Rhode Island : three centuries of democracy, Vol. I, Part 23

Author: Carroll, Charles, author
Publication date: 1932
Publisher: New York : Lewis historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 716

USA > Rhode Island > Rhode Island : three centuries of democracy, Vol. I > Part 23

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In 1684 the English government undertook to suppress piracy and privateering. On June 24 the Rhode Island General Assembly ordered a proclamation, issued by his majesty's special command, published in the town of Newport by beat of the drum, the proclamation to be read "in three of the most public places in said Newport." Furthermore the General Assembly enacted "An act for the restraining and punishing privateers and pirates." The act recited that, contrary to treaties of peace and the royal proclamations, "several of his subjects have and do continually go off from this colony unto foreign princes' services, and sail under their commissions contrary to their duty and good allegiance, and by fair means cannot be restrained from doing so," and forbade as a felony, punishable by death, without benefit of clergy, any person inhabiting the colony "to serve in America in any hostile manner under any foreign

prince, state or potentate . . against any other foreign prince, state or potentate in amity with his majesty, without special license for doing so under the hand and seal of the Gover- nor." The act was retroactive for four years, but granted amnesty to any already in service who should leave such service before December 29. The act also ordered the arrest of pirates and persons suspected of piracy, and that "all and every person or persons that shall any way knowingly entertain, harbor, conceal, trade or hold any correspondence by letter or otherwise" with pirates be prosecuted as accessories. In 1696 the issuing of letters of marque was for- bidden unless the privateer deposited a bond of f1000 as security against unlawful acts. Two years later John Easton made an affidavit to the effect that he as Governor in 1694 had refused a commission to Captain Thomas Tew, who offered £500 for it, and also that he had refused a commission to John Bankes, but that Bankes had received a commission from John Greene, Deputy Governor. Other colony officers were accused of collusion with privateers. Tew, the privateer, who was refused a commission in Rhode Island in 1694, went to Bermuda, and obtained there a commission against the French. He sailed for Madagascar, became a pirate, and established a colony in company with another pirate named Mission. Subsequently, a very wealthy man, Tew returned to Newport and repaid the owners of the vessel in which he had sailed fourteen times the value of the ship and outfit.

BLOCK ISLAND ATTACKED-King William's War, 1689-1697, opened in Rhode Island in July, 1689, with an attack on Block Island by French privateers or pirates. The French carried with them an English renegade, one William Trimming, who was a member of a small landing party, and who assured the Block Islanders that the vessels were English seeking a pilot to take them into Newport. Later a pilot boat was captured in Block Island Sound, and the crew was questioned as to the strength of Newport and Block Island. Newport was well prepared for defence, and the French chose Block Island for attack. One hundred fifty men were sent ashore, with arms concealed in the bottoms of their boats, the islanders were disarmed and the

CITY BING STORE

DOLBEY'Y

FOUNTAIN SQUARE, BLOCK ISLAND

SETTLER ROCK. SHOWING NORTH LIGHTHOUSE, BLOCK ISLAND

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men locked up under guard, while the pirates spent a week on the island, plundering homes, extorting concealed wealth by torture, and killing livestock. Two vessels in the sound were captured. Meanwhile news of the descent on Block Island had been spread abroad, and bon- fires were lighted along the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut as warnings. Leaving Block Island, the privateers sailed to New London, but were driven off by artillery fire from the fort. Trimming was killed in the course of an attack on Fisher's Island. Sailing east- ward, the privateers were met by two armed sloops from Newport, with ninety men com- manded by Captain Thomas Paine as fleet captain and Captain John Godfrey, both of whom had served as privateers and were experienced sea fighters. Captain Paine led the French- men into shallow water to prevent the enemy from surrendering his two vessels, and with his company prepared to answer shot for shot, and to resist a boarding party. The latter, consist- ing of 200 men, were repulsed by Captain Paine and his ninety. The French casualties were estimated as 100. Captain Paine lost one man killed and six wounded. The battle lasted from five o'clock in the afternoon until the late sunset of the midsummer day, and both flotillas rode out the night at anchor close together. In the morning the French sailed away without renew- ing the fight, and were chased by the Rhode Islanders-two sloops pursuing two barks, two sloops and three other vessels. In the flight the French abandoned and sank, by firing a cannon shot through the hull, a vessel captured while at Block Island. The French flight was reported as precipitated when the French privateersman commanding, called Pekar, or Picquard, learned that the Newport vessels were commanded by Captain Paine. With Paine as master he had sailed as mate on a privateer, and knowing Paine, he "would as soon fight the devil as Paine." Three times afterward during King William's War Block Island was raided by French. Fol- lowing the third attack the privateers were chased and captured by the "Nonesuch," an English man-of-war, near the Elizabeth Islands. The islanders themselves repulsed the fourth inva- sion of Block Island "in an open, pitched battle."

EARLY PRIVATEERING-In 1690 the "Loyal Stead," Captain Parkinson, late of Barbados, was appraised at Newport, was impressed into the service of the colony, and was sent out against the French. The "Pelican" was brought into Newport in 1696 by a Rhode Island privateer. This vessel had sailed from Boston for London in 1694, but was captured by the French privateer "Phillipi," and taken to Nantz. There she was condemned and fitted out as a privateer under Captain Vaux. The Rhode Island privateer captured the "Pelican" off the Banks of Newfoundland. Of the activities of Rhode Island privateers in more remote waters no records have been preserved. Except the depredations by French privateers upon colonial commerce, and by English and colonial privateers on French commerce, King William's War in America was confined principally to the border line between French Canada and the English colonies, with Indian allies assisting both French and English. In 1690 the Governor of New York appealed to all the colonies for assistance in the defence of Albany, then an outpost on the frontier. Rhode Island offered to raise and send a fair proportion of money to assist New York, but refused to send men, because of the exposed position of Newport and the need of men: for home defence. When, two years later, the English government ordered a conference of colonial delegates to consider measures for common defence, Rhode Island was not repre- sented, because the notice of the conference was received on the day set for the meeting, and it was a physical impossibility then to reach the conference. In a reply to his majesty, explain- ing the apparent but unintended neglect, Rhode Island recalled Captain Paine's exploits off Block Island, and the need of constant defence of Narragansett Bay. It was asserted that a French privateer which had visited neighboring waters after the frigate "Nonesuch" had been withdrawn, had been driven off by a Newport brigantine commanded by Peter Lawrence. Rhode Island's quota for the defence of New York was fixed at forty-eight men, but Rhode

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Island declined to send these because of the refusal of Massachusetts to run the eastern boun- dary line, and thus apportion the quota equitably, Rhode Island holding that the quota could not be drawn fairly while Massachusetts continued to hold territory assigned to Rhode Island by the Charter. No mention was made of the probably large number of Rhode Islanders serving as privateers, which was, without doubt, the real reason why it was felt that the forty- eight men could not be spared for New York. Rhode Island again offered to send money instead of men, and eventually was sustained in this position, although New York did not accept the tender.

Sir William Phipps, who had been appointed Royal Governor of Massachusetts, under- took in 1692 to take over command of all New England militia. Rhode Island refused to sur- render colony control of the militia, assured under the Charter of 1663, without sight of the commission under which Phipps claimed authority. In this position Rhode Island was sus- tained by the English Council of State, which held that each colony controlled its own militia except when and unless the militia had been called out for the common defence, in which event the militia detachments might be placed under a general command for strategic purposes. The decision suggests the provision in the federal Constitution which reserves control of the militia to the states unless and until the militia is called into the actual service of the nation. Rhode Island had no part as a colony in the inglorious expedition of Sir William Phipps against Que- bec, ending in precipitate flight after a demonstration of strength by Count Frontenac. Except the gallant exploits of Captain Paine and Captain Lawrence, and the measures taken to estab- lish a cordon for defence around Providence because of a rumor that an Indian invasion was threatened, Rhode Island's part in King William's War was principally through privateering far away from Narragansett Bay, there being little of French commerce near at hand to sug- gest an area for profitable operations. In offering New York money for defence, instead of men, Rhode Island did more than most of the colonies ; the colonial response to this effort to unite them in a common cause was almost disheartening. The French threat from Canada was not strong enough, and it was too remote in King William's War, to furnish a compelling motive for effective cooperation.

QUEEN ANNE'S WAR-Queen Anne's War against France and Spain opened by declara- tion on May 4, 1702. Two days later, although news of the declaration of war did not reach Rhode Island until July, the General Assembly ordered the construction of a fortification or battery of twelve guns "in some convenient place near the harbor of Newport." Goat Island was selected, the fort was called Fort Anne and paid for in part from the Queen's tenth share, £170, in prizes brought into Newport by privateers, of which four were mentioned in the record for June 22, 1703. The charges of maintaining a garrison were obtained in part by levying a charge of one pound of powder per ton on vessels entering the harbor. In Septem- ber, 1702, Colonel Joseph Dudley, Royal Governor of Massachusetts, renewing the attempt to obtain direct control of the Rhode Island militia, encountered refusal at Newport and acquiescence in the King's Province at Narragansett. Major Martindale, in command at New- port, excused his unwillingness to order out his regiment to take an oath to support Dudley, on the ground that his commission authorized him to act only under direction of the General Assembly, which, as it was not in session, had given no order. Subsequently Rhode Island contributed generously of money, men and vessels to the several expeditions against Canada that were undertaken as joint colonial enterprises during this war.

Aggressive measures, additional to those for defence, were also taken. Captain William Wanton, of Portsmouth, was commissioned in July, 1702, as commander of the "Greyhound," brigantine, 100 tons, mounting twelve cannon and carrying one hundred men. Two months later the "Greyhound" sailed into Newport harbor with three French prizes, taken on a cruise

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to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The French vessels had a total tonnage of 720, and mounted 54 cannon. Their cargoes were dried fish. The Queen's tenth share in the prizes was applied first to supporting the "Greyhound's" prisoners, and afterward to the expense of building and arming Fort Anne. Four prizes, taken from French and Spanish, were brought into Newport in 1703. Two years later the "Charles," brigantine, Captain John Halsey, arrived with a Span- ish prize. Captain Halsey's commission had been issued in November, 1704, after her majesty had abolished the colonial court of admiralty established at Newport in 1694. Nathaniel Byfield, Judge of Admiralty in the English court at Newport, at first refused to condemn the prize, alleging that the commission was illegal. The General Assembly thereupon passed an act declaring that the Governor had power to issue letters of marque, resting the authority therefor upon the war powers specified in the Charter, which clearly indicated a direction to take up arms against and conduct military and naval enterprises against the colony's enemies. Judge Byfield appealed to Governor Dudley, of Massachusetts, and was advised by Dudley to condemn the prize and cargo, lest both be taken by force by the men of Newport. In a report to Sir Charles Hedges, Principal Secretary of State, Judge Byfield charged that his life had been threatened, and that there had been a forcible demonstration in his court. In June, 1706, a French privateer captured a sloop loaded with provisions near Block Island. Under the Governor's direction Captain John Wanton, with two sloops and 120 men, assembled as vol- unteers within two hours, put out from Newport and pursued the Frenchman. Three hours later they captured the privateer. Judge Byfield condemned this prize without charging the usual court fees "in order to encourage so brisk an action." Again, in 1708, Captain William Wanton, with two armed sloops, sailed from Newport in search of French privateers, which had taken two prizes near Martha's Vineyard. The French were compelled to abandon their prizes, and flee. The achievements of the Wantons did much to sustain colonial enthusiasm. Their methods, applying strategy to the capture of vessels of superior tonnage and armament, furnished the themes for many a romantic sea tale related in old Newport, and fascinated the youth, who thereupon sought adventure at sea in increasing numbers. In a particular instance, when the Wantons sought the capture of a French privateer larger and better armed than any colonial vessel available, the Newporters reached the enemy's cruising grounds in the daytime, and at night rowed silently in a yawl to his anchorage. There they inserted wedges between the rudder-head and sternpost of the French ship. In the morning they approached the French vessel from a quarter not covered by the guns, as the steering gear was disabled, and compelled surrender. On another occasion, wanting a vessel suitably armed, the Wantons carried a heavily armed crew concealed below the decks of a sloop, sought a French privateer, and pre- tended flight. When stopped by a cannon shot, the Wantons brought their small vessel along- side the Frenchman, and poured a large boarding party upon the decks. The French crew was driven below, and the vessel was captured.

Rhode Island also furnished troops for the small army led by Captain Church against the Indians to the eastward, and supported vigorously the several expeditions undertaken against the French in Canada, though maintaining unalterably the exclusive right to control the militia within the colony. In 1704 a tax of £700 was levied "for the defence of her majesty's interest in said colony, and paying the volunteers that are gone out on her majesty's service to the east- ward against the French and Indians, her majesty's enemies." Early in the following year, forty-eight men were enlisted, and another tax of £500 was levied, to maintain this force as the colony's quota in Dudley's army. In a reply to charges made by Dudley and Lord Corn- bury of New York that Rhode Island was not cooperating in the war, the colony answered under date of March 26, 1705-1706, that colonial quotas of men had been exceeded, and that in seven years more than £6,000 had been expended "in fortifying and other charges occa- sioned in maintaining and defending her majesty's interest against the common enemy, and

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support of the government." Rhode Island contributed liberally of men and money and ships to four expeditions against Canada. Early in 1706-1707, upon receiving from Dudley request for aid in an attack on Canada, the General Assembly authorized the Governor to impress a vessel of not exceeding eighty tons, and arm and equip it. The Rhode Island sloop "Bath- sheba," Captain Cranston, 8 guns, 26 men, accompanied the expedition. Command of troops was offered to Major William Wanton or Captain John Wanton, if either could be persuaded to accept it ; otherwise to some other acceptable to the troops. The Governor was also author- ized to enlist not exceeding eighty volunteers, or to make up the number of volunteers by impressing not exceeding forty-eight men. This expedition, led by Dudley against Acadia, was repulsed at Port Royal, and returned to New England early in the summer of 1707. Early in 1709 another expedition against Canada was planned, and Rhode Island entered vigorously into the preparations. Major William Wanton, Major Henry Tew, Colonel John Wanton, Job Almy and Captain John Brown were appointed as a war council to aid the Governor. Two sloops, the "Diamond" and the "Endeavor," were fitted out. Captain Edward Thurston was appointed as commissary and quartermaster. Two hundred men were raised and drilled, and the Rhode Island contingent, under Colonel William Wanton, sailed for Nantasket, the ren- dezvous, on June 19, arriving three days later. The colonial troops and fleet raised for this expedition remained near Boston until October, awaiting the forces promised by England. England suffered a defeat in Spain, and the colonial forces were disbanded. The proceeds of the sale of lands in the Narragansett country were applied to the expenses of this expedition. Still another expedition against Canada was fitted out in 1710. Rhode Island undertook to raise 145 men, including forty-three Indians, besides a commissary, a pilot and eight sailors, Lieutenant-Colonel John Wanton commanding. The General Assembly voted to raise £5,000 by an issue of colony notes, the first paper money in Rhode Island. Massachusetts, Connect- icut, New York, and New Jersey had issued paper money in connection with the preceding expedition. Three Rhode Island vessels were among the twenty-four transports, which were escorted by an English fleet of twelve ships. Sailing from Nantasket on September 18, the expedition reached Port Royal on September 24. The fortress capitulated on October 2, and was left in charge of a garrison. The name was changed to Annapolis Royal in honor of the Queen. In the following year, another expedition was outfitted to undertake the conquest of Canada. Rhode Island's quota was 179 men, besides vessels and stores, including no small part in provisioning the English fleet, which arrived without stores. Another issue of paper money, £6,000, was authorized. The fleet, including fifteen English ships of war and forty transports, carried 5,000 British troops, fresh from Marlborough's army, and 2,000 colonials. Another contingent, some 1,500 colonials, marched from Albany toward Quebec. The war- ships reached the St. Lawrence, but the transports were delayed by a storm, which destroyed many vessels. One thousand men were drowned. The expedition was abandoned. The war ended in Europe while the colonies were clamoring for another expedition against Canada. The war had been expensive, entailing losses of men and waste of resources. England had begun the accumulation of a national debt. In America five colonies had undertaken to finance the war by issuing paper money, which represented an unpaid debt, besides establishing a bad precedent and inaugurating an unsound financial system. The colonial debt, accumulated in a quarrel not of colonial making, and, as it involved in Europe principally a question of succes- sion to the Spanish throne, not essentially a matter of colonial interest, should not be forgotten, in view of later effort by the mother country to enforce a sharing by the colonies of the English national debt. In Queen Anne's War the mother country was not defending the colonies, so much as the colonists were engaged in fighting England's battles.

Privateering ended with the declaration of peace, but piracy continued until modern navies practically banished it from the high seas. In the eighteenth century piracy flourished along

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the trade routes adjacent to East and West Indies, the pirates being attracted thither by the prospect of rich captures. Occasionally pirates ventured into other waters. The "Ranger" and the "Fortune," pirates, captured the ship "Amsterdam Merchant," John Welland, Master, May 8, 1723. In June the same pirates captured a Virginia sloop, and after selecting plunder, released her. The sloop reported the outrage to H. M. S. "Greyhound," Captain Solgard, 20 guns. The man-o'-war followed the pirates and overtook them near the easterly end of Long Island. In the naval battle that ensued the "Greyhound" captured one of the pirates, and took the crew of thirty-six men into Newport, where they were lodged in the jail. June 18th the General Assembly ordered a detachment of the militia to guard the prison and prevent an escape. The pirates were tried at Newport and twenty-six were hanged on Gravelly Point, opposite the town of Newport, on July 19, 1723. In 1729 the General Assembly ordered the purchase of "arms sufficient for the equipping and fitting out of a vessel, in case of an attack of an enemy by sea" as a "defence against privateers, pirates, etc., who often come upon this coast and do great damage to his majesty's good subjects in this colony." The purchase was to include "100 pistols, 100 cutlasses, enough muskets to make 150, 40 half pikes, and 12 good guns with carriages fitting and suitable for a sloop or other vessel." It was also voted to ask his majesty to "bestow upon this colony a suitable number of guns for the fort," and to repair the fort. The fort was further repaired in 1732, and in 1733 a committee was appointed to examine the fort and to report what guns were needed. The colony appropriated £4000 for the purchase of cannon for the fort.

WAR WITH SPAIN-The peace of a quarter of a century following Queen Anne's War was broken in 1739. In August the Governor was authorized to issue letters of marque "as he shall think needful and necessary," in the war with Spain. Small arms, pistols, cutlasses and great shot from the colony stores were loaned to Godfrey Malbone, John Brown and George Wanton to assist them in fitting out "their private men-of-war." On February 26, 1739-40, the General Assembly ordered ( 1) the enlistment of a garrison for Fort George; (2) repairs on the fort ; (3) a garrison for Block Island; (4) mounting of six great guns at Block Island ; (5) building of watch houses at places along the shore, and maintenance of a watch; (6) "that a good sloop be forthwith built for the use of this colony, for the defence thereof, not exceeding 115 tons, in the best shape it can be built." This was to be the famous colony sloop "Tartar." In June work on the "Tartar" was hastened, and she was rigged, armed and equipped, with a complement of twelve carriage guns and twelve swivel guns. Her decks were broad, and she carried so large a crew that the colony waived its right to share the first prize money, and ordered it added to the share of the crew. The first cruise resulted in the capture of a French schooner, which Captain John Cranston brought into Newport. In May soldiers for an expedition against the Spanish West Indies were enlisted, the colony offering a bonus to encourage volunteers. In July the quota assigned to Rhode Island was reduced to two companies of 100 men each. Commanded by Captain Samuel Dunn (later by Captain Joseph Sheffield) and Captain William Hopkins, they sailed for Jamaica in two transports provided by the colony to join the British and other colonists. The expedition was repulsed in an attack on Carthagena, and the ravages of yellow fever reduced the effective fighting force by one-half. Captain Hopkins returned to Rhode Island to raise reinforcements for a new cam- paign, contemplating an attack on Cuba. Again the colony called for volunteers and offered a bounty. The "Tartar" was assigned to transport duty and carried fifty-three men to Cuba. The expedition against Cuba was abandoned. Of the 253 Rhode Island soldiers enlisted, only twenty returned, most of the remainder having died of yellow fever.

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Rhode Island : three centuries of democracy, Vol. I, Part 23

Author: Carroll, Charles, author Publication date: 1932 Publisher: New York : Lewis historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Carroll, Charles, author
Publication date: 1932
Publisher: New York : Lewis historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 716