On March 17, 1785, Abigail married farmer and soldier Moses Sash of Cummington, Massachusetts. By 1790, the couple had moved to nearby Worthington and by 1797, they were in Townsend, Vermont. By 1810, they were living in Harford, Connecticut. Moses died there on May 1, 1828.
In the 1780s Sash was a “Regulator” or “Insurgent” in Shays’ Rebellion. Daniel Shays, a farmer, and veteran of the Revolutionary War led the rebellion, which started in 1786. Following the war, farmers found they could no longer buy on credit and pay their debts through the exchange of goods and services, but there was almost no coinage in circulation and no paper money. In addition, veterans found that the compensation they received for their service was not enough for survival and many became destitute as their farms were foreclosed upon. They opted to fight against the Massachusetts government by attacking its buildings, especially courthouses. In January of 1787, the Regulators attempted and failed to capture the United States Arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts, and during their retreat, Moses was captured by government troops. The first of the two indictments issued against him identified Sash as "a Captain & one of Shaises council." He was accused of "unlawfully & seditiously" procuring "guns, bayonets, pistols, swords, gunpowder, bullets, blankets and provisions" to arm fellow "riotous & seditious persons." Despite the gravity of the charges, no subsequent action was taken. With the election of Governor Hancock in April 1787, the government dropped the charges.
Sources Consulted
Worthington, Massachusetts 1790 & 1800 federal censuses
Cummington, Massachusetts vital records
Shays' Rebellion & the Making of a Nation