USA > Connecticut > New London County > A modern history of New London County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 16
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Lieut .- Col. Eyre, who behaved with great gallantry, having received his wound near the works, and Maj. Montgomery being killed immediately after, the command devolved on Maj. Bromfield, whose behavior on this occasion does him great honor. Lieut .- Col. Buskirk, with the New Jersey volunteers and artillery, being the second debarkation, came up soon after the work was carried, having been retarded by the roughness of the country. I am much obliged to this gentleman for his exertions, although the artillery did not arrive in time.
I have enclosed a return of the killed and wounded, by which your Ex- cellency will observe that our loss, though very considerable, is short of the enemy's, who lost most of their officers, among whom was their commander, Col. Ledyard. Eighty-five men were found dead in Fort Griswold and sixty wounded, most of them mortally ; their loss on the opposite side must have been considerable, but cannot be ascertained. I believe we have about seventy prisoners, besides the wounded who were left paroled.
Ten or twelve ships were burned, among them three or four armed vessels, and one loaded with naval stores; an immense quantity of European and West India goods were found in the stores, among the former cargo of the "Hannah," Capt. Watson, from London, lately captured by the enemy, the
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CITY OF NEW LONDON
whole of which was burnt with the stores, which proved to contain a large quantity of powder unknown to us. The explosion of the powder and change of wind, soon after the stores were fired, communicated the flames to part of the town, which was, notwithstanding every effort to prevent it, unfor- tunately destroyed.
After the Revolution, New London developed its fisheries and commerce and became a famous whaling center. With its shipbuilding and coasting trade, New London became a center of trade for merchants further inland. Trade with the West Indies sprang up and flourished. One hundred and fifty sail of merchant vessels entered and cleared at the port of New London. The first collector of the port was Gen. Jedediah Huntington, of Revolu- tionary fame. The war of 1812 greatly interfered with this commerce, but at the close of the war commerce again revived. In 1816 was made the first trip from New York to New London by steam. The time, twenty-one hours, was considered remarkable. Two natives of New London, Capt. Moses Rogers and Capt. Stevens Rogers, were the first to navigate a steam vessel across the Atlantic. The "Savannah" made the trip to Liverpool in twenty- one days, starting May 26, 1819.
To Miss Caulkins' History we are indebted for an outline of the whaling industry :
In tracing the whale fishery, so far as it has been prosecuted by the people of Connecticut, back to its rise, we come to the following resolve of the General Court at Hartford, May 25th, 1647: "If Mr. Whiting with others shall make trial and prosecute a design for the taking of whale, within these liberties, and if upon trial within the term of two years, they shall like to go on, no others shall be suffered to interrupt them for the term of seven years."
The granting of monopolies and exclusive privileges was the customary mode of encouraging trade and manufactures in that day. Of Mr. Whiting's project nothing further is known. Whales in the early years of the colony were often seen in the Sound; and if one chanced to be stranded on the shore, or to get embayed in a creek, the news was soon spread, and the fisher- men and farmers from the nearest settlements would turn out, armed with such implements as they possessd, guns, pikes, pitchforks, or spears, and rush to the encounter. Such adventures, however, belong more particularly to the south side of Long Island than to the Connecticut shore.
A whale boat is mentioned in an enumeration of goods before the end of the seventeenth century, and this implies that excursions were sometimes made in pursuit of whales, but probably they were not extended much beyond Montauk. Even at the present day a whale sometimes makes its appearance in the eastern part of the Sound.
We have no statistics to show that the whale fishery was on except in this small way, from any part of the Connecticut coast, before the Revolu- tionary War. At Sag Harbor, on the opposite coast of the Sound, something more had been done. It is said that as far back as 1760, sloops from that place went to Disco Island in pursuit of whales; but of these voyages no record has been preserved. The progress of whaling from the American coast appears to have been pursued in the following order :
Ist. Whales were killed or or near the coast, and in all instances cut up and dried upon land. Boats only used.
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2nd. Small sloops were fitted out for a cruise of five or six weeks, and went as far as the Great Banks of Newfoundland.
3rd. Longer voyages of a few months were made to the Western Islands, Cape Verde, West Indies and Gulf of Mexico.
4th. After 1745, voyages were made to Davis' Straits, Baffin's Bay, and as far south as the coast of Guinea.
5th. After 1770, voyages were made to the Brazil Banks, and before 1775 vessels both from Nantucket and Newport had been to the Falkland Islands. Nantucket alone had at that time 150 vessels and 2,000 men employed in the whaling business. Some of the vessels were brigs of considerable burden.
The war totally destroyed the whale fishery, and the depression of busi- ness after the war prevented it from being immediately resumed. In Nan- tucket it revived in 1785, under legislative encouragement. This brings us to the period when the first whaling expedition into south latitude was fitted out from Long Island Sound.
In the year 1784 we find the following notice in the "New London Gazette": "May 20. Sailed from this port, sloop 'Rising Sun,' Squire, on a whaling voyage." Of this voyage there is no further record ; it was probably of the short description. . At Sag Harbor a more extended expedition was undertaken the same year. Nathaniel Gardiner and brother fitted out both a ship and a brig on a whaling adventure. They were both unsuccessful, but this is supposed to have been the first expedition after whales from Long Island Sound into south latitudes. In 1785, Messrs. Stephen Howell and Benjamin Hunting, of Sag Harbor, purchased the brig "Lucy," of Elijah Hubbard, of Middletown, Connecticut, and sent her out on a whaling voyage, George Mckay, master. The same season the brig "America," Daniel Havens, master, was fitted out from the same place. Both went to the Brazil Banks.
1785 .- The "Lucy" returned May 15th, with 360 barrels. The "America" returned June 4th, with 300 barrels. These arrivals were announced in the "New London Gazette," in the marine list kept by Thomas Allen, who there- upon breaks forth: "Now, my horse jockeys, beat your horses and cattle into spears, lances, harpoons and whaling gear, and let us all strike out; many spouts ahead ! Whales plenty, you have them for the catching."
The first vessel sailing from New London on a whaling voyage to a southern latitude was the ship "Commerce," which was owned and fitted out at East Haddam, in Connecticut river, but cleared from New London Feb- ruary 6th, 1794. An attempt was made to form a whaling company in New London in 1795, and a meeting called at Miner's tavern for that purpose, but it led to no result. Norwich next came forward, and sent out on a whaling voyage a small new ship built in the Thames river, below Norwich, and called the "Miantinomoh." She sailed from New London September 5th, 1800 (Captain Swain), and passing round Cape Horn, was reported at Massafuero August 9th, 1801. She spent another year on the South American coast, but in April, 1802, was seized at Valparaiso by the Spanish authorities and con- demned, the ship "Tryal," Coffin, of Nantucket, sharing the same fate.
In 1802, the ship "Despatch," Howard, was fitted out at New London, to cruise in the south seas after whales; but the voyage was not repeated. The year 1805 may therefore be considered as the period when the whaling business actually commenced in the place, and the ship "Dauphin" the pioneer in the trade. This vessel was built by Capt. John Barber, at Pawkatuck Bridge, with express reference to the whale fishery. Her burden was two hundred and forty tons, and when completed she was filled with wood and sent to New York for sale. Not meeting with a purchaser, she returned and
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CITY OF NEW LONDON
came into New London Harbor in the autumn of 1804. Here a company was formed, chiefly through the exertions of Dr. S. H. P. Lee, the first mover in the enterprise, who bought the ship and fitted her for whaling.
The "Dauphin," Capt. Laban Williams, sailed for the Brazil Banks Sep- tember 6th, 1805, and arrived with her cargo June 14th, 1806. Dr. Lee then bought the ship "Leonidas," in New York, and fitted her also for whaling. Both ships sailed in August; Williams in the "Leonidas," and Alexander Douglas in the "Dauphin." The "Dauphin" arrived in April, 1807, full. The "Leonidas" arrived in June, 1807, 1,050 barrels.
In 1807 the ship "Lydia" was bought in New York, and put into the business. The three ships went to the coast of Patagonia. The "Lydia" (Douglas) arrived June 9th, 1808, 1,000 barrels. The "Dauphin" (Sayre) arrived June 13th, 1808, 900 barrels. The "Leonidas" (Wm. Barnes) arrived June 23d, 1808, 1,200 barrels. The "Leonidas" left six of her crew on the uninhabited island of Trinidad; they had landed for refreshment, and the weather becoming very boisterous, the wind blowing off from the island and so continuing for many days, the vessel sailed without them. In July, the schooner "Experiment" (S. P. Fitch) was sent to bring them away. The "Leonidas" (Douglas) sailed again August 31st, 1808.
The embargo, non-intercourse and war, following close upon each other from this period, entirely broke up this, as well as every other species of commerce. The West India trade, which in former times had been the source of so much wealth and prosperity to the town, was never again ex- tensively revived. After the conclusion of peace, only a few vessels were engaged in that traffic, and every year diminished the number. The whale fishery seemed to offer itself to fill the void of this declining trade.
In 1819 the whaling business was commenced anew by T. W. Williams and Daniel Deshon; the first officers employed consisted principally of per- sons who had gained some experience in the former short period of the busi- ness between 1805 and 1808. The brig "Mary" (James Davis) was sent out by Williams; the brig "Mary Ann" (Inglis) and the ship "Carrier" (Alex- ander Douglas) by Deshon. The "Mary" came in the next season, June 7th, and brought the first results of the new enterprise. She was out ten months and twenty days, and brought in 744 barrels of whale-oil and 78 of sperm. The "Carrier" brought 928 barrels of whale ; the "Mary Ann" only 59.
In 1820, the brig "Pizarro" (Elias L. Coit) was added to the fleet, and in 1821 the brig "Thames" (Bernard) and the ship "Commodore Perry" (Davis). The last-named vessel was built in 1815, at East Greenwich, Rhode Island, but coppered in New London, after she was engaged in the whaling business. It was the first time that this operation was performed in the place, and the "Commodore Perry" was the first copper-bottomed whaling vessel sent from the port. On her first voyage she was out eight months and four days, and brought in 1,544 barrels of whale oil and 81 of sperm.
The "Carrier" (O. Swain), 340 tons burden, was the first vessel from the port that went out on the long voyage for sperm whale. She sailed for the Pacific Ocean February 20th, 1821, and arrived July 12th, 1823, with 2,074 barrels. In November, 1821, sailed also for the Pacific the new ship "Ston- ington" (Ray), built at Stonington, but sent from New London. In 1822 the ships "Connecticut." "Ann Maria" and "Jones" were added to the fleet, and in 1824 the "Neptune." The four brigs and the ship "Carrier," after making three and four voyages each, were withdrawn from the business; and as no other vessels were added till 1827, at the commencement of that year the whaling list of the port consisted of six ships only-three of them right whale and three sperm cruisers. Of these, five were fitted out by T. W. Williams,
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and the "Commodore Perry" by N. and W. W. Billings, who were then just launching into the business, and who purchased the same year the "Superior" and the "Phenix."
A fine ship that has for many years braved the storms of ocean cannot be regarded with indifference. She has a history which, if it could be written, would be full of interest. A few brief notes respecting the older ships belong- ing to the port may therefore be acceptable.
The "Commodore Perry" made seventeen voyages, and the "Stonington" thirteen. They both gave out, and were broken up in 1848. The "Con- necticut" was condemned in a foreign port in 1848, was sold, and is still afloat in the Pacific Ocean. The "Ann Maria" was run down by a French whaler in the Indian Ocean in 1842. The "Jones" made sixteen voyages, and was condemned in 1842. The "Neptune" and "Superior," two ships that belonged to the whaling fleet of New London in 1852, were both built in 1808. The "Superior" was built in Philadelphia, and purchased by N. and W. W. Billings in 1827; the "Neptune" in New Bedford, and purchased by T. W. Williams in 1824, for $1650. She had just returned from an unsuccessful whaling voyage, fitted out from New York, and, being sixteen years old, the sum paid for her was considered fully equal to her value. She sailed on her first voyage from New London, June 7th, 1824, has made eighteen voyages, and is now absent (1852) on her nineteenth, having been forty-four years afloat. She has been more than once during that period rebuilt, but has not lost her identity ; her keel, stern-post and some of her floor-timbers belong to the original frame.
No other service admits of such rapid promotion as whaling. In 1821, Robert B. Smith went captain of the "Mary." His experience in the business had been gained in two voyages only, but he proved to be one of the most successful and enterprising masters in the trade. He was the first to reach the amount of 2,000 barrels in one voyage, which he did in the "Ann Maria" in 1823, the second time that he went out commander. He was absent eight months and twenty-two days, and brought in 1,919 barrels of whale and 145 of sperm. In his sixth voyage he was unfortunately drowned in the Pacific Ocean, being drawn overboard by a whale, to which he had just made fast with his harpoon and line, December 28th, 1828. Captain Smith's four brothers pursued the same line of enterprise.
Capt. James Smith made ten voyages as captain, and several of them were eminently successful. In three successive voyages in the "Columbia," made to the island of Desolation, from which he returned in 1840, 1842, and 1844, he brought in each time more than 4,000 barrels of oil.
Capt. Franklin Smith, another of the brothers, made the most successful series of voyages to be found in the whaling annals of the port and probably of the world ! In seven voyages to the South Atlantic, in the employ of N. and W. W. Billings, and accomplished in seven successive years, from 1831 to 1837, inclusive-one in the "Flora," one in the "Julius Cesar," and five in the "Tuscarora"-he brought home 16,154 barrels of whale, 1,147 of sperm. This may be regarded as a brilliant exhibiiton of combined good fortune and skill. Two subsequent voyages made by him in the "Chelsea" were also crowned with signal success. These nine voyages were accomplished between June, 1830. and August, 1841.
Capt. John Rice was one of the crew of the brig "Mary" in 1819, and sailed commander of the "Pizarro," June 9th, 1822. He is still in the service (1852), in date of commission the oldest whaling captain of the port.
The single voyage that perhaps before any other merits special notice is that of the "Clematis" (Capt. Benjamin), fitted out by Williams and Barnes,
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and arriving July 4th, 1841. She was out ten months and twenty-nine days ; went round the world, and brought home 2,548 barrels of oil. This voyage, when the time, the distance sailed, and the quantity of oil brought home are considered in connection, merits to be ranked among remarkable achieve- ments.
There is no associated line of business in which the profits are more equitably divided among those engaged in it than in the whale fishery. The owners, agents, officers and crew are all partners in the voyage, and each has his proportionate share of the results. Its operation, therefore, is to enlarge the means and multiply the comforts of the many, as well as to add to the wealth of the wealthy. The old West India trade, which preceded it, was destructive in a remarkable degree to human life and health, and engendered habits of dissipation, turbulence, and reckless extravagance. The whaling business is a great advance upon this, not only as it regards life, but also in its relation to order, happiness and morality. The mass of the people, the public, gained by the exchange.
In 1845, the whaling business reached its maximum ; seven vessels were added that year to the fleet, which then consisted of seventy-one ships and barks, one brig, and five schooners. In January, 1846, the "Mclellan," of 336 tons, was purchased by Perkins and Smith, with the design of making an experiment in the Greenland fishery. This made the seventy-eighth vessel sailing from New London in pursuit of whales, and ranked the place more than 1,000 tons before Nantucket in the trade. New Bedford was still far ahead, but no other port in the world stood between.
The "Mc Lellan" has made six voyages to Davis' Straits ; but the seasons have been peculiarly unfavorable, and she has met with little success. She is now absent (1852) on her seventh voyage.
Employed in the whale fishery from New London : 1820, one ship, three brigs, 950 tons. 1846, seventy-one ships and barks, one brig, six schooners, 26,200 tons; capital embarked, nearly $2,000,000. In 1847, the tide began to ebb; the trade had been extended beyond what it would bear, and was followed by a depression of the market and a scarcity of whale. The fleet was that year reduced to fifty-nine ships and barks, one brig and six schoon- ers: total, sixty-six; tonnage, 22,625. In 1850, about fifty vessels were em- ployed, or 17,000 tons, and the capital about $1,200,000. In 1849 and 1850, twenty-five whaling captains abandoned the business and went to California. Value of imports from the whale fishery, as exhibited by the custom-house returns : 1850, $618,055; 1851, $1,109,410.
The following table of imports of whale and sperm oil into the port of New London, from 1820 to 1851, inclusive, and most of the statistics of the whale fishery since 1820, are taken from the Whaling Record of Henry P. Haven, which exhibits the date, length, and results of every whaling voyage made from New London since that period :
Year
Ships and Barks
Brigs
Schooners and Sloops
Barrels of Whale Oil
Barrels of Sperm Oil
1820
I
2
1,731
78
1821
0
3
2,323
105
1822
I
4
C
4,528
194
1823
4
2
6,712
2,318
1824
3
2
0
4,996
1,924
1825
4
0
0
5,483
2,276
1826
2
0
2,804
88
1827
5
3,375
6,166
1828
3
5,435
168
1829
9
11,325
2,205
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1830
14
O
0
15,248
9,792
1831
14
o
o
19,402
5,487
1832
12
0
0
21,375
703
1833
17
o
0
22,395
8,503
1834
9
1
2
12,930
4,565
1835
13
I
0
14,04I
11,868
1836
12
I
1
26,774
8,469
1838
15
O
3
25,523
3,426
1839
15
I
2
26,278
4,094
1840
17
2
I
32,038
4,110
1841
15
I
2
26,893
3,920
1842
16
I
3
28,165
4,055
1843
20
O
0
34,677
3,598
1844
18
I
3
39,816
2,296
1845
21
O
52,576
1,411
1846
13
I
2
27,44I
1,306
1847
35
0
2
76,287
4,765
1848
20
I
1
54,115
3,606
1849
17
0
3
38,030
1,949
1850
17
O
36,545
1,603
1851
26
2
67,508
2,914
Shortest voyage, ship "Manchester Packet," 1832; seven months and nineteen days (not including voyages of the "Mclellan" to Davis' Straits). Longest voyage, ship "William C. Nye," arrived February 10th, 1851; out fifty-seven months and eleven days. Largest quantity of oil in one voyage, ship "Robert Bowne," 1848, 4,850 barrels. Largest quantity of whale-oil in one voyage, ship "Atlantic, 1848, 4,720 barrels. Largest quantity of sperm- oil in one voyage, ship "Phoenix," 1833, 2,971 barrels. Largest quantity of oil imported in any one ship, ship "Neptune," 27,845 whale, 2,710 sperm.
In 1847, the number of vessels employed from New London in freighting, coasting and home fisheries was 171, viz., nine ships and barks, three brigs, fifty-six schooners, 103 sloops and smacks; whole burden, 12,300 tons .* The number of seamen employed in the whale fishery and domestic trade was about 3,000.
The year 1849 was distinguished by the general rush for California; nineteen vessels sailed for that coast from New London, but of these one schooner was fitted in Norwich, and two or three others were in part made up from adjoining towns. The statistics of the business with California for two years have been estimated as follows ("New London Democrat") : Sent in 1849, four ships, three barks, twelve schooners; 3,745 tons. Passengers, 152; seamen, 186. Value of goods : merchandise, $3,228; domestic products, $70,418; domestic manufactures, $45,520.
Sent in 1850, one ship, one brig, three schooners; 803 tons. Passengers. 15; seamen, 53. Value of merchandise, $1,905; domestic products, $19,598; domestic manufactures, $10,524.
About fifty persons from New London went in steamers or vessels from other ports. (Nine or ten vessels sailed for California from Mystic.) The whole number that went from the place to California in those two years, as
* From statistics furnished the Harbor and River Convention, at Chicago, in December, 1847, by T. W. Williams.
18,663
3,198
1837
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seamen and passengers, could not have been less than 450.
Of the effect of the war of 1812 on New London, Miss Caulkins tells many interesting anecdotes. One instance must serve :
Varied and numerous were the events of the town and neighborhood during these three successive years of constant rigorous blockade. The sloop "Juno," Captain John Howard, continued to ply back and forth between New London and New York during the whole war with but a single serious acci- dent; that was the loss of her mast by a shot of the enemy after being driven into Saybrook Harbor. Her enterprising commander was well acquainted with the Sound, made his trips during the darkest nights and in severest storms, guided often by the lantern lights of the enemy's ships as he repeat- edly ran through their blockading squadron. He was narrowly watched and several times pursued by their boats and barges, but always eluded capture. Sometimes when too closely pursued, a spirited fire from his cannon, four pieces of which he always carried on deck, only to be used in defense, would drive away his pursuers and secure his little craft from further molestation. The fact that the enemy were fully apprised of his times of departure and expected arrival, and in fact all his movements, through the newspapers, which they could easily obtain, renders it the more remarkable that she escaped their vigilance.
It is remarkable that during the whole war not a man in Connecticut was killed, notwithstanding the long and vigorous blockade and the many encounters between detachments of the enemy and the inhabitants. One person only, a Mr. Dolph, lost his life on the waters of the coast, off Say- brook, while engaged with others in recovering two prizes taken by the enemy. Such a fact appears almost miraculous.
Commodore Decatur entertained the hope that some opportunity would offer for his escape with his vessels during the winter, and watched for an opportunity favorable to his design. His vessel dropped down and remained at anchor opposite the town, and quietly remained waiting for some remiss- ness of vigilance on the part of the enemy. At length the favorable time seemed to have arrived. A dark night, a favorable wind, and fair tide, all gave every expectation of success. But just as the little fleet were about to start, "blue-lights" appeared on both sides of the river. Such an unusual occurrence gave strong suspicions that these were concerted signals to the enemy, and notwithstanding every preparation had been made with the most profound secrecy, the commodore considered himself betrayed, and relin- quished his intentions, making no further effort to run the blockade. Al- though he was firm in his belief that his intentions were thus signaled to the enemy, it was indignantly denied by the citizens that any traitorous designs existed, and that the lights were accidental, or that those who reported them to the commodore were mistaken. He, however, removed his two large vessels up the river, where they were dismantled and only a guard left on board. The "Hornet" remained at New London, and subsequently slipped out of the harbor, and, eluding capture, reached New York in safety.
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