USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Some interesting Boston events > Part 5
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PROVINCE HOUSE AS IT IS TO-DAY.
The wall on the right of fire-escape is the original east end of the Province House.
It was impossible to get a better view, on account of the narrow passageway.
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Vane, Dudley, Haynes, Bellingham and Leverett were then seen walking down the staircase. Lord Percy believed that there might be some kind of a plot, but his host persuaded him that it was only a jest and a very stupid one at that. Old Governor Bradstreet then appeared, followed by Governors Andros, Phips, the Earl of Bellamont, Governors Belcher, Dudley, Burnet and Shute. Sir William Howe and his guests watched the pageant with anger, con- tempt and fear. Governors Shirley, Pownall, Bernard and Hutchin- son were also represented. Last of all appeared the figure of Governor Howe about to leave the Province House. The figure walked to the door, clenched his hands, stamped his foot and uttered a curse as he gave up his home after his defeat. It is said that not long after this he actually used these same gestures when as the last Royal Governor he left the Province House never to return. While the ball was in progress it is reported that there was a roar of artillery which announced that Washington had captured another entrench- ment at Dorchester Heights. Captain Joliffe, a Whig, who happened to be present, asked Sir William if he realized the significance of the ·pageant, and was warned by his host "to take care of his gray head and that it had stood too long on a traitor's shoulders." Joliffe replied that the Empire of Britain in this Ancient Province was about to give its last gasp that night. The festival soon broke up.
The names of the actors of that night have never been found out, but have gone down in history together with the Indians who scattered the boxes of tea in Boston Harbour. There is a legend that on the anniversary night of the defeat of the British, the ghosts of the ancient governors of Massachusetts glide through the doorway of Province House.
When the Governor left he handed over the key to old Esther Dudley, his housekeeper, who, it is related, stayed for many years in the old house and was still faithful to the King. It is said that many of the old Tories of Boston used to meet here and drink some of the old wine that was still left. It has even been reported that she used to illuminate the house every year on the anniversary of the King's birthday and that she often climbed to the cupola in search of a' British fleet or a procession of Redcoats, which she always thought would come and recapture the Colony. The people, however, felt quite differently, for they often would say, "When the golden Indian on the Province House shall shoot his arrow, and the cock on the Old South steeple shall crow, then look for the Royal Governor again." This was a by-word in the town.
The land of the Province House, the original plan of which can be seen in the office of C. H. W. Foster, Esq., was given to the Massa- chusetts General Hospital in 1811, the same year it was incorporated. The Trustees of the Hospital in 1817 leased the property for ninety- nine years to David Greenough, who changed over the front of the building into stores and leased them. Later the building was turned into a tavern and then into a hall for negro minstrels, until it was almost destroyed by fire in 1864. The house is now used as part of the Old South Theatre, which has its entrance on Washington Street almost opposite the Old South Church. The photograph on
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page 42 gives a view of the northeast wall, now one side of the theatre, which is practically as it has been for several generations. It is well worth a visit and may be found by going up School Street, then along Province Street, turning down the first alleyway before coming to Province Court, which is extremely narrow. The old wall is at the end of the passageway on the right. This end of the old house consists of a huge exterior chimney, which is "stepped," or smaller at the top than at the bottom. There is only one like it in all New England. The entire front wall towards Washington Street -then Marlborough Street-is still standing, but is more difficult to find on account of the extension erected by the theatre. Of the other two sides, scarcely any part exists to-day.
The Indian which stood on the cupola is now in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The porch once stood in front of the "Poore" farm, at Indian Hill, West Newbury, now owned by the family of F. S. Moseley, Esq. The interior panelling from one of the rooms of Province House, said to have been the Council Chamber, is now in one of the rooms at Indian Hill.
"FROG" DINNER GIVEN TO THE OFFICERS OF THE FRENCH FLEET
When Admiral d'Estaing and his fleet visited Boston in 1778, they were most hospitably received, and among the various entertainments held in their honor was a dinner given by Mr. Nathaniel Tracy of Cambridge. He had seen some of d'Estaing's sailors hunting frogs in the Frog Pond, and, believing them to be a national dish, he had all the swamps of Cambridge searched for enough of these animals to supply his guests. There was a large tureen at each end of the table, and from one of these Tracy ladled out soup and a frog for each guest. The French Consul, M. L'Etombe, fished out his frog, held it up by its hind legs, exclaiming, "Mon Dieu, une grenouille," and then passed it around the table to his friends. The Frenchmen were greatly surprised at this "delicate attention," and Mr. Tracy was fully as astonished to find that they did not appreciate his efforts in the way that he had intended. "What's the matter?" said he. "Why don't you eat them?" "If they knew the confounded trouble I had to catch them in order to treat them to a dish of their own country, they would find that, with me at least, it was no joking matter."
John Hancock, the Governor of Massachusetts, also welcomed the Frenchmen to his attractive house on Beacon Hill. It was impor- tant for America while at war with England to encourage the friendship of the French, with whom a treaty had just been made. Governor Hancock was much disturbed at the prospect of entertain- ing such distinguished guests, and in a letter to Henry Quincy begged him to help find suitable food for them. Admiral d'Estaing asked if he might bring his three hundred officers with him. There wasn't food enough for all, but Mrs. Hancock rose to the occasion and sent her servants to the Common to milk any cows they could find. The owners of the animals were more amused than displeased and
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nade no protest. The French Admiral invited the Governor's vife to dine on board his flagship, and she got even with him by bringing with her all the women she could get together. While at linner she was requested to pull a cord, which was the signal to dis- charge all the guns of the squadron in her honor.
Admiral d'Estaing was later one of the victims of the guillotine in the French Revolution.
THE PENOBSCOT EXPEDITION-PAUL REVERE A LIEUTENANT
For several reasons this expedition is of interest to the people of Boston and Massachusetts. Brigadier-General Solomon Lovell of Weymouth was Commander-in-Chief, Peleg Wadsworth, Adjutant- General of Massachusetts, was second in command, and Paul Revere was Lieutenant-Colonel in command of a train of artillery. Also the attack was directed against Bagaduce, now part of Castine, which is near the Penobscot River and within a few hours' sail of Camden, [slesboro, Isle au Haut, Belfast and North Haven, where many resi- dents of this State have their summer homes. General Lovell's diary, found in 1879 and published in 1881 by the Weymouth His- torical Society, gives a most accurate account of this expedition, which at the time of sailing from Boston, July 19, 1779, seemed to be most formidable, but which turned out actually to be a most unfortunate undertaking. Solomon Lovell had served as Colonel of one of the Massachusetts regiments at Dorchester Heights in 1776; he was re- lated to James Lovell Little and Luther Little, both of Boston. Though the expedition was a failure, it was through no fault of General Lovell's, who showed himself throughout to be an honest, brave and competent officer.
In June, 1779, a British force under General McLean took possession of a peninsula on Penobscot Bay, now part of Castine, in order to prevent the ships of Boston, Newburyport, Salem and Marblehead from making this Maine seaport their base in their raids upon British commerce. The British troops then built a fort two hundred and fifty feet square, called Fort George, on the high ground of the peninsula. Its outline is still standing, and the remains of the dungeon are clearly visible. The interior to-day furnishes a con- venient practice field for the Castine Baseball Club, and the earth- works afford excellent bunkers for the Castine Golf Club.
The news of the occupation of Castine by the enemy caused con- sternation among the Eastern Colonies, and orders were issued by the General Court to fit out an expedition to dispossess the English of their newly acquired territory. The Board of War was ordered to equip the Warren and the Providence and other vessels, to muster 1,200 militia and 100 artillery, and to collect ammunition, provisions and supplies of all kinds. The fleet of nineteen ships, under the command of Dudley Saltonstall, of New London, was probably the strongest naval force furnished by New England during the Revolution. The cost was £1,739,174 11s. 4d. and proved to be a large burden on the Colony.
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The expedition arrived off the Fox Islands on the 24th of July, and on the 26th the marines attacked one of the enemy's positions with success, capturing their flag. General Lovell then decided that a combined land and naval attack should be made, but Commodore Saltonstall believed for some reason that this would not be a prudent move. Therefore, on the 28th, General Lovell determined to carry out his land attack alone. He was completely successful, his soldiers scaling the precipitous bluffs and capturing a position on the plateau above. The ascent of this cliff in the face of veteran troops was re- garded as one of the most brilliant exploits of the entire war. While General Lovell's troops were encamped near Fort George one of his men, while going beyond the lines for a pail of water, was twice fired upon by sixty or more English soldiers, and much to their astonish- ment the New Englander didn't receive a scratch. The Commodore still would not agree to push forward with his fleet until General Lovell began his attack on Fort George, therefore the latter determined to push forward against the fort and to rely upon the fleet to back him up. As the ships were weighing anchor a fleet of British rein- forcements was seen approaching, whereupon the Massachusetts troops immediately had to retreat and embark on their transports. Again Commodore Saltonstall would not attack, but set sail for the Bagaduce River, at the head of the harbour of Castine. There was nothing now for the soldiers to do except to escape to shore, leaving their transports to run aground or to be captured by the enemy. General Lovell endeavored to collect his forces but without avail, and after much suffering and hardship he and his men found their way back to Boston in small detachments. Captain Wadsworth some time later was captured by the British in his home at Thomaston, and was imprisoned in a jail in Castine, from which he made a miracu- lous escape.
The American ships-of-war sailed into the Bagaduce trap and were all captured or burned. A hostile fleet of seven sail had beaten and destroyed the entire fleet of nineteen vessels. The defeat was a disgraceful one. Paul Revere left his ordnance brig and went ashore at Fort Pownal. This ship, with all the artillery and ammunition, was deserted, but made her way alone up the river for several miles, where she was finally burned. About twenty-five of the English soldiers died of smallpox a few years later and were buried on Lasell's Island, which is about half-way between Rockland and Islesboro. It is said that their graves can still be seen.
The failure of the expedition depleted the treasury of the Province and caused such excitement that the General Court appointed a committee to examine into and report the causes of failure. This committee consisted of Generals Michael Farley and Jonathan Titcomb, Colonel Moses Little, Major Samuel Osgood, James Prescott, Generals Artemas Ward and Timothy Danielson, Hon. William Sever and Francis Dana. Artemas Ward was the chairman. General Lovell was entirely exonerated, the blame being placed on the failure of the fleet to advance in conjunction with the land forces. Paul Revere was somewhat censured for his conduct, a somewhat extraor- dinary happening, as he was usually very efficient in his undertakings.
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Besides being a soldier he was a goldsmith, coppersmith, operated the first powder mill in the Province, took part in the Tea Party, was an engraver, owned a bell foundry at the North End and a manufacturing company for copper bolts, etc., at Canton, Mass., and was also President of the Mechanics Charitable Association.
It is not generally known that he as well as many others at this time also practised dentistry in conjunction with other trades, as shown by the following notices which appeared in Boston on July 19, 1770 :-
Paul Revere takes this method of returning his most sincere thanks to the gentlemen and ladies who have employed him in the care of their teeth. He would now inform them and all others, who are so unfortunate as to lose their teeth by accident or otherwise, that he still continues the business of a dentist and flatters himself that from the experience he has had these two years (in which time he has fixt some hundreds of teeth) that he can fix them as well as any Surgeon Dentist who ever came from London. He fixes them in such a manner that they are not only an ornament but of real use in speak- ing and eating; he cleanses the teeth and will wait on any gentleman or lady at their lodgings. He may be spoke with at his shop opposite Dr. Clark's at the North End, where the gold and silver-smith business is carried on in all its branches.
WHEREAS MANY PERSONS ARE SO unfortunate as to lose their fore-teeth by accident and otherwise, to their great detriment, not only in looks but speak- ing, both in public and private ;- this is to inform all such that they may have them replaced with false ones that look as well as the natural and answer the end of speaking to all intents. By Paul Revere, Goldsmith, near the head of Dr. Clark's wharf, Boston.
All persons who have had false teeth fixed by Mr. John Baker, Surgeon Dentist, and they have got loose (as they will in time) may have them fastened by the above who learnt the method of fixing them from Mr. Baker.
. It is interesting to know that Castine has been owned at different times by five nations, Dutch, Indians, French, English and Americans, and several sea fights have taken place between this harbour and the Island of Islesboro directly opposite. In 1813 the English cut a canal across the mainland from the Bagaduce River to Wadsworth Cove to enable their ships to escape should they ever be suddenly attacked. The remains of this canal can still be seen.
DR. JOHN JEFFRIES OF BOSTON-THE FIRST AMERICAN TO FLY OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
To-day, when the air-craft is so much talked about, it is interesting and instructive to recall the unique experience of Dr. Jeffries, who, on January 7, 1785, flew across the English Channel in a balloon with a Frenchman named François Blanchard. The only condition upon which Blanchard would take him was that if it were necessary to lighten the balloon his guest should jump overboard, and there were several times on the trip across when Dr. Jeffries must have had his agreement most unpleasantly brought to mind. Even when they were making preparations to start, Blanchard put on a girdle to in- crease his weight so that he would have an excuse not to take the Bostonian with him, which wasn't very fair, as Dr. Jeffries had paid
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Dr. John Jeffries in the balloon. From a print in the Bostonian Society rooms.
all Blanchard's expenses so far and had also guaranteed the cost of the trip.
The cliffs of Dover were black with people as the balloon and its two occupants sailed away toward France. Soon after starting they had to throw out ballast, then Dr. Jeffries' pamphlets, next their bis- cuits, apples, etc., then the orna- ments of the car, and even the only bottle they had with them (the contents of which have never been disclosed!). Finally, as they neared the French coast, the bal- loon again descended so rapidly that they began to throw over the The column erected by public authority to commemorate the event, and placedin the Forest of Guisnes, on the spot where Dr. Jeffries and Mr. Blanchard alighted after their aërial voyage from England into France on the 7th of January, 1785. From a print in the Bostonian Society rooms. clothes they were wearing, one article of apparel after another, and when finally Dr. Jeffries caught hold of the topmost branch of one of the trees on the shore of the Continent and arrested the progress of the balloon, it was necessary for them both to search for an entirely new supply of clothing. The landing was made near the place where Henry the Eighth, King of England, and Francis the First, King of France, held their famous interview on a plain known afterwards as "The Field of Cloth of Gold," which was between Ardres and Guisnes, near Calais. The voyage consumed about three hours. A monument with a balloon-like ball on its apex was later erected upon this spot in commemoration of their wonderful trip, and Blan- chard received a gift of money from the King. The Doctor read a paper describing his voyage be- fore the Royal Society of London in January, 1786.
A preliminary trial took place from London to Kent, and Dr. Jeffries was obliged to give his pilot one hundred guineas before he was allowed to go as a passenger. The place of ascent was near Grosvenor Square, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Devonshire and others of the nobility being present.
For some curious reason Blan- chard had a grievance against Dr. Jeffries, and when he came to Philadelphia eight years later he publicly insulted the Doctor by
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placing on the door of his carriage a picture of Jeffries in the balloon holding a bottle of brandy to his mouth. A motto underneath inti- mated that he was obliged to resort to this "Dutch courage" to enable him to undergo the ordeal of the dangerous trip.
Dr. Jeffries was born in Boston in 1745 and was a most interesting character. During the Revolution his sympathies were always with the British. General Joseph Warren, the day before the Battle of Bunker Hill, implored him to "come over on the right side," and, on the next day, it was Dr. Jeffries who found and identified the body of General Warren while he was attending to his duties as surgeon in the King's army. He accompanied the English troops to Halifax after the evacuation of Boston, went to London in 1780 and returned to Boston in 1789, when he delivered the first public lecture on anatomy ever given in New England. His hobby, however, was always ballooning. Dr. Jeffries was very popular, especially with the old ladies of Boston, who usually called him "Dr. Jeffers." He was a consulting physician, and Dr. Samuel A. Green said that if "he were seen entering a sick man's door it was very likely to mean nothing more nor less than a 'nunc dimittis.'" He died in Boston in 1819.
THE FIRST UNITED STATES BANK IN BOSTON
Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, conceived the idea of a government bank as early as 1779. His belief was that such an institution would help to support public credit and that it would also enable the richer men to co-operate with the Government. The bill for its establishment was signed by Washington on February 25, 1791, and three branches opened in January of the following year at Boston, Baltimore and New York, the head office being of course in Philadelphia. Five more were added later on in the following cities: Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans and Washington. The Boston Branch was the third in size, with a capital of $700,000. The total capital of the Bank was $10,000,000, the Government sub- scribing $2,000,000 of this amount. The first President of the parent Bank was Thomas Willing, and he received the large salary of $3,000. The first head of the Boston Branch was Thomas Russell, and the cashier was Peter Roe Dalton. George Cabot, a close friend of Alex- ander Hamilton, became President of the Boston Branch in 1810. The parent institution had twenty-five directors and each branch nine. Among some of the earliest of the Boston directors we find the names of Joseph Barrell, John Codman, Caleb Davis, Christopher Gore, John C. Jones, John Lowell, Theodore Lyman, J. Mason, Jr., Joseph Russell, Jr., David Sears, Israel Thorndike and William Wetmore.
Within four years after the opening of the United States Bank the Government had to borrow two-thirds of its total capital, and Presi- dent Willing was placed in the embarrassing situation of being obliged to ask to have this loan reduced. Accordingly, in 1797 the Government had to sell its shares, which netted a huge profit of $671,860 on the original investment. Most of this stock was sold abroad at $145 per share, and the purchasers later on suffered severe
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losses. In 1811 the Bank's charter expired. There then ensued "a party dispute, and as the Democrats had an assured majority in Congress, it was a foregone conclusion that the fate of the Bank was sealed. Gallatin favored a renewal of the charter, but many were opposed to this plan, owing to the fact that such a large amount of stock had been sold in Europe, and it was feared that this would mean sending money abroad. The vote in the Senate was a tie, 17 to 17, and Vice-President Clinton, an enemy of Gallatin's, cast the deciding vote, and the First Bank of the United States perished on March 14, 1811. The Bank liquidated at 109, the stock having sold in 1802 at $153 a share. It was brought out in the debates in Congress that the Boston Branch was conducted with "correctness, integrity and impartiality."
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The deposits just before closing amounted to only $7,800,000, Boston having $1,500,000. The largest Government deposit at any time was $5,500,000, which would seem small to-day; the largest in Boston was $1,173,000 in 1806. United States deposits drew no interest. The Bank from the income point of view was most successful, paying an average of 812 per cent. to its shareholders. The first location was on the site of the present Brazer Building; later, on the site of the present Exchange Building, and finally on Congress Street, near State Street.
Some of the early rules of the Bank are most interesting. One by-law provided that the rate on loans should never be below 5 per cent. nor over 6 per cent. There were only two days a week when discounts could be submitted, and the Bank had two days to decide on loans. No borrower could obtain money for over sixty days, and in most of the few banks existing at this time no one could borrow over $5,000, and every loan had to be paid at maturity.
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The Second United States Bank was started in 1817 and dissolved in 1836, chiefly owing to the fact that President Jackson withdrew all the government deposits in 1833. The capital was $35,000,000, of which the Government subscribed $7,000,000. The Boston Branch endeavored to purchase the Old State House, but finally erected a fine building on the present site of the Merchants Bank. The pillars furnished such desirable roosting places for pigeons that the President had wooden cats placed where the pigeons were accustomed to perch. They were at first frightened away, but later could be seen roosting even on the cats themselves.
LAUNCHING OF THE "CONSTITUTION"
"Come all ye Yankee heroes, come listen to my song, I'll tell you of a bloody fight before that it be long, It was of the Constitution, from Boston she set sail, To cruise along the coast, my boys, our rights for to maintain."
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