By Muriel Bristol | May 1, 2022
A letter of this period was folded in such a way that it formed its own envelope, with the contents within and an address or label without. The label written on the outside was:
Remonstrance of Inhabitants of Milton against the petition of Luther Dearborn & others praying for a new town.
On the reverse or inside side followed a letter to Milton’s NH State Representative Daniel Hayes.
Daniel Hayes, Esquire.
Dear sir, We the subscribers, inhabitants and legal voters in the town of Milton, having lately understood that a second petition would probably be submitted at their next session; signed by a number of the inhabitants of this town, similar to that which was presented last June; praying the Legislature to divide the town; principally on account of the fatigue and hardships to which the Militia are subjected by having to travel a greater distance to travel to get to their usual places for parading than they think is necessary; and in that particular we believe that the burden on the soldiers who do duty in Milton might be made lighter by some alteration and we had not the least doubt, last June, but that the Field officers would have established the division of the company of infantry in the town of Milton, agreeably to a vote of said company which was passed in June with but very few dissenters. But as the Field officers have not established the division, we hope you will endeavor to effect such alterations as you think will best accommodate the Militia in the town of Milton without injury to the state; either by a division of the second Regt or of the 7th Company. As the petition that we suppose will be presented at this Novr session is new, and quite unexpected, it is not convenient to get the names of the people generally who would sign a Remonstrance, and believing it to be unnecessary, as we stated out objections at large last June, we therefore wish for you to make use of the objections which your constituents offered in their Remonstrance last session against the prayer of the petition that was then presented being granted.
Benja Scates, Gilman Jewitt, Wm Jones, Timo Roberts, John Scates, Samuel N. Chamberlin, Isaac Scates, Joseph Plumer, Jr, Charles Ricker, Daniel G. Dore, Aaron Downs, James Pinkham, John Palmer, Ichabod Hayes, Levi Jones, T.C. Lyman, Josiah Withem, Bidfield Hayes, Lewis Hayes.
There was also an accompanying petition to the full NH legislature, for which the above was a sort of cover letter. As in the preceding, there was an address side to the petition that was labeled:
Petitions of Levi Jones & others, James Hayes & others, for a division of the Company of Militia in the Town of Milton.
On the reverse or inside side followed the actual petition:
To the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire.
Humbly shew the undersigned inhabitants of the Town of Milton that said Town at present form but one Company of Militia which renders the meetings for company musters very fatiguing and expensive to those liable to do Military duty therein ~ That there is a sufficient number enrolled in said company to compose two companies ~ That application has been made to the Field officers of the 2nd Regt to divide said company which they have refused to do ~ That the situation of said company is the great cause why so many of the inhabitants have petitioned the Legislature for a division of the Town, believing that to be the only remedy, since the Field officers have refused to divide the company ~ But your petitioners believe that the great evil which must arise to the Town of Milton by forming a new Town may be avoided by a division of the company ~ And since the Field officers have refused to comply with our first request ~ And believing that the Legislature in such a case will not only hear out petition but will answer our prayer ~ Humbly pray that the Company of Militia in the Town of Milton may be so divided as to compose two companies ~ The division line between said Companies to commence near the center of the North West pond so called and run in such a direction [as may] leave the dwelling houses of Matthias Nutter, John Miller and James Moulton on the Easterly side of said of said line, and extending to the Middleton line ~ Milton, November 10th, 1820.
[Column 1:] David Wentworth, John Foss, John Ricker, William W. Lord, Timo Roberts, James Pinkham, Robert [Berry?], Stephen Wentworth, Richard Horn, Wm Foss, Wm Jones, James Roberts, Stephen Drew, James Nutter, Ichabod [Bodge?], David Hayes, Samuell Bragdon, Ebenr Ricker, Saml Jones, Thoms Wentworth, Isaac Worster, Isaac Worster, Jr, John Wentworth, John Wentworth, Jr, John T. Varney,
[Column 2:] Jotham Nute, Hopley Meserve, Moses Nute, Joseph Nute, Jere Cook, Wm W. Cook, William Wentworth, John C. Nute, Samuel Nute, Jr, John Nute, James Y. Pinkham, John Twombly, Dudley Burnham, Wm Downs, Isaac C. Young, Joshua Knight, Wentworth Dore, Moses Downs, Jr, Dudley Wentworth, Jonathan Place, Jacob Wentworth, Samuel Ricker, Samuel Twombley,
[Column 3:] Levi Jones, Joseph Plumer, Jr, Jeremy Nute, Danl Wentworth, Josiah Witham, Phinehas Wentworth, Levi Wentworth, Samuel Wallingford, Aaron Downs, Daniel Palmer, John Palmer, Elijah Horn, James H. Horn, Ichabod C. Horn, James Twombly, Timothy Emery, Daniel Nute, Caleb Wakeham, Isaac Varney, Charles Wakeham, Ebenr Wakeham, James Goodwin, Ambross Tuttle, Jona Hall, John H. Downs, Lemuel Ricker, Pelah Hanscom,
[Column 4:] John Scates, Alvah Scates, Gilman Jewett, William Sargent, Theodore C. Lyman, Israel Nute, Micah Lyman, Richard Walker, John Bragdon, Ezekiel Nute, James Varney, Jr, Icabod Hayes, Enoch Nute.
Another Milton petition took the same view as the first but passed around separately.
To the Honorable Legislature of the State of New Hampshire.
Humbly shew the undersigned Inhabitants of the Town of Milton that said town at present forms but one Company of Militia which renders the meetings for Company musters very fatiguing & expensive to those liable to do military duty thereon ~ that there is a sufficient number enrolled in said Company to compose two companies ~ that application has been made to the Field Officers of the 2d Regt to divide said Company which they have refused to do ~ that the situation of said Company is the great cause why so many of the Inhabitants have petitioned the Legislature for a division of the Town believing that to be the only remedy since the Field Officers have refused to divide the Company ~ but your petitioners believe that the great evil which must arise to the Town of Milton by forming a new town may be avoided by a division of the Company ~ and since the field Officers have refused to comply with our just request ~ and believing that the Legislature will in such a case will not only hear out petition but will answer our prayer ~ Humbly pray that this Company in the Town of Militia may be so divided as to compose two Companies ~ the division line between said Companies to commence near the center of Northwest pond so called and run in such a direction as to leave the dwelling houses of Matthias Nutter, John Miller & James Moulton on the Easterly side of said line & extending to Middleton line ~ Milton, November 10th 1820
[Column 1:] Simeon Applebee, Nathaniel Miller, Mark Miller, Jur, Thomas Merrow, Webster Miller, Thomas Applebee, James Applebee, Hiram Applebee, John Fifeld, Daniel Jennes,
[Column 2:] Nathl Jewett, Joseph S. Frost, Daniel Witham, Amos Witham, Paul Jewett, Samuel Rines, Alpheus S. Goodwin, Ezekiel Worster, Benaiah Dore,
[Column 3:] James Hayes, Jr, Chesley Hayes, Jona Pollard, John D. Remick, John Remick, Otis Wentworth, Josiah Witham, Reuben T. Witham
References:
NH Department of State. (n.d.). New Hampshire, Government Petitions, 1700-1826: Box 47: 1819-1820
Milton Observer 