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Subject: [NEW-HAMPSHIRE-L] Lieut. Colonel John GOFFE, French Indian Wars NH
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 10:15:55 EST

Subject: Col. John Goffe, NH - French and Indian Wars
Source: History of Charlestown, NH by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson 1876

p.75
Early in March of 1757, a regiment of five hundred men was raised by New-Hamp-
shire for another Crown Point expedition, of which Nathaniel Meserve was
Colonel and John Goffe Lieutenant Colonel. This regiment by Lord Loudoun who
had succeeded Shirley as Commander in Chief, was divided between these two
officers; two hundred men being placed under the command of Goffe; which
detachment was ordered by Lord Loudoun immediately to (Fort 4) Charlestown,
NH, as shown by the following extract of a message of Governor Wentworth of
March 21, 1757:

"By a letter, I received yesterday from New-York, of the 12th instant, wrote
by
Lord Loudoun's order, I am desired to assemble the force raised by this
government
as soon as possible, and to march them immediately to Charlestown (NH); the
men are to be provided with camp equipage and it is expected that the
government
procures carriages to transport them to the Connecticut River at a reasonable
rate
and Lord Loudoun will issue warrants for the payment thereof. Warrants will
also
be made out for the payment of two shillings Sterling, per week, for the
allowance
made by Lor Loudoun to each man, in lieu of provisions; but this allowance is
not
to take place until the first muster, by which you will see the necessity of
an
immediate muster."

In accordance with the above order of the Commander in Chief, the detachment
under Lieutenant Colonel Goffe, on its being mustered into service was ordered
immediately to Charlestown, NH; but unfortunately, they did not arrive in
season
to protect the inhabitants from the incursion of the French and Indians which
had
taken place on the 20th of April, 1757. The military station at No. 4 this
passed
under the supervision of His Majesty's Officers, commanding in the region, and
Massachusetts, presuming that on account of its importance, they would
continue
to make the necessary provision for it, felt that the time, at length, had
come when
it would be safe to withdraw her forces. It was accordingly done, and that
government was relieved from the heavy burden, which, for so many years she
had felt it her duty to bear, of sustaining a frontier, which was not within
her
jurisdiction (but that of New-Hampshire).

p.76 Chapter V.
The detachment of two hundred men under Lieut. Colonel John Goffe did not
remain at Charlestown, NH, but was ordered to Fort William Henry to constitute
a part of the garrison of that important fortress under the command of Colonel
Munroe. This fort being invested on the 3rd of August, 1757, by the army of
General Montcalm, composed of French and Indians, capitulated on the 9th; the
terms being an escort to Fort Edward and their private baggage. These
terms, by
General Montcalm, were dishonorably violated. The Indians were permitted to
attack the English troops as they left the fort, and to rob and murder them
at will.

The New-Hampshire battalion was in the rear and suffered severely. Out of
two hundred, eighty were killed or taken. See Potter M. History pp 189-196.*

*footnote: Captain John Burk belonged to Lieut Colonel Goffe's detachment of
the New-Hampshire troops. His name occurs among the proprietors of Fort 4
(although Rev. Saunderson says he doesnt know if Capt. Burk ever lived at
Fort 4)
He was commander for a time at the Fort in Hinsdale. When the New-Hampshire
troops were assaulted by the Indians after the surrender of Fort William Henry
he (Burk) was seized by the savages and after a violent struggle stripped of
the
whole of his clothes, when he escaped into the woods. Straying in various
directions he was overtaken by darkness in the margin of a morass, and unable
to direct his course, lay down in the thick grass and passed the night,
covered
only by the damp vapor of the swamp. The next day he renewed his march,
and fortunately, arrived safely at Fort Edward. (see also, Hoyt's Indian
Wars, p. 292)

When Lieut. Colonel Goffe was ordered by General Webb to Fort William Henry,
a regiment of five hundred Connecticut troops under the command of Colonel
Nathan Whiting was ordered to Charlestown, NH, to supply his place. These
troops, (as Colonel Whiting was apprehensive of an attack from Montcalm) were
kept constantly on the alert and scouts ranged the woods as far as Lake Champ-
lain and made close approaches to the French headquarters. In one of these
excursions, Lieut. Pierce lay some time in the vicinity of Ticonderoga while
the
French were fireing their cannon and making demonstrations of joy at the
capture
of Fort William Henry. On their return they discovered hanging in the woods,
sixty pairs of snow shoes which they destroyed, or brought into Charlestown.

p.77
At the latter end of August 1757, Major Thomas Tash arrived at Fort 4 with two
hundred and fifty New-Hampshire troops ordered there by Gov. Wentworth, at the
requisition of General Webb who on their arrival, withdrew the Connecticut
troops,
who by the route of Charlemont and Fort Massachusetts, march under Colonel
Whiting to reinforce the main army at Fort Edward. "This was the first time
(says Belknap, speaking of the force of Major Tash,) that the troops of
New-Hamp-
shire occupied that important post."

They had, however,occupied it previously for a short time, as has been seen,
under
Lieut, Colonel John Goffe. But neither Goffe's nor Tash's force was sent
there,
merely for its defense as a frontier town, but for the purpose of
facilitating the
operations of the main army. The force under Major Tash, consisted of five
companies, three of infantry and two of cavalry. The entered service in
August 1757
and were discharged for the most part in the following November 1757. (see
Potter's
Military History p. 191 Volume 2).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After 1-1/2 hours of searching I cant come up with Lieut Colonel John Goffe's
Regimental Rosters in all his battles. (French/Indian Wars) ca 1757, 1760,
etc.
We know his descent, that he settled at Londonderry, NH later Manchester, NH
bits and pieces....I want it all....anyone?

Lieut. Colonel John Goffe, of Londonderry, NH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did Lieut Colonel John Goffe descend from the Regicide (King Charles 1) who
escaped death by fleeing to Massachusetts and thence to CT?

See: <A HREF="http://www.inmind.com/people/dcooper/su99cordwainer.html">A
question of special interest to Goffs descendants

</A>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bedford NH (102) 1975

JOHN GOFFE

This is considered the site of Squire John
Goffe's log homestead on Bowman's Brook. John
Goffe's Mill, now part of the motel complex
across the road, was built in 1744 by his
grandson, Major John, rebuilt in 1834 by his
greatgrandson, Theodore, following a fire, and
again in 1939 by another descendent, Dr. George
Woodbury. Prominent in Bedford history, the
family name was given to neighboring Goffstown
and Goffe's Falls. Four generations of Goffes,
with their wives, rest side by side in Bedford's
Old Burying Ground. Other descendents rest in
the Bedford Center Cemetery.

Located on US 3, about .2 mile north of its junction with NH 101

http://www.rpi.edu/~marksp2/history4/merrima1.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Credit for the first formal "settlement" of Manchester, NH is given to John
Goffe, who acquired land on the north bank of Cohas Brook, near the
point where it joins the Merrimack, as early as 1722. Several years
later, Goffe, his wife, and his two brothers-in-law and their wives,
left Londonderry and built homes on this land. Goffe constructed a dam
across the brook, and proceeded to build and operate a sawmill.

http://www.mv.com/ipusers/env/city.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WINDSOR CHAIR. Owned by Colonel (1701-1781) and Mrs. John
Goffe (1702-1798). Present owner, Mrs. Gordon Woodbury,
Bedford, N.H.
http://www.izaak.unh.edu/specoll/mancoll/wpaart.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manchester, NH
European settlement in the region began in the early 1700s. In 1719
Scotch-Irish pioneers began to populate the area around Londonderry,
bringing their knowledge of linen spinning and weaving. In 1722, a small
settlement along Cohas Brook was established by John Goffe who also
built a water-powered mill. Manchester's predecessor, the town of
Derryfield, was incorporated in 1751 and was primarily a farming
community. The town's most famous citizen was General John Stark, a
Revolutionary War hero who is perhaps best known today for penning the
New Hampshire motto "Live Free or Die."
http://www.manchester-chamber.org/history.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bedford (102)
1975

JOHN GOFFE

This is considered the site of Squire (father of Lieut Col John Goffe) John
Goffe's log homestead on
Bowman's Brook. John Goffe's Mill, now part of the motel complex across
the road, was built in 1744 by his grandson, Major John, rebuilt in 1834
by his great grandson, Theodore, following a fire, and again in 1939 by
another descendant, Dr. George Woodbury. Prominent in Bedford history,
the family name was given to neighboring Goffstown and Goffe's Falls.
Four generations of Goffes, with their wives, rest side by side in
Bedford's Old Burying Ground. Other descendants rest in the Bedford
Center Cemetery.

Located on US 3, about .2 mile north of its junction with NH 101.
Boscawen (49) 1967
http://www.state.nh.us/markers/me102.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: History of Charlestown, NH - Fort No. 4 by Rev. Henry H.
Saunderson

p.88
June 1760

Colonel Goffe had his headquarters at Charlestown, NH. His regiment was
employed in clearing the road between Charlestown and the mountains. The
trails of the Indians were occasionally seen in the adjacent woods but
they were too few to make, under the circumstances, any general attack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Anyone have any
rosters of any of the above regiments 1757 to 1760 under the
command of Lieut Colonel John Goffe?

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