USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of Boston > Part 6
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13. This beacon is said to have been raised about the year 1746, when an attack was expected from the French ; and when about eleven thousand troops are said to have been collected in Boston. In 1789 the beacon was blown down, and a brick circular pillar erected in its place, on a square stone foundation, whose sides were ornamented with letter- ed slates, which are still preserved in the new State House. This pillar was removed some years since.
CHAPTER XVIII.
War of 1814 with England. Chesapeake lying in Boston harbor. Battle with the Shannon. Death of Lawrence. Reflections.
1. Bur few events have occurred, in the history of Boston, since the period of the revolution, which would interest you much in the recital. During the second war of the United States with England, which was declared in 1812, our city did not directly suffer from the attacks of the enemy. One melancholy incident of that war, however, is so connected with our city, that I will relate it to you in this place.
2. On the first of June, 1813, a noble frigate of the Ame- rican navy was lying at anchor in Boston harbor. She was named the Chesapeake, and was under the command of Captain Lawrence, as valiant a sailor as ever walked on a deck. In the preceding month of February, he had cap-
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tured the British brig Peacock, after an action of only fifteen minutes.
3. A British frigate, the Shannon, had been some days cruising about in the neighborhood, and its captain had sent in several challenges to Captain Lawrence, to bring the two ships to an engagement. The Chesapeake was badly provided with men, and not in a fit condition for the conflict, but the bravado of the enemy was too exciting for the spirit of our gallant seamen.
4. On the morning mentioned above, the Shannon ap- peared off our harbor, and made a taunting display of the British flag. The Chesapeake was lying below Fort Inde- pendence. On observing the enemy's colors, a gun was fired from the American ship, and the banner of stars and stripes was soon floating at her mast-head. Sailing orders were immediately given, and as soon as the tide permitted, the Chesapeake was got under way, and, under a full press of sail, followed the Shannon out of the harbor.
5. Every eminence in the neighborhood of Boston, which commanded a view of the sea, was soon crowded with anx- ious spectators. The ships took such a direction, that the battle could not be observed from the shore ; but many boats and small craft sailed out to witness the conflict, and bring back information as to its issue.
6. Our citizens soon knew that the Chesapeake was cap- tured, and that British colors had taken the place of the
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Union flag; but it was not till a fortnight afterwards that they learned the full extent of their loss. The Shannon with her prize, immediately sailed for Halifax, and it was hence that the first authentic account of the battle was re- ceived.
7. The Chesapeake fired the first gun, and the Shannon immediately hove to, and prepared for action. During the first few minutes of the battle, the enemy sustained most severe injury, but unfortunately the vessels came in direct contact, and became so entangled, that the Chesapeake could not bring her guns to bear. She was immediately boarded by the enemy, and, in the confusion and alarm that followed the loss of her chief officer, was easily cap- tured.
8. Captain Lawrence had been wounded in his leg, at an early period of the engagement. Refusing to be carried below, he remained upon deck till he received a second wound, that completely disabled him. He was now borne to the cock-pit, from which, though in the severest pain, he continued to issue his orders. 'Fight her till she sinks,' he exclaimed, ' keep the guns going. The Shannon was beaten when I left.'
9. When told that the enemy had carried the upper deck, he sent to his crew the memorable message, -'Don't give up the ship !' But it was in vain ; the ship was lost, and Lawrence did not long survive the misfortune ; after linger-
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ing in extreme pain for the space of four days, he died. He was honorably buried at Halifax, but his body was after- wards removed to New York, where a monument has been erected to him. His memory will ever be held dear by Americans, for he was gallant, and true to his country.
CHAPTER 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. Re- flections.
1. I HAVE said before, that since the revolution, few inci- dents, which would be of great interest to you, have occur- red in our history. It is not then surprising, that one of the most striking events of our more recent annals should also be connected with that great event. I refer to the visit of Lafayette to Boston in 1824, of which you may like to hear a short account.
2. Lafayette, you already know, was born in a village of France, in 1757. When about nineteen years of age, he secretly left his native land, to engage in the cause of Ame- . rican liberty. Our country was at that time in a very un-
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fortunate and gloomy condition, and his arrival created great joy among the feeble and almost despairing patriots.
3. The young foreigner was at once appointed to a com- mand in the Continental army. This he declined, and having raised, and equipped a body of men at his own ex- pense, he entered the service as a volunteer, without pay. He rendered very important aid to the cause, by his per- sonal exertions and valor here, and his influence at home. For a long time, he lived in the family of Washington, and was always honored with his full affection and confidence.
4. He returned to France, soon after the close of the re- volution, and has carried with him through life, his early love of liberty. Several invitations had been given to him, to visit once more the country of his early exploits. At length, he consented. In August 1824, he landed at New York, and was received there with the shouts of thousands, who crowded to greet and welcome the old friend of their fathers.
5. In a few days, he reached the residence of Governor Eustis, his old companion in arms, at Roxbury, in the neighborhood of Boston. Every where, in the country through which he passed, he was received with the greatest delight and enthusiasm.
6. On the morning after his arrival at Roxbury, a caval- cade of eight hundred citizens of Boston, waited on him, to form an escort to the town line. Here he was met by the mayor, and other city officers, and a military escort. On
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receiving from the mayor a welcome, in the name of the city, Lafayette made the following brief, but apt reply :
7. ' The emotions of love and gratitude, which I have been accustomed to feel on entering this city, have ever mingled with a sense of religious reverence, for the cradle of American, and, let us hope it will be hereafter said, of universal liberty.
8. ' What must be, sir, my feelings at the blessed moment, when, after so long an absence, I feel myself again sur- rounded by the good citizens of Boston, where I am so af- fectionately, so honorably welcomed, not only by old friends, but by several successive generations ; where I can witness the prosperity, the immense improvements, that have been the just reward of a noble struggle, virtuous morals, and truly republican institutions.
9. ' I beg of you, Mr Mayor, gentlemen of the City Coun- cil, and all of you, beloved citizens of Boston, to accept the respectful and warm thanks of a heart, which has for nearly half a century been devoted to your Illustrious City.'
10. The procession then formed, and began to advance towards the city, at about 11 o'clock. It passed through all the principal streets, and during its progress, Lafayette was continually received with the cheers and shouts of the mul- titude. The windows of all the houses were crowded with spectators, waving handkerchiefs, and throwing garlands into his barouche as he passed.
11. On this occasion, a truly beautiful sight was present-
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ed. The children of the public schools, dressed in a neat uniform, were ranged in two rows, by the lower part of the common, under the direction of their teachers. As the pro- cession passed through the lines formed by these boys and girls, they raised their little voices to add one more shout of welcome, to the thousands that had greeted the friend of Washington.
12. During the stay of General Lafayette in the city, the excitement of the people seemed constantly to increase. Every mark of respect and affection was paid to him, both in private and public. When he left Boston, he expressed his intention to return by the seventeenth of the following June, to be present at the laying of the Corner Stone of the Bunker Hill Monument.
13. On that day, he was again in Boston. The weather was mild and pleasant, and large numbers of people had collected, from all quarters, to witness the ceremony. At about half past ten in the morning, a procession was formed near the State House, to escort the General to the former scene of the revolutionary battle.
14. An immense crowd of people was collected. Old men, and boys, seemed equally excited by the occasion, and thronged in vast numbers to engage in the services of the day. First marched the military escort, which consisted of sixteen companies, and a corps of cavalry, in full uniform. Then came the aged soldiers, who had fought fifty years before in the battle, and who had been so fortunate as to live to witness this scene of triumph.
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15. After these, followed the other surviving soldiers and officers of the revolution. Then came the members of the Association formed to build the monument, all wearing suit- able badges. The various companies of Free Masons, and the officers of the Association followed. General Lafayette, in a coach and four, came next, and the procession was closed by the various officers of state, and a large body of citizens.
16. This procession moved from the State House, passed through some of the principal streets of the city, and then to Bunker Hill. The corner stone of the Monument was then laid, an oration was delivered, and the day closed with festivity and rejoicing.
17. Boston has been twice visited by presidents of the United States ; by James Monroe, in 1817, and by Andrew Jackson, in 1833. On each of these occasions, there was, perhaps, a greater display of splendor and pageantry, than is consistent with republican simplicity.
CHAPTER XX.
Reflections. Bridges and avenues to the city. View from the sea. Approach of a stranger. His reflections. The har- bor. Old times. Faneuil Hall Market. Faneuil Hall. May-Fair. Institution for the Blind.
1. I HAVE now told you many stories about Boston. You have followed its progress from a desert solitude, trodden only by the Indian hunter, to a large, populous and commercial city, full of fine dwelling houses, churches and public buildings, and inhabited by a wealthy and refined people. You shall now hear something of Boston as it is.
2. I have already told you that Boston is situated on a peninsula, almost entirely surrounded by water, and con- nected with the main land only by a narrow avenue called the neck. This was formerly the only way of entering or
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leaving the town, except in boats or large vessels. But
there are now no less than nine avenues.
3. There are four bridges built over the river Charles, which connect the city with Cambridge and Charlestown. There are two bridges leading to South Boston, where are the forts erected during the revolution, and rebuilt during the last war. A fine dam, called the western avenue, leads from Beacon street to a point in Brookline ; and three rail- roads to different points in the country, will soon be com- pleted. There is also an extensive ferry between the city and Chelsea, with steam-boats for the accommodation of wagons and carriages, as well as foot passengers.
4. Every avenue to the city presents a beautiful view. When approached from the sea, it is exceedingly picturesque and striking. The ship, sailing among a hundred green or rocky islands, and passing between the two forts that com- mand the entrance of the harbor, is borne onwards to the noble city before it.
5. A stranger is first struck by the high parts of the city, where his eye rests upon the conspicuous dome of the State House, and the many spires rising from the various quarters. On nearer approach, he examines with much pleasure and perhaps astonishment, the noble wharves, with their massive blocks of brick and granite ware-houses and stores, and the many ships crowding them with their unladen treasures.
6. On landing, he stops a moment to gaze behind him,
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on the magnificent prospect he is about to leave ; that of the spacious harbor, whitened with the sails of so many ships, and dotted with so many little islands. Well, indeed, may he linger and gaze, for seldom may his eye rest on so beautiful a scene !
7. If he know any thing of the history of our country, he remembers that he has reached a part of it rich in patriotic adventures. He thinks of the tea story, and looks round to see if he can find any little stone or monument to mark the spot where this famous event took place. He lifts his eyes to the green hills across the bay, and remembers that Howe gazed upon them with more surprise, when he saw them covered with the ramparts which the soldiers of Washing- ton had raised in a night.
8. His eye again turns to the blue waters of the bay, and he pictures to himself the time when they were covered with - the departing ships of the British, sullenly yielding to the fate of war, and abandoning their strong hold to the Yankee general and his farmer-soldiers. Or, he is carried still far- ther back, to the day when the pestilence had destroyed the original owners of the soil, and solitude and silence hung over the places now so busy with the hum and bustle of crowded life !
9. But I must leave these reflections and take the stranger about the city, to show him the chief buildings, and the gen- eral beauties of the place. We will first take him to the new market-house, and Faneuil Hall, as they happen to be nearest the water, and will be more in our way.
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10. First examine the Faneuil Hall market. This is pro- bably the most splendid edifice raised for such a purpose, in . the world. It is built wholly of fine granite. Its length is five hundred and thirty-five feet, and its width fifty feet. At each end is a noble portico, supported by four columns about twenty feet high, and three and a half feet in diame- ter. From the centre of the building, rises a spacious dome, springing from four ornamented arches.
11. The corner stone of this immense edifice was laid on the twenty-seventh of April 1825, while Josiah Quincy, son of the revolutionary patriot, was mayor of the city. It was completed in little more than two years, and will remain for many ages, as a monument of the enterprise, skill, and wealth of our citizens at the time.
12. To the west of this building stands Faneuil Hall, which has been called the Cradle of American Liberty, and is very famous throughout the country. It was the place where Josiah Quincy, Jr, James Otis, and Samuel Adams used to address the people during the troubled period which preceded and accompanied the revolution. The original edi- fice was built nearly a hundred years ago, by Peter Faneuil, Esq., and was presented by him to the town. A picture of the generous donor, forms one of the chief ornaments of the hall.
13. The building has a cupola, from which is a fine view of the harbor. The great hall is 76 feet square, and 28 feet high, with galleries on three sides, supported by plain
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columns. Ranges of ornamented columns support the ceiling, and the walls are decorated by pilasters. A bust of John Adams, the second President of the United States, is placed at one end of the hall, between the picture of Mr Faneuil, and a splendid full length painting of Washington, by the celebrated artist, Stuart.
14. Faneuil Hall is sacred not alone for its patriotic re- collections. It is connected with the history of one of our benevolent institutions, in the most interesting manner. All of my readers who live in Boston, remember the May Fair, that was held for the benefit of the Institution for the Blind, in 1833.
15. The ladies of the city decorated the old hall so mag- nificently, that it looked like a fairy palace. Bowers of evergreen, and roses, hanging curtains, garlands and fes- toons, gleamed on every side, with a show of richness and beauty, that could with difficulty be surpassed.
16. About the hall, and in its centre, tables were placed, loaded with beautiful trinkets, and fancy articles of many descriptions, wrought by the ladies, who were then exhibiting them for sale. For three days and evenings, the hall was crowded with generous purchasers. Several of the little blind boys, for whose benefit the Fair was held, were present at the tables, and seemed to be very cheerful and happy.
17. A band of music played during the evenings of the sec- ond and third days, and added highly to the pleasure of the
Faneuil Hall.
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occasion. Every thing went off joyfully, and about thir- teen thousand dollars were received, to be applied to the establishment of the Institution for the Blind.
18. It is not a great distance from Faneuil Hall, to the street in which the Institution for the Blind is situated. If you please, we will walk round, and show it to the stranger. It is a spacious brick edifice, presented to the Institution, by Colonel Perkins, an opulent merchant, whose generosity is equal to his wealth. Between thirty and forty blind chil- dren are educated here. They are occupied with a variety of employments, and are all industrious, cheerful, and con- tented.
19. Some learn to play on the pianoforte, and all culti- vate a taste for singing. One of the most affecting concerts to which I have ever listened, has been that of a choir of these blind children, pouring forth some glad melody, with as much glee and joyousness, as if they had never known what it was to be unhappy. But music is only their amusement. By means of raised letters, they are taught to read, and there is an ingenious contrivance, by which they can learn to write, and to understand letters that are written to them. They also learn Geography very perfect- ly, and are thus enabled to acquire a great deal of know- ledge, that furnishes them with employment, and subjects of reflection, in years that might otherwise be to them almost a blank.
20. There are many useful lessons that we may derive
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from visiting such an Institution as this. We learn to be grateful for the blessings that we enjoy, and to thank the Being who made us, that we have eyes to see the wonders and the beauties of the universe. We learn to estimate as we ought, the power and skill of man, which thus enable him to supply the deficiencies of nature, and almost to give sight to the k We learn to have more confidence in the goodness and virtue of men, when we see them drawing something from their own possessions, to relieve the wants, and console the misfortunes of those who have been less blessed than themselves !
CHAPTER XXI.
North End. Common. State House. View from its Dome. Tremont House. Theatre. Churches.
1. IN walking about the city, we shall find that the streets in the north part are narrow and irregular. This quarter was settled at a very early period, and the houses are most- ly small and old. You will notice here, houses that have been standing more than a century, with all the odd fash- ions of architecture common in our old times. It is very interesting to walk among these ancient relics, and imagine the many scenes that have taken place among them.
2. In the west part of the town are a number of very beautiful houses. Around the common, are many splendid mansions, and the noble trees of the open green before them, make them very pleasant residences.
3. 'The Common, which is so great an ornament to the city, was formerly a public cow pasture, for the conveni- ence of the honest housekeepers of the town. It occupies
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a space of fifty acres on the southern slope of Beacon Hill, and is surrounded by a mall, planted with noble elms. It is now a famous promenade, and on pleasant evenings in summer, you find hundreds walking here, to enjoy the pleas- ant and cool breezes.
4. On days of public celebrations, it is the ground where the troops exercise and parade ; and sometimes many fine companies are reviewed here. On these occasions, tents are erected, in which refreshments are sold, and various shows are sometimes exhibited.
5. The surface of the Common is varied by slight eleva- tions, the largest of which is near the centre, and still ex- hibits the remains of a fortification thrown up by the British troops in 1775. Just to the north of this is a little sheet of water, dignified with the name of Crescent Pond, that adds something to the general beauty of the scene. The Common is shaded by nearly six hundred trees, and affords one of the most beautiful walks in the world.
6. Over-looking this beautiful green, is the State House, which stands at the top of the mall, and of which you will find a neat cut on the title page. The corner stone of this edifice was laid on the fourth of July, 1795. This event was attended with great parade. The stone was carried to the spot by fifteen white horses, and laid by the governor, with the assistance of some officers of the Masonic lodge. This building is one hundred and thirteen feet in front, and sixty-one feet deep. It is surmounted by a dome, fifty feet
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in diameter, and thirty feet high. It stands in a most ele- vated and commanding situation. On the lower floor there is a fine statue of Washington.
7. The top of the dome is about two hundred and thirty feet above the level of the sea. The view from this place is very striking. Just below you see the Common, with its beautiful green, the fine rows of surrounding trees, and the noble elm, which has spread its broad branches for a century over children sporting beneath. On every side, you see large and noble buildings, and all the signs of a busy and wealthy population. To the East lies the harbor with its many islands, and the broad waters beyond, spangled with the white sails of our ships.
Tremont House.
8. As we leave the Common and come down nearer to the business part of the city, we pass the Tremont House, Tre-
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mont Theatre, and the Stone Chapel ; all very handsome edifices. The Tremont House is a spacious and splendid hotel, which is no where surpassed in the elegance of its structure, and the general style and convenience of its ac- commodations. Its front is of Quincy granite, ornamented with a fine portico ; the sides are brick, with the basement story of stone. There are one hundred and eighty apart- ments in the whole building. The corner stone of this edi- fice was laid in 1828, and it was open for the reception of guests in the following year. The Tremont Theatre is sit- uated in front of the house just described. It is a spacious edifice, with a front of Quincy granite.
9. The Stone Chapel is a very plain building, being en- tirely composed of unhewed stone. Its style of architecture is massive and grand. It is surmounted by a tower, orna- mented by a colonade of large wooden pillars. In the in- terior, there are several marble monuments, raised to the memory of distinguished persons, and which add to the in- terest with which the church is visited. It is now the only house in which the old fashion of square pews is retained.
10. Park street church is but a few rods distant from the Chapel, being situated at the head of the mall. Its steeple is of immense height, the vane on its top being two hundred and eighteen feet from the street; this is about ten feet higher than the top of the State House. Connected with this church is the Granary burying ground, which received its name from the fact that a public granary once stood with-
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in its inclosure. In this ground is a granite monument, in the obelisk form, placed over the remains of the parents of Franklin. It was erected in 1827 by a few citizens of Bos- ton, who desired to testify their respect to the great man whose parents reposed beneath. Here are the tombs of many, who are distinguished in the history of our city.
11. The Old South, situated near the heart of the city, is an object of great interest from its historical associations. The present building was opened for public worship in April 1730. I have already told you of the manner in which it was profaned by the British soldiers, during the revolution. It is probably the largest church in the city, and is usually selected for the celebration of religious services on great public anniversaries.
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