USA > Rhode Island > The "Old Stone Bank" history of Rhode Island, Vol. I > Part 8
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Scotland with Mr. Cosmos Alexander, his drawing master, who was at that time re- turning to his native land. He was away for two years. Of what happened in those two years his parents knew very little. Gil- bert was never one to write or talk of dis- agreeable things if he could help it, but very unhappy times he must have had in the months he was away, for one day he suddenly appeared at home, thin, ragged and forlorn. It seems that Mr. Alexander had died leaving Gilbert in the care of a friend. Gilbert had wanted to come home, and, having no money, he had worked his passage back on a collier.
Gilbert promptly resumed his drawing and soon gained recognition. He painted portraits of his aunt, Mrs. Anthony, and her children, which were so successful that his uncle paid him well. Stuart was delighted at having earned something at last, but the money was soon spent. Neither then nor at any time did he seem to have any idea of saving or of being economical. Whatever he earned was spent almost before he received it, and he did not seem to know how it had gone. There were sev- eral wealthy Jews in Newport at this time, and many of them ordered portraits from Stuart and paid him more liberally than his uncle had. It seemed as though there was a fine opening for the young artist in his own town.
But then came the American Revolution. Drums were beaten, speeches made, and men were mustered in as soldiers. People had neither thought nor money for art. They were interested in more pressing matters. Stuart showed no interest in the cause of the Colonies; he wanted peace and quiet that he might work undisturbed. More- over, he needed to earn a living. On June 16th, the day before the Battle of Bunker Hill, he sailed for England, hoping to study under Sir Benjamin West, a painter from Philadelphia who had gone to London and won fame. Stuart's visit to England might well have proved as disastrous as his pre- vious visit to Scotland had it not been for several strokes of good luck. On arriving in London, he did not go to West, probably because he had again spent all of his money, and was poor, ragged and hungry.
One day, in despair, he stopped in a church where young men were trying for the position of organist. Stuart also applied and he played so well that he secured the position at a salary of 30 pounds a year, about $150. Soon, however, he had spent all the money advanced to him and he had scarcely enough left to keep from starving. At this time an old friend, Dr. Waterhouse, came to London and looked for Stuart. He rescued him from his miserable surround- ings, set him up in comfortable quarters, and got him some orders for portraits. This helped matters for the while, but soon Gil- bert drifted back into his shiftless habits, time was idled away, orders left unfinished, and only his talent and gay, charming way brought the forgiveness of his friends. Stuart finally made the acquaintance of the famous West, who recognized the talent of the Rhode Islander and willingly took him as a pupil. Stuart not only studied under West but he also lived with him.
In 1777, Stuart was given an order to paint a portrait of Mr. William Grant, a Scotchman. The picture represented Mr. Grant as skating on the Serpentine River. It was a great success. It was offered to the Royal Academy, at once accepted, and hung in one of the best positions. The young painter found himself famous. Stu- art immediately took a house and studio of his own. He became the "rage." He had more orders than he could fill and he asked very high prices for his work. But he was very careless in his bookkeeping and he spent money lavishly. He later married the daughter of an English doctor much against her parents' wishes. She had many admirable qualities, but was as poor a manager as her husband. They lived for a while in England, then in Dublin, and later returned to New York.
Stuart had for some time been very anxious to paint a portrait of General George Washington. In the winter of 1794 he went to Philadelphia to meet the Pres- ident. He arranged for sittings and in the spring of 1795 Stuart began upon the portrait of the President. The first attempt he made was not a success. Perhaps he was too much in awe of Washington to be at ease, or able to put forth his best work. At any rate, he grew so discouraged that
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he refused to let anyone see what he was doing, and finally he told people that he had rubbed it all out. He afterwards painted two other portraits of Washington that seemed to have pleased him more. One now hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. This likeness of Washington painted by Stuart has been accepted as the most faithful portrait of our president, and has been copied and reproduced by count-
less artists since the day of its unveiling.
A list of portraits made by Stuart after he came back to America would include at least eight hundred paintings. Among them are great names: Thomas Jefferson, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Revere, Mr. and Mrs. John Adams, Madame Bonaparte, John Jacob Astor, and many others. Stuart died in July, 1828, and was buried in the ceme- tery on Boston Common.
CAPTAIN STEPHEN OLNEY
0 NE of the outstanding heroes of the Revolutionary War was Captain Stephen Olney, that valiant Rhode Islander who led the last American charge on the British fortifications at Yorktown, during which engagement he was wounded three times. Stephen Olney was born in the town of North Providence on September 17, 1756, and was a direct descendant of Thomas Ol- ney, one of those who were "First Proprie- tors" when the original Providence pur- chase was made. When the Revolutionary War began, Stephen Olney was living with his family on a farm originally settled by Thomas Olney, and which had continued in the possession of this family for many years. Stephen was inclined toward a military career from early youth, and when he be- came 18 years of age he enlisted in the North Providence Rangers. This was one of the patriotic military companies that had been organized during the move for preparedness previous to the expected struggle for inde- pendence.
In 1775 he was appointed an Ensign in one of the Rhode Island regiments under the command of Colonel Hitchcock. This
regiment was one of three hastily organized upon receipt of news of the gallant stands at Lexington and Concord. This little Army, commanded by the illustrious General Na- thanael Greene, smelled the first smoke of battle in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The Brit- ish fleet bombarded Roxbury during the battle of Bunker Hill on June 17. General George Washington and his victorious American Army finally drove the British out of Boston, until then held by the British, and the Rhode Island regiments remained at the front until after this decisive victory.
Stephen Olney's regiment then marched overland from Boston to New York via Providence, and he, now wearing the in- signia of a Lieutenant, was able to spend a few hours at home with his family. Lieuten- ant Olney was cited for bravery in the Battle of Long Island and in the clash with the British troops at Harlem. His company was a little too late in crossing the Delaware River to assist in the Battle of Trenton on Christmas Day. About this time the enlist- ments of the three Rhode Island regiments upon which General Washington depended for active fighting, expired. At the request
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of General Mifflin, who asked that these regiments remain for one month longer, the Rhode Island regiments re-enlisted to a man.
Because of their commendable patriotic spirit, these Rhode Islanders were with Washington in the second battle near Tren- ton, and the decisive victory at Princeton. In the latter engagement Lieutenant Olney proved himself to be a hero. Colonel Mun- roe, who later became the fifth President of the United States, and was then an officer with the Pennsylvania forces, was wounded while he was attempting to rally his men. Captain Jeremiah Olney's Rhode Island company was in formation just behind the disorganized Pennsylvania men who fled at the beginning of the battle. Although confused men were rushing through their ranks, nevertheless the Rhode Island troops remained steadfast. Lieutenant Olney ob- served the plight of Colonel Munroe, rushed to his side, and carried him to the rear and safety. Shortly after, Stephen Olney came home for a brief visit and found that he had been elevated to the rank of Captain in the second Rhode Island regiment. Back he went to rejoin Washington's Army, then sta. tioned near Peekskill.
In the Battle of Red Bank the Rhode Is- land regiments, under the command of Colonel Christopher Green, won enduring renown, and in this action the bravery of Captain Olney played no little part. Dur- ing the terrible winter that followed he spent part of the time with the suffering troops at Valley Forge and part of the time at home on furlough. He was engaged in the battle of Monmouth and came home to his native State with the Rhode Island regiment to par- ticipate in the memorable Battle of Rhode Island. Later he was wounded by a rifle shot in the left arm at the Battle of Springfield. He was with his regiment just outside of New York in the disastrous affair when Colonel Christopher Green was attacked at night.
At Yorktown, where General Cornwallis and his veteran British Army had been sur- rounded by the American troops and their French allies, Captain Olney's Rhode Island company was selected by General Wash- ington to lead the charge. Over the parapet he went, leading his men against the enemy; he met stubborn resistance and was severely wounded in the encounter that followed. Although weak from the loss of blood, he continued to fight on and encourage his men who forced their way into the fortifications and drove out the British. He formed his troops in orderly fashion inside the fort and then fell to the earth apparently strick- en with mortal wounds. But he recovered quickly, and in a few weeks he was back with his regiment. In March, 1781, he re- signed his commission.
Captain Olney was a member of the Gen- eral Assembly and President of the Town Council at North Providence. He lived long enough to participate in the greeting ex- tended to Lafayette when the latter visited America in 1824. He died in 1832 and was buried in the family burial ground on his own North Providence farm.
The Providence Journal's obituary notice said of Captain Olney: "There is a debt of reverence and gratitude due to the memory of this gallant officer * * * His life and serv- ices belong to the history and are associated with the honor of the State. His name will be mentioned with a feeling of just pride, whenever the acts and the men of the Revo- lution should be recalled to the minds of our successors. He was in the best and highest sense of the words, a Patriot and a Repub- lican, devotedly attached to our national institutions and interests, for which, in his younger days, he had so often been ready to make the sacrifice of his life. He con- stantly toiled with his own hands, and the testimony of his untiring industry and per- severance, and sterling integrity, is first in the remembrance of all who knew him."
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THE EARLY RHODE ISLAND STAGE
THERE is no record of a theatre in America before 1745, which was over a hundred years after the coming of the Pil- grims and Puritans. This is no cause for wonder, because the theatre is an institution which depends on the peace of mind and the leisure of its patrons. The first hun- dred years in America were the hardest. During that first hundred years colonists were too busy, for one reason, and for an- other, the theatre was one of the unholy in- stitutions from which many of the emigrants wished to escape. Once allied to religion and the church with its miracle and moral- ity plays, it had developed in its own di- rection, reaching its peak with Shakespeare and descending, about the year 1660, to what is called the "Restoration Drama." This latter was characterized by a raw so- phistication which would cause a shock to theatre-goers of the present. Obviously, the colonists would not countenance such vulgar and profane representations of life.
In 1745, however, a man named Moody came to Jamaica to try his skill at produc- ing. He had left his trade as barber in London because of an intense interest in the theatre, and with apparently too much competition in London, he sought new fields. In Jamaica he formed a company of local talent and so delighted the rich planters of the region that they subscribed for a building to be devoted to drama. This was completed in the following year, and Moody was able to bring actors over from England. Mr. Moody returned to his native country not long afterward, and this time met with great success. Some of his company went with him, and others joined a company in Philadelphia about 1749.
A year later they located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Williamsburg is of importance because it was the center of the first theatre established in America. The Governor of the State was so pleased with the perform- ances that he gave a recommendation of good conduct and successful achievement to the company when the players migrated to New England.
They went first to Boston, but met with some ill-fortune. It is recorded that in the year 1750 a play entitled "The Orphan" was attempted in a Boston tavern, and the crowd caused such disorder that legisla- tion was shortly thereafter enacted pro- hibiting all forms of theatrical presenta- tions.
Rhode Island was not reached by the players until 1761. A Mr. Lewis Hallam and a Mr. Douglas, partners in the profes- sion, brought their company to Newport from Williamsburg. Feeling satisfied that their letter from the Governor of Virginia would immediately establish them in the good graces of the Town Council and the people, they began their performances. They were well organized, and the company was even able to give benefit performances for the poor. It transpired, however, that a majority of the Newport citizens were conscientiously opposed to the theatre, and the townsmen succeeded in passing a reso- lution prohibiting the drama.
Mr. Douglas, with the spirit of the 20th century, was not to be outdone. He found the law so worded that he could merely change the name of his activity, advertise it from a different viewpoint, and make it look like an indispensable privilege. The law prohibited entertainment, but it said nothing about education. So Mr. Douglas
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called his theatre a "Histrionic Academy," and let it be known that it was organized "in order to deliver dissertions on subjects instructive and interesting." The thor- oughness with which he pursued this policy can be shown by the following handbill:
"Kings Arms Tavern-Newport, R. I. On Monday, June 10th, at the public room of the above Inn, will be deliver- ed a series of MORAL DIALOGUES, in five parts, Depicting the evil effects of jealousy and other bad passions, and proving that happiness can only spring from the pursuit of virtue.
Mr. Douglas-will represent a noble and magnanimous Moor called Othel- lo, who loves a yung lady named Des- demona, and after he has married her, harbours (as in too many cases) the dreadful passion of jealousy.
Of jealousy, our being's bane Mark the small cause and the most dreadful pain.
Mr. Allyn-will depict the charac- ter of a specious villian, in the regi- ment of Othello, who is so base as to hate his commander on mere suspicion, and to impose on his best friend. Of such characters, it is to be feared, there are thousands in the world, and the one in question may present to us a salutary warning.
The man that wrongs his master and his friend,
What can he come to but a shame- ful end?"
The bill continues, going into such de- tail about each one of the principal char- acters of the play, each note ending with a moral little couplet which was doubtless of Mr. Douglas' composition. The play was to be presented Wednesday and Saturday, the tickets to sell for six shillings. The "commencement," reads the bill, was to be at 7 o'clock, and the conclusion at half past 10, "in order that every spectator may go home at a sober hour, and reflect upon
what he has seen, before he retires to rest." The bill then ends with this patriotic stanza:
"God save the king, And long may he sway, East, north, and south, And fair America."
The play-goers had their favorites in those days as well as now. The most out- standing one seems to have been Mrs. Hal- lam, whose splendid, magnetic, compelling performances won great praise from mem- bers of her own sex, and from the men- it seems that the men were not one whit different from those of the present day.
In 1762, Hallam and Douglas opened an "Academy" in Providence, on Meeting Street, east of Benefit, near the old armory. It caused a great deal of dissension. It was patronized by the elite of the city, but in some quarters the objections were almost fanatical. It is told that John Brown, one of the city's leading citizens, enlisted a number of his friends one evening to help him place a cannon near the theatre, and behind this he stood and threatened to fire at the objectors if they interrupted the per- formance.
What the conditions were like is shown somewhat by notices in the newspapers at the time, requesting gentlemen to keep off the stage and maintain strict decorum throughout a funeral performance. And there must have been some rowdyism, for there is an indignant notice, expressed with- al rather quaintly, reading as follows:
"A reward will be given to whoever can discover the person who was so very rude as to throw eggs from the gallery upon the stage last Monday, by which the clothes of some ladies and gentlemen in the boxes were spoiled, and the performance in some measure interrupted."
The company continued to play after be- ing forbidden to by the Town Council, but a law was later enacted by the General As- sembly and personally executed by the Sheriff, which put an end to the theatre in New England until after the Revolution.
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THE "GASPEE" AFFAIR
NE of the most colorful incidents in the history of Rhode Island was the "Gaspee" affair. With all the boldness that distinguished the Boston Tea Party, a group of indignant and courageous citizens took matters into their own hands and deliber- ately ended a scourge that had long been the source of great irritation. In the year 1772 the English government decided to enforce the revenue laws that heretofore had not been backed up with force. For years vessels had been stationed in Newport harbor for the purpose of enforcing the existing revenue laws, but it remained for the "Gaspee" to stir up the bitter hatred of the colonists.
The "Gaspee" was an armed schooner commanded by Lieutenant Duddingston, an insolent, overbearing individual. His great delight in life was to make existence mis- erable for Rhode Island craft, large and small. Up and down the bay he sailed, hailing boats and terrorizing their occu- pants. If vessels that were hailed did not stop immediately, a shot was fired across their bows as a warning of what might be expected if they did not wait to be searched. The "Gaspee" became such a terror that small boats hesitated to attempt the passage from one town to another. After making a hurried search of the vessels boarded, Dudd- ingston would usually find some discrep- ancy in the payment of proper duties to the government, whereupon he would bring charges against the shipowners.
It was only a short time after the offen- sive operations of the "Gaspee" had begun that letters of protest were sent to her commander by the Governor of Rhode Island. Insolent answers by Duddingston only served to increase the smoldering fires of public indignation. Finally, Admiral Montague, the Commander of the British
fleet, wrote to the Governor, ordering him not to interfere with the operations of the "Gaspee" in any way. The Admiral's letter was even more insolent in tone than Lieu- tenant Duddingston's had been. During the course of this correspondence between the Governor and the British commanders, the Rhode Island people longed to serve the "Gaspee" in the same way that the citizens of Newport had treated a disagreeable guest in its waters.
On June 9th, 1772, Capt. Thomas Lind- say set out from the harbor of Newport in- tending to come up to Providence. He ex- pected that the "Gaspee" would catch sight of him and that he would very probably be stopped and his cargo searched, but he made up his mind not to allow this if he could help it. With all his sails spread he headed out of the harbor and started on his way. Just as he expected, he had not gone far before the "Gaspee" appeared in pur- suit. The customary shot was fired across his bow, as a warning for him to stop, but without paying any attention to this the gallant Captain kept on his way. For sev- eral miles there was a hot pursuit, but it was a long chase and the packet was hard to overtake.
About seven miles below Providence the shore runs out in a long spit of land called Namquit Point (now known as Gaspee Point.) The little packet sailed round this point leaning far over in the brisk wind. In the hopes of overtaking her the "Gaspee" tried a short cut across the shallow place, but the water was even shallower than her Commander had thought, and to the rage of the Commander and crew, she went aground. There was considerable running and shouting on board of her; orders were given and followed out in haste, but they were of no use. The "Gaspee" lay there in
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the hot summer sunlight, leaning over more and more as the hours passed by and the tide ebbed. It was soon quite evident that her chance to catch the packet was gone and that she would have to stay where she was until high tide, and that would not be un- til 3 o'clock next morning.
Captain Lindsay sailed leisurely on to Providence, arriving about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and went straight to the home of Mr. John Brown, who was a close friend of his. He related his experiences of the day and described the helpless plight of the English schooner. The news spread fast and it did not take the citizens of Provi- dence long to decide that now was the chance to rid themselves of their hated tor- mentor. About two hours after sunset that same evening, the roll of a drum sounded in the streets and the voice of a man was heard calling out in a loud tone, "The 'Gas- pee' is run aground off Namquit Point and cannot float before 3:00 o'clock tomorrow morning. Those people who feel disposed to go and destroy that troublesome vessel are invited to repair to Mr. James Sabin's house this evening." There was plenty of enthusiasm over the suggestion and before 9:00 o'clock that evening a large company of men had gathered in a room of Mr. Sabin's house. This house was an inn that stood at the corner of what is now South Main and Planet Streets, just opposite Fen- ner's Wharf.
The men who gathered for this venture came armed with guns, pistols, swords and clubs. Those who owned no arms them- selves, borrowed from their neighbors. Bul- lets were scarce, so a fire was lighted in the great fireplace and lead was hurriedly melted and poured into bullet moulds. By 10:00 o'clock everything was ready. The men filled eight large longboats that had been moored at Fenner's Wharf. The oar locks and oars were carefully muffled and the expedition set out. Captain Whipple was put in command.
Down they went through the darkness past Fox Point, around Field's Point and so
on toward where the "Gaspee" lay. They ap- proached very close to the schooner before the watch on deck discovered their presence. Then his cry rang out and brought the Com- mander and his sleepy crew to the deck. After a brief exchange of demands and oaths the men in the boats began the attack. A few shots were fired injuring one or two of the "Gaspee" crew, and in a few minutes a vicious hand-to-hand fight was under way. The attackers soon got the upper hand, made prisoners of the Commander and crew, and quickly transported them over to the War- wick shore, where they were put into the hands of willing assistants.
After this was done the boats returned to where the "Gaspee" lay and she was set on fire. Silently the Providence men rested on their oars and watched the flames as they leaped from one end of the deck to the other and up through the sails and rig- ging. Suddenly their boats were shaken by the dull roar of an explosion. A mass of burning wood and rigging was shot high above the schooner and fell back into the water with a great splash. Bits of burning wood were thrown through the air, even as far as where the longboats lay.
The powder in the "Gaspee" had ex- ploded, blowing her to bits. Nothing was now left but the floating wreckage and a part of the hull. The night's work was fin- ished and the "Gaspee" was destroyed. Very quietly the long-boats were rowed to town. The men who were in them separated and returned, each to his own home.
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