History of Fitchburg Part 35 Rufus Torrey 1st printed 1835


(In our last episode the War with England was raging and the
young nation was wracked with inflation.  The paper money
was close to worthless. The Fitchburgers were reverting to
the barter system.)

In May, 1779, the town voted unanimously (casting 45 votes)
in favor of a new State Constitution.  In August, Capt
Thomas Cowdin was chosen a delegate to attend a Convention
which was to meet at Cambridge on the first of September,
for the purpose of forming a new State Constitution.  At the
same time, Dr. Thadeus McCarty was appointed a delegate to a
Convention at Worcester, for the purpose of regulating the
prices of commodities and articles in general use.  The town
voted to abide by the prices established by this convention,
but in a short time individuals saw fit to fix their own
prices to their articles, and the labor of the convention
fell to the ground.

In May, 1780, the present Constitution of the State was
submitted to the people, for their consideration.  The
inhabitants of Fitchburg voted unanimously (65 votes) in
favor of adopting it.

In September, votes were given for Governor.  John Hancock
received sixty-three votes, and James Bowdoin one.

In October, Capt. Thomas Cowdin was chosen to represent the
town in the first General Court under the new Constitution.

In 1781 and '82, rev Mr. Payson received 100#, in "hard
money," as his salary, but subsequently it was reduced to
the former sum of 66#.13s.8d.

(A few paragraphs skipped here.)

I have already spoken of the difficulty of our attaining at
the present day, to an exact computation of the expenses,
and forming a correct idea of the exertions which the war of
the Revolutihon caused to the people of this town.  All
calculations based on data derived from the town Record, can
be only an approximation to the actual amount.  From 1778 to
1783 - the last five years of the war -- a period in which
there occurred many events of sufficient interest to call
out the whole body of voters -- I can find no town meeting
at which there appeared to be more than seventy voters.  The
town contains now seven times that number.  Let it be
remembered that at that time, between the dwelling-house of
Jonas Marshall and the Old City, there was not a single
building.  The whole of the village, where there is now so
much wealth -- where the inhabitants are clustered so
thickly together -- was then considered worth only a few
dollars.  If the wealth and resources of the town, at the
present time be estimated as ten times greater than at that
period, it will not be far from the truth.  If then the
amount which the people then contributed annually be
multiplied by ten, would not the product form a tax which
would be considered enormous -- and this too when it was so
difficult to meet the current expenses of the town, and when
the expenses of the "classes," for hiring soldiers and
procuring substituties were so great?

To learn what the Revolutionary war cost this country, we
must search minutely into the history of each town.  We
there may see what difficulties were encountered, and what
generous sacrifices were made.  To say that the people of
this town bore themselves gallantly through the war, is not
saying enough -- though their exertions did not exceed
thoses of their neighbors.  They continued to exhibit a
firmness, and devotedness to the cause they had espoused,
which was every way worthy of our fathers.  There were a
few, indeed, who looked with an eye of coldness upon the
attempt of the patriots.  They feared that the colonies,
weak and unprovided as they were, would not be able to
contend succussfully with the gigantic power of Great
Britain; or the sentiment of loyalty was so firmly fixed in
their minds that they beheld with horror any attempts to
subvert the authority of their King.  Such were compelled to
yield to the mighty current of public opinion, and
contribute their share, however, unwillihngly, to promote
the common cause.

(to be continued -- next section Small Pox!)

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