. Leading business men of Spencer, Brookfield and vicinity;. nally abandoned. Silver hasalso been found within the limits of thetown, but in small quantities only. Like nearly all New England towns,Spencer has a glorious military history, and did not the limits of space forbid, we would take great pleasure in presenting detail. Its inception dates back to the declaration of war issued by Great Britainagainst France in 1744, and two residents of the district, Edmund Bemis and James;Smith, were members of the expedition which brought about the capture of Louis-burg. From the Massachusetts
. Leading business men of Spencer, Brookfield and vicinity;. nally abandoned. Silver hasalso been found within the limits of thetown, but in small quantities only. Like nearly all New England towns,Spencer has a glorious military history, and did not the limits of space forbid, we would take great pleasure in presenting detail. Its inception dates back to the declaration of war issued by Great Britainagainst France in 1744, and two residents of the district, Edmund Bemis and James;Smith, were members of the expedition which brought about the capture of Louis-burg. From the Massachusetts ^:)y of Dec. 26, 1810, we learn that Edmund!Bemis was a lieutenant at the reduction of Louisburg in the year 1745. After the^French had surrendered to the victorious arms of New England, it was found that,they had spiked their cannon, intending thereby to render them useless to the had heretofore been deemed an impracticable thing, after a gun was thus spiked„to drill it out, or by any other method whatever to render it fit for service. Tho. TOWN HALL. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SPENCER. commander of the American forces offered a premium to any one who would under-take the task, if he should prove successful. Lieutenant Bemis undertook it, and bya process heretofore unthought-of effected the desired object. Instead of drilling,till then supposed to be the only practicable method, he collected a large quantity ofwood around the cannon, and setting it on fire, heated it to such a degree, that, witha cold punch, the spike was easily driven into the barrel. Thus he was the authorof a useful discovery to his country, which has ever since been followed with com-plete success. In 1774 a company of minute-men was organized, Ebenezer Mason being placedin command, and in April, 1775, the wisdom of preparation was made manifest, forthe news of General Gages march for Concord, w^as received by messenger on theafternoon of the 19th. A town-meeting had been called for April 24, to
Size: 1289px × 1939px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherbostonmercantilepu
