History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix, Part 33

Author: Sumner, William H. (William Hyslop), 1780-1861. cn
Publication date: 1858
Publisher: Boston, J. E. Tilton
Number of Pages: 883


USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston; with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix > Part 33
USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > East Boston > History of East Boston : with biographical sketches of its early proprietors, and an appendix. > Part 33


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" Two men-of-war made a heavy fire on Long island. The provincials in sixty-five whale-boats, and five hundred men, went last night and brought away thirty-one head of cattle, sheep, a quantity of hay, seized fourteen of the king's mowers, and the family belonging to the Island. Next day returned and fired the mansion-house and barn. A man-of-war was continu- ally firing upon them." 1


In all these actions the provincials displayed the most intrepid courage, and were acquiring greater confidence in themselves; while the British garrison learned severe lessons from their rebel opposers, and suffered greatly from the scarcity of food.2


The efforts put forth by the colonists to clear the islands of live-stock, forage, and of every thing which could be of use to the enemy, were made under the authority both of the provin- cial congress and of the committee of safety,3 both of which bodies took especial action on the subject; and if the expedi- tions to the islands did not originate with congress and the committee, they certainly were prosecuted to a successful issue under their authority, and through officers of their own appoint- ment. For instance, on the 14th of May, 1775, the committee


1 Mass. Ilist. Coll. Vol. I. Fourth Series.


2 Botta's Hist. Am. Rev. Vol. I. p. 305.


3 " The committee of safety, elected anew by congress at every session, were the real executive of Massachusetts. They were empowered generally to watch over the safety of the commonwealth, and advise congress of such measures as they thought beneficial and expressly commissioned." - Battle of Bunker Hill, by Samuel Swett, p. 1.


369


DEPREDATIONS ON THE ISLANDS.


1775.]


of safety passed the following resolution : " Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, that all the live-stock be taken from Noddle's Island, Hog island, Snake island, and from that part of Chelsea near the sea-coast, and be driven back ; and that the execution of this business be committed to the committees of correspondence and selectmen of the towns of Medford, Malden, Chelsea, and Lynn, and that they be supplied with such a num- ber of men as they shall need from the regiment now at Med- ford."1 The troops at Medford were about a thousand in number, from New Hampshire, under Colonels Reed and Stark.


On the 23d of May, a special committee of the provincial congress reported (in substance), that, on account of the frequent plundering and depredations on the islands and sea-coast of the province, by which hay, cattle, sheep, etc., were taken, to the injury of individuals and the public, it be recommended to the several towns and districts on the sea-coasts of the colony, and to all persons living on the islands on the coast, to remove their hay, cattle, sheep, etc., which were exposed to these ravages, so far into the country as to be out of the way of their "implaca- ble enemies ;" and the committee also recommended that care be taken that this resolve be put into immediate and strict exe- cution, etc.2 This report was referred to the next provincial congress, which convened at Watertown on the 31st day of the same month.


Upon the day following that upon which the above report was made, namely, the 24th of May, the committee of safety, as if their attention had been turned from the islands in general to the important matters pertaining to one in particular, resolved " That it be recommended to congress, immediately, to take such order respecting the removal of the sheep and hay from Noddle's Island as they may judge proper, together with the stock on the adjacent islands." 3


Thus it appears that Noddle's Island received the especial attention of the colonial authorities, and that the expeditions


1 Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Mass. p. 545.


2 Ibid. p. 252.


3 Ibid. p. 557.


370


HISTORY. [1775.


to that and other islands were not mere individual excur- sions, but were under the highest executive authority of the colony.


The engagement on Noddle's Island demanding a fuller account than has yet been given to the public, the writer has taken pains to collect all the information possible concerning it; and from private manuscripts and papers in his possession he is able to present many details not before published, which show this battle to have been of much more importance than has generally been supposed, and which, in the writer's opinion, will justify future historians in calling this the second battle of the Revolution.1 Followed, as it so soon was, by the battle of Bunker Hill, which in itself and in its results so astonished the military world, its relative importance and position in the con- flict with the mother country have been underestimated or wholly lost sight of.


As many of the authorities from which this narrative is gathered are new to the public, and as original Revolutionary documents possess great interest, it has been thought advisable, even at the risk of repetition, to quote some papers verbatim. Written at the time and by persons of different political views


1 In giving this numerical order to the early battles of the Revolution, the author is not forgetful of the bold exploit at Piscataqua on the evening of the 13th December, 1774, nor of the encounter at Salem on the 26th February, 1775, which came near resulting in a battle. But these were only ebullitions of pub- lic sentiment similar to the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor, and were prior to the actual resort to arms, and therefore cannot be reckoned among the battles of the Revolutionary war, which commenced with that on the 19th of April at Lexington. Every thing previous to that memorable day was only preliminary to, and in preparation for, the long contest, which was then inaugu- rated in so eventful a manner. Of the encounter at Salem, Trumbull, in his Mc Fingal, wrote, -


" Through Salem straight without delay, The bold battalion took its way ; Marched o'er a bridge in open sight Of several Yankees armed for fight; Then, without loss of time or men, Veered round for Boston back again, And found so well their projects thrive That every soul got back alive !"


371


NODDLE'S ISLAND GARRISONED.


1775.]


and various stations in life, they will interest the reader more if given literally, than if abbreviated or otherwise altered.


On Saturday, the 27th of May, 1775, a small party of the American army at Cambridge received orders from Gen. Ward 1 to drive off the live-stock from Hog and Noddle's Islands. Advantage was to be taken of the ebb tide, when the water would be fordable from Chelsea to Hog island, and from Hog island to Noddle's Island, it there being only about knee high. This detachment, composed of Massachusetts and New Hamp- shire men, and numbering from two to three hundred by some accounts,2 and six hundred by another,3 was led by Col. John Stark of New Hampshire, afterward General John Stark, of Bennington fame.


Forty marines from the British fleet had been previously stationed on Noddle's Island as a garrison, and for the protec- tion of the live-stock. It is probable that these marines were from the squadron sent over to this country late in the autumn of 1774; for in the "Massachusetts Spy" of December 8th, 1774, in the column of London news, is the following notice of the kind of service they were drilled for : ---


" October 15th. - We are authorized to assure the public that a squadron of men-of-war is ordered to be fitted out with the utmost expedition, in order to proceed to Boston ; and that the said squadron is to take a battalion of marines on board from the Chatham division. Those marines are intended to act as emergencies may require, either on board ship or on shore."


" October 16th. - A letter from Chatham, England, dated the 12th instant, says : ' A detachment of marines, consisting of one hundred and fifty men, exclusive of officers, among whom is Major Pircian (Pitcairn ?), is ordered to march from hence to Portsmouth to be embarked in the ships now fitting out at that port for Boston.' "


1 There is no written order to this effect, which gives reason to believe that at, and previous to, the battle of Bunker Hill, the "orders" were given ver- bally, and not in writing.


2 Handbill printed at Newport 1st June, 1775, in the writer's possession ; also Col. Humphrey's Life of Gen. Putnam, p. 24.


3 Boston Gazette and Country Journal, June 5th, 1775 ; Gordon's IIist. Am. Rev. Vol. II. p. 24.


372


HISTORY.


[1775.


These extracts render it probable that the marines sent to the Island were a part of this detachment, which was intended for both ship and shore service.


Col. Stark with his detachment first crossed from Chelsea to Hog island, and took from it four hundred sheep, represented erroneously, we think, as stolen by General Gage and deposited there for safe-keeping.1 They then passed over to Noddle's Island to rescue the cattle there from their British keepers. The party had killed a few horses and "divers horned cattle," and taken away alive a few more, when a signal gun was fired from an armed schooner lying at anchor near Winnisimet ferry ways. The British admiral hoisted a red flag at mainmast-head, and sent the schooner, which mounted four six-pounders and twelve swivels, an armed sloop, and a large number of marines from the different men-of-war, up Chelsea creek, to cut off our re- turn to the main land. The barges conveying these marines were eleven in number, and all were mounted with swivels.2


A heavy fire was now opened from the sloop and schooner, under cover of which the marines advanced upon our men, who were busily engaged upon the Island in the prosecution of their object. In the mean time, General Gage sent over from the city a hundred regulars to reinforce the marines previously sta- tioned on the Island. The provincials, under this heavy fire, retreating to a ditch in the marsh, kept themselves undiscovered until they had opportunity to fire with effect upon the enemy, thus early adopting a practice, for which they were so celebrated during the war, of reserving their fire until sure of their aim, and which in this instance resulted in killing some and wound- ing others of the unsuspecting regulars. They then recrossed to Hog island, where they were joined by the remainder of the party from Chelsea, the regulars, who remained upon Noddle's Island, firing upon them at the same time very briskly by pla- toons.


Having cleared Hog island of all the stock, and a sharp fire still continuing between them and the schooner, sloop, boats, and marines, the provincials drew up on Chelsea Neck, and sent


1 New Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle, June 2, 1775.


2 Gordon's Hist. Am. Rev. Vol. II. p. 24; Boston Gazette, June 5, 1775.


373


THE BATTLE.


1775.]


for a reinforcement. General Putnam, with three hundred men and two four-pounders, came to their aid, and, being the highest in rank, he took command of our united forces, which now amounted to about a thousand men. The gallant and patriotic Warren also, too ardent to remain at a distance, has- tened to the spot as a volunteer, and by words and deeds en- couraged the men.1 Putnam reached the ground about nine o'clock in the evening, and took in at a glance the true state of things. Perceiving Noddle's Island occupied by a large body of the enemy, and that a galling fire was kept up by the schooner, sloop, and boats, he with his customary coolness went down to the shore and hailed the schooner, which was within speaking distance, offering the men good quarters if they would surren- der. The schooner answered with two cannon shot, which was immediately replied to by two discharges from the cannon of the provincials. A heavy fire ensued from both sides. The armed sloop, and a great number of boats sent from the ships, came to the aid of the schooner, and at the same time a large reinforcement of marines, with two twelve-pounders, was sent to Noddle's Island. For two hours the engagement was severe, until the firing from the schooner ceased. The fire from the shore was so hot that her men found that they must perish on board their vessel, or make their escape from it. The love of life conquered, and they hastily took to their boats, leaving the schooner and all she contained as booty for the provincials. The barges attempted to tow her back to her station through the sharp fire of Putnam's men ; but, unable to endure the severe fire, they were compelled to quit her. The battle now becoming more general, continued through the whole night; and during the action a large barn full of hay and an old farm-house on the Island were burned.


The schooner drove ashore on the Winnisimet ferry-ways, and a party, consisting of Isaac Baldwin and twelve others of the provincials, after taking from her whatever was valuable, rolled bundles of hay under her stern, and set her on fire and


1 Gordon's Hist. Am. War, Vol. II. p. 24 ; Frothingham's Siege of Boston, p. 109; Swett's Hist. Battle of Bunker IIill, p. 9.


32


374


HISTORY.


[1775.


burned her up. The reason for burning the schooner, of course, was the fact, that, the harbor being in the possession of the Brit- ish, they would not be able to keep the vessel in their own hands.


The provincials took from the schooner "4 double fortified four-pounders, 12 swivels, chief of her rigging and sails, many clothes, some money, &c., which the sailors and marines left behind." 1 The account honestly adds, " they having quitted in great haste!" Doubtless they did. The committee of. safety took possession of the contents of the schooner, as appears from the following extract from the journal of that committee : " May 30, 1775. Elisha Lettinwell was directed to proceed with two teams to Chelsea, and bring up from thence the can- non and other stores saved from the schooner which has been burned by our people, and to lodge said stores in this town (Cambridge)."2 And again, on a later date (June 21), we find in the same journal, "Ordered, That Mr. James Munroe, an armorer in the provincial service, take into his keeping a quan- tity of old iron, saved out of the cutter burned at Winnesimit ferry, he to be accountable to the committee for the same." 3


The sloop still continued her fire, which was vigorously re- plied to from the shore, and a heavy cannonade was commenced upon the provincials with the twelve-pounders from a hill upon Noddle's Island called West Head, near to, and directly oppo- site, the Winnisimet ferry-ways. But Putnam, inspired with the same dauntless courage with which he entered the den of the wolf, heading his men, and wading up to his middle in mud and water,4 poured so hot a fire upon the sloop, that, very much crippled and with many of her men killed, she was obliged to be towed off by the boats. It is a striking illustration of the cour- age and impetuosity of Putnam, that he and his brave follow- ers attacked and crippled this sloop with small arms ; that, leav- . ing their cannon, they waded within musket distance, and there


1 Hand Bill printed at Newport, June 1st, 1775.


2 Journal of Each Provincial Congress of Mass. 1774-5, p. 561.


3 Ibid. p. 573.


4 New Hampshire Gazette, June 2d, 1775 ; Swett's Hist. Battle of Bunker Hill, p. 9, note.


375


THE BATTLE.


1775.]


fought the heavy armed vessel, heedless of the great disparity in weapons and of their dangerous position. Putnam's spirit animated the provincials, and, foremost in the fight himself, he was nobly sustained by his brave followers. The spirited words of the poet will almost literally apply to the dauntless bravery of Putnam in this engagement.


" There the old-fashioned colonel galloped through the white infernal Powder cloud ;


And his broad sword was swinging, and his brazen throat was ringing Trumpet loud ;


There the blue bullets flew,


And the trooper jackets redden at the touch of the leaden


Rifle breath ; And rounder, rounder, rounder, roared the iron six-pounder, Hurling death."


Soon after the disabling of the sloop, the firing ceased, ex- cepting a few scattering shots between the marines on Noddle's Island and the party at Chelsea. During the whole of the fol- lowing forenoon, however, the Somerset man-of-war, of sixty- eight guns and 520 men, was continually firing upon the people on the Chelsea side, who had gathered together in great num- bers to see what had occurred upon the Island. It is remarkable, that, in this long and well contested engagement, not a man belonging to the provincial army was killed, and but three or four were wounded, and one of these by the bursting of his own gun ; while the loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was very severe. In reference to this battle, a living writer ob- serves : " On the 13th of May, all the troops at Cambridge marched, under the command of Putnam, to Charlestown, and defied the enemy under the very muzzles," and on the 27th of May, " the very important action was fought, and the victory achieved, under the command of Putnam." 1


The celebrated poem by John Trumbull, entitled M'Fingal, thus alludes to this engagement : -


" Though Gage, whom proclamations call Your Gov'rnor and Vice Admiral,


1 Who was the commander at Bunker Hill. By Samuel Swett.


376


HISTORY.


[1775.


Whose power gubernatorial still Extends as far as Bunker's Hill, Whose admiralty reaches, clever, Near half a mile up Mistic river, Whose naval force yet keeps the seas, Can run away whene'er he'd please.


Nay, stern with rage, grim Putnam boiling,


Plundered both Hogg and Noddle Island ; Scared troops of Tories into town, Burned all their hay and houses down, And menaced Gage, unless he'd flee, To drive him headlong to the sea ; As once, to faithless Jews a sign, The De'el, turned hog-reeve, did the swine."1


There probably is not an instance during the whole war, where, under the circumstances, the provincials displayed more determined courage than in this engagement; and the enemy here learned to their great surprise a severe lesson, being made sensibly to feel that their rebel opponents were " foemen worthy of their steel," and in determined bravery and impetu- osity were vastly their superiors. Says one writer, " upon the first approach of our men at Noddle's Island, the regular troops all took to their heels, and ran as if the Devil drove them ! " 2


The different reports of the battle give various estimates of the number of the enemy killed and wounded. The account of it by General Gage is similar in character to his report of the battle of Lexington and Concord; the following extract from the London Gazette (No. 11,579) gives its purport : -


" Whitehall, July 18, 1775. - Lieutenant-General Gage in his Letters to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated June 12, 1775, gives an Account, That the Town of Boston continued to be sur- rounded by a large Body of Rebel Provincials, and that all Communication with the Country was cut off; that the Rebels had been burning Houses and driving Sheep off an Island that has easy Communication with main land, which drew on a Skirmish with some marines who drove the Rebels away ; but that an armed Schooner, that had been sent between the Island


1 Trumbull's Poetical Works, Vol. I. pp. 64, 65.


2 New Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle, June 2, 1775.


1775.]


THE LOSS OF THE ENEMY.


377


and the main land, having got on shore at High Water, there was no possibility of saving her, for as the Tide fell, she was left quite dry, and burned by the Rebels. Two men were killed and a few wounded."


.


As an offset to this obvious underestimate of the British general, we quote a paragraph from that reliable historian, Gordon. Says he : " The regulars were said to have suffered very much, not to have had less than two hundred killed and wounded. The loss was probably greatly exaggerated ; that, however, had a good effect on the provincials. The affair was a matter of no small triumph to them, and they felt upon the occasion more courageous than ever." 1


" The New Hampshire Gazette and Historical Chronicle " (Friday, June 2, 1775) contains nearly the same estimate, as follows: " Tis said in the above Engagement, between 2 and 300 Marines and Regulars were killed and wounded; and that a Place was dug in Boston 25 feet square to bury their Dead ; and that they had between 20 & 30 Barges full of Marines and Sailors."


A handbill, in the possession of the writer, printed at New- port, June 1, 1775, says, " The loss of the enemy amounted to at least 20 killed and 50 wounded."


The " Boston Gazette and Country Journal " of Monday, June 19, 1775, contains the following statement : -


" New York, June 12. - A Gentleman that left Boston about six Days ago, asserts for Fact, that he saw landed on the Long Wharf at that Place, out of one boat alone, no less than 64 dead men that had been killed by the Provincials at the late Attack at Noddle's and Hog Islands, as mentioned in our last." This same item is in " The New England Chronicle or the Essex Gazette," Vol. 7, No. 360.


These different estimates, after making allowance for all exaggeration, render it evident that the loss of the enemy was severe, remarkably so considering that not a man among the provincials was killed. It is not strange that the pious colo-


1 Gordon's Hist. Am. Rev. Vol. II. p. 25.


32 *


378


HISTORY.


[1775


nists attributed their preservation to " the miraculous interposi- tion of Divine Providence." 1


The news of the engagement reached congress on the very day it was choosing general officers, and so influenced the vote that Putnam was unanimously chosen one of the Major-Gen- erals.2


There is a letter written by a soldier in the camp, Captain William Turner Miller, of Rhode Island, relative to this engage- ment, which is interesting as an original document.


" Rhode Island Camp in Roxbury, 2 May 29th, 1775.


" Dear wife we were yesterday and the Night before last un- der arms which was Occasioned by An Engagement Colonel putnam With about 250 Men had with a Thousand Regulars the Engagement began at about half after nine Oclock on Saturday Night and Lasted till Day Light when Coll putnam Returned to the Head Quarters at Salem having Burnt an Armed Schooner and Taken 16 pieces of Small Cannon Kill'd 13 of the Horses that Lately arrived from England said to be for the Light Horse and Taken 17 More Col putnam had not a Man Killed and only three Men Wounded How many of the Regulars were Killed we Cannot Learn only that there were Discovered in the action three Regulars Killed and it is thought Numbers more were Slain the place of Action was at Chelsey near winnysimmit ferry Sixteen Miles from this place (by Land) when we first Heard the firings which was very Brisk I mustered my forces which were about 240 at the first Alarm Not Knowing but it was a General Attack and sent off Ex- presses forward toward the Enemy Sent out Several Companies to Reconoiter who went forward until they were Informed where. the fire was and were Sattisfied their Help was not wanted (some went Down Head Quarters) & in the morning the Fire Renewing I Marched Down with all My Men but a few who I Left behind to Guard the Incampment and Magazine went to


1 Boston Gazette, June 5, 1775.


2 Frothingham's Siege of Boston, pp. 109, 110.


1775.]


THE AMERICAN FIELD-PIECES. 379


Head Quarters for Orders to go forward were within Sight of the Ennemies fire but the General thinking it Best for Me to Return and Refresh my Men and hold my People in Readiness and Soon after my Return Co" Hitchcock Co" Cornel Arrived Here and Took the Chief Command and toward Night Major Sherburn Arrived Here Since which Several Companies are Arrived we heard a Number of Cannon fired toward Chelsey Last Evening but have not Learn what they have Done we are I should be glad if you would Send me Some Linning Such as Shirts &c when you have them Ready if you want to Send any thing to me Such as Shoes or any thing Else you will please to have them Bundled up and a paper pasted on the Bundle, and a Letter Wrote Ready


" I am your Loving Husband " WILLIAM T. MILLER." 1


The numbers of the respective parties are inverted. in this letter, and some trivial mistakes made, easily to be accounted for by the hurry and excitement of the time; but the letter, taken as a whole, corroborates the other accounts of the battle, and shows it to have been one of importance. A brief account in Newell's Journal serves to strengthen the statements before made. " May 27th .- Our people set fire to hay and a barn on Noddle's Island. A number of marines went over. Our peo- ple retreated over to Hog island, the troops following and being decoyed by our people down to the water, who then fired and the action continued all night (though very dark) also a Man of War Schooner firing their cannon continually upon them which towards morning catch't aground upon Winisimet ferry ways. Our people boarded her and finally burned her." 2


As there is no mention of field-pieces being used by the colo- nists in the battles of Lexington and Concord, it is believed that they were fired by the Americans in this battle for the first time in the war. The field artillery of the American army, at the opening of the war, consisted of four pieces; two of these, the " Hancock " and " Adams," used in the battle of Bunker




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