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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01234 6927
GENEALOGY 974.5 F45s v. 1
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State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the End of the Century: A History
ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS, FAC-SIMILES OF OLD PLATES AND PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF ANCIENT LANDMARKS
EDITED BY EDWARD FIELD, A. B.
Volume one
HOP &
The MASON PUBLISHING COMPANY BOSTON & SYRACUSE 1 902
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the End of the Century: A History
ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS, FAC-SIMILES OF OLD PLATES AND PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF ANCIENT LANDMARKS
EDITED BY EDWARD FIELD, A. B.
Volume one
HOPE
The MASON PUBLISHING COMPANY BOSTON & SYRACUSE 1902
COPYRIGHTED 1902 BY THE MASON PUBLISHING AND PRINTING CO.
Jysan - $10.00 (3 Yols)
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND and PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS at the END OF THE CENTURY A History
1146737
Editor in Chief EDWARD FIELD, A. B.
Authors
JOSIAH BROWNE BOWDITCH, CLARENCE SAUNDERS BRIGHAM, A. B., CHARLES VALUE CHAPIN, M. D., EDWARD FIELD, A. B., WILLIAM EATON FOSTER, REV. DANIEL GOODWIN, A. M., ROBERT GRIEVE, REV. JAMES HILL NUTTING, A. M., H. PERRY SMITH, EDWARD CLINTON STINESS, A. B., LL. B., HOWARD KEMBLE STOKES, PH. D., GEORGE GRAFTON WILSON, PH. D. : . . : .
: ...
Editors
JOSHUA M. ADDEMAN, CHARLES P. BENNETT, WILLIAM H. T. MOSLEY, HORACE S. TARBELL, LL. D., HENRY E. TIEPKE, WILLIAM HOWARD WALKER, GEORGE H. WEBB. : : .. : : .. ..
.
Preface
The present work is submitted to the people of Rhode Island with the hope that it will meet with their approval.
No attempt has been made since the publication of the History of Rhode Island by Hon. Samuel G. Arnold in 1859 to present in one work a study of the growth and development of the state. Arnold's History concluded with the year 1790, leaving at the present time, a period of more than one hundred years of growth, regarding which there is no convenient place for reference to the historic facts. This work begins with a concise political history of the state from its settlement to the end of the nineteenth century, written by Clarence Saunders Brigham, A. B., Librarian of the Rhode Island Historical Society. This is followed by a series of historical monographs, relating to the various departments into which the history of the state has been divided for convenience of treatment. These divisions and their arrangement in the volumes are as follows :
Volume I. contains besides the General History of the state, written by Mr. Brigham, the Military History, written by the editor-in-chief, under the title, "The Wars and the Militia;" the Naval History, written by H. Perry Smith, Esq., under the title, "The Sea Force in War-time."
Volume II. contains the Medical History, written under the title, "Epidemics and Medical Institutions," by Charles V. Chapin, M. D .; the Religious History, written under the title, "Religious Societies, Their History and Present Condition," by Rev. Daniel
1
X
PREFACE.
Goodwin; the History of Education, written under the title, "Growth of Public Education," by H. Perry Smith, Esq .; the Com- mercial History, written under the title, "The Development of the Sea Trade," to which is added a division relating to travel and transportation, by Robert Grieve, Esq .; the History of the News- papers and such publications, written under the title, "The Printer and the Press," by H. Perry Smith, Esq .; and the History of the Public and Semi-public Libraries, written under the title, "The Growth of the Library;" that portion of the chapter relating to the Providence Libraries being written by William E. Foster, Esq., while that portion relating to the other libraries in the state is written by H. Perry Smith, Esq.
Volume III. contains the Municipal History of the State, writ- ten under the title, "Political Development of the Towns," by George Grafton Wilson, Ph. D .; the Judicial History, written un- der the title, "The Struggle for Judicial Supremacy," by Edward Clinton Stiness, A. B. LL. B .; the Financial History, written un- der the title, "Public and Private Finance," by Howard Kemble Stokes, Ph. D .; the History of Manufactures, written under the title, "Industrial Development," by Josiah Browne Bowditch, Esq .; the History of Public Charities and Corrections, written under the title, "The Poor, the Defective and the Criminal," by Rev. James Hill Nutting, A. M .; the History of Masonic and Odd Fellows Societies, written under the title, " Free-masonry and Odd Fellow- ship," by H. Perry Smith, Esq., and a chapter on "Early Habits and Customs and Old Landmarks," written by the editor-in-chief.
In a work of this character where so many hands have con- tributed to its growth, delays were numerous and many obstacles have been met that have put off its publication long beyond the time originally expected, but it is believed that such delays and obstacles have contributed to make the work better throughout.
The illustrative features have been carried out on the plan of
xi
PREFACE
introducing as far as possible such pictures as have not previously been used in similar published works.
During the progress of the work some changes were made necessary in the personnel of the editorial staff; Hon. Edwin D. McGuinness died on the 21st day of April, 1901, and Hon. Wil- lard B. Tanner, on account of his absence from the country, was obliged to relinquish the work which he expected to do.
In the editorial work I have been assisted by many persons ; to them I desire at this time to express my sincere thanks for their many kindnesses, in addition to my private expressions at the time. I wish, however, to particularly thank Hon. Horatio Rogers, Jus- tice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, for many kindly hints and words of advice, and also Mr. Fred A. Arnold, Col. Philip S. Chase, Mr. George H. Burnham and Mr. Howard W. Preston. To the authors and special editors I am indebted for their hearty co- operation and assistance.
From the very inception of the work I have been closely asso- ciated with Mr. H. Perry Smith, representing the Mason Publish- ing and Printing Company, the publishers and promoters of this history, and I take this opportunity to testify to his unflagging zeal and deep interest in the work which has come particularly under his care.
Providence, R. I., February 24, 1902.
EDWARD FIELD.
Contents
CHAPTER I.
EARLY VOYAGES AND THE INDIANS .3-15
CHAPTER II.
THE PURITANS AND ROGER WILLIAMS 15-28
CHAPTER III.
THE FOUNDING OF PROVIDENCE
29-39
CHAPTER IV.
THE ANTINOMIANS AND AQUEDNECK. 40-57
CHAPTER V.
SAMUEL GORTON AND THE FOUNDING OF WARWICK.
57-72
CHAPTER VI.
THE OBTAINING OF THE FIRST CHARTER, 1639-47.
73-85
CHAPTER VII.
THE PERIOD OF THE FIRST CHARTER, 1648-63
85-102
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM THIE CHARTER OF 1663 TO KING PHILIP'S WAR.
102-122
CHAPTER IX.
FROM KING PHILIP'S WAR TO THE COMING OF ANDROS
122-142
CHAPTER X.
ANDROS AND THE ROYAL GOVERNORS, 1686-1701
143-161
xiv
CONTENTS CHAPTER XL.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR CRANSTON 161-175
CHAPTER XII.
THE PERIOD OF PAPER MONEY AND FOREIGN WARS 176-192
CHAPTER XIII.
THE HOPKINS-WARD PERIOD 193-219
CHAPTER XIV.
THE PERIOD OF COLONIAL RESISTANCE. 219-226
CHAPTER XV.
RHODE ISLAND IN THE REVOLUTION . 227-248
CHAPTER XVI.
THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CONSTITUTION
248-272
CHAPTER XVII.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FENNERS, 1790-1811
272-295
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PERIOD FROM 1820 TO 1830
296-318
CHAPTER XIX.
FROM 1830 TO THE DORR WAR. 318-334
CHAPTER XX.
335-352
THE DORR WAR AND ITS RESULTS
CHAPTER XXI.
FROM THE DORR WAR TO THE CIVIL WAR. 353-375
CHAPTER XXII.
THE LAST FOUR DECADES.
.375-392
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE WARS AND THE MILITIA. .393-530
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE SEA FORCE IN WAR TIME .531-627
Illustrations
INDIAN WAMPUM AND STONE IMPLEMENTS FOUND IN RHODE ISLAND. 12
SLATE ROCK AND SEEKONK RIVER. 25
GOVERNOR WILLIAM CODDINGTON (portrait) 52
TITLE PAGE OF GORTON'S "SIMPLICITIES DEFENCE' 63
TITLE PAGE OF ROGER WILLIAMS'S ANSWER TO GEORGE FOX. 118 WHITEHALL, THE RESIDENCE OF BISHOP BERKELEY IN MIDDLETOWN. 178
THE HOME OF JOHN WANTON, SON OF GOVERNOR GIDEON WANTON, AT NEWPORT 200
HOPKINS HOUSE, SITUATED ON HOPKINS STREET, PROVIDENCE. 207
FAC SIMILE OF GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE'S OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES 239
ELLERY HOUSE, NEWPORT. 243
FAC SIMILE OF NATHANAEL GREENE'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE APPOINTMENT OF QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL 245
WASHINGTON SQUARE, NEWPORT, IN 1818. 255
MAP OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, BY CALEB HARRIS, 1795 270
CORONATION ROCK, CHARLESTOWN . 281
MAP OF THE TOWN OF PROVIDENCE IN 1823, BY DANIEL ANTHONY 310
PAWTUXET COVE, LOOKING TOWARD THE NORTH. 373
PROVIDENCE FROM THE SPIRE OF THE FIRST BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE 382
CITY HALL, PROVIDENCE. 384
RHODE ISLAND STATE HOUSE 391
UPDYKE HOUSE, NEAR WICKFORD 407
GREENE'S STONE CASTLE 409
MONUMENT AT THE SCENE OF PIERCE'S FIGHT. 410
ARMS USED BY RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS IN VARIOUS WARS. 424
ROBIN HILL FORT. 448
FORT INDEPENDENCE, FIELD'S POINT, PROVIDENCE 450
FORT ON HOG PEN POINT. 451
FORT ON TONOMY ( Beacon) HILL 453
FORT ON THE ISLAND OF CONANICUT. 454
xvi
ILLUSTRATIONS.
A CORNER OF BUTT'S HILL FORT, PORTSMOUTHI 456 THE SABIN TAVERN, PROVIDENCE. 460
CAPT. JOSEPH TILLINGHAST (portrait ) 463
FAC SIMILE OF GOVERNOR WANTON'S PROCLAMATION FOR THIE APPREIIENSION OF TIIE "GASPEE" CONSPIRATORS. 466
GEN. WILLIAM BARTON (portrait) 471
MEDAL STRUCK IN COMMEMORATION OF THE BRITISH OCCUPANCY OF R. I. . 472
FAC SIMILE OF ORDER ISSUED TO WILLIAM BARTON, RESULTING IN THE PRES- COTT EXPEDITION 474
OVERING HOUSE, MIDDLETOWN. 476
DAVID ARNOLD TAVERN, OLD WARWICK. 478
THE BANNISTER HOUSE, NEWPORT 482
GARDINER HOUSE, OLD WARWICK. 492
BLISS HILL FORT, GREEN END, MIDDLETOWN. 495
HALL HOUSE, NEAR BRISTOL FERRY, PORTSMOUTH 500
FLAG CARRIED BY ANGELL'S SECOND RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT. 507
THE VERNON HOUSE, NEWPORT. 509
FAC SIMILE OF PROCLAMATION ISSUED DURING THE DORR WAR. 515
FIRST R. I. INFANTRY IN THE SPANISH WAR PASSING CITY HALL, PROVI-
DENCE 525
MODEL OF THE U. S. FRIGATE WASHINGTON. 598
ESEK HOPKINS, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN NAVY DURING THE REVOLUTION (portrait) 605
ONE OF THE GUNS CAPTURED BY ESEK HOPKINS AT NEW PROVIDENCE 609
THE HOPKINS HOUSE, PROVIDENCE 615
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, COMMODORE U. S. NAVY (portrait). 619
THE JUDGE FREEMAN PERRY HOMESTEAD PREMISES 622
PARADE OF RHODE ISLAND U. S. NAVAL VOLUNTEERS, NEWPORT, JULY 4, 1898 624
History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY VOYAGES AND THE INDIANS.
If we are willing to rely upon documents, chiefly based on tradi- tion, we can assert that the first white people to set foot on the shores of lower New England were the hardy Norsemen of the tenth century. In the year 875 A. D. a body of Norwegians, under Ingolf, started a settlement in Iceland, and within half a century a promising colony of nearly 70,000 inhabitants was established almost under the Arctic circle. By the end of the tenth century many had emigrated to Greenland, where they founded a new settlement and introduced Christianity. In the year 986, according to the sagas,1 one Bjarni Herjulfson, in sailing from Iceland to Greenland, was driven far out of his course by stress of weather, and on his return to his native land, reported that he had come upon a strange country, away to the south- west. Fourteen years later Leif, son of Eric, sailed from Greenland in quest of the land seen by Bjarni. He found a barren shore stretch- ing back to ice-covered mountains, and on account of the slaty rock there called the region Helluland. Proceeding farther south, they came to a level territory, with a sandy shore lying near the water, and inland a forest country, because of which it was named Markland. Again sailing southerly, in two days they came to an island which lay to the eastward of the mainland. Proceeding beyond this farther south and westerly, they finally ascended a river and brought the ship to anchor in a large lake, on the shores of which they built huts to lodge in for the winter. Leif sent out many exploring parties, and
'The text of these sagas are given in full in Danish, Icelandic, and Latin in Rafn, Antiquitates Americanae. The most important of them are given in English in E. B. Slafter, Voyages of the Northmen; B. F. De Costa, Pre- Columbian Discovery; and in E. Horsford, Discovery of America by the Norsemen. There are bibliographies of the subject of Norse exploration in the Library Journal, vi, 259; R. B. Anderson, America not discovered by Columbus; 1883 ed .; F. W. Horn, Hist. of the lit. of the Scandinavian North, p. 413; and in E. B. Slafter, Voyages of the Northmen, p. 127. There is an excellent critical summary of the subject in Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, i, 87.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
on one of these an abundance of grapes was found, which induced him to call the country Vinland.
During the present century numerous attempts have been made to identify the Vinland thus mentioned in Leif's voyage and in a few subsequent expeditions, with various spots on our castern coast. Judging by the inexact accounts of the directions in sailing, by the very general descriptions of the country, and by the length of the shortest day in Vinland, writers have placed this almost mythological locality all the way from Labrador to North Carolina. The first advocate to identify the region surrounding Narragansett and Mount Hope Bays as the site of the ancient Vinland was Carl Christian Rafn, an eminent Danish scholar, who, in 1837, published his Antiquitates Americanae, containing a mass of original Norse documents, with comments and conclusions respecting them. He averred that the river opening into a lake was the Pocasset River flowing from Mount Hope Bay ; recon- ciled the descriptions of climate and of native inhabitants to what he knew of the climate and aborigines of southern New England, found Norse linguistic elements entering into the composition of many Indian names, and by a delightfully convenient interpretation of language, represented that the shortest winter day of Vinland meant 41 degrees 30 minutes-the latitude of Newport. He also attempted to show that the stone tower now standing at Newport was the work of Northmen, and inserts a description of certain rocks situated in Tiver- ton and Portsmouth Grove. The above conclusions, with many others not relating to Rhode Island, soon became the theme of fruitless dis- cussion throughout the country. Many writers, some of high historical ability, came to widely differing judgments respecting this shadowy locality,1 until finally the best scholars realized that the descriptions of the sagas were too general and too contradictory to be relied upon. The attempt to adduce monumental evidence in the form of archaeo- logical remains and runic inscriptions have invariably brought ridicule upon these pretended discoveries. When a man brings forward that which is impossible to support a thing that is improbable, he is liable to somewhat weaken his claim. Scarcely had Professor Rafn's article attributing a Norse origin to the old mill appeared, when his views were speedily controverted, and the structure was clearly shown to have been what Newport people had always supposed-a wind-mill
'Among those who favored Rafn's identification of Rhode Island as Vin- land were Haven, Archaeology of the U. S., 1856; Gravier, Decouverte de l'Amerique, 1874; Goodrich, Christopher Columbus, 1874; Anderson, America not discovered by Columbus, 1874; and Farnum, Visits of the Northmen to R. I., 1877.
5
EARLY VOYAGES AND THE INDIANS.
built by Governor Arnold about 1676.1 In like manner the Tiverton and Portsmouth rocks, so carefully described in Rafn's volume, proved to be covered with Indian rather than Norse inscriptions, perhaps made by the same tribe that cut those on Dighton rock.2 There is not the slightest archaeological evidence existing in Rhode Island or in New England to prove that the Northmen ever visited our coast. Ban- croft's statement, made in 1834, that "the soil of the United States has not one vestige of their presence'3 is just as true to-day as when first written. The most that we can safely assert is that, according to historical tradition, the Northmen visited several points in the eastern coast of America ; but that we can identify the locality of any one of these visits is not proved by any documents yet adduced.
The first European to set foot on the shores of what is now Rhode Island, was probably a French navigator, named Verrazano. A Florentine by birth, in 1521 he begins to appear in Spanish history as a French corsair, under the name of Juan Florin. Gaining the notice of the French king, he was commissioned to set out on the dis- covery of Cathay by a westward route, and after a somewhat dis- astrous start, finally proceeded on his voyage with one ship, the Dau- phine. In this vessel Verrazano sailed, January 17, 1524, from the Desiertas Rocks, near the Island of Maderia, having fifty men and provisions for eight months. After a voyage of about fifty days he came in sight of land, the latitude of which he placed as 34 degrees N. On approaching the land, which appeared to be inhabited, lie sailed south fifty leagues in search of a harbor; but finding none, turned and coasted along the shore to the north. For several days Verrazano's narrative carries him steadily northward, carefully
1All the facts concerning the structure are given in C. T. Brooks's Con- troversy touching the old stone mill, 1851, and are well summed up in Pal- frey, New England, i, 57. See also G. C. Mason in Mag. Amer. Hist., iii, 541. Professor Rafn never saw the tower himself, but relied upon letters written to him by Dr. Thomas H. Webb, and published with comments in a supple- ment to the Antig. Amer. in 1841. In 1847 there was perpetrated in the Providence papers a remarkable hoax concerning the tower, the details of which are given in Mr. Brooks's pamphlet.
2When Dr. S. A. Green visited the region in 1868, some of these rocks had disappeared. See Proc. Amer. Antig. Soc. for Oct. 1868, p. 13.
3Bancroft, United States, iii, 313.
4His narrative is contained in two Italian translations of a letter written by him to the king of France, July 8, 1524, on his return from the voyage. One was printed by Ramusio in 1556, English translations being given in the Hakluyt Society's editions of Hakluyt, Voyages, p. 55, and Principal Naviga- tions, iii, 357; and in N. Y. Hist. Soc. Coll. i, 45. The other was first printed in the N. Y. Hist. Soc. Coll. 2d ser., i, 37; an English translation is in the same volume and also in Asher, Henry Hudson, p. 197, H. C. Murphy, Ver- razano, and C. Robinson, Discoveries, p. 303.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
deseribing the coast and relating many interesting encounters with the Indians, until he finally comes to anchor in a large bay, which, from his deseription, is evidently New York Harbor. After a short stay here and on Long Island, he proceeds on his eourse. But let him tell the story in his own words.
"Weighing anchor, we sailed fifty leagues toward the east, as the coast stretched in that direction, and always in sight of it; at length we discovered an island of a triangular form, about ten leagues from the mainland, in size about equal to the island of Rhodes, having many hills covered with trees, and well peopled, judging from the great num- ber of fires which we saw all round its shores; we gave it the name of your Majesty's illustrious mother.
"We did not land there, as the weather was unfavorable, but pro- ceeded to another place, fifteen leagues distant from the island, where we found a very excellent harbour. Before entering it, we saw about twenty small boats full of people, who came about our ship, uttering eries of astonishment, but they would not approach nearer than fifty paces ; stopping, they looked at the structure of our ship, our persons and dress, afterwards they all raised a loud shout together, signifying that they were pleased. Among them were two kings, more beautiful in form and stature than ean possibly be described ; one was about forty years old, the other about twenty-four. This is
the finest looking tribe, and the handsomest in their costumes, that we have found in our voyage. They exceed us in size, and they are of a very fair complexion [ ?] ; some of them ineline more to a white [bronze ?], and others to a tawny colour; their faces are sharp, their hair long and black, upon the adorning of which they bestow great pains; their eyes are black and sharp, their expression mild and pleasant, greatly resembling the antique. We formed a great friendship with them, and one day we entered into the port with our ship, having before rode at a distance of a league from the shore, as the weather was adverse. They came off to the ship with a number of little boats, with their faces painted in divers colours, showing us real signs of joy, bringing us of their provisions, and signifying to us where we could best ride in safety with our ship, and keeping with us until we had east anchor. We remained among them fifteen days.
"We often went five or six leagues into the interior, and found the country as pleasant as is possible to conceive, adapted to cultivation of every kind, whether of corn, wine or oil; there are open plains twenty- five or thirty leagues in extent, entirely free from trees or other hin- dranees, and of so great fertility, that whatever is sown there will yield an excellent erop. On entering the woods, we observed that they might all be traversed by an army ever so numerous; the trees of which they were composed were oaks, cypresses, and others unknown in Europe. We found also apples, plums, filberts, and many other
7
EARLY VOYAGES AND THE INDIANS.
fruits, but all of a different kind from ours. The animals, which are in great numbers, as stags, deer, lynxes, and many other species, are taken by snares and by bows, the latter being their chief implement ; their arrows are wrought with great beauty, and for the heads of them they use emery, jasper, hard marble and other sharp stones, in the place of iron. They also use the same kind of sharp stones in cutting down trees, and with them they construct their boats of single logs, hollowed out with admirable skill, and sufficiently commodious to con- tain ten or twelve persons; their oars are short, and broad at the end, and are managed in rowing by force of the arms alone, with perfect security, and as nimbly as they choose. We saw their dwellings, which are of a circular form, of about ten or twelve paces in circumfer- ence, made of logs split in halves, without any regularity of architec- ture, and covered with roofs of straw, nicely put on, which protect them from wind and rain. There is no doubt that they would build stately edifices if they had workmen as skilful as ours, for the whole sea coast abounds in shining stones, crystals and alabaster, and for the same reason it has ports and retreats for animals. They change their habitations from place to place as circumstances of situation and sea- son may require; this is easily done, as they have only to take with them their mats, and they have other houses prepared at once. The father and the whole family dwell together in one house in great num- bers; in some we saw twenty-five or thirty persons. Their food is pulse, as with the other tribes, which is here better than elsewhere, and more carefully cultivated; in the time of sowing they are governed by the moon, the sprouting of grain, and many other ancient usages. They live by hunting and fishing, and they are long-lived. If they fall sick, they cure themselves without medicine, by the heat of the fire, and their death at last comes from extreme old age. We judge them to be very affectionate and charitable towards their relatives, making loud lamentations in their adversity, and in their misery calling to mind all their good fortune. At their departure out of life, their relations mutually join in weeping, mingled with singing, for a long while. This is all we could learn of them.
"This region is situated in the parallel of Rome, being 41 degrees 40 minutes of north latitude, but much colder from accidental circum- stances and not by nature, as I shall hereafter explain to your Majesty, and confine myself at present to the description of its local situation. It looks toward the south, on which side the harbour is half a league broad; afterwards, upon entering it, the extent between the coast and north is twelve leagues, and then enlarging itself it becomes a very large bay, twenty leagues in circumference, in which are five small islands, of great fertility and beauty, covered with large and lofty trees. Among these islands any fleet, however large, might ride safely, without fear of tempest or other dangers. Turning towards the south, at the entrance of the harbour, on both sides, there are very
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
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