USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 39
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His return empty handed was a bitter disappointment to the farmers of the Vineyard, some of whom had been contrib- uting to the expense of the Colonel's "seasons" in the British capital, and who were somewhat suspicious, by this time, that his long absences were junketing trips at their expense. But he kept hope alive in their breasts.
THE GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO ENDORSE THE CLAIM.
The United States having been formally organized after the war, the next move of Norton was to obtain the sponsor- ship of the new government in the prosecution of the claim. Accordingly, in September, 1787, he went to New York, where the seat of government then was, and addressed a new memo- rial to "the Honourable the Congress of the United States of America." In it he recites the main facts rehearsed in the foregoing narrative of his previous experiences in prosecuting the claim, and states that "knowing the Justice of his acct on the British Government & the Contract made with General Grey for payment cannot without very great reluctance give up the prosecution of so just an acct." He concludes by praying for their "wise consideration of his very hard and particular situation & Business & Grant him such assistance & advice to enable him to prosecute his abovesaid Business as in your great wisdom you shall think fit and right."1 The matter was referred to John Jay, then secretary for foreign affairs, who was requested to express an opinion on the pro- priety of taking the action desired. That officer submitted the following brief in response to the request of Congress: --
Office for Foreign Affairs, 25th Sept 1787 The Secretary of the United States for the Department of Foreign Affairs to whom was re- ferred a Memorial of Beriah Norton, dated the 15th September, instant, Reports -
That the Memorialist states in substance that in September 1778 at Marthas Vineyard, of which the Memorialist had the military command, he delivered a number of cattle and sheep to the British General Grey who promised that payment should be made for the value of them.
That in October 1778 Congress permitted the Memorialist to go to New York to solicit Payment. That his account was allowed to be just and amounted to £7923, but that he had never been able to obtain more
1Archives of Continental Congress, Vol. VII., No 41, p. 134.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
than a partial Payment: vizt £3000, notwithstanding his application to the British Lords of the Treasury, Ministers &c: - He requests from Congress such Aid and Advice to enable him to prosecute the Business as they shall think fit and right.
It appears to your Secretary that Marthas Vineyard being American ground the enemy had good Right, flagrante Bello, to take away all sheep and cattle they found there without paying anything for them. If how- ever from Motives of Policy they gratuitously (and not in the way of Capitulation or Convention with the American Government) promised payment, that promise being left in Statu quo by the Treaty, must be considered as having been made at a time and under the circumstances which exempt Britain from any responsibility to the United States for the Performance of it, and consequently it would not be proper for the United States to take any measures respecting it.
If on the other hand, this Promise or Contract is to be considered as being of legal obligation and not merely honorary & gratuitous, then the Memorialist has his remedy at Law, and the Interference of Congress can at present be neither necessary nor proper.
The sum in Demand is doubtless important to the Individuals inter- ested in it; but as national Interposition should be confined to objects which affect either the National Interest or the National Honor, your Secretary is of opinion it should not be extended to such concerns and affairs of Individuals as are unconnected with, and do not touch or affect the National rights.
All which is submitted to the Wisdom of Congress.
JOHN JAY.1
COLONEL NORTON AGAIN IN ENGLAND.
There is not much room for comment upon this lucid opinion of Jay, and while the secretary denied him this support, he extended to him his personal compliments and "good wishes" for the success of his mission. Armed with this con- solatory message, and letters of introduction from Admiral Robert Digby, R. N., he sailed to make his last assault upon the treasury of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland. But there were others besieging it with claims of better standing than his. A descendant of one of the ref- ugee loyalists thus describes the situation : -
The Refugees from America, scared from their ruined homes, had taken flight across the Atlantic, and were pitching down upon England by sixes and sevens, like rooks upon a corn field, to see what grain they could pick up; but so numerous were the flocks becoming, that the cus- todians of the granaries in the old country had great difficulty in finding a few grains each for all the hungry mouths.2
1 Archives, Continental Congress, Vol. III, No. 81, p 163.
2Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson, II, 22.
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The Long Campaign to Obtain Redress
Further consideration of this long-standing claim and its results will not be required. This last mission was not suc- cesssful, and the Colonel was subjected to much unfavorable criticism by the Vineyard sufferers upon his failure to obtain payment for them. Charges of various sorts were bandied about as to the prosecution of the claim, but none were ever substantiated. The general belief entertained by the losers was that the Colonel was courted and entertained into an atti- tude of complaisance in the prosecution of his task by the high officials of the government, though with no profit to himself.
Berich Norton
SIGNATURE OF COLONEL BERIAH NORTON.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
NAVAL HISTORY OF THE VINEYARD IN THE REVOLUTION.
It is well known that the Revolutionary war was for the most part fought out on land, although there were events of the greatest interest which took place at sea, especially under the intrepid lead of Commodore John Paul Jones. Our navy was always of secondary importance during the struggle, but the three years preceding the siege of Yorktown witnessed a remarkable increase in the number and activities of our private armed vessels. In May, 1780, the United States had left only six war craft to bear their ensign aloft, and a year later half that number was captured or lost, leaving only the Deane, the Alliance, the Duc de Lauzun, and the General Washington in active service. In two of these Vineyard men formed part of the crew in the closing years of the struggle for American independence. "It can be readily understood, therefore, that had it not been for our privateers the Stars and Stripes would have been, for all practical purposes, completely swept from the seas," says a historian of these vessels.1 "It was the astonishing development of this form of maritime warfare," he continues, "that enable the struggling colonists to hold their own on the ocean. In the year 1780 two hundred and twenty-eight American privateers were commissioned, carrying in all three thousand four hunderd and twenty guns; in 1781 there were four hundred and forty-nine, with about six thou- sand seven hundred and thirty-five guns; and in 1782 three hundred and twenty-three, mounting four thousand eight hundred and forty-five guns. It is very much to be regretted that many of the cruises and actions of these crafts have not been recorded."
FIRST NAVAL ENGAGEMENT OF WAR IN VINEYARD SOUND.
What was probably the first naval skirmish of the Revo- lution took place at this time, and its leader and men were from this island, and the action occurred in one of our harbors, probably Homes Hole, as the party was under the command of Captain Nathan Smith. In a whaleboat, mounted with
1Maclay, " History of American Privateers," 206-7.
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Naval History of Vineyard in the Revolution
three swivels, and a small crew of volunteers, in the month of April, he undertook the capture of the armed schooner Volante, a tender of the British cruiser Scarborough. Although there was great disparity in the vessels and crews, yet that did not daunt them, and after a struggle the enemy struck colors and the victorious Captain Smith brought his prize into safe har- bor.1 It is generally stated that the first battle of the Revo- lution on the sea was between the British schooner Margaretta, an armed vessel, and a small sloop, manned with a volunteer force, off the coast of Maine, in June, 1775, but it will be seen that the encounter which Captain Smith led took place two months previously, and can be claimed as the first overt act against the enemy on the high seas during the Revolution. While our affair was not a great battle, yet all these engage- ments had their bearing on the results, and in point of priority the valor of our Vineyard men in this instance has never been recognized, because no one has ever presented their claims to this honor.2
CAPTURE OF THE TRANSPORTS "HARRIOT" AND "BEDFORD."
On March 7, 1776, another maritime engagement off our shores was reported by Colonel Beriah Norton to James Otis, President of the Council, on March 9, two days after the . event : -
. ther was Information in town that there was a transport ship at anchor near Nantucket sholes. I not being in town myself till the Afternoon when I found there was about 37 men gon of to Ingage the ship with a small sloop about 23 of our men ware those of the sea corst under Capt. Benj: Smith, the rest ware of the Militia, they Ingaged hur and after a smart scurmig the Capt of the ship Being shot three (times) they then struck to our Yanke sloop and are Brought in to the old town harbour. The Capt is in a fare way of recovery hur Cargo is about 100 Charldron of Coll. 100 Butts of Porter, 30 hoges, Sower Crout, Puttators and Sundry outher artacals, the officers and sea men are ordered to had Quarters By the Sea Corst Capt under the care of Second Lieut James
'Maclay, " History of American Privateers," 64; comp., Emmons, "Statistical History of U. S. Navy."
2 Another affair of like character is said to have taken place shortly after. The " Falcon," a British sloop of war, had, under some pretence or necessity, seized one or more prizes from the people of Buzzards Bay. Inspired, probably, by the suc- cess at Lexington and Concord, the people of New Bedford and Dartmouth fitted out a vessel with which they attacked and cut out one of the "Falcon's" prizes, with fifteen prisoners, from a harbor in Martha's Vineyard. This is stated to have taken place on May 5, 1775, by the author, Rev. Edward E. Hale, but an examina- tion of the log of the " Falcon" on that date does not show any such movement on her part. [Narrative and Critical History of America, VI, 564.]
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Shaw. I shall not Inlarg any further in this subject as I expect to Be at Court within 15 Days.1 . . . 1
This exploit was characteristic of the daring ventures of the men of our island, and others in like localities, brought up on the water, and used to its hardships and perils. The transport was a large ship, "called the Harriot of about two hundred and fifty tons Burthen commanded by Weymes Orrock," while the vessel which engaged her was "a small sloop called the Liberty," a most appropriate name. Captain Benjamin Smith also made a formal report of the action to the Council, which is here reprinted: -
Gentlemen
I have only Time to Inform your honours That on the 7th Inst I with a Detachment of my Company with some Gentlemen of This Town in number all about fourty, with a small vessel engaged for the purpose Engaged and Tooke the ship Harriot Weymse Orrock master store ship from London and bound for Boston Laden with Cole Porter and potatos: and have sent the mate (the Capt being wounded in the engagement) with fourteen mariners by Lieut Shaw and have Directed him to deliver Them to the Honou'ble Counsel. I am to endeavour to secure the prop- erty by Giting the ship to the mane, which having Perfected shall give Immediate attendance for further Direction in the matter, and in the Interim Remain your Houn'rs most Obed't Humble Serv't Edgartown, Ioth March, 17762 BENJAMIN SMITH
On the 23d of March Captain Nathan Smith added to his list of exploits the capture of another English vessel. With a party made up of his seacoast-defence company and some volunteers of the militia, he attacked, captured, and brought into port the schooner Bedford, laden with provisions and other stores for the fleet and army.3 Thus the two Captains Smith were busy harassing the transports, supply vessels, and other boats of the enemy's fleet, intending to carry men and subsistence for the army cooped up in Boston, and ren- dering important service to the patriotic cause. In the fol- lowing month of April, young Cornelius Marchant of Edgar- town, then but fourteen years of age, began his long and peril- ous service in privateers. He shipped "on board the private armed sloop Independence mounting ten guns, James Magee Commander, which during her Cruise Captured three Prizes,
1Mass. Archives, CXCI.V, 275.
2Ibid., CXCIV, 281. He was allowed prize money in June following.
3Mass. Archives, Council Records. He was allowed prize money for this capture on June 18 following.
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one Transport Brig with a cargo for the British Army and two Schooners from Halifax with a Cargo for West Indias, and got them save into Newbedford," as he states in his narrative, "after an absence of six or seven Weeks."1
CAPTURE OF TRANSPORTS "ANNABELLA" AND "HOWE."
About this time, early in June (1776), a naval action took place in which several Vineyard men fought, although the event occurred elsewhere, and it is worthy of record among our archives of personal services to be credited to the men of the island. "I well remember," said old Obed Norton of Tisbury, then in his ninetieth year, "that in the year 1776, the brig Defence commanded by Capt. Seth Harding, came into Holmes Hole Harbour, near where I then lived. I under- stood at that time that she was in the service of the United States. Several men belonging to Marthas Vineyard entered on board of her, and she sailed on a cruise. .... Among the persons that went the cruise were Silas Daggett, Samuel Norris and one Cornelius Dunham."2 This was the Massachusetts cruiser Defence, and she sailed hence for Plymouth, and on the evening of June 17, she was entering Nantasket Roads, being attracted there by the sounds of heavy firing. A writer, describing the scenes which followed, thus tells the story of her exploit with two strongly armed transports of the British navy, the Annabella and the Howe: -
About eleven o'clock the Defense boldly ran into the Roads, and get- ting between the two transports, within pistol shot distance, called upon the British to strike their colors. A voice from one of the troopships was heard, in reply, "Ay, Ay - I'll strike," and a broadside was poured into the Defense. The Americans promptly responded, and after an hour of heavy firing the British called for quarter. The transports were found to have on board about two hundred regulars of the Seventy-first Regi- ment. Eighteen of the Englishmen had been killed in the action and a large number were wounded. On the part of the Americans not one was killed and only nine were injured.3
Some of the principal actions in local waters in which our islanders took part have already been referred to in the chronological story of the Revolution, but, as stated by the
'Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1900, Narrative of Cornelius Marchant.
2Deposition of Obed Norton, 1838. Clerk's Office, Tisbury.
3Maclay, "History of American Privateers," 67. "Among the British dead was Major Menzies, who had answered the summons to surrender with "Ay, ay-I'll strike." Among the wounded on the "Defense" was Cornelius Dunham of Tisbury.
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author just quoted, we have left only "meager and fragmen- tary" data of other services rendered by Vineyard sailors, and these will be detailed below with such elaboration as the limited amount of material warrants. The vessels in which they served will be listed alphabetically, and they are as follows: -
Alliance. This vessel belonged to the naval forces. She left Boston January IIth, 1779, with General Lafayette, bound for France, with a complement of English and French seamen, with a few American volun- teers. Mutiny was attempted, but failed, and the ship reached Brest in safety. She was placed under the orders of John Paul Jones., then com- manding the "Bon Homme Richard." Thomas Luce, of Tisbury, was one of the crew of the Alliance, and the tradition in his family is that he was with Jones in his famous battle when the "Serapis" was fought and captured. There is no record to this effect, but it is here recorded for what value tradition has in such matters. In June, 1779, Captain Jones assumed command of the Alliance and sailed for the United States. Luce was pensioned for service in this ship. Samuel Lambert of Tisbury also had service on this vessel and was a pensioner.
Aurora. Privateer. Captain David Porter, master. Timothy Chase served in this vessel in 1781.
Bon Homme Richard. Naval service. Thomas Chase (222) of Tis- bury engaged in privateering during the war, was captured in 1777 and imprisoned in Mill Prison, Plymouth, for two years. He was released through an exchange of prisoners and went to France, where he joined Commodore Paul Jones' fleet as ship's carpenter. He was present during the famous battle, July, 1779, between the Bon Homme Richard and the "Serapis," and his descendants have some mementoes taken from the prize ship by the young sailor after the battle.
Boston. Naval service. Captain Samuel Tucker, commanding. Ben- jamin Luce was one of the crew in 1779. She was a frigate of 24 guns.
Cabot. Naval service. Captain Elisha Hinman, commanding. Noah Waldron served as Quartermaster, in 1776, for two years, and Obed Norton was one of the crew, at the same time. Both were from Tisbury.
Deane. Naval service. Captain John Manly, commanding. She was a frigate of 32 guns. Ephraim Luce of Tisbury served on her in 1782. She was driven into Martinique that year, blockaded there, and remained until the close of the war.
Fairfield. Privateer. Captain William Nott, master. Cornelius Marchant of Edgartown was on her in 1776. She carried twelve guns.
General Arnold. Privateer. Captain James Megee, master. The wreck of this vessel, with several Vineyard sailors, in December, 1778, will be narrated in detail.
Hazard. Privateer Brig of 16 guns. Captain John F. Williams, master. She operated in the West Indies, capturing a brig of 18 guns and 16 swivels, manned with 100 men. The enemy lost 13 killed and 20 wounded, while the "Hazard" lost but 3 killed and 5 wounded. She was in the unfortunate Penobscot expedition, in 1779, where she was burnt to prevent capture. John Marchant of Edgartown served in her in 1778 and 1779.
Independence. Privateer of 10 guns. Captain James Megee, master. Cornelius Marchant of Edgartown was in her crew in 1776.
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Marlborough. Privateer ship. Captain George W. Babcock, mas- ter. In March, 1777, she "put into Edgartown harbour to obtain a Com- plement of Men and Officers." One of these was Cornelius Marchant, but no further names are known. She was one of the most successful privateers in the war, taking in all twenty-eight prizes.
Mars. Privateer ship of 24 guns. Captain Thomas Truxtun, mas- ter. Ebenezer Luce of Tisbury was one of her crew in 1781, when she cruised in the British Channel, making a number of prizes, which were sent into Quiberon Bay, France. Truxtun was a naval officer, detailed for this duty.
Providence. Privateer sloop. Master's name not known. She cap- tured a British ship, put a prize crew aboard, but the ship was retaken. Later the privateer recaptured the same vessel and brought her into port. In the crew were Barzillai, Tristram and Benjamin Luce, all of Tisbury.
Ranger. Naval Service. Jeremiah Anthony, an Indian of Martha's Vineyard, was one of the crew of the Continental ship "Ranger," Capt. John Paul Jones, on her first cruise, sailing from the Piscataqua River, Nov. 1, 1777, and must have been in the engagement with the "Blake."
Rising Empire. Privateer Brigantine. Captain Richard Whellen, master. Valentine Chase, Zaccheus Chase, Abraham Chase, Abishai Luce, all of Tisbury, were members of her crew in 1776.
Rover. Privateer sloop of 10 guns. Master's name not known. In her crew during the year 1779 was Cornelius Marchant, of Edgartown.
Vengeance. This vessel formed one of the fleet at Penobscot and she was destroyed August 14th, 1779, to prevent capture by the British. Elijah Mayhew of Chilmark was of her crew.
Warren. This ship belonged to the Massachusetts "navy," and was commanded by Captain John B. Hopkins. Rowland Luce of Tisbury served in her one year from June, 1776. She captured a ship, a brig, a schooner and transport of four guns, carrying one hundred soldiers. but later she was captured by the British frigate "Liverpool."
LOSS OF THE "GENERAL ARNOLD."
In the winter of 1778 an event occurred in the naval history of the war which closely affected the Vineyard, because a number of her sons were engaged in the enterprise. Among them was Cornelius Marchant, who wrote about it in his narrative of personal experiences during the war, and this portion of his relation will be used: -
The fourth Cruise which I performed during the War of the Revolu- tion was in the Brig General Arnold of Boston mounting twenty Guns, James Magee Commander Manned by one hundred & five Men and Boys, fitted for a Cruise of six months. They left Boston Roads for Sea the 24th day of December 1778, on the same date in the afternoon the wind coming a head could not weather Cape Cod, nor yet reach Boston Harbour, so we put into Plymouth and came to anchor; the Gale con- tinuing to Increase the Brig dragged her Anchour and drifted on to Browns Shoal now so called, where she bilged, but on account of the Severity of the weather we could obtain no relief from the shore untill the twenty
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ninth when seventy four of the Crew had perrished, heaped one upon another in almost every form; after being landed nine more died. At this time the Narrator lost the extremities of both his feet, under the ex- treme disadvantages and privations whereof he has been suffering for many years.1
The loss of the General Arnold was one of the most ap- palling disasters in the maritime annals of the war. Out offa crew of over one hundred men and boys, over eighty perished in sight of land, owing to the severity of the weather. Besides young Marchant, who was a survivor, at least nine of her complement of men were from the Vineyard, and they all were lost. These were James Winslow, James Wimpenny, Asa Luce, Valentine Chase, Solomon, Sylvanus and Timothy Daggett, Lot Burgess, "and a son to David Norton's wife."2 They were all of Tisbury, and there may have been others from the other towns. It was a great blow to the American cause, of which this island felt its share.
This same storm also caused another wreck, a privateer sloop on the east side of our island, in which seventeen men perished. It was a terrible storm, and among its effects was one which proved a merciful circumstance for the people who were deprived of their stock, provisions, and other means of support by the British. The gale blew from the northeast, and immense quantities of snow fell. After the storm had subsided, some one in wandering about the northeast end of the Lagoon pond discovered a large number of striped bass in a frozen condition, packed as close together in the ice and snow as sardines in a box. The news of this discovery soon spread, the people hastened to the spot from every direction. The fish were taken out with pitchforks and other implements, stacked up in large heaps all along the shore, and later were divided and taken by the people to their homes. As there was but little salt with which to cure them, they were packed away in the snow; and thus, for the winter, all were supplied with this one article of food, supplemented with eels, clams, and wild fowl, when the weather would admit of their taking them.
PICAROONS.
During the Revolution the islanders were, as a rule, treated as neutrals by the British cruising in these waters;
1Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1900.
2Tisbury Church Records. Abraham Preble was her first husband.
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but the people were kept in a constant state of agitation and alarm by the incursions of an enemy termed "Picaroons." These were tories principally, who, claiming to be belligerents and in the British service, were simply pirates, and cowardly ones at that, robbing friend and foe alike when opportunity presented. They usually came in large launches, though oc- casionally in whaleboats, manned by five or ten men and sometimes more. It is said that a tower was erected for the purpose of a watch-tower, near the residence of the late John Luce in Tisbury, and which was commonly known as "Daggett's folly." Several earthworks were constructed for defense against these marauders in case they should appear in force. Just north of the Sailor's Reading Room on the "Neck," in Vineyard Haven, are the remains of some of these forti- fications; and others larger, on the Sound side, about half a mile from the lighthouse, are still visible.
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