USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Jamestown > History of Jamestown on Conanicut Island in the State of Rhode Island > Part 5
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While he was thus held prisoner, William Battey, a Tory, (who supplied the British with farm produce) and a near neighbor, who lived in the Battey house on the west side of the North Road, just south of Carr's Lane, went on board and interceded for him. Finding that the fear of hanging had no effeet on this staunch patriot, and because of this friendly intercession by a Tory, he was finally liberated and sent ashore.
Returning to Mackenzie's diary we find an entry of Oet. 27, 1777.
"A Detachment of a Captain and 60 men at Cononieut Island, are furnished by the troops near town."
The Renown was in the West or Narraganset passage between Connonieut and the Naraganset shore.
The Orpheus About a mile above Dyer's Island, between Prudence and Rhode Island.
"I think we should not neglect the defense of the W. side so much as we have done. The placing of the Orpheus in the passage between Cononicut and Prudence would prevent the enemy from making any attempt from that quarter, and would render the W. side much more secure."
Dee. 29, 1777.
The Detachment of Hessians which had been stationed on Cononicut Island during the summer, was withdrawn this day."
"Detachment of Capt. and 50 men from this Garrison, went over this morn- ing to Cononicut, to be employed in cutting wood for the use of the troops. A transport is ordered to attend them, and is to be stationed near the Ferry. The Detachment is to lie on board her every night; and when they land in the morning are to take their arms with them."
In reference to the last paragraph, the British army burned 300 cords of wood a day. They cut down all the trees on the southern end of the Island of Rhode Island, including all the orchards, and tore down many houses in Newport, then they cut all the trees on Jamestown, and finally were compelled to get wood from Long Island.
From the beginning of serious trouble with England the Colonists had sought the help of France, Britain's perpetual enemy. Money and munitions of war had been furnished by France, but now that the colonists had declared their independence they wanted a treaty of alliance. In 1776 Benjamin Frank- lin was sent to Paris to negotiate with the King of France and his court. He was finally successful and, after two years, on February 6, 1778, the Treaty of Paris was signed. Five weeks later Count d'Estaing, with 12 ships of line, 4 frigates and 1000 troops set sail for America. The plan of campaign, in conjunction with the American forces, was to destroy Lord Howe's fleet which was in the Delaware River, then capture the British army at Philadelphia. But d'Estaing was delayed by storms and when he arrived at Delaware Bay found that the British had evacuated Philadelphia and Lord Howe's fleet was safe in New York harbor. Count d'Estaing, anxious to meet with the British fleet, set out for New York, but upon arrival there was told that his larger ships drew too much water to allow them to cross the bar at the' entrance to the harbor. General Washington then suggested a combined attack of the French fleet and the American forees in Rhode Island under the
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command of General Sullivan upon the British army at Newport. Count d'Estaing hoisted anchor and set sail for Narragansett Bay.
All this was soon known to the inhabitants of Jamestown as well as to the British army at Newport, who began frantically to strengthen their posi- tions, as noted by Mackenzie in his diary:
July 27, 1778. "The troops stationed near Newport arc hard at work in strengthening the defenses and preparing to give the French ships a proper reception. The Batteries at Brenton's point, The Dumplins, Fox Hill, Goat Island and the North battery have been mounted with Cannon &c, in the best manner the time will permit."
July 29, 1778. On the appearance of the French Fleet.
"Boats were immediately sent over to Cononicut, from whence the Two Bat- talions of Anspach and Brown's Regiment of Provincials were withdrawn, Icaving small detachments only in the Batteries on Fox Hill and the Dumplins. The withdraw- ing these Battalions immediately, was certainly well judged. From the moment the French attempted to enter the harbour, it would have been impracticable, and the loss of so considerable a part of our force, would have proved disgraceful and perhaps fatal. They should never have been sent there."
July 30, 1778. "The General, judging it would answer but little purpose to risque the loss of the Detachments upon Cononicut, sent orders, as soon as the French ship had passed the Battery on Fox Hill, to withdraw them and the Guns from that Island. The Troops were brought off; but as there was not a sufficient Number of Oxen to remove the Guns, those on Fox Hill were spiked, and the 2 24prs. on the Dumplings were thrown down the Rock into the Sea. The Island was entirely Evacuated by 10 O'Clock without any interruption."
The French fleet arrived off Point Judith July 29, in foggy weather. Capt. Caleb Gardner, an old sca captain and staunch patriot saw them from his home, the Maudsley House, in Newport. Realizing the difficulties they would have in navigating the unfamiliar waters of the entrance to the bay, he rowed out to the fleet that night under cover of darkness and piloted them into the harbor the next day.
The French landed 4000 troops on Conanicut which were to be trans- ferred to the Island of Rhode Island to augment the forces of Gen. Sullivan. The French then set out to destroy the British vessels in the harbor. Rather than have them captured by the French the British burned them all-a total of 7 frigates and a number of smaller vessels, 212 guns being rendered inactive. Now in complete command of the bay the French fleet took stations on both sides of Conanicut, commanding both the East and West Passage. A few vessels were stationed in the Sakonnet River. Gen. Sullivan feared that his forces were not sufficient to attack and asked for more time to gather men from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Thus nine precious days were lost. The night before the day decided upon for the attack (August 10) a heavy fog enveloped everything. As the fog lifted during the morning Lord Howe's fleet was seen off Point Judith. The surprise was complete. There was nothing for d'Estaing to do but prepare for battle. He spent the day and night getting his fleet in condition and the next morning set sail for the attack. As his vessels sailed through the East Passage the British forces opened fire, as des-
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cribed by Chaplain Cutter of the American camp. "As they passed the town and forts the ships began and kept up an incessant fire, until they were all passed through. The roar of cannon at times was such as to make but one continued sound without any distinction of guns." As the French fleet went out the British cut their cables and set out to sca. There developed a typical northeaster which continued in unabated fury for four days.
To follow the Battle of Rhode Island in detail is far beyond the scope of this writing although much of it could be seen from Jamestown and the outcome was of vital importance to the inhabitants. It was not until the 19th that Gen. Sullivan began his attack with a cannon fire lasting two days. On the 25th the French fleet returned. The storm had been so severe that the vessels of both fleets had been widely separated and there had been no decisive encounter. Lord Howe's fleet finally got to New York for repairs and d'Estaing, after stopping at Newport, continued on to Boston to repair and refit.
As we all know, the Battle of Rhode Island was unsuccessful and after nine days of fighting the Americans retreated off the island to the main land at Tiverton. The next morning, Sept. 1, Sir Henry Clinton, with a fleet of 72 ships and 4500 troops sailed into the bay, and once again the British were in supreme command of Narragansett Bay and Newport. The intensive actions of the campaign were taking place elsewhere and until the early Fall of 1779 the British were in quiet possession of Newport and the inhabi- tants of Jamestown were unmolested.
On October 25th, 1779, all Americans were commanded to remain in their houses, which, of course, many of them did not do. To their great surprise they saw the entire British fleet lined up off Brenton's Point. All day long the troops were transferred to the vessels and in the evening the entire flect of 110 vessels, with all the British troops, after having occupied Newport four years and devastated all the islands in the lower bay, sailed away over the horizon into the unknown.
The departure was cause for great rejoicing, but the desolation they left behind was beyond description. There was scarcely any food or a stick of firewood. Corn sold for $4.00 a bushel, wood $20.00 a cord, but no one had any money. The succeeding winter was the most severe ever known and for six weeks the bay was frozen over solid, also the ocean as far as the eye could sec. So impoverished were the inhabitants they had to call for assistance.
The Tories and those without the tie of property ownership had left the island for safer places. Those who still remained were farmers and all they had left was their farm and homestead. With the terrible hardships of winter over they started once again to cultivate their land, plant what crops they could and endeavor to get new livestock for their pastures. It was a gloomy outlook, but they had no alternative.
On July 11, 1780, a French fleet of 15 ships of war, 618 guns, under the command of Admiral de Ternay, with 5000 land troops under the command
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of Count de Rochambeau, sailed into the harbor. The troops were landed on the Island of Rhode Island and Jamestown and work was immediately started to re-condition and re-arm all the fortifications. This friendly invasion was very welcome to the inhabitants, as it opened the prospect of a market . for their produce and labor. (The French army spent 20,000 livres alone in repairing houses in Newport for quarters for their officers and men.) On July 21 an English fleet of 11 ships of war appeared off Point Judith and a few days later came the terrifying news that General Clinton with 10,000 troops, in conjunction with the English fleet, was preparing an attack on the French at Newport. After many days of feverish activity by the French troops, the English fleet sailed away and news came that the attack had been abandoned.
With the fear of attack gone the French returned to a normal camp life and a period of gay social activities began at Newport resulting in a sincere and lasting friendship between the French and the colonists. But all was not as it should have been on Jamestown, as shown by an entry in the town's records, August 19, 1780:
"It is Voted that Messrs. Benjamin Underwood, John Gardner, John Weeden, Benjamin Remington, George Tew, & John Howland be a committee and Prepare an Address to their Excellencies the Count de Rochambeau and the Chavilier de Terney commander of his most Christian fleet in the harbour of Newport. Praying that the people under his command might not be Permitted to come on shore without some Good and Known officer over them in order to Restrain them from Committing Damage or offering any injury or insult to the Good and Peaceable People of this town."
The winter passed with the inhabitants pursuing their normal activities under normal conditions, and spring again found them preparing for the summer activities.
General Washington, in preparing his summer campaign, desired a personal conference with the French commanders and staff, and on March 6, 1781, Job Watson, ever on the look-out from his watch tower on Tower Hill, reported that General Washington, with eight officers and aides as a body guard, had passed on his way to the ferry to Jamestown. The sailboat ferries were waiting for them at Old South Ferry and they landed on James- town about 2 o'clock. They crossed the island on Ferry Road (Narragansett Avenue) to the East Ferry where the admiral's barge was waiting to convey General Washington directly to the Duc de Bourgoyne. His reception is graphically told by J. A. Stevens, in the "History of Newport County":
"Here he was met by Rochambeau and the general officers of the army and flect. On his leaving the ship a salute was fired. Landing at Barney's ferry, the corner of Long Wharf and Washington street, he was again met by the French officers and escorted to the headquarters of Rochambeau in Clarke street, receiving the same honor that would have been paid to a marshal of France or a prince of the royal blood. The route was lined with the French troops three deep on either side and in close order the entire distance. In the evening the fleet in the harbor and all the houses in the town were illuminated, the town council having voted candles to all who were unable to provide them. A procession was made through
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the streets. In front walked thirty boys, cach bearing a candle fixed in a staff, then Generals Washington and Rochambeau with their aids and officers, followed by a large concourse of citizens. The night was clear and calm. Passing through the principal streets the commanders returned to headquarters."
On the day of General Washington's arrival 1250 French troops were embarked on the French fleet and on the 8th he and the French commanders and staff watched the fleet of 10 ships of war, 560 guns, sail out of the bay. They then returned to headquarters where, after taking leave of the French, Washington and staff started on the return trip to their own headquarters, via Providence.
As soon as the French fleet passed Point Judith the English fleet, which had been waiting in Gardiner's Bay, Long Island Sound, set sail and anchored off the entrance to Narragansett Bay. The next day they set out in pursuit of the French fleet. The two fleets came to an encounter off Cape Henry and while the result was somewhat to the advantage of the French it was far from decisive. The French fleet returned to Newport for repairs. In the meantime word had been received from Boston that another French fleet with ammunition, supplies and more troops was on the way from France. Part of the Newport fleet, with 500 troops, sailed out of the harbor to meet them. One the 10th of June all the French land forces started on their long overland march to join the American forces who were driving the British army into an untenable position at Yorktown.
Some of the French fleet remained in the harbor and troops were sta- tioned on Jamestown where, also, the French had a hospital. The troops had their patrols along the shores and once again it was necessary for the farmers to protest at the damage done by the troops, as is shown by the entry of June 29, 1781 :
"Whereas it is represented to this meeting that the Sailors belonging to his most Christian Majesties fleet in the harbor of Newport, and those in the hospitals in this town, frequently pass through the Meadows and fields of Grain in the daytime, & in the Night Scason are Patroling the town throwing their fences & Walls down by which some of the Inhabitants have received Greate Damage & more likely to insuc if not speedily prevented.
It is Therefore Voted that Benjamin Underwood & John Weeden be appointed to prepare a Remonstrance petition or address to the Admiral & General of the french Troop in the Land and Sea Service in behalf of the town Praying that their Troops may be Restrained and Prevented from passing through the lands and fields of Grain, throwing their Walls and fences down or Doing Damage to the Good and Wholesome People of the town: and that Aaron Sheffield be desired to Present the address to the Admiral and General of the French Army and Navy."
On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, and the war was over. During these years of conflict there was a common purpose which bound the people together, and there were few indeed who, either directly or indirectly, had not taken a part in this struggle. But now cach person, each family, each community began to think of its own condition. The spirit of nationalism disappeared with the British armies. The immediate struggle for a livelihood was the great concern of all. There were the few years of pros-
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perous activity which always follow a great war, but these were followed by a great financial panic. Taxes were exhorbitant and general conditions so bad that thousands of farmers deserted their farms to start over again in a new locality. The great movement to "go west" had started.
But no matter what the conditions were throughout the country, James- town could have been no worse off than it was, for Jamestown was not only ruined, it was practically depopulated. Those who remained were farmers and their only hope for a living was to get it out of the ground. This they resolutely set out to do. Sheep provided meat and wool, spinning wheels were always humming making yarn, the hand looms wove blankets and lindsey-woolsey which was cut up and made into clothes. They also grew flax and wove their own linens. Pigs provided hams (which were smoked with corn-cobs and cured by hand) sausage, lard and mince pies; apples were cut up and dried and also made into cider; geese provided meat and feathers for feather beds. The milk house of an average farm in early winter would reveal a side or two of beef and mutton, many bags of sausage, tubs of butter and lard, bags of dried apples and a hundred or more mince pies which, with the potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbages and the barrel of cider in the cellar, had to carry them through the winter. All the cooking was donc in an open fireplace or the brick oven, and sweeping was done with turkey wings. The men spent their days cultivating the fields, raising and harvesting the crops, tending the cattle and chopping wood. The women prepared the meals, tended the house, wove cloth, knitted stockings, made clothes and found time to make samplers and do embroidery. The evenings were illuminated by candles dipped or moulded of mutton fat.
The farm seemed to provide everything except boots and shoes. The itinerant shoe maker made his yearly visits and stayed at the house while making the shoes. The following bill covering one such visit is worthy of preservation :
To making your boots. $2.00
To soling Mary .34
To making your youngest .29
To mending black girl. .16
To mending your son .21
To mending your wife .06
Such was the life of the average Jamestown farmer for the next three generations. They had no illusions. They were sufficient unto themselves, raised their families and provided for them out of the land they cultivated.
The next national activity that affected the lives of the inhabitants was the period of the Civil war. The Third Rhode Island Cavalry was stationed on the island at Camp Mead, and a company of colored heavy artillery was encamped on Dutch Island at Fort Casey. There were 39 men from James- town enrolled in the militia and G. A. Clarke, Allen Gardiner and pro-
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CONANICUT PARK HOTEL
WAITING ROOM AT CONANICUT PARK WHARF
bably some others, served actively through most of the war. The army erected several barracks for the accommodation of the troops, also a building for a hospital. After the war was over the hospital was rebuilt for a town hall and one of the barracks was purchased by A. Crawford Greene of Provi- dence, who remodeled it and used it for a summer homc.
As far as is known this was the first building to be built exclusively for a summer home and thus in this humble way did Jamestown get its start on the way to becoming a summer resort. Not long afterwards Joseph Wharton, of a wealthy Philadelphia Quaker family, crossed the island on his way to
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1
AERIAL VIEW OF JAMESTOWN - 1935
Newport and became so enamored with its beauties that he soon erected his beautiful summer home "Horsehead" at the Dumplings, overlooking the ocean and the entrance to the bay. Soon other Quaker families from Phila- delphia built their homes and in a few years many large and beautiful homes had been built on the Dumplings and around Mackerel Cove. Shoreby Hill, just north of the village, was developed by people from St. Louis and all along the cast shore were homes of people from many inland cities. Jamestown had developed a permanent summer population.
In 1822 the town's tax list gave an assessed valuation of $164,503., sixty- four years later, 1886, it had increased to $1,028,280, but not until 1877 did the population reach that of 1775.
In 1872 L. W. Davis, Gov. Henry Lippitt, John Kendrick, Leonard Whitney and others organized a company which purchased 500 acres at the north end of the island which they called "Conanicut Park." A substantial wharf was built and the Providence-Newport boat stopped there morning and evening. It was a delightful sail up and down the bay and many Provi- dence people bought land and built summer homes. There was a hotel and general store and a successful summer community was developed and con-
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tinued for many years. After a period of inactivity due to the discontinuance of the Newport boat, active interest in the "Park" is again seen. Many of the cot- tages are now occupied, the Point View Hotel is full to capacity every summer and the Y. W. C. A. Sca Side Camp for girls is a scene of happy gatherings and reunions. On August 2, 1940, the Jamestown Bridge, 6982 feet long, 135 feet high over the channel, connecting the island with the main land to the west, was officially opened. In 1946 a land development project was started at "Jamestown Shores", located on the west side of the island and extending several miles north from the east end of the bridge. It has its own bathing beach, roads have been laid out and many cottages have already been built.
Jamestown today has an assessed valuation of $5,600,000 with a year round population of 3200, which is augmented every summer by a large number of summer residents, most of whom have their own homes and estates and return year after year. Everything needful for enjoyable living can be obtained at the markets, drug stores, hardware stores, beauty parlors, garages and ship yard; there is a golf club, yacht club, movie theatre, and at Beaver Tail some of the finest fishing along the Atlantic coast.
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THORNDIKE HOTEL
GARDNER HOUSE
CASWELL BLOCK
BAY VIEW HOTEL
WM. H. KNOWLES' HOUSE
JAMESTOWN WATER FRONT - 1898
CARR FERRY AND FORT DUMPLING, FROM AN OLD PAINTING
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
Growth of Jamestown.
THE JAMESTOWN FERRIES
R HODE ISLAND, the smallest state in the Union, extends 471/2 miles from North to South, and is 40 miles wide. Extending north from the Atlantic Ocean a distance of 28 miles, dividing the state into two unequal parts is Narragansett Bay, and to make this division more complete is the Providence River, which runs through the center of the city of Provi- dence and joins the bay at Gaspee Point. In a state so divided by a body of water a mile to 12 miles wide, is it any wonder that ferries have played such an important part in its history and development?
Dr. and Mrs. Charles V. Chapin, in their "History of Rhode Island Ferries," covering the years 1640 to 1923, give a list of 74 ferries within the boundaries of the state and 25, or 1/3 of these, had a landing on Jamestown. That there should have been so many ferries at Jamestown is evident, as here was, and still is, the only crossing of Narragansett Bay south of Providence. In the horse and buggy days it was several days' drive from Saunderstown to Newport, over bad roads. It is not surprising that the Jamestown Ferries predominate in ferry history.
The ferry between Jamestown and Newport is probably the oldest ferry in the United States, and has been in almost continuous operation for 275 years, and in all those years the descendants of Governor Caleb Carr, who established the first ferry about 1675, either owned the sailboat ferry or were officers in the succeeding steam ferry. Caleb Carr was one of the original purchasers of the island from the Indians in 1657 and while he never lived on the island, his eldest son Nicholas soon took up his residence there, as did many others. The need of some dependable means of transportation must have soon become necessary. In the Rhode Island Colonial Records, January 30, 1670, we find the following record, "There is allowed unto Caleb Carr, for several services done by him and his boat to this day, four pounds." Captain Church states that at the time of the Great Swamp fight he crossed "the ferries" on his way from Bristol to Warwick, and there seems to be little doubt that he referred to the ferries at Jamestown. So it is evident that sometime between 1657, when the island was purchased, and 1675, when Captain Church used them, such a ferry or ferries were established.
The first record of a license for this ferry is May, 1700, to John Carr, but the Rhode Island Colonial Records are missing from August 1692 to July
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1695. Caleb Carr was elected governor of the colony in 1695. The ferry estate passed in direct line from Caleb1 to John2 to Samuel3 to Samuel4 to Samuel 5 up to 1873. In that year the Jamestown and Newport Ferry Company was organized by George C. Carr and Frederick N. Cottrell. Geo. C. Carr was president 1873-1902, Thomas G. Carr was president 1902-1908, and his son, George C. Carr, was treasurer, except for one year, from 1913 to the time of his death in 1945. Except for a period of 9 years, a descendant of Caleb Carr either owned the ferry or was an officer in the ferry company from 1675 to 1945-a period of 270 years.
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