Excerpt from Henry S. Nourse’s “History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893,” written in 1894.
On the morning of the nineteenth of April, 1775, a mounted courier galloped through Bolton and Lancaster shouting to every one he saw that the “red coats” were on the march from Boston. Messengers on fleet horses were hurried off to carry the dread but not unexpected news to adjoining towns; musket shots and drums and Lancaster’s little four-pounders spread the alarm; the captains hurriedly assembled their companies, and soon down the Bay Road poured a torrent of patriots to aid in sweeping the invaders back to the sea.
The Harvard men who sprang to arms at the Lexington Alarm and marched to Cambridge were as follows:
With the Lancaster Troop, commanded by Captain Thomas Gates of Lancaster, rode Joseph Blood, Shadrach Hapgood, Joel Phinney, Jonathan Puffer, and Jeremiah Willard. The Lancaster Troop was a noted organization for many years after the Revolution, appearing at the annual militia musters until 1825, when half a dozen of the veterans who 50 years before had aided in chasing the British soldiers into Boston were yet living—among them Joseph Blood and Shadrach Hapgood.
Capt. Jonathan Davis’s muster roll in Col. John Whitcomb’s regiment of Minute Men marched on the alaram April 19, 1775, from Harvard 30 miles to Cambridge: Capt. Jonathan Davis; Lieut. Elisha Fullum; 2nd Lieut. Jonathan Pollard; Ensign James Haskell; Sergeants Jabez Keep, John Mead, Isaac Holden, Abraham Munroe; Corporals Benjamin Larrance, Josiah Whitney, Prince Turner, Josiah Gates; Drummers Cyras Fairbanks, Jonathan Davis; Fifers Abijah Worster, Jacob Davis; Privates Jacob Fullum; Ruben Garfield, Thaddeus Pollard, Thomas Pratt, Solomon Haskell, Joshua Bowers, Benjamin Robbins, James Robbins, Jacob Whitney, Jacob Priest, Josiah Davis, Manassah Stow, John Knight, Francis Farr, George Gleason, Ebenezer Davis, Charles Warner, John Wood, David Whitney, John Farnsworth, Ezekiel Cox (deserted), Abijah Warner; Nathaniel Farnsworth, Philemon Priest, Oliver Mead, Daniel Furbush, Thomas White, Isaiah Whitney (deserted).
Cyrus Fairbank, the drummer of this company, outlived all his comrades. He was a son of Capt. Joseph Fairbank, born May 17, 1752, and died at Ashburnham, June 18, 1852. George Gleason is yet remembered by elderly citizens as a disreputable old person, with just energy enough to tramp from his home near the Ayer line in Shabikin to the squire’s for his pension, and to the tavern daily to have his jug replenished with Medford rum.
Provincial regiment of footmen of the Militia commanded by Col. Asa Whetcomb 4th Company whereof Isaac Gates is captain who marched to Cambridge on 19th April last in consequence of an Alarm, who returned again not inlisted into the American Service: Capt. Isaac Gates; Lieutenants Josiah Haskell and Amos Fairbank; Ensign John Daby; Sergeants Simon Willard, Samuel Hill, John Houghton, John Derby; Corporals Gibson Willard, Benjamin Barnard, Lemuel Farnsworth, Asa Farnsworth, Barzillai Willard, Molbory Kingman, Joseph Knight, Samuel Farnsworth, Joseph Wood, Phineas Fairbank, Elijah Willard, Edward Cheney, Joseph Atherton, Zaccheus Stevens, Josiah Willard, Jeremiah Bridge, Ephram Barnard, Jonathan Sawyer, Levi Fairbank, Israel Whitney; Drummer Lem Willard, Privates John Sawyer, Nicholas Patterson, John Atherton, Lemuel Haskell, Asa Haven, Benjemin Stow, Jonathan Symonds
The names of those who Inlisted into the American Army viz: Ebenezer Warner, Samuel Worster, Samuel Finney, William Bennett, Thomas Chamberlin, Joel Finney, William Haskell, Benjamin Willard, William Safford, William Harris, Aaron Priest, Samuel Furbush.
Captain Gates was of a family noted for physical and mental energy. He was peremptory of speech, high spirited, and autocratic, with stately figure and soldierly mien. His patriotism was so ardent that he devoted a large share of his property, and he was one of the wealthiest men in the town, to the cause of liberty. He lived on the east side of Bare Hill, his home being quite a distance from the highway opposite the house owned by the late Deacon Jonathan Fairbank. Captain Gates died insane in 1796, at the age of 68 years.
Captain James Burt’s muster roll in Colonel Asa Whitcomb’s regiment who marched from Harvard on the Alarm, April 19, 1776: Captain James Burt; Lieutenants Phinehas Farnsworth and Jacob Robins; Ensign Caleb Sawyer; Sergeants Hezekiah Whitney, Ephraim Davis, Joel Stone, Charles Taylor; Corporals James Whitcom, Silas Rand, Simon Cooper, Abel Whitcom; Jotham Barnard, Simon Whitney, George Conn, Colman Sanderson, Aaron Whitney, Silas Whitney, Samuel Brown, Daniel Houghton, Moses Hale, Timothy Phelps, Timothey Crouch, Abijah Reed, William Park, David Farwell, Abel Farnsworth, David Sterns, Lemuel Stone, Jonathan Crouch Jr., Willis Secomb, Aaron Warner, John Sawtell Farwell, Joseph Wetherbee, Joseph Park, Joseph Blanchard, Jabez Keep Jr., Jeremiah Willard, James Willis.
Provincial Regiment of Foot of Alarm men under the command of Colonel Asa Whitcomb whereof Joseph Fairbank is Captain who marched to Cambridge on the 19th of April last in Consequence of an Alarm is as followeth: Captain Joseph Fairbank; Lieutenant William Burt; Israel Taylor, Esq., Joseph Wheeler, Esq., Oliver Whitney, Phineas Fairbank; Lieutenant Phineas Willard Jr., Ensign Josiah Willard; Sergeants Jonathan Reed, Jonathan Clark, Benjamin Cutler, Richard Whitney; Corporals John Priest, Isaiah Whitney, Samuel Meeds, Timothy Wiliard, Lemuel Willard, Jeremiah Laughton, William Sanderson, Joseph Atherton, Joseph Houghton, Abraham Willard, Jonathan Adams, Ward Safford, Oliver Whetcomb, Aaron Davis, Jeremiah Priest, Elijah Houghton, Joseph Blanchard, Ebenezer Burges, Stephen Randall, Manasseh Sawyer, Isaac Haile, James Perry Oliver Wetherbe.
By the courtesy of Samuel F. Whitney, Esq. the author has had access to the papers of Captain Joseph Fairbank, found among the effects of the late Daniel Hartwell Fairbank. One of these is a list of the “Alarm Men” of Harvard, and records that they met at the old meeting-house on March 13 and organized themselves into a military company by choosing officers. At that time, there were nearly 100 men in the “Alarm List,” embracing all not classed in the company of Minute Men and the two Militia companies. To this organization belonged the three ministers—Reverends Joseph Wheeler, Daniel Johnson and Isaiah Parker—and Doctor John Cleverly.
John Whitcomb had been made a general by the Provincial Congress, February 15, 1775, and acting in that capacity was present and took part in directing the pursuit of the British troops on their hurried retreat from Concord. It is not supposed, however, that any organized body of his regiment reached the scene of conflict, nor is it known that any of the Harvard men were engaged in that running fight. The whole number of those who marched to Cambridge was 175, which was more than one from every house in the town. Some of these returned to their homes within three days, but the majority were credited with from five to eight days’ service.
275 Years of a Town: In June 1732, the town of Harvard incorporated within the colony, after nearly 100 years of settlement in the area and several years of petitions, objections, and re-petitions to the legislature. To celebrate this milestone, the Press is running extracts from Henry S. Nourse’s History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893.