Bedford Cemetery ComingViews Events … In this issue … • President’s Message Pg. 1 • Sept. 9 - Cemetery Tour 11:30 & 2:00 • Back River Cemetery Tour Pg. 2 • Sept. 23 - Olde Towne Day • Cemetery Spotlight Pg. 3 • Oct. 28 – 11 AM Honor Guard: Joseph Cady, • Tree Sign Fundraiser Pg. 4 Joppa Hill • Our Publications Pg. 5 & 6 • Oct. 31-Spooky Halloween Tour • Membership sign up form, Pg. 7 www.friendso;edfordcemeteries.org • Nov. Annual Meeting - TBA Page 1 Bedford Cemetery Views is published six times a year by The Friends of the Town of Bedford Cemeteries September 2017 The President’s Message The Friends preserve and promote the historic and artistically valuable gravestones in the Bedford town cemeteries. We’re about to celebrate something long overdue. Thanks to Board member Jon Hill, we have a new gravestone in Joppa Cemetery. During the Civil War, Corporal Joseph Cady, in his second deployment, found himself in Company F, 8th New Hampshire volunteers. He had married Miss Susan Gardner of Merrimack in November and mustered in December Corporal Joseph Cady’s Gravestone at the Joppa Hill Cemetery 1861. Joseph had served nearly a year when, at Photo: by Melinde Lutz Byrne Labadieville, Louisiana, during the Battle of Georgia Jon Hill processed the paperwork and the 5-foot marble Landing, 27 October 1862, he marched with the 8th NH, stone arrived this month and was installed next to the 75th NY, and 13th CT, against more than four regiments of parents’ grave. This is unlike the modern bronze veteran Louisiana infantry and cavalry. Union forces lost only 18 markers that lie flush to the ground. The bas-relief carved men, but one of them was Joseph Cady. Almost all the inscription states his name, rank, service, and dates in the N.H. troops killed had earned rank, two captains, one fashion of the day. Further, we choose to complete the lieutenant, three corporals, and just four privates. traditional laying-to-rest customs. The news of the battle appeared in northern newspapers on On Saturday, October 28, 2017, 5th NH Civil War re- November 16th. By November 22nd, widow Cady had enactors will come to the graveside at 11AM and perform applied for a pension. She had other tragedies to deal with. the honor guard ritual. This will include a full gun salute, a Their infant son never saw his father and died before he chaplain’s sermon, singing of hymns, and a bugler playing was a year old. Taps (which came into vogue in July 1862). Joseph’s parents had a large family of children but only Since no relatives live nearby, we hope that Bedford two produced surviving families. Each of these moved friends and neighbors will gather with us at the graveside away soon and Joseph’s lonely father and mother died in to remember, Joseph Cady, a most excellent young man of the 1880s. Their shared headstone at the Joppa Hill great promise who did his part for home and country under Cemetery, had a simple “veteran” marker nearby, but the hot Louisiana sun. nothing memorialized Joseph Cady’s sacrifice until last week. Melinde Lutz Byrne, President, Friends GRAVESTONE SERVICES OF NEW ENGLAND [email protected] 472-5221 472-5274 goedeckepaintanddecorating.com 623-0412 www.gravestoneservices.com Bedford Cemetery Views Page 2 September 2017 AT T E N T I O N HISTORY BUFFS, VETERANS, ROMANTICS, STUDENTS, RESIDENTS AND CURIOSITY SEEKERS!! The Friends of the Bedford Cemeteries Presents: u FREE PUBLIC GUIDED TOURS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S MOST FASCINATING CEMETERY! u STEP INTO THE 18TH CENTURY! LEARN OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS & THE REVOLUTION; SCALPINGS, INDIANS, SMUGGLERS AND SPIES; u THE MAN WHO DARED RESIST; THE MYSTERIOUS “DAY OF DARKNESS”; u OF BEDFORD’S OWN INDIANA JONES; AND TRUE STORIES OF BATTLES & BRAVERY!! WHEN: September 9, 2017, 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM WHERE: Back River Road Cemetery, approx. 1/3 mile south of Peter Woodbury school, diagonally across from Tirrell Rd (look for balloons – cemetery is not visible from the road). PARKING: On Terrill Rd. Watch for traffic when crossing Back River Road! WHAT TO BRING: A hat! (no shade in the cemetery) bug spray, long pants and sturdy shoes (no sandals). And a camera! No dogs. No children under age 8, please. The Cemetery is on top of a small, steep hill with uneven grounds and may be unsuitable for those with walking, breathing or balance issues. Each tour is approximately 1.5 hour. Tours may be canceled for inclement weather – check our website: www.bedfordcemeteries.org and follow link on the left. Bedford Cemetery Views Page 3 September2017 … Bedford Cemetery Spotlight by Julie Schappels Hunter John Goffe “Hunter” John Goffe was born in Boston in 1701. He is Eleven men marched out to accomplish this brave act and less well known than his son, Colonel John Goffe, but walked into an Indian ambush, where seven were killed. no less interesting. “Hunter” John was the son of John This outraged the town; they believed the attackers were Goffe the Cobbler who had emigrated from England part of a larger force from Maine (and rumored to provide assistance to his fugitive father, William, “The Angel of Hadley”). Not content to be a John Lovewell of Dunstable petitioned the Royal Governor cobbler, young John was drawn to the wilderness north in Boston for the right to raise a militia company for a war of Boston where he eventually became an expert against the Indians. He was so successful that he was made woodsman and professional hunter, providing food and Captain of the company and managed to get Massachusetts furs to Boston’s growing population. to agree to pay each militiaman shillings a day if they returned with an Indian scalp; with additional bounties of In 1718, an immigrant ship of Scots-Irish Presbyterians one hundred pounds for each additional scalp. limped into Boston. Led by the charismatic Reverend James McGregor, the impoverished group went to “Chestnut Country” north of the frontier towns of Haverhill to settle in what became Londonderry New Hampshire. They were farmers with little knowledge of the woods and hired Hunter John to assist and teach them. This was a peculiar arrangement inasmuch as Hunter John was still a young man and there were undoubtedly other hunters and rangers available. Additionally, he was a Puritan, whom his employers believed to be wrong-headed. Nevertheless, he proved himself a capable provider and instructor and eventually became a trusted friend, though he was always regarded as a “foreigner” due to his English heritage. Ambush at Lovewell’s Pond By John Buxton Until 1760, the frontier of New Hampshire was a Captain John Lovewell of Dunstable marched in November dangerous place, where Indian wars, raids and with a dozen men. After a successful raid on a lone Indian kidnappings were common. While Londonderry was ice fishing with his young son on Winnipesaukee, Captain never attacked (rumor had it that McGregor had been a Lovewell and his troop became heroes. When early spring school chum of the Governor General of Canada who 1725 came, every able bodied male from all over New forbade attacking Londonderry or kidnapping anyone England hastened to join them for another march. Captain with red hair), the town of Dunstable became involved Lovewell picked only the strongest, most experienced men in Lovewell’s war and Hunter John obtained leave from to join his force of 42, including Hunter John who begged his employers to participate in the fighting. leave from his Londonderry employers. The war was a combination of Father Rales War (Father This new march would be a surprise attack on the enemy’s Rale was a French priest and agitator in Maine who home; the village where Paugus. One of Father Rales urged the local Abenaki to attack the English) and other minions, and chief of the murderous Abenaki group brewing conflicts. On September 5, 1724, down in Pequawkets, lived on the Saco River in Maine. A special Dunstable (now Nashua) two men hiked out to a stand reward was offered for the man who returned with the of pine along the Merrimack to collect pitch, a common Paugus’ deformed left hand. “cash crop” sold to ship-makers. Indians attacked, killing one. The survivor escaped back to Dunstable, The expedition was ill-fated from the start. Their Indian where the town decided it was high time to teach the guide, Toby claimed illness and vanished into the woods. savages a lesson. Continued on page 5 Bedford Cemetery Views Page 4 September 2017 Our New Fundraiser Will Grow on You Chinese Swamp Cypress Glyptostrobus Pencilis Reg.#113 “Your Dedication” The Bedford Cemeteries have many beautiful, and sometimes very unique tree varieties on their grounds. If you’ve ever wondered “..what kind of tree is that ?…”, while walking about, then you will find our new way of protecting and preserving our Town Cemeteries a great opportunity. We have permission to affix a sign to each tree with its common name as well as its scientific genus and species within our cemeteries. You can sponsor your own tree or trees, and we will include your personal dedication of up to 35 characters on the sign, for a donation of $50 for each sign. Beginning at the Bedford Center Cemetery, these signs will be affixed according to the prescribed methods recommended by arborists, so as not to hurt the tree in any way as it continues to grow. Each metal sign will be engraved through special arrangement by the Harris Trophy Company in Manchester. Each sign’s registration will also be recorded on a map of it’s location, so that others can be directed to your specific dedication.