunson, Elijah Wells, Elijah Billings, James Dickinson, Wm. Billings, John Hamilton, Jonathan Oaks, Capt. Consider Arms, Eben'r Bedfield, and David Field. Voted, that Capt. Alexander Oliver be the person to collect the evidence, and lay it before the court, against the above enemical persons.

At a legal meeting, held August 27th, 1777, Voted, that we proceed in some measures to secure the enemical persons called Tories among us. Then the question was put, whether we would draw a line between the Continent and Great Britain; voted in the affirmative. Voted that all those persons that stand on the side of the Contanant take up arms and go hand in hand with us in carrying on the war against our unnatural enemies ; such we receive as friends, and all others treet as enemies. Voted, that the broad ally be a line, and the south end of the meeting-house be the Continant side, and the north end the British side ; then moved for trial, and found 6 persons to stand on the British side, viz. Elijah Billings, Jonathan Oaks, Wm. Billings, Joseph Catlin, Joel Dickinson, and Elias Dickinson. Voted to set a gard over those enemical persons. Voted the town clerk emmediately desire Judge Mather to issue out his warrants against those enimical persons returned to him in a list heretofore.

DEERFIELD.

DEERFIELD is the oldest town in Franklin county. In 1669, a tract of 8,000 acres of land was granted by the general court at Pocumtuck to a company at Dedham, embracing most of