The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 35

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 35

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Some difficulty must have been encountered in importing pro- visions, for in October, 1808, the Selectmen were appointed a Committee "to Investigate the Imbarrist Situation Respecting the Importation of provisions." The Selectmen reported later in the month with a petition addressed to the President of the United States asking relief, which the meeting adopted and ordered sent.

As time passed on, the rumors of a possibility of war became more emphatic .** It seemed as though no effort was made to prevent it. The arrogance of England was mated with the determ- ination on the part of those in America who had little or nothing to lose. There is no question but New England was at the begin- ning opposed to the war, although, theoretically, New England was the principal sufferer from the alleged causes provocative of it.

*In 1804. $1.40 per gallon; 1805, .96; 1806, .80; 1807, $1.00; 1808, .80; 1809, .60; 1810, .75; from 1811 to 1817 it ranged from $1.00 to $1.25. ¿The Pacific Bank was incorporated in 1804; also the Nantucket and Union Marine Insurance Companies. Macy records (p. 156) that at this time of the 48 ships owned on the Island not one was in port.

¿Macy p. 156. jIb. p. 158. By the census of 1810 there were 6807 in- habitants of whom 210 were over 70 yrs. of age; 379 widows; 474 father- less children; 1322 families; 2055 ratable polls; 937 dwelling houses; 872 other buildings; 332 horses; 15 oxen; 505 cows; 355 swine; about 10,000 sheep.

** It is quite interesting to note the progressiveness of the people at this time. As previously shown they were early believers in innoculation as a preventive of small pox. And that belief seems to have been con- stant. Under date of April 21, 1810, the Town ordered the Health Com- mittee "to superintend the business Respecting the Cow pox to Investi- gate the subject and Report at some futer Town meeing." The Commit- tee reported October 30, 1810 that "they find there are four thousand one hundred and twenty-six belonging in this Town who have not had Either the small pox or the Kine Pox and from what Information they have been able to Collect your Committee believe all who are Willing; to have the Kine pox may be Innoculated for twelve Cents and a half Cent for Each person. If the Town will guarantee the payment."

WALTER FOLGER JUNR, JEDIDIAH FITCH, ANDREW PINKHAM, FRANCIS MACY, JOSHUA COFFIN,

The Town voted that the Health Committee "Introduce & carry on the Inoculation of Kine Pox at the Town expense in conformity to the report at 12 1-2 cents per head.

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The people of Nantucket had not had time to forget the distressing situations encountered during the Revolutionary War, emphasized by the fact that in their isolated situation their own country could afford them little protection

Before the year 1811 closed, Macy says, "sixty dwelling-houses were offered for sale, the owners of which intended to go into the country .* Many of those who removed went to Ohio.

*P 160.

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CHAPTER VII THE WAR OF 1812

As though in response to the quotation,

"When troubles come they come not singly But in whole battalions,"

came the report that American whalemen were meeting with trouble on the Pacific Coast of South America. Peruvian privateers were continually plundering them and cutting them out from Chilian ports where they had gone to recruit. The chronic condition of affairs on that coast being a state of war, the United States Govern- ment sent the Hon. Joel R. Poinsett, of South Carolina, to the locality to look after the interests of American commerce and see that it was properly protected. For several months, however, his remonstrances had been worse than useless. The declaration of war between England and the United States gave the Peruvians a fresh pretext to exercise their piratical proclivities. They claimed to be allies of England, and that, as such, their acts were justifiable. An expedition was equipped by the authorities at Lima and suc- ceeded in capturing the towns of Conception and Talcahuano. In the latter port was a large number of American ships, many of which were whalers. Having obtained their cargoes of oil, they had put in there to recruit with fresh provisions and water previous to starting on the homeward voyage. Among the ships were the Criterion, Capt. William Clark; the Mary Ann, Capt. George Russell, Jr .; the Monticello, Capt. Barzillai Coffin; the Chili, Capt. Robert Gardner Jun'r; the John & James ; the Lima, Capt. Swain; the Lion, Capt. - Paddock; the Sukey, Capt. John Macy; the Gardner, Capt. Isaiah Ray; the President, Capt. Solomon Folger; the Perseveranda, Capt. Thomas Paddack; and the Atlas, Capt. Obed Joy; all of Nantucket. These vessels were detained in the port by the Limian expedition, which consisted of two-men-of- war and about 1500 troops. They found a bag containing about $800 on board the President, and, possibly thinking no one man could acquire so much real money honestly, carried her captain, ashore under a guard and imprisoned her remaining officers and crew, excepting the mate, one boat-steerer, and the cook.

Poinsett on learning of the state of affairs immediately joined the Chilian army and directed its movements. On May 15th, the two contending forces met in battle near the town of San Carlos.

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The close of the day found neither side victorious. Putting him- self at the head of 400 picked men Poinsett, under cover of the night, marched directly to Talcahuano, whither the Limian army had withdrawn. The town was immediately carried by storm and the detained whalemen were released .* Some of the ships having had their papers destroyed, Poinsett furnished them with consular certificates. The Peruvians were taught a lesson they did not easily forget.

In 1812, there being no cessation of the infringements on American shipping by the English the United States began to pre- pare for war. The people of Nantucket still hoped hostilities would be averted and that the Orders in Council, on which the contention was almost wholly founded, would be revoked. Clinging to this opinion the Islanders continued to send their ships on their voyages, four being dispatched in 1812, the Brothers, Charles, Lima and President, all of which were sent to the Pacific Ocean. These all returned to the home port in safety, though with comparatively small voyages. Besides those the brig Diana, the schooners Mount Hope, President and Thetis and the sloops Dove and Nancy were sent on Atlantic voyages. Of these the Diana, Dove and President learned that war had been declared and came home. The schooner Mount Hope did not fare so well. She was the first Nantucket whaler to fall a victim to the English. She was captured July 9, 1812, and burned, with her catch of 170 barrels of sperm oil.

While it is not likely that either political party in Nantucket favored hostilities, it is entirely true that political lines in their local application were very sharply drawn and the question of send- ing Representatives to the General Court was provocative of the most discreditable outbreaks ever witnessed in the Town Meetings of the Island. With a singular reticence as to the actual happen- ings the Town Records contain no word that even remotely hints that anything out of the usual course had happened;

The New Bedford Mercury contained a letter dated at Nan- tucket May 2, 1812 which records one such occasion in these words-"We had this day the most turbulent Town Meeting that was ever held at Nantucket. Immediately after the Clerk had read the warrant for calling the meeting, one of the Selectmen called on the inhabitants to give in their votes for one or more Representatives. A gentleman belonging to the Federal party,} immediately rose and requested the people to stop a moment, as he was about to submit a motion to the consideration of the Meeting; but apparently, as if preconcerted, three or four persons while he was speaking, threw their votes into the. box. The impropriety of receiving votes before the town had determined how many Repre- sentatives they had a right to send and how many they would send,

*Nantucket Inquirer Aug 9, 1824; also Inquirer and Mirror Septem- ber 14, 1872. In the latter paper is an account of the affair written by Capt. Nathaniel Fitzgerald, who was a member of the crew of one of the detained whalers.

¿The prominent men on the opposite sides in Town controversies seem to have been to quite a material extent the same ones who lined up as accusers and accused in the matter of the Bank robbery.

#The Democrats were to all intents and purposes the party of to- day while the Federalists were the Republicans of today.

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was strongly represented. While treating on the subject all was confusion; however, a motion was made and seconded, to send but one Representative-It was the first and only motion made; but the Selectmen utterly refused it and would not admit a vote to be taken on the question; and persisted in calling on the people to bring in their votes for one or more Representatives .*- At the close of the meeting, they declared that nine Representatives were chosen. Their names are Micajah Coffin, Micajah Gardner, Shubael Coffin, Coffin Whippey, Obadiah Folger, Simeon Coleman, Jedediah Fitch, George Cannon and Archelaus Hammond. The highest num- ber of votes for the above list was 431 ;- the highest on the fed- eral ticket, 337."

A remonstrance was immediately prepared and forwarded to the House of Representatives setting forth that "The subscribers, Inhabitants & legal voters in the Town of Nantucket in the County of Nantucket humbly represent that Micajah Coffin, George Cannon, Shubael Coffin, Micajah Gardner, Jedidiah Fitch, Obadiah Folger, Coffin Whippey, Archelus Hammond, Esquire & Simeon Coleman, are returned Representatives for the Town of Nantucket this pres- ent year. And believing that the purity of Elections is the chief pillar of Freedom, and believing that to detect errors & irregular- ities in our Elections is not only a right but a duty of all good Citizens we take the liberty to remonstrate against Micajah Coffin, George Cannon, Shubael Coffin, Micajah Gardner, Jedidiah Fitch, Obadiah Folger, Coffin Whippey, Archelus Hammond Esquire & Simeon Coleman, holding their seats as Presentatives for the Town of Nantucket the present year for the following reasons:

Firstly. We state that the meeting at which the above men were chosen, was illegally warned, and contrary to the practice of eighty-seven years except in two or three in- stances of extreme cases.

Secondly. That when the Town had assembled for the pur- pose of the choice of Representatives, a motion was made & seconded to determine the number they would send (which has been the practice time out of mind); the Se- lectmen who presided at the meeting refused to put that motion, or any other that was offered, but called for the Votes to be brought in for one or more. some voted for one some for eight & others for nine.

Thirdly. That the Selectmen who presided at the meeting were not sworn or affirmed as by Law they ought to have been.

Fourthly. That the meeting was irregular, illegal & tumultu- ous and the votes put in in such a manner that it was impossible for the Selectmen to determine whether all that Voted were legal voters or whether they put in one or more Votes.

Nantucket May 19, 1812.

To prove the first point in the Remonstrance we want a certi- fied copy from the Town Record for calling Town Meetings passed the 17th day of 1st month 17 24-25 which is as follows:

Voted that the method for the future to warn the Town Meet- ings shall be to set up a notification on the two meeting

*The Selectmen elected at the April Meeting were Seth Coffin, La- tham Gardner, Obadiah Folger, Griffin Barney, Gorham Coffin Gilbert Coffin and Silvanus Macy. Each town paid its own representatives for service, and determined how many or how few would be sent up to the limit.

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houses, and the Town House, setting forth the occasion of the meeting. Unless in such a case that a meeting must be before any first day of the week happens, then to be warned after the former way;

the dates of the Warrants (on file at the Clerk's office) for calling meetings for choice of Representatives, Likewise the time that the meetings were held-however the Warrants themselves express when the meetings were to be-that must be certified by the Town Clerk.

The 2d point a certified coppy of the meetings from 1784 to 1811 where it will appear that the first Vote taken was always to determine the number of Representatives they will send, likewise some depositions to prove that as soon as possible after the meet- ing was opened a motion was put by William Coffin to send one Representative which motion was seconded & that the Selectmen Refused to put the motion & did not put it, that they called for Votes to be brought in for one or more persons to Represent the Town, that the meeting was perfectly orderly untill after this mo- tion was made, seconded & refused to be put, after which all was confusion, that while the confusion. lasted a great number of Votes were put into the box & a number handed to the Selectmen. that one-half or more of the whole votes were collected & put into the box in such a manner that had the Selectmen have been ever so much on the watch to prevent illegal Voters or prevent people from put- ting in more than one it would have been out of their power, like- wise that while the disorder continued two of the Selectmen viz. Silvanus Macy & Seth Coffin appeared to be the most out of order of any person present-making use of irritating language-& gen- erally speaking that the meeting was disorderly-that the Select- men refused to put any motion that was offered-that there was no Moderator nor Chairman-that one Selectman would call for the Votes for one or more, another would say from one to nine &c.

3rd point-That may be proved negatively by their being qual- ified afterwards should that be the case, certain it is that if they had been qualified before the meeting which they might have been by a Justice of the Peace, the Town Clerk ought to have known if their certificate should have been on record,-presumption is strong they had not been .*

4th point will be proved generally by the evidence on the other points.

A copy of the Warrant for the meeting with the Constable's return was presented in evidence.

Just what became of the remonstrance and what action, if any, the House of Representatives took does not appear from the Journal of the House.t

*The record of the meeting says: "At a meeting of the Male Inhab- itants of the Town of Nantucket quallified by law to vote for Repre- sentatives at the Town House in Nantucket May 2. 1812 for the choise of one or more persons for Representatives to represent the Town of Nantucket at the general Court that is, to be convend and held in Bos- ton the 27 of May 1812- -The votes being brought in Sorted and Counted there appeared for Micajah Coffin 431 votes;" for Shubael Cof- fin 429; Micajah Gardner 424; Coffin Whippy 430; Archalus Hammond 429; George Cannon 425; Obadiah Folger 429; Simeon Coleman 425; Jed- didiah Fitch 425; Benjamin Coffin 2d. 322; Thaddeus Joy 320; Thaddeus Coffin 320; Aaron Mitchell 323; David Myrick 320; Benjamin Walcut 319; Jared Gardner 319; William Riddel 319; Samuel Bigalow 319; Griffin Barney, George Gardner, Simeon Brewer, Peleg Macy Jr., Peleg Macy, Silvanus Coleman, David Worth, Simeon Coffin Jr., Joshua Coffin, Reu- ben R. Bunker, David Elkins, Joseph Davis, Ralf Kilborn, Benjamin Glover, one vote each.

+Unpublished M. S.

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On May 9, 1812, the Town, in Town Meeting assembled, ap- pointed the Selectmen, a Committee to prepare a Memorial to lay before Congress "on the subject of our present foreign Relations, wishing to avoid War." The Committee reported with the follow- ing:

"To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, the memorial of the inhabitants of Nantucket respectfully showeth:

That from a Conviction of their Rights to assemble and de- liberate in a peaceful manner, they have this day Convened in legal Town meeting, to Consider the serious and alarming situation, in which the Politics of the Nation seem to be placed. They are aware of the legal and Exalted position in which you are placed by the people, and believe you are Constantly Disposed, not only to prevent, but to alleviate, the distresses of every section of the Union. It is under that impression that they now address you; as they are persuaded their situation is not fully known to many of you, they take the liberty of a Retrospective view.

In the year 1775, they were in possession of one hundred and fifty sail of vessels, which were imployed in the whale fisheries; they had also several more imployed as, Coasters, and in the Mer- chant service. When the Revolutionary War commenced, the greater part of the seamen were Compelled to leave their hereto- fore peaceful occupations, and engage in a kind of imploy not suited to their former habits, in Consequence of which a great number of valuable and Enterprising men were brought to an un- timely end,* and hundreds of widows, with many fatherless Chil- dren, were left with only a precarious dependence on the Charity of surviving friends.

Your Memorialists would also further observe, that, in addi- tion to the Common Calamities of Maratime War, their Harbor was frequently visited by Raviging Enemies, whose Insatiable thirst for plunder and devastation Left but little for the subsistance of the Inhabitants, and Eventually the once flourishing Town of Nan- tucket was left resembling an abandoned Village.

After the blessings of peace were Restored, the spirit of enter- prise again displayed its feeble but pleasing Countenance, and the progressing Industry and perseverance of the Citizens has in a de- gree surmounted the Evils of the War, as a general state of comfort is prevailing, while some are above necessity and others are opulant. Therefore after viewing things as they actually are and Consid- ering that Nantucket is an Island that may be Invaded at any point and its situation without or beyond a protecting Distance from the Continent your Memorialists Cannot under these gloomy circum- stances fail to Deplore the Necessity of Commencing a foreign War, and we are probably influenced in our feelings from knowing the Miseries of those that are so unfortunate as to fall within the vor- tex occasioned by the Conflicting powers of Europe.

It is further observable that seven Eighths of the Mercantile capital is now at sea, three fourths of which is not Expected to Return within Twelve months from the present date.

To conclude-while your Memorialists feel that Confident as- surance which ought to possess the minds of the people towards their Rulers they can have no desire to controul yet they have no hesitation Respectfully to declare their belief that the declaration

*Macy p. 118.

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of a Foreign War would be desolating to the Inhabitants of this Island. And it will be the Constant Prayer of your Memorialists that the necessity of such a Declaration may be averted.

Countersigned by ISAAC COFFIN Moderator Attest JAMES COFFIN Town Clerk Nantucket 9th 5th mo. 1812."*

Mr. Macy sayst-"This memorial was read three times, and claimed the serious attention of the people; solemnity pervaded the whole meeting in a striking manner. After some pertinent re- marks, it was unanimously voted to accept it, and the Selectmen were made a committee to forward it to Congress."

It seems a little singular that New England, the section osten- sibly most affected by the aggressions of the British, was the sec- tion most strongly opposed to the War, but such appears to be the fact. Doubtless some of the reports of English depredations were much exaggerated as were those regarding the men from Nan- tucket who were impressed. Nevertheless the overbearing inso- lence of the commanders of English vessels of war in overhauling American vessels, even although not going to the extent of remov- ing men from them was a thing no self-respecting nation could put up with. War was inevitable unless the English discontinued. their aggressions. Nantucket was in much the same situation as

*One of the strongest arguments in justification of the war was the impressment of American seamen by English vessels of war, doub- less done somewhat but not to the extent claimed.

On March 26, 1813, the New Bedford Mercury published a list of seamen the English were said to have impressed said to be from Nan- tucket. They were (1) Clement Coffin, (2) Francis Coffin Jr., (3) Tim- othy Myrick, (4) William Bunker, (5) Jacob Smith, (6) William Fitz- gerald, (7)John Rice, (8) - -Huttlestone, (9) Moses Coffin, (10) Ebenezer Clark, (11) Obed Hussey, (12) Silvanus Jones, (13) John Chris- tian, (14) Zimri Gardner, (15) William Stewart, (16) Duncan Thomas (17) John Logan, (18) Bartlett Coffin, (19) Ambrose Giles, (20) John Black. The Washington Benevolent Society had made an investigation with these results; No 1-born in Nantucket, went to Halifax 1786, and had been most of the time under the British flag-whaling, etc. No. 2, was born at Nantucket; impressed on board the Indefatigable in 1806 and carried to Plymouth and forced into an English man of war. No. 3 was born at Nantucket and had told a Townsman that he had entered on the Maidstorm frigate. No 4 was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia of Nantucket parents; No. 6 was born at Nantucket, was im- pressed and discharged; No. 8 was born at Nantucket, volunteered on an English ship of war; No. 9 was born at Nantucket,-was discharged; No. 11, Obed Hussey, born at Nantucket, was captured and discharged; No. 12, born at Nantucket, been absent from the Island 14 years and . not heard from by his parents for seven years; No. 14, born at Nantuc- ket-sailed in 1790-changed situations with a man on a British whaler -sailed several voyages-entered British service; No. 19, A Giles, born at Nantucket, impressed and discharged-been in the Poor House since 1804; No. 20, born at Nantucket; No. 5, born at Barnstable; No. 7 does not belong in Nantucket, but a boy, Stephen Rice, was impressed out of sloop Orange, Capt. Whippey and carried to Demarara, but was discharg- ed; Nos. 15 and 16 not Nantucket men-no authentic intelligence to be had; No. 10 is a Vineyard man; No. 13 is a Hamburgher, served appren- ticeship at Nantucket, was impressed and discharged. Samuel Peters, born at Nantucket, sailed on a whaler that foundered-people saved,- Sailed afterwards from England, was impressed and probably lost on Jut- land in the Defence: Timothy Meader, born at Nantucket, was impressed in Liverpool- at last accounts was on a man of war bound to the Baltic. Isaac Bailey, born at Nantucket, impressed in 1810 but discharged. Four of the first thirteen Nantucketers married in England. Only three now on board English vessels and two admit having entered. +Page 163.

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during the War of the Revolution. The people were obliged to import food-stuffs and fuel and their own country could not or at least did not afford them the protection necessary to their existence.

In the Pacific the depredations of the Peruvians did not en- tirely cease with the punishment administered by Poinsett. They were again emboldened by the breaking out of war between Eng- land and the United States. In order to destroy the American whale fishery in the Pacific the English armed their whaling ves- sels and Peru afforded a port where captured American whaleships could be sent. In the Pacific coast ports where the English and American crews met on equal terms no love was lost between them. The American slogan, "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights," was sure to breed trouble with the English crews, and that was just what was intended. Clashes were frequent .*

The Peruvians renewing their piratical acts, the United States Government dispatched Captain David Porter to protect American interests. He made short work of the activities 'of the Peruvians and effectually broke up the English whale fishery in those parts. The English whalemen carried on an average nearly nine guns and were sent out with the intention that they should destroy the American fishery in the Pacific, as well as fill with oil. Capt. Por- ter captured 12 of them, ranging from the Montezuma with 2 guns (the only one that carried so small a number) to the Seringapatam with 14. The gallant Captain was afterwards captured by an over- whelming force, but he had given the English whalefishery in the Pacific its quietus.

The dominant party in Nantucket at this time was Demo- cratic. The Federalists held a meeting April 30, 1812, attended by a large number of the inhabitants, probably mainly of the same political faith, "to take into consideration the present alarming con- dition in which the United States appear to be placed. Jethro Mitchell, Jun. was called to the Chair and Josiah Barker was chosen Secretary. After duly considering the business :-

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The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 35

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925 Publication date: 1924 Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900