USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 1 > Part 52
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south of Popasquash Point. Upon landing, the party was called to- gether and Barton explained the nature of the expedition. The men were astonished at the boldness of the plan, but not one of them wished to be released from his engagement. Then they returned to Bristol, where they all remained until the next evening, when, under cover of darkness, they crossed the bay and landed at Warwick Neck. For fear that the enemy's ships, in cruising about the bay, would notice. the unusual number of boats, they were drawn up on the shore and hid in the bushes. At Warwick Neck the expedition was delayed for several days on account of a storm, but on the evening of the 9th of July the boats were got in readiness and the party embarked on their perilous undertaking. Before pushing off from the shore Barton col- lected his men and appointed each one to his station. To every boat there was a commissioned officer, exclusive of the commander himself. The party consisted of forty-one men. "In a subdued voice the Colonel gave his orders, First that they were to preserve the strictest order ; secondly, not to have the least idea of plunder; thirdly, to observe the most profound silence; and, fourthly, to take no spirituous liquors with them". He spoke a few words on the hazard attending the work before them, and pledged himself to share every danger, whatever it might be, equally with his soldiers. Then with muffled oars the five boats containing this daring party pushed out into the darkness of the night.
Before leaving, arrangements had been made with the commandant of the Warwick Neck post that a sharp lookout be kept after the ex- pedition started, for it was expected that in the event they were dis- covered, boats might be sent from the British men-of-war to cut them off from reaching the mainland. In case anything should occur to interfere with the plans laid out, it was arranged that three shots should be fired, and upon hearing this a party should immediately put off from the Neck and go to the north end of Prudence Island and take them off.
The boat containing Barton took the lead, and to distinguish it from the others a pole was set up on which was tied a white handkerchief. Barton laid his course between Prudence and Patience islands in order to avoid the enemy's ships, which lay near Hope Island, and continued southward hugging the western shore of Prudence Island; while turning the southern extremity of Prudence Island they came near enough to the British ships, the Lark, Diamond and Juno, which lay on the eastern side of Prudence, for them to hear the sentinels cry "'All's well". Fortunately, however, they were not discovered. The boats arrived within about three-quarters of a mile of the Island of Rhode Island, when the party were startled by hearing a noise like the running of horses. They rested on their oars, but the sound ceas- ing and no other demonstration being made, the order was given to
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pull ahead. It was not many moments before the boats grated on the beach and the company silently disembarked. A man was left with each boat with instructions to have them ready to push off in case any break in their plans should occur.
The Overing house, where Prescott was quartered, is just a mile from the shore. As you approach the house there is a little brook which crosses the road and flows to the westward down the hillside, forming a gorge; through this gulley, up over the hill, the party in five divisions silently and cautiously made their way, "and found themselves just by the house; the entrance to which was by three doors, south, cast and west". Three of the five divisions were to attack each a door, the fourth to guard the road; the fifth to act on emergencies.
The party approached the house and opened the front gate. As
OVERING HOUSE, MIDDLETOWN, R. I.
The house occupied by Gen. Prescott the night of his capture. A portion of the house was destroyed by fire many years ago.
they did so a sentinel advanced and demanded, "Who comes there?" No reply was made and the party kept on; a second time the sentinel inquired, "Who comes there ?" All this time they had been advanc- ing and were nearly up with the sentinel when Barton answered, "Friends". "Advance and give the countersign", responded the guard. "We have none", said Barton, "but have you seen any de- serters to-night ?" The apparent honesty of all this conversation com- pletely unarmed the sentinel, and before he realized that there was anything irregular in the proceedings, John Hunt, one of the party, sprang upon him, pinioned his arms, took away his gun, and told him to preserve silence under the penalty of instant death.
Having disposed of the sentry, one party proceeded to the house,
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while the other divisions assumed the stations to which they had been assigned.
The door was burst in and they ascended first to a chamber, which proved to be that occupied by Mr. Overing; he was much frightened, and upon being asked where the general slept, pointed with his fingers to the apartment below. At first they did not believe him, but pro- ceeded to the next chamber, which was found to be occupied by Mr. Overing's son. Not finding Prescott there they descended to the floor below. After they had searched the chamber without finding any trace of Prescott, Barton, as he stood on the stairs, ordered his men to fire the house, saying he was bound to have the general dead or alive. This order caused some one on the lower floor to exclaim, "What is the matter?" Going to the room from which this voice emanated, Barton saw a man in his night clothes sitting on the side of a bed; putting his hand on his shoulder, Barton asked him if he was General Prescott, to which he replied, "Yes." "Then you are my prisoner." "I ac- knowledge it, sir", replied Prescott. The general was then told that he must accompany them at once. He begged to be allowed to put on his clothing, but time was too precious for him to dress to any great extent, and with only a few clothes, he was hurried out of the house as quickly as possible.
In the meanwhile another incident was taking place. Major Bar- rington, the general's aid, was asleep in one of the chambers ; when he was awakened by the confusion in the house, he rose from his bed, went to one of the windows and jumped out. Such a proceeding had been anticipated, and he at once found himself in the hands of one of the party on guard outside. The three prisoners, General Prescott, Major Barrington, and the sentinel, whose name was Graham, were conducted to the boats.
The way back lay through a field of rye, and meadows covered with blackberry vines, and as the sentinel was the only one equipped with shoes, the two officers experienced a severe scratching and were com- pletely exhausted when they finally reached the boats. The prisoners were placed in the boat with Barton and the order given to push off. As they did so the signal of alarm, three cannon and three rockets, came from the island; some of the household had spread the news and the whole camp was aroused. Barton and his party had a good start, and they proceeded on their way without being pursued. During the trip back across the Bay, Prescott, noticing the British vessels lying here and there at anchor, turned to Barton and said, "Sir, I did not think it possible you could escape the vigilance of the water guards".
It was midnight when the boats landed at Warwick Neck. From here the prisoners were taken to Old Warwick, to a tavern kept by David Arnold. In order to reach this inn it was necessary to walk some distance. Prescott, whose feet were swollen and badly scratched
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
from his hurried scramble over the island meadows, asked Barton if he could not procure him a pair of shoes. Through Barton's efforts a pair was obtained from one of the officers at the Warwick Neck station, and Samuel Cory, one of the expedition, was directed by Barton to take them to the general and put them on. "Sam took the shoes and Prescott protested he could not wear them, his feet were so swollen and they would not fit. But Sam very deliberately sat himself down and went about putting them on, saying his orders were to put them on General Prescott, not to see whether they fitted, and that he must obey orders". Upon arriving at Arnold's tavern the prisoners were as- signed to rooms, where they passed the night.
The next morning they were driven to Providence and delivered into the custody of General Spencer, and in the course of a few days
DAVID ARNOLD TAVERN, OLD WARWICK. Here Gen. Prescott was taken after his capture by Col. Wm. Barton.
Presscott was sent to Washington's headquarters in New Jersey, and in April or May following he was exchanged. It is doubtful for whom he was exchanged; by some it is claimed for General Lee,1 while by others for General Sullivan, who had been captured at the Battle of Long Island in August, 1776, and the solution of this seems likely to never be determined. Soon after this exchange Prescott resumed his command on Rhode Island. Much surprise has been expressed that Prescott should have been so far from the main army and from the headquarters which he had established in Newport. He also appears to have neglected to place a proper guard at the house, where it ap- pears he spent most of his nights for more than a month. This has been excused in a measure by an English writer, Robert Lamb, who
1John Fiske in "The American Revolution" says Lee, vol. ii, p. 59.
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was a sergeant, during the war, in the Royal Welsh Fusileers, and who afterwards published a Journal of the American War; in this he says : "The British troops on Rhode Island were divided into two large en- campments, one covering the town [Newport], the other subdivided into three parts, and stationed towards the northern extremity, and about half a mile from the western coast of the Island."
It would be natural for a fellow soldier to palliate any indiscretion on the part of another, more especially a superior officer; besides this he was bound to uphold the honor of the army. Notwithstanding, however, the reasons given by Lamb, there has been, ever since the event, more than a suspicion that something, besides a desire to be near the two divisions of his army, brought him to that part of the island, and this suspicion is intensified by a few lines which appeared in the London Chronicle, September 27, 1777, only a few weeks after the episode on the Island took place; these lines were as follows :
"On General Prescott.
Being carried off Naked, Unanointed, Unanealed." "What various lures there are to ruin man ; Woman the first and foremost all bewitches. A nymph thus spoiled a General's mighty plan And gave him to the foe without his breeches."1
In nearly all the accounts of Prescott's capture the statement has been made that the door of the room occupied by the general was broken in by a powerful blow made by the head of a negro servant of Barton's; no mention of this, however, is made in Barton's own story, which he afterwards prepared.
Nearly all these accounts differ as to the person who did this act; in each, however, it was a negro. Thatcher, in his "Journal", calls him Prince; Greene, in his History of East Greenwich, calls him Sisson; Lossing, in his Field Book of the Revolution, calls him both Prince and Sisson; Mrs. Williams, who wrote the biography of Barton, says his name was Guy Watson, and afterwards identifies him with Tack or Jack Sisson, one of the party; and Prof. Diman, in his historical address, mentions an old negro named Quaco, who always claimed to have been the negro with Barton. While the fact that Barton makes no mention of this occurrence in his story does not necessarily prove that it did not take place, yet it does unfortunately prevent us from learning just who this headstrong fellow was. It is worth noticing, perhaps, that Jack or Tack Sisson, a negro, accompanied the party.
Prescott was a small, feeble old man, peevish and tyrannical. He had made himself disagreeable to the people of Newport, from the time he first took command, by his arbitrary orders, and there was
1 Additional light is thrown on this subject by the Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, D.D., LL.D., vol. 2, p. 182.
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much sceret rejoicing among the inhabitants at the news of his cap- ture.
The situation in Newport following this audacious capture is plainly shown by the brief entry which Flect S. Green, of that town, made in his diary the next day, in which he says :
"Last night came on the west side of the island, supposed to be about 10 men of the Provincials, marched up to Mr John Irving's house, without the least opposition, carried off Maj. Gen. Prescott, his aide-de-camp Mr Barrington, the sentry, and what others is not known. Immediately on the intelligence that the Gen. was carried off, the drums beat to arins, the Dragoons scoured the shore, but the bird was flown. The town appears in the utmost confusion at the loss of the Gen. confusion appears in every face, even the greatest friends to liberty are obliged to show some marks of sorrow at the loss of such an accomplished general; but the sun appears very bright through the clouds that hang on the brow. Mr. John Miller carried to the Provost, this afternoon, for too publickly expressing his joy at our relief."
Prescott's headquarters in Newport were at the Bannister house, on the corner of Spring and Pelham streets, a house which is still standing and occupied as a hotel called "The Prescott". Soon after he as- sumed command and established here his headquarters, he had a fine walk built, for his accommodation, from the house along Pelham street and up Spring street, and by his orders the stone door steps to the houses in the neighborhood were taken for this purpose.
The morning after the evacuation of Newport by the British the owners of these stepping-stones repaired to this private way of the general's, eager to secure their property, and before a great while this fine walk entirely disappeared.
The house where Prescott was captured is still standing, but it has been greatly changed since that July night in 1777, for many years ago it was partly destroyed by fire. The house stand- ing at that time is now an ell to the more pretentious building which is seen from the road. It was in the old part that the affair took place. For many years visitors to this old house were shown a room in the chambers of the front part, and told that it was the room occupied by the British general on the night of his capture; but this part of the house was not built at the time ; an old broken door was also displayed, which was said to be the same door broken by the blow from the negro's head. These stories have entertained and apparently satisfied scores of curious visitors, and perhaps have done no great harm, except to mislead those who have afterwards chronicled them as facts.
For this important service which Barton had rendered, Congress promptly extended a vote of thanks and directed a sword be presented to him, which was accordingly done. This sword is now in the posses- sion of one of his descendants. In December following his gallant act
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Barton was appointed aide-de-camp to General Green, and by vote of Congress was commissioned colonel.
When General Sullivan was sent to take command of the military affairs in Rhode Island it was regarded by General Pigot, then in command of the enemy's forces at Newport, as the first step in a gen- eral movement to attack him in his stronghold. He, therefore, resolved to annoy the American commander and delay such a project, if such a. policy was contemplated.1 On the evening of the 24th of May, 1778, Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, of the 22d Regiment, with a force of about five hundred British and Hessian soldiers, embarked from New- port on several vessels and proceeded up the bay under cover of dark- ness to a point between Popasquash Point and the town of Warren. Nearly opposite Rumstick Point, about half a mile south of what is known as Peck's rocks, in the town of Bristol, the party landed in tenders and small boats that had accompanied the expedition. It was near daylight when they landed. The invaders divided into two columns, one taking the main road into Warren, while the other set out for the head of the Kickemuet River.
At a point near the stone bridge which crosses the river were col- lected a large number of commodious flat bottom boats, which had been prepared for the transportation of the troops at the time of the pro- jected expedition by General Spencer; here also was a considerable quantity of stores, "pitch, tar, plank, &c.". Lying at anchor in the river was the row galley Spitfire2 and some other small craft. All this material, boats and stores were set on fire and entirely consumed. The fire on the galley, however, was extinguished before the flames had done much injury and was taken in charge and carried off by the enemy. It is stated3 that so unexpectedly and quickly had the attack- ing party arrived at this point that the crew of the galley were sur- prised while sleeping. In the mean time the second body of troops marched to the town of Warren, burned the Baptist meeting-house and seven dwelling houses, including the parsonage, blew up the powder magazine, abused and plundered the inhabitants, and took away sev- eral prisoners, among whom were the Rev. Charles Thompson, pastor of the church that had been destroyed, Major Sion Martindale, Mr. Edward Church, and a number of young men. With the church and parsonage were also destroyed the records of the church from its organization in 1764, a loss which has been sadly felt ever since that memorable day.4
Fessenden, in his history of Warren, has preserved the recollections
1Gordon's American Revolution, vol. iii, p. 127.
"Arnold's History of R. I. says "Washington". See Diary Fleet S. Green in Hist. Mag., 1860, vol. iv.
3 Fleet S. Greene, Diary in Hist. Mag., 1860, vol. iv.
4Tustin's Historical Discourse in History of Warren, p. 137. 31-1
THE BANNISTER HOUSE, CORNER OF SPRING AND PELHAM STS., NEWPORT, R. I. THE HEADQUARTERS OF MAJ. - GEN. PRESCOTT DURING THE BRITISH OCCUPANCY OF NEWPORT IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
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of eye witnesses to the appearance of the troops on this occasion as well as to some of their acts.
"The British", he says, "were dressed in old fashioned red coats, cocked hats and small clothes, with a great display of laced trimmings, shoe and knee buckles. The Hessians wore enormous fur caps, and large, wide and loose boots, into which they thrust all kinds of articles pilfered from the houses; and these articles, hanging over the tops of their boots, gave them a singularly grotesque appearance, as they left the town."
From the appearance of one of these Hessian boots now hanging at Washington headquarters at Newburg, N. Y., it is certain that the aged person who thus described the footgear of the German hirelings did not exaggerate the story in the least. In this attack two Hessians at least were killed and one captured, and the stories of their losses are interesting and, while not authenticated by contemporary writings, have been passed down from generation to generation in family history as well established traditions.
Two straggling Hessians from the band of marauders pursued their way towards Tyler's Point in Barrington, where they attempted to cross the river. Here at the point lived Moses Tyler, one of the substantial men of Barrington. He had heard the sounds of the musket shots at Warren and had seen, too, the smoke and flames rising from the burning buildings in the town. When he discovered these two strange persons in an unfamiliar military dress trying to launch a boat on the other side of the river, he made up his mind that it would be well to watch them closely. Finally they succeeded in getting the boat afloat and both entered, and one taking the oars began to row across. As they drew nearer Tyler, who had now become convinced that they were British marauders, went to his house, took his gun from its resting place and proceeded down toward the shore. When they had come within hailing distance Tyler, standing by the water's side, shouted to them, "Keep off ! Don't you come a stroke nearer or I'll fire!" At the same time raising his gun. They paid no heed to his command and continued their course. Once more he hailed them with the same result, and as the boat was now rapidly drawing near the shore, he raised his gun, took good aim at the foremost man in the boat, and fired. His oars dropped from his hands and he fell back dead in the boat. His companion was not inclined to continue the journey longer, and hastily returning the boat to the other side, jumped ashore and hurried off to rejoin his company then ravaging Warren.
With the assistance of some of his neighbors, Tyler secured the body of the dead Hessian, and it was decently buried at Tyler's Point, where the foolhardy fellow lost his life. In the boat lay the dead soldier's gun ; this was taken by Tyler, who preserved it during his lifetime and
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
showed it when he had oeeasion to tell the story of his adventure at the Point. Upon his death it fell to one of his deseendants and is yet preserved among the family treasures. On the oeeasion of the Centen- nial Celebration at Barrington, June 17, 1870, the old gun was ex- hibited, with many other curious and interesting relies, and was re- garded with profound interest from the thrilling story it awakened.
On the east side of the Kiekamuet River, in what is ealled Touisset Neek, lived David Barton, a brother of Gen. William Barton. David Barton was not so eonspieuous in the war as was his distinguished brother, yet the same patriotie impulses beat within his breast. At the time of the attaek he was at home on his farm, and the sound of musket shots and the elouds of eurling smoke upon the early morning air gave him warning of approaching danger. In penetrating into the country the enemy had proceeded with great eaution; it was not definitely known whether the neighborhood was defended by troops or not, and in order to prevent any surprise from the Americans and to guard against falling upon a superior foree, the British commander had sent out seouts in all directions to diseover, if possible, any sourees of danger. Standing on his door step, seanning earefully the sur- rounding country, Mr. Barton saw suddenly a figure stealthily making his way aeross an open field, near his house, in which was a tall hay staek. As he approached nearer Barton recognized the peeuliar uni- form of a Hessian soldier. He quickly entered his house, took down his gun from the pegs, loaded it, and watched the manœuvers of the spy from a half-open window. This individual appeared to have his mind on that hay staek, and as he eame up to it he examined it eare- fully, and then having found a place that suited his convenience he began to elimb up. Its height afforded an excellent plaee from which to get a good view of the neighborhood, and the fellow, uneonseious of any danger, was soon at the top, where he lay down on his stomach, his legs hanging over on the side. As the man lay there within full view, Barton raised his gun, took good aim and fired. What the poor fellow observed never benefited him, for, with the discharge of the gun, he slid from the hay staek, dead. The old homestead of David Barton is still standing in Warren, a short distance south of Butter- worth's corner.
During the confusion and exeitement attending the attack on the town a number of the women had assembled together in a house on Main street, where they remained, thoroughly frightened, until the soldiers began to make their departure. "They saw the troops pass by in hasty retreat, and at a short distance in the rear a single individual, eneumbered with a big drum, unable to keep up with the main body."
They grasped the situation at onee, and when the main foree was far enough in advance, these women sallied forth, surrounded the straggler and commanded him to surrender. He made no attempt at
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resistance, and when informed that he was their prisoner, said "he was glad of it, for he was faint and tired". This heroic act on the part of the women of Warren resulted in securing the release of one of their townsmen, who was exchanged for this captive drummer.
Riding at anchor in the harbor of Warren was a newly built vessel, destined to be a privateer; this, too, was set on fire and destroyed. Having accomplished their object at Warren, Colonel Campbell set out for the town of Bristol, about four miles further to the southward. The British commander had been instructed to ascertain, before fall- ing upon these towns, if there was any considerable force to oppose him, and if so to avoid bringing about an engagement. By intimidat- ing an aged woman living near the road to Popasquash, he ascertained the details of the situation at Bristol, ordered an advance, and the column took up its march down the present High street towards this thriving seaport town. The only force to oppose the attacking party was a small detachment of Colonel Archibald Crary's regiment, which was then quartered in the town. Had even this small force taken a decided stand against the marauders, Bristol might have been saved, for the British commander would not have felt justified in forcing an entrance if he was resisted. Crary's men, however, retreated and Bristol was left to the foe.
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