Allenstown New Hampshire Biographical Sketches

Transcribed by Jeffrey Tooley

Allenstown New Hampshire Biographical Sketches extracted from History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, by Hurd, Duane Hamilton, ed, 1885.

Sargent, Major Sterling

Major Sterling Sargent was born in Allenstown March 20, 1794. He was the son of Philip and Sally Peirce Sargent. He early manifested a great interest in music, and became quite proficient as a drummer. When only sixteen years of age he wasstationed, with others, at Fort Constitution, in the War of 1812, and commissioned drum-major. He always resided in the town of his birth, and for many years was chosen to represent the same in General Court, and to fill various other offices in the interests of his fellow-citizens. He was born on and inherited the farm now owned by the China Manufacturing Company. He made the brick and built the house in which Colonel D. L. Jewell, the agent, now resides.

In 1843 he sold this place to the Pembroke Mills Company, moving a short distance to land he owned, where he built a house and fitted up a home, in which he lived and died.

Mr. Sargent was always a decided Democrat, and was intensely loyal to the government. He lived to see the triumph of the Federal army over the Rebellion, and died in the hope of peace and abounding prosperity to every section of our fair country. He was for many years an honored member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, contributing freely for the building of the late chapel in Suncook village, for the purchase of the organ, and for the support of the various institutions of religion. His democracy and piety were always well illustrated in his liberality and justice. Being for many years an esteemed member of the Masonic fraternity, he met all men" on the level, and parted with them on the square." He was married, in 1815, to Sally Gault, of Hooksett. She proved to be a woman of uncommon domestic ability, and every way well qualified to preside over a family and a home. She died May 10, 1863. He died June 4, 1868. They lived together nearly fifty years. There were born to them eleven children, — seven sons and four daughters. Three sons died in infancy, and two became young men and then deceased. Six children are now living, — two sons and four daughters. Philip Sargent, the eldest son, resides in the finest brick mansion in the town, which he has erected close by the place where he was born.

Warren Sargent inherits, and now occupies, the old homestead, which is regarded as one of the best fiirms and pleasantest situations in Allenstown.

These brothers are known as the firm of P. & W. Sargent, brick-makers, Suncook, N. H.

Sallie S., the eldest daughter, first married George Hirsch, who soon after died, and she married Rev. H. H. Hartwell, a Methodist minister and member of the New Hampshire Conference, and now owns and dwells in a fine" cottage home," near the place of her birth.

Elsie K. is the esteemed wife of Henry W. Forbush, Esq., a merchant in Philadelphia.

Mary H. is the honored wife of W. F. Head, Esq., of Hooksett, a brother and a life-long partner in business, and now occupying the splendid residence of the late ex-Governor Natt. Head.

Abbie H. is the true and faithful companion of Natt. B. Emery, one of the long-known firm of Emery Brothers, and has a palatial residence in Suncook village.

These six children all revere the memory of their departed parents, and in talent and character are living to honor the family name.

Hartwell, Rev. Henry H.

Rev. Henry H. Hartwell was born in Hillsborough, N. H., October 18, 1819. He was the eldest son of William and Betsy Wilkins Hartwell. They had nine sons and two daughters. Of these, six died ill infancy, while five lived to reach manhood.

The family was poor, and at times destitute. When lie was about eight years old, young Heury was sent to Vermont to live with a friend (in order to lighten the burden of family expenses), where he remained for more than four years without seeing his mother, to whom he was greatly attached. He then returned to his native town, and found employment in different places, working during the summer and attendiug school in the winter-time.

When fourteen years of age he commenced to learn the carpenter's trade, working, as before, in the busy season, and attending school or teaching in the fall and winter. At the age of eighteen he made a profession of religion and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Immediately becoming very active in all the social meetings and interests of the church, he was greatly impressed that it was his duty to take upon himself the work and oiBce of the Christian ministry. He found two barriers in the way: the opposition of his father and friends, and his deep consciousness of unfitness for such an important work. Still, he kept steadily on in the discharge of what he felt to be his duty, and in the improvement of every opportunity, until in the spring of 1840, his zeal having daily increased and his father being less opposed to it, he gave up all, and, leaving home and friends, started on horseback, with saddle-bags, to carry the glad tidings to lost men.

He joined the New Hampshire Conference in 1841, and for thirty-five years performed effective work in the ministry. His educational advantages were limited, but he was a ready extempore speaker, very original, always selecting some object in nature or some fact in history with which his hearers were familiar, that he might more clearly illustrate and forcibly apply the truth he sought to inculcate. He was full of what is called "mother wit," and has ever been regarded as a good student of human nature. He inherited a peculiar eccentricity, which added not a little to his popularity as a preacher. During his active ministry he filled many of the best positions in the Conference, and was always happy in his charge and his work. Under his ministry thousands have been converted and added to the Church of Christ.

Physically he was perfect, and the early muscular training he received was of much benefit at times during his ministry. He was assailed, when in his prime, by three men who had taken offense at something he had said in a temperance-meeting, and with much profanity they informed him of their intention to thrash him. He replied solemnly, "Boys, I don't want my ministerial coat soiled; allow me to take it off and I am ready."When his coat dropped from his hand, the better of the three went to the ground also, and the second was treated in a like manner. Mr. Hartwell then said to the third, "David, if I strike you, you will never rise without help! "And David gave him his hand, and the two together got the others up, washed off the blood and assisted them to their homes. This experience was to the three in after-years a source of merriment when they met together.

When Mr. Hartwell was pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Nashua, in 1858, one night, iu the midst of a powerful revival, some one made a disturbance in the back part of the congregation. He called upon an officer to still or remove the offender. The officer went to the man while Mr. Hartwell delayed reading the hymn. At length he came back to the pulpit without his man. Mr. Hartwell then said, " The officer informs me that this is a desperate fel- low ; that he has a revolver and swears he won't go out. Now let all be perfectly quiet," and, turning his hymn-book upon the Bible, he walked decidedly up the aisle and said, "Jack Burns, will you go with me quietly out of this house?" The reply was, "Yes, Henry, I will; but there ain't another man in this crowd that can take me out! " He led him out and down into the street, and returning to the pulpit, said, "Now let us worship God."

More than thirty years ago Mr. Hartwell was Journeying from New Market to Concord in a sleigh with his wife and little daughter. In the town of North- wood he saw three young men from the leading families in Concord coming driving at a break-neck speed, and their sleigh lapped his about three inches. The driver said, "What now? my horse won't back." Mr. Hartwell said, " My horse will back if I want him to." After a moment one of them said, " What are you going to do?" Mr. Hartwell replied, "I will show you if you like to see," and, stepping out into the snow, he took hold of their sleigh aad tipped it, with the men, into the ditch and then drove on. These are only a few of the many reminiscences of his life. He was never a bigot, but was an outspoken, old-fashioned Methodist minister.

He spoke of heaven and hell and called things by their proper names. He was of a very positive nature, making many warm friends and some bitter enemies. He cast his first vote in 1840 with the then despised Anti-Slavery party. His father wept and said to him, "I should rather have buried you than have you vote the nigger ticket! " But he replied, in his own peculiar style, " Old man, you have always told us boys never to be anything because your father was, but investigate and then act as you conscientiously believe to be right. That I have done."And his father never said anything more to him on that subject. Mr. Hartwell always seemed sanguine in the belief that he should live to see the doing away of American slavery, as the sum of all villainies. After the abolishing of slavery he drifted into the Eepublican ranks, and for many years has been an earnest worker on that line. He has always been a most decided temperance advocate; has been associated with nearly all the temperance organizations for the last fifty years, believing that all of them have done good. But his great stress has been on prohibition. He has always believed, preached, jirayed and voted with the hope, and only hope, of the full and final suppression by law of this great curse. On account of his outspoken opposition to this traffic he has suffered in person, reputation and property. He has been greatly slandered, waylaid, horse-sheared, wagon and harness mutilated and an attempt lias been to burn his house by night. But for his faithful dog, he and his family might have gone through the flames of his own dwelling to the rest promised to the people of God. For a few years past he has been so wounded with the duplicity of professed temperance men, and so disgusted with some of his brethren in the ministry who have preached temperance and voted for rum, that he has not taken as prominent a part in public demonstrations as formerly.

A now prominent man has said: "To be duly appreciated he must be thoroughly known. I have known Mr. Hartwell for fifty years intimately, and would trust him with uncounted thousands of dollars."

He was married, in May, 1842, to Flora Ann Sweatt, of Webster, N. H., who proved every way worthy of his hand and heart. They toiled together for sixteen years, and she died November, 1858, leaving three sons and one daughter. The sons are all living. The daughter was Jlrs. Charles T. Daniels, of Lawrence, Mass., who, with her only son, nineteen years of age, was lost on the ill-fated steamer " City of Columbus," off Gay Head, January 18, 1884.

In April, 1861, he married Mrs. Sally Hirsch, a widow, and the eldest daughter of Major Sterling Sargent, of Allenstown. They have one daughter, Mrs. Pork Mitchel, now of Manchester. He has been for more than a quarter of a century a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the I. O. O. Fellows, having regularly passed the chairs and been Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of the State in both of these orders.

In 1868 he became a citizen of Allenstown, where he now resides. Although he has never acted or voted with the predominant party, he has been kept in office most of the time, showing the respect for and confidence reposed in him by his fellow-townsmen. He is now a man of sixty-six years, hale and hearty, and weighs two hundred pounds.