USA > Massachusetts > History of the Military company of the Massachusetts, now called the Ancient and honorable artillery company of Massachusetts. 1637-1888, Vol. II > Part 24
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Daniel Rea, 3d, son of Daniel, Jr. (1770), joined the Artillery Company in 1789. Daniel Rea, Jr. (1770), was third sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1772, and in the militia became a lieutenant. He received the Masonic degrees in the Lodge of St. Andrew in 1779.
The record of the Artillery Company for 1770 is as follows : -
" April 2ª. 1770. Monday the weather being unsuitable, the Company did not turn out till the Friday following, being then under Arms, it was Voted, That the Rev. Mr. Samuel Stillman of Boston be desired to preach on the Anniversary Artillery Election of Officers in June next, and that the present Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to wait on him & desire the same. Voted, That each Member of this Company furnish himself with a black Leather Pouch against the next Artillery Election Day, and that the Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to enquire, who will make the whole of them the best and the Cheapest ; also to judge what fashioned ones will be the most handy, as well as serviceable, and report to the Company accordingly at their next meeting. Voted, That every member of this Company furnish himself with a pair of white Linnen Spatterdashes against the next Artillery Election day : and as to buttons & straps for the same, it be referred to the Committee mentioned in the foregoing Vote, to determine of what kind they shall be. Voted, That Capt Thomas Dawes [1754] be joined to the Committee appointed to settle the affairs of the Monies due from Col. Blanchards [1737] heirs to this Company.
" Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
William Miller (1770). AUTHORITIES: Bos- ton Records; Early Masonic Records.
Daniel Rea, Jr. (1770). AUTHORITIES: Bos- ton Records; Records of Lodge of St. Andrew.
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HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
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" May 7th. 1770. Monday the weather being unsuitable, the Company did not turn out till the Friday following, being then under Arms, the Committee appointed to wait on the Rev. Mr. Samuel Stillman, of Boston, to invite him to preach on the anni- versary Artillery Election of Officers in June next, reported that he had accepted the invitation. Voted, That the Treasurer pay thirty pounds to the present Commission Officers towards the defreying the charges of the Election Dinner in June next ; and furthermore that the Company dine with them. Voted, That Joseph Pierce [1769], the present Clerk have one quarter part of the fines he shall collect the present year from the delinquent members of the Company. Voted, That the overplus money remaining in the Clerk's hands in June next (if any there be) together with what fines may be due to the Company after all Charges of the Company together with the Clerk's Commissions are deducted, be paid by the Clerk to the present Commission Officers towards defrey- ing the charges of the Election Dinner in June next. The Committee appointed in April last to enquire who would makes the Pouches the cheapest, &c, this day reported, That Mr. William Hawes would make them for 7/3ª lawful money, apiece: The Company accordingly agreed to purchase them of him. The foregoing Committee being appointed in April last to determine of what kind the buttons & straps for the Spatter- dashes should be, reported, that white buttons and black Leather Straps were by them judged to be the most proper ; in which the Company did concur. The Treasurer's account being read, it was Voted to accept the same.
" Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
"June 4th. 1770. The Company being under Arms in the field, it was then Voted, That the present Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Samuel Stillman and return him the thanks of this Company for his sermon preached this day.1
Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
"September 3'd 1770. The Company being under Arms, it was then Voted, That the Clerk pay to Mr. Lasinby the sum of six shillings for a form which was broke in the Common last Election Day. Voted, That the Clerk pay to Capt Thomas Dawes [1754] nine shillings & four pence, it being so much he advanced for a Military Chest, by desire of the Company some time since, for the use and benefit of the Company, as will more fully appear in a report made by a committee and accepted April 8th, 1768 and at the same time recorded in this Book.
Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk."
1 " Boston, Thursday, June 7, 1770. Monday last was the Anniversary of his Majesty's birthday, when he entered the 33d year of his age. The same day, being also the anniversary of the election of officers of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Com- pany, who appeared under arms in the morning. At Eleven o'clock, his Honor, the Lieut. Governor, the Honorable, his Majesty's Council, and as many of the Honorable House of Representatives as were in town, with a great number of the Clergy and other gentlemen, attended at the Old Brick Meeting House, where a sermon, at the request of the Artil- lery Company, was preached by the Rev. Mr. Samuel Stillman of this town, from 2d Tim II. 3, 'Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,' - a discourse well adapted to the occasion. " After divine service, about 1 o'clock the Lieut. Governor, the Council, the Clergy, and a number of officers, civil and military, proceeded to the Council Chamber, where provision by direction of his Honor, agreeable to a unanimous vote of the Council last
week, was made for drinking his Majesty's health. At drinking the 'King' and other loyal toasts, the guns at Castle William and at the batteries in this town were fired, also three vollies by the Artillery Company, which then paraded in King Street. The Company having provided a dinner at Faneuil Hall, his Honor, the Council, &c, preceded by the Com- pany, went in procession to the Hall. After an elegant entertainment, and drinking a number of loyal toasts, the Company marched to the Common, where the officers for the last year, returned their badges to his Honor, the Commander-in-chief, who was pleased to deliver them to the newly elected officers for the year ensuing, as follows, viz: Capt William Heath [1765] Captain Capt Martin Gay [1761] Lieutenant Mr. Jonas Clark [1756] En- sign. This being finished, the Company returned to the Hall, a cold repast being provided by the new commissioned officers, where a number of toasts were again drank. The Company was then dis- missed." - Boston Gazette.
Same Barrett
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Rev. Samuel Stillman, of Boston, delivered the Artillery election sermon of 1770. He was born in the city of Philadelphia. At the age of eleven years he moved, with his parents, to Charleston, S. C., where he received the rudiments of an education at an academy. After completing his classic studies there, he studied divinity one year under the instruction of Rev. Mr. Hart. Mr. Stillman preached his first sermon Feb. 17, 1758, and was ordained, Feb. 26, 1759, in the city of Charleston, S. C., to the work of an evan- gelist. Soon after he settled with a church at James Island, opposite the city. Visiting his native town in 1759, he married, on the 23d of May, Hannah, daughter of Mr. Evin Morgan, by whom he had fourteen children. He took his degree at the university in Philadelphia, and returned to his society on James Island. A pulmonary attack com- pelled him, about two years after, to seek a different climate, and he removed to Borden- town, N. J., where he remained two years.
On visiting New England, for his health, in 1763, at the request of the Second Bap- tist Church, he moved to Boston, and after preaching one year as an assistant to Rev. Mr. Bownd, Mr. Stillman received and accepted an invitation to settle with the First Baptist Church in Boston, and was installed over it, Jan. 9, 1765. He continued as its pastor until his decease, March 12, 1807. The University of Cambridge conferred upon him the honorary degree of master of arts, in 1761, and Brown University, of which he was a trustee and fellow, in 1788, gave him a diploma of doctor of divinity. He was elected a member of the Federal Convention, for the town of Boston, the same year, and dis- tinguished himself there by an eloquent speech in its defence. He delivered the anni- versary oration on Independence Day in 1789 ; was one of the first members of the Humane Society of Massachusetts; an officer of the Massachusetts Charitable Fire Society ; a member at its beginning, and president at his death, of the Boston Dis- pensary.
Rev. Samuel Stillman, D. D., was one of the strongest and most popular preachers of the revolutionary period. He was greatly beloved by his people, and was universally respected. At his funeral, "all the members of the society appeared with badges of mourning, the women with black bonnets and handkerchiefs."
The officers of the Artillery Company in 1771 were : Samuel Barrett 1771. (1755), captain; William Bell (1756), lieutenant ; John Deming (1756), ensign. William Homes, Jr. (1766), was first sergeant; Samuel Condon (1768), second sergeant ; John Newell (1768), third sergeant ; Israel Loring (1768), fourth sergeant, and Samuel Condon (1768), clerk.
In June, 177 1, the following-named were officers of the Boston regiment : Thomas Mar- shall (1761), lieutenant-colonel (resigned) ; James Cunningham (1761), (resigned) ; John Leverett (1750), lieutenant-colonel ; Thomas Dawes, Jr. (1754), major ; Richard Boyn- ton (1759), captain, with rank of major ; Jeremiah Stimpson (1761), captain ; Joseph Webb (1761), lieutenant ; Jacob Williams (1768), ensign, in May, 1773, promoted to be lieutenant ; Josiah Waters (1747), captain; Josiah Waters, Jr. (1769), lieutenant ; Levi Jennings (1764), ensign ; Martin Gay (1761), captain ; John Osborn, Jr. (1764), ensign ; Samuel Ridgeway, Jr. (1756), captain ; Thomas Russell (1769), ensign ; Samuel Barrett (1755), captain ; William Bell (1756), lieutenant ; John Haskins (1768), cap-
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tain; William Cunningham (1765), lieutenant; William Bordman (1758), captain (resigned) ; Ephraim May (1765), captain ; William Miller (1770), lieutenant ; John Boyle (1769), ensign ; David Spear (1758), captain ; Charles Williams (1768), lieuten- ant ; John Stutson (1765), ensign; Edward Kneeland (1772), commissioned ensign in August, 1773 ; Andrew Symmes (1734), captain ; Thomas Sherburne, Jr. (1769), ensign ; Edward Proctor (1756), captain ; Joseph Bradford (1740), lieutenant (resigned) ; Caleb Champney (1762), promoted to ensign in October, 1773, and was promoted to lieuten- ant in Capt. Proctor's (1756) company ; Job Wheelwright (1759), captain ; Nathaniel Heath (1765), lieutenant; Thomas Dawes, Jr. (1754), captain of the company of grena- diers ; Joseph Pierce (1769), lieutenant of same, and in June, 1773, held the rank of major ; Henry Knox was ensign of the grenadier company, and John Fisk Osgood (1769) was commissioned lieutenant in Capt. Gay's (1761) company.
Hon. William Brattle, Esq. (1729), was announced in the Boston Gazette, July 29, 1771, as having been commissioned major -general of the militia throughout this province.
In June, 1771, Ebenezer Battelle (1786) was ensign in the fourth company in Ded- ham. In the Second Suffolk Regiment, Benjamin Lincoln (1786) was commissioned colonel, July 1, 1771 ; Ebenezer Thayer, Jr. (1788), major, with rank of lieutenant- colonel. In the Third Suffolk Regiment, Lemuel Robinson (1774) was captain of the train of artillery.
In November, 1771, the officers of the train of artillery in Boston were : Adino Paddock (1762), captain, with rank of major ; Samuel Sellon (1765), captain-lieutenant (resigned) ; Thomas Crafts, Jr. (1765), first lieutenant ; George Trott (1765), second lieutenant ; Edward Tuckerman (1765), lieutenant and fireworker (resigned). In April, 1772, Jonathan Stoddard (1765) was commissioned lieutenant and fireworker.
Col. John Erving, Jr., of Boston, a merchant of high standing, and colonel of the Boston regiment, was son-in-law of Gov. William Shirley. The funeral of the latter took place at the house of his relative, Col. Erving, April 1, 1771. A long procession followed the remains to King's Chapel, beneath which they were deposited. The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, commanded by Capt. Heath (1765), the officers of the Boston regiment, in full regimentals, with the usual mourning of black crape, attended. On the coffin were placed the two swords of the deceased, crossed. The pall was sup- ported by Gov. Hutchinson, Lieut .- Gov. Oliver, two judges of the Superior Court, and two of the Honorable Council. A funeral discourse was delivered, after which the remains were interred, the military firing three volleys, and a detachment of the train of artillery as many rounds as the deceased had lived years, namely, sixty-five. The governor had been a patron of King's Chapel.
The reformation of military tactics in England was undertaken in 1757 in the county of Norfolk, and, being brought into a system, was adopted by the government ; hence the popular military treatise, "The Norfolk Discipline," was the standard work of the British army at the breaking out of the Revolution.
An " abstract of the 'Norfolk Discipline '" was published in 1774, an octavo of over one hundred pages. That "abstract " was authorized by Gov. Hutchinson, in 1771, in these words : -
" Province of Massachusetts Bay By the Captain General.
" The following exercise, originally designed for the Norfolk militia, having been found to be more concise and easy, and thereby better adapted to militia than any other, and having been used in this province for several years past, I do hereby direct and
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1771]
order that it be continued by the officers of all the regiments of foot, in training the soldiers under their several commands. T. HUTCHINSON.
" Boston, April 20, 1771."
This occupied one page in the printed abstract, at the top of which, as usual with papers of authority at that time, were placed the arms of England.
The members of the Artillery Company recruited in 1771 were : Martin Bicker, Cuthbert Inglesby.
Martin Bicker (1771), merchant, of Boston. In July, 1773, he was chosen a " vendue master " for Boston, rechosen in 1774, clerk of the market in 1776, and Aug. 29, 1781, he was licensed in Boston as an auctioneer.
He was fourth sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1772, and lived on Ann, now North, Street. In the directory of 1789, he is called “ storekeeper, on Ann Street," and in that of 1796, " Martin Bicker & Son, shopkeepers, No. 3, Ann Street."
Cuthbert Inglesby (1771). He had a wife, Abigail, Jan. 24, 1769, when a child was born to them in Boston. His name does not otherwise appear on the records of Boston. He was first sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1774, and Mr. Whitman (1810) says of him, " Removed to Vermont."
The record of the Artillery Company for 1771 is as follows : -
"April Ist 1771. The Company being under Arms, it was then Voted, That the Rev. Mr. Eli Forbes of Brookfield be desired to preach on the anniversary Artillery Election of Officers in June next, and that the present Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to wait on him and desire the same. Voted, That the Com- pany meet twice a week of evenings at Faneuil Hall, preceeding the training in May next, and that the Commission Officers appoint the evenings ; & furthermore, every member that is absent on the Evenings so appointed shall pay a fine of one shilling, lawful money, for each evening they are absent. Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
" May 6th. 1771. The Company being under Arms, The Committee appointed to wait on the Rev. Mr. Eli Forbes of Brookfield, to invite him to preach on the Anniver- sary Election of Officers, reported that he had accepted the invitation.
" May 6th, 1771. Voted, That the Treasurer pay thirty pounds to the present Commission Officers towards defreying the expenses of the Election Dinner in June next ; and furthermore that the Company dine with them. Voted, That the Company meet at Faneuil Hall every Friday & Tuesday Evening precisely at eight o'clock, pre- ceeding the training in June next ; and any member absent at that hour shall pay a fine of eight pence for the use of the Company. Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
"June 3'd. 1771. The Company being under Arms in the field, it was then Voted, That the present Commission Officers, with the Treasurer, be a Committee to wait on the Rev. Mr. Eli Forbes, and return him the thanks of this Company for his Sermon preached this day.1
Attest : JOSEPH PIERCE, Clerk.
Martin Bicker (1771). AUTHORITY : Boston Records.
1 " Boston, June 3, 1771. This being the Anni- versary of the election of officers of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company; in the morning the Company appeared under arms, and at eleven o'clock
waited on his Excellency, the Governor, his Honour the Lieut. Governor, the Honourable His Majesty's Council and those of the Honourable House of Representatives that were in town, with a number of the Clergy and other gentlemen, to the Old Brick Meeting House, where a sermon on this occasion
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HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
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"September 2'd, 1771. The Company being under Arms, it was then Voted, That the thanks of the Company be given to Capt Samuel Barrett [1755] for his Gift of a new Stand of Colours for the use of the Company. Voted, That the Company meet to exer- cise at Faneuil Hall every evening in the week preceeding their Training in October next, precisely at seven o'clock ; & every member that is absent the whole evening shall pay a fine of two shillings, lawful money, and if absent at calling the roll at half-past seven o'clock, one shilling. Attest : SAMUEL CONDON, Clerk.
" October 7th, 1771. The Company being under Arms, it was then Voted, That the Treasurer be desired to demand payment of Nathaniel Allen for his bond, and if said Allen refuses or neglects payment, to put the same in suit at next January Court. ' Attest : SAMUEL CONDON, Clerk."
Rev. Eli Forbes, of Brookfield, delivered the Artillery election sermon of 1771. He was the youngest son of Jonathan Forbes, of Westboro, Mass., where he was born in October, 1726. In October, 1744, he began his studies, preparatory to entering college, but, in July, 1745, in obedience to an injunction that was made upon him, he laid aside his books, shouldered his musket, and marched more than one hundred miles for the defence of his country against the French and Indians.
On his release, he pursued his studies, entered Harvard College in 1747, and graduated in 1751. Immediately he began the study of theology under the tuition of Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, the minister of his native place, and June 3, 1752, he was ordained the first minister of the Second Parish in Brookfield, Mass. In 1758 and 1759 he twice accompanied the provincial regiments, under Col. Ruggles, in the capacity of chaplain. June 1, 1762, at the request of the board of commissioners, at Boston, he undertook a mission to the Oneida Indians, and returned Sept. 1, 1762.
In the winter of 1775-6, having been unjustly charged by some of his people with being a Tory, he requested and obtained a dismission in March, 1776. On the 5th of June following, he was installed as pastor of the church in Gloucester. Here he remained and toiled until death put an end to his earthly labors, Dec. 15, 1804.
The officers of the Artillery Company elected in 1772 were : Martin 1772. Gay (1761), captain ; Robert Jenkins (1756), lieutenant ; John Skinner (1759), ensign. John Fullerton (1768) was first sergeant; John Bartlett (1769), second sergeant ; Daniel Rea, Jr. (1770), third sergeant ; Martin Bicker (1771), fourth sergeant, and Samuel Condon (1768), clerk.
was preached by the Rev'd Mr. Eli Forbes, of Brookfield, from those words in Exod. XV. 3, 'The Lord is a man of war : the Lord is his name.'
" After divine service, his Excellency the Gov- ernor, with the other gentlemen went in procession to Faneuil Hall, where an elegant dinner was pro- vided by the Company; after dinner a number of loyal toasts were drank : and at about 3 o'clock, the Company marched into the Common, where they performed a military exercise to the great satis- faction of a vast concourse of people. The officers of the last year then returned their badges to the new elected officers for the year ensuing, viz : Capt
Samuel Barrett [1755] Captain, Lieut. William Bell [1756], Lieutenant Mr. John Deming [1756] Ensign. The new-elected Sergeants having their halberds delivered to them, the Company returned to the Hall, where a cold repast was provided by the new-commissioned officers, and when the Com- pany was dismissed, went into the Hall and partook of the same. The evening concluded with again drinking a number of loyal toasts."-Boston Gazette.
Rev. Eli Forbes. AUTHORITIES : Sprague's Annals of American Pulpit, Vol. I., p. 493; Whit- ney's Hist. of Worcester County.
MartinGay
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HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY.
1772]
The members of the Artillery Company recruited in 1772 were : John Hinkley, Abraham Hunt, Edward Kneeland, Daniel Neal, John Spear, Stephen Whiting, Jr., Obadiah Witherell.
John Hinkley (1772), auctioneer, of Boston, was born in 1746, and was published, Aug. 27, 1779, to marry Abigail Kneeland. Aug. 17, 1768, he became a member of Engine Company No. 8. He held the office of third sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1774.
Capt. John Hinkley (1772) represented Ward 6, Jan. 13, 1779, on a committee " to make thorough inquiry as to the quantity of flour and other necessaries of life " then in Boston. In 1781, " Hinkley [1772] and Parkman" were in partnership as auctioneers. The same year they were authorized by the selectmen to sell at public auction the men's shoes and stockings remaining on hand, which were procured for the army. Mr. Hink- ley (1772) continued in this business until his decease.
He was an officer in Col. Thomas Craft's (1765) train of artillery in the Revolu- tionary War. June 17, 1777, Lieut. John Hinkley (1772) and Capt. Jonathan Stoddard (1765), of the same train of artillery, were appointed members of a court martial by Col. Crafts (1765). In 1778, Capt. Hinkley (1772), at the head of a light infantry company, from Boston, marched to Newport to take part in the expedition under Major- Gen. Sullivan. He attained the rank of major.
He died, after a long illness, Feb. 16, 1787, aged forty-one years.
Abraham Hunt (1772), merchant, of Boston, son of Benjamin1 and Sarah (Arnold) Hunt, was born in Braintree, Mass., June 2, 1748, and died Dec. 5, 1793. He married, Oct. 15, 1771, Mary St. Leger, born June 15, 1751, daughter of Garrick St. Leger, of Halifax, N. S. She died Aug. 29, 1824, aged seventy-three years. They had ten chil- dren, all born in Boston.
In 1763 he was apprenticed to Edmund Quincy, who kept a wine store, and was afterward connected with him in that trade. June 24, 1788, the firm of Hunt (Abra- ham) & Bradlee (David), wine merchants, was dissolved. They did business on State Street. Jan. 23, 1790, the advertisement of Abraham Hunt (1772), in the Centinel, said : " He makes hats for Sale at his house in Middle Street, the corner of Center Street, also refines wines Cyder, Porter &c. & bottles the same." The directory of 1789 calls him " wine broker & cork cutter, Middle Street."
Mr. Hunt (1772) received the Masonic degrees in 1777, in the Lodge of St. Andrew, and was proxy in Massachusetts Grand Lodge for King Hiram's Lodge in 1783.
In 1789, his place of business was on Middle, now Hanover, Street, and his residence on Federal Street. He served as second lieutenant and adjutant at Prospect Hill, in 1775 and 1776, and at the siege of Boston ; was a captain in Vose's regiment in the Ticonderoga campaign, remaining some years in the service, which he quitted with the rank of captain. He was a member of the Tea Party, and was second sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1774. June 24, 1781, he was agent for the privateer " Buckaneer," Capt. Hoysted Hacker. For a time, he was inspector at the custom house of the ports of Boston and Charlestown.
John Hinkley (1772). AUTHORITIES : Boston Records; Mass. Archives.
Abraham Hunt (1772). AUTHORITIES : Bos- ton Records; Early Masonic Records.
1 Benjamin Hunt was a son of John, who was a brother of Capt. Thomas (1685).
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HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
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Edward Kneeland (1772), of Boston, son of John and Abigail Kneeland, was born Oct. 20, 1747, and was published, Feb. 14, 1775, to marry Sarah Baxter. June 29, 1780, Mr. Kneeland (1772) was appointed from Ward 8 one of a committee to collect sub- scriptions made for the army. He was identified with the Continental Army, and in 1780 is called "Captain" in the records of Boston.
Daniel Neal (1772). He does not appear to be mentioned in the records of Boston.
John Spear (1772), blacksmith, of Boston, son of Thomas and Susanna (Blake) Spear, was born May 13, 1749. He married, June 22, 1777, Abigail Arnold. He did business on Purchase Street, and Spear Place was named for him or his father. He never held any office in the town of Boston. He was a Revolutionary officer.
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