History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

402 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1777.
once. Nathaniel Day, who lived near the site of the Academy
of Music, started out with his large drum, beating it
on his way to the meeting-house, where everybody gathered.
It is reported that he had a "big drum, and in the
stillness of the night it made a terrific noise." John
Strong, another drummer, lived on South Street, and when
these two men beat an alarm, the whole town was soon
thoroughly aroused. In the Bennington alarm almost
everybody, old and young, assembled at the meeting-house.
Among the town papers is "an Acct. of Powder & lead
deliver'd out of Town Stock by the selectmen to the following
Persons who went towards Bennington in the Time of
the Alarm Aug' 1777.'' The list contains the names of one
hundred four men, and the quantity of powder and lead
distributed to them amounted to £20.2.1. They did not
wait for a requisition, but volunteered, and marched at
once. It is believed that Oliver Lyman was captain of this
company. ^ While on the march they heard of the battle
and victory, and did not go beyond Lanesboro. Here numbers
of Hessian prisoners were delivered to them, whom
they guarded to Northampton. The return march was
through Pittsfield, where they passed the night in the
meeting-house. Another night thej'' lodged at Col, Eager's
barn in Worthington, At Northampton the prisoners slept
in the Court-house, a guard being kept at all times in the
porch of the meeting-house. They remained here some
days, and their cooking was done in great iron kettles, near
where the present town hall stands. The main body of the
prisoners was removed to Rutland, but some of them
remained here and in other towns. Many of them were
employed among the farmers. Able-bodied men, especially
mechanics, were not plenty, and it was customary to engage
such of the prisoners as were willing to work. Gen.
Pomeroy, a few weeks before, had written from Peekskill
to his son relative to other prisoners : — "If there should
be a smith among them I should be glad to have you try
him at the Smith's business, or you may find one who will
suit for the husbandry business." It is not known whether
the Pomeroy s employed any of the prisoners or not, but
Jonathan Judd relates his experience with one, which may
1 Their names will be found in the table of revolutionary soldiers in the Appendix.