Sergeant of Stockbridge, Captain Solomon Stoddard, commander of
the Stockbridge militia, Oliver Wendell of Pittsfield, and Henry W.
Dwight of Stockbridge, the county treasurer. There were not in
Stockbridge alone enough families to have furnished six pall-bearers
of satisfactory social rank. For while all men of liberal education or
profession, or such as held prominent offices were recognized as
gentlemen in sharp distinction from the common people, yet the
generality of even these were looked far down upon by the county
families of long pedigree and large estate. The Partridges, Dr.
Sergeant, the Dwights, the Williamses, the Stoddards, and of course
his brother-in-law Edwards, were the only men in Stockbridge whom
Woodbridge regarded as belonging to his own caste. Even Theodore
Sedgwick, despite his high public offices, he affected to consider
entitled to social equality chiefly by virtue of his having married a
Dwight.
After the funeral exercises, Squire Woodbridge managed to whisper a
few words in the ear of a dozen or so of the gentlemen present, the
tenor of which, to the great surprise of those addressed, was a
request that they would call on him that evening after dark, taking
care to come alone, and attract as little attention as possible.
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