USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Jamestown > History of Jamestown on Conanicut Island in the State of Rhode Island > Part 4
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On April 22, 1775, the General Assembly voted that
"Mr. Thomas Freebody, William Greene, and Joshua Babcock, Esqs. be and they are hereby appointed a committee to proportion to the several towns in this Colony, two thousand five hundred pounds of the powder, and one quarter part of the lead, bullets, and flints, belonging to this Colony, and that the following persons be appointed in the towns to receive and distribute said town's proportion :- For Jamestown, Town Treasurer
Jamestown's share: 50 lb. powder, 80 lb. lcad, 320 flints."
At a town meeting, July 29, 1775, it was voted to "appoint Capt. Sam'l Carr to receive s'd Powder ... and distribute same ... and that there be no more than One half pound Delivered to One man and he giving his Receipt for same". In August the General Assembly voted "that all cattle and sheep, that are fit to be killed, be forthwith removed and carried off all the islands of this Colony, Rhode Island excepted and Block Island . . .. and the stock on Jamestown be removed to South Kingston by Sylvester Gardner and Ben- jamin Gardner." The record for reimbursement shows that 45 oxen, 9 cows, 444 sheep, 24 heifers, 5 bulls and 5 steers, valued at 850 pounds 9 shillings, were taken off the island. This was a great hardship and affected every family on the island.
At the June session of the General Assembly, 1775, a vote was passed "that the Committee of Safety be, and they are hereby, directed to charter two suitable Vessels, for the use of the Colony, and fit out the same in the best manner, to protect the trade of this Colony : That the largest of said
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MODEL OF JOHN BROWN'S SHIP "KATY"
Made by Alfred S. Brownell and owned by George L. Miner. Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
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vessels be manned with cighty men, exclusive of officers; and be cquipped with ten guns, four-pounders, fourteen Swivil Guns, a sufficient number of Small-Arms, and all necessary warlike stores." They also appointed Abraham Whipple commander of the larger vessel, the sloop Katy, and Commodore of both vessels.1
The Katy was owned by John Brown of Providence. Shortly after he had been released from an arrest on order of Capt. Wallace of H.M.S. Rose and held in confincment for scveral days on Admiral Graves' flagship in Boston Harbor, he had the Katy fully armed and it was chartered to the Com- mittce of Safety.
All summer Capt. Whipple sailed the Katy up and down Narragansett Bay "to protect the trade of this Colony", and it was Capt. Whipple and the Katy who rcmoved all the sheep, cows and other livestock from Conanicut. Capt. Whipple also had an cncounter with the sloop Diana, a tender of Capt. Wallace's Rose. The account of the engagement is told by Savage Gardner, Master of the Diana, in a report to Admiral Graves, as follows:
"The 15th June 1775 about 9 o'clock AM. being ordered by Captain Wallacc to proceed with the Diana Sloop, a Tender to His Majesty's Ship Rose, up the River towards Providence with a Petty Officer, clcvcn Men and myself, armed with Small Arms and four Swivels to rcconnotire the different Passages, having Intelligence of Armed Vessels being fitted out by the Rebels at Providence.
The 16th PM about half past 5. as I was standing off between the North end of Connecticut [Conanicut] Island and Gold [Gould] Island between two and three Leagucs from the Ship, a Sloop coming down bcforc the wind, I lay'd too to speak hcr-a little after six being within hail, Shc hail'd Us and told Us to bring too or she would sink Us immediately and directly fired a shot which we returned with our Small Arms and Swivels and kept a smart fire on both Sides for near half an hour, till by accident the Powder Chest with the remainder of the swivel Cartridges blew up-In this Sloop wc saw Six Carriage Guns mounted and a great number of Men Onboard- The Ammunition for the Small Arms being near expended and another armed Vessel with Carriage Guns belonging to the Rebels joining and bringing Us between two fires, so that there was no possibility of saving the Vessel-I thought it prudent to run her ashore which I accordingly accomplished ncar the North end of Connecticut [Conanicut] and got on shore with the People and part of the Small Arms-They immediately landed a number of Men from the Vessels in whale Boats who closely pursued and fircd at Us-being so closely pursued and night coming on thought it necessary to separate and Conceal Ourselves till a proper opportunity offered of joining the Ship which was accomplished the next day without the loss of one Man. Mr Stevenson the Petty officer and one Man being the only People that were hurt occasioned by 1"John Brown's Katy" by George L. Miner, Rhode Island History, July, 1943,v.2,p.76.
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the Powder Chest blowing up-During the course of the engagement the People behaved with the greatest Spirit.2
Sign'd Savage Gardner, Master
Thus was fired the first shot of the Revolutionary War authorized by the navy. Slowly but surely the forces of resistance were converging into a mighty stream.
On October 16, 1775, the Town Council voted
"That a Watch be set and kept in this town till further Orders from the town from Six O'Clock in the evening till Sun rise the Next morning that the watch be set and kept from Eldreds Northward Round the Point & if necessary to keep also a strict watch On the Western Shore from the Point as far down as Opposite s'd Eldgedges Shore."
It is evident that the town clerk was fearful of serious trouble for some- time previous to this he had taken all the town's records to the house of Matthew Allen in North Kingstown for safe keeping. This was a fortunate action for had hc not donc so, probably all the records would have been destroyed. His action was confirmed by the Town Meeting of October 21, 1775, as follows;
"It is Voted By this Meeting that the Records of this town be kept in North Kingstown Where they now are or in Some Other Secure place as the town Clerk or Council Clerk Shall think Proper untill further Order from the town."
From December 1776 to November 1779 the voters of the town went to North Kingstown for their meetings, which were held at the house of Matthew Allen.
In October, 1775, the General Assembly voted "that the soldiers at James- town be reinforced with a sufficient number of men to be immediately raiscd by John Northup with assistance of Col. Brown." A company of 14 artillery men was raised to man the 2 four pound field pieces supplied by the assembly.
The situation in Jamestown and Newport had become extremely critical. Capt. Wallace, in command of the revenue vessels, had received reinforce- ments. To quote from the diary of Rev. Ezra Stiles, a minister of Newport, later president of Yale University ;
"The infernal Wallace with 3 men o'war, 2 or 3 more arincd vessels of which one Bomb with several transports-a fleet of perhaps 8 sail is firing away to the northward and spreading or aiming to spread terror thro' the bay".
And again on November 2 he writes
"A tender cannonaded Conanicut again."
With the British vessels sailing up and down the bay, taking random cannon shots at places on the island, and with the town having the shores patrolled by local men it was inevitable that something serious would happen. It is stated by some writers that the shore patrol were firing on the British
2Public Record Office, v.485, pp.409-413. Courtesy William G. Roelker, Director, Rhode Island Historical Society.
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vessels, though they had only flint-lock muskets, and it may be that the story of Capt. John Eldred (see Old Houses --- John Eldred) is true and it may have been just an act of pure wantonness on the part of the British. What- ever the immediate cause the result was the same.
On December 11, 1775, the British landed 200 men on the island and proceeded to destroy the village that had grown up along the 4 rod road- the old Indian trail. An account of this is given in the diary of Rev. Ezra Stiles :
"Dec. 10, 1775. This morning we were awakened with the conflagration of Jamestown on Conanicut. An awful sight; . The bomb brigg and several Tenders full of marines went over last night, and about v o'clock or a little before day landed and set fire to the Houses. The men continued ravaging and burning 'till about Noon and returned.
"Dec. 11, 1775. About 1 o'clock yesterday morning a Bomb Brig, 1 schooner, & 2 or 3 armed sloops went to Conanicott & landed upward of Two hundred Marines Sailors & Negroes at the E. Ferry and marched in three divisions over to the W. Ferry, & set the several houses on fire there, then retreated back sett fire to almost every house on each side of the road, & several Houses and Barns some distance on the N. & S. side of the Rode, driving out Women & Children etc.
Houses Burnt & Lost
Widow Hull
1 house
Jos. Clarke, Esq.
2 houses & 1 Barn
Thos. Fowler
1 house & 1 Crib
Ben. Ellery
2 houses & 1 Store
Benj. Remington
2 houses
Jno. Gardiner
2 houses & 1 Tanyard
Gov. Hutchinson 1 house
Wm. Franklin 2 houses
Abel Franklin 1 house
Bend. Robinson 1 house
Howland
1 house
16 Dwellings
A Company of Minute Men had left Conanicut the Aft. before so that there were but 40 or 50 soldiers on the Island, of which 22 were well equipped. At the Cross Rodes there was a Skirmish our pple killed one Officer of Marines and wounded 7 or 8. Not one Colonist was killed or hurt in the Skirmish. The Kings forces fired on Mr. Jno. Martin aet 80 standing at his Door and wounded him badly. Mr. Fowler had about 30 Head Cattle: these the Regulars carried off and perhaps a dozen Head more, about 30 Sheep & as many Turkeys, & some Hogs, Beds, Furni- ture and other plunder. They returned on board at X or XI o'clock & came to this Harbor about Noon.
The Alarm spread, & I am told there are this day Three hundred Men on Conanicutt & Eight hundred upon the Island. The Town in great Consternation.
An account also appeared in the Providence Gazette, December 16, 1775, under the heading "The Burning of Jamestown," as follows:
"Sunday morning last, the bomb brig, a schooner, and two or three armed sloops left the harbor of Newport and landed about two hundred marines, sailors and Negroes on the Ferry on the east side of Conanicut, from whence they immedi- ately marched across in three divisions to the West Ferry, and after burning all
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the houses near the Ferry-Place, returned towards their vessels, setting fire to almost every house on each side of the road, from the West to the East Ferry, and several houses and barns some distance on the North and South side of the road, driving out the women and children, swearing they should be burnt in the houses, if they did not instantly turn out. Captain Wallace commanded. Mr. John Martin, standing unarmed in his own door, was shot. Fifty cows and six oxen, a few sheep and hogs were taken. All were plundered of beds, wearing apparel and household furniture. They left Conanicut the same morning and got back to Newport at Noon."
Every house in the village was destroyed. They confined themselves to the village, however, so the farm houses at the north were saved. General Washington, in a letter written at Cambridge, speaks of "the barbarity of Capt. Wallace on Conanicut Island."
But even the destruction of the town, shooting the inhabitants and plundering them of their cattle and even household goods did not seem to satisfy the blood-thirsty Wallace, as is seen in later entries by Stiles :
January 2, 1776. This day some of the ships fired upon Conanicut.
February 27, 1776. Last night an Alarm was given. The Tenders fired on No. Kingston near Quonset Pt. about Midnight. Tho it is said our soldiers stationed there fired first on the Tenders sailing by. The Guards fired Alarm Guns & so the Alarm spread & propagated at once all along the shore from the Ferry to Providence where the Beacon was fired & the whole Country rushed to arms & poured down to the Sea Coast. The Flashings of the Alarm Guns seemed to be a kind of Engage- ment, as it appeared to our troops on Conanicott, who sent off 70 Men to the Main & notified our Head Quarters here from whence Gen. West sent off 70 more by Two o'clock in the morning. It was supposed that the Men o' War were firing on Updikes Newtown :- Mistake.
Feb. 28, The Men o' War returning along Conanicott fired on it. Our Soldiers there discharged a Canon on the ships for the first time.
March 2. The Fleet sailed northwards firing on poor Conanicott. One Gun a nine pounder there returned the fire & the shot entered Wallace's Ship.
From the Autumn of 1763, when the H.M.S. Squirrel, Richard Smith, Captain, was ordered to Newport, until the early years of the Revolutionary War, one or more British ships of war were constantly stationed in lower Narragansett Bay. By 1776, Capt. Wallace had 8 armed vessels under his command and it was feared he planned an attack on Newport. Men already had been sent to the island from the state militia and on November 21, 1776, the General Assembly made a levy of 6 men out of every 100 male inhabitants. The pitiful condition of Jamestown is found in the town records of December 3,1776.
"This Meeting being Conven'd in Obedience to an Act of the General Assembly held at East Greenwich 21 of Nov. 1776, for Raising Six men out of every Hundred of the Male Inhabitants as last Estimated in this town to be sent to the Island of Rhode Island in ten days after the Rising of s'd Assembly to assist in Defending the s'd Island against the Ministerial fleets and armies now at war against the free and Independent States of America. This town Meeting as freemen being Met & Considering their Depopulated Distressed and Defenceless condition toward the Raising Equiping and sending forward s'd men agreeable to said act do at this time Most sensebly regret and find that 'tis out of the power of the town to Raise the Men Required by s'd Act but at the same time are Willing & Desirous to be
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aiding & assisting in the Defense of Rhode Island, for that Purpose will endeavour to Inlist the six men Required of this town by s'd act equip & send then forward for the Common Defence Speedily as may be agreeable to said act. but if the town in their Now most calammitous & Distressed Situation find it out of their power to raise s'd men they humbly hope the fine for not Raising Equiping & sending them forward agreeable to s'd act may not be Exacted on the Inhabitants of the town."
A force of 600 militia, under Esek Hopkins, was sent to Newport. In February the General Assembly purchased 2000 firearms (guns with bayonet, ramrod, cartouch box) and distributed them among the towns. Benjamin Underwood received, those for Jamestown. The Committee on military defenses recommended that 41/2 companies be stationed at Jamestown. The General Assembly on May 4, 1776, two months before the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress, had renounced all alle- giance to Great Britain. A company of 14 artillery men had been raised to man the 2 four pound field pieces supplied by the Assembly. Bristol, Prudence and the northern end of the Island of Rhode Island had all been devastated. Practically all the cattle had been taken off Conanicut.
All these preparations for actual warfare were so terrorizing that a great many families took what they could and moved inland to safer territory. The Tories, and there were a number, remained and this led to the possibility of their gaining control of local governments. Jamestown was safe, having removed the town records to North Kingstown and by holding their meetings there, but Newport was in danger until the General Assembly passed an act providing that no one could vote until he had signed the Loyalty Act. That there were Tories on Jamestown in shown by the following letter, purportedly signed by all the inhabitants,
As printed in the Newport Gazette January 23, 1776.
Address of Connanicot to Ld. Piercy, Commander &c after Gen. Clinton's Departure for England. In Newport Gazette of 23 Jany. 1776, "To the Rt. Hon Hugh Earl Peircy Lt. General & Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Forces within the Colony of Rhode Island &c. May it please your Excellency,
We the Subscribers Freeholders & other Inhabitants of the Town of James- town on the Isld of Conanicott beg Leave to congratulate your Arrival among us, as it affords the pleasing Prospect of a speedy Restoration of his Majesty's Authority & Government within this part of the Colony, where many of the Inhabitants have long suffered the severest Evils from the wanton Exercise of lawless Power.
We are so sensible of the Blessings resulting from a constant Connexion with the Parent State, that your Excellency may be assured it is our ardent Wish once more to enjoy the Kings most gracious Protection, and that we may be declared at his Peace. The many Instances of Clemency manifested by your immediate Pred- ecessor Gen. Clinton towards the Inhabitants of Rh. Isld. & Conanicott upon his taking possession of these Islands, demand our warmest acknowledgments. And from your Lordship's known character for Benevolence & Humanity, we are per- suaded that we shall be admitted to the Enjoyment of our Liberties and Properties upon the true Principles of the Constitution.
We humbly presume to represent to your Lordship that we bear true & faithful Allegiance to his Majesty King George, his sacred Person, Crown & Dig- nity; and do severally promise & declare that we will remain in a peaceable Obedi- ence to his majesty, and will not take up Arms in opposition to his Authority.
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N
GULL
SKETCH OF REVOLUTIONARY FORT
Jan. 13. Signed by all the Inhab. of Jamestown." Phps a doz. or 20 Families left out of 45 or 50 Families before the war. There were 99 Polls 1768, of which 45 paid only Poll tax; properly 45 families.
Such were the conditions when Capt. Wallace suddenly and without any warning left the bay and disappeared over the horizon.
But only for a short period was this territory to be unmolested. On December 7, 1776, Job Watson, from his watch tower on Tower Hill saw a large squadron of war vessels off Block Island headed for Narragansett Bay. It proved to be the fleet of Sir Peter Parker, consisting of 7 line-of-battle ships and four frigates convoying 70 transports carrying 6000 British and Hessian troops under the command of General Clinton. The progress of the fleet is best told by entries in the diary of Frederick Mackenzie, an officer in the British army :
British fleet sailing from New York to Newport. Command of Sir Peter Parker. (Near Fishers Island.)
Dec. 7 1776.
"A fine fair wind last night, and good weather; which continuing this morn- ing, at four o'Clock the signal was made for the fleet to weigh and at five o'Clock the whole was under way, with a fresh wind at S. W. At 8 o'Clock we saw Block Island, at 10 Point Judith, which is the S. E. point of Connecticut, and at 12 made the Light House on the S. point of Connonicut Island at the entrance of Rhode Island harbour. The Commodore soon after made the Signal to speak with The Experiment, Capt. Wallace, and about 1 o'Clock that ship took the lead, and
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-
stood up the Western Channel between Connonicut, and the Main, followed by the Chatham, and the Asia, and then by the transports and other ships, according to the form of Sailing given out.
No enemy appeared on either side as we went up.
About 2 miles from the Light House, the Rebels had a Battery or Redoubt with 4 embrazures toward the Channel. But it appeared to be abandoned.
From this entry there is no doubt that the redoubt was made by Ameri- can soldiers. The earthworks of the redoubt, close to the shore on the west side of the island at Fox Hill, are still to be seen and are accessible to the public. As far as is known this is the only fortification on the island at that period, erected by Americans. However, through the records references are found to a Dumpling Rock Battery. Of this battery Maj. G. W. Cullum says :
"Neither the English nor French maps of 1777 show any fortification at the Dumplings; but in 1778 batteries must have been built by the British, for Gen. Pigot, British commander here, in his dispatch Aug. 31, 1775 to Sir Henry Clinton says, 'The next morning the guns on Beaver Tail and the Dumplings batteries were rendered unservicable."
But still another letter, author unknown, says:
"A fortification sometimes called Fort Louis in honor of the King of France, but now known as Fort Wetherell is associated with the French. It was situated on Dumplings Rock, a part of Conanicut, almost opposite the attractive Agassiz place called Castle Hill. Here a temporary earthworks was thrown up about the year 1775. Two years later a more permanent fort called Dumplings Rock was erected."
Mackenzie, in an entry of Sept. 17, 1777, writes:
"If the Rebels have any intention of making a serious attack on this Island (Island of Rhode Island), it is probable they will previously endeavor to possess themselves of Conanicut and Prudence, which would facilitate their attempt. We should use every means in our power to keep possession of Cononicut, to prevent the Rebels from fortifying themselves there, and erecting batteries to obstruct the entrance to the harbour, by which we should be much distressed, and our supplies and subsistence rendered extremely precarious, as the Island affords no other harbour, or good landing place but Newport. Batteries on the Dumplins, a part of Cononicut which forms the entrance of the harbour, would greatly annoy any vessels coming in."
From this it would seem that there was no battery at Dumplings Rock at that date, and this also seems to be the inference from the following entry of Dec. 9, 1777;
"The General being apprchensive that the Rebels will endeavor to establish themselves upon Conanicut, and in the end erect batteries there to obstruct the entrance of the harbour, (which might easily be done from that part called The Dumplins) has ordered A Detachment to take post there again, and A Detachment consisting of 1 Capt, 1 Subn, 2 Serjt, 2 Corpl, 1 Dr, and 50 men from three British Battalions, with a 3 Pr. and two Artillerry men went over there this morning. The Detachment is at present posted in the Redoubt which was made there last sum- mer near the watering place. Capt. D'Aubant, the Commanding Engineer having been over to Conanicut to examine and fix upon the most proper situation for the Detachment, proposes to erect another Redoubt on the height which Commands a beach which forms the only communication between that part called Beaver-tail,
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FORT DUMPLING - DEMOLISHED WHEN FORT WETHERELL WAS BUILT
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and the rest of the Island, which will prevent the Enemy from having access to the Dumplins, which is the only part on which they could erect batteries to have any effect on the shipping."
But his entry for July 21, 1778, reads, "The batteries at Brenton's Point, the Dumplings, Fox Hill, Goat Island, and the North Battery, have all been mounted with cannon."
With the coming of the British all American troops were withdrawn from Conanicut and the few remaining inhabitants left to make out as best they could. The British took immediate possession, as noted in Mackenzie's diary, Dec. 12, 1776:
A Detachment of a Captain and 100 men of the 54th Regiment went over to Connonicut Island this morning to take possession of it,. and protect the Inhabitants.
Emerald frigate anchored between this Island and Prudence another Frigate stationed above Prudence to prevent any vessel passing between Conanicut and the Main.
Dec. 20, 1776.
The 54th Regiment passed over this morning to Connonicut Island where they are to be quartered.
This harbor is now fuller of shipping than it has been any time since our first arrival, there being near 100 sail of vessels besides 7 two decked ships (Chatham 50 guns, Somerset 64, Raisonable 64, Nonsuch 64) and several Frigates and the Strombolo Fire ship.
One can imagine the feelings of those impoverished inhabitants of James- town who, after seven years of oppression, had such a display of enemy power constantly before their eyes.
There were but a few left on the island. It was reported in the General Assembly that Jamestown was deserted. Actually, including some Tories, there were about 20 families left, among whom were the Carrs, Underwoods, Hulls, Weedens, Remingtons, Howlands, Batteys, Gardners and Tews. There are no town records for this period and very little information as to life on Jamestown. However there is a tradition in the Carr family regarding Nicholas Carr, who lived at the Carr Homestead on Carr's Lane, which goes as follows :
Although a Quaker and inclined toward peace, Nicholas refused to leave the island, and it was about this time that he had an encounter with a Captain of one of the British war vessels.
One day as he was plowing the north lot this captain came along and in a very insolent manner ordered him to stop his team. The command being disregarded the captain struck him a blow on the head with his cane. Nicholas immediately declared a war of his own, and they fought the war of the Revolution in miniature, with the same ending. After the captain had been soundly thrashed he cried for quarter and was allowed to go on his way. Upon reaching his ship he sent a file of soldiers ashore who seized Nicholas and carried him to the vessel, where he was held prisoner in irons for three days. Each morning he was brought on deck, a rope put around his neck, and given the choice of getting down on his knees and kissing the hand of the captain and being liberated, or being hanged from the yard arm of the vessel.
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