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 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66
The corps, escorting his Excellency the governor, his Honor the lieutenant-governor, and several other distinguished characters, accompanied by the officers of the regiment of militia, and those of the Independent Cadets, Light Infantry, Republican Volunteers, and Fusileers, proceeded from the council chamber to the Old Brick Meeting-House, where the Rev. John Clarke delivered the anniversary discourse. After divine service, the procession was joined by the officers of the troop of horse, selectmen, and other gentle- men, and proceeded to Faneuil Hall, where the whole participated in an elegant enter- tainment provided by the corps, which concluded with a number of patriotic toasts.
In the afternoon, by invitation of the governor, the gentlemen of the procession repaired to his Excellency's house, where they partook of a cold collation, tea, coffee, etc. The Artillery, having marched into the Common, elected their officers for the current year, viz. : Hon. Major-Gen. John Brooks (1786), captain ; Col Josiah Waters (1769), lieutenant ; Mr. Ebenezer Torrey (1765), ensign. The Artillery Company then proceeded to the mansion of his Excellency Gov. John Hancock, where, having partaken of refreshments, they paraded on the ground marked out for the purpose. His Excellency the governor, the lieutenant-governor, with other gentlemen, repaired thither, and, being seated, the corps performed their several manœuvres and firings. His Excel-
228
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
[1787
lency then, agreeably to ancient usage, received their badges from the officers of the past year, and delivered the same to the newly elected. The business of the day being concluded, the corps, escorting a number of gentlemen of the procession, returned to Faneuil Hall, and finished the day with those pleasing sensations which friendship, good humor, and conviviality inspire. At dinner the corps were honored with the company of the honorable French and Dutch consuls, several of the reverend clergy, and a large number of respectable gentlemen.
Sept. 3, 1787, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company made their first autumnal parade on the Common, under the command of Hon. Major-Gen. Brooks (1786), the captain. The exercise, evolutions, and firings, were performed in a manner that was honorable to the officers and Company, and obtained the approbation of numerous spectators.
Monday, Oct. 1, 1787, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, of this Commonwealth, commanded by Major-Gen. Brooks (1786), made their second autumnal appearance, agreeably to charter. The Company marched from State Street at twelve o'clock, for Medford. At Charlestown they were received by the Medford Independent Light Infantry, under the command of Capt. Hall, who escorted them to the place of destination.
The Artillery there performed the requisite firings and evolutions, after which they dined at Blanchard's tavern, and returned to Boston at eight o'clock in the evening. Among the extemporaneous toasts drank on this occasion were the following : first, "Gen. Washington and the Federal Constitution "; second, "The Constitution of the United States, reported by that honorable body "; third, "As old Massachusetts took the lead in the late glorious Revolution, may she be the first to give a sanction to the American Con- stitution of Government "; ninth, " May the man who wantonly opposes the American Constitution, framed by the late convention, be marked as an enemy to the liberties of America."
April 19, 1787, the Independent Light Infantry, commanded by Major Otis, made its first public appearance in complete uniform.
July 24, 1787, a corps, newly formed, composed of the non-commissioned officers of the Boston regiment, made its first public appearance in uniform.
The Independent Corps of Republican Volunteers celebrated its birthday on Satur- day, Nov. 17, 1787. On Thursday, May 15, 1788, the corps " dissolved," on which occasion the Company dined at Mr. Tant's coffee-house. After dinner, toasts were drank. Among them were: " (9) May the Republican Volunteer Corps, now dissolved, ever remain united as friends and citizens"; and " (10) The Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery, - may it ever be a nursery for the soldier, and may every succeeding officer possess the virtues of the present commander."
Rev. John Clarke delivered the Artillery election sermon in 1787. He was a son of John and Sarah Clarke, and was born in Portsmouth, N. H., April 13, 1755. After a long residence at Portsmouth, his father's family moved to Salem, Mass., where his father, a sea-captain by occupation, received an appointment as clerk in a public office. The son entered the public Latin School in 1761, and graduated at Harvard College in 1774. He received the degree of A. M. in 1777. After his graduation he taught a few pupils for a
Rev. John Clarke. AUTHORITY : Ellis's Hist. of First Church.
يم
229
HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY.
1788]
short time, but devoted his leisure hours to the study of divinity. He soon began to preach, and acquired a good reputation as a preacher. The First Church in Boston invited him to be the colleague of Dr. Chauncy. That venerable preacher welcomed Mr. Clarke with great kindness. After Dr. Chauncy's death, Mr. Clarke remained as sole pastor and teacher until his earthly labors were ended. As he was preaching in his own pulpit, April 1, 1798, he was attacked by apoplexy, and fell backward. He expired the next morning, April 2, at the age of forty-two years. Dr. Thacher preached the funeral sermon. Two volumes of Dr. Clarke's sermons were published after his decease.
1788. The officers of the Artillery Company elected in 1788 were : Benjamin Lincoln (1786), captain ; Lieut .- Col. John Winslow (1786), lieutenant ; Capt. John Johnston (1786), ensign. Major William Bird (1787) was first sergeant ; Capt. Nathaniel Call (1774), second sergeant ; Major Andrew Cunningham (1786), third sergeant ; Joseph Spear, Jr. (1774), fourth sergeant, and John Fenno (1787), clerk.
In 1788-9, Col. Andrew Symmes, Jr. (1760), and Col. John Boyle (1769) were aides- de-camp on Gov. Hancock's staff ; Gen. Lincoln (1786) commanded the First Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia ; Joseph Hall, Jr. (1788), was aide-de-camp on the staff of Major-Gen. Brooks (1786), commander of the Third Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. John May (1786) was colonel of the Boston regiment ; John Winslow (1786), major, and Andrew Cunningham (1786), adjutant. Among the line officers were : Peter Green (1788), captain of company in Wards 1 and 2; Lemuel Gardner (1787), captain of company in Wards 3 and 4 ; Samuel Prince (1788), lieutenant of the same ; David Hatch (1787), captain of company in Ward 10; Benjamin Russell (1788), ensign of company in Ward 11 ; William Bird (1787), captain of company in Ward 12 ; Ezra Whit- ney (1787) was lieutenant of the same.
Russell Sturgis (1786) was first lieutenant of the Company of Artillery, and Samuel Bradlee (1765) adjutant of the same.
Feb. 12, 1788, agreeably to the orders of Major-Gen. Lincoln (1786), appointed to the command of the First Division of Massachusetts Militia in December, 1785, the several detached military corps in Boston and vicinity formed into one battalion for the purpose of celebrating the ratification of the Federal Constitution by the convention of this State. This was their first battalion formation. The corps comprised the following companies, and are named in order as they were formed in battalion line, from right to left, viz. : (1) Capt. Tyler's Horse, from Roxbury ; (2) Independent Light Infantry ; (3) Capt. Spooner's Artillery, from Roxbury ; (4) Independent Cadets ; (5) Boston Fusileers ; (6) Republican Volunteers ; (7) Boston Artillery ; (8) Boston Light Infantry ; the whole commanded by Lieut .- Col. Bradford.
During 1788, the formation of companies, regiments, brigades, and divisions had become so perfected throughout the State that reviews were held in the various counties, and military interest prevailed in Massachusetts as never before.
The members of the Artillery Company recruited in 1788 were : John Bray, Thomas Curtis, Josiah Eliot, Peter Green, Joseph Hall, Jr., William Hull, Joseph Loring, Joseph Lovering, Jr., Samuel Prince, Benjamin Russell, Elisha Sigourney, Samuel Swan, Eben- ezer Thayer, Jr., Abraham Wild, Elijah Williams.
230
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
[1788
John Bray (1788), cooper, of Boston, was born in Boston, Aug. 4, 1761. He married Sally Chapman,1 Nov. 10, 1785, by whom he had twelve children, one of whom married Zachariah G. Whitman (1810), the former historian of the Artillery Company.
Mr. Whitman (1810) says of Major Bray (1788), that he served his apprenticeship in Boston and Charlestown. "Commencing life poor, he acquired by his industry an independence. He was a culler and packer of fish, having at one time eighteen journey- men and apprentices, on Spear's Wharf, which he owned. As one of three weighers and gaugers in the custom-house, who were then paid by fees, I have heard him say that his share, on one occasion, was seven hundred and fifty dollars for a month. After Gen. Lincoln [1786] resigned, he was removed by his successor for his political opinions, and lived at ease on his income. Having had small advantages of education, which he always lamented, he balanced it by providing the best education for his children. He was passionate, but never vindictive, and his sudden transitions were peculiar. His house was the hospitable resort of old and young, whose enjoyment he delighted to wit- ness, and he was charitable and kind to his poor neighbors.
" In August, 1821, he, attended by his wife, was robbed on the Medford Turnpike, by the notorious Martin, of fourteen dollars and a gold watch. The thief was apprehended. Martin rode up to his chaise, on horseback, presented a pistol to his breast, and demanded his money and watch, which he gave him. Mrs. Bray wore a gold watch, also, and she asked him if he wanted her's, when he answered, ' he robbed gentlemen only.' Major Bray [1788] became anxious to have Martin reprieved, his sentence commuted, or have him pardoned, and was much distressed at the idea of his testimony being the means of taking life. On the day of the execution, he had determined to visit him ; his family remonstrated, and watched him ; yet he eluded their vigilance, and was prevented by some acquaintance from rushing into the crowd around the scaffold. He had, up to this time, been corpulent, but, before his death, he became extremely emaciated. His mind also was greatly shaken. Conviviality was no longer agreeable to him, and the pleasures of company were so irksome that his festive board was less frequently spread, until it was wholly laid aside."
The only civil office he ever held was that of selectman. He was a founder of the North End Artillery, called the " Columbian Artillery," and was elected its senior lieu- tenant. He succeeded Col. Robert Gardner (1794) as its captain in 1801, and was pro- moted to be major of the Sublegion of Artillery in 1803. He was third sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1790, ensign in 1793, lieutenant in 1798, and continued an active member until his death.
He became a member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, June 2, 1795. Mr. Bray (1788) was a member of Rising States Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and at one time its master, and was admitted a member of St. Andrew's Royal Arch Chapter, Dec. 24, 1800. He left a valuable property, and died Aug. 12, 1829, aged sixty- eight years.
Rev. Mr. Porter, in " Rambles in Old Boston, New England," says : -
" Adjoining the Newman house, on Salem Street, is a large brick dwelling, facing the south, and once connected with extensive gardens reaching through to Margaret Street. This was the residence of Major John Bray (1788), a custom-house officer for
John Bray (1788). AUTHORITIES: Whit-
man's Hist. A. and H. A. Company, Ed. 1842; Mass. Military Rolls; Early Masonic Records.
1 Boston Records say Sally Cheeseman, (pub- lished) Oct. 20, 1785.
231
HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY.
1788]
many years, and the owner of Bray's Wharf, where Chatham Street now is. Major Bray (1788) was a cooper by trade, and a large packer of fish. He was a selectman, a mem- ber of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and a founder of the Columbian Artillery Company, a favorite organization, composed mostly of North End mechanics, whose gun-house was on Copp's Hill.
" Every day, precisely at eleven, he would throw down his tools, put on his coat, and start for Walsh's lemon-stand, on Dock Square. The only foreign fruit to be had at that time, in Boston, was sold in the street from small stands, at three or four central points. When lemons were very expensive, the major would take out a handful of change, and tell Walsh to help himself, as he did not wish to know the cost. He would then go home with his lemon, prepare his punch, and take his dinner, and by half past one he was always back at work again at his wharf."
Thomas Curtis (1788), merchant, of Boston. He was brigade quartermaster of the First Brigade, Third Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, from 1788 to 1796, on the staff of Brig .- Gen. William Hull (1788). He resided, in 1796, in Rainsford's Lane, now Front Street. He died Nov. 26, 1823, aged fifty-nine years.
Josiah Eliot (1788), ship-chandler, of Boston, son of Rev. Andrew, Jr., and Eliza- beth (Langdon) Eliot, was born Jan. 31, 1745. When he joined the Artillery Company he kept a ship-chandler's store on Market Square, now Faneuil Hall Square.
Mr. Whitmore, in "New England Genealogical and Historical Register," Vol. XXIII., page 338, says Josiah Eliot " went to Georgia."
Peter Green (1788), was an auctioneer in Boston. He came from the State of Rhode Island, and was published to marry Polly Webb. of Boston, Aug. 7, 1780. In 1789, his place of business was on Market Square, and in 1796 he lived on Back, now Salem, Street.
He was greatly interested in military matters. After some years of service he became, in 1787, captain of the Ward 1 and 2 military company, in Boston, was pro- moted to be major of the First Regiment, First Brigade, First Division, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, in 1790, and lieutenant-colonel in 1791-2.
Joseph Hall, Jr. (1788), lawyer, of Boston, son of Joseph and Abigail Hall, was born in Boston, April 26, 1761. He graduated at Harvard College in 1781, and studied law in the office of Col. Benjamin Hichborn. He married, May 22, 1787, Ann Adams, and, after her decease, married Sarah, daughter of Rev. Ellis Gray. Mr. Gray delivered the Artillery election sermon in 1749.
On the evening of the march of the British regulars upon Lexington and Concord, he was dispatched by his father to Roxbury, in order to carry intelligence to Gen. Warren of the intended attack. His father had learned, at that early period, the purpose for which the troops were mustering, through a domestic in the family, who was intimate with one of the nurses employed in the military hospital, near the family residence in Portland. Street.1 Major Hall (1788) was a member of Gen Brooks's (1786) staff from
Peter Green (1788). AUTHORITY: State Whitman's Hist. A. and H. A. Company, Ed. 1842; Boston Records.
Militia Rolls. Joseph Hall, Jr. (1788). AUTHORITIES : 1 Loring's One Hundred Boston Orators, p. 307.
232
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
[1788
1788 to 1796, and during Shays' insurrection; was a representative in the General Court ; high sheriff of Suffolk County from 1818 to 1825, when he succeeded Judge Dawes, son of Col. Thomas, Jr. (1754), as judge of probate for Suffolk County. He held this office until 1836, when he resigned. He delivered the oration before the town authorities and citizens of Boston, July 4, 1800. He became conspicuous in Boston in 1795, by his fearless advocacy of the treaty which Mr. John Jay negotiated with Great Britain. At first he stood alone; in a twelve-month the town stood with him.1 He died April 15, 1848.
William Hull (1788), lawyer, of Newton, was born at Derby, Conn., June 24, 1753, and died at Newton, Mass., Nov. 25, 1825, aged seventy-two years. He graduated at Yale College in 1772, subsequently taught school, and then studied law at Litchfield, Conn, being admitted to the bar in 1775. He married, in 1781, Sarah, only daughter of Hon. Abraham Fuller, of Newton. They had seven daughters and one son, the latter, Capt. A. F. Hull, was killed at the battle of Lundy's Lane, in July, 1814, aged twenty-eight years. Rev. James Freeman Clarke, of Boston, was a grandson of Gen. Hull (1788). In April, 1775, Mr. Hull (1788) was chosen captain of a military com- pany raised in Derby, Conn., with which he marched to Cambridge, and remained in the vicinity until the siege of Boston was raised and the army ordered into New York State.
He was in active service throughout the Revolutionary War, and proved himself to be an able, reliable, and brave officer. He rose to the rank of colonel, and was intrusted by Washington with many and important duties. He commanded the troops which escorted Washington into New York, Nov. 25, 1783, and when the Revolutionary army was disbanded, with the exception of one regiment and a corps of artillery, Washington selected Col. Hull (1788) to be the lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. In 1784, the government sent him to Quebec to demand possession of the forts at Niagara, Detroit, and Mackinah. After his discharge from military service he settled in Newton, practised law successfully, and acquired wealth.
He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and was " nominated and appointed " junior warden of a Travelling Lodge in the American army, Oct. 6, 1779. Dec. 11, 1797, he was first on the petition presented to the Grand Lodge, praying for a charter to hold a Lodge in Watertown. The prayer was granted, and William Hull (1788) became a charter member, and the first worshipful master of Meridian Lodge, A. F. and A. M. (1798), of Watertown, now (1896) of Natick, Mass.
He became identified with politics, and was a member of the House of Representa- tives, and afterward of the Senate of Massachusetts. He was in France during the revolution of 1798, and on his return home was appointed by the governor a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and was elected major-general of the Third Division of State militia. In 1805, he was appointed by the President governor of the Michigan Territory. He made important treaties with the Indians, which added to the public domain. Tecumseh, at the head of disaffected Indians, made war upon the whites, and Gov. Hull (1788) was offered the position of brigadier-general of the American forces, which he declined. Circumstances, however, made his final acceptance necessary, and
William Hull (1788). AUTHORITIES : Military and Civil Life of Gen. Hull, by his daughter, Mrs. Campbell, and his grandson, James Freeman Clarke; Drake's Mem, of the Mass. Society of the Cincin-
nati; New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Reg., 1855, 1857, 1871, 1893.
1 One Hundred Boston Orators, P. 307.
233
HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY.
1788]
war was declared by the United States. The conflict was carried on during the summer of 1812, and on Aug. 16, 1812, " cut off from supplies," with inferior numbers, and to save the lives of the soldiers and frontiersmen, he surrendered to the enemy. A court-martial was held Jan. 3, 1814, Gen. Dearborn (1816) being appointed president. The court, which was notoriously an unfair one, found Gen. Hull (1788) guilty of the charges preferred, and sentenced him to be shot. President Madison approved the sentence, and then pardoned the convicted officer. He returned to Newton, and spent the remainder of his days in retirement. He published a series of letters before his death, in vindication of his conduct. These restored, in a great measure, his former fame, and he was very generally accounted a sacrifice to political intrigue. "In delicacy to the feelings of a valuable member, hereafter appearing on the roll, and whose own political life and character have ever been marked by a high sense of probity and honor, we forbear to rake open the ashes of the dead, which a further illustration of the facts might warrant, but leave posterity to judge impartially for themselves."1 In 1825, the leading men of Boston expressed their sympathy for and confidence in Gen. Hull (1788) by a public dinner. The same year he undertook a journey to his native town, in Connecticut, but exerting himself beyond his strength he was taken ill and died.
He was commander of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1789, and a distinguished member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He was counsel for the Artillery Company in its suit to recover the Dunstable lands. Gen. Hull (1788) was of fine personal appearance, of polished manners, and amiable disposition.
Joseph Loring (1788), jeweller and goldsmith, of Boston, son of Joshua and Rebecca (Lobdell) Loring, was born July 21, 1743, and married (published) (3) Sally Pratt, Oct. 12, 1786. He was a brother of Joshua (1769) and Israel (1768) Loring, originally of Hingham. He was second sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1791. In 1788-96, his store was at No. 3 Union Street, his house being on Court Street. His son, Col. Joseph Loring, Jr., joined the Artillery Company in 1793.
When Joseph Loring (1788) was captain-lieutenant, or first lieutenant of artillery, perhaps in Crane's regiment, probably in Capt. Perkins's company, he was made a prisoner on Long Island, and held as such some nine months, but returned to Boston, July, 1777- He was married in July following, in a new suit of regimentals.2 He was promoted to be captain.
Joseph Lovering, Jr. (1788), tallow-chandler, of Boston, son of Joseph and Sarah (Ellis) Lovering, was born Sept. 19, 1758. He married (published Aug. 23, 1780) Esther Martin, of Boston. She died June 7, 1788, and was buried " from her late home on Holyoke Street." He married, (2) Jan. 13, 1789, Ann Phillips, who died Feb. 25, 1829, and, (3) in October, 1829, Mary Langdon Bowland, widow of Nathaniel Wales. She died June 23, 1849.
He followed the trade of his father, and was for some years of the firm of Joseph Lovering & Sons, manufacturers of "Spermaceti and Tallow Candles, Hard and Soft
Joseph Lovering, Jr. (1788). AUTHORITIES : Whitman's Hist. A. and H. A. Company, Ed. 1842; Boston Records.
1 Whitman's Hist. A. and H. A. Company, Ed. 1842.
2 Letter of Henry Loring, Nov. 29, 1836, to Major Judah Allen, in New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Reg., 1885, p. 186.
234
HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT AND
[1788
Soap, Poland Starch, and Hair-powder, No. 49 State Street." His dwelling-house was on Nassau Street in 1796. The manufactory of the firm was on South Bennet Street. Later he resided on the northeast corner of Hollis and Tremont streets, afterward on Washington Street, on the corner of the present Lovering Place, where he died.
Mr. Lovering (1788) related to reliable persons, several years before his decease, that on the evening of Dec. 16, 1773, when he was fifteen years of age, he held the light in Mr. Crane's carpenter's shop while Mr. Crane and other young men, fifteen in num- ber, disguised themselves for the occasion. (His father then lived on the corner of Hollis and Tremont streets, opposite the Cranes and Bradlees ) Mr. Lovering (1788) " appears to have been the youngest person connected with this affair of whom we have any knowledge. His boyish curiosity led him to accompany the party to the scene of operations at Griffin's Wharf, and on the following morning he was closely questioned and severely reprimanded by his parents, for being out after nine o'clock at night, as they were strict in their requirement that he should be in bed at that hour." 1
Mr. Lovering (1788) was a member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, and its treasurer nineteen years (1808-26) ; member of the Massachusetts Humane Society ; selectman of Boston from 1812 to 1819; alderman in the first city council of Boston in 1822 ; representative to the General Court, and member of Hollis Street and South Congregational churches. His portrait, of which a reproduction is given in the "Tea Leaves," is now in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Mary L. Smith. Ensign Lovering's (1788) second wife, Ann Phillips, was a descendant of Major William Phillips (1644).
He was third sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1792, and ensign in 1797. He died June 13, 1848, aged eighty-nine years and nine months, - the senior member on the Company roll.
Samuel Prince (1788), tailor, of Boston, son of John and Esther, his wife, was born in Boston, Dec. 13, 1760. He resided on Back Street, now Salem Street. He was fourth sergeant of the Artillery Company in 1789, and lieutenant in 1794. In 1787-8, he held the position of lieutenant of the military company in Boston recruited in Wards 3 and 4.
Mr. Prince (1788) received the Masonic degrees in The Massachusetts Lodge in May and July, 1789, and became a member of that Lodge, Sept. 14, 1789.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.