USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > History of Newport County, Rhode Island. From the year 1638 to the year 1887, including the settlement of its towns, and their subsequent progress > Part 33
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The commanding officer in Rhode Island was authorized to discharge Captain Earle's company of minute men within two days after the rising of the assembly, and it is pleasing to notice that on petition of Benjamin Brenton and George Farrish and their statement of good will to the colonies, they were re- leased from confinement and the soquestered estate of Brenton was restored. Farrish had been arrested on suspicion of serving beer to the king's ships at Newport.
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
At the close of this month the colony was distressed by the tidings of the failure of Arnold's expedition against Quebec and the fall of Montgomery; New Year's eve. Rhode Island was fully represented in this expedition. The first battalion of the men Arnold led out from Cambridge camp in September for the terrible march through the valleys of the Kennebec and Chandiere, was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Greene of Rhode Island and three of his captains, Ward, Top- ham and Thayer, and presumably the men in their companies were from this colony. They were all made prisoners. John Topham was later colonel, and Thayer major, in Rhode Island regiments. Samnel Ward, Jr., the son of the old governor, now delegate to the continental congress, then not nineteen years of age, had just graduated from Providence College.
In February the town council of Newport were anthorized to continue the usual supply of two thousand weight of beef to Captain Wallace, under direction of the commanding officer. No member of either house of assembly was allowed to go on board the fleet, that privilege being confined to Messrs. Simon Pease, John Malbone and George Sears, or he failing to serve, John Mawdsley, a committee named for the purpose. The British fleet continned their depredations. Wood was cut from Hope island. On the 4th they made a descent on Point Judith and, as it was charged, by connivance of some of the inhabi- tants there, carried off a number of cattle and sheep. On the fifteenth they paid another visit to Prudence island, but finding that all the stock and grain had been taken off by the Ameri- cans, contented themselves with the burning of a few more honses and a windmill. This month the British vessels began to capture American vessels on the high seas, and at this time also Commodore Esek Hopkins sailed from Delaware bay with the first squadron of the American navy of one hundred and two guns. His second in command was John Paul Jones. The flag ship the " Clifford" of twenty-four guns, the " Columbus" of twenty, Captain Abraham Whipple, the brig "Cabot " of fourteen, Captain John B. Hopkins, son of the commodore, and the sloop "Providence" of twelve were all fitted out in Rhode Island.
Up to this time Governor Wanton, though he does not ap- pear to have attempted to exercise the authority of his office, had maintained his right under the charter and held that pre-
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cious document, together with the chest and colonial records and papers deposited therein, in his safe keeping. Now, however, the assembly ordered the sheriff of the county of Newport to proceed to him and take possession of the chest and its con- tents, the charter and all other things appertaining to the colony, and bring them to the committee appointed to receive them, as was usual in all changes in this high oflice. In case of any resistance Mr. Wanton was himself to be brought be- fore the assembly by the sheriff at East Greenwich, where it began its session the last Monday in February.
Mr. Jabez Champlin was the sheriff of the county. In his official report of this affair he said that he went to Wanton's house and "in his absence took and carried away out of the said house the charter, a large number of bundles of papers, seventeen dies for counterfeiting dollars and half Johannes, an instrument for edge milling, and other implements for counter- feiting," all of which were delivered to the committee of the assembly. Complaint being lodged against Wanton, he was summoned before the assembly. He appeared and satisfied them as to his conduct, and there appearing no cause for de- taining him he was by resolution dismissed. Nevertheless, according to Arnold, he with many other persons was arrested by General West, whose headquarters were at Middletown, and detained by him for examination. The complaint against them was communication with the British fleet contrary to the act of assembly.
The people of Newport, indignant at this invasion of their privileges, assembled in town meeting on the 23d of February and memorialized the assembly, praying it to forbid the en- trance of troops into the town and to leave the custody of the supplies to the British to the town council. West opposed this as a tory movement. The parties complained of, who had been sent up to Providence for safe keeping, were brought be- fore the assembly, examined and dismissed; the assembly at the same time passing a resolution declaring their belief that General West had acted as "an officer having the love of his country at heart," and that they should ever approve of their military commanders exerting themselves for the seenring and bringing to trial all persons conducting in a suspicions man- ner as aforesaid, at the same time carefully observing not to encroach upon, infringe or supersede the civil authority by
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exertion of the military. General West sent to this meeting the evidence of Joseph Allen, of Newport, respecting Colonel Wanton, and on the dismissal of the prisoners whom he had arrested and their return to Rhode Island, he considered his influence as the commander impaired and sent in his resig- nation, which was accepted.
Of Colonel Wanton it has been justly said that "during the occupation of Newport he led a quiet and unobtrusive life; and on their departure remained unmolested upon its re-occu- pation by the Americans. He was a man of amiable disposi- tion, elegant manners, handsome person and splendid appear- ance. He enjoyed the esteem of all who knew him." He died at Newport July 19th, 1780, aged seventy-five, and was interred in the family vault in the Clifton burial place.
In the letter in which General West sent to the assembly Allen's testimony, he informed them of a dispute as to rank between Colonels Richmond and Babcock. Colonel Richmond claimed precedence because appointed to the first regiment; Colonel Bab- cock because of his courmission from the colony in the old war. The general refused to interfere. Congress applying for specie for the Canadian campaign, a large committee was appointed by the assembly to collect gold and silver coin in Rhode Island. The leading citizens of Newport were on this committee. Not twelve hundred dollars could be found or collected in the colony.
The continental fleet under Commodore Hopkins made a suc- cessful descent on New Providence, Nassan, which they found undefended. They captured a large amount of military stores and more than one hundred cannon, and with the governor, lieutenant-governor and one of the council as prisoners, sailed for home.
The records of the month of February contain one notice of more general interest to-day than when it was first inseribed. This is the petition of " Mrs. Elizabeth Stewart, wife of Gilbert Stewart, late of Newport, in the colony of Rhode Island, snuff maker, setting forth that her husband is possessed of a tract of land in the township of Newport in Nova Scotia under im- provement and upon which he hath some stock. That he, find- ing it impossible to maintain his family in the said town of Newport in this colony, did some time last summer remove to his said farm where he now is and purposes to remain. And
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that exclusive of the impracticability of her supporting herself and family in this colony, which strongly impels her to follow her said husband, she is very desirous of joining him, which she is also bound in duty to do if possible." And therefore besonght this assembly to permit the sloop " Nova Scotia, " packet, David Ross master, to proceed to the said township of Newport in Nova Scotia with herself and family, she being willing to give the amplest security that nothing but the "wearing apparel and household Furniture of the family and. the necessary provisions for the family shall be carried in the said sloop." The assembly granted the petition and the sloop was permitted to sail under the inspection of Messrs. John Collins and George Sears of Newport.
In the early days of March news was received of the closing of the American lines around Boston and of an intended as- sanlt in two divisions, one of which was to be led by Brigadier General Greene. On the 10th rumors came in of an evaena- tion of the town by the British. As there was no possibility of stopping them if such was their determination, there was an intense anxiety to know what destination they would take. The British plan of operations had included the seizure of Quebec and New York as bases of operations, and the holding of the rivers St. Lawrence and Hudson, and of the intervening waters of Lakes Champlain and George, as avennes of supply and separation of the eastern and northern from the middle and western provinces.
The occupation of Boston was a political rather than military movement, and undertaken when the self-sufficient ministry of Lord North supposed that with four regiments of British troops General Gage could not only reduce Boston to subjection but march from one end of the continent to the other. The failure of Montgomery's expedition left them in secure possession of Quebec. The capture of New York was the second essential feature of this extensive movement. With the confirmation of the rumor of evacuation by the certain information that Gen- eral Howe was embarking his troops, came the news of the de- sign of the British government to send over a large number of commissioners to offer pardon to the colonies separately, a plan calenlated to disturb the peace of those in which there was a division of feeling or opinion.
Recognizing New York as the key of the continent for ag-
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
gressive war, Washington would hardly credit that Halifax was General Howe's destination, and determined at once to se- enre New York. On the 17th of March Washington wrote to Governor Cooke, informing him that the British troops had that morning evacnated Boston without destroying it and that he was in full possession ; that most probably the next attempt would be against New York or some southern colony ; and though he did not believe they had " any design against Rhode Island, that it will be advisable to keep a strict look out." He suggested the "calling in of the militia and to keep a strict look out." In a postscript written on the 19th he added : " The fleet is still in King or Nantasket roads." [This note, not in Spark's writings of Washington, appears on the Rhode Island records. ]
On the 18th of March the general assembly convened at East Greenwich and, the same day apparently, addressed a me- morial to Washington thanking him for "his timely notice of the late movement of the ministerial troops," stated that the necessary orders had been issued to the militia, and requested him in case any part of the American forces were ordered to any of the southern colonies that he would direet their march through the colony of Rhode Island by the sea shore, that they might be present in the case it were invaded, and also to station a considerable force there until the intentions of the enemy were known. Henry Marchant, William Ellery and Thomas Greene were appointed to wait on Washington with this memorial and urge with pressing instances the necessity of a permanent force.
To provide for their own defense they ordered the raising in Newport of a watch company of twenty-five men, and named Philip Moss captain, Augustus Newman lientenant, and Jo- seph Crandal ensign ; all the troops quartered at Mr. George Irish's house and in all private houses to be at once removed, except those stationed at Dudley House and Straw Castle. A committee-Mr. John G. Wanton, William Ellery and Christopher Lippitt-was appointed to estimate the damages done to the house of Mr. John Bannister in Newport, and settle the same. The purchase of two thousand stand of fire arms was ordered and the town councils directed to deter- mine what persons should have the use of said arms, and they were duly supplied : For Newport, Colonel Jabez Champlin ;
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HISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
Portsmouth, Metcalfe Bowler ; Middletown, Mr. Nicholas Eas- ton ; Jamestown, Benjamin Underwood. An act was passed authorizing armed vessels " to defend the sea coast of America " under the joint provisions of King Charles the Second's charter and the resolution of the continental congress, and a prize court was established to try and condemn all vessels infesting the coast.
The Massachusetts government having given information that they were willing to join with Rhode Island in the fortification of Bristol ferry, the Hon. William Bradford and Simeon Potter were empowered to confer on that subject, and also respecting fortifications at Howland's ferry. The committee on military defenses reported the assignment of troops. Application was made to the general army headquarters at Cambridge for forty pieces of cannon, from nine to twenty-four pounders. Col- onel Henry Babcock was continued in his command as com- mander of the colony's brigade, with discreet instructions for his government while upon the island of Rhode Island, drawn up by a committee consisting of Jonathan Arnold, Joseph Anthony and Henry Ward.
On the 27th of March Washington notified Governor Cooke that the men-of-war and transports sailed that afternoon from Nantasket harbor, and that he had in consequence ordered a brigade to march for New York, and that he would follow with the rest of the army the moment he had certain information of the fleet "being clear off the coast," leaving a small force to fortify Boston. On the 31st the governor advised Washington from Providence that an express had come in from Newport, that a ship-of-war had arrived in Newport harbor, and that twenty-seven ships were within Seconnet point, and that he had not more than seven or eight hundred men in the whole colony besides the militia, who were not more than half armed. On the 1st of April the governor sent word that this was a false alarm. The sheriff of Newport who sent up the express had been misinformed. A messenger sent down had satisfied him- self that the people had been deceived by the foggy weather, and had descried no fleet. Mr. Cooke's son rode express to Washington with this contradiction of the report.
Instantly on the receipt of the first despatch Washington hastened the march of Generals Greene and Sullivan to Provi- dence. They reached Providence on the 5th, and Washington,
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with General Gates, the adjutant-general of the army, and other general officers, arrived on the 6th of April. General Spencer, with five regiments, the Connectiont brigade, arrived on the 7th, and after a grand entertainment given to the com- mander-in-chief at Providence in the evening, the troops hav- ing already marched, Washington followed them. He passed through Norwich and New London to hasten the embarkation of the troops who had so far marched, to New York, and there he left General Greene with the Rhode Island regiments of the continental line ready to embark.
At New London he saw Commodore Hopkins, and applied to him for thirty of the heavy cannon he had captured and brought from New Providence (Nassau) and was promised what could be spared, as many were wanting for the defense of Providence river and New London harbor ; a curious instance of the manner in which even Washington was hampered at that period. Washington was in New Haven on the 11th, and reached New York on the 14th of April, where General Put- nam, who had preceded him, was in command.
On his arrival in New York Washington wrote to Commodore Hopkins that he had just received information that the " Nan- tilus." sloop of war, had arrived at New York, "said to be sent express from thence for the 'Asia,' 'Phoenix,' and 'Savage,' and that they are intended for New London to block un your squadron." The "Phoenix." "Savage " and "Nantihis" sailed that morning. The "Asia" remained in the harbor. It may here be mentioned that Commodore Hopkins, on ap- proaching the New England coast from his cruise, captured, Thursday, the fourth of April, the schooner "Hawke," of six guns, Captain Wallace, son of Commodore Wallace; on Friday the bomb brig "Bolton," of eight guns ; on Saturday he en- gaged the frigate "Glasgow," of twenty-four guns, and her tender. The "Glasgow," after a three hours' action, by the seamanship of her commander got off and reached Newport in safety. The tender was taken, and Commodore Hopkins, with his vessels and prizes, went into New London. It was here that Washington met him, and to him here Washington sent his warning message.
On the arrival of the "Glasgow," the British squadron went ont to look for Hopkins. A battery planted on Brenton's point by Colonel Richmond ran the "Glasgow" up the bay,
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and forced her the next day to put to sea. On the morning of the 11th the brig "Cabot," of the continental fleet, brought down ten heavy pieces of cannon from the fort at Providence harbor for the defense of Newport.
In the afternoon of the eleventh part of the Georgia fleet on its way to Halifax put in to Newport and came to anchor be- tween Rose island and the Dumplings : the " Scarborough," of twenty guns, having on board Governor Wright of Georgia and the refugees, a part of the fleet of eleven vessels which left Savannah on the 30th of March, the " Seymitar, " a transport of eighteen guns with troops, and two American vessels which they had taken on the Georgia coast. The same night Commo- dore Grimes, who was then at Newport, attacked them with the Rhode Island gallies "Washington" and " Spitfire," each with an eighteen pounder in the bow, aided by a battery of two eighteen pounders planted by Col. Babcock at the north point. They were forced to slip their cables and make the shelter of Co- manient island, from which they were driven by a new battery and driven to sea, taking and returning the fire from a battery on Castle hill as she went out. In this action Daniel Jackson Tillinghast, of Newport, was wounded on one of the gallies. The anchors and cables were taken np by the Americans. The prizes were the American vessels captured on the Georgia coast by the " Scarborough." Seventeen English were made pris- oners.
The bay for the first time in many months was clear of British men of-war. The cannon taken by Hopkins at Nassau were distributed by order of congress. Thirteen were mounted on a new fort built at the point in Newport. Old Fort George was remodelled and a work constructed at Brenton's point. These made a reasonable defense for the harbor of Newport.
On the 12th of April Hancock, the president of congress, officially informed the Rhode Island assembly of the act of parliament authorizing the seizure of American vessels on the high seas, and of their resolution in retaliation, and enclosed bonds, commissions and instructions for the use of the assembly in "letters of marque and reprisal."
Colonel Knox (to whom was assigned the command of the regiment of continental artillery in December, 1775) passed through Newport on his way from Cambridge camp to New York, and at the urgent request of Governor Cooke, took a
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view of the town and gave directions for the requisite fortifica- tion of the place, which he was (as Cooke wrote to Washington on the 25th of April) clearly of opinion might be secured. The day of Cooke's letter a battery to command the north entrance to the harbor was about completed, and the next the fortifica- tions on Fort island were to begin. The completion of the works would, the governor believed, put an end to toryism in the colony. He entreated Washington to send him a competent engineer if only for a few days.
Toward the close of April Commodore Hopkins, with the aid of two hundred men whom Washington detailed to him from the army, brought his vessels from New London to Rhode Island. He landed one hundred men sick, nearly all with the small pox, at Providence. This terrible scourge, which decimated the American army in Canada, raged over the continent and added another to the terrible trials of the entire population, patriots and loyalists alike. Captain Whipple of the "Columbus," blamed for allowing the escape of the "Glasgow," demanded a court martial, by which he was acquitted. Captain Hazard of the "Providence" was censured for disobedience of orders. Later Hopkins was severely censured by congress for his return from New Providence instead of ernising along the southern coast as he was ordered.
The last colonial assembly of Rhode Island met at Providence on the first Wednesday, the first day of May. After the re- election of Governor Cooke and the confirmation of the election of William Bradford (elected in November when, on the deposition of Wanton, Cooke was chosen governor) the as- sembly made some re-arrangement of the military. The regi- ment of the county of Newport was divided into two regiments: the first to contain all the companies of militia in the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, New Shoreham, Jamestown and Mid- dletown; the second, those of Tiverton and Little Compton. The companies of Providence were likewise divided and they, as well as those of Little Compton, by geographical lines by streets. The commanding officer of the colony's brigade was ordered to build a fort at Beaver Tail upon Conanicut to con- tain six or eight heavy cannon. Under the direction of Esek Hopkins, commander-in-chief of the continental navy, officers were chosen for the colony's brigade: major general of the militia, Joshua Babcock: for the county of Newport, First reg-
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iment, Colonel George Irish, Lieutenant Colonel George Seals, Major J. V. Almy; Second regiment: Colonel John Cooke, Lieutenant Colonel David Hilyard, Major Pardon Gray. The captains of the trained bands or militia are named for the sev- eral towns but those for the town of Newport do not appear on the record, though Portsmouth and Middletown do. The com- mittee of safety for the county of Newport were Metcalfe Bow- ler and Colonel John Cooke.
Stephen Hopkins was again elected first delegate to the conti- mental congress. The commanding officer on the island was or- dered to remove the troops from the ferry house on the point belonging to Mr. Benjamin Ellery, that the ferry might be kept open. The watchers ordered along the coast in January were sus- pended during the absence of the fleet. Watchers were to be continued only at Point Judith, Seconnet point, at Westerly, Charlestown, at the sonth ferry in South Kingstown and at North Kingstown.
These preliminaries disposed of, the assembly proceeded to one of the most solemn and important acts in the history of the colony, and considering its geographical and physical condi- tion, one of the bravest in the history of the country. On the 4th of May it repealed the act of allegiance to Great Britain, virtually declared its independence, because the king, " forget- ting his dignity, regardless of the compact entered into by his illustrions ancestors and till of late fully recognized by him; and entirely departing from the duties and character of a good king instead of protecting, is endeavoring to destroy the good people of this colony and of all the United Colonies by sending fleets and armies to America to confiscate our property and spread fire, sword and desolation throughout our country in order to compel us to submit to the most debasing and detesta- ble tyranny, etc., be it therefore enacted that an act for secur- ing allegiance is repealed, and that thereafter in all commis- sions, civil and military, in lieu of the king's name the words, the Governor and Company of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations be substituted, other- wise their tenor to be the same." The courts of law were no longer to be entitled or considered the king's courts, and no in- strument, public or private, was thereafter in the date thereof, to mention the year of the king's reign. The six deputies for Newport in this assembly were: John Wanton, Samuel Fow les
IFISTORY OF NEWPORT COUNTY.
George Sears, Gideon Wanton, Thomas Freebody and Colonel Joseph Belcher.
These instructions were at once issned in the new style to their delegates in congress. They were soon gratified to hear from their first delegate, Hopkins, at Philadelphia, that congress would soon throw off all connection in name as in substance with Great Britain and that on the warm recommendation of Gen- eral Washington, congress had passed a resolution for taking into continental pay the two Rhode Island batallions. The commanding officer in each company of the Rhode Island bri- gade was ordered to prevent damage by travelling over ploughed lands and also to clear all the best houses in Newport of the troops and station them in convenient empty honses, and to pursue the same course at Jamestown.
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