USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fall River > Centennial history of Fall River, Mass. : comprising a record of its corporate progress from 1656 to 1876, with sketches of its manufacturing industries, local and general characteristics, valuable statistical tables, etc. > Part 23
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of both. Before the Revolution broke out, the Whigs were busy in making saltpetre and gunpowder, in making and preparing small arms, in training and learning the art of war. At this time, we of this State were British subjects, and constituted what was then called the Colony of Massachusetts. Conven- tions were held in the colony to transact the business and consult upon the affairs of the colony. At one of these conventions I received a captain's commission, signed by Walter Spooner, Esq., and took the command of a company of minute men.
" British ships, commanded by Wallace, Asque, and Howe, early in the Revolution, were off our coast, in the river and bay, harassing and distressing the towns of Newport, Bristol, and other towns on the river. I was called upon with my company and such others as could be mustered to guard the shores and prevent the British from landing, until the colony could raise a force sufficient to protect the inhabitants from their depredations.
" In 1776, after the battle on Long Island, a reinforcement was called for to cover the retreat of the American troops. I was ordered to take the com- mand of a company of sixty men and march forthwith to the army then re- treating from New York. These orders were promptly obeyed. With the company under my command, I joined the regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Carpenter, and by a forced march we reached the army a few days before the battle at the White Plains. In that engagement I took an active part.
" Soon after my return home from the battle at the White Plains, the British landed at Newport, on Rhode Island, and took possession of that town. I was called upon to proceed immediately with my company to assist in cov- ering the retreat of the small forces then commanded by Colonel John Cook from the island of Rhode Island. This was effected without loss, though at- tended with difficulty and delay, as there was then no bridge from the island to the mainland. At that time, the inhabitants in the south part of Massa- chusetts and Rhode Island were in a critical situation. They were nearly surrounded with British emissaries. A part of the English squadron lay off our coast, and their troops had possession of the south part of Rhode Island. Both were harassing our towns, destroying property, and making prisoners of the inhabitants. In addition to this, we had Tories at home, enemies in disguise, who were aiding and abetting the British, while they professed friendship for the cause of liberty, and for those who were shedding their blood to obtain it.
" Early in the spring of 1777, I received a major's commission, and was stationed at Little Compton, in the State of Rhode Island, in the regiment under the command of Colonel John Hathaway, of Berkley, Mass. At Little Compton and in that neighborhood I continued several months on duty with the regiment, often changing our station, to repel the invasions of the enemy and to protect the inhabitants from their frequent depredations. In the fall of 1777, I returned home to Fall River. I found the citizens, among whom were my relatives and best friends, exposed and continually harassed by the enemy. I applied to several of the leading and influential men of this place, and proposed raising a guard for the safety and protection of the inhabitants.
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They coincided with my views, and the necessity of a guard to protect our defenceless inhabitants. I went to Providence to consult General Sullivan, who was commander-in-chief of all the forces raised in this section of the country, and to obtain assistance from him. He approved of my plan of raising a guard, and gave me an order for two whaleboats, and an order also for rations for twenty men, drawn upon the commissary, then at Bristol. I soon raised a guard, procured the store now standing at the end of the Iron Works Company's wharf in this place for a guard-house, where we met every day, called the roll, and stationed sentinels for the night to watch the movements of the enemy and give the alarm when approached. The orders of the sen- tinel were peremptory-that if a boat was seen approaching in the night, to hail them three times, and if no answer was received to fire upon them. It was not long before one of the guard, Samuel Reed, discovered boats silently and cautiously approaching the shore from the bay. The challenge was given but no answer received. He fired upon the boats. This created an alarm, and the whole neighborhood were soon in arms. I stationed the guard be- hind a stone wall, and kept up a constant fire upon the enemy until they brought their cannon to bear upon us, and commenced firing grapeshot amongst us-when, as we were unable to return the compliment, it was deemed advisable to retreat. Two of the guard were sent to remove all the planks which laid over the stream for foot people to cross upon, and to cut off, as far as possible, every facility for crossing the stream, except the upper bridge. We then retreated slowly until we reached the main road, near where the bridge now crosses the stream. I then gave orders to form and give them battle. This was done, and never were soldiers more brave. So roughly were the enemy handled by our little band of Spartans, that they soon beat up a retreat, leaving behind them one dead and another bleeding to death, besides the wounded, whom they carried away.
" The wounded soldier, left by the enemy, before he expired, informed me that the number of the enemy who attacked us was about 150, commanded by Major Ayers. When the enemy landed, they set fire to the house of Thomas Borden, then nearly new. They next set fire to a grist-mill and a saw-mill, belonging to Mr. Borden, standing at the mouth of the Fall River. These buildings I saw when set on fire. When the British troops retreated, as they were compelled to do, from the shots of our little band of volunteers, they set fire to the house and other buildings of Richard Borden, then an aged man, and took him prisoner. We pursued them so closely in their retreat, that we were enabled to save the buildings which they had last fired. The British were frequently fired upon and not a little annoyed by the mus- ketry of our soldiers, as they passed down the bay in their boats on their retreat. Mr. Richard Borden, whom they took prisoner, was in one of their boats. Finding themselves closely pursued by a few American soldiers, who from the shore poured in their shot and balls upon them as fast as they could load and fire, and finding themselves in danger from the musketry of these few brave Whigs who pursued them, they ordered Mr. Borden, their prisoner, to stand up in the boat, hoping that his comrades on the shore would recog- nize him and desist from firing upon them. But this he refused to do ; and
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threw himself flat into the bottom of the boat. While laying therc, a shot from the Americans on shore killed one of the British soldiers standing by his side in the boat. Mr. Borden was obstinately silent to all the questions which were asked him; so that not being able to make any profitable usc of him, they dismissed him in a few days on parole, This engagement took place of a Sabbath morning, on the 25th of May, 1778. The two British soldiers killed in this engagement, were buried at twelve o'clock on the same day of the battle, near where the south end of the Massasoit Factory now stands.
" During a considerable part of the month of August following, we were busily engaged in procuring arms, ammunition, and provisions for the soldiers, and in building flat-bottomed boats and scows for the troops to cross over the river on to Rhode Island, with a view to dislodge the British army, who then had possession of the island. A barn, now standing near the Stone Bridge, was occupied for a commissary storc, of which I had the charge until things were in readiness and the troops prepared to cross over to the island, when I left the store in charge of my friend and relative, Walter Chaloner.
" In the fore part of August, 1778, the American troops embarked in the boats and scows prepared for them, and landed on Rhode Island, where I joincd them, having been appointed a major in Colonel Whitney's regiment. Our troops were then marched to a spot but a short distance to the north of what is called Butts' Hill, where they encamped for the night with but the canopy of heaven for a covering and the ground for our beds. But we were animated with the hope of liberty-with a belief that we were engaged in a righteous cause-and that He who sways the sceptre of the universe would prosper our undertaking. At this time we were anxiously looking for the French fleet, from which we hoped for assistance against the enemy, whose numerous bodies of troops were before us. Soon the French fleet hove in sight, when the British set fire to the shipping in the harbor and blow up most of the vessels within their reach. Not long after the French fleet came up, the British fleet appeared in the offing. Immediately the French fleet tacked about, went out and attacked the British squadron, when broadsides were exchanged, and a bloody battle ensued. A tremendous storm came on, long remembered as the August storm, in which the two fleets were separated, and many who had escaped the cannon's mouth found a watery grave. The French fleet, or so much of it as survived the storm, went into Boston to repair, and the remnant of the British fleet went into New York.
"Soon after this storm, our troops marched in three divisions towards Newport-one on the East road, so called, one on the West road, and the brigade commanded by General Titcomb moved in the centre-until we came in sight of Newport, when orders were given to halt, erect a marquee, and pitch our tents. General orders were issued for a detachment from the army of three thousand men, our number being too small to risk a general engage- ment with the great body of British troops then quartered on the south end of the island. Early on the next morning a detachment of troops, of which I was one, was ordered to proceed forthwith and take possession of what was called Hunneman's Hill.
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" The morning was foggy, and enabled us to advance some distance unob- served by the enemy ; but the fog clearing away before we reached the hill, we were discovered by the British and Tory troops, who commenced such a heavy cannonade upon us, that it was deemed expedient by the commanding officers, to prevent the destruction of many of our brave troops, that we should fall back and advance under the cover of night. Accordingly, when night came, we marched to the hill undiscovered by the enemy. We imme- diately commenced throwing up a breastwork and building a fort. When daylight appeared, we had two cannon mounted-one twenty-four pounder, and one eighteen-and with our breastwork we had completed a covered way, to pass and repass without being seen by the enemy. The British had a small fort or redoubt directly under the muzzles of our cannon, with which we saluted them, and poured in shot so thick upon them that they were compelled to beat up a retreat. But they returned again at night to repair their fort, when they commenced throwing bombshells into our fort, which, however, did but little damage. I saw several of them flying over our heads, and one bursting in the air, a fragment fell upon the shoulder of a soldier and killed him.
" At this time we were anxiously waiting the return of the French fleet from Boston, where they had gone to repair. But learning that they could not then return, and knowing the situation of the British troops, that they were enlarging and strengthening their forts and redoubts, and that they had reinforcements arriving daily from New York, it was deemed expedient by our commanding officers, Lafayette, Green, and Sullivan, all experienced and brave Generals, that we should retreat to the north end of the island.
" Accordingly, on the 29th day of August, early in the morning, we struck our marquee and tents and commenced a retreat. The British troops followed, and soon came up with our rear-guard and commenced firing upon them. The shots were briskly returned and continued at intervals, until our troops were joined by a part of our army a short distance to the south of Quaker Hill, so called, when a general engagement ensued, in which many lives were lost on both sides. At night, we retreated from the island to Tiverton. On the following day we left Tiverton, crossed over Slade's Ferry and marched through Pawtucket and Providence to Pawtuxet, where we remained until our time of service expired.
" Some time after this, I received a lieutenant-colonel's commission, and took the command of a regiment to guard the sea-shores, and a part of the time my regiment was stationed at Providence. I soon received orders from General Gates, who at that time was principal in command, to march with my regiment to Tiverton and join General Cornell's brigade. The war now raged throughout the country. Old and young, parents and children, all, excepting the Tories, were engaged in the common cause of their country -in breaking the shackles of Colonial bondage-in obtaining her liberty and achieving her independence. Old England now began to examine the prospects before her. She found after a bloody contest, what she might and ought to have known before, that her rebellious colonies, as she was pleased to term them, could be ruled, but not ridden upon ; that by mild and liberal
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measures she might have retained a valuable part of her kingdom. She discovered her error too late to profit by it. The brave people of her colo- nies were resolved to throw off the yoke, and themselves be free.
" On the 29th day of October, 1779, the British troops left Rhode Island, and the American troops, under the command of Generals Gates and Cornell, marched on to the island and took possession of the town of Newport. On the 29th day of December following, my time of service having expired, I returned home to my family. This was the coldest winter known during the last century. The river and bay were frozen over so thick, that people with loaded teams passed all the way from Fall River to Newport on the ice. I continued in the service of my country until about the close of the Revolu- tionary war, when I removed from Fall River to Tiverton, in the State of Rhode Island, where I lived about thirty years. During this time, I was elected by my fellow-citizens to several offices in town, and was a member of the General Assembly for many years.
" When Thomas Jefferson was elected President of the United States, in 1801, and the Democratic fever raged to the highest pitch, I was what was then called a Federalist, and having repeatedly sworn to support the federal Con- stitution, could not consent to turn my coat wrong side out. I was therefore not permitted to hold any office for some time after. But in time this party fever abated, and finally the people united in electing Mr. Monroe, under the general appellation of Federal Republicans. Attempts have since been made to alter the Constitution, that noble fabric reared by the Revolutionary patri- ots, and should they succeed, it will be in my estimation like sewing new cloth to an old garment."
FALL RIVER IN THE CIVIL WAR.
At the outbreak of the rebellion Fall River had been a municipality exactly seven years, its city charter dating April 12th, 1854, and the attack upon Fort Sumter having occurred April 12th, 1861. Although possessing less than one third of its present population, and hardly a quarter of its taxable valuation, it was still an important city, and had just begun, perhaps, to show promise of the high rank since attained as a cotton-manufacturing centre. The incorporation of the Union Mill Company in 1859, and its very successful in- auguration, had given a new and popular impetus to the manufacture of cot- ton cloth, heretofore confined to corporations that had been established many years. The moment seemed to be ripe for somewhat of a departure from the old-time, conservative, and, in a sense, monopolizing influences that had long prevailed, and business men were looking forward to new ventures and undertakings. The general aspect of the place was thriving. The wheels of manufacture and of trade were in motion, and the city was alike active and prosperous. Its population in 1861 was 14,026, and its valuation $11,261,065.
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The news of the firing upon Fort Sumter quickened all the loyal and patriotic impulses of the citizens, and stirred them into immediate effort. The children proved worthy descendants of their sires, for as the inhabitants of Fall River, then Freetown, declared for the Independence of the Colo- nies July 15th, 1776, but a few days after the Declaration of Independence of the United States, so the citizens of Fall River pronounced at once and with no uncertain utterance for the preservation and maintenance of the Union. A call, signed by Hon. N. B. Borden, James Ford, Hon. James Buffinton, Hon. E. P. Buffinton, and twenty-eight other prominent residents, was imme- diately issued for a public meeting. The opening words of the call had the true ring of patriotism. " Be this our motto," it said, "Our God and our country. War is proclaimed ; rebellion stalks abroad as yet unscathed ; the enemy is plotting the nation's destruction, and fight or fall is now the inevi- table result." The meeting, convened at the City Hall on the evening of April 19th, 1861, was one of the largest and most enthusiastic ever there assembled. The attack upon the Massachusetts soldiers in the streets of Baltimore, on that day, and the intense and bitter feeling consequent upon this and other acts of the rebels and their sympathizers, had thoroughly aroused the citizens. The meeting was called to order by Hon. N. B. Bor- den, who read the call, was chosen chairman, and made the opening address. Speeches were also made by David Anthony, James Ford, Hon. James Buf- finton, Dr. Foster Hooper, John Collins, John Westall, J. C. Blaisdell, R. T. Davis, and Walter C. Durfee. Dr. Hooper offered the following resolu- tions, which were adopted by acclamation :
" Resolved, That the Government of the Union shall be sustained.
" That the city government be requested to appropriate $10,000 in aid of those who may volunteer, and for the support of their families.
" That each volunteer be paid the sum of twenty dollars per month from the city treasury, in addition to what is paid by the Government."
On April 24th, the committee of the City Council to whom these reso- lutions were referred, reported as follows :
"Whereas, etc., in the southern section of our country public law is disre- garded, the authority of the United States set at defiance, and armed forces have been, and are, organizing with the avowed purpose of overthrowing the government as formed by our Revolutionary fathers, and of establishing a new government, in which freedom of the press, of speech, and of the indi- vidual man shall be more restricted-in a word, a government for the per- petuation of slavery ; and
Whereas, etc., for the repelling of such forces the standing army being inade- quate, the President of the United States has made requisition on the several States for militia ; therefore, to the end that said requisition may be more readily answered.
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Ordered, That to cach of our citizens who may join a militia company of our city, organized according to law, pledged to render military scrvicc whenever and wherever required, whether by authority of the State or the United States Government, there be paid from the city treasury the sum of fiftcen dollars for outfit, when such company shall be mustercd into service ; and thercafter, for a term not exceeding three months, fifteen dollars a month, the latter to be applied for the support of the family or dependants, as the soldier may direct; and if, at the expiration of the service, a balance, or the whole, shall remain unpaid, then payment to be made to the soldicr in per- son, or his legal representatives: these payments to be made in addition to compensation that may be realized from the United States Government."
The order was adopted by the City Council, and $10,000 were appro- priated in accordance therewith. Meanwhile, enlistments were rapidly going on. A company was already partly formed, under Licutenant Cushing, who had seen service in the Mexican war, and a rifle company, composed of some of the best young men in the town, was being organized under Captain, after- wards Licutenant-Colonel, C. W. Grecne. Fall River was the third in the list of applicants in the commonwealth to Governor Andrew for permission to raise military companies. April 29th, the mayor was requested to apply to the State authorities to furnish two hundred (200) muskets for the two companies organized in the city. These were mustered into the United States service June 1 1th, 1861, and formed companies A and B of the Seventh Massachusetts Regiment of Volunteers, commanded by Colonel, afterwards General, D. N. Couch, of Taunton, and by Licutenant-Colonel Chester W. Greene, of this city. Besides the above-mentioned companies, a third was formed, composed mainly of " adopted citizens." It was not deemed expedi- ent, however, for them to be mustered into service at the time, and June 5th, 1861, the city government voted that twelve dollars be paid to each mem- ber, and they were disbanded. In September, 1861, a bounty of fifteen dol- lars was authorized to be paid to each volunteer who should join a company then forming, which was afterwards mustered into active service.
The first Fall River soldier who fell in the struggle for the nation's life was Nathaniel S. Gerry, a private in Company A, Seventh Regiment Mas- sachusetts Voluntcers; and the first commissioned officer was Lieutenant Jesse D. Bullock, of the same regiment, who died June 25th, 1862, from wounds reccived at the battle of Fair Oaks. The City Council, as a mark of respect to their memories, attended the funerals of those patriot soldiers in a body, and a deep sense of sadness was manifested throughout the com- munity.
As the war was prosecuted with greater strength and vigor on the part of the Government, the encrgies put forth by Fall River did not flag. Thc
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President having called for three hundred thousand more men, a public meet- ing was held July 11th, 1862, at which it was recommended to pay each volun- teer for three years' service a bounty of one hundred dollars. The following resolution among others was adopted :
" Resolved, That our old men contribute of their substance, and our strong young men tender their services; remembering that if in ancient times 'for a good man some would even dare to die,' surely for the necessary support of a righteous cause there should be no hesitancy because life would be attended with hazard." The resolutions were adopted the next day by the city govern- ment, and the mayor was directed to make arrangements for enlisting men. On the 14th of August, 1862, another citizens' meeting was held, at which it was resolved that "the patriotism of Massachusetts will sustain the Govern- ment in putting down the rebellion at any cost of men and money." It was also voted to raise, by subscription, money sufficient to add one hundred ($100) dollars to each volunteer's bounty. A resolution was passed to aid the Rev. Elihu Grant to raise a military company for active service. Sep- tember 1, 1862, the city government voted to pay a bounty of two hundred ($200) dollars to each volunteer for nine months' service, when credited to the quota of the city, and forty-five thousand ($45,000) was appropriated for the purpose.
Thus the work went on, the succeeding years until the close of the war witnessing no diminution in the loyalty or energy of the people. The city furnished 1845 men to aid in trampling under foot the rebellion, which was a surplus of 21 over and above all demands. Thirty-seven of these were commissioned officers. It is hardly within the scope of this chapter to give the names of those who went from this city, or to follow them in their various battles upon the land and sea. They bravely acquitted themselves wherever they were called, many of them cheerfully giving up fine prospects and more than comfortable homes at the behest of patriotism and duty. The roll of 163 names of fallen heroes on the soldiers' monument in Oak Grove Cemetery shows in part only the sacrifice in human life made by Fall River in the struggle for national existence.
The following is a summary of the different regiments in which Fall River men served, and will give a correct idea of the extent of their services. In the three years' regiments of Massachusetts volunteers, the city furnished Companies A and B, of the Seventh Regiment; Company G, Twenty-sixth Regiment ; a large portion of Companies F and G, Fifty-eighth Regiment ; and a number of men for the Ninth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Sixteenth, Seven- teenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-second, Twenty-fourth, Twenty - fifth, Twenty - eighth, Twenty - ninth, Thirty -second, Thirty - third,
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