The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 38

Author: Banks, Charles Edward, 1854-1931
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Boston, G.H. Dean
Number of Pages: 580


USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 38


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The account of live stock taken from Edgartown, was scheduled by a committee, as already stated, and their report is given below: -


An Account of Horned Cattle and their Weight, the Number of sheep and Tuns of Hay which was Taken by the British Fleet and Army from the Inhabitants of Edgartown on the Island of Marthas Vine- yard in Dukes County Between the Tenth Day and fifteenth of Sep- tember annoque Domini 1778


MENS NAMES


No. Cattle


Weight of Cattle


No. Sheep


Tuns of Hay


Sum Totle


Peter Norton


7


4400


807


Samuel Kingsbury


2


950


15


John Worth


5


2475


75


William Jernegan


3


1750


160


Thomas Vinson


2


1400


37


Joseph Vinson


2


950


5


Daniel Stuart


I


825


I6


Thomas Stuart


I


775


18


Elisha Donham


2


800


6


Seth Davis


2


I775


90


Joseph Huxford


2


I200


74


Enoch Coffin


108


Benjamin Pease Juner


1


375


49


Matthew Butler


1


375


46


Zachariah Pease


IO


William Vinson


3


Timothy Butler


I


300


I7


Thomas Fish


6


Meletiah Pease Juner


2


1000


6


Marshall Jenkins


1


150


6


Peleg Crossman


I


400


2


Widow Marchant


29


Thomas Smith


I


525


34


700


77


Elijah Stuart


390


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


MENS NAMES


No. Cattle


Weight of Cattle


No. Sheep


Tuns of Hay


Sum Totle


Benajah Donham


I8


Thomas Butler


2


1600


199


3


Widow Davis


3


I720


4I


4


Brotherton Daggett


2


I200


I8


Isaac Norton


4


1900


50


Joseph Smith


I19


David Coffin


3


2260


57


22


Widow Smith


14


John Daggett


I


200


6


Widow Beetle


576


I4


William Beetle


I


400


24


1


Elijah Butler


221


300


42


Stephen Norton


37


Shubal Davis


3


970


45


John Davis


3


1850


40


Meletiah Davis


2


1400


67


Benjamin Davis


I


520


44


Meletiah Davis of Tisbury


75


Ansell Norton


3


1575


43


Samuel Norton


3


255


Ebenezer Norton


3


IO25


Beriah Norton


I200


45


Nathaniel Vinson


7


Daniel Coffin


86


Robert Norton


I4


Thomas Cooke


I4


Uriah Norton


I3


Timothy Smith


22


Elijah Smith


2


1400


45


Samuel Smith


2


IIOO


40


Samuel Smith Jr.


I


350


109


John Coffin


2


1700


72


Benjamin Coffin


2


1300


IIO


John Norton


2


I200


58


Peter Ripley Jr.


2


I400


Peter Ripley


22


Micajah Covell


IO


William Covell


6


Nathan Donham


3


Benjamin Daggett Jr.


I


450


15


Benjamin Daggett


2


850


32


Benjamin Pease


II5


John Butler


2


750


4


John Pease


I


350


I4


5


Shubal Norton


1600


75


Ebenezer Smith


I250


95


Isaac Norton Jr


39I


History of Martha's Vineyard


MENS NAMES


No. Cattle


Weight of Cattle


No. Sheep


Tuns of Hay


Sum Totle


Barnibas Vinson


I


300


4


Nathaniel Fish


I


680


5


Thomas Arey


2


150


82


Abishai Merchant


I


490


6


Joseph Pease


20


Judah Norton


I2


James Pease


4


Samuel Killey


IO


Sylvanus Norton


2


650


8


Abraham Luce


I


450


Elijah Butler Jr.


2


1050


Benj'n Natick


I


316


Benj'n Butler


I


II2


61007


3828


172


Ezra Cleaveland


5


Ephraim Pease


IO


Harlock Smith


8


Mary Smith


I6


II2


61007


3867


173


William Norton


22


Jonathan Pease


9


3895


The above is a True account according to the Best Information We have been able to procure


Edgartown, Oct. the 14th 1778


BENJAMIN SMITH EBEN. NORTON WILLIAM JERNIGAN


Committee


From the above schedule it will be seen that the largest loser was Peter Norton, who gave up seven cattle and about 800 sheep, four times as many as any other owner in the list. The next one was Thomas Butler with 199 sheep. Edgartown furnished, probably, the largest individual loss of the three towns. The balance of the cattle and sheep to make up the total number was 203 of the former and 6679 of the latter, of which number 4116 belonged to Chilmark and 2563 to Tis- bury. Unfortunately, their lists are not extant. Armed with ' these claims Beriah Norton pursued the plan of obtaining compensation for the owners, and urged Washington to lay the matter before Congress. This was done, and on October


392


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


27, Congress passed the following authorization for him to proceed to New York: -


Resolved: That major-general lord Stirling be, and he hereby is, directed to permit col. Beriah Norton of Marthas Vinegard in the state of Massachusetts-Bay to go into New York; and that a flag be furnished him for that purpose; and that he be permitted to return when he shall have concluded his business.1


THE BRITISH COMMANDER REFUSES PAYMENT FOR CATTLE.


Whether he went at that time is not known. Certain it is that the British officers entertained no such intention of paying for the stock as was held by our people. An authority on the subject gives us the direct evidence that the claim was distinctly repudiated by Clinton. At the time it was presented formally in writing, it was returned with the following en- dorsement: -


The Commander in Chief knows of no arrangement between General Grey and the people of Marthas Vineyard in relation to the cattle as herein stated, and does not see fit to institute an inquiry into the matter at present.


JOHN ANDRE Adjutant '


The basis of the claim does not seem clearly established. It was a war measure, taken by properly constituted officers against the enemy, and such acts are a part of the fortunes of war. The Vineyard was a part of the rebellious colonies, had taken part in the struggle, and the British officers could not take cognizance of their non-combatant state, as it was a war measure of the Massachusetts government, not a peaceful condition, to save her strength for other hostile purposes. It seems to be a case where General Clinton was properly within his rights in denying responsibility.


Tisbury did not, apparently, take any action about the losses of her townsmen until December following the "Raid," of which the following is a report of the meeting: -


At A Town-meeting Leggally warn'd & held at the Courthouse in Tisbr on Wensday the Second Day of December A D. 1778 in Order to See if the Town will Vote that the Loss of Stock & hay Sustaind in this Town Shall be Everedg'd on the Oxen Cows and Sheep in Said Town


"Journals of Congress, IV, 446.


"" Porte Crayon" in Harper's Magazine, XXI, 442. This writer and artist made a visit to the island in 1859, and states that this reply was "among the County records," but the original paper is in the collection of manuscripts belonging to the late Richard L. Pease, now owned by his daughters.


393


History of Martha's Vineyard


and Hay, & Likewise to Chuse a Committee to Examine and Collect an Account of what is Lost that the Same may be Adjusted Accordingly, And at Said Meeting Esqr Shobael Cottle was Chosen Moderator, and then it was Put to Vote to See whether Esqr James Athearn Esqr Shobal Cottle Cornelus Dunham Thomas Jones Samuell Look, Should be the Said Committee and the Vote passed in the affirmative And then Said Meeting was Adjorn'd to Wednesday the 30th of December Ensuing the Date above to be holden at the Courthouse in Sd Tisbuary at two of the Clock afternoon in Order to Reecieve the Report of the Above sd Com- mittee1


SUFFERING OF THE PEOPLE.


The winter of 1778 had now set in and the people of the Vineyard were approaching its hardships deprived of their usual stock of subsistence supplies. The crops had been destroyed, their cattle commandeered, and they were indeed in a pitiful condition. A storm in December, which wrecked the General Arnold in Plymouth Harbor, also stranded a privateer loaded with provisions and this "ill wind" blew some good to the scantily-fed inhabitants.


Not long after this devastating storm a British ship, loaded with rice, was wrecked on the west end of the Vineyard, and a good supply of this cereal was obtained for the hungry and impoverished people. This visitation of the English was a cause of sore distress to the inhabitants during the winter ensuing. To be sure their houses were left intact, and they had plenty of fuel. They managed to get a scanty supply from the mainland, by exchanging iron or bog ore, as it is called, which, by running the gauntlet of the British cruisers, was transported to Wareham to be smelted. At one time a boat loaded with this bog ore was captured, while crossing the sound, by a British cruiser; the men in the boat pleaded pov- erty, saying they were taking this ore to be smelted and cast into pots and kettles, as General Grey's army had taken about all there were on the island. So plausibly did they set forth their condition and so eloquently did they plead their cause, that the British commander was moved to compassion, ordered their release, and the boat and cargo being restored to them, they went on their way rejoicing. This very ore was smelted and cast into balls for Americans to pelt Englishmen with.


The salt works having been destroyed, the people were compelled to resort to another way than by solar evaporation to obtain that article. They had large kettles cast in Wareham or Carver; these were set up on the shores of the sound, and


'Tisbury Records, 227.


394


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


salt manufactured by evaporating salt water through the means of large fires kept going under the kettles day and night; a plenty of pine fuel being near at hand and boys being enlisted in the service to supply it.


The year 1779 gives but little contribution to the military annals of the Vineyard. The recovery from the exhaustive raid was slow and discouraging. Tisbury voted to send Shubael Cottle as her agent, on February 8, to the General Court " ... to Represent the case they are now in . . .. Re- specting our Loss by the Kings Troops," and obtaining relief from taxation.1 On the same day the townsmen of Chilmark held a meeting, at which Jonathan Allen, James Allen, Na- thaniel Bassett, and Matthew Tilton were chosen "to be a Comity to send A Letter and the account of the Loss of Stock that we have sustained by the British Troops to the Gover- nour."2


A small raid occurred in April, probably from a passing ship of war. A party landed at Homes Hole on April 5 and "shot a few cattle, sheep and hogs, which they carried off, paying for two sheep only."3


In September following the British General Leonard sent a landing party on shore and took some stock and wood.


FURTHER EFFORTS TO OBTAIN REDRESS FROM THE BRITISH.


A year had passed by and the alleged promises of General Grey had not yet found fulfillment. Colonel Norton kept at his task. On November 16, he memorialized the General Court upon the subject as follows: -


To the Honourable Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled:


The petition of Beriah Norton for and in behalf of himself and others of the Island of Marthas Vineyard, humbly sheweth:


That whereas your petitioner received a flag from the Honored Coun- cil of this State the 6th day of December last to apply to New York to sollicit payment for the stock etc that General Grey took from the said inhabitants in September 1778, and William Mayhew Esq., also received a flag from said Council the 2nd instant to apply to New York to sollicit payment for stock and wood taken by General Leonard in September last, and the said Inhabitants having received very considerable encour- agement that by applying we may receive payment, provided we will take it in such articles as we may agree on, the prayer of your petitioners there-


1Tisbury Records, 229.


2Chilmark Records, 176


$Extract from a letter, dated Falmouth, April 5 1778.


395


History of Martha's Vineyard


fore is that he may be appointed as well to transact the business of the present year as that of the last year, and that he may be allowed to take some articles of merchandise in payment, provided that he cannot obtain cash, and that there may be a Committee appointed that your petitioners may have an opportunity to lay the circumstances of the above matter before them as they are very interesting to the inhabitants of the said Vineyard, and as in duty bound will ever pray.1


On the 18th of the same month the General Court, after a favorable report from their committee, passed a resolve granting Norton and Mayhew "liberty of a flag to go to New York to collect payment for what the British troops have taken from the inhabitants of Marthas Vineyard, and that they have liberty to take their pay in merchandise if they can- not obtain it in money - they being subject to such instruc- tions as may be given them by this Court for the rule of their conduct."2 Their mission was unsuccessful. The commander- in-chief of the British forces was too much occupied with other important matters to think about paying for a few cattle taken by his troops from the "rebels." Norton was dismayed, but not discouraged. He was under bonds to the state, and had made a covenant with the owners of the stock to pay them the proceeds when obtained. He was living, in part, at their ex- pense, as they contributed to the cost of his services. He vainly endeavoured to induce Clinton to do justice by the farmers of the Vineyard, to save him and them a personal appeal to the ministers of the crown in London. Norton re- turned bootless. All he could get was advice from General Sterling to "apply to England." Early the next year, having found no further disposition on the part of the British authori- ties to do more than parley with him, Norton recommended to the people that he should go to England, and place the busi- ness directly before the home government. This seemed a "last resort," but the owners were becoming desperate, and were willing to take any step to force compliance with the promises of Grey. Colonel Norton thereupon petitioned the General Court for permission to go to England and lay the case before the Lords of the Treasury as he had been advised. The petition is printed, verbatim, as follows: -


To the Honorable the Council and the Honorable the house of Representatives in General Court assembled: -


The memorial of Beriah Norton humbly sheweth that in Consequence of Leave obtained from the hono'le Court in November 1779, your me-


1Mass. Archives, XCVII, 140-1.


2Mass. Resolves, III, 131.


396


Bedford


Suckanoset or Falmouth


=


Road from Boston


Poneganset + 4 Houses


Woods Hole


Islands


Nonamifset 1


Elizabeth


roberts


Len poling love


Middle ground Shoal a Ecet at Lon Watre


Wast Chop


Erst Chop I


Penilafo I


Slocum I 2 House


SOUND


+Lene Rock


, Cape Pog


KntahunkI 3


Wracks Hole


Eel Pony


8


'Lumbents Cove


: Town


80


Cape Fog Pond


Tidsbury


20


Wood Land


18


6


Pond


Wind M


Chapoquidick


5


Edgar Town Mso iso duses 2.


Island


Chilmark Town


Chalis


G.w.


Manamshy


Thead


L'eat


Pond


Swany full of Part


Meeting Ho.


4,


Squidnoket


Chulr. Pond


Gay Head


Pustires


Wasque Neat


The Great Beach against which the Jea connually boats


Wasque I.


L


-


Smule of English Miles.


Quampeche, low Lands


Meeting Ho.


12


9


Word Eand


Meeting Ho ..


Sheep Pastures


3 0


Great Pond


Tudsbury Ponad


Haring Brook


Ashawina 3 Houses


W Homes Hole.


Boat Channel


Tidsbury :


Great Flats


30


Manamshe Bue


Salt Meadows


Food ; grand


THE VINEYARD


Nawshan I.


W.


MARTHA'S VINEYARD WITH ITS DEPENDENCIES. FROM CREVECOEUR'S "LETTRES D'UN CULTIVATEER AMERICAIN."


LONDON, 1784


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


morialist proceeded to New York in order to Solisit Payment for the stock taken from Marthas Vineyard by General Grey in Sept. 1778, as well as for fuel &c taken from sd Island by George Leonard Esq'r in Sept & Oct 1779, the Latter of which your Memorialist settled in full and also Petition Sir henry Clinton for payment for the Stock taken by General Grey But s'd Clinton being on the Point of Embarking for the South- ward Did not think Proper to take up the matter at that time.


Your Memorialist was then advised by Sir henrys Agetent General that if he was to apply to Great Brittian he may know doubt Receive Compensation for the stock taken by General Grey, your Memorial't then applied to General Stearling for advice he Being the first in Command under General Grey who Informed him by way of advice that it was Best to apply to England & he sd Stearling would wright fully on the subject in my favor. that together with other incoregements and the Great Necessity of the People of Marthas Vineyard are in for some Relief in Consequences of so General a Plunder as the Loss of Ten Thousand head of sheep & 312 head of Cattle Indusis your Memorial't to make this most humble applycation to this honorable Court Earnestly Praying that your memmoriallist may have the Liberty of applying to Great Britain for the Purpose abovesaid to Prosead as a Passenger in some British or American Ship & that he may have the Previledge of takeing his Pay for sd Stock in Some articles of Merchandise Provided he cannot obtain the Cash and also Emport whatever Goods obtained in to this State in such a Manner as this honorable Court shall think most fit & Reasonable and as in Duty Bound shall Ever Pray.


Boston April 28th 1780.


BERIAH NORTON


Your Memorial list also Prays that he may have Leave to Bring from Great Britain all such moneys as he may have orders for from any marchant in this state.


BH NORTON.1


The request was a peculiar one, but a favorable answer was returned when, on May 3, a resolve was passed to the effect "that the prayer of the petitioner be so far granted that the petitioner Beriah Norton have leave to repair to Great Britain by the way of New York for the purpose in said petition mentioned under such orders, limitations and restric- tions as the honorable, the Major part of the council shall see proper."2


COLONEL BERIAH NORTON GOES TO ENGLAND.


Norton went to New York, and remained there some time before sailing. He received permission to reside there from Major General Patterson, but after some time of continuous conferences with the evasive Clinton, he concluded to embark


1Mass. Resolves, III, 131.


2Ibid., III, 252.


397


History of Martha's Vineyard


for London, and try to settle the business there. A pass was issued to him for the trip by Lieutenant General Elliot, in August of that year, and he sailed thence on his strange mis- sion of making the enemy pay for property taken in a foraging expedition. He remained in England that year and all of the next. This time was spent in importuning the government officials for hearings, considerations, references, preferring petitions, and the employment of all such means to attract their interest and attention. It would be tedious reading to follow the voluminous documentary history of his proceedings during this time. Suffice it to say, that he found the officials there no more ready to admit the soundness of his claim than were the military authorities on this side. In July, 1781, the king in council definitely refused to grant his petition for redress, but he hung on. Residence in London was attractive, and he was being "wined and dined" by Americans living there, and in turn he was reciprocating the courtesies. His private papers contain numerous evidences of the social side of his mission, in the form of invitations to dinners, balls, and entertainments.1 But a change in the commanding officers occurred in February, 1782, by which General Sir Guy Carle- ton succeeded Clinton, and as he was known as a man of courage and just in his dealings, Norton obtained later in that year from the Lords of the Treasury, an order directing the new chief to investigate the whole affair and mete out strict justice.


A BOARD OF INQUIRY APPROVES THE CLAIM.


This change was a welcome one, and Norton returned home to pursue the matter, in the spring, having been absent from home about two years. Fortified by this authority he obtained a hearing from Carleton, who called a board of In- quiry in April, 1782. The board sat at General O'Hara's headquarters, heard the agent, examined his documents, took testimony, and finally reached the decision that the claim was meritorious, and that it should be paid. Thereupon Carleton approved the findings, and agreed to make divided payments,


1The Beriah Norton Mss. in the Pease collection comprise most of the docu- ments quoted in this chapter. They disclose a phase of his mission that does not happily reflect on his patriotism or his methods. He was eager while in London and throughout the controversy to impress upon them that he did not approve the Revolution or take part in it, and claimed the Vineyarders were unwilling to rebel against their king.


398


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


with the understanding that the money received should be invested in New York in merchandise to supply the needs of the claimants. This was more than Norton could stand, and he insisted that he should have the claim paid without any conditions as to the way it should be spent. The money be- longed to others, and he could not buy merchandise for them in absence of any authority. Carleton drew a draft for the sum of £3000 sterling, in part payment, upon the Deputy Paymaster General of the Forces, "the greater part of which," said Norton, "he was enabled to bring off in specie, notwith- standing the positive instructions of Sir Guy Carleton, who required that he should invest the same in such articles as might be useful to the inhabitants of the island." The total award was about seven thousand pounds, but Carleton would not pay it in full at that time, at least to be carried away in funds. The Governor of the Commonwealth and the Council required Norton to make a report to them of his doings, which he did, and, as he states, "flatters himself that he has given them the fullest satisfaction to all their inquiries." Whereupon, on October 2, that year, he again sought authority from the General Court to repair to New York and pursue the matter with Gen- eral Carleton, as the only person who could attend to the business, and the early return of that officer to England was imminent. He asked this favor in behalf "of those honest subjects who are not within the protection of Government," and expresses a willingness to take payment in merchandise, if it cannot be obtained in specie. The Court passed the fol- lowing resolve on October II: -


Upon memorial of Beriah Norton, Resolved, - That Beriah Norton Esq. of the Island of Martha's Vineyard, be and he hereby is, permitted to go to New York in any vessel he shall think proper, for the reasons set forth in his memorial, and to return to this Commonwealth and bring with him to and for the sole use of the inhabitants of the said Island of Martha's Vineyard the sum of four thousand nine hundred and twenty three pounds sterling money of Great Britain in gold or silver coin, which remains due to the said inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard for cattle, sheep and forage taken from them by General Grey for the use of the British forces; or one third part of the said sum in goods, wares and merchandise.1


Norton was required to give a bond in the sum of ten thousand pounds for the strict fulfillment of this arrangement, and enter his vessel with the goods at Dartmouth in this state, when he should obtain a settlement.


1Mass. Resolves, V, 313.


399


History of Martha's Vineyard


THE WAR ENDED.


A year before this the last gun had boomed at Yorktown, and Cornwallis had capitulated to the victorious Washington. The end of the seven years' struggle was in sight. British ministries hung out against the inevitable for months, but the people of great Britain were tired of the war created by the stupidity of their ruler and his advisers, and peace was gradu- ally forced upon a stubborn king and a sullen ministry.


While Norton was driving this arrangement through, other scenes were being enacted on a larger field in the drama of the Revolution. Peace envoys were in London trying to patch up an agreement satisfactory to both of the contestants, and the articles of the convention were all but settled, when Norton got his permission to go to New York. It is not known what action he took in this state of the situation, except that Carleton was no better prepared, and not as much so, as before, to settle the claim. The negotiations for peace furnished him with an excuse to defer present attention to the matter, and on Nov. 30, 1782, the treaty was signed between the belligerents, represented by Franklin, a descendant of John Folger of the Vineyard, Adams, Jay, and Laurens, for the American "Rebels."


COLONEL NORTON STICKS TO HIS MISSION.


The confusion incident to the settlement of this great struggle acted as an efficient stop to the consideration of Norton's claim, but it was by no means surrendered. It is probable that he went to England in the late fall of 1784, after further correspondence and the submission of a memorial to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, where he "had the honour," as he states, "of making a personal representation to the Ministers & Secretarys," from whom he "received advice from time to time that the matter would be refer'd for a final decision." He appealed to them again in 1785, and sent a personal request to Mr. Pitt, soliciting his aid, in the same year. It was the same old story of delay and promises, and he dragged on for month after month in London, having the tedium relieved by social attentions from the Amer- ican exiles in that great metropolis. "At length," he writes, "finding he was not able to endure the expense of attending any longer, & that no Business of that sort would be taken up


400


The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress


for several months, he left England in June (1787), after a constant attendance for more than two years."1




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