USA > Rhode Island > Revolutionary defences in Rhode Island; an historical account of the fortifications and beacons erected during the American revolution, with muster rolls of the companies stationed along the shores of Narragansett bay > Part 6
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Samuel Greene
Gideon Crandall
Benjamin Millard
Theodate Johnson
Edward Clarke
Thomas Cross
Nathaniel Bendick
Asa Crandall
Thomas Barber
Samuel Elbert
Paul Harvey
Simeon Crandall
Arnold Wording
Henry Hazard
Stephen Wilcox
In addition to ordering guards to be main- tained at several places along the seaboard, the General Assembly ordered field-pieces
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to be distributed to the several towns, for use in case of attack. By vote of that body, made in March, 1776, one of these field-pieces sent to South Kingstown was ordered trans- ferred to North Kingstown. The wisdom of this was soon manifested. " The story of this old gun," says the historian of North Kingstown, "is as remarkable as it is inter- esting. It once saved Wickford from de- struction ; and again, as if to repay the debt, won great glory for the town, which origi- nally loaned it. In 1777, a company was sent out in a barge, from the British fleet, to burn the village of Wickford, which was supposed to be undefended.
" They proceeded unmolested until they arrived at the mouth of the harbor, when, to their great surprise, the old gun, which had been stationed on the point where the light- house now stands, fired into them, killed one man, and caused them to hastily retrace their course. Soon after this occurrence, news came that a British man-of-war had grounded on Point Judith. Excitement ran high, and the old gun was again resorted to ; but, upon examination, it was discovered that the Tories had spiked it.
" This difficulty was speedily removed.
-
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Samuel Bissell drilled it out, and in a few hours, drawn by four oxen, it was on its way to the 'Point,' where it was mounted on the shore, behind the rocks ; and, after a vigorous firing of a few minutes, the ship, which proved to be the Syren, a twenty-eight-gun frigate, surrendered, and her crew of a hundred and sixty-six officers and men were carried prisoners to Providence."
The guard at Quonset Point, where is now located the state's Military Camp Ground, was established, in 1779, by the following order : -
" EAST GREENWICH, 6th June 1779. " ORDER :
" A sergeant and six privates are to go immediately to Quonset Point with their arms and accoutrements to remain there until Tuesday morning and then return. They are to take what provisions they have on hand with them.
" The sergeant will draw Twenty one gills of rum for himself and men for the Tower of Duty the sergeant will Take Directions from Col Dyer as to placing Sentries the whole of the Guard are to be out from 12 Till Day Break each night. The like number will go to the same
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IN RHODE ISLAND
place on Tuesday afternoon and be Re- lieved in three days." 1
Rum seems to have been more essential to this " Tower of Duty " than powder.
On the 18th of July, 1776, the committee appointed by the General Assembly "to ascertain the places for fixing the cannon belonging to the state " made its report, rec- ommending that the twenty-seven cannon made at the Hope furnace "be mounted as soon as possible and placed as followeth " :-
" At Jamestown - Three twelve-pounders on field carriages.
" South Kingstown - Four, viz .: two eighteen-pounders, and two nine-pound- ers ; all on field carriages.
" Warwick Neck -Two eighteen-pounders.
" Field's Point - Three nine-pounders.
" On the opposite shore (Kettle Point) Two nine-pounders.
" Warren - Two nine-pounders.
" Bristol harbor - Two nine-pounders.
" Bristol Ferry - Five nine-pounders, viz .: one on the main, and four, on the island.
1 Rhode Island Historical Society Military Papers.
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" Howland's Ferry, on the main - Four nine-pounders. Twenty-seven in all."
This committee also recommended that the cannon now in the state, in addition to those assigned at the places aforesaid, be distributed in the state in the following order : --
" Newport County : Five twenty-four- pounders, fourteen eighteen-pounders ; twelve twelve-pounders ; one nine- pounder, nine six-pounders; ten four- pounders; four three-pounders. Total, fifty-five.
" Providence County: Five eighteen-pound- ers ; sixteen two, three, and four pound- ers, mounted on field carriages, for the several towns on the seacoast, and which lie now ready for them. Two three- pounders and two four-pounders, old and not mounted. , Total twenty-five. " Bristol County: One twenty-four-pound- er; three eighteen-pounders ; eleven three and four pounders. Total fifteen.
" Kent County : One nine-pounder, sixteen three, four, and six pounders. Total seventeen."
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. This report was signed by William Brad- ford, John Brown, and Charles Holden, Jr., members of the committee.
It will thus be seen that the state had one hundred and thirty-nine cannon of various calibre to be located along the seaboard, with which to resist any attack from the enemy. But these were not all; there were a number of others located in King's County (the present Washington County), of which no account was taken, and these were scat- tered from Quidnessett Neck to Westerly. A battery was established on Barber's Height, a commanding eminence overlook- ing the bay in North Kingstown; two field- pieces were stationed " near the sea, on the land of Nathan Babcock 2d, Esq.," at West- erly, and a nine-pounder at Colonel James Noyes' Neck in the same town.
Before the close of the year 1776, the whole shore of Narragansett Bay was well protected. The order of the General Assem- bly, establishing artillery companies in all the seaboard towns, had been complied with, and for the protection of these batteries, breastworks had been thrown up at Barring- ton, Nayatt Point, Quidnessett, Wickford, Boston Neck, Watch Hill, Noyes' Neck, and
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
at Point Judith, while, besides the more for- midable works already referred to, there was a battery at Popasquash Point, of six eigh- teen-pounders, and another substantial work at Bullock's Point. When and under whose direction these latter works were built, a persistent investigation has failed to dis- cover. It is certain, however, that they had been thrown up before 1777.
According to Blaskowitz's Chart of Narra- gansett Bay, made in 1777, there existed the following forts and batteries which had been erected by the American forces : 1-
GUNS.
CALIBRE.
Providence Fort
50
18 and 24 pds.
Popasquash Battery
6
18 pounders.
Bristol Fort
8
18 pounders.
Batteries at either end of Bristol Ferry
3
18 pounders.
Howland Ferry defenses
7
18 and 24 pds.
Fort Liberty, Goat Island, in Newport harbor
25
18 and 24 pds.
North Point Battery (site of present Fort Greene)
20
Dumplings Rock Battery
8
18 and 24 pds. 18 pounders.
A year later, in May, soon after the British attack on Warren, fortifications were erected
1 Cullum's Historical Sketch of the Fortification Defenses of Narragansett Bay, Washington, 1884, page 10.
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IN RHODE ISLAND
on Burr Hill, in that town, " upon the west end of the second hill from the north," and. a guard was maintained here both night and day during the remainder of the war. Noth- ing remains to-day of these fortifications.
Colonel Israel Angell's Rhode Island Regi- ment of General Varnum's Brigade was located at Warren, from the summer of 1778 to the spring of 1779. This regiment con- sisted of nine companies, six of them be- ing commanded by Captains William Tew, Coggeshall Olney, Stephen Olney, William Allen, Thomas Hughes, and William Hum- phries, while the other three were known as . the Colonel's Company, the Lieutenant-Colo- nel's Company, and the Major's Company.
Captain William Tew's Company, in April, 1779, consisted of the following rank and file : - ®
William Tew, Captain. Ebenezer Macomber, Lieutenant.
William Proctor, Sergeant-Major.
Nathan Whittlesey, Quartermaster-Sergeant. William Davis, Drum-Major. George Clark, Fife-Major. William Pratt, Sergeant.
John Macomber, Sergeant. Nathaniel Harris, Sergeant.
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Knight Springer, Drummer. Reuben Smith, Corporal. Philip Justin, Corporal. Edward Easterbrooks, Corporal.
Privates.
Robert Allbrow
Reuben Macomber
Jonathan Briggs
Magnus Nice
Jotham Bemus
William Nichols
Asa Bowdish
William Parker, Sr.
Benjamin Blanchard
William Parker, Jr.
William Bennett
Abraham Rose
Edward Cole
William Salsbury
John Chadwick
Thomas Smith
Levi Cole
Michael Stafford
John Crandall
Amos Thurber
John Exceen
Reuben Thompson
Charles Gray
Darius Thurber
Stephen Hazard John Usher
Jonathan Hill
Abial Weaver
Peleg Johnson
Samuel Jordan
Samuel Loring
Full lists of the other companies in this regiment are among the Revolutionary rolls in the office of the Secretary of State.
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IN RHODE ISLAND
CHAPTER IX.
Arrival of the British Fleet at Newport. - Governor Cooke's Letter to General Washington. - Evacuation of the Island of Rhode Island by the Americans. - British erect Addi- tional Works. - Forts at Coddington's Point and Cove. - Loss of the Spitfire. - William Pearce loses his Cider. - The Owl's Nest. - Butt's Hill Fort. - Dumplings Bat- tery. - Eldred's One-gun Battery. - The Battery at the Bonnet.
EARLY in December, 1776, Job Watson, from his watch tower on Tower Hill, saw far out on the ocean the dread object for which he had been watching so long. The news that a squadron of vessel was headed toward Narragansett Bay was hurriedly sent through the colony. The alarm companies assembled at their stations, and excitement ran high. - On Saturday, the seventh day of December, "the British fleet of eleven vessels of war, convoying seventy transports, having on board six thousand troops," sailed into Nar- ragansett Bay, up the west passage, around the north end of Conanicut Island, and anchored in Newport harbor.
As soon as the intelligence of the arrival of the British fleet, and their occupation of
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
the island of Rhode Island, reached Governor Cooke at Providence, he despatched a letter to General Washington, apprising him of the threatening situation in Narragansett Bay. It was dated at " Providence December S 1776 Past 10 o'clock P.M." It had been a day of trouble and anxiety to the people of Rhode Island. Messengers had brought to the Governor the latest accounts of affairs on the island, and now, well into the night, he wrote : -
"SIR: - It is with great concern, I give you the disagreeable intelligence that the enemy with a fleet consisting of seventy- eight ships of war and transports, entered the harbor of Newport yesterday.
" We had about six hundred men upon Rhode Island, who were obliged to evacu- ate it, with the loss of about fifteen or twenty heavy cannon; having taken off the ammunition and stores, and the greatest part of the stock. The enemy have full possession of the island.
"I am informed by General West and Lieutenant Barron, of the Providence, that they landed this morning about eight o'clock, with eight thousand men, who
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IN RHODE ISLAND
marched in three divisions; one towards Newport, the second towards Howland's Ferry and the third to Bristol Ferry ; where they arrived time enough to fire upon the boats that brought over our last men, but without doing damage.
" I have sent repeated expresses to the Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut.
" The forces of the former are upon the march as I believe the latter are, also.
" In great haste
" I am your Excellency's most obedient humble servant " NICHOLAS COOKE.".
Sunday morning, the troops, under the command of Sir Henry Clinton, disem- barked, part of them landing at Long Wharf, in Newport, while the main body of the army landed at Greensdale, in Middletown, near the residence of the Hon. Nathanael Greene, a grandson of General Greene. The island of Rhode Island was now practically in the hands of the enemy. That Sunday night was devoted to excesses of the wildest kind, for the soldiers celebrated their first hours ashore in revelry and pillage.
Many of the islanders hurriedly left their
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
homes, taking only such personal effects as they could conveniently get together, while those who remained were subjected to all manner of abuse and insults, and were com- pelled to take into their homes the officers of the King's regiments. The arrival of the army produced the greatest consternation through the state; the fortifications along the shore were manned and strengthened. and the whole state "became a vast camp confronting the enemy."
The British at once commenced to strengthen the works which had fallen into their hands, and to build additional defences. A redoubt was thrown up on the east side of the island at Fogland Ferry, another on the west side of the island, on the south side of Lawton's Valley, while a formidable work was erected on Butt's Hill, near the north end of the island.
A part of the earthwork thrown up at Fogland Ferry, near the "Glen," may be seen on the Taylor farm, between McCurry's Point and Sandy Point, while on the west side of the island, on the Redwood farm, may be found the remains of the redoubt at Lawton's Valley.
Upon the completion of these, " they in-
TONOMY HILL FORT AND OBSERVATORY, NEWPORT From the south
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IN RHODE ISLAND
trenched Newport with a strong, continuous line, which ran northerly along the crest of the height rising above the right bank of the inlet at Easton's Pond, then turned west- erly towards Tonomy Hill, and continued
FORT ON CODDINGTON'S
POINT
Z
north of this height to Coddington's Cove." The forts which the American army was forced to abandon at Tonomy Hill were strengthened, and a heavy battery was erected at Coddington's Point. The works at the
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
most important positions along this line are yet well preserved.
The eastern terminus was at Bliss Hill at what is called Green End. This is in the town of Middletown, not far from the New- port city line, and directly opposite Honey- man's Hill, where on the 17th of August, 1778 the American army erected a fort in its advance on Newport, remains of which may · yet be seen on the crest of the hill south- erly from the Honeyman Hill road. The Bliss Hill fort is to-day in a remarkable state of preservation, and from its ramparts an ex- tensive view of ocean and undulating coun- try can be had, while Easton's Pond, the source of water supply for the city of New- port, lies at its base.
From this point the line of intrenchments ran northerly towards Coddington's Point. Within the past dozen years all have disap- peared ; portions of it in 1884 could be seen at the Van Renssellaer place, Collin's place, and Bailey's farm.
Continuing westward are Tonomy Hill and Beacon Hill, and the lines of the works there are clear and distinct. Tonomy Hill consists of huge boulders and outcroppings of conglomerate rock, making it a veritable
.
:
BLISS HILL FORT, GREEN END, MIDDLETOWN Looking towards Honeyman's Hill
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IN RHODE ISLAND
fortress. Its summit on the north, east, and west rises abruptly, while there is an easy ascent from the south, making a good road over which heavy guns could be hauled. A dense growth of cedars now cover these
FORT AT CODDINGTONS
COVE
-
-
N
73- 0"
hills. In the centre of Tonomy Hill fort there is an observatory which replaces an old one blown down many years ago, from which an extensive view of Newport and its harbor can be seen. Northwesterly from these hills faint indications of part of this outer line of intrenchments are still visible. This line terminated at a point near the
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
corner of Coddington Avenue and Maple Avenue, and here are the remains of an elliptical fort built by the British in 177S. Its proportions and formidable appearance are best seen by approaching it from Maple Avenue.
That in the best state of preservation, however, in this vicinity, is the Coddington's Point fort. Time has dealt leniently with this historic work, and, notwithstanding its exposed situation, even some of the points at which the guns were located may be easily identified.
On the east side of the island, at Barker's Hill, was a large redoubt, while near it was a smaller one erected "to guard the ap- proach to the right of the British intrench- ments." Throughout the southern end of the island other earthworks were constructed at advantageous points about the British lines ; all these have now been obliterated.
Upon the commencement of the works on Honeyman's Hill, by the Americans, in August, 1778, the British at once began an inner line of intrenchments; these started near the foot of the present Narragansett Avenue at the "Cliffs," where a strong redoubt was constructed, and which formed
CODDINGTON'S POINT FORT, NEWPORT From the south
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IN RHODE ISLAND
the southern terminus; and from this point wound northerly, sweeping towards the North Battery on the harbor front, where it ended. A portion of the redoubt at the Cliffs was visible in ISS4, when General Cullum made his investigations, but since then it has entirely disappeared. In the compact part of the city this line crossed Kay Street at a point near the estate of Mrs. Judge Gray, of Albany; and there may be seen even now, on the lawn of this place, a rise in the ground which marks the location of a part of this line.
The two armies did not come in contact with each other in a general engagement until August, 1778, when Sullivan's Expedi- tion against the enemy took place. Skir- mishes had occurred at several points on the bay side before this, and many attacks had been made by the British on unprotected houses, but it was not until this time that the engagement, which has been known as the battle of Rhode Island, took place.
There is preserved in the archives of the state of Rhode Island an old map which shows the details of the operations on Rhode Island during Sullivan's Expedition; it is without title, but is in substance the same
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
as another now in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical Society, which has the title "Map of the Military Operations in 1777-78 on Rhode Island." These maps show the location of the fleets and armies during these operations on the island, and thus become particularly valuable in identi- fying the various historic points in connec- tion with the Revolutionary struggle in Rhode Island.
Taking this map for a guide, it is com- paratively easy to identify nearly all of the historic places in the neighborhood.
Commencing at the north end of the island is Common Fence Point. Here, on the evening of the 13th of March, 1777, the row galley Spitfire, commanded by Cap- tain Isaac Tyler, grounded in the night, or, as the entry in the records of the Council - of War says, "struck the bottom." Near her at the time was the row galley Waslı- ington.
The captain of the Spitfire endeavored to get the assistance of the Washington to haul him off, but this aid was not forthcom- ing, on account of differences between the tivo commanders. When morning dawned, the position of the Spitfire was discovered
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IN RHODE ISLAND
by one of the enemy's boats patrolling the bay.
The Spitfire had been abandoned, so that it was a comparatively easy task to take pos-
FORT
AT
BRISTOL
FERRY
....
2
n'- E
5
session of her. This was done, and as it was difficult to float her, she was set on fire.
The responsibility for this loss was made the subject of a searching investigation by
138
.
REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
the Council of War. Next, south of the point, is the Portsmouth side of the ferry from the island to Bristol; it is called Bris- tol Ferry. Here, on the high land near . the Stoddard place, a few rods south of the Bristol Ferry House, in a field off from the road to Stone Bridge, the outlines of the Bristol Ferry fort may still be seen. The plough has done much to obliterate this work, for the land on which it is located has been under cultivation for many years. It was erected, in 1776, by the troops sta- tioned here in conjunction with those at the other end of the ferry.
When the British took possession of New- port, the fort at Bristol Ferry was evacu- ated; near it was the home of William Pearce, and here some of the officers of the regiment were quartered. In Mr. Pearce's cellar was a quantity of fine cider, six barrels in all. This fact seems to have been well known to the soldiers; for, when they left the island, they carried away with them Mr. Pearce's cider. For this depletion of his stock, this gentleman promptly presented his bill to the General Assembly, and that body honored it by payment in full.
To the east of the ferry fort is Stone
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IN RHODE ISLAND
Bridge, where Howland's Ferry was formerly located. On the neck of land forming the western approach to this ferry, the main body of the American army in Sullivan's Expedition landed on August 9, 1778, “ be- ginning half after 6 o'clock A.M.," and from this point they embarked when they re- . treated from the island, on "the 30th in the evening." This movement of the Continen- tals was covered by the fort on Tiverton Heights, called Fort Barton, and another on Gould Island called the "Owl's nest." Gould Island is the little wooded island south of Stone Bridge. Fort Barton was so called in honor of Colonel William Bar- ton, of the Rhode Island Line. It is in Tiverton, at the top of the terraced hill which rises from the stage-road leading to Little Compton, and is reached by following the road leading east by Stone Bridge Cot- tage. From its ramparts one of the most picturesque views of Narragansett Bay, Sea- connet River, and the island of Rhode Island can be obtained. Continuing south- ward, on the island, is Butt's Hill, ap- proached by a cross-road called Sprague Lane, connecting the two main highways, the East and West roads.
-
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
On March 24, 1777, Colonel Stanton wrote to Governor Cooke: " The enemy on Rhode Island are indefatigable in fortifying the eminences on the north part of the island, particularly Butt's Hill."
The centre work at this point is by far the most imposing and best preserved of those at the north end of the island.
. The embankments and ditch, with traces of ravelins, are even now well preserved. In 1848, the ruts made by the heavy wheels of the cannon, says Lossing, were then clearly visible. This fort was constructed on a rocky ledge, which has done much to pre- serve its ancient appearance. Nothing re- mains of the other fortifications which were a part of the Butt's Hill system.
All of these were built by the British in March, 1777, and were occupied successively by the British and American armies during the operations on Rhode Island. Here the American army encamped on the night of the 28th of August, 1778; in front of these works the army made its stand the next · day; and from here the retreat was made August 29, 1778. In November, 17So, after the evacuation of Newport and the island by the enemy, Butt's Hill fort and the
A CORNER OF BUTT'S HILL FORT, PORTSMOUTH Looking towards Tiverton Heights
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IN RHODE ISLAND
other forts were garrisoned by the French army.
In October, 1861, the Butt's Hill fort was occupied for one night by a detachment of Battery F, First Rhode Island Light Artil- lery, while on a recruiting expedition. Here they had a drill, and the men obtained their first experience in firing solid shot from this old earthwork.
Still farther southward are Turkey Hill and Quaker Hill, the former to the west- ward, the latter to the eastward of Butt's Hill. . Between these three hills is a low stretch of country, rising gently toward the north and south. In this valley most of the fighting took place, and the main loss to both armies was sustained, in the battle which took place in August, 1778. The works on Turkey Hill and Quaker Hill are no longer visible.
The land here has been cultivated for many years, and the industrious island farmer has not allowed sentiment to inter- fere with his crops.
Continuing southward were the forts and intrenchments hitherto referred to in and around Newport.
When the American army again occupied
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REVOLUTIONARY DEFENCES
this territory, additional works were built and those already existing were strength- ened. A work was built on Coaster's Island, and another on Rose Island, armed with forty pieces of heavy artillery.
In 1781, a battery was erected on Halli- don Hill, " as this height commanded at short artillery range all the batteries at Brenton's Point and on Goat Island."
FORT
CHASTELLUX
This fort was first called Fort Chastellux "after the Chevalier de Chastellux, one of Rochambeau's Mareschaux des Camps;" after the Revolution it was called Fort Har- rison, being on the Harrison farm; and later it was called " Fort Denham, from some local association." General Cullum, in his work previously referred to, says that in IS84 a portion of this fort was situated in front of the Thorp cottage (between Berkley and
13 /4/a,
The original map of which this is a photographic reproduction, is in the custody of the Secretary of State of Rhode Island, It is mounted on cloth, and is thirtyflmine and three-quarter inches long and nineteen inches wide. All the coast boundaries have a fine yeplow wash-line inside of two differently shaded wasb-lines of neutral tint, the water surrounding the ist.find is tinted green. Buildings indicated on the map are colored yellow. The American forces constafing of "ibe first line," the " second line " and "reserves," are colored yellow, while the British fofces are generally colored red and blue. A portion of that part of the inap showing Bristol neck has been torn and the lettering obliterated. There is written on the back side of this map and partly concealed byf the cloth on which the map is mounted " Governor and Assembly of Rhode Island, Maj. Gen. J. Sullivan! "
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