USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > History of Newburyport, Mass., 1764-1905, Volume I > Part 41
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1 Mr. Ebenezer Todd was evidently requested by some one in authority to carry the news to Newbury and although misinformed in regard to the true condition of affairs at Ipswich, he was, nevertheless, like Paul Revere, a messenger sent to warn and save.
544
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
bury in fifty minutes. In the meantime all sorts of ludicrous things were done by men and women to escape impending destruction. All sorts of vehicles, filled with all sorts of people, together with hundreds on foot, were to be seen moving with all possible speed further north, somewhere to escape the terrible regulars. Their speed wss accelerated by persons who rode at full speed through the streets crying " Flee for your lives ! flee for your lives ! the regulars are coming ! "
Some crossed the river for safety. Some, in Salisbury, went to Hamp- ton and spent the night in houses vacated by their owners who had gone on the same errand farther north. The houses at Turkey hill were filled with women and children who spent the night in great trepidation. One man yoked up his oxen and taking his own family, and some of his neighbor's children in his cart, drove off to escape the regulars. Another having concealed all his valuable papers, under a great stone in his field, fastened his doors and windows and, having loaded his musket, re- solved to sell his life as dearly as possible. One woman having concealed all her pewter and silver ware in the well, filled a bag with pies and other edibles, and set off with it and her family for a safer place, but having travelled some distance and deposited her bag to make some enquiry she found on her return that there had been " cutting and slashing " not in- deed, by the regulars among the people, but by the irregulars among her provisions. Another woman, as I am informed, having run four or five miles, in great trepidation, stopped on the steps of reverend Mr. Noble's meeting house to nurse her child and found to her great horror, that she had brought off the cat and left the child at home. In another instance Mr [ ] having placed his family on board of a boat, to go to Ram island for safety, was so annoyed with the crying of one of his children that he exclaimed, in a great fright, " Do throw that squalling brat over- board or we shall all be discovered." Mr. J- L- seeing Mr. C- H-, a very corpulent man, standing at his door with his musket loaded in- quired of him if he was not going. "Going? no," said he " I am going to stop and shoot the devils !" Propositions were made by some persons to destroy Thorla's and the river Parker bridges, while many acted a more rational part and resolutely refused to move a step or credit the whole of the flying stories without more evidence. How, or by whom, or with what motives, the report was first started no one can tell .. It lasted in Newbury and Newburyport but one night.1
Benjamin Greenleaf, in the following letter, written after the excitement had subsided, states that it was caused by the discovery of several small vessels at the mouth of Ipswich river, supposed to belong to the enemy and seeking an oppor- tunity to liberate prisoners in jail there :-
1 History of Newbury (Coffin), pp. 245 and 247; and History of Newbury (Cur- rier), pp. 589-591.
545
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
NEWBURYPORT, April 22, 1775.
GENTLEMEN : We have now received information from the commit- tee of safety at Cambridge who are appointed by the Province, that they have a sufficient number of men arrived and therefor would not have any more come from the northward for the present, but think it needful they should be ready to guard the sea-coasts in their own neighborhood. Pray forward this intelligence as far as may be needful and with as much dispatch as possible.
We were unhappily thrown into distress yesterday, by false accounts received by two or three persons, and spread abroad, of a number of Soldiers being landed at Ipswich and murdering the inhabitants. We have since heard that it arose in the first place from a discovery of some small vessels near the entrance of their River,-one at least known to be a Cutter,- and it was apprehended that they were come to relieve the captives there in jail. I am, gentlemen, your most humble servant
B. GREENLEAF.
To the Committee of Correspondence in Hampton, N. H.I
Preparations were made immediately to provide men and money for the defence of the province and two volunteer com- panies were enlisted and equipped for the service. The diary of Caleb Haskell states that he enlisted May 5, 1775, in Capt. Ezra Lunt's company, that officers were chosen Monday morning, May eighth, and " in the afternoon Mr. Parsons gave us a discourse suitable to the occasion from Judges 7th and 20th." On Wednesday, the tenth day of May, the company attended service in the meeting house then standing in Mar- ket square, and in the afternoon marched to Ipswich, remain- ing there over night, on their way to Cambridge.2
1 American Archives, fourth series, vol. II., p. 374.
2 The selectmen of Newburyport, drew an order May 10, 1775, "in favour of Capt. Ezra Lunt for Eighteen Pound, it being for the use of his Company now Enlisted to serve in the Provintial Service; to be Delivered each man six shillings a peace £18."
Mrs. E. Vale Smith in her history of Newburyport, published in 1854, page 86, says: " The Rev. Jonathan' Parsons having made an appeal at the close of one of his sermons in which he called on his hearers to form volunteer companies, invited those to walk out into the broad aisle who would do so. Mr. Ezra Lunt was the first to come forward; others followed and a volunteer company was immediately formed with Ezra Lunt as captain. His was the first volunteer company formed for the purpose of joining the Continental army."
This incident may have happened at the time and place named but no mention is made of it in the funeral sermon preached in July, 1776, a few days after the death of Rev. Jonathan Parsons, nor in the diary of Caleb Haskell quoted above. Paul Lunt, a relative of Ezra Lunt and a lieutenant in his company, does not al- lude to it in his diary published in the proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical
546
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
The names of the officers and men who served in the com- pany under the command of Ezra Lunt are recorded in the Revolutionary rolls at the state house in Boston as follows :- 1
Ezra Lunt, Captain, Age 32 William Coker, Corporal, Age 24 1
Paul Lunt, Lieutenant, " 28 Benjamin Pearson, Drummer, " 22
Nathaniel Montgomery, “
24 Bishop Norton, Fifer, 66 23
Robert Fowle, Sergeant, " 32 Daniel Ela, Private, " 25
Nathaniel Mitchell, " 23
Enoch Pierce, 66
20
John Mc'Larty,
" 26
Parker Chase, 66
3I
Edmund Morse, 66 " 25
Michael Caswell,
66 22
Timothy Palmer, 66 " 23
Moses Moore, 66
46 20
William Holliday, Corporal, 4 21 Nathaniel Smith,
22
Moses Kimball,
" 22 John Perry, 66
" 19
Eliphalet Pilsbury,
" 24 Robert Marshall,
20
Society, in February, 1872, and no reference to it can be found in the biographical sketches of Mr. Parsons published previous to 1850.
It is certain, however, that Rev. John Murray, who succeeded Rev. Jonathan Parsons as pastor of the First Presbyterian church, was called upon to assist the selectmen of Newburyport in securing volunteers and equipping them for service in the field. He evidently succeeded in raising a full company in a very short time under very discouraging circumstances. The incident is described as follows in a funeral sermon preached, April 7, 1793, by Rev. James Miltimore, three weeks after the death of Rev. Mr. Murray:
" At a time in which the face of our affairs wore a frowning aspect, a loud and urgent demand was made for augmenting our forces in the field of war and New- buryport was called upon to furnish a full company, officers and men, for actual service. So many were the discouragements to be contended with, arising from the depreciated state of our currency, and the broken disheartened state of our army that the Officers and Gentlemen to whom this business was committed, la- bored day after day in vain. Three days were spent in unsuccessful efforts. On the fourth it was moved that the Rev. Mr. Murray should be invited to address the Regiment then under arms. To the Committee appointed to present this re- quest, he answered that he viewed with sensible pain the ill success of every effort which had been made and that nothing in his power should be wanting.
" He consented to be escorted to the parade and from thence with the whole Regiment to the Meeting house. There he pronounced a spirited and animated address. His whole audience was all attention and tears gushed from many eyes. Soon after the assembly was dismissed, a member of this Church appeared to take command of the Company, and in the short term of two hours the company was filled, and in a few days actually marched to join our distressed Army."
1 Massachusetts Archives (Revolutionary Rolls), vol. LVI., p. 87.
Another list, in volume XV., p. 52, gives the names substantially as printed above with a few unimportant variations.
Capt. Ezra Lunt's company was in active service from the second day of May to the middle of September. The officers and many of the men re-enlisted for three months. Paul Lunt, lieutenant, remained with the company in the vicinity of Prospect hill until Saturday, the twenty-third day of December, 1775. See his diary published in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Feb- ruary, 1872.
The word " Quebec " is written opposite the names marked with a star (*) in the above list, indicating that the persons so designated had enlisted in the expe- dition that sailed from Newburyport September 19, 1775, under the command of Col. Benedict Arnold.
547
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
John Smith,
Private, Age 20 *Wm Shackford,
Private, Age 22
Samuel Stickney,
יו " 22
*Thos. Gould,
" 24
Moses Rogers,
66
" 19 *Enoch Richardson, 66 " 24
John Chase,
18 *Moses Cross,
66 " 26
Abram Knowlton,
" 18 *Nath. Babson,
66
" 25
Timothy Condry,
16 *Jonathan Stickney,
" 29
David Pearson,
" 19
*John Sleeper,
66
4 21
David Rogers,
" 18
*Moses George,
" 35
Nathaniel Warner, ¥
" 19
*Thomas Bolter, 66
" 18
Richd Hanuel took Joseph
*Josiah Carr,
66
22
Woods place,
30
*John Goodhue,
66
4 20
Saml Lankester,
32
*Jacob True,
" 21
Thomas Hammond,
" 25
*Mayo Greenleaf,
4 22
John Mitchell,
66
" 20
*John Carr Roberts, 66
" 26
Richd Shay,
יו
" 29
*Enoch Frost,
4 27
Benjamin Davis,
66
" 18
*Jessie Emery,
4 24
Skipper Lunt,
66
" 19
*Barthw Spooner, 66
" 20
James Pinder,
" 25
*Moses Merrill,
66
" 19
Richd Goodwin,
" 34
*John Shackford,
66
“ 19
Another company was organized and mustered into service a few days later. The names of the officers and men are re- corded in the Revolutionary rolls as follows :- 1
Benjamin Perkins, Captain, Age 26 Moses Carr, Private, Age 20
Joseph Whittemore, Ist Lieut., " 33 Joseph Davis,
4 25
William Stickney, 2nd Lieut., " 29 William Eliot,
66 4 20
Samuel Foster, Sergeant, " 24 Benjn Eaton, 66 4 27
Amos Pearson, " 26
Isaac Frothingham, 66 " 28
66
" 30
Thomas Wescomb,
" 28 Samuel Harris,
4 20
Moses Sleeper, Corporal, " 22
Thomas Harris, יו 20
18
Saml Wyatt, 66 " 23 Philip Johnson,
66
36
Richard Hale,
Drummer, “ 21
Joseph Knight, 66
66 18
John West Folsam, Fifer, " 20 Abel Kent,
John Britt, Private, " 19 Jacob Knap,
66
19
Thomas Boardman, 66 " 20 John Kittle,
66
" 26
Jonathan Carter,
" 22 Daniel Lane,
66
" 23
Thomas Frothingham,
" 30
Jacob Foss,
Michael Toppan, " “ 22
Amos Hale, 66
18
William Currier,
22 Charles Jarvis,
20
*Caleb Haskell,
4 21
1 Massachusetts Archives (Revolutionary Rolls), vol. LVI., p. 85; see, also, vol. XV., p. 85, for substantially the same list with a few names omitted and new ones inserted in their places. Most of the men in this company enlisted May ninth, and served until August 1, 1775.
548
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
Thomas Merrill,
Private, Age 18 Jeremiah Smith, Private, Age 21
Joseph Mitchell,
¥ " 21 Daniel Sumerby,
' 20
Jonathan Norton,
66 " 20 Paul Stevens,
" 18
Moses Newman,
" 25 Joseph Stickney,
" 20
Joseph Noyes,
" 21
Joseph Sumerby,
" 20
Simeon Noyes,
" 17
Zebulon Titcomb,
20
Samuel Nelson,
66
" 26 Benjn Hall Toppan,
“ 22
Moses Pigeon,
66
" 27 Abram Toppan,
" 19
Benjn Perkins,
66
" 26 Stephen Wyatt,
" 24
Silas Parker,
66
" 27 Moses Witcher,
" 24
Joseph Pettingail,
" 21
John Wyatt,
4 20
Edmond Rogers,
“ 28
Jacob Willard,
“ 19
Joseph Somerby,
" 19 Benoni Eaton Knap,
" 29
Edward Swain,
66
' 22
May 15, 1775, the selectmen of Newburyport were author- ized to purchase food, firearms, and ammunition for the sup- port and equipment of the men enlisted in the provincial service.I
Voted that the selectmen be authorized and impowered to store such quantities of Provisions and of such kinds as they may think proper to serve the purposes of the Town & province as there may be occasion, and to dispose of the same according to their discretion.
Voted that the Select men first having the approbation and concur- rence of the Committee of Safety are authorized and impowered to pur- sue such measures and to make such preparations as they may think prudent for the common safety and well being of the Town and Country and to make drafts on the Town Treasurer to discharge the expenses that may accrue, and the Town Treasurer is impowered and directed to hire such sums of money on interest as may be needed to answer all such drafts as the Select men may have occasion to make.
Voted that the selectmen be impowered to provide arms and other necessaries for those men who have Inlisted or may Inlist in the Province service and may need assistance, and likewise to supply such of their Families as they may think proper with things necessary for their sup- port, charging the same so that it may be cliped out of their wages.2
Capt. Moses Little of Newbury was appointed colonel of the
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., pp. 232 and 233.
2 May 17, 1775, the selectmen approved an order for seventy-six dollars payable to Capt. Benjamin Perkins, "it being for the use of his company to be Distributed amongst his men at 6- a peace to be stopt out of their wages {22, 16s," and on the twenty-second day of May they authorized the town treasurer to pay Capt. Ezra Lunt five pounds and two shillings " for his Bill Riding Post to Cambridge as per his Bill on File."
549
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
seventeenth regiment in the provincial army June 15, 1775. The companies under the command of Capt. Ezra Lunt 1 and Capt. Benjamin Perkins 2 formed a part of that regiment and were engaged in the battle at Bunker hill.
Captain Lunt's company was held in reserve but did good service in protecting the rear guard from the attack of British troops at the close of the conflict. Moses Pigeon3 and Samu- el Nelson3, in Captain Perkins' company, were killed ; Jonathan Norton4 was taken prisoner ; and Joseph Whittemore,5 lieuten- ant, Amos Pearson,6 sergeant, and Philip Johnson,6 private, were severely wounded.
1 Ezra Lunt, son of Matthew and Jane Lunt, was born April 10, 1743. In 1774 he was part owner and publisher of the Essex Journal and Merrimack Packet and the proprietor of a four-horse stage coach advertised to leave Newburyport for Boston every Monday morning. See chapter X., pp. 390 and 395.
After the battle of Bunker hill, Captain Lunt re-enlisted in the Continental army, and had command of a company under Col. Moses Little at Long Island and in New Jersey. At the close of the war he was granted an innholder's license by the selectmen of Newburyport . He leased a dwelling house, near the corner of Fed- eral and Water streets, which he occupied as a tavern for several years. In Shay's rebellion he had command of a company that marched from Newburyport and served for several months in the western part of the state of Massachusetts. See chapter II., pp. 88-91. In 1789, or a year or two later, he removed to Ohio, where he died in 1803.
2 Benjamin Perkins, son of Matthew and Anne Perkins, was born December 8, 1749. He learned the trade of a coppersmith and was appointed lieutenant in the company that marched from Newburyport, under the command of Capt. Moses Nowell, immediately after the Lexington alarm in April, 1775. In the month of June following, he was captain of a company in the seventeenth regi- ment under the command of Col. Moses Little. After the battle of Bunker hill he re-enlisted and was with the army in New York and New Jersey until the close of the year 1776. He owned and occupied a dwelling house on Fair street for many years (Essex Deeds, book 134, leaf 51, and book 162, leaf 78). He died in Newburyport March 9, 1797, and was buried in the Old Hill burying-ground.
3 Memorial of the American Patriots who fell at the battle of Bunker Hill, fourth edition, published by order of the city council of the city of Boston.
4 History of the Siege of Boston (Frothingham), second edition, 1851.
5 "To the Honbl Councill & House of Representatives in Gen1 Court assembled Humbly Sheweth, Joseph Whitmore a Lieut. in Capt. Benj. Perkins Company in ye 17th Regt of foot commanded by Col. Moses Little that on ye 17th day of June A. D. 1775 in the Battle on Bunker Hill that your Memorialist was dangerously wounded in the thigh, the Hospital being att that time full of sick and wounded soldiers, it was thot proper to send your memoralist to Newbury Port where he lay under ye Doctor's hand till the Eighth day of August; the cost of nursing, Boarding &c. amounting to the sum of £6. 11. 6; The Doctors bill amounting to the Sum of {2. II. as by the accts annexed may appear. Your Memorialist therefore prays that your Honrs would allow him for his Expenses as in such Cases has been usual or as your honours shall see meet & your petitioner as in Duty bound will ever pray. JOSEPH WHITTEMORE. " March 25, 1776."
(Massachusetts Archives, vol. CLXXX., p. 365.)
6 Historical and Topographical Sketch of Bunker Hill Battle by Col. Samuel Swett.
550
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
Two heavy cannon, belonging to the town of Newburyport, were probably captured by the English troops. Subsequent- ly, the following statement in regard to the loss of these can- non was made in a petition presented to the General Court by Nicolas Pike, town clerk :-
This town was possessed of two Field pieces, with carriages, which up- on the Lexington Alarm we sent down to the Army & they were after- wards lost at the Bunker Hill Engagement.I
The provincial congress having requested the selectmen of Newburyport to send several barrels of gunpowder to Cam- bridge, Benjamin Greenleaf, chairman of the committee of safety, replied, June 22, 1775, that the stock of powder in the town was barely sufficient to supply the batteries erected on Plum island if they should be attacked by armed vessels, and closed with the following statement :-
We are therefore very loath to part with the little we have unless the public cause renders it absolutely necessary, in which case we shall read- ily give up the last ounce, the destruction of this Town being a trivial matter in our estimation compared with a final defeat of the army.2
The same day, Stephen Hooper wrote to the president of the provincial congress as follows :-
NEWBURYPORT June 22, 1775.
SIR :-
In a Letter I recd yesterday from ye Committee for the Town of Portsmouth in Newhampshire I am acquainted with their having recd 50 Bl Flour from Baltimore for the use of your suffering Brethren in Boston with Directions to deliver the same to my order & that the Flour now waits my Pleasure ; they also acquaint me of their Inclinations to pur- chase it for the use of their own Troops. I should therefore be glad to receive the Opinion of ye congress relative to its Disposal as soon as may be, as the aforementioned Committee wait my answer.
I am your most obedient servant STEPHEN HOOPER.
To the President of the Congress now sitting at Watertown.3
1 Massachusetts Archives, vol. CLXXX., pp. 350 and 351.
2 Massachusetts Archives, vol. CXCIII., p. 390 ; American Archives, fourth series, vol. II., p. 1062.
3 Massachusetts Archives, vol. CXCIII., p. 392.
5.5 I
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
June 23, 1775, a committee, consisting of Mr. Offin Board- man, Capt. Benjamin Lunt, Mr. Moses Hoyt, Capt. Moses Nowell, Capt. Ralph Cross, Capt. David Coates and Capt. Charles Cook, was appointed to obstruct the channel of the Merrimack river by sinking wooden piers, near Black Rocks, in order to prevent vessels from passing in or out unless in charge of pilots familiar with the harbor.1 On the twenty- fifth day of June, the provincial congress, at Watertown, voted to provide not less than six armed vessels for the pro- tection of American trade and commerce, and three days later voted to raise, in Essex county, ten companies, consisting of fifty men each, to be stationed on the sea coast in the towns of Lynn, Gloucester, Marblehead, Salem, Ipswich, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.
A battery was erected on the Salisbury shore and the next year a fort was built near the northern extremity of Plum island.
[July 6, 1775] voted that the Committee of Safety cause a small ves- sel with a convenient number of men on Board to be placed near the Piers that are sunk in the River in order to pilate our Friends in & to prevent our Enemies coming upon us unawares, or from sounding the River to find the Depth of water.2
The cost of sinking the piers and erecting the battery was paid in part by the inhabitants of Newburyport, Salisbury, . Amesbury and other towns on the river.3
Two or three weeks after the completion of the piers, the escape of Bridget Phillips, who had been sent to Newburyport for safe keeping, created considerable excitement as appears from the following papers on file at the state house in Boston :-
To the Honorable Provincial Congress at Watertown, June 22, 1775.
The petition of Bridget Philips humbly showeth that she hath lately arrived from Ireland and is desirous of going to her husband now in Bos-
1 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 237.
2 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 239.
3 Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 241.
In 1779, some of the piers were carried away by the heavy spring freshet, and the selectmen were authorized to sell the floating battery "and such parts of the Piers as may come on shore." Newburyport Town Records, vol. I., p. 313.
552
HISTORY OF NEWBURYPORT
ton. She therefore prays the Honorable Congress that they would give her a permit to go into the town of Boston & your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. BRIDGET PHILIPS.I
In answer to this petition the following resolution was adopted June 24, 1775 :-
Resolved, that General Ward do not suffer or permit Bridget Phillips, wife to an officer under General Gage, to go into Boston, nor any other person whatever, without leave first obtained of this Congress, or some future house of representatives ; and that an express be forthwith sent to the committee of safety for the town of Newburyport, to order them to take the most affectual measures to prevent the said Bridget from going out of this province, or to Boston.
The order was not strictly enforced however, and the pris- oner, by a clever device, escaped to the province of New Hampshire, as stated in the following letter :-
NEWBURYPORT 26th July 1775.
SIR :-
We received some time since a Resolve of the late Congress order- ing that Bridget Phillips (who called herself the wife of a Capt. Phillips in Gen. Gage's Army) should not leave the Province & that the Commit- tee here be desired to attend to her. Upon the receipt of it we applied to the Tavern Keeper, at whose house she was, to keep an eye upon her movements & to inform us should she take any suspicious steps, at the same time informing her she must not leave the Province. This she judged to be very harsh, but appeared for a month past so to acquiesce in it as to elude any suspicion in us that she would take pains for her escape. Upon the arrival of the New General at Cambridge she seemed to flatter herself, her case might be more tenderly considered by them & that upon application they would permit her going to her husband. This she mentioned to several of the committee but was told she must not go to Cambridge without Consent of the Majority of them. However that she never asked & the 18th Inst she took place in a Chaise with Capt John Blake (formerly of Boston) from hence to Salem, giving out she was going to Head Quarters at Cambridge. The Tavern Keeper (Mr. Green- leaf) supposing it not beyond her limits by the Order & from a faulty Inattention never gave the Committee notice. It was not for a day or two known by us that she was gone. Upon enquiry we find that she hired a Chaise & Boy at Salem & in company with Benjn Jenks (who is said to belong to Casco Bay) she went the next day to Haverhill & the next to Portsmouth & by the assistance of this Jenks procured herself to
1 Massachusetts Archives, vol. CLXXX., p. 62.
553
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
be put on board the Scarborough Man of War there. This Intelligence was bro't us by the said Mr. Greenleaf whom we sent in pursuit of her.
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