USA > Rhode Island > The "Old Stone Bank" history of Rhode Island, Vol. I > Part 10
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Three squads were sent to guard the three doors, the fourth to guard the road, and the fifth was held for emergencies. At the gate they were hailed by a sentry. No answer was given, and the invaders hid be- hind trees until hailed again with, "Who goes there." Barton answered, "Friends!" Ordered to "Advance and give the counter- sign". Barton replied, "We have none, but have you seen any deserters tonight?" Be- fore the sentry could answer John Hunt seized him, took away his musket, and threatened him with instant death if he made a single sound. Thoroughly frightened the man could scarcely reply to their query as to whether General Prescott was in the house. He waved his hand towards the house and mumbled, "Yes."
Immediately each division forced its door. The search, by chance, began with the room occupied by Mr. Overing himself, who could only muster enough courage to point downward when asked where Pres- cott was. Suspecting deception, the invaders entered the next room and discovered Mr. Overing's son. Just then Prescott's voice was heard, calling, and guided by the sound, Barton went down stairs and found Prescott sitting on the side of the bed.
"Are you General Prescott?" asked Barton.
"Yes Sir," replied Prescott.
"Then you are my prisoner," declared Barton, to which Prescott said, "I acknowl- edge it, Sir."
The General was not dressed and pleaded to be allowed to put on his clothes. He was
told that there was no time, and was taken as he was, and half led, and half dragged through a rye field and a berry patch, from which he emerged much the worse for wear. Incidentally, it is claimed that access to the General's room was gained after a negro servant of Barton's butted in the door with his head. Major Barrington, Prescott's Aide, leaped out of a chamber window at the first alarm, but was captured without difficulty. Adding the sentry to their group of pris- oners, the captors lost no time in making a dash for Warwick Neck, which they reached before the Island had been aroused. Fearing for his safety, Prescott pleaded with Barton not to be harsh with him, and re- ceived assurance that he was perfectly safe. The whole affair consumed about six and a half hours.
Prescott was given a good breakfast and then placed in a coach for an event- ful trip to Providence. Before starting, however, the vain old soldier was given an elaborate hair dress. A messenger who ar- rived under a flag of truce, brought the Gen- eral's clothes, powder, perfume and other foppish toilet accessories which he affected, so that his trip was not quite so humiliating as it had threatened to be. Prescott was even- tually sent to Connecticut and then to New York, where he was finally exchanged for General Lee. Barton thus accomplished his object, and he and all members of the party were liberally rewarded by Congress in recognition of the personal bravery which had prompted them to risk their lives on so dangerous an adventure.
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THE BATTLE OF RHODE ISLAND
THE Battle of Rhode Island occurred
T T on August 29, 1778, on the north end of the Island of Rhode Island. While little, if any, space is devoted to it in the school books, it was a battle of considerable pro- portions, 7000 to 8000 men being engaged on either side. The Americans, under the command of General John Sullivan, were victorious, repulsing the British with severe losses.
The victory was particularly creditable, in view of the fact that seven days previously, the American army was deserted by the French fleet, which was obliged to sail to Boston to repair the great damage caused by a storm. That same storm had wrought havoc with Sullivan's army, soaking its ammunition and leaving it practically de- fenseless for a day. Sullivan lost between 2000 and 3000 men, through desertion, previous to the battle.
Just before the battle, General Sullivan had received information from General Washington that Sir Henry Clinton had sailed for Newport with reinforcements for the British army. On the night after the battle therefore, he was obliged to abandon the Island, executing a masterly retreat under cover of darkness, with a loss of only fifteen men.
In the midst of the retreat the French General, Lafayette, who had ridden from Boston with a message from the French Admiral, arrived upon the scene. He was sorely disappointed at not having been pres- ent during the more active operations of the battle, but was yet of great service in cover- ing the retreat, being in command of the rear guard.
Conspicuous in these movements were the services of a company known as "Gen- eral Sullivan's Life Guards." It consisted of picked men from the various regiments
in Sullivan's army, most of whom were from Rhode Island regiments; four of the men in his company, Aaron Mann, Levi Hoppin, George Potter and John Westcott, were pub- licly thanked by General Sullivan.
Headquarters, September 10, 1778. "General orders for the day-tomorrow.
"At the gallant behavior of the General"s Guards, on Rhode Island, the General ex- presses his highest satisfaction, and returns them his thanks and appoints Aaron Mann, who commanded the Guards of Rhode Is- land, to the rank of Captain, Levi Hoppin, First Lieutenant, George Potter, Second Lieutenant, and John Westcott, Ensign. The General assures them they shall have the Commissions as soon as possible.
John Sullivan."
At the time of the engagement, this body was commanded by Aaron Mann, then Ser- geant of the company, and was located in a most exposed position. Years afterward when Captain Mann made application for a pension, Levi Lee, of Cumberland, a member of the company, testified to the bravery and daring shown by his com- mander on this occasion. He stated that at a certain point in the heat of the action, while Mann was in the act of flourishing his sword, a bullet struck his hand, shoot- ing away one of his fingers, but he main- tained his position, remarking as he viewed his injured member, "The d-d eternal souls shoot pretty close. Don't mind, my boys, stick to 'em."
The Battle of Rhode Island prevented the occupancy of New England by British troops. With Rhode Island in British hands all New England was threatened, and with that important territory fallen to the enemy, it is admitted that the backbone of the Re- volution would have been broken.
"THE OLD STONE BANK"
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192
COUNT ROCHAMBEAU
S HORTLY after the Declaration of Inde- pendence, France, who had lost consid- erable prestige in the Seven Years' War, began giving secret aid to the American Colonies. She sent over great quantities of arms and supplies which proved of enor- mous help to the Americans. In fact, it is recorded that ninety per cent of the gun- powder used by the Colonies during the first years of the Revolution was supplied by France and Holland, being imported by the way of the West Indies. Had it not been for the assistance of these European nations, the Revolutionary War might have ended much earlier and with vastly different consequences.
Lafayette, who had sympathized with the efforts of the colonists, came to America in the early years of the war, but found it nec- essary to return to France in 1779, after a stay of almost two years spent in aiding George Washington. During 1779, he aroused the French people to an enthusias- tic support of the American cause, and, by the time he left for his second visit across the Atlantic, he had received the assurance of his King that troops would be sent from France to assist the Colonies against France's old rival, England.
In the spring of 1780, six thousand men were sent to America under the charge of the great General, Count de Rochambeau. The whole mission was more or less of a mystery at the start, and it was not until the transports neared the New England shore that they were certain that America was their destination. After a long and arduous voy- age, during which it is reported that some of the men were forced to eat flying fish (which, incidentally, they found to be ten-
der and quite delicious), the ships came upon the coast of Massachusetts.
In the meantime, Lafayette, who had reached here some time before, had made preparations for the arrival of the French reinforcements. It had been arranged prev- iously that, if the British held Newport, American flags would be flying on Block Island and Points Judith and Sakonnet; if the colonists were in control of the town, French flags would be displayed. On July 9th, the French fleet was met by a small fishing craft and was told that its position was off No Man's Land, near Martha's Vineyard. The next evening they were in sight of Rhode Island and, on the follow- ing day, they were held up by a dense fog off Point Judith. But the fog suddenly cleared, and the French caught the welcome sight of their own fleur-de-lys, indicating that the Americans held Newport. That night they anchored in the bay off Newport.
The landing place of the French is dis- tinguished today by a stone marker which can be seen at King Park, near Newport. General Rochambeau landed ahead of his troops and sought a camping ground, finally deciding upon a site to the east of the town along a ridge topped by "Love Lane" and Rhode Island Avenue. The fleet itself lay between Rose Island and Bren- ton's Point. The troops were landed during the following days, and the sick were taken to hospitals in Newport, Pappasquash (which is now known as Popsquash, about twelve miles from Newport), and in Provi- dence. About one-third of the troops were afflicted with scurvy. Those in Newport were put up in the old State House and in the Congregational Church, which was
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known then as Dr. Hopkins' Church and is used now as the K. of C. rooms.
Rochambeau was disappointed at first at the lack of enthusiasm shown by the inhab- itants, but the second day, however, was the occasion of wild rejoicing, and the official welcoming of the strangers was most cor- dial. Washington sent his congratulations to General Rochambeau, although he evinced disappointment over the failure of the French to bring powder and arms he had been depending upon.
General Rochambeau wrote to Washing- ton: "We are now, sir, under your com- mand ... and I hope that in a month we shall be ready to act under Your Excel- lency's orders. It is hardly necessary for me to tell Your Excellency that I bring sufficient funds to pay in cash for whatever is needed by the King's army and that we shall maintain as strict discipline as if we were under the walls of Paris."
The first troops to appear in Providence were from the transport, "Ile-de-France," which had become separated from the others in the fog off the coast and had made its way to Boston, whence 350 soldiers were sent to join the Division at Newport. At this time, the citizens of Providence were in the midst of a dispute concerning whether or not the building of Rhode Island College, now the University Hall of Brown University, was to be used as a hospital for the French troops. It had been occupied by the Amer- icans during the period the British had held Newport, but the War Council had discon- tinued its use late in 1779 as it was needed by the College. Early the next year, Presi- dent Manning advertised in the Providence Gazette that the College was to reopen. But, in spite of President Manning and measures adopted by the town meeting and the Gen- eral Assembly, the Council of War, follow- ing Washington's directions, ordered that the college building be turned over to the French, and it was used by them for two years.
As cold weather came on, Rochambeau took his men into the town of Newport and quartered them in various houses for the winter. His cavalry he sent to Lebanon, Connecticut, after finding that the price of forage was too high in Providence. In the spring of the next year, Rochambeau was ready to move from Newport, and prepara-
tions were made in Providence to receive the guests. The main body of the French forces arrived in Providence early in June, having come up the river from Bristol to what the French called "a little town at the bottom of the bay named Providence." The first night in town was spent in the old Market House, which is now the Chamber of Commerce on Market Square and at the Work House, which was on the west bank of the Moshassuck River north of Smith Street. The next day the camp was ready for occupancy. It was on a plain near the present Hayward Park and between Plain and Broad Streets.
Rochambeau himself stayed at the house of Deputy Governor Bowen in Market Square, now the Providence Washington Insurance Building. Others of his staff lodged nearby in houses which remain standing today.
The French Divisions did not remain long in Providence, for early on the morning of the 18th of June, amid the cheers of the townsfolk, they left to join Washington's Army. The first day's march, which ter- minated at Waterman's Tavern, about fif- teen miles from Providence, was an ordeal for the soldiers. Although some of the troops were equipped with linen trousers, many fainted along the route from the heat. One man in five carried a bottle of vinegar which was used to kill the malaria germs in the drinking water.
In Plainfield, which was the second stop, the officers put up at the old Eaton Tavern, which had already housed Lafayette on two occasions. Other overnight camps were made at Windham, Bolton, and Hartford. Meanwhile, the cavalry had left Lebanon and was traveling parallel along the coast- line to guard against a surprise attack by the British. In time, Rochambeau joined Wash- ington, and they went on to Yorktown, where the British, under Cornwallis, were defeated, and the war was over.
The French stayed in the territory be- tween the York and James Rivers until the fall of 1782. Then they returned up through New England to embark at Boston for France. On the return trip, another visit was paid to Providence. The camp this time was in North Providence, where firewood was more available. This camp was situated on the crest of a hill east of Pawtucket Ave-
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nue, bounded by Chase's Lane, East Avenue, and North Street. This latter was renamed Rochambeau Avenue, and the school on the corner of Hope Street was also named after the General.
During this encampment, the soldiers often visited the old Pidge, or Sayles Tav- ern, at the corner of North Main and La- fayette Streets. This inn was once known as the Lafayette House, and has lately been re- stored. A flat boulder in front of the house was used by Lafayette as a mounting block.
It was a very cold fall, so the troops were
sent on to Boston as soon as possible, but not before the visitors had contributed to the social events of the season. The most important affair was probably a ball given by Rochambeau at Hacker's Hall, on South Main Street. Camp was broken the first of December, and Rochambeau left his troops to go to Annapolis, where he boarded a ves- sel bound for France. The cold march to Boston was made in three days, with over- night camps at Wrentham and Dedham. After three weeks in Boston, the troops sailed for France on the day before Christ- mas in 1782.
THE HOME OF BETSY WILLIAMS
Y EAR by year that great expanse of flowers, grassy carpets, shady walks and sparkling waters stretching between Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue becomes a more fascinating rendezvous for those who find pleasure in the presence of Na- ture's matchless gifts. You have watched the clowning of the monkeys on their island kingdom; you have examined with curiosity the natural history specimens in the museum; you have stopped and admired the ingenuity of the one who laid out the star-spangled flower bed; you have viewed the classic Temple of Music, or paddled lazily along the land-locked lakes; you may have found a hundred and one places of interest and pleasure in our own beautiful Roger Williams Park, but have you ever taken the time to pay an imaginary call on Miss Betsy Williams? She was born in the little old cottage that stands near the Elmwood Avenue entrance to the Park directly behind the statue of Roger Williams.
Many people are of the opinion that Betsy Williams was either the wife or the daughter of the founder of this city, but such is not the case, although her descent
from Roger Williams is easily traced. Betsy was the granddaughter of Nathanael Williams, who built the Betsy Williams cottage in 1773. Joseph Williams was the son
of Roger Williams; Joseph's son, James, was the father of Nathanael. In this quaint little cottage, Betsy, the great benefactor of the city of Providence, was born on June 29, 1790. Through her gen- erosity, this city acquired a great wilder- ness that has gradually been transformed into more than 432 acres of woodland and lakes, providing one of the finest parks in the country. Betsy Williams died in 1871 at the age of 82 years. At that time her farm was valued at $40,000. It lay within the Cranston boundaries, but was annexed to Providence in 1873. At the time of her death, which occurred while she was liv- ing alone in a house on Pontiac Avenue, the farm that is now the Park was leased to another, but her will gave the city a clear title to it. The great tract must be used for a public purpose, and named in honor of her ancestor.
For years the Betsy Williams cottage and the colonial treasures that it contains have not been available to everyone, but
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from now on the cottage is to be open to the public seven days a week between the hours of 9 A. M. and 5 P. M. Hours may be passed with pleasure and profit in examin- ing the innumerable relics with which this age-old household is filled. These include almost every article, except linens, candles and clothing, which were used by families in the early days of Providence. The fire- places are largely as they were in the days of Betsy Williams' girlhood, still equipped with antique fittings, many of which were actually used by Betsy and her ancestors. Old chairs, ornaments, and musical instru- ments are in the rooms. There are old washstands, bedsteads and bureaus. The entrance is through a small hall at the front of the house. As you enter the door you see across a very narrow hall a stair- way leading upstairs. Four steps up and the stairs swing abruptly to the left behind a partition. On the ground floor to the left of the front door you find what was used as the principal living room of the house. Probably at one time before the additions were made which now contain the pantry and the kitchen, this was kitchen, dining room and living room. A huge fireplace, twice the size of many modern kitchenettes, dominates one side of the room.
Doors leading into two rooms open from the living-room. Through one is the pantry, in which the china, pewter, and other small relics are kept locked in glass cases. Be- hind this pantry is a kitchen. To the right of the door opening into the pantry, and close beside the fireplace, is a door opening into what is now the dining room. This room, extending across the back of the cot- tage, is filled, like all the others, with an- tique furniture and relics. In the fireplace is one of the "tin-kitchens" that converted the old time fireplace into a baking and roasting device. A spinning wheel and a flax winding wheel are at one side of the room. From this room you can enter the parlor, which you can also find by turning to the right just as you enter the front door.
On the second floor, entirely across the front of the cottage, is a large bedroom
with a low fireplace in an oddly shaped chimney. Possibly this is the room in which Betsy Williams was born, though no one knows. There are two other small rooms on this floor, neither of which has a fireplace, and must have been exceedingly cold in winter.
In Betsy's time the land about the cot- tage was largely a wilderness of brush. A narrow, winding cartpath led to the cot- tage from Broad Street near the point of the present entrance to the Park. A path led from the Pontiac Road to the south. The farm was alive with rabbits, quail and partridge, attracting hunters from the city. The pond within the farm boundaries was well stocked with fish.
While Betsy Williams is not described as attractive, it is said her beautiful Titian hair never failed to attract attention. She was a woman of medium height and build. Betsy's sister, Rhoda, had been married, but, at the time the first reference to them is found, was divorced and was living with Betsy in the cottage at the Park. Both were comparatively young. At this time many dances were held in the cottage, young people being invited there from farms near- by. A fiddler living on the Williams farm provided the music and called the figures of the dance.
We later hear of Betsy living with her sister, Rhoda, in a farmhouse on Pontiac Avenue, not far from Reservoir Avenue. Rhoda had become blind, and Betsy was described as a recluse and eccentric. They had plenty of money, and could easily have turned their properties into more money than they could possibly have used. When Rhoda passed away, the title to all the land went to her sister, Betsy. You have been given a brief history of the woman who did so much for Providence; you have been given a descriptive sketch of the quaint farmhouse which is recognized as one of the most notable historic places in Rhode Island. If you enjoy being amid surround- ings that make it easy to picture life as it was when Betsy was a girl, visit her home for an hour or two.
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"THE OLD STONE BANK"
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PROVIDENCE STAGE AFTER THE REVOLUTION
N 1790 a group of actors, managed by Mr. I Harper, returned from Europe to this country to play in Boston. They returned, rather, with the hope of playing in Bos- ton, because they were acquainted with the law prohibiting stage presentations. They sought, however, to win over the Town Council and the Legislature. Accordingly, they set about to convince their opponents that the theatre was a virtuous, edifying institution. A petition was first circulated by the players for the repeal of the pro- hibitory law of 1750, and it was backed by many influential citizens. Later many of the literary men of Boston took their pens and argued in favor of the repeal. This was of no avail, however, and Gov- ernor Hancock staunchly refused to coun- tenance the action. He, too, had strong men on his side: Samuel Adams and Benjamin Austin, and the latter tried to settle the argument by writing an essay supposed to prove that Shakespeare had no genius.
In 1792 the players, against the law, procured a hall and began performances. They were allowed to proceed unmolested for a while, but one evening they were served with a warrant at the end of the second act of Sheridan's "School for Scan- dal", which they were performing that week. Mr. Harper announced his plight to the audience, and the spectators arose de- corously and left the hall. It was found, later, however, that the warrant had not been sworn to, and so Mr. Harper resumed activity. He was presently served with a genuine warrant and arrested, and because of this he came to Providence.
He knew that there was a prohibitory law in Rhode Island, but knew also that the ma- jority of citizens favored the theatre, and he hoped that the law might be repealed in this State.
There were conflicting feelings in the city on the coming of the players. One corres- pondent wrote with mildly seething indig- nation, in the Providence "Gazette", setting forth the evils of the players' mere pres- ence, and concludes his article with: "The civility of the Town Council in suffering them to reside in the town so long as they live in obedience to the law, is consistent with the liberal policy which has charac- terized the State. But there are bounds, and it is hoped that none will go beyond them by giving offence to the law."
Another article appeared in the paper which had a different tenor, however. It called attention to the countenancing of the theatre in the Middle and Southern States, and averred that not all wisdom and virtue was inherent in New England, nor was all religion austerity. Also, the liberality of Roger Williams was cited; and the editor of the paper favored this second expression of opinion, for in the same issue he noted: "The comedians referred to are said to be a set of decent, orderly people, and respect- able in their profession. So far as has been observed of them here, they are remark- ably temperate, studious, and engaging in their manners."
On December 10, 1792, the Town Coun- cil took action. It made no move to repeal the law, but it granted certain liberties, and agreed neither to prosecute nor to up-
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hold any prosecution of the players. One of the conditions of their grant was that every fifth night the proceeds from the performances were to be collected by the sheriff and placed in the town treasury. This was agreed to. And the liberality of the Town Council was of such proportions that it allowed the players to use the Court House for a theatre.
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