History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892, Part 7

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason
Number of Pages: 1170

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THE " FALCON'S" CAPTURES.

Washington commander-in-chief; Artemus Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler and Israel Putnam, major-generals; and Seth Pomeroy, Rich- ard Montgomery, David Wooster, William Heath, Joseph Spencer, John Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathaniel Greene, brigadier-generals. The organization of the army of the United Colonies was complete with a force of about thirteen thousand men. General Gage, with his British troops, was shut up in Boston, and the city was surrounded with a cordon of colonial troops, who cut off to a serious extent the subsistence for his army. The naval vessels under his command were sent along the coast, foraging for supplies ; and it so happened that the sloop of war Falcon, Captain Linzee, was dispatched to Martha's Vineyard to obtain cattle and sheep. Rodolphus W. Crocker states that the house he now owns and lives in, at Vineyard Haven, was occupied by the officers, and the sitting- room was their headquarters. At that time it was owned by Tristam Luce, who was in serious agitation lest his farm stock might be sacri- ficed. The commander informed him that the soldiers had been so long without meat that he could not be responsible for their acts. He prom- ised him, however, that he should retain a milch cow ; and so to make her safety sure, Mr. Luce kept her at night in the room occupied by himself and his good wife. The soldiers took from the island many thousand sheep.

A tradition is given of a Portuguese who resided on Martha's Vine- yard, and who gained a livelihood in a small vessel by fishing. One day on the sound he was overhauled by the Falcon and ordered to heave to. Not understanding the English language very well he did not compre- hend the order, but supposed the inquiry to be who he was. He mounted the rail and shouted " Manuel Jo." A second time he was commanded to heave to, and a second time he shouted back, " Manuel Jo." Again the order came with a threat, " Heave to or we will fire into you." "Manuel Jo, fire and pe plowed," was his reply, and he came about and put for the shore. He was allowed to escape. While the Falcon was cruising in the sound she captured two sloops, one belong- ing in Wareham. The crews were put on board under the charge of a lieutenant. The story of their recapture, on Saturday, May 13, 1775, is told in the manuscript history of the Pope family, by Joshua L. Pope, who received it from the lips of his father, Captain Nathaniel Pope, one of

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

the heroes of the first naval capture of the American Revolution. He was acting lieutenant, in charge of the minute company of this famous exploit :

"On Saturday afternoon of the 13th of May, 1775, twenty-four days after the battle of Lexington, the two military companies were in a field just out of the village paraded for drill. While they were engaged in their instructions a rider was seen coming at full speed from the east, who, on nearing, turned to those in the field, and, leaping from his panting gelding, informed them that a twenty gun ship of the enemy, having come into the Vineyard Sound, had captured two sloops, one of which belonged in part to himself, a resident of Wareham; that they were in the bay manned and armed as decoy cruisers, and that the object of his visit was to apprize the 'Committee of Safety ' of their character. [These committees were appointed in all the colonial towns by recom- mendation of the Colonial Congress in 1774.]

" With this information it was immediately resolved that the old sloop Success, of 40 tons burden, then lying in the wharf, be put in service to intercept the enemy. It was deemed that a force of 25 men would be sufficient, and that number would be as many as could be put out of sight on the Success. These points settled, the companies were paraded, calls were made for volunteers, and at the tap of drum those ready to offer would step two paces to the front. At the drum beat of Capt. Glig (a nick-name given to the drummer, Mr. Spooner,) the whole 50 men stepped forward. As only 25 could be taken, a ballot for chances was taken. At 9 p. m., all being ready and on board, the Success, with the two commanders, Capts. Nathaniel Pope and Daniel Egery, the drummer, a boy (in after years a shipmaster of Fairhaven), and the 25 rank and file put out from the wharf at Fairhaven. There was light air from the southwest with fog, and as the little wind was adverse the sloop had to be ' swept' from the river to the lower harbor, where she was then left to drift. Capt. Pope had the helm and conduct of the vessel, the programme being that but two men-the two commanders and a boy -be seen, Capt. Glig (drummer) to remain in the cabin and the 25 men in the hold; that in event of discovering the cruisers (both or either) a rap of Capt. Pope's foot upon deck at the helm to bring Capt. Egery to him, if below, for a council of war, when he, returning below, would through the bulkhead partition between the cabin and the hold, order the men to be ready, and when Capt. Pope should have succeeded in placing his vessel in a desired position, a second tap of his foot to immediately followed by a tap by Glig on the drum in the cabin, a signal for the men to leap on deck ready for action.

"The night continued dark and foggy. At early dawn they heard the crowing of cocks at the east of them on Scontient Neck, thus defining their position. Just as the gray dawn pierced the fog, a sloop at anchor and but a cable's length from them was dis- covered directly under their lee in the tide, which would in a few minutes sweep them upon her. The discovery by the other party soon brought the hail, "Ship, ahoy. Sheer off. You'll be into ns !" " Aye, aye," was the response of Capt. Pope at the helm, while his rap immediately brought Capt. Egery from below, whose glance at circumstances was suf- ficient, when he disappeared to apprise his men and await the second rap. Upon the deck of the vessel at anchor were two men, one a sailor, the other a marine in His Maj-

CAPTAIN POPE'S NARRATIVE.

esty's service, who immediately commenced loading his gun. The sailor now again cried out, "Sheer off, you'll be into us !" "Aye, aye," again responded Capt. Pope, at the helm, now endeavoring to lay his vessel aboard. On the next instant the tap of the drum brought the eyes of both the sailor and marine to the Success, at the moment the men were tumbling up from the hold.

" The marine immediately dropped his gun and seizing an axe was about to cut the cable. The sailor ran out upon the bowsprit to loose the jib ties, but both were checked by the threats of Capt. Pope, who, in the next moment, laid the Success alongside her victim, when, grappling the two vessels together, the patriots leaped aboard, surprised the party below with this unceremonions morning call. There were below eleven officers and men, well armed and prepared for rough work, all of which ample provision was turned over to their captors. With the rise of the sun the fog disappeared, a gentle breeze sprang up at the west, the thirteen prisoners were disarmed and placed below, their position secured by the weight of cable and anchor put over the gangway. Capt. Pope, with one man and the boy, took charge of the prize and prisoners. Both vessels then made sail for the light-house about three miles from town. On nearing the point a consultation was held, and it was decided that the prize be run in and the Success stand out and look for the second cruiser. In half an hour the prize with the prisoners was at anchor off Fairhaven.

"The Success standing out in the bay soon discovered the second vessel at anchor in a cove to the west, and making sail, ran out for a chase. A near approach evincing their mutual character, the contest began. The commander of the British cruiser being dressed in the livery of the king, and evidently deeming discretion the better part of valor, sought to screen his plumage from the Yankee sharp-shooters by standing within the gangway, giving his commands from that quarter, seldom exposing his person. This being perceived by Captain Egery he called Shockley, a minute man, ordered him to present him with his card when next he should pop out. He did so and the commander fell, receiving the shot in the head. The enemy soon struck their colors. One of the facetious Yankees said the Success had but one carriage gun, a swivel, which, having lost its trunnions, was then loaded, lashed to a timber head, and when chance bronght it in range, fired, hut proving yet loyal to the king, it kicked out of the traces and went overboard at first fire. The prisoners were soon disarmed and the Success, with her two prizes, was at anchor before ' meeting time.'

" The prisoners were sent ashore to the lock-up and the wounded to the old surgeon, Dr. Perry. The wounded officer, a lieutenant, took his mishap philosophically, saying his kin had been characterized as a thick-skulled family, and the truth of it had been exemplified in his case. He had received a buckshot directly in front, on the retreating line of his forehead, which, piercing to the bone, slid on its surface, cutting the scalp in its course, and was found flat, thin and sharp on the back of his head.

" This startling incident produced an immense sensation, and it was unoubtedly true, so stated by a rather irreverent Fairhavener, that the devotions of the Friends on that ' first day ' was not all in calm silence. This bold stroke seriously alarmed the people of New Bedford, who had much of their commerce afloat in the port, while the British sloop-of-war, Falcon, Captain Linzee, then lying in Tarpaulin Cove, twenty miles off, pos-

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

sessed the power of retaliation for the loss of his officers and crew. Acting on the im- pulse of this feeling a strong delegation from 'men of peace ' came early Monday morn- ing from New Bedford to Fairhaven, and in the house of Esquire Williams, in conven- tion resolved to return the men and captured property to Captain Linzee with a proper and suitable apology. The captains, having early notice of the current feeling of the convention, ordered Captain Glig to beat to arms, then hastily dividing and distributing the spoils of victory among themselves, Captain Egery marched off with fifteen prisoners to Taunton. This number, with the three or four wounded left behind, composed the offi- cers, marines, fighting men, those who were emphatically the servants of King George. There were six or eight others, sailors, who, being deemed more cosmopolitan, were allowed to go. Captain Egery, leaving his prisoners in Taunton jail, reported to the Provincial Congress in Watertown, then in session. The affair occasioned much em- barrassment, for the same fear that had developed in New Bedford was felt by the au- thorities, for really at that time a state of war could hardly be said to exist.

" At New Bedford a large majority of its influential citizens were of the Society of Friends, by principle and profession non-combatant, and as they had large commercial interests afloat and exposed, it was quite natural that this outcropping of belligerent pa- triotism with their neighbors across the harbor should excite in them, as it did, an earn- est feeling of repression. A demonstration of this feeling at once gave rise to, and fostered passes of, taunt and recrimination, which soon ran to terms void of pleasing euphony, and under this popular impulse a wag of the period delivered himself of a specimen in the following doggerel :

" ' It was a goodly town, and busy with the hum of thrift. Deep laden barques were coming and departing; The townsmen were men of peace-meek and sleek, With fair round bodies cased in drab. Their brows were broadly shadowed from the sun ; Their speech was bland, and on their Consciences written-non-resistance. Another town there was, a little town across the stream ; Poverty stricken, and to which its fat neighbors gave A sobriquet of unmentionable euphony ; It possessed no richly freighted argosies, And could only boast of here and there a shallop In the mud. Its men were men of peace, but Jealous of their rights-strong in faith ; Trusting in God, yet kept their powder dry.'

"' Of the sloop-of-war Falcon and Captain Linzee it may be said that the object of the visit of his vessel to Vineyard Sound was to seize cattle and sheep upon the Vineyard, and in captured vessels to send them to General Gage, in Boston. We next find the Falcon before Bunker Hill on the 17th of June, her commander, Linzee, the loyal op- ponent of the patriot Prescott, commander of the trenches. Two generations later we find the descendants of those gentlemen in a more peaceful relation, the marriage of the grand-daughter of Captain Linzee with the grandson of the hero of Bunker Hill ; and there may be seen the two swords of the once opposing commanders, now crossed in unity upon the library wall of the historian Prescott at Boston."

BEGINNING OF THE WAR.

This naval exploit finds recognition in the best of historic author- ities.1

Thrilling events followed each other in rapid succession during the year 1775. The clash of arms at Lexington and Concord in April, and the first naval battle in Buzzard's Bay in May, were followed in June by the battle of Bunker Hill. By the 1st of June General Ward had under his command a force of about 16,000 men. This was the army that participated in, and to whom belonged, the glory and honor of this famous struggle. Dartmouth was represented in this struggle by at least two full companies in the Bunker Hill army, both attached to the Eighteenth Regiment of foot, Colonel Danielson, in Roxbury camp, that section being under the command of General Thomas. It is pos- sible that Captain Pope's company also is entitled to this honor, but no record has been found as yet to justify the claim. Dr. Edward Strong, in the office of the Secretary of State, Boston, is authority for the state- ment that every man identified with this army is entitled to a place on the most distinguished roll of honor of the American Revolution. Though only. about 1,500 men were immediately engaged at Breed's Hill, all were on duty that eventful day. The following are copies of the names in the pay rolls of companies under command of Captains Kempton and Egery, the former in the possession of John K Cushing and the latter in the possession of the State. The enlistments were made in May and were for three months' service :

" A muster roll of the company under the command of Captain Thomas Kempton, in Colonel Danielson's regiment, to the first of August, 1775 : Captain, Thomas Kempton ; first lieutenant, Amasa Soper; second lieutenant, John Chadwick; sergeants, John

1 The following is an extract from an article on the " Naval History of the American Revolution," by Edward E. Hale, D.D., published in the " Narrative and Critical History of America," by Jus- tin Winsor : "The battles of the revolution were fought on the sea as often as on the land and to as much purpose. * * * So soon as the outbreak of hostilities began to disturb the natural course of their commerce, the seamen of the New England coast took up the business of cruising against their enemies, as if it were quite normal and something to which they had been born and trained. * * * * * A people thus bred to the sea and able to assert1themselves upon it lost no time when they found themselves at war with England in carrying their war upon the element to which they were born. They won their first naval victory over England on the 5th of May, 1775. scarcely a fortnight after the battle of Lexington. The Falcon, a British sloop of war, had, under some pretence, seized one or more prizes from the people of Buzzard's Bay. Inspired probably by the success at Lexington and Concord, the people of New Bedford and Dartmouth fitted out a ves- sel with which they attacked and cut out one'of the Falcon's prizes, with fifteen prisoners, from a harbor in Martha's Vineyard. On the 12th of June the people of Machias, in Maine, seized the Margaretta, the King's sloop, and two other vessels."

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

Swift, George Brownell, Thomas West, John Sullings ; corporals, James Spooner, Robert Crossman, Elijah Allen, Paul Weston ; fifer, Obed Cushman ; drummer, Simeon Fuller ; privates, Benjamin Adams, Eleazar Allen, Joshua Austin, David Badcock, Noah Ball, Jazeb Bennet, Thomas Bennet, Jonathan Bradshaw, Prince Brownell, Gam- aliel Bryant, Jessey Burt, John Coggeshall. Williamn Counts, Robert Crossman, jr., Lonis De Moranville, Thomas Eskridge, John Gammons, Phineas Hammond, Roger Ham- mond, George Haskins, David Hathaway, John Hathaway, Lemuel Hathaway, Silas Kirby, David Lewis, Preserved Merrihew, Jacob Mott, John Ormsby, Peter Phillips, Daniel Sherman, Lemuel Sherman, John Spooner, Joseph Trafford, Nathan Waste, David Kentch, Robert Knowlton, Humphrey Maccumber, Jonathan Mosher, Isaac Noble, Silas Perry, Peter Sand, John Sherman, John Solomon (Indian), Giles Tallman, Lettice Washburn."

Of these, David Lewis was from Rhode Island, Phineas Hammond from Rochester, and Lewis De Moranville from Freetown. On this pay roll Mrs. Hannah Hathaway, widow, is credited with the enlist- ment of Peter Sand.

In the pay roll of the following company from Fairhaven the officers are not designated :

" A muster roll of the company under the command of Captain Daniel Egery, in Colonel Danielson's regiment, to the first of August, 1775: Daniel Egery, John Pickens, Avery Parker, Thomas Marshall, Pardon Taber, Joshua Loring, Walker Cathel, Seth Tobey. Isaac Annable, Thomas Tobey, Jacob Pope, Joshua Randall, Ephraim Drew, Thomas Anderson, Ansil Blossom, Ephraim Briggs, Gideon Bennet, Isaac Barrows, Henry Camil, Neil Cushman, Simeon Clark, Jolin Cowing, Lemuel Cushman, Josiah Damon, John Eastland. Benjamin Ellis, Ephraim Frost, Ezra Geurnsey, Samuel Gibson, Richard Hammond, Isaac Hathaway, Nathaniel Hammond, John Hich, Jonathan Hast- ings, Abel House, Joseph Hinckley, Abisha Jenney, Ebenezer Jenne, Edward Jenner, Daniel Kempton, David Kirby, William Mingo, John Nancarrow, Seth Pope, Thaddeus Parker, Thomas Peckham, Jacob Penney, James Pratt, Benjamin Rotch, Samuel Sher- man. Noah Stoddard, Jeremiah Stoddard. Andrew Southward, Peter Sarsfield, John Skiff. David Todd, Samuel Tupper, William Taber, Joseph Tower."

Let us now present an outline of the events leading up to the conflict. On the 12th of June General Gage issued his insulting proclamation declaring martial law and stigmatizing those in arms as rebels and par- ricides of the constitution. He offered free pardon to all who would re- turn to their allegiance, excepting John Hancock and Samuel Adams. These he declared outlaws and offered a reward for their capture. The issue of this manifesto only resulted in increasing the hatred of the Americans and in strengthening their patriotism. The inhabitants of Boston were held under strictest surveillance by the British. All com-

BUNKER HILL.

munication with the country was cut off, and none were allowed to leave the city without permission. Even the women and children were included in this order, and were held as hostages for the good behavior of the patriots. This action brought great distress and suffering, for their regular supply of provisions was cut off, and many of the families were separated from their husbands and brothers on whom they de- pended for support. The situation was a serious one. The Provincial Congress had invested the Committee of Safety, whose headquarters were at Cambridge, with full power to act as circumstances might dic- tate. It came to their knowledge that General Gage had set the 18th of June as the date for taking possession of Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights.

On the evening of the 16th Colonel Prescott received orders from the Committee of Safety to fortify Bunker Hill, and with 1,000 men and a company of artillery he marched to Charlestown Neck. It was de- cided to build the fortifications on Breed's Hill and to throw up breastworks on Bunker Hill to cover retreat, if found necessary, across the Neck. All night they labored with pickaxe and shovel, and when the morning of the 17th dawned the British found to their astonishment that the Yankees had full possession of this strategic position. The city of Boston was soon in wild frenzy ; what with the hasty marching of troops, the rum- ble of artillery, the clanging of bells, the hasty council of war called by General Gage, there was a condition of affairs little dreamed of by loy- alist or patriot.

The Tories, who had formed a military company and offered their services to General Gage, found themselves in a most uncomfortable position. It is said that many who had been lukewarm suddenly ex- hibited decided sympathy with the American cause. The audacity and pluck of the Continentals were as bold and fearless as they were sur- prising.

At noonday the British army, composed of from four to five thou- sand well-disciplined soldiers, thoroughly equipped, under experienced officers, landed at Morton's Point, and, aided by the squadron of war ves- sels, made their attack on the entrenchments. To add terror to the scene that followed, Charlestown was set on fire, and four hundred build- ings were burned to the ground. On that bright June afternoon, mid

HISTORY OF NEW BEDFORD.

shot and shell and burning town, the battle of Bunker Hill was fought and lost. The loss of the American army was four hundred and fifty killed and wounded, while the British lost, according to the best author- ities, one thousand five hundred. " The battle was lost to the Ameri- cans," but " the physical defeat was a moral victory." The colonies took inspiration from the events that led to final triumph. Washing- ton arrived in Cambridge in July and took full command of the army, and the loosely-organized and widely-scattered band of patriots was soon transformed into a compact body of fighting men.

In the collection of documents that belonged to Captain Thomas Kempton, and which are now in the possession of John K. Cnshing, many interesting facts are to be found. Among them is a record that contains the monthly payments to the officers and privates of Captain Kempton's company, as made up to December 22, 1775: "Captain £6, first lieutenant £4, second lieutenant £3, surgeons £2 8s., corpo- rals £2 4s., drummer and fife £2 4s., privates {2." It is a fair conclu- sion that the Continental army was paid at the same rates.

The following letters will explain themselves :

" COZEN LEMUEL :

" These lines may inform you that we are all well at present through the goodness of God and hope you are. So I have sent a man to take your berth, and you may let him take your blanket and bed sak and your catrig box and the rest of your things you must bring home."

"CAPTAIN THOMAS KIMTON, SIR:

" Please to pay James Cook eight dollars per month from the time he takes Lemuel Sherman's berth till the time Lemuel inlisted for. Reduct out what I have let him James Cook have in the letter above, and when he brings them home I will pay him for them at the price you let them all, and in so doing you will much oblige. " Yours to serve, ELIHU SHERMAN."

" ROXBURY CAMP, December 31st. 1775.

" Then received of Thos. Kimpton the sum of six pounds six shillings and ten pence lawful money, it being in fool for my service in Lemuel Sherman's Room for 2 months and twenty days. JAMES COOK."

Here is a little book of twelve pages. On the front cover is written in a good, legible hand : " December 2d, 1775. Jesse Bush-his hand. Jesse Bush's Accounts, Roxbury, 1775." On the back cover is the following :

Frkult. Clifford

Charles H. Clifford,

INTERESTING DOCUMENTS.

" Jesse Bush, his Book, God give him grace there in to look. Not to look, but understand, That Learning is Better than house or land ; For when house and land is gone and spent

Learning is most Excellent. Since I steal not this Book for fear of Shame,

For up a Loft is the oner's name, And so for the General Orders head Quarters, Camebridge made Counter same."

Within is a list of articles "Bought in the Continental Armey at Roxbury Camp in the year of our Lord, 1775. Shoes, Shirts, Hanker- chif, Hat, Briches, Stockings, Nee Buckles, Gaiters, Cap, Jack Knif, ribin, trousers," the price for each carried out and the total £4-06s. -05d.

One page is devoted to the record of money evidently loaned to his comrades in arms. "Silus Kirby Is .- 2d. Isaac Noble 6s .- 4d. David Lewis 7d. Thomas Exkridge £1-14s."

Here is a petition for wood to one of the selectmen, dated 1775, suggestive of the privation and suffering incident to the times :

" I am again out of wood and my family sick, and must desire you to let me have a load to-morrow at all events, which I think is the last time I shall ask you for any wood.

LEMUEL WILLIAMS."

And still another that tells its own tale of woe :

" To the Selectmen of the Town of Dartmouth :

"GENTLEMEN- We, your petitioners, being a number of the Inhabitants of Bedford, beg leave to make application to you in a business that is of the greatest importance to every one of us, that is by the precaution that has been this day taken to cut off all in- tercourse from Bedford and the country, and for other reasons, we are but too well sat- isfied that the inhabitants there are determined generally to innoculate for the small pox unless timely prevented by the interposition of your authority. We think it quite needful to point out to your good judgement the very bad consequences to the inhabit- ants of this Town in General if that practice is suffered to go on in Bedford, as they must on reflexion immediately appear to your view.

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History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1620-1892, Part 7

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Ellis, Leonard Bolles
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Mason
Number of Pages: 1170