[193]
enthusiasm into its support, or voluntarily to assume a disproportionate share of its burdens.
In fact, no reference to the war, during its continuance, is found on the Town Records.
A few months after its close, May 8, 1815, the town “Voted, that the report of the Committee appointed to determine what compensation, if any, should be allowed by the town to the militia-men drafted and called out for the defence of the State, be accepted: —the report allows four dollars to each person for every thirty days service.”
The Cambridge Light Infantry was called into service by the Governor, for the defence of the State, and readily responded to the call.
There may have been some voluntary enlistments into the regular army of the United States: but any evidence of such a fact is not found.
One of the most eminent citizens of Cambridge, Elbridge Gerry, was Governor of Massachusetts from May 1810, to May 1812, and Vice-president of the United States from March 4, 1813, until Nov. 23, 1814, when he suddenly expired, as he was about to enter the Senate Chamber in Washington for the performance of his official duties.
However bittterly his politics were denounced, Mr. Gerry enjoyed the personal respect and esteem of his townsmen; yet neither their affection for the man, nor their regard for his high political position, could overcome their detestation of the war, of which he was an advocate and defender, nor induce them to volunteer their persons or their property in its behalf.
Hence the dignified silence of the Town Records.
When the news of Peace arrived, in February, 1815, there was a general outburst of joy in Massachusetts.
In many towns, public meetings of prayer, and praise, and mutual congratulation, were held.
There was such a meeting in Cambridge, Feb. 23, 1815, and an address was delivered by President Kirkland.
Among the papers presented by Hon. John Davis to the Massachusetts Historical Society is a handbill, or broadside, announcing the approaching festivity, as follows:—
This text is part of:
Boston. Houghton and Mifflin. 1877.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.