No. 112.] 715 



The disorganizing and demoralizing effects of the war of the 

 Revolution, exerted a malignant influence upon the character of 

 the fiODtier population. Ei^sex county was not exempt from these 

 consequences. The testimony before me of aged citizens, presents 

 a striking portraiture ot the state of society, in some sections ul'the 

 county, where the restraints of government were scarcely recogniz- 

 ed and where laws seem to have administered only to evil passious. 



I quote the language of a judicious observer, in speaking of a 

 town, now second to none in its high moral and social position, 

 " when an individual wished to secure a piece of land, he elected 

 upon it a cabin, and repelled others by physical force, if unsuc- 

 cessful or absent, his cabin was prostrated, and the last aggressor 

 took possession of the coveted premises, and claimed the title. 

 Tlie parties with their partizaus and a supply of wi>key, met on 

 the Soil, and " tried their wager of battle." The victor maintain- 

 ed the possession. To correct these evils an association w.:§ f rm- 

 ed, and a system alopied, which required a person de>iriug to 

 occupy a lot, to perfect a survey of the premises, and to file a tj an- 

 script with the secretary of the society. The title thus establish- 

 ed was held sacred, for the purpose of that community."* 



The venerable author of a communication, describing the prim- 

 itive habits of t'ne county states " that justices' courts, at ih-it pe- 

 riod, were usually held in taverns, the inn keeper himself being 

 the ju-tice The most frivolous diiricultits, were nur.^'cd into 

 law suits, these attended amid intemperance and revelings, hd to 

 assaults, and trifling contruversies which engendered further and 

 debasing litigation. f 



Essex county presentedin this rude and demoralized class of 

 itscitizens,a stage of society exhibited along every frontier of civili- 

 zation. Wherever I have succeeded in tracing tjie history of (he 

 early settlement of this county, I almost universally have fuund one 

 pr 'mine'it feature developed, and which strongly marks the char- 

 acter and dcbctnt of the people. • 



The first impulse, and almost instinct ef the settlers, even when 

 th» ir cabins were scattered over a wide area ot several miles, 



• C. F«nlon, Esq. f Levi lligby, Ejq. 



