History of Freetown, (Bristol County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Samuel Gilbert Hatheway, representative, was born in Freetown, Mass., July 18, 1780. In 1789 his father died and he was obliged to earn a living by working upon farms. Later he went to sea and managed to save a small sum of money from his earnings. About 1800 he removed to Cortland county, N.Y., and there purchased three hundred acres of uncleared land. He cultivated his land and accumulated considerable property. He was justice of the peace, for the town of Solon, Cortland county, 1810-53; represented Cortland county in the state assembly in 1814 and 1818; was a state senator in 1822, and was commissioned major-general of militia in 1823. He was a Democratic representative in the 23d congress, 1833-35; a presidential elector in 1853, voting for Franklin Pierce for President; and a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1856 that nominated James Buchanan. A memoir of his life was written by Henry S. Randall (1867). He died in Solon, N.Y., May 2, 1867.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Marcus Morton, governor of Massachusetts, was born in Freetown, Mass., Feb. 19, 1784; son of Nathaniel and Mary (Cary) Morton; grandson of Nathaniel and Hannah (Pritchard) Templor Morton, and great-grandson of George and Julia (Carpenter) Morton. He was graduated with highest honors at Brown university, A.B., 1804, A.M., 1807, and studied law at Litchfield, Conn. He was married in 1807 to Charlotte, daughter of James Hodges, of Taunton, Mass., and practised law in Taunton. He was clerk of the Massachusetts senate, 1811-12; a Democratic representative from Massachusetts in the 15th and 16th congresses, 1817-21; a member of the executive council of Massachusetts in 1823; lieutenant-governor in 1825, and became acting governor on She death of Governor Eustis in that year. He was judge of the supreme court of Massachusetts, 1825-39, and resigned in 1839 to accept the nomination of governor of Massachusetts, and was elected over Edward Everett by one vote. He was defeated for election in 1841, but was elected in 1842 by the legislature, and again by a majority of one vote, and served through 1843. He was collector of the port of Boston by appointment of President Polk, 1845-48, when he resigned. He was a member of the Massachusetts constitutional convention of 1853, and a representative in the state legislature in 1858. He served as a member of the board of overseers of Harvard university, 1826-52, and 1854-60, and received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Brown university in 1826, and from Harvard university in 1840. He died in Taunton, Mass., Feb. 6, 1864.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Ebenezer Weaver Peirce, soldier, was born in Freetown, Mass., April 5, 1822; son of Ebenezer and Joanna (Weaver) Peirce; grandson of Capt. Job and Elizabeth (Rounsville) Peirce, and of Col. Benjamin and Amy (Brownell) Weaver, and a descendant of Abraham and Rebecca Peirce, who came to America as early as 1623, and settled in Plymouth colony. Ebenezer W. Peirce attended the Freetown academy, and later removed to Lakeville, Mass. He was married, Dec. 13, 1849, to Irene Isabel, daughter of Capt. Sylvanus Payne, of Freetown, and until the beginning of the civil war held several important local offices. He was commissioned major of the Old Colony regiment in 1844; brigadier-general of state militia in 1855, and accompanied Gen. B.F. Butler to Fort Monroe, where he was placed in command of a brigade made up of five New York three months' militia regiments, detachments from the 4th Massachusetts and 1st Vermont militia and four guns of the regular U.S. artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Greble. With this force of 3500 men he conducted the attack on the Confederate force under Col. J. B. Magruder at Big and Little Bethel, June 10, 1861. His command under explicit orders from General Butler was to concentrate near Little Bethe1, where additional troops from Newport News were to join him, and together they were to attack the enemy. The advancing columns, each mistaking the other for the enemy, opened fire, which warned the Confederates, and after a short skirmish, General Peirce was obliged to retreat. He was given command of the 29th Massachusetts volunteers, Dec. 31, 1861; assigned to the 2d brigade, 1st division, 2d army corps, and lost an arm in the battle of White Oak Swamp, Va., June 30, 1862. He returned to his regiment in the 2d brigade, 1st division, 9th corps, Army of the Ohio, and was present at the defence of Knoxville, Tenn., November-December, 1863. He resigned his commission in November, 1864. He was appointed collector of internal revenue for the first district of Massachusetts, by President Johnson, in August, 1866, but the appointment was not confirmed by the senate. He is the author of: The Peirce Family of the Old Colony (1870); Contributions, Biographical, Genealogical and Historical (1874); Indian History, Biography and Genealogy (1878); Civil, Military and Professional Lists of Plymouth and Rhode Island Colonies (1881). General Peirce was one of the few general officers of the volunteer service to survive the century and in 1903 he was residing at Freetown, Mass.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor