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��MILITARY AFFAIRS IN HOPKINTON.
��the proper number of officers, should be entitled to form a company; a town of ninety-two should have two companies. In the year 1792, a law was passed making companies in Boscawen, Salis- bury, Andover, New London and Kear- sarge Gore constitute a first battalion, and the companies in Hopkinton, War- ner, Sutton, Fishersfield and Bradford a second battalion, which should together constitute a 21st regiment. Iu 1S19, the companies in Boscawen, Hopkinton, Salisbury and Andover were made to constitute a 21st regiment. In 1842, the companies in Hopkinton, Henniker and Warner were made to constitute a 40th regiment. In 1851, the New Hampshire militia, excepting what existed upon paper, was practically abolished.
The militia law of 1792, with some modifications and amendments, was the essential law until the abolition of an- cient military customs. Under this law the militia of this town were called out for inspection and exercised in drill at least twice a year, in spring and fall, dressed in their common garb of citizen- ship. The officers of companies were attired in a swallow-tailed coat, with bell-buttons, and wore a bell-crowned cap and plume. Independent compa- nies, however, were thoroughly uni- formed. A body of cavalry known as "The Troop," belonging to the old 21st regiment, and subsequently mus- tering with the new 40th regiment, contained members from Hopkin- ton, who were dressed in a red coat trimmed with yellow facings, white pants, a bell-crowned cap, and a white plume with a red tip. Connected with the 21st regiment, and continuing until 1S51, was a company of Hopkinton rifle- men, who for many years wore a blue suit — spencer and pants— a bell-crowned cap and black plume; afterwards they adopted a gray suit, with a modern cap surmounted with three black feathers. There was also a company of light in- fantry dressed in a blue coat and white pants, ornamented on the lower leg with two rows of black buttons, and wearing a bell-crowned cap with a white plume tipped with red.- The light in-
��fantry was subsequenty superseded by the "Cold Water Phalanx," a company of men dressed in a black velvet coat, trimmed with red, and white pants bear- ing a red stripe, and a*lso wearing a mod- ern cap with three white feathers.
There are still living in, Hopkinton many of the old officers of militia. Among them are Col. William Colby Capt. Benjamin Lovering, Capt. William Palmer, Capt. Moses Hoyt, Capt. Isaac Story and Capt. E. E. Currier.
In the earlier times a tract of land was set apart by the town for a " train- ing field." The spot selected was on Putney's Hill, on the present Rowell farm, south of the house, on the west side of the principal road. In the year 1796, the town voted to lease the field for 999 years, and it passed into the pos- session of Nathaniel Rowell, and subse- quently into the hands of Moses Rowell, whose descendants own it to this day. In later times rents were paid for the use of grounds for military parade.
The war of 1812 found the people of Hopkinton ready to do their part in main- taining the integrity of the country. On July 6, 1812, the town voted to al- low a compensation of seven dollars a month to all soldiers detached from their regiments as a relay corps by order of the general government. Ten dollars of each man's wages was to be paid in ad- vance, and two dollars upon "signing his name." In 1814, October 5, twelve dollars a month was voted to all sol- diers put under special governmental requisition, with two dollars upon en- tering actual service. The last clause of this vote, however, was afterward re- scinded.
During the progress of hostilities, *two recruiting officers, Gibson and Peck, were stationed for a longer or shorter time at Capt. Brimsley Perkins' tavern, where they enlisted men for the army. Many men enlisted for this war have lost their identity in the regiment to which they belonged. The first volunteers from this town were mostly or wholly included in the 1st regiment of New Hampshire troops, enlisting for one year and rendezvousing at Concord.
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