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Gc 974.402 B65ca 1687893
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01105 8911
1
Destroying the Tea.
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
BY ROBIN CARVER.
BOSTON : LILLY, WAIT, COLMAN, AND HOLDEN. 1834.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, By LILLY, WAIT, COLMAN, & HOLDEN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.
1687893
PREFACE.
THIS Preface is addressed not merely to my young friends, but to those, also, who are old and idle enough to read mere- ly for the purpose of fault-finding. I write it, to confess my obligations. As the events related in this volume are matters not of invention, but of fact, and happened princi- pally before I had the good fortune to be born, they have been drawn from the writings of other people. Sometimes I have used their own words ; but only when they answered my purpose better than any other.
Among the volumes to which I have been most indebted are the elaborate and valuable History of Boston by Mr Snow, Winthrop's Journal, Holmes' Annals, Tudor's Otis, The present state of New England with respect to the In- dian War, Thacher's Journal, and the very neat and useful Picture of Boston, that has been recently published. The newspapers, also, have been laid under contribution. For the materials of one of the most amusing chapters, I must acknowledge obligations to the Reminiscences of a veteran,
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PREFACE.
that were first published about twelve years since, in one of our daily journals. I know not who this writer was, but it is probable that he must have been one of the two or three old gentlemen, whom I used to see about, a few years ago, wearing three-cornered hats, and supported by large-headed canes. Perhaps he was the very last of the Cocked Hats !
And now that I have confessed my obligations, let me speak with equal frankness of the credit which belongs to myself. It can be explained in a few words. I have here brought together, in a simple and connected form, much that is interesting in the early annals of New England, and all the important events in the history of its chief city. I have told you of the old manners and customs, and the old fash- ions of dress. Boston was the city that first led the way in our revolution, and was at an early period the seat of the war. It has since become distinguished for its extensive commerce, its moral and charitable institutions, and its un- wearied efforts in the advancement of education and litera- ture.
Thus endowed and eminent, Boston presents an attrac- tive and useful history, which should be early studied by all our children. If in this little volume, I shall have given them a useful and pleasant companion, for their school- hours, or their holiday reading, my purposes will be fully answered.
ROBIN CARVER.
May Farm, January 1, 1834.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Two Hundred years Ago. The May Flower. Landing at Plymouth. The First Winter. Welcome of Samoset. Visit from the Indians. Mount Wolaston. Fleet sails for America. Arrival. Settlement at Charlestown. Great Distress, 9-16
II.
Trimountain. Mr Blackstone. Settlement of Boston. Death of Lady Johnson. Mr Johnson. Condition of the Colony. Arrival of the Lion. Whipping. Vessel built. Monthly Trainings. Mr Josias. Festival. Increase of Boston. Old account of the Town. 17-24
III.
Arrival of Mr Cotton. Extravagance. Wearing veils. Chicatabot. His visit to Gov. Winthrop. New suit. Indians at church. Mr Henry Vane. Elected governor. Mrs Hutchinson. Field election. Mr Vane's return. Mrs Hutchinson killed by the Indians. The wood cutters. Great musters. Story of the Pig. 25-33
IV.
Increase of the town. Death of Governor Winthrop. Anecdote. Mr Cotton. Trial and execution for Witchcraft, 34-37
V.
Indian Tribes. King Philip. Attack on Swansey. Another Expedi- tion. Anecdote of the Periwig. Death of Philip. One-eyed John, 38-44
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CONTENTS,
VI.
Governor Leverett. Great fire. Loss of Charters. Sir Edmund Andros. Connecticut Charter. Expulsion of James II. News receiv- ed in Boston. Imprisonment of Andros. Sir William Phips. His ar- rival in Boston. His death. First Newspaper. Benjamin Franklin,
45-50
VII.
Fleet at Nantasket. Violence of Commodore Knowles. Alarm of the people. Mobs. Magistrate in the stocks. Burning the barge. Gov- ernor retires to the Castle. Measures of the council. Town meeting. Issue of the affair. Town house, 51-55
VIII.
James Otis. Writs of assistance. Mr Otis undertakes the cause of the Merchants. Trial. Mr Gridley. Speech of Otis. Stamp act. Liberty Tree. Mob. Attack on Mr Oliver's House, 56-61
IX.
The riots are unnoticed. A mob. Their outrages. Mr Hutchinson. Attack on his dwelling-house. Town meeting. Declaration of Mr Oliver. Burning stamp papers. Repeal of the stamp act. Great re- joicings. Fire Works. Liberty Tree illuminated, 62-69
X.
Resistance, Seizure of Hancock's Sloop. Mob. Arrival of British troops. Attack on Mr Otis. Agreement of merchants. Mr Richardson shoots a boy. His funeral. Story of the Fifth of March. Trial and acquittal of the soldiers. 70-81
vii
CONTENTS.
XI.
Anecdote of the Boston boys and General Gage. Importations of tea. Meeting of the inhabitants. Anecdote of the Tea Party. Closing of the port of Boston. Arrival of soldiers. Their depredations. Alarm. Provincial Congress, 82-87
XII.
Col. Nesbit and the countryman. Battles of Lexington and Concord. Retreat of the regular troops. Blockade of Boston. Governor's pro- clamation. Battle of Bunker's Hill. Burning of Charlestown. Siege of Boston. General Washington. Proclamation. Distress, 88-96
XIII.
Anecdotes of the siege. Bullets and Beetles. Scarcity of fuel. Out- rages of the Soldiers. Attack on Charlestown. Amusing incident. Washington takes possession of Dorchester Heights. Evacuation of Boston. Entry of the American army, 97-101
XIV.
John Hancock. Proclamation of peace. Josiah Quincy, Jr. His re- ply to a menacing letter. His visit to England. Death on his voyage home. James Otis. His derangement. Residence at Andover. Death, 102-105
XV.
Early patriots. John Hancock. His birth and education. He re- ceives a large fortune. Anecdote. Chosen president of Congress. Elected Governor. His death. Character. Anecdote, 106-109
XVI.
Samuel Adams. Education. Entrance into public life. Hutchinson's opinion of him. Anecdotes. Sent to Congress. Character. Anec- dote. 110-113
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CONTENTS.
XVII.
Old manners and customs. Hackney coaches. Fashion of dress. Marriage custom. Wigs and powder. Taking tea. Articles of apparel. Butcher's shop. Amusing anecdote. Old State House. Whipping post. Beacon Hill. 114-118
XVIII.
War of 1814 with England. Chesapeake lying in Boston harbor. Battle with the Shannon. Death of Lawrence. Reflections. 119-122
XIX.
Visit of Lafayette. His early Adventures. His arrival at Boston in 1824. His Welcome. Great Parade. The Schools make a procession. Laying the Corner stone of Bunker Hill Monument. Visits of the Presidents. Reflections. 123-127
XX.
Reflections. Bridges and avenues to the city. View from the Sea. Approach of a stranger. His reflections. The harbor. Old times. Faneuil Hall Market. Faneuil Hall. May-Fair. Institution for the Blind, 128-136
XXI.
North End. Common. State House. View from its Dome. Tre- mont House. Theatre. Churches, 137-142
XXII.
Wharves. Schools. The Athenaeum. Gallery of Paintings. Na- hant. Roads. Charlestown. Monument. Navy yard. State prison. Cambridge. Harvard College. Mount Auburn. Conclusion, 143-149
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
CHAPTER I.
Two Hundred years Ago. The May Flower. Landing at
Plymouth. The First Winter. Welcome of Samoset. Visit from the Indians. Mount Wolaston. Fleet sails for America. Arrival. Settlement at Charlestown. Great Distress.
1. IT is now about two hundred and thirteen years, since the first settlers of New England landed at Plymouth. Be- fore that time, a few voyagers and fishermen had touched upon this part of the North American continent, but none had remained. Thick forests darkened the places that are now crowded with happy villages. Waters, which are now ploughed by mighty ships, laden with the productions of far distant countries, were then only disturbed by the frail and
2
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
silent canoe of the Indian. Places now busy with the hum of active and laborious industry, were the solitary hunting grounds of an indolent and savage race.
2. In December 1620, a small vessel called the May Flower was beating about in a stormy sea, on an unknown coast. On board of this vessel were strong men, with their wives and tender children. They had fled with all that they loved from England, their native country, because they had been persecuted for refusing to comply with certain reli- gious forms and ceremonies. They preferred to live in a de- sert where they could worship God in peace, and in sim- plicity.
3. On the twenty-second of December, the wave-driven pilgrims landed, and resolved to commence a settlement. A large fragment of the rock on which they first stepped is still preserved, as a sacred memorial of this event. They chose Mr John Carver for their governor, and named the spot which they had resolved to make their home, New- Plymouth.
4. The season which followed was comfortless and severe to them. The fatigue and suffering to which they were ex- posed caused much sickness. Many of their number died. The survivors were filled with sorrow for the loss of their friends, and anxiety for their own fate. By good fortune the spring was an early one, and brought a welcome relief from the chill blasts of winter.
5. It was not till after some months that the white men
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
spoke with a native of the country. They knew that it was inhabited by savage tribes ; they had sometimes seen a few of the Indians at a distance, and had once been visited by a shower of arrows.
6. On the sixteenth of March, 1621, they were surprised by the sudden approach of an Indian. He advanced boldly alone into the street of Plymouth, and exclaimed, ' Wel- come Englishmen ! Welcome Englishmen !' They were much astonished to hear him speak in their own language. He told them that he had learned it from the fishermen who had sometimes been upon the coast. He informed them, that all the inhabitants of the place where they were seated had died, about four years before, of an extraordinary plague. He also told them that his name was Samoset, and that he was the chief of a tribe.
7. Samoset was a tall straight man, with black hair, short before, but hanging long behind. He had a bow and two arrows. The pilgrims received him kindly, and gave him some biscuit and butter, cheese, pudding, and a piece of roast duck. The chief was quite pleased with his treat, and in return told the new comers a great many useful things.
8. The next morning Samoset paid them a visit with five other natives. Some of them were clothed in deer skins. Some wore long stockings that covered the whole legs, and pieces of leather about their waists. The chief was distin- guished by having the skin of a wild cat on his arm. They
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
were tall men, with long black hair, stuck full of feathers, and painted to the excess of the fashion. After eating and drinking heartily with the English, they amused them by some Indian dances and songs.
9. In the course of four or five years, several English settlements were made at different points of Massachusetts Bay. One was made in 1625, by Captain Wolaston, who brought over a party and placed them in a spot now called Braintree. He chose for this settlement a hill which he named Mount Wolaston.
10. Affairs were going on happily at this settlement, when the captain, with a part of the company, resolved to go on a voyage to Virginia. Among the men left behind there was a noisy, riotous fellow, by the name of Thomas Morton. This man determined to do some mischief.
11. One night, soon after the captain's departure, Morton called the men together, and gave them a plenty of punch. As soon as they had become a little merry and excited, Morton said to them - ' Now, my good fellows, the captain is gone, - suppose we turn out the lieutenant, and we shall then be able to do as we please.'
12. The men consented, and the lieutenant was forced to give up his authority. All was now changed at Mount Wolaston. They passed their days in eating, drinking, and dancing about a May-pole. It was a continued feast and riot. There was no power and no obedience. Each did as he liked, for there was no one to call another to account.
Indian Dance.
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
13. They altered the name of the settlement to Merry Mount. In order to support their idleness and excess, they endeavored to make friends of the natives, by teaching them the use of fire-arms. The Indians soon became better marksmen than the English. They were delighted with their new weapons, threw away their bows and arrows, and were willing to give any price for guns, powder and shot.
14. This was against the express orders of the king of England. It was unlawful to trade with the Indians in any sort of warlike stores. Captain Miles Standish was accord- ingly sent with some companions from Plymouth to put a stop to this traffic. He took Morton and his followers pris- oners, and the colony at Mount Wolaston was broken up.
15. In March, 1630, there was a fleet of fourteen vessels at anchor in the English Channel, ready to set sail for Ame- rica. On board of them were several hundred men, women and children. They were provided with necessaries for a long voyage, and subsistence for some time after their arri- val. There were carpenters, blacksmiths, and men of dif- ferent trades ; and every care was taken in order to settle a strong and lasting colony.
16. During the voyage of this fleet across the ocean, the weather was very variable. Sometimes every thing would be quiet and mild, and it would seem that there was not a breeze stirring to roughen the waters. On other days, the rain fell, the winds blew, the waves swelled and roared, and the vessels were driven about as if under no human control.
16
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
17. Very strict rules were observed during the whole pas- sage. Two young men disputed about some trifle, and were carried so far by their anger as to come to blows. To make an example of them, they were sentenced to walk upon deck till night, with their hands tied behind them.
18. By the sixth of July, thirteen out of fourteen of the ships had arrived in New England. They anchored in the harbor of Salem. Only fifteen of the passengers had died during the voyage. On the eighth of July, a public thanks- giving was kept through all the plantations.
19. A considerable number soon left Salem, and made a settlement at Charlestown. Among these was Mr John Winthrop, who had been appointed governor. Tents and cottages were hastily raised in the new town, and a build- ing, called the great house, was erected for the public officers.
20. Great distress, however, began to prevail. Many were taken sick and died. They suffered very much from the want of water. There was only one spring in the place, which was poor and brackish, and so situated as only to be reached at low tide. It was the want of good water at this place, that led to the immediate settlement of Boston.
CHAPTER II.
Trimountain. Mr Blackstone. Settlement of Boston. Death of Lady Johnson. Mr Johnson. Condition of the Colony. Arrival of the Lion. Whipping. Vessel built. Month- ly Trainings. Mr Josias. Festival. Increase of Boston. Old account of the Town.
1. ON the south side of the mouth of Charles river, there is a small peninsula of high ground, about a mile in breadth, and two and three quarters in length. A peninsula is a por- tion of land almost surrounded by water. In 1630, when seen by the settlers at Charlestown, on the opposite side of the river, this spot presented the appearance of three large hills ; one of which was crowned by two or three smaller hills. They accordingly gave it the name of Trimountain. The Indian name was Shawmut.
2. These hills were covered with bushes and trees. There was only one little cottage in the whole place. The Indians, who had formerly lived there, had been swept away
18
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
by a pestilence. Mr William Blackstone was the only in- habitant, and the first white man who ever slept on Shawmut.
3. Mr Blackstone had found a spring of very excellent water at Shawmut, and was desirous that the poor suffer- ers at Charlestown should partake of it. He accordingly sent to Governor Winthrop, and invited him over to his side of the river. The chief persons of the company were induc- ed, by this invitation, to remove immediately.
4. The foundation of a town was laid, by the erection of several small cottages ; and on the seventh of September 1630, it was ordered that Trimountain should be called BOSTON. This was the commencement of what has since become a great city.
5. The change of residence did not restore the sufferers to immediate health. The sickness still continued, and by December over two hundred of their number had died. Among them was Lady Arabella Johnson, a woman of great resolution and virtue, very much beloved by all the colony. She died in the latter part of the summer, and was buried at Salem.
6. The death of her husband soon followed. He was one of the wealthiest and most venerated of the colonists. It was owing in a great measure to his efforts, that the settle- ment "of Boston was determined upon. At his own re- quest, he was buried in a corner of the lot, which had been marked out for his house and garden. This was in the spot
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
where the burial ground attached to the Stone Chapel now stands.
7. Notwithstanding all the sickness and distress, the colo- nists kept up a good heart, and continued to busy them- selves in clearing away the land, and building their poor cottages. They had arrived too late in the season to plant any thing, and their provisions began to fail them. When the winter set in, it was very cold and stormy, and they had but little to eat. You may well suppose that they were anxious to hear from their friends on the other side of the ocean. .
8. Some weeks thus lingered on, and they were begin- ning to fear that they might perish of hunger. The long winter nights were dull and cheerless, and when the snow and tempest descended on their solitary huts, and the chill winds whistled through the bare forest trees, they thought of their comfortable homes in England, and perhaps with a thought of regret. But this soon passed away, and amid all their sorrows and sufferings they relied, with a humble but firm confidence, on the goodness of an overruling Providence.
9. It was on the fifth of February 1631, that Governor Winthrop was walking upon the elevation that is now called Fort Hill. He was full of sadness for the distress of his companions. As he raised his eyes, and directed them to the waters of the bay, they caught the glad sight of a sail
20
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
in the distance. It was a messenger from his friends in the old world.
10. The little colony was immediately informed of this happy circumstance. They soon thronged to the sea-shore to welcome their visitors. Men, women and children, hur- ried to embrace their friends, and hear what had happened in the land they had left behind. The ship proved to be the Lion, under the command of Captain William Pierce. It was laden with supplies of food and clothing, which afford- ed the colony great relief.
11. To give you an idea of the old manners and customs of Boston, I will tell you a few things that may seem a little singular. It was the fashion at this time, and a great many years afterwards, to have those who broke the laws publicly whipped. A man, for instance, was whipped for stealing a loaf of bread, and another for shooting a fowl on Sunday. Another was sentenced to pay a fine of five pounds, or be whipped, for selling a quack medicine.
12. On the fourth of July 1631, the first vessel built in the colonies was launched. It had been built by the direc- tion of Governor Winthrop, and was called the Blessing of the Bay. During the ensuing summer and fall, this bark made several little voyages along the coast.
13. About this time, the inhabitants were ordered to be train- ed every month. This was for the purpose of keeping them in readiness to fight, if they were attacked by the Indians.
Launch of Blessing of the Bay.
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
Six watchmen were also chosen to keep guard during the night. In September 1631, a Mr Josias stole some articles from the Indians. He was discovered and fined. In addi- tion to this punishment, he was condemned to lose the title of 'Mister,' and to be called plain Josias.
14. In November of the same year the Lion again arrived at Boston. Among the sixty passengers, whom it brought from England, were the children and wife of the governor, ' and the Rev. John Eliot, who afterwards devoted himself to teaching and civilizing the Indians. He was a benevolent and able man of great worth, and his labors were crowned with success.
15. The inhabitants of Boston determined to take this oc- casion to show publicly their great respect and esteem for the governor. They ordered the vessel to be detained below the islands two days, that they might find time to make preparations to receive his lady.
16. When the governor and his family were passing in the barge to the shore, the captain of the Lion saluted them with a discharge of several guns. On landing, they were received with due military honors. The officers had pro- vided a guard for their escort, and they were welcomed with volleys of small arms and three pieces of artillery.
17. A number of people had assembled from the neigh- boring villages to witness the ceremony. Numerous pre- sents of venison, kids, geese and partridges were brought to the governor, and every thing was as joyful and happy as
24
HISTORY OF BOSTON.
possible. It was the first show of any thing like a public festival in New England.
18, Boston soon began to take a stand above all the other towns. It was thought the best place in the Bay to hold public meetings. A house of correction was built by order of the court of assistants; and fortifications were erected upon an eminence, which afterwards received the name of Fort Hill. This same Court ordered in 1632, that no person should take tobacco publicly ; and that every one should pay a penny for every time of taking tobacco in any place.
19. The number of inhabitants increased rapidly. Two ferry boats were kept upon Charles river, to accommodate the passengers between Charlestown and Boston. ' This town,' says a traveller who wrote in 1633, 'although it be neither the greatest nor the richest, yet is the most noted and frequented, being the centre of the plantation where the monthly courts are kept. Here likewise dwells the gov- ernor. This place hath very good land, affording rich corn- fields and fruitful gardens, having likewise sweet and pleas- ant springs.'
CHAPTER III.
Arrival of Mr Cotton. Extravagance. Wearing veils.
Chicatabot. His visit to Gov. Winthrop. New suit. In- dians at church. Mr Henry Vane. Elected governor. Mrs Hutchinson. Field election. Mr Vane's return. Mrs Hutchinson killed by the Indians. The wood cutters. Great musters. Story of the Pig.
1. IN 1633, the colony at Boston was increased by about two hundred new settlers. Among these was the reverend John Cotton, a minister, who had become quite celebrated in England. He was immediately ordained teacher of the first church, and obtained great influence.
2. My readers would hardly think, that, at this early pe- riod, Mr Cotton was obliged to preach against extravagance and luxury. This is the case, however. The females were in the habit of wearing very great sleeves, long veils, em- broidered caps, with gold and silver laces. One morning Mr Cotton was preaching at Salem, and told his hearers that there was no command in the Scripture that they should
3
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HISTORY OF BOSTON.
wear veils. In the afternoon, they all put them aside, and ever afterwards appeared without them.
3. In November of this year a friendly Indian chief, named Chicatabot, died. He had often come to Boston, and visited Governor Winthrop.
At one time he was attended by several of his tribe, and brought the governor a present of some corn. They were well received, and each was treated with a little tobacco, and a cup of sack. The chief then or- dered them away, though it was in the midst of a violent thunder storm. He remained all night himself.
4. Chicatabot sometimes dressed in the English fashion. As his only suit was at that time considerably the worse for wear, he began to think of getting another. It seemed to him that the governor had a suit to spare, and he very simply asked him to sell one.
5. The governor told him, that it was not the custom among the English chiefs, to trade in old clothes, but that he would give him a dress with much pleasure. He then sent for his tailor, and Chicatabot was measured for a full suit of regimentals. They fitted him very well, and he was much delighted with them. In return, he presented the governor with a couple of beaver skins.
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