The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Rhode Island, Part 32

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 868

USA > Rhode Island > The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Rhode Island > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

142

BIOGRAPHICAL CYCLOPEDIA.

GLUJUL 3 BARTON, GENERAL WILLIAM, son of Benjamin Barton, was born in Warren, Rhode Island, May 26, 1748. Ile received a common-school educa- tion, and at an early age was apprenticed to learn the trade of a hatter, which he pursued for several years. In 1770 he married Rhoda Carver, daugh- ter of Joseph Carver. In December, 1775, he entered the Revolutionary army as Corporal, and was rapidly advanced until he attained the rank of Captain. While in service in the neighborhood of Boston he obtained a superior knowl- edge of military tactics. Re-enlisting on returning home, he was appointed Colonel of the militia for the defence of Rhode Island, and being stationed near Tiverton, he ren- dered signal service in protecting the channel, and in keep- ing open communication with Newport, even after the British took possession of that place. In 1777, Colonel Barton conceived and carried into execution the plan of the daring exploit which made his name so illustrious in Rhode Island history,-the capture of General Prescott, whose headquarters were on the island of Rhode Island. Colonel Barton was accompanied by five officers and forty volunteers. They passed over in five boats, by the way of Bristol, to Warwick Neck. From this point they crossed, on the 9th of July, between the islands of Prudence and Patience, eluding the vigilant sentinels on the enemy's ships, and reaching the point nearest the house of General Prescott, about one mile distant, in the dead of night. Marching in five divisions, with cautious tread, they de- ceived and secured the sentinel guarding the house, and hastily removed the startled general, his major, and the sentinel from the midst of the ample guard stationed close by, gaining the boats before the signals could apprize the troops of the capture. Safely passing the line of British ships, General Prescott was landed in Warwick and sent to Providence. On the 27th of July, Congress voted Colo- nel Barton an elegant sword, and resolutions of thanks for his skilful manœuvre. He soon afterwards received a com- mission as Brevet Colonel from the same body while he was a General of militia. He was subsequently en- gaged in a skirmish with the British when they burnt Bristol, and conducted himself with the greatest bravery. Being severely wounded, he was thereafter prevented from doing military duty. He was elected from Providence to the General Assembly, where he rendered good service to his country. IIe also held an office in the custom-house. About fifteen years before his death he became involved in a lawsuit in Vermont, in consequence of his purchase of a township, since called Barton. The whole cost of the suit was thrown upon General Barton, which, on principle, he refused to pay, as he deemed it unjust. For this small amount he was detained in Danville, Vermont, for four- teen years, though permitted to board at the hotel. When Lafayette visited this country in 1824, he learned of the circumstance with astonishment, and failing to shake the resolution of his old friend, he discharged the debt him-

self, and General Barton was set at liberty, and returned to his wife and family. In early life he was a member of the Calvinistic Congregational Church in Providence, and in later years attended the First Baptist Church in that city. He died October 22, 1831, at the age of eighty-five. His children were William, Benjamin, George Washington, Daniel, Henry, Robert, John, Anna, and Sarah.

ULNEY, CAPTAIN STEPHEN, was born in North Providence, September 17, 1756. He was a de- scendant, in the fifth generation, of Thomas Olney, a joint proprietor with Roger Williams and others in the " Providence Purchase." It is spoken of as a remarkable circumstance that in New England there should be a spot of ground which was occupied by one family in regular succession, for a period of nearly two hundred years. Before the subject of this sketch had reached his majority he found himself in the midst of the exciting scenes which culminated in the declaration of war with England. As early as 1774, when he was eighteen years of age, we find him a private in a chartered military company, called the " North Providence Rangers." In May, 1775, he received an Ensign's commission in the Sec- ond Rhode Island Regiment. He says, in the modest esti- mate which he makes of his own abilities, " Perhaps they chose me because they could get no better, so many were deterred from embarking in the cause for fear they might be hanged up for rebels, by order of our then gracious sovereign, George III." The regiment with which Mr. Olney was connected marched to Jamaica Plain, near Roxbury, Massachusetts, where they were drilled to mili- tary and camp duty until the battle of Bunker Hill, after which they were stationed at Prospect Hill, doing fatigue and garrison duty. The winter of 1775-76 having passed, the Second Rhode Island Regiment was ordered to New York. Mr. Olney, now holding a Lieutenant's commission, accompanied the regiment, which was stationed at Brook- lyn Heights, on Long Island, where they were engaged in erecting fortifications, which were taken in August by the British forces under Clinton, Percy, and Cornwallis, in the famous battle of Long Island. In the retreat of the Americans from Long Island, which, in consequence of a thick fog, which enveloped the river, was so successfully accomplished, Lieutenant Olney performed his part in a manner worthy of all praise. In due time New York was evacuated by the American forces, and it fell into the hands of the enemy. After various movements, familiar to the reader of American history, we find Lieutenant Olney, with his regiment, in their march to Princeton. In the battle in that village he took a conspicuous part, it being his good fortune to save the life of Colonel, after- wards President, Monroe, who fell, in endeavoring to rally the affrighted militia of Pennsylvania, in the beginning of

-------

Stillman Welch

143

BIOGRAPHICAL CYCLOPEDIA.

the battle. Lieutenant Olney raised the fallen officer and carried him to a place of safety. Soon after the battle of Princeton, Lieutenant Olney's term of service having ex- pired, he returned home, leaving his regiment early in February, 1779. He found, on reaching home, that he had been appointed Captain in the Second Rhode Island Regi- ment. After a few weeks' rest Captain Olney returned to the army, then stationed at Peekskill, on the Hudson River, which place was soon left, and the army took pos- session of the country along Middle Brook, on the left bank of the Raritan. For several weeks he was en- gaged in the most arduous military duty and passing through various adventures, until we find him with his regiment, which had been ordered to the defence of Fort Mercer, or Red Bank, as it was usually called. The attempt of the British to take the fort at this first attack, which was on the 22d and 23d of October, proved a fruitless one. The attack on Fort Mifflin was renewed on the 15th of November. The fort was in the cominand of Major Thayer (see sketch of Simeon Thayer), who, finding it useless to attempt to hold the fort against such overwhelming odds, secretly conveyed all his stores and baggage in the night to Fort Mercer. Shortly after- wards the Americans who had defended the fort evacuated it and escaped to New Jersey, and rejoined the army of Washington. In all these exploits Captain Olney bore a brave part, and the Rhode Island regiments especially dis- tinguished themselves for their courage and heroic resist- ance to the enemy. He was with the army during a part of the memorable winter it spent at Valley Forge. About the Ist of January, 1778, he obtained a furlough and re- turned to Rhode Island, where he remained until it was time for him to rejoin his regiment. He was in the battle of Monmouth, which was fought on the 28th of June, 1778, one of the hottest days that had ever been known in that region. Shortly after the battle he was ordered, with his regiment, to his native State, to co-operate with the French fleet in driving the British out of Rhode Island. The failure of the plan to dislodge the British from Newport is well known. The regiment subsequently returned to New Jersey. In what was called the battle of Springfield he was wounded by a rifle-ball, which passed through his left arm, and was in the hospital for several weeks. Passing over various incidents in the experience of Captain Olney, we bring our sketch down to the year 1781. In July of this year he was at Yorktown, Virginia, and was an eye- witness of the events which resulted in the capture of Lord Cornwallis. He was in the detachment commanded by Lafayette, which attacked one of the two advanced redoubts of the enemy. In this attack he received two bayonet wounds, and was removed, after the redoubt was taken, to the hospital at Williamsburgh, twelve miles distant. In three weeks his wounds were so far healed that he was able to rejoin his regiment. His military career ended with the termination of the siege of Yorktown, and he laid

down his commission in March, 1782. He was welcomed home by his fellow-citizens, who testified the regard they had for him by electing him as their representative to the General Assembly for several years, and President of the Town Council. It is related that when, in 1824, General Lafayette visited Providence, " he was triumphantly es- corted through the streets of the city, and upon alighting at the State House he was met on the steps by Captain Olney, whom he instantly recognized, and with all the warmth of French feeling folded him in his arms, kissing him on each cheek; and so melting was the scene, that among the many hundreds who witnessed this honest and patriotic effusion of tenderness scarce a dry eye was to be seen." The last few years of Captain Olney's life were passed in Johnston, whither he had removed in 1826. His death occurred November 23, 1832. His first wife, whom he married about the year 1775, died December 13, 1813. His first two children were born between the years 1775 and 1780; his third child, a daughter, was born in March, 1782; his son Alfred in 1784; another daughter in 1787 ; and April 25, 1789, another son, whom he named George Washington ; and another, John, born October 12, 1791 ; and still another, his last child, David Adams, born in 1798. Many of his descendants are residing in Rhode Island.

ELCH, DEACON STILLMAN, was born in Bolton, Massachusetts, in October, 1797. He was the son of Thomas Welch and Lovica Hastings. His father, a native of Massachusetts, was a stern man of the old school, who trained his five sons with a rigorous hand. The services of his sons were re- quired upon his lands until the age of twenty-one, or a suitable compensation was demanded. The three winter months were allowed them for study at a country school, the curriculum consisting of reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography. Under this regimen Stillman Welch passed his childhood and early youth, and developed the sturdy manhood and persistent moral courage that charac- terized him in after years. Six months previous to his majority he negotiated for his time, and left the paternal roof. After learning a trade he found employment in the forests of Florida and in voyaging to the West Indies. He thus acquired a small capital, and afterwards settled as master mechanic in Warren, Rhode Island. There, in 1825, he married Betsy Hail, a native of Warren. About this time his convictions led him to unite with the Baptist Church, although trained a strict Presbyterian. During a period of twenty-eight years, seven of which (from 1844 to 1851) he resided in the adjoining town of Barrington, the cares and burdens of business life rested upon him. He accumulated slowly, yet he gained in lofty purpose and wealth of soul, thus securing the confidence of the

144

BIOGRAPHIICAL CYCLOPEDIA.

church and community. IIe became a leader in the church, and was one of the most earnest advocates of Baptist principles. With him principle was not sacrificed to policy either in religious or political interests. He en- tered into public affairs with spirit. As a citizen of Bar- rington he often served the town in an official capacity. He was a member of the Town Council from 1846 to 1850. In 1847 and 1848 he represented Barrington in the State leg- islature. In middle life financial prosperity began to at- tend him; but his love of acquisition, always strong, could not control him, and the wealth that he acquired became an exponent of a heart rich in love to God and sympathy for his fellow-men. " The cause he knew not he searched out ;" while individuals, school organizations, churches, and missionary enterprises alike resorted to him for aid. He bestowed upon all with a princely hand, regardless of the proportion remaining. The extent of these benefac- tions, which marked the last twenty years of his life, can- not be easily estimated. Deacon Welch was endowed by nature with a physical and moral strength and intellectual acumen that made him, in service to God and mankind, the peer of many whom later years have given the advan- tages of liberal education and culture. In person he was tall, measuring six feet two inches. Reading and observa- tion gave him a fund of information, with fluency and cor- rectness of language. His manner was genial and defer- ential, while it impressed his superior worth. As a faith- ful steward of God's gifts, both personal and material, he was a light and blessing to many. The last ten years of his life were spent in the city of Providence, where he died December 19, 1878. His children were George, James, Charles (deceased), Mary L., Elizabeth B., and John (deceased).

USSELL, MAJOR THOMAS, son of Thomas and Honora (Loud) Russell, was born September 28, 1758. He was a descendant, in the sixth genera- tion, of John Russell, one of the earliest inhabitants of Woburn, Massachusetts, being a subscriber to the town orders drawn up for it at Charleston, in 1640. Thomas Russell was pursuing his studies in Boston at the time of the occupation of that city by the British, in 1775. After the battle of Bunker IIill, he and his sister Elizabeth came to Providence and took up their residence with their brother, Jonathan Russell, a merchant of prominence there, whose clerk he became. At this time Jonathan Russell was Captain of the well-known " Providence Cadet Com- pany," which was called into active service, and of which Thomas was Ensign. In October, 1777, the young En- sign, then but eighteen years of age, received a commission from General Washington as Ensign in Colonel Sherburne's regiment of Continental troops, then being formed. The regiment was then ordered to garrison the Highlands of

the Hudson, and passed several months at Fishkill and various places on that river. In March following the regi- ment proceeded to West Point, where they erccted what was afterward known as " Sherburne's Redoubt," after which they went into garrison at Fort Arnold (now Fort Clinton, No. 2). On June 24, 1778, Colonel Sherburne's regiment set out for White Plains, whence it proceeded with General Varnum's brigade to Rhode Island, and went into camp near Providence. In August, 1778, General Sullivan as- sembled his forces at Portsmouth, Rhode Island, for the campaign against the British troops in Newport. In the memorable battle which followed on the 29th of August, General Varnum's brigade, to which Russell (who had been promoted) was attached, was on the right and bore a prominent part in what General Lafayette characterizes as " the best fought action of the war." General Washington, in a communication to General Sullivan, officially expressed his thanks for the " gallant behavior" of the American forces, and Congress, on the 19th of September, presented thanks to the officers and troops for the " fortitude and bravery displayed." On the 31st of August, Colonel Sher- burne's regiment took post at Bristol, Rhode Island, where it remained until July, 1779. It then proceeded to Provi- dence, where it was inspected by Major-General Baron Steuben. General Varnum having resigned his commis- sion, Brigadier General Stark assumed command of the brigade, which in November joined the main army, then with General Washington in New Jersey. Russell's sol- dierly qualities having attracted the attention of his com- mander, the following brigade order appeared on November 20, 1779 : " Adj't Thos. Russell, of Col. Sherburne's Regt., is appointed A. D. Camp to B. Genl. Stark. He is to be respected accordingly." After which he was known as Major Russell. He remained with the main army at Morristown until June, 1780, and was with General Stark's brigade in the affair at " Connecticut Farms," and on duty at various posts until October 6, when the brigade marched to West Point. In October, 1780, Congress resolved on a reduction in the army. Under this resolve nine Continental regiments were consolidated into five, the junior officers in each regiment, becoming super- numerary, retired on half pay. Under this arrangement Russell was retired on January 1, 1781, after a faithful and honorable service. Repairing to Newport, he married, November 29, 1783, a daughter of Charles Handy, of that town, and with his wife removed to Philadelphia, where he embarked in mercantile business, in which he continued until 1785; returning again to Newport, he entered into foreign commerce, which led him abroad in voyages to London, Canton, and other distant parts. He became a member of the Artillery Company at Newport, and one of its commissioned officers ; subsequently he was in command there of a volunteer company of cavalry. Major Russell died in the city of New York, February 19, 1801. His children were Ann Brown Russell, Mary Russell, Thomas

145

BIOGRAPHICAL CYCLOPEDIA.

Handy Russell, who married Anna P. Bosworth, of Bristol, Rhode Island ; Charles Handy Russell, who married, first, Ann Rodman, second, Caroline Howland; and William Henry Russell, who married, first, Mary Alice Crapo, and second, Anna Kane.

ARCHANT, HON. HENRY, Attorney General of Rhode Island, the son of Captain Hexford Mar- chant, was born at Martha's Vineyard, Massa- chusetts, in April, 1741. The second wife of Captain Marchant was intimately connected with the Ward family, so distinguished in the annals of Rhode Island history, and, on his decease, Henry received from his mother-in-law and her friends the utmost care, and no pains were spared to secure for him the best education which could be obtained. He was placed in the best schools in Newport, to which place his father had removed not long before his death. He was sent to Philadelphia to complete his education, and received his training in the institution which subsequently became the University of Pennsylvania. On leaving Philadelphia he became a student in the law office of Judge Trowbridge, of Cam- bridge, Massachusetts, and remained there five years, at the end of which time he was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Newport. At this time, as he ever afterwards continued to be, he was a warm friend of lib- erty, and bitterly opposed to what he considered to be the unjust encroachments of the Crown. In 1766 he wrote the deed by which William Read conveyed to William Ellery and others what is known as the " Liberty Tree - Lot," at the north end of Thames Street, Newport. The deed closes with these significant words : " And in general, said TREE is hereby set apart for such other purposes as they, the true-born sons of liberty, shall from time to time, from age to age, and in all times and ages hereafter, ap- prehend, judge, and resolve, may subserve the glorious cause of PUBLIC LIBERTY." Mr. Marchant was elected Attorney-General of the State at the October session of the General Assembly, 1770, and remained in office until May, 1777. In the discharge of his official duties he went to England, in 1771. He had letters of introduction to gen- tlemen in the various walks of political and literary life, especially in the Whig party, to whom he felt drawn by common sympathy, as the friends of freedom in America. He returned to his home in 1772, at a time when he could forecast the speedy coming of the events which plunged the two countries into the conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Like "a prudent man who foresees the evil and passes on," having reason to believe that the British would in time take possession of Newport, he purchased an estate in Narragansett, whither he moved his family. For three years (1777-1779) he was a delegate to the Continental Congress, and was one of the signers of the Articles of

Confederation, the signing going on " while," as he said, " the guns of the battle of Brandywine were roaring in our ears." Mr. Marchant was an important member in the Continental Congress, and took an active part in the debates which were carried on in that body. After the war he re- turned to Newport. As a member of the General Assembly, he was most active and influential, advocating with great ability the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Soon after the organization of the government under the new Consti- tution he was nominated by General, then President, Wash - ington, Judge of the District Court for Rhode Island, which nomination was unanimously confirmed. He occupied this position until his death, which occurred August 30, 1796.

THEHOO ISKE, CALEB, M.D., son of John Fiske, and a de- scendant of Roger Williams, was born in Scituate, Rhode Island, in the year 1753. His professional studies were pursued under the direction of Dr. William Bowen, one of the most extensive and successful practitioners of his time, and the instructor of a number of the ablest physicians of Rhode Island. IIav- ing received his certificate of qualification as a physician, he offered his services to the government, to act as a sur- geon in the army. In this capacity he served at the time of General Sullivan's expedition against the British on Rhode Island. On the completion of his term of service he returned to his native place, where he practiced his profession during his long life, being, at the time of his death, the oldest practitioner in the State. For a time he held the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In the cause of medical education in Rhode Island he took a deep interest. Previous to the organization of the Medical Society in 1812, it was the general practice in the education of physicians for pupils to enter their names as apprentices in some physician's office, and Dr. Fiske thus became the teacher of some of the most distinguished doctors of the State. The Medical School of Brown Uni- versity was commenced in 1810. The rank which Dr. Fiske held among the physicians of the State led the Uni- versity, in 1821, to confer on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine. He is named, in the Act of Incor- poration of the Rhode Island Medical Society, as one of its original members. He was its Second Vice-President from 1815 to 1818, its First Vice-President from 1818 to 1823, and was the successor of Dr. Pardon Bowen as its President, holding the office during the year 1823-24. The best service which he rendered to his profession was the donation of $2000 to constitute what is known as the " Fiske Fund." The trustees of this fund, which has in various ways been largely increased, are empowered to offer premiums for dissertations on subjects of interest to the profession, the topics having been previously assigned. A large number of very able papers have been presented

146

BIOGRAPHIICAL CYCLOPEDIA.

to the Society, affording a valuable contribution to medical science. As a further testimonial of his interest in the prosperity, and to add to the usefulness of the Society, he left to it a large portion of his medical library. He died September, 1835, in the eighty-second year of his age, leaving a large property and many highly respected de- scendants.

ITMAN, REV. JOHN, son of John and Mary ( Blower) Pitman, was born in Boston, April 26, 1751. His father removed to Beaufort, South Carolina, when he was about thirteen years of age, and died about the year 1765. The family then returned to Boston, and young Pitman was apprenticed to a rope maker. He seems to have lived a thoughtless life for several years, but in 1771 he passed through a radical change, becoming a hopeful Christian. He was baptized by Rev. Dr. Samuel Stillman on the 24th of February, 1771. The passage of the " Boston Port Bill " in 1774 was followed by the gen- eral suspension of business, and he removed to Philadel- phia, where, in 1776, he joined a volunteer military company, which formed a part of the First Battalion of Pennsylvania Militia, under the command of Colonel Dickinson. When he began to preach is not exactly known, but it could not have been far from 1777. He was engaged in ministerial work for several years, preaching for no one church for a long time, but supplying the pulpit of several churches in New Jersey. Towards the close of the month of May, 1784, he came to Providence, and became a member of the First Baptist Church. The needs of his family compelled him to resort to his secular calling to support them. For one year he held the position of Steward of the College. At the end of this year of service he was invited to become the Pastor of the Baptist Church in Warren, which position he occupied from 1784 to July, 1790, at which time he returned to Providence, continuing, however, to supply the pulpit of the Warren church for several months. On the 20th of March, 1791, he accepted a call to become the Pastor of the Baptist Church in Pawtuxet. His connection with this church continued a little over six years, during which time he resided in Providence. In the month of April, 1797, he became Pastor of the Rehoboth Church, and for most of the time during the remainder of his life occupied this position. His death occurred after a very brief illness July 24, 1822. Mr. Pitman was twice married ; his first wife was Rebecca, daughter of Richard Cox, of Upper Freehold, whom he married September 21, 1778; and his second was Mrs. Susannah Greene, of Providence. Ile had six children, one son and five daughters. Hon. John Pitman, Judge of the United States District Court, was the son. Judge Pitman pays a noble tribute to the memory of his father, whom he speaks of "as a man of remark- able firmness and of great courage, physical and moral." His preaching was addressed more to the understanding

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Rhode Island, Part 32

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 868