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'v  .v 


THE 


HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


MARBLEHEAD.  ^?i^ 


SAMUEL   ROADS,  Jk. 


A  queer  old  place ;  but  every  stone  that  trips  you  in  her  streets 

Is  instinct  with  the  loyal  pulse  that  in  its  bosom  beats. 

This  may  be  metaphor,  it  is  but  true  as  gospel  still ; 

For  Marblehead  is  Marblehead,  has  been,  and  always  will. 

Mrs.  Mason- 


-4 


BOSTON: 
HOUGHTON,  OSGOOD  AND   COMPANY. 

1880. 


n 


Copyright,  1S80, 
Bi  SAMUEL  KOADS,  Jb. 


RIVERSIDE,  CAMBRIDGE  : 

STEREOTYPED     AND     PRINTED     BY 

H.  0.  HODGHTON  AND   COMPANY. 


To 
FRANK  H.  BROWN. 


My  Dear  Frank: 

To  you,  as  in  our  boyhood  days,  I  bring  the  work  that  I  have  finished  for 
approval. 

Since  the  time,  now  years  ago,  when  the  friendship  of  our  lives  began,  yours  has 
been  to  me  the  voice  of  loving  kindness  and  encouragement.  At  your  suggestion 
this  memorial  of  our  native  town  was  undertaken ;  and  through  the  many  difficulties 
obstructing  my  progress  your  sj'mpathy  has  sustained  me,  and  enabled  me  at  length 
to  bring  the  work  to  a  successful  completion. 

To  j'ou,  therefore,  as  a  pledge  of  a  friendship  sanctified  by  holy  memories  of  a 

happy  past,  this  volume  is  affectionately  dedicated. 

SAMUEL  ROADS,  Jr. 

VaiARBLFJ^FAD^MASs" 

November  20,  1879. 


PREFACE. 


I  HAVE  written  the  "  History  and  Traditions  of  Marble- 
head."  That  the  work  could  have  been  rendered  more  in- 
teresting, had  it  been  undertaken  by  an  abler  and  more  ex- 
perienced hand,  I  have  no  doubt.  I  have  done  the  best  I 
could,  however,  with  the  materials  at  ray  command,  and 
though  there  are,  doubtless,  errors  and  omissions  in  the  work, 
I  trust  that  they  are  not  such  as  to  detract  materially  from 
its  value  as  an  accurate  history  of  the  town  of  Marblehead. 

There  are,  of  course,  incidents  related  in  these  chapters 
which  I  would  gladly  obliterate  from  the  fair  pages  of  our 
history  ;  but  a  due  regard  for  the  completeness  of  the  work 
demanded  that  they  should  receive  attention,  as  well  as  the 
many  deeds  of  heroism  of  which  we  are  justly  proud. 

In  presenting  this  book  to  the  public,  I  desire  to  acknowl- 
edge with  sincere  thanks,  the  assistance  I  have  received 
from  my  friends  and  fellow-citizens.  Many  have  placed  the 
choicest  stores  of  their  family  archives  at  my  disposal ; 
while  those  who  had  nothing  else  to  offer,  have  sustained 
'  me  in  my  labors  with  encouraging  words  and  kindly  in- 
terest. 

Where  all  have  been  so  kind,  it  is  hard  to  discriminate  in 
the  selection  of  those  who  have  rendered  most  efficient  ser- 
vice. I  would  say,  however,  that  perhaps  more  than  to  any 
others,  I  am  especially  indebted  to  my  friends  William  D. 
T.  Trefry,  and  Daniel  D.  Gile.  One  rendered  valuable  and 
much  needed  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  the  index,  and 
the  other,  by  patient  attention  to  my  necessities  rendered  it 


VI  PREFACE. 

possible  for  me  to  have  access  to  the  library  of  the  Boston 
Athenteum. 

I  am  also  indebted,  among  many  others,  to  Pr.  Henry 
Wheatland,  president  of  the  Essex  Institute,  for  permission 
to  examine  the  collections  of  that  important  society ;  to 
William  Gilley,  Esq.,  the  town  clerk  of  Marblehead,  for 
valuable  assistance  in  the  examination  of  records ;  to  Wil- 
liam B.  Brown,  Esq.,  for  the  loan  of  important  documents ; 
to  Mr.  John  Prince  ;  Hon.  Isaac  Story,  of  Somerville  ;  Mr. 
William  Pratt,  of  Boston;  the  Rev.  John  Lee  Watson,  of 
Orange,  N.  J. ;  Isaac  C.  Wyman,  Esq.,  and  Hon.  William 
D.  Northend,  of  Salem;  and  to  the  clerks  of  the  various 
churches  in  Marblehead  for  similar  favors. 

And  last,  but  not  least,  I  am  indebted  to  my  beloved 
grandmother,  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Roads,  from  whom  I  obtained 
many  of  the  traditions  related  in  this  work,  and  at  whose 
knees  I  learned  to  love  and  reverence  the  characters  of  the 
men  of  other  days,  whose  noble  deeds  and  earnest  lives  re- 
flect honor  on  the  town. 

With  these  words  in  grateful  recognition  of  assistance,  I 
submit  my  work  to  the  people  of  Marblehead.  If  it  shall 
awaken  an  interest,  in  any  degree  proportionate  to  that 
which  I  have  felt  during  the  many  weary  months  of  prep- 
aration, it  will  not  have  been  in  vain. 

Saimuel  Roads,  Jr. 

Maeblehead,  November  20,  1879. 


"^s. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  p^ 

Indian  History.  —  The  Naumkeags.  —  Nanepashemet,  the  King.—  The 
Squaw  Sachem.  -  Indian  Name  of  Marblehead.  -  Customs  of  the 
Naumkeags.-  Indian  Relics  found  in  Marblehead.  -  Indian  Stockade, 
etc 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  First  Settlers.  -  Their  Probable  Origin.  —  Date  of  the  Settlement 
of  the  Town.  —  Origin  of  the  Name  "  Marble  Harbor."  -  Thomas 
Gray. -Isaac  Allerton.  -  Moses  Maveri(ik.  -  The  Fishery  Business 
established.  —  First  Mention  of  the  Name  "  MarbleheM-"  —  Mr.  Crad- 
dock's  House  burned. -Death  of  the  Rev.  John  Avery  and  his  Family. 

—  Allerton's  Misfortunes. —A  "Plantation"  established  at  Marble- 
head —  Grants  of  Land  by  the  General  Court  and  the  Town  of  Salem. 
_  Proposed  Site  of  a  College.  -  The  Ship  "  Desire  "  built.  -  First  Ne- 
gro Slaves  imported  into  the  Colony.  -  Grants  of  Land  to  Fishermen. 

—  John  Gatchell  ordered  to  cut  his  Hair.  —  A  Rate  ordered.  -  Names 
of  Inhabitants  of  Marblehead  assessed.  —  William  Walton.—  The  First 
Meetin-house.— First  Public  House.  —  Orders  concerning  Trees.— 
TheLa"st  Record  of  Grants.  -  State  of  Affairs  in  1644. -The  First 
Constable.  —  Order  concerning  the  Erection  of  a  Breastwork.  —  The 
Inhabitants  ordered  to  exercise  in  MUitary  Movements  .... 

CHAPTER  III. 

Incorporation  of  the  Town.  -  First  Selectmen.  -  Town  Action.  -  Divis- 
ion of  the  Common  Lands.  -Mr.  Walton's  Salary.  -Ferry  to  Salem. 

—  The  Meeting-house  "  sealed."  -  Hugh  Peters.  -  First  Highway  to 
Salem.  —A  Magistrate  for  Marblehead. —Military  Company  organized. 
_  Death  of  Mr.  Walton.  —  Samuel  Cheever.  —  New  Gallery  at  the 
Meeting-house.  -Neck  Road  laid  out.  -  The  Leanto.  -  Customs  of  the 
Fishermen.  —  Increase  in  the  Number  of  Inhabitants.  —  King  Philip's 
War.  —  Sudden  Death  of  Two  Eastern  Indians.  —  First  School  m 
Town.  — A  Watch-house  built.  —  Robert  Knight.  —  Benevolent  Action. 


35 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

—  Ordination  of  Mr.  Cheever.  —  First  Church  gathered.  —  Township 
purchased  of  the  ludians.  —  Trial  of  "Mammy  Red"  for  Witchcraft  .     17 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Superstitious  Beliefs.  —  The  Story  of  the  "  Screeching  Woman."  —  Cus- 
toms of  the  Young  Women.  —  Mr.  Maverick.  —  Curious  Customs  at 
Weddings. —  Customs  at  Funerals.  —  School  taught  by  Josiah  Cotton. 

—  His  Views  of  Marblehead.  —  Old  Dimond.  —  Belief  of  the  luhabi- 
tants  concerning  Him.  —  Superstitious  Stories.  —  St.  Michael's  Church. 

—  Controversy  in  First  Church.  —  New  Meeting-house  built.  —  Second 
Congregational  Society  organized.  —  Mr.  Holyoke  and  Mr.  Barnard 
settled.  —  Condition  of  the  Town  in  1714,  as  described  by  Mr.  Barnard. 

—  The  Marblehead  Dialect.  —  Names  by  which  certain  Families  were 
known. —  Some  of  the  Idioms.  —  Marblehead  Seamen  captured  by  Pi- 
rates. —  Philip  Ashton's  Experience.  —  His  Escape  to  a  Desert  Island. 

—  Sufferings  while  there.  —  The  Rescue. — Text  of  Parson  Barnard's 
Sermon  on  his  Delivery.  —  Nicholas  Merritt.  —  His  Capture  and  Es- 
cape   

CHAPTER   V. 

Old  Meeting-house  enlarged.  —  School  opened  by  Nathan  Bowen.  —  Se- 
lectmen authorized  to  hire  a  School-master.  —  Town  Hall  built.  — 
River-head  Beach.  — First  Meeting  held  in  Town  Hall  — Terrible  Rav- 
ages of  Small-pox.  — Excitement  of  the  People.  — Action  of  the  Town. 

—  The  Sixpenny  Tax.  —  Opposition  of  the  Fishermen.  —  Benjamin  Bo- 
den. —  Action  of  the  Town  concerning  the  Tax.  — Mr.  Holyoke  elected 
President  of  Harvard  College.  —  Province  Appropriation  for  Erection  of 
the  Fort.  —  Controversy  concerning  the  Fund.  —  The  Fountain  Inn.  — 
Traditions  concerning  it.  —  Pirates  arrested  in  Marblehead.  —  The  Story 
of  Agnes  Surriage.  —  Frankland's  Visits  to  Marblehead.  —  The  Fish- 
erman's Daughter.  —  The  Manor-house  at  Hopkinton.  —  Reception  in 
England.  — Earthquake  at  Lisbon.  —  Heroic  Conduct  of  Agnes.  — The 
Marriage.  — Life  in  Boston  and  Hopkinton.  —  Death  of  Frankland.  — 
Departure  of  Lady  Agnes  for  England.  —  Her  Second  Marriage.  —  Her 
Death.  —  The  Great  Awakening.  —  Whitefield's  Visit  to  Marblehead.  — 
Religious  Controversy.  —  Rev.  Mr.  Malcolm.  —  King  George's  War.  — 
Siege  of  Louisburg.  — Action  of  the  Town.  —  Fortifications  erected. — 
School  for  Poor  Children.  —  Old  School-house. — Customs  of  the  Fish- 
ermen.—  A  Boy's  Apprenticeship.  —  Voyages  to  the  "Banks."  —  The 
First  Fire  Engine.  —  Organization  of  the  Fire  Department. —  An  Early 
Engine  Company.  —  Names  of  first  Engines.  —  Small-pox.  —  By-laws 
against  Gambling  —  Excise  Bill.  —  Protest  of  the  Town.  —  French  and 
Indian  War.  —  Powder-house  built.  —  Marblehead  Vessels  captured.  — 
Petition  for  Protection.  —  Capture  of  Schooner  "  Swallow."  —  Imprison- 
ment of  the  Crew.  —  Escape  of  the  Officers.  —  Marblehead  Seamen  at 


CONTENTS.  IX: 

PAGE 

the  Siege  of  Quebec.  —  Capture  of  the  Schooner  "  Prince  of  Orange." 

—  Imprisonment  of  the  Crew.  —  Attempt  to  seize  the  Schooner  "  Ram- 
bler." —  Work-house  erected.  —  Streets  named.  —  Town  Pump.  — 
Small-pox.  —  Hospital  erected 48 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Contests  with  the  Crown.  —  Duties  levied  by  Parliament.  —  The  Stamp 
Act. — Excitement  in  Boston.  —  Action  of  Marblehead.  —  Instructions 
to  Representatives.  —  Duty  on  Glass,  Paper,  and  Tea.  —  Excitement  in 
Massachusetts.  —  British  Troops  in  Boston.  —  Action  of  the  Governor. 

—  Rebuke  of  the  Legislature.  —  Its  Dissolution. — Action  of  Marble- 
head. —  Disasters  to  Fishermen.  —  Condition  of  the  Town  in  1768. — 
Slavery  in  Marblehead.  —  Tradition  of  the  Rev.  Peter  Bours.  —  Trus- 
tees of  Schools.  —  Appropriations.  —  School-masters.  —  Public  Primary 
Schools. — Impressment  of  American  Seamen. — Heroic  Resistance  of 
Marblehead  Seamen  to  Impressment. — Patriotic  Instructions.  —  Meet- 
ings of  Merchants  of  Boston.  —  Action  of  Merchants  of  Marblehead. 

—  "Non-importation"  Agreement. — Reception  of  a  Chest  of  Tea. — 
The  Boston  Massacre.  —  Action  of  Marblehead.  —  Agreement  not  to 
use  Tea.  —  Names  of  those  who  refused  to  sign  the  Agreement.  —  Dis- 
tress caused  by  Disasters  at  Sea.  —  Governor  Hutchinson.  —  "  The 
State  of  Rights."  —  Circular  Letter  to  Towns.  —  Response  of  Marble- 
head. —  Committee  of  Grievance  elected.  — Patriotic  Letter  adopted  by 
the  Town.  —  Action  of  a  few  of  the  Merchants.  —  The  Small-pox  War. 

—  Excitement  in  Marblehead. —  Measures  of  Precaution. —  Hospital 
erected.  —  Tarred  and  feathered  for  stealing  Clothing.  —  Colonel  Glov- 
er's Way  of  receiving  a  Mob.  —  Arrest  of  Incendiaries.  —  Prisoners 
rescued  from  Jail.  —  A  Battle  threatened  between  Citizens  of  Salem 
and  Marblehead.  —  Punislied  at  the  Whipping-post.  —  Opposition  to 
Importation  of  Tea.  —  The  Boston  Tea  Party.  —  Governor  Gage.  — 
The  Longest  Town  Meeting  ever  held.  —  Address  to  Ex-governor 
Hutchinson.  —  Addressers  in  Marblehead.  —  Recantations  demanded. 

—  Instructions  to  John  Gallison.  —  Storehouses  offered  to  Merchants 
of  Boston.  —  Delegates  elected  to  Continental  Congress. — Action  on 
the  Use  of  Tea.  —  British  Soldiers  on  Marblehead  Neck.  —  County 
Meetings. — Military  Discipline.  —  A  Citizen  wounded  by  British  Sol- 
diers. —  Continental  Congress.  —  Provincial  Congress.  —  The  Marble- 
head Regiment.  —  Officers  holding  King's  Commission  resign. —  Offi- 
cers commissioned  by  the  Town.  —  Action  of  the  Loyalists.  —  Votes  of 
the  Town  concerning  Loyalists.  —  Vessels  expected  with  Tea         .         .     72 

CHAPTER   VII. 

The  Minute  Men. — Payment  of  Soldiers. — British  Frigate  in  Marble- 
head Harbor.  —  Vessels  searched.  —  Arms  retaken.  —  Colonel  Leslie's 
Expedition.  —  British  Troops  land  on  Homan's  Beach.  —  The  March 


:  CONTENTS. 

I 
to  Salem.  —  IMarblehead  Men  at  the  North  Bridge.  —  Fishermen  re- 
quested not  to  venture  out  to  Sea.  —  Battle  of  Lexington.  —  Escape  of 
Messrs.  Gerry,  Orne,  and  Lee.  —  Death  of  Jeremiah  Lee.  —  His  Char- 
acter. —  Action  of  the  Provincial  Congress.  —  Orders  to  Colonel  Glover. 

—  Press-gangs  in  Streets  of  Marblehead.  — Captain  Trevett's  Artillery 
Compauy.  —  Recruiting  for  the  Continental  Army.  — ^  False  Alarms.  — 
Sloop-of-war  Merlin.  —  Arrival  of  a  Merchant  Vessel.  —  Delegates  to 
Provincial  Congress.  —  Providing  for  the  Comfort  of  Soldiers.  —  Glov- 
er's Kcgiment.  —  Colonel  Glover  commissioned.  —  Captain  Trevett's 
Company  at  Bunker  Hill.  —  Marblehead  Men  killed  and  wounded.  — 
Glovei's  Regiment  marches  to  Cambridge.  —  List  of  Officers.  —  Uni- 
form- of  the  Regiment.  —  The  Town  fortified.  —  Arrival  of  a  Vessel 
from  New  Providence.  —  Expedition  to  the  River  St.  Lawrence.  —  Cap- 
tains Broughton  and  Selman.  —  Prizes  captured.  —  The  Governor  of 
St.  John's  Island  a  Prisoner.  —  Washington's  Displeasure.  —  The  First 
American  Privateer.  —  Capt.  John  Manly  in  the  Schooner  Lee.  —  First 
Naval  Victory  of  the  War.  —  Capture  of  the  Brig  Nancy.  —  Her  Cargo. 

—  Two  other  Ves.sels  captured.  —  A  Desperate  Engagement. — Escape 
of  Manly.  —  Sufferings  of  the  People.  —  Representatives  elected.  — 
Captain  ]Mugford's  Exploit.  —  His  Impressment  and  Relea.se.  —  Cap- 
ture of  the  Brig  Hope.  —  Her  Cargo.  —  The  Franklin  attacked  by  Boats 
of  the  British  Fleet.  —  Heroic  Resistance  of  the  Crew.  —  Death  of 
Mug-ford.  —  The  Funeral.  —  Mr.  Gerry's  Wish  for  American  Independ- 
ence. —  Declaration  of  the  Citizens  of  Marblehead.  —  Independence 
declai-ed.  —  Reception  of  the  News.  —  Measures  adopted  for  raising  Re- 
cruits.—  Punishment  of  Loyaliiits.  —  The  Robie  Family.  —  Their  De- 
parture from  Town.  —  Dreadful  Wish  uttered  by  Mrs.  Robie. — Benja- 
min Marston. —  His  Books  and  Papers  seized.  —  His  Escape  from  the 
Town.  —  Ashley  Bowen.  —  His  Sufferings.  —  Courage  of  the  Loyal- 
ists of  Marblehead.  —  Small-pox.  —  Distress  of  Families  of  Soldiers.  — 
Articles  of  Confederation  and  Perpetual  Union.  —  The  New  State  Con- 
stitution.—  Recruits  for  Continental  Army.  —  Patriotism  of  Jonathan 
Glover.  —  Regulation  of  Prices. — Fortifications  on  the  Headlands. — 
Delegates  to  State  Constitutional  Convention.  —  State  Constitution  rat- 
ified. —The  Letter-of-marque  Thorn.  — Daring  Attempt  of  the  British 
to  seize  the  Thorn  in  Marblehead  Harbor.  —  The  Discovery.  —  Hiding- 
place  of  the  British  Soldiers.  —  Their  Escape.  —  The  "  Dark  Day."  — 
Appropriation  to  hire  Men  for  the  Army.  —  First  State  Election.  — 
Vote  of  Marblehead.  —  Sufferings  of  the  Soldiers  in  the  Army.  —  Sub- 
scriptions for  their  Relief.  —  Distress  in  Marblehead.  —  Condition  of 
the  Town  in  1780. — Bubier's  Plains  sold  to  raise  Money  for  Recruits. 

—  The  Public  Schools.  —  Peter  Jayne.  —  Trustees  elected.  —  Success 
of  American  Arms.  —  The  Town's  Indebtedness  to  Jonathan  Glover.  — 
Town  Dock  and  Wharf  sold.  —Opposition  to  the  Warden  Act.  —  A 
Large  Fire.  —  Return  of  the  Refugees.  —  Excitement  in  Marblehead. 


CONTENTS.  XI 

PACE 

—  Vengeance  threatened  on  the  Robie  Family.  —  Demonstrations  on 

the  Declaration  of  Peace 110 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Departure  of  the  Marblehead  Regiment  for  Cambridge.  —  General  Wash- 
ington takes  Command  of  the  Army.  ^  First  Order  to  Glover's  Regi- 
ment. —  Glover  appointed  to  superintend  Equipment  of  Armed  Vessels. 

—  Reception  of  Cargo  of  Mauly's  Prize.  —  The  Mortar  christened. — 
A  Skirmish  in  Camp.  —  Glover's  Regiment  and  Trevett's  Artillery  or- 
dered to  Marblehead.  —  The  Regiment  stationed  at  Beverly.  —  Reor- 
ganized as  the  Fourteenth  Continental  Regiment.  —  Ordered  to  New 
York.  —  Fire-ships  on  the  Hudson  River.  —  Retreat  from  Long  Island. 

—  The  Boats  manned  by  Glover's  Regiment.  —  Glover  in  Command  of 
Clinton's  Brigade.  —  The  Evacuation  of  New  York. — Important  Ser- 
vice rendered. —  The  Regiment  at  Harlem  Plains. — Attack  by  the 
British. — Disorder  of  American  Militia.  —  Washington  reenforced  by 
Glover's  Regiment.  —  Extract  from  a  Letter  of  Colonel  Glover  to  his 
Mother.  —  The  Army  on  New  York  Island.  —  The  Battle  at  East  Ches- 
ter. —  Gallant  Behavior  of  Glover's  Brigade.  —  Thanks  of  Generals 
Washington  and  Lee.  —  Statement  of  an  Eye-witness.  —  Movements 
of  Glover's  Brigade.  —  The  Battle  of  White  Plains.  —  Flight  of  Amer- 
ican Militia.  —  British  repulsed  by  Glover's  Brigade.  —  A  Gloomy  Pe- 
riod. —  Washington's  Army  crosses  the  Delaware.  —  The  Marblehead 
Regiment  in  the  Advance.  —  The  Victory  at  Trenton.  —  Testimony  of 
General  Knox.  —  Washington  given  Additional  Powers.  —  Col.  Wil- 
liam R.  Lee.  —  OfHcers  of  his  Regiment. —  Colonel  Lee  appointed  Adju- 
taut-general  of  the  Army.  —  Colonel  Glover  appointed  Brigadier-gen- 
eral.—  His  Brigade  at  Saratoga. — Battle  of  Bemis's  Heights.  —  The 
British  annoyed  after  the  Battle. —  Statement  of  General  Burgoyne. 

—  Second  Battle  of  Bemis's  Heights.  —  Gallant  Charge  of  the  Marble- 
head Men.  —  Retreat  of  the  British. —  The  Attack  at  Saratoga. — 
Fortunate  Discovery  by  General  Glover.  —  Surrender  of  Burgoyne. — 
Glover  conducts  the  British  Army  to  Cambridge — Arrival  of  the  Brit- 
ish.—Received  by  Col.  William  R.  Lee.  —  Treatment  of  Prisoners  by 
General  Heath.  —  Disgraceful  Conduct  of  the  British.  —  Trial  of  Colo- 
nel Heuly  by  Court-martial.  —  General  Burgoyne's  Estimate  of  Gen- 
eral Glover  and  Colonel  Lee.  —  Colonel  Lee  in  Command  at  Cambridge. 

—  A  British  Officer's  Tribute  to  the  Character  of  Colonel  Lee.  —  Colo- 
nel Lee  resigns  his  Commission.  —  Glover's  Brigade  at  Valley  Forge. 

—  Erection  of  Forts  at  West  Point.' — Expedition  against  Rhode  Island. 

—  Volunteers  from  Marblehead.  —  Glover  on  Staff  of  General  Sulli- 
van.—  Thanks  to  Men  of  Marblehead  and  Salem.  —  Departure  of  the 
French  Fleet.  —  Protest  of  American  Generals.  —  The  Retreat  from 
Rhode  Island.  —  Skirmish  at  Quaker  Hill.  —  Route  of  the  British.  — 
Evacuation  of  Rhode  Island.  —  Volunteers  from  Marblehead  man  the 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

FA6B 

Boats.  —  Glover's  Brigade  at  Norwalk,  Ridgefield,  and  Peekskill.  —  Suf- 
ferings of  the  Soldiers.  —  The  Brigade  at  West  Point.  —  Capture  of 
Major  Andre'.  —  The  Execution. — The  Army  at  Peekskill.  —  Surren- 
render  of  Cornwallis 139 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Commodore  IManly  in  Schooner  Hancock.  —  Capt.  Samuel  Tucker  in 
Schooner  Franklin.  —  Anecdote  of  the  Express  with  Commission. — 
Cruise  of  the  Franklin.  —  Capture  of  Two  British  Transports.  —  Com- 
modore Manly  transferred  to  Frigate  Hancock.  —  Tucker  in  Command 
of  Schooner  Hancock.  —  Two  Brigs  captured  in  the  BaJ^  —  Cruise  of 
Capt.  John  Lee  in  Privateer  Nancy.  —  Brilliant  Exjdoit  of  Captain 
Lee.  —  His  Capture  in  the  British  Channel. — Prizes  taken  by  Priva- 
teers Hancock  and  Peggy.  — Capture  of  the  British  Frigate  Lively.  — 
Cruise  of  the  Frigates  Hancock  and  Boston.  —  Captain  Manly  captures 
the  Frigate  Fox.  —  Desperate  Engagement  with  Three  British  Frig- 
ates.— 'Capture  of  the  Hancock.  —  Cowardly  Conduct  of  Captain  Mc- 
Keil.  —  Commodore  Tucker  in  the  Frigate  Boston. — A  Large  Ship 
captured.  —  Death  of  Lieutenant  Magee.  —  Gallant  Conduct  of  Tucker. 

—  Capt.  John  Harris  in  the  Brigantine  Penet.  —  Takes  Mr.  Austin  to 
France.  —  Murder  of  Captain  Harris  by  a  British  Officer.  —  Commo- 
dore Tucker  conveys  John  Adams  as  Envoy  to  France.  —  The  Story 
of  Adams  in  the  Battle.  —  Successful  Cruise  of  the  Frigate  Boston.  — 
Escape  of  Capt.  John  Lee  from  Fortou  Prison.  —  Captures  by  Commo- 
dore Tucker  in  the  Boston.  —  Commodore  Manly  in  the  Privateer  Cum- 
berland.—  Captured  by  a  British  Frigate.  —  His  Escape  from  Prison. 

—  Engagement  with  Two  British  Privateers.  —  Commodore  Tucker 
captures  Thirteen  Prizes.  —  Other  Prizes.  —  The  Letter-of-marque 
Freemason.  —  Her  Capture.  —  Successful  Exploit  of  Robert  Wormsted 
and  the  Crew.  —  Commodore  Tucker  at  the  Siege  of  Charleston,  S.  C. 

—  He  demolishes  a  Light-house  and  a  Fort.  —  Surrender  of  the  Amer- 
ican Squadron.  —  Spirited  Reply  of  Tucker  to  the  British.  —  Cruise  of 
Capt.  Richard  Cowell  in  Sloop-of-war  Thorn.  —  A  Large  Number  of 
Prizes  captured.  —  Spirited  Engagement  with  the  Letter-of-marque  St. 
David.  —  Her  Capture.  — Cruise  of  Commodore  Tucker  in  the  Thorn. 

—  Engagement  with  the  British  Packet  Lord  Hyde.  —  Cruise  of  Captain 
Cowell  in  the  Ship  Marquis.  —  Engagement  with  a  British  Letter-of- 
marque.  —  Glorious  Victory  for  Captain  Cowell.  —  Important  Prizes 
captured  by  Tucker.  —  Desperate  Engagement  with  the  English  Ship 
Elizabeth.  —  Capture  of  the  Thorn.  —  Escape  of  Tucker  and  his  Offi- 
cers  Capt.  Robert  Wormsted.  —  Capture  of  a  British  Vessel.  —  The 

Pursuit  and  Escape.  — Capture  of  the  Ship  St.  Helena  by  the  British 
Brig  Lively.  —  Seizure  of  the  Lively  by  the  American  Prisoners.  — 
Value  of  the  Prize.  —  The  Last  Naval  Battle  of  the  Revolution.  — 
Brilliant  Achievement  of  Commodore  Manly  in  the  Frigate  Hague.  — 


CONTENTS.  xm 

PAGE 

Capture  of  Capt.  Ambrose  James  by  an  English  Cruiser.  —  Veterans  of 
the  Revolution  alive  in  1830.  —  Brief  Sketches  of  their  Experience      .  174 

CHAPTER  X. 

Attempts  to  restore  Prosperity.  —  Visit  of  General  de  Lafayette.  —  Ad- 
dress of  Welcome.  —  Reply  of  Lafayette.  —  Shays'  Rebellion.  —  Action 
of  Marblehead.  —  The  Federal  Constitution.  —  Mr.  Gerry's  Views  con- 
cerning it.  —  Delegates  from  Marblehead  to  State  Convention. — First 
President  of  the  United  States.  —  Gift  and  Address  of  Marblehead  to 
Vice-president  Adams. — Marblehead  Academy  established.  —  Names 
of  Benefactors.  —  First  Exhibition. — Naval  Officer  of  Marblehead. — 
Controversy  over  an  Appointment. —  First  Collector. —  Licenses  granted. 

—  Reception  of  President  Washington. —  Address  of  the  Selectmen. — 
Washington's  Letter  in  Reply. —  Condition  of  the  Town  in  1790. — 
Wretchedness  of  Inhabitants.  —  Benevolence  of  Academy  Scholars. — 
The  Grand  Lottery  for  Relief  of  the  Town.  —  Names  of  Managers.  — 
Drawing  of  Prizes.  —  Beneficial  Results.  —  Methodist  Church  organized. 

—  A  Seribus  Fire.  —  Incorporation  of  Marblehead  Academy.  —  Town- 
ship of  Land  granted.  —  Joseph  Story's  Reminiscences  of  his  School 
Days.  —  Progress  of  Scholars.  —  The  Mails.  —  First  Postmaster.  — War 
between  France  and  England.  — A  Marblehead  Schooner  seized.  — Em- 
bassy to  the  French  Court.  —  Mr.  Gerry's  Action.  —  Preparations  for 
War. —  Veterans  of  the  Revolution.  —  A  Light  Infantry  and  other 
Companies  organized.  —  Death  of  Col.  Azor  Orne._ —  Hon.  Samuel 
Sewall.  —  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  Judge  Sewall.  —  First  Bequest  to 
the  Town. — Death  of  George  Washington.  —  Impressive  Ceremonies 
at  Marblehead.  —  Oration  by  Joseph  Story.  —  Small-pox  Excitement. 

—  Poverty  of  the  Town.  —  Relief  from  other  Towns.  —  The  Federal 
and  Democratic  Parties.  —  Their  Origin  and  Principles.  —  Party  Spirit. 

—  Vote  of  Marblehead  in  1801.  —  Marblehead  Bank  incorporated. — 
Business  of  the  Town.  —  First  Directors,  President,  and  Cashier. — 
Heroism  of  Capt.  William  Powers.  —  Marblehead  Seamen  impressed  by 
a  British  Cruiser.  —  Political  Excitement.  —  A  Newspaper  Controversy. 

—  The  "Lying  Pamphlet."  —  A  Marblehead  Town  Meeting.  —  The 
Pamphlet  burned.  —  Citizens  examined  by  the  Grand  Jury.  —  Action 

of  the  Town 200 

CHAPTER  XL 

Depredations  of  British  Cruisers.  — Attack  upon  the  Frigate  Chesapeake. 

—  Resolutions  of  Marblehead.  —  The  Embargo  Law.  —  Marblehead 
Vessels  captured.  — Distress  caused  by  the  Embargo.  —  Appropriation 
for  Relief  of  the  Poor.  —  Land  ceded  to  the  United  States.  —  Gun- 
house  erected. — The  True  Story  of  Skipper  Ireson.  —  Story  told  by 
his  Crew.  —  Statement  of  the  Captain  of  the  Wrecked  Vessel.  —  Vessels 
sent  to  find  the  Wreck.  —  An  Innocent  Man  punished.  —  A  Cowardly 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

PAQE 

Crew.  —  Opposition  to  the  Embargo  in  Massachusetts.  —  Resolutions 
of  Mavblehead  indorsing  the  Administration.  —  Letter  to  Congressman 
Story.  —  Vessels  offered  to  the  Government.  —  Reception  of  Marble- 
head  Resolutions  in  Congress.  —  Delight  of  President  Jefferson  and 
Prominent  Democrats. —  Secession  advocated  in  Massacliusetts.  —  Pa- 
triotic Resolutions.  —  The  Administration  indorsed.  —  Ready  for  War. 

—  Impressment  of  Seamen. —  The  Constitution  to  be  maintained. — 
Rights  to  be  defended.  —  Repeal  of  the  Embargo.  —  Marblehead  Light 
Infantry  organized.  —  Schooners  captured.  —  Elbridge  Gerry  elected 
Governor.  —  Vote  of  the  Town  in  1810.  —  Baptist  Church  organized. 

—  War  declared  against  Great  Britain.  —  Action  of  the  Legislature.  — 
Antagonistic  Addresses.  —  Boston  and  other  Towns  opposed  to  War. 

—  Marblehead  Resolutions.  —  Pledge  to  support  the  Government. — 
Privateers  fitted  out.  —  Marblehead  Men  on  Board  other  Privateers. — 
Crew  of  the  Constitution.  —  Enthusiasm  of  the  People.  —  Celebration 
of  the  Fourth  of  July.  —  Capture  of  the  Ship  Orient.  —  Release  of  the 
Crew.  —  Prizes  captured  by  Privateers.  —  Impressment  of  Joseph  Fur- 
ness.  —  Battle  between  the  Constitution  and  Guerriere.  —  Statement  of 
a  Prisoner  from  Marblehead.  —  Prizes  sent  into  Marblehead.  —  El- 
bridge Gerry  elected  Vice-president.  —  Battle  between  the  Constitution 
and  the  Java.  —  Marblehead  Seamen  killed. —  Battle  off  Marblehead 
Neck  between  the  Shannon  and  the  Chesapeake.  —  Death  of  Captain 
Lawrence.  —  Marblehead  Men  on  Board  the  Shannon. — An  Attack 
feared.  —  Preparations  for  Defense.  —  The  Marblehead  Light  Infantry. 

—  The  Home  Guards.  —  Company  at  Fort  Sewall.  —  Two  Men  shot 
in  "the  Streets.  —  British  Prisoners  at  Fort  Sewall.  —  The  Constitution 
chased  into  Marblehead  Harbor.  —  A  Dutch  Sloop  of  War  in  the  Har- 
bor.—  Heroic  Conduct  of  Lieut.  John  G.  Cowell.  —  His  Death  and 
Burial. —  An  Imposing  Funeral.  —  Close  of  the  War.  —  Marblehead 
Seamen  in  British  Prisons.  —  The  Massacre  at  Dartmoor. —  Marble- 
head Men  wounded.  —  Impatient  to  get  Home.  —  A  Ship  seized.  —  Mar- 
blehead Men  in  the  War 230 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Sacrifices  made  by  the  Town.  —  Visit  of  President  Monroe.  —  Organiza- 
tion of  Sabbath-schools.  —  Delegates  to  Constitutional  Convention. — 
Second  Visit  of  General  de  Lafayette.  —  Lafayette  Guards.  —  The 
Marblehead  Artillery  Companies.  —  Curious  Scenes  on  Training  Days. 

—  Origin  of  "Marblehead  never  retreats."  —  The  Columbian  Society. 

—  Streets  named.  —  Earliest  Shoe  Manufacturers.  —  Reform  at  the 
Almshouse.  —  First  Local  Newspaper.  —  Grand  Bank  incorporated. — 
Its  First  President  and  Directors.  —  Light-house  erected.  —  Female  Hu- 
mane Society.  —  Seamen's  Charitable  Society.  —  Visit  of  President 
Jackson.  —  The  Whig  Party.  —  Rival  Celebrations  on  the  Fourth  of 
July.  —  Fire  Department  reorganized.  —  Universalist  Church.  —  The 


CONTENTS.  XV 

PAGE 

Panic  of  1837.  —  High  School  established.  —  The  Surplus  Revenue 
Controversy.  —  Stage-coach  Communication.  —  Opening  of  the  Eastern 
Railroad. —  Condition  of  the  Town  in  1839.  — Bequest  of  Mr.  A.  S. 
Courtis.  —  Presidential  Campaign  of  1840.  —  The  Liberty  Party.— 
First  Anti-slavery  Men  in  Marblehead.  —  Lyceum  Hall  erected.  —  The 
Eechabites  and  Odd  Fellows.  —  Gerry  Fire  Engine.  —  Great  Gale  on 
the  Banks  of  Newfoundland.  —  A  Terrible  Calamity.  —  Monument 
erected  on  the  Old  Buryiug  Hill.  — The  Railroad  Accident  of  1848.  — 
Ship-building  in  Mnrblehead. — "Washington  Hook  and  Ladder  Car- 
riage.—  The  New  Almshouse. —  The  Spiritualists.  —  The  Glover  Light 
Guards.  —  Bequest  of  Moses  A.  Pickett. —  His  Life  and  Character. — 
Three  Great  Military  Festivals. —  Fourth  of  July  Celebration  of  1856. 

—  The  Sons  of  Temperance  and  the  Musical  Association.  —  South 
Church  organized.  —  The  "Mugford"  and  "  General  Glover"  Fire  En- 
gines. —  Waterside  Cemetery.  —  Fire  on  State  Street.  —  The  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  —  The  Good  Templars  and  the  Christian  Association. 

—  Fire  on  Essex  Street.  —  The  Great  Strike  of  the  Shoemakers.  — 
Presidential  Campaign  of  1860 256 

CHAPTER  Xm. 

Industrial  Development. —Extension  of  Pleasant  Street.  — Opening  of 
the  Railroad  to  Salem. —Joseph  R.  Bassett.— School  Street  opened. 

—  Sewall  Street.  —  Streets  across  "  Reed's  Hill."  —  Houses  erected.  — 
How  Workingmeu  obtained  Homes.  —  The  First  Sewing-machine  in 
Marblehead.  —  First  Operator.  —  The  Binder.  —  Steam  Saw-mill  erect- 
ed.—  Commercial  and  Prospect  Streets.  — New  Settlements.  —  Panic 
of  1857.  — William  T.  Haskell  &  Co.  —  Joseph  Harris  &  Sons. — 
Method  of  manufacturing  Shoes.  —  Industry  of  the  People. — Litro- 
duction  of  McKey  Machines.  —  Compo  Work 276 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Election  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  —  Secession  of  the    Southern  States. — 
Bombardment  of  Fort  Sumpter.  —President  Lincoln's  Call  for  Troops. 

—  The  Marblehead  Companies  the  first  to  reach  Boston.  —  How  Captain 
Martin  rallied  his  Company.  —  Prompt  Action  of  the  Citizens.  —  The 
Work  of  the  Ladies.  — Generosity  of  the  School  Teachers. —  Marble- 
head Soldiers  in  Maryland.— "  The  Constitution  "  saved. —Patriotic 
Letter  from  Captain  Martin.  —  The  Mugford  Guards.  —  Address  of 
William  B.  Brown,  Esq.,  on  their  Departure.  —  Return  of  the  Three 
Months'  Men. —  Reception  by  the  Citizens. —  Company  B,  Twenty- 
third  Regiment.  —  The  first  Marblehead  Men  killed  in  Battle.  —  Heroic 
Conduct  of  William  B.  Hubbard.  —  Funeral  of  Lieutenant  Goodwin 
and  Sergeant  Morse.  —  Bounties  offered  by  the  Town.  —  The  Work  of 
Recruiting.  -Recruiting  Agent  appointed  by  Governor  Andrew.  — En- 
listment of  Volunteers.  — The  Nine  Months' Men. —Relief  for  Farai- 


Xvi  CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

lies  of  Soldiers.  —  The  Draft.  —  Fort  Sewall  enlarged.  —  New  Forts 
erected.  —  The  Lafayette  Guards.  —  The  Ladies  of  the  Unitarian  Soci- 
ety. —  Work  and  Money  for  the  Soldiers.  —  The  Twenty-seventh  Un- 
attached Company.  —  Bravery  of  William  Goss.  —  Demonstrations  in 
Honor  of  Lee's  Surrender.  —  Assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  — 
Number  of  Men  from  Marblehead  in  the  Army  and  Navy.  —  The 
Killed  and  Wounded.  — Amount  of  Money  raised  by  the  Town  for  War 
Purposes 283 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Marblehead  Sailors  in  the  Navy.  — Capt.  Michael  B.  Gregory.  —  Cruise 
of  Capt.  Josiah  P.  Cressey  in  the  Ino.  —  Marblehead  Officers  un- 
justly accused  of  Disloyalty.  —  Meeting  of  the  Citizens.  —  Capt.  Wil- 
liam D.  Gregory  in  the  Ship  Bohio.  — Prizes  captured. —A  Success- 
ful Stratagem.  —  Daring  Exploit  of  Marblehead  Sailors.  —  Capt.  Sam- 
uel B.  Gregory  in  United  States  Steamer  Western  World.  — Engage- 
ment with  the  Enemy.  —  Fort  Pulaski. — A  Skirmish  in  the  South 
Santee  River.  —  Cruising  in  Doboy  Sound.  —  A  Mutinous  Crew.  — 
Blockade  Runners  captured  off  the  Coast  of  Virginia. —Jefferson  Da- 
vis offers  a  Reward  for  the  Capture  of  Capt.  S.  B.  Gregory.  —  The 
United  States  Steamer  Perry.  —  Sailors  captured  by  the  Rebels.  —  Cap- 
tain Gregory  on  the  Potomac,  etc 304 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Improvements  in  the  Shoe  Business.  —  Division  of  Labor.  —  Increase  of 
Business. — New  Buildings  erected.  —  Marblehead  and  Lynn  Railroad 
Company.  —  Railroad  and  Avenue  Controversy.  —  Atlantic  Avenue.  — 
New  Streets.  —  M.  A.Pickett  Fire  Association.  —  Fires  in  1866.  —  Fire 
on  Pleasant  Street  in  1867.  — Accident  at  Baptist  Church.  — First  Ob- 
servance of  "Memorial  Day."  —  Liberty  Hose  Company.  —  Streets 
lighted.  —  Controversy  in  the  Fire  Department.  —  Marbleliead  Steamer 
No.  I.  —  Marblehead  Savings  Bank.  —  "Marblehead  Messenger"  estab- 
lished.—  Torch-light  Parade  of  Fire  Department.  —  Church  "  Star  of 
the  Sea"  burned.  —  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.—  Small-pox  Excite- 
ment. —  Great  Fire  on  Washington  Street. —  Opening  of  Swampscott 
Branch  Railroad.  —  Financial  Panic  of  1873.  —  Suffering  in  Marble- 
head.—  Resolution  of  Thanks  to  William  B.  Brown.  —  Fire  on  Reed's 
gill, — First  Loss  of  Life  at  a  Fire. —  Columbian  Building  destroyed 
by  Fire.  —  The  "  Gregory  Fund."  —  First  Annual  Parade  of  Fire  De- 
partment.—  Benjamin  Abbot's  Legacy  to  the  Town.  —  Town  votes  to 
erect  Abbot  Hall.  —  Controversy  over  Selection  of  a  Site.  —  Building 
Committee  elected.  —  Temporary  Injunction  restraining  the  Town  from 
erecting  Abbot  Hall.  —  Decision  of  Justice  Ames,  of  Supreme  Judicial 
Court.  —  Corner  Stone  of  Abbot  Hall  laid.  —  Great  Temperance  Re- 
vival of  1876.  —  Marblehead  Reform  Club.  —  Celebration  of  One  Hun- 


CONTENTS.  XVll 

PAGE 

dredth  Anniversary  of  Mugford's  Victory.  —  The  Mugford  Monument. 

—  Dedication  of  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Monument.  —  Political  Cam- 
paign of  1876.  —  Abbot  Library.  —  Red's  Pond  Reservoir.  —  Destruc- 
tive Conflagration  of  1877.  —  Donations  for  Relief  of  Sufferers.  —  Re- 
building the  Burnt  District. —  Gifts  for  Abbot  Hall.  —  Dedication  of 
Abbot  Hall.  — Abbot  Library  opened.  — Political  Campaign  of  1878.  — 
Growth  of  the  Town  as  a  Summer  Resort.  —  Condition  of  the  Town  in 
1879 312 

CHAPTER  XVIL 

History  of  Marblehead  Great  Neck.  —  Division  of  Common  Lands.  —  The 
Pish-flakes.  —  Early  Residents.  —  Stratton's  Spring  Well.  —  John  Pe- 
drick.  —  Coombes  the  Loyalist.  —  British  Soldiers  on  the  Neck.  —  Other 
Residents.  —  The  Salt-works.  —  John  Andrews.  —  The  Brown  Estate. 

—  First  Summer  Residents.  —  "  The  Tent  on  the  Beach."  —  Nashua 
Village.  —  The  Sparhawk  Lot.  —  Sale  of  Brown  Estate.  —  The  Land 
Company.  —  Improvements.  —  New  Houses.  —  The  Hall.  —  Natural 
Advantages.  —  Half-way  Rock.  —  Customs  of  Fishermen.  —  Views  from 
the  Neck 333 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Old  Houses  and  Landmarks.  —  Tucker  House.  —  Warehouses.  —  Old  Tav- 
ern.—  General  Glover's  House.  —  Eagle  House.  —  Old  Custom  House. 

—  Capt.  John  Selman.  —  Parson  Barnard's  House.  —  Pickett  House.  — 
Home  of  Col.  Azor  Orne.  —  Washington  Street.  —  Old  Meeting-house. 

—  Birth-place  of  Elbridge  Gerry.  —  Major  John  Pedrick.  —  Parson 
Story's  House.  —  Old  Town  House.  —  Bowen  House.  —  Nathan  Bowen. 

—  Extracts  from  Criminal  Records.  —  Birth-place  of  Judge  Story. — 
Dr.  Elisha  Story.  —  Edward  Augustus  Holyoke.  —  Robie  House.  — 
Major  Joseph  W.  Green.  —  "  King  "  Hooper.  —  Lee  Mansion.  —  John 
Hooper,  Esq.  —  Hon.  Samuel  Hooper.  —  Bowden  House.  —  Sewall 
Mansion.  —  Joseph  Hooper.  —  Hon.  William  lieed.  —  Watson  House.  — 
Benjamin  Marston.  —  Marston  Watson.  —  Prentiss  House.  —  Mugford 
House.  —  Grist   House.  —  Wormstead's  Shop.  —  Capt.  Josiah  P.  Cressey  340 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
First  Congregational  Church 358 

CHAPTER  XX. 
St.  Michael's  Church 362 

CHAPTER   XXL 

Second  Congregational  Church.  —  Methodist  Episcopal  Church        .        .  379 
b 


XVlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIL 

PAGB 

Baptist  Church.  —  Universalist  Church 384 

CHAPTER  XXm. 
Church  Star  of  the  Sea.  —  Advent  Church 388 


THE 

HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

OF 

MARBLEHEAD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Makblehead  is  a  peninsula  situated  at  the  southeast- 
ern corner  of  Essex  County,  Massachusetts,  sixteen  miles 
northeast  of  Boston.  The  township  comprises  three  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  acres,  and  is  about  four  miles  in  length 
from  northeast  to  southeast,  being  from  one  and  one  half 
to  two  miles  in  breadth.  The  surface  is  to  a  great  extent 
irregular  and  rocky,  and  considerably  elevated  above  the 
land  of  the  surrounding  country.  Connected  by  a  narrow 
isthmus  with  the  main-land  is  a  small  peninsula,  rather  more 
than  a  mile  in  length  and  about  half  a  mile  wide,  contain- 
ing about  three  hundred  acres.  This  peninsula,  from  the 
earliest  settlement  of  the  town,  has  been  known  as  the 
"  Great  Neck." 

Between  the  "  Neck,"  jutting  out  so  boldly  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  and  the  rocky  coast  of  the  main-land,  is  a 
beautiful  sheet  of  water,  a  mile  and  a  half  long  and  half 
a  mile  wide,  forming  one  of  the  most  excellent  harbors  on 
the  New  England  coast. 

At  the  time  of  the  landing  of  our  fathers  upon  a  coast  so 
barren  and  uninviting,  as  it  must  have  appeared  to  them, 
they  found  the  entire  section  of  eastern  Massachusetts  in- 
habited by  a  race  of  men,  the  remnants  of  what  but  a  few 
years  before  the  coming  of  the  white  men  had  been  a  large 
1 


THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 


and  powerful  tribe  of  Indians.     They  were  of  the  tribe  of 
the  Nanmkeags,  then  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Squaw 
Sachem  of  Saugus,  the  widow  of  the  great  Nanepashemet, 
who,  in  his  lifetime,  had  been  a  chief  whose  power  and  au- 
thority no  neighboring  tribe  dared  question.     But  war  and 
pestilence,  those  two  dread  enemies  of  the  human  race,  had 
made  sad  havoc  among  the  Naumkeags ;  and  however  desir- 
ous they  might  have  been  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  the 
white  men  upon  their  domain  they  were  but  little  prepared 
to  do  so.     The  great  war  in  which  they  had  engaged  with 
the  Tarrantines  in  1615  had  proved  disastrous  to  them,  and 
Nanepashemet,  their  chief,  had  been  obliged  to  retreat  from 
his  settlement  at  Saugus  to  a  hill  on  the  borders  of   the 
Mystic  River,  where  he  resided  till  the  time  of  his  death. 
The   plague  which   broke   out  among  the  Indians  in   1617 
raged  with  especial  severity  among  the  Naumkeags.     Hun- 
dreds of  them  were  destroyed,  and  those  who  survived  were 
rendered  an  easy  prey  to  their  enemies.      The  Tarrantines, 
well  aware  of  the  weakness  of  their  great  opponent,  seized 
the  earliest  opportunity  to  attack  him.     In  1619  they  be- 
sieged his  fortifications  at  Mystic,  where,  after  a  most  heroic 
resistance,  Nanepashemet  was  killed.      Two  years  later  a 
party  from  the  Plymouth  colony,  while  ranging  about  the 
country,  came  across  some  of  his  forts,  one  of  which  was 
undoubtedly  in  Marblehead,  near  Forest  River,  the  remains 
of  which  may  still  be  seen.^     Mr.  Winslow,  in  his  account 
of  this  journey,  writes  :  "  Having  gone  three  miles,  we  came 
to  a  place  where  corn  had  been  newly  gathered,  a  house 
pulled  down,  and  the  people  gone.      A   mile  from  hence 
Nanepashemet,  their  king,  in  his  life-time  had  lived.     His 
house  was  not  like  others ;  but  a  scaffold  was  largely  built 
with  poles  and  planks,  some  six  foot  from  the  ground  and 
the  house  upon  that,  being  situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill. 
Not  far  from  lience,  in  a  bottom,  we  came  to  a  fort  built  by 
the  deceased  king,  the  manner,  thus :    There  were   poles, 
1  See  Lewis's  Lynn,  and  Felt's  Salem. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  3 

some  thirty  or  forty  feet  long,  stuck  in  the  ground  as  thick 
as  they  could  be  set  one  by  another,  and  with  them  they 
enclosed  a  ring  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  over.  A  trench, 
breast  high,  was  digged  on  each  side  ;  one  way  there  was  to 
get  to  it  with  a  bridge.  In  the  midst  of  this  palisade  stood 
the  frame  of  a  house  wherein,  being  dead,  he  lay  buried. 

"About  a  mile  from  hence  we  came  to  such  another,  but 
seated  on  the  top  of  a  hill.  Here  Nanepashemet  was  killed, 
none  dwelling  in  it  since  his  death." 

After  the  death  of  Nanepashemet  the  general  government 
of  the  Naumkeags  was  continued  by  his  widow,  who  be- 
came the  squaw  sachem.  She  was  assisted  by  the  three 
sons,  Wonohaquaham,  Montowampate,  and  Winepoyken, 
or  Winnepeweeken,  all  of  whom  became  sagamores.  The 
squaw  sachem  lived  on  terms  of  friendliness  with  the  whites, 
and  finally  submitted  to  their  government. 

The  three  sons  of  Nanepashemet,  after  the  death  of  their 
father,  had  each  his  separate  jurisdiction  as  sagamore.  Wo- 
nohaquaham, called  by  the  English  John,  was  located  on  the 
Mystic  River  ;  Montowampate,  called  by  the  white  people 
James,  had  jurisdiction  of  the  territory  now  comprised  in 
Lynn,  Salem,  and  Marblehead,  or,  as  Mr.  Lewis  in  his  "  His- 
tory of  Lynn  "  says  :  "  Saugus,  Naumkeag,  and  Massabe- 
quash."  The  last  was  the  Indian  name  for  "  Forest  River," 
but  whether  it  was  applied  to  the  territory  comprised  in  the 
township  of  Marblehead  there  appears  to  be  no  means  of 
ascertaining,  except  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Lewis.  Wine- 
poykin,  called  by  the  English  George,  was  the  youngest  son 
of  Nanepashemet.  He  was  born  in  1616,  and  was  a  boy 
when  the  white  men  made  their  settlement  on  his  territory. 
The  Rev.  John  Higginson,  in  writing  of  this  sagamore, 
says,  "  To  ye  best  of  my  remembrance,  when  I  came  over 
with  my  father  to  this  place,  being  then  about  thirteen  years 
old,  there  was  a  widow  woman  called  Squaw  Sachem  who 
had  three  sons.  Sagamore  John  kept  at  Mystic,  Sagamore 
James  at  Saugust,  and  Sagamore   George  here  at   Naum- 


4  "THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

keake.  Whether  he  was  actual  sachem  here  I  cannot  say, 
for  he  was  about  my  age,  and  I  think  there  was  an  older 
man,  yt  was  at  least  his  guardian.  But  ye  Indian  town  of 
wigwams  was  on  ye  north  side  of  ye  North  River,  not  farre 
from  Simondes,  and  ye  both  ye  north  and  south  side  of  that 
river  was  together  called  Naumkeke." 

In  1633  both  Sagamore  John  and  Sagamore  James,  with 
many  of  their  people,  died  of  the  small-pox,  which  broke 
out  among  them  and  raged  to  such  an  extent  as  to  nearly 
exterminate  the  entire  tribe.  So  disastrous  were  the  effects 
of  the  disease  among  them  that  it  is  stated  "  that  Mr. 
Maverick  gave  Christian  burial  to  thirty  of  them  in  one 
day." 

After  the  death  of  his  brothers,  Winepoykin  became  sag- 
amore of  Lynn  and  Chelsea,  as  well  as  Naumkeag ;  and 
after  the  death  of  his  mother,  which  took  place  in  1667,  he 
became  sachem  of  all  that  part  of  Massachusetts  which  is 
north  and  east  of  the  Charles  River.  Winepoykin  married 
Ah  away  et,  a  daughter  of  Poquanum,  who  lived  at  Naliant. 
He  died  in  1684,  and  on  the  sixteenth  of  September  of  that 
year  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  procured  a  deed  of  their 
township  from  his  heirs.  It  is  signed  by  Ahawayet,  who  is 
called  "  Joane  Ahawayet,  squaw,  relict,  widow  of  George 
Saggamore,  alias  Wenepauweekin." 

Of  the  manners,  customs,  and  habits  of  life  of  these  In- 
dians little  is  known,  except  such  as  can  be  gathered  in  ex- 
tracts from  the  writings  of  the  early  settlers.  That  they 
lived,  generally,  in  peace  with  their  white  neighbors  there 
can  be  httle  doubt.  The  great  reduction  in  their  numbers 
would  seem  to  be  of  itself  evidence  that  they  were  obliged 
to  keep  the  peace ;  and  the  testimony  of  the  white  men 
proves  this  theory  correct. 

The  Naumkeags  are  described  as  a  tall,  strong-limbed 
people,  whose  only  article  of  wearing  apparel  was  a  beast 
skin  thrown  over  one  shoulder,  and  another  about  the  waist. 
Their  wigwams  were  small,  and  were  constructed  of  poles 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  O 

set  in  the  ground  and  fastened  at  the  top,  being  covered 
with  mats  made  from  the  boughs  of  trees. 

Like  all  the  Indians  of  North  America,  the  Naumkeags 
compelled  their  squaws  to  do  the  greater  part  of  the  manual 
labor,  while  they,  the  lords  of  the  forest  and  the  mighty 
waters,  spent  their  time  in  fishing,  hunting,  and  idleness. 
Their  wants  were  few.  With  plenty  of  corn,  raised  by  the 
women,  the  forests  abounding  in  game,  and  the  waters 
about  their  coast  filled  with  fish  of  almost  every  variety, 
there  was  no  reason  why  they  should  suffer  hunger,  save 
only  from  their  own  indolence  and  inactivity. 

Kind  and  docile  in  their  disposition,  and  generous  in 
their  treatment  of  the  whites,  they  in  time  became  the 
wards  of  the  settlers  ;  and  forsaking  the  gods  of  good  and 
evil  whom  their  fathers  had  taught  them  to  worship,  many 
were  baptized  and  embraced  the  Christian  religion. 

That  Indians  formerly  occupied  the  land  now  comprised 
in  the  territory  of  Marblehead  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

Relics  of  villages,  grave-yards,  shell  heaps,  and  an  In- 
dian fort  have  been  found  from  time  to  time,  which,  were 
other  evidence  wanting,  would  be  sufiicient  to  prove  the 
fact.  Numerous  arrow-heads,  spears,  clubs,  and  various 
utensils  made  of  stone  have  also  been  found. 

The  largest  shell  heap  is  near  the  "  Pine  "  Grove,  on  the 
fine  of  the  railroad  to  Salem.  This  contained  by  actual 
measurement  thirty  cords  of  shells,  placed  in  layers  of  stone 
and  ashes. 

Excavations  found  in  the  "  Small-pox  Pasture,"  at  the 
Harris  Farm,  and  in  fields  on  Atlantic  Avenue,  have  been 
thought  to  indicate  the  former  location  of  Indian  wigwams. 
These  cellars  are  always  to  be  found  near  some  reliable  sup- 
ply of  water  ;  they  are  from  six  to  eight  feet  across,  and 
were  originally  from  two  to  four  feet  in  depth. 

The  Bessom  Pasture,  near  Salem  Harbor,  was  probably 
the  site  of  an  Indian  village.  Excavations,  supposed  to 
have  been  the  cellars  of  wigwams,  are  to  be  found  every- 
where in  the  vicinity. 


6  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

In  November,  1874,  an  examination  of  the  bill  in  this 
pasture  revealed  a  grave  containing  five  skeletons,  four  be- 
ing those  of  grown  persons,  and  the  other  that  of  a  child. 
They  were  all  in  a  remarkable  state  of  preservation,  except 
that  of  the  child,  one  being  very  large,  evidently  that  of  a 
man.  The  bodies  were  all  buried  on  their  backs,  with  their 
heads  to  the  west  except  one,  which  lay  with  its  head  to  the 
east;  the  legs  being  drawn  up  so  that  the  knees  nearly 
touched  the  chin.  The  grave  contained,  besides  the  skele- 
tons, a  lot  of  trinkets,  an  earthen  cup,  a  small  bell,  two  sea- 
shells,  and  a  quantity  of  beads,  proving  conclusively  that 
the  bodies  were  buried  after  the  white  settlers  came  to 
America. 

By  reliable  tradition  we  are  informed  that  Indians  dwelt 
in  Marblehead  as  late  as  one  hundred  and  sixty  years  ago. 
The  location  of  an  Indian  "  Stockade  "  in  the  Lower  Di- 
vision Pasture  is  still  pointed  out  by  some  of  the  older  in- 
habitants. They  received  their  information  many  years  ago 
from  aged  citizens,  then  about  to  depart  for  their  final  rest, 
whose  memories  fondly  cherished  the  traditions  transmitted 
to  them  by  their  fathers. 


PowDKK  House. 


'^ 


( )l.!)  Bl'rmxc  Hll. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD. 


CHAPTER  11. 

Maeblehead  was  settled  about  the  year  1629.  Authori- 
ties differ  as  to  the  exact  part  of  England  from  whence 
these  settlers  emigrated,  though  all  agree  that  they  were 
English,  and  that  they  made  their  settlement  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  town,  near  the  headland  now  known  as 
Peach's  Point.  From  their  manners  and  customs,  but  more 
especially  from  their  peculiar  dialect,  it  would  seem  that 
they  were  natives  of  the  islands  of  Guernsey  and  Jersey  in 
the  British  Channel.  Their  numbers  were  undoubtedly 
increased  from  time  to  time  by  people  from  the  west  of 
England,  which  would  account  for  many  of  the  idiomatic 
peculiarities  which  for  more  than  two  centuries  characterized 
the  speech  of  their  descendants.  They  were  fishermen,  a 
rough,  illiterate  race,  accustomed  to  a  life  of  toil  and  hard- 
ship, probably  from  infancy,  and  they  were  therefore  neither 
dismayed  nor  disheartened  at  the  difficulties  attending  the 
founding  of  a  settlement  in  the  wilderness. 

A  few  years  before  the  coming  of  these  settlers  a  settle- 
ment had  been  founded  four  miles  north  of  their  landing- 
place,  and  the  village  thus  formed  had  been  named  Salem. 
This  township  included  in  its  boundaries  a  large  portion  of 
the  land  now  comprised  in  nine  or  ten  towns  of  Essex 
County,  one  of  which  is  Marblehead.  Though  a  corporate 
port,  and  within  the  limits  of  Salem,  the  little  peninsula 
seems  to  have  been  known  even  at  that  early  day  by  a 
distinct  name.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Higginson,  writing  of  the  place 
in  1629,  speaks  of  the  rocky  headlands  which  line  the  shore 
as  "  Marble  stone,  that  we  have  great  rocks  of  it,  and  a 
harbor  hard  by.  Our  plantation  is  from  thence  called 
Marble-Harbor." 


8  ■  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

From  the  record  of  the  Massacliusetts  Colony,  under 
date  of  October  18,  1631,  we  learn  that  it  was  ordered  : 
"  that  Thomas  Grayes  howse  at  Marble-Harbor  shalbe  puld 
downe,  &  that  noe  Englisheman  shall  hereafter  give  howse 
roome  to  him  or  intertaine  him,  under  such  penalty  as  the 
court  shall  thinke  nieete  to  inflicte."  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, that  the  sentence  was  not  executed,  as  the  name  of 
the  offender  is  frequently  mentioned  in  subsequent  records. 

In  September,  1631,  Isaac  Allerton,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  men  of  the  Plymouth  Colony,  having  had  some 
difficulty  with  his  associates,  set  sail  in  the  White  Angel 
for  Marble-Harbor,  where  he  established  a  Fishery  Station. 
His  son-in-law,  JNIoses  Maverick,  accompanied  him  ;  and  a 
shoi-t  time  after  their  arrival  it  is  recorded  that  "this  sea- 
son Mr.  Allerton  fished  with  eight  boats  at  ]\Iarble-Har- 
bor." 

It  was  probably  with  reference  to  the  business  thus  es- 
tablished, that  in  April,  1633,  the  court  ordered  :  "  That  if 
any  swine  shall  in  fishing  time,  come  within  a  quarter  of  a 
myle  of  the  stage  at  Marble-Harbor,  they  shalbe  forfeited 
to  the  owners  of  sd  stadge,  &  soe  for  all  other  stadges 
within  their  lymitts." 

The  name  Marblehead  is  mentioned  for  the  first  time  in 
the  Colonial  records  of  1633  under  circumstances  not  par- 
ticularly flattering  to  the  inhabitants,  though  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  the  persons  named  were  residents  among 
them.  "  July  2d.,  1633  James  White  is  fiined  xxx  s  for 
drunkeness  by  him  comitted  att  Marblehead,  on  the  Sabbath 
day.  John  Bennet  is  ffined  x  s  for  being  drunke  att  Mar- 
blehead." 

The  early  records  of  the  colony  abound  with  references  to 
Allerton  and  his  doings.  Under  date  of  September  1,  1633, 
Governor  Winthrop  makes  the  following  entry  in  his  journal : 
"  Mr.  Craddocks  house  at  Marblehead  was  burnt  down  about 
midnight  before,  there  being  in  it  ]\Ir.  Allerton  and  many 
fishermen  whom  he  employed  that  season,  who  all  were  pre- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  9 

served  by  a  special  providence  of  God,  with  most  of  his 
goods  therein,  by  a  tailor,  who  sat  up  that  night  at  work  in 
the  house,  and,  hearing  a  noise  looked  out  and  saw  the 
house  on  fire  above  the  oven  in  the  thatch." 

The  brief  period  of  Allerton's  residence  in  Marblehead 
were  evidently  years  of  misfortune  to  him  and  his  family. 
During  the  same  year  in  which  his  house  was  destroyed,  a 
pinnace  which  he  had  sent  on  a  trading  voyage  to  France, 
was  lost  with  its  entire  cargo.  Two  years  later,  in  March, 
1635,  the  court  ordered  that  "  he  shall  be  sent  for  to  the  in- 
tent that  he  may  understand  the  desire  of  the  country  for 
his  removal  from  Marble-Harbor."  Accordingly,  in  May  of 
that  year,  he  conveyed  to  his  son-in-law,  Moses  Maverick, 
all  his  houses,  buildings,  and  stages  at  Marblehead,  and  de- 
parted, it  is  presumed,  for  New  Haven,  Conn. 

But  his  misfortunes  were  not  to  end  with  his  removal. 
During  the  same  year  a  shallop,  which  he  had  sent  to  New- 
bury to  convey  the  Rev.  John  Avery  and  his  family  to  Mar- 
blehead, was  lost  off  Cape  Ann,  with  nearly  all  on  board. 
Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  New  England  Mr.  Avery  had 
been  invited  to  take  up  his  residence  at  Marblehead,  "  but," 
as  Mr.  Mather  says  in  his  "  Magnalia,"  "there  being  no 
church  there,  and  the  fishermen  there  being  generally  too 
remiss  to  form  one,"  he  had  declined  the  invitation.  It 
seems,  however,  that  he  had  been  induced  to  reconsider 
his  determination  and  had  embarked  with  two  families,  his 
own  and  that  of  his  cousin,  Mr.  Anthony  Thacher.  On 
their  passage  a  storm  arose,  and  the  vessel  was  lost ;  the 
only  persons  in  the  entire  company  who  were  saved  be- 
ing Mr.  Thacher  and  his  wife,  who  were  cast  ashore  by  the 
waves. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1635,  the  court  ordered  :  "  That 
there  shalbe  a  plantacion  at  Marble-Head,  &  that  the  in- 
habitants now  there  shall  have  liberty  to  plant  and  imp've 
such  ground  as  they  stand  in  neede  of,  &  that  as  sd  plan- 
tacion increaseth,  the  inhabitants  of  Salem  shall  p'te  with 


10  THE   HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

such  ground  as  sbalbe  imp'ved  by  them  thereabouts,  being 
payed  for  their  labor  and  costs."  It  was  also  ordered  that 
Mr.  John  Humphrey  should  improve  the  land  between  the 
Clifte  and  Forest  River,  and  dispose  of  it  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Marblehead  as  they  stood  in  need  ;  the  only  charge  to 
the  purchaser  being  enough  to  recompense  him  for  the  labor 
and  costs  bestowed  upon  it. 

"  June  3,  1635.  It  is  ordered  that  Mr.  Holgrave  shall 
have  power  to  presse  men  to  help  unlade  the  salt  at  Marble- 
head." 

In  March,  1636,  the  court  agreed  that  Mr.  Humphrey's 
land  should  begin  at  the  Clifte,  in  the  way  to  Marblehead, 
"  which  is  the  bound  between  Salem  and  Linn,  and  so  along 
the  line  between  the  said  townes  to  the  rocks,  one  mile,  by 
estimation,  to  a  greate  red  oake,  from  wch  the  said  marked 
tree,  all  under  &  over  theis  rocks  vpon  a  streight  line 
to  the  running  brooke  by  Thomas  Smyth's  house,  all  the 
which  said  ground  wee  alow  him  for  his  owne,  &  soe  from 
Thomas  Smyth's  to  the  sea." 

The  records  of  Salem,  with  the  records  of  the  colony, 
give  the  only  authentic  information  concerning  the  town 
and  its  people,  at  this  early  stage  of  its  history.  The  first 
mention  of  Marblehead,  in  the  records  of  Salem,  is  as  fol- 
lows :  "  By  vote  of  the  towne  representatives  viz.,  the  13 
Men  Deputed  —  the  28th.,  of  the  first  moneth,  1636.  John 
Peach,  ffisherman,  and  Nicholas  Mariott  having  fenced  about 
five  acres  of  ground  on  Marble  Neck  ^  (though  contrarie  to 
the  order  of  the  towne).  Yet  its  agreed  that  they  may  for 
the  present  improve  the  said  place  for  building  or  planting, 
provided  ahvayes  that  the  propriety  thereof  be  reserved  for 
the  right  of  the  towne  of  Salem,  to  despose  in  the  p'cesse 
of  tyme  to  them  or  any  other  ffishermen  or  others,  as  shalbe 

1  In  the  early  records  the  land  between  Forest  River  and  the  ocean,  near 
the  boundaries  of  what  is  now  the  town  of  Swainpscott,  was  called  the  Plains, 
or  Marblehead  Neck.  The  peninsula  now  known  by  that  name  was  then 
called  "  Greate  Neck." 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  ~  11 

thought  most  meet,  yet  soe  as  the.y  may  have  reasonable 
considei-ation  for  any  chardge  they  sbalbe  at." 

In  1636  the  building  of  a  college  was  projected,  and  the 
site  proposed  for  its  erection  was  in  Marblehead,  evidently 
in  tbe  vicinity  of  Mr.  Humphrey's  farm.  At  a  town  meet- 
ing held  at  Salem,  in  May  of  that  year,  in  an  order  for  the 
division  of  Marblehead  Neck,  Mr.  Humphrey  made  appli- 
cation for  some  land  beyond  Forest  River.  The  request  was 
referred  to  a  committee  of  six  gentlemen,  who  were  author- 
ized to  view  the  land,  and  "  to  consider  of  the  premises, 
least  it  should  hinder  the  building  of  a  College,  which  would 
be  many  mens'  losse."  In  October  following  the  court 
granted  X400  towards  the  erection  of  a  college,  and  the 
next  year  a  committee  was  chosen  to  superintend  its  erec- 
tion. Among  the  number  of  this  committee  were  Mr. 
Humphrey,  and  the  Rev.  Hugh  Peters.  The  court  sub- 
sequently ordered  the  college  to  be  built  at  Cambridge,  then 
called  Newtowne,  and  to  be  named  "  Harvard  College,"  in 
honor  of  the  Rev.  John  Harvard,  who  made  a  bequest  of 
several  hundred  pounds  towards  its  erection,  and  donated 
his  library  for  the  use  of  the  students. 

Not  only  did  the  General  Court  encourage  education  and 
learning  by  the  establishment  of  schools,  but  every  industry 
and  enterprise  having  for  its  object  the  general  welfare  of 
the  colony  was  fostered  and  aided  by  wise  legislation.  The 
year  1686  was  an  important  epoch  in  the  history  of  the 
little  community  at  Marblehead.  During  that  year  a  ship 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  burden,  the  third  ship  ever 
built  in  the  colony,  was  constructed  on  the  shore,  probably 
on  the  harbor  side  of  the  plantation.  This  vessel  was 
known  as  the  Desire,  and  for  more  than  two  years  was  em- 
ployed in  the  fishing  business.  A  few  years  later  she  was 
sent  to  the  West  Indies  on  a  commercial  voyage,  and  re- 
turning brought  a  cargo  of  "  salt,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  ne- 
groes." These  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  slaves 
brought  into  the  colony. 


12  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

On  the  2d  of  the  eleventli  montli  (January),  1636,  the 
town  of  Salem  ordered,  "  for  the  better  furthering  of  the 
fishing  trading,  and  to  avoid  the  inconvenience  found  by- 
granting  land  for  fishermen  to  plant,  that  none  inhabiting 
at  Marblehead  shall  have  any  other  accommodation  of  land 
than  is  usually  given  by  the  town  to  fishermen,  viz. :  a  howse 
lott  and  garden  lott  or  grownd  for  the  placing  of  their 
flakes  according  to  the  company  belonging  to  their  families  ; 
to  the  greatest  family  not  above  two  acres,  &  the  comon  of 
the  woods  nere  adjoining  for  their  goats  &  their  cattle." 
The  same  day  Mr.  Wm.  Knight  was  received  for  an  inhab- 
itant, but  no  land  was  to  be  appropriated  "  unto  him  but 
a  ten  acre  lott  &  comon  for  his  cattle  &  hay."  On  the  27th 
of  this  month  another  meeting  was  held,  at  which  it  was 
ordered  :  "  That  all  the  land  along  the  shore  of  Darby  Fort  ^ 
side,  up  to  (Mr.  Humphries  land)  the  Hogsties  and  so  to 
run  along  the  shore  towards  Marblehead  20  pole  into  the 
land,  shall  be  reserved  for  the  comons  of  the  towne  to  serve 
them  for  wood  &  timber." 

The  next  year,  1637,  Erasmus  James,  Nicholas  Listen, 
Richard  Granaway,  and  Philip  Bere  were  allowed  as  inhabi- 
tants "  with  them  at  Marblehead,  and  were  granted  two 
acres  of  land  each."  John  Hart  and  William  Charles  were 
granted  five  acres  each,  and  a  house  lot  of  half  an  acre  be- 
tween them.  "  John  Deverekxe,"  was  also  granted  half  an 
acre  for  a  house  lot. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  on  the  21st  of  August,  1637,  then 
the  sixth  month  in  the  year,  John  Gatchell  of  Marblehead 
was  fined  ten  shillings  for  building  upon  the  town's  land 
without  permission.  In  case,  however,  that  he  should  "  cut  of 
ye  long  har  off  liys  head  into  a  sevil  frame,"  it  was  agreed 
that  half  his  fine  should  be  abated,  and  that  be  should  have 
permission  to  go  on  with  his  building  in  the  mean  time. 

The  prejudice  of  the  Puritans  against  the  habit  of  wearing 

1  "  Darby  Fort "  was  a  fortification  at  Naugus  Head,  built  by  the  people  of 
Salem  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  case  of  attack  by  the  Indians. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  13 

long  bair  is  well  known,  and  it  seems  that  they  were  will- 
ing to  enter  into  any  compromise  with  Mr.  Gatchell  in  order 
to  remove  the  obnoxious  habit.  It  appears,  however,  that 
he  was  not  a  man  to  submit  to  any  such  interference  with 
his  personal  appearance,  and,  it  is  said,  "  continued  the  cus- 
tom to  his  dying  day,  in  spite  of  popular  opinion  and  all 
the  formal  denunciation  of  Church  and  State." 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1637,  a  meeting  was  held  at 
Salem,  and  a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  was 
ordered,  of  which  eight  pounds  were  to  be  assessed  upon  the 
following  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  :  — 

.    140  Moses  Mavericke,  20  Samuel  Gatchell, 

150  Wm.  Steephens,  15  John  Bennet, 

40  Archibald  Tomson,  15  John  Wakefield, 

20  Wm.  Charles,  10  Erasmus  James, 

20  John  Heart,  30  Thomas  Gray, 

50  John  Peach,  50  John  Devereux, 

10  John  Lyon,  30  Nicholas  Mariott, 

20  Anthonie  Thatcher,  10  Abraham  Whitehaire, 

30  John  Coite,  5  George  Vickary, 

20  Richard  Seers,  5  John  Russell, 

10  Richard  Greeneway,  5  Nicholas  Listen, 

20  John  Gatchell,  5  Philip  Beare. 

Under  date  of  September  6,  1638,  the  records  of  the  col- 
ony have  the  following  entry :  "  Moses  Maverick  is  per- 
mitted to  sell  a  tun  of  wine  at  Marblehead,  and  not  to  ex- 
cede  this  yeare." 

As  the  number  of  inhabitants  increased  the  records  of 
grants  made  at  the  town  meetings  became  more  numerous. 
On  the  14th  of  October,  1638,  the  following  grants  of  land 
were  made  to  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  :  — 

"  To  Mr.  Walton,  eight  acres  on  the  Main ;  to  Moses 
Maverick,  at  the  same  place  ten  acres  ;  to  John  Coite  on 
the  Necke  three  acres ;  to  Will.  Keene  and  Nich.  Listen  on 
John  Peach's  Necke,  three  acres  ;  More  to  them  on  the 
Greate   Necke,  five   acres;    to   Richard  Seers   three   acres 


14  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

where  he  had  planted  formerly ;  to  John  Wakefield,  four 
acres  on  the  Necke  ;  to  John  Gatchell  and  Samuel  Gatchell, 
six  acres  on  the  Necke ;  to  Tho.  Sams  three  acres  on  the 
Necke  ;  to  John  Lyon  four  acres  near  his  house ;  to  the 
Widow  Blancher,  six  acres  on  the  Necke ;  to  Ralph  Wai-rin 
two  acres  on  the  Necke ;  to  George  Ching  three  acres  on 
the  Necke ;  to  Philip  Beare  three  acres  near  the  Widow 
Tomsons ;  to  John  Bennet  four  acres  upon  John  Peaches 
Necke;  to  Rosamond  James  four  acres  on  the  Main."  ^ 

The  "  Mr.  Walton  "  to  whom  the  first  grant  was  made  was 
Mr.  William  Walton,  who  was  then  preaching  at  Marble- 
head,  though  without  ordination.  This  is  the  first  mention 
of  his  name  in  the  records,  and  it  is  therefore  probable  that 
he  began  his  ministrations  in  Marblehead  during  the  year 
1638.  Through  his  endeavors,  seconded  by  Maverick  and 
other  infl^uential  inhabitants,  a  meeting-house  was  erected, 
and  religious  services  were  regularly  held  on  the  Sabbath. 
This  edifice,  which  was  a  crude,  barn-like  structure,  stood 
upon  one  of  the  most  rocky  hills  of  the  town  ;  and  about 
it,  after  the  manner  of  their  forefathers,  the  simple  fisher- 
men made  their  burial-ground. 

On  the  23d  of  December  Arthur  Sanden  and  William 
Barber  were  granted  two  acres  of  land  each,  and  Messrs. 
Maverick  and  Walton  were  appointed  to  lay  out  the  lotSo 

In  May,  1640,  Arthur  Sanden  was  allowed  by  the  court 
to  keep  an  Ordinary  at  Marblehead,  and  the  following  year 
was  licensed  to  keep  a  victualing-house.  This  was  probably 
the  first  public  house  established  in  the  town. 

Marblehead  at  this  time  has  often  been  described  as  a 
place  barren  of  trees  and  abounding  in  nothing  but  rocks 
and  unproductive  land.  The  records  of  the  general  town 
meetings  and  of  the  commoners  prove  conclusively  that  this 
is  a  mistake.     The  fact  of  its  settlement  is  also  of  itself  evi- 

1  The  Main  was  the  part  of  the  town  near  the  harbor ;  John  Peach's  Neck 
was  from  "  Naugus  Head  "  to  what  is  now  called  "  Peuch's  Poiut,"  and  from 
"  Naugus  Head  "  to  the  "  Lead  Mills,"  was  known  as  the  "  Forest  Side." 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  15 

dence  of  the  fallacy  of  this  theory,  for  emigrants  in  those 
days  could  not  have  settled  on  a  coast  where  there  were  no 
trees  from  which  they  could  build  their  houses.  At  a  town 
meeting  held  in  Salem  on  the  11th  of  November,  1640,  it 
was  ordered  that  all  who  should  cut  timber  trees  within 
two  miles  of  Salem,  and  one  mile  of  Marblehead,  and  pre- 
pare them  for  shipping,  should  be  paid  for  their  labor.  The 
last  record  of  grants  in  the  records  of  Salem  concerning  land 
in  Marblehead  is  in  1640,  when  the  inhabitants  were  granted 
"  all  such  lands  near  adjoining  them  as  have  not  been 
formerly  granted  to  other  men." 

The  state  of  affairs  in  Marblehead  seems  to  have  occupied 
much  of  the  attention  of  the  General  Court  at  its  session  in 
May,  1644.  The  people  were  negligent  of  many  of  the  laws 
of  the  colony,  and  treated  others  with  contempt ;  and  as 
laws  which  were  readily  obeyed  by  the  Puritans  in  other 
towns  could  not  be  enforced  among  them  special  legislation 
was  found  necessary  for  their  government.  According  to 
the  Puritan  law  no  one  could  become  a  freeman  without 
first  becoming  a  church  member;  and  none  but  freemen 
could  vote  at  elections  or  hold  9,ny  office  whatever  in  the 
colony.  The  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  were  far  from  be- 
ing a  religious  people,  and,  though  they  supported  a  relig- 
ious teacher,  and  "  maintained  the  ordinances  "  on  Sunday, 
no  church  had  been  formed,  and  there  were  few  church  mem- 
bers among  them.  As  a  consequence  there  were  no  magis- 
trates or  officers  in  their  community,  and,  being  some  dis- 
tance from  the  settlement  at  Salem,  they  knew  no  law  save 
that  of  their  own  will. 

This  fact,  and  the  necessity  that  there  should  be  some 
officer  in  the  place  to  enforce  the  laws  of  the  colony,  led  the 
court  to  relax  somewhat  its  accustomed  strictness  in  such 
matters,  and  to  order  :  "  That  in  defect  of  freemen  at  Mar- 
blehead, the  inhabitants  of  Salem  shall  have  libertie  to  com- 
mend some  honest  and  able  man,  though  he  be  not  a  free- 
man, and   the  Deputy  Governor  shall   have  power  (if   he 


16  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

think  him  fit)  to  give  him  the  oath  for  constable  of  that 
place  till  this  Court  shall  take  further  order."  Accordingly, 
on  the  25th  of  the  same  month  the  inhabitants  of  Salem 
elected  David  Curwithin,  who  was  duly  sworn  as  constable 
of  Marblehead  for  one  year  from  the  date  of  his  election. 

On  the  same  day  that  the  order  for  the  election  of  a  con- 
stable was  adopted  the  court  also  voted  to  grant  leave  to 
Marblehead  to  "  fortify  itself  by  a  breast-worke  or  other- 
wise," and  directed  "  two  guns  to  be  delivered  unto  them 
with  convenient  amunition  thereto."  It  is  uncertain  whether 
this  order  was  executed  by  the  refractory  Marbleheaders,  but 
that  they  were  not  considered  as  sufficiently  well  instructed 
in  the  arts  of  war,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  colony, 
is  evident,  from  the  following  order  adopted  on  the  23d 
of  May  :  "In  consideration  of  the  great  default  and  neglect 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  in  not  exercising  them- 
selves in  Martiall  discipline,  — It  is  ordered  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Marblehead  shall  make  choyce  of  some  one  who 
shall  exercise  the  rest,  that  they  may  not  be  to  seeke  when 
special  occations  call  for  their  assistance." 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  17 


CHAPTER   III. 

The  year  1648  was  one  of  the  most  momentous  in  the 
entire  history  of  Marblehead.  Early  in  March  tlie  town  of 
Salem  ordered :  "  That  Marblehead  with  the  allowance  of 
the  General  Court  shall  be  a  town,  and  the  bounds  to  be  to 
the  utmost  extent  of  the  land  which  was  Mr.  Humphries 
farme  and  soe  all  the  land  to  the  sea."  On  the  2d  of  May, 
1649,  the  General  Court  granted  the  petition  of  the  'inhab- 
itants, and  the  town  was  duly  incorporated  as  follows : 
"  Upon  the  petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Marblehead  for 
them  to  be  a  town  of  themselves,  Salem  having  granted 
them  to  be  a  town  of  themselves,  and  appointed  them  the 
bounds  of  their  town  which  the  Court  doth  grant." 

Shortly  after  the  separation  from  Salem,  a  meeting  of  the 
inhabitants  was  held,  and  the  following  town  officers  were 
chosen,  or,  as  the  record  quaintly  expresses  it,  "  these  men 
were  chosen  for  the  towns  business  :  — 

"  Seven  men  or  selectmen.  —  Moses  Maverick,  Samuel 
Doliber,  Francis  Johnson,  Nicholas  Merritt,  John  Peach, 
Senior,  John  Deverox,  John  Bartoll." 

"  To  gather  Mr.  AValton's  Pay.  —  James  Smith,  Joseph 
Dohber." 

This  was  probably  the  first  meeting  of  the  inhabitants 
after  the  action  of  the  town  of  Salem,  though  there  is  no 
recoi'd  of  the  date  on  which  it  was  held  except  that  of  the 
year. 

The  earliest  date  in  the  records  is  that  of  a  meeting  held 
December  22,  1648,  when  it  was  "  agreed  by  the  Towne 
that  all  such  as  are  strangers  fishing  or  employed  about  fish, 
shall  pay  unto  the  Towne  for  their  wood  and  flake  stufe  and 


18  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

other  conveniences,  the  sum  of  ten  shillings  a  year  for  every 
man."  By  the  records  of  this  year,  it  appears  that  the  in- 
habitants acted  as  an  independent  town  before  obtaining 
the  act  of  incorporation,  and  that  in  anticipation  of  the 
event  they  were  busy  in  settling  and  arranging  their  affairs, 
as  befitted  an  orderly  and  law-abiding  township.  The 
swamp  running  from  John  Leggs'  to  Timothy  Allen's  was 
laid  out  into  eight  lots,  and  divided  among  the  inhabitants. 
A  rate  was  made  for  the  meeting-house,  and  John  Hart  was 
authorized  to  collect  it,  and  to  "  take  what  corse  the  law 
will  afford  against  any  such  inhabitant  as  shall  refuse  to 
pay." 

In  order  that  there  might  be  an  equal  way  of  "  main- 
taining the  ordinance  by  Mr.  Walton,"  it  was  agreed,  "that 
a  rate  should  be  established  according  to  requite."  This 
rate  was  to  include  strangers  "who  have  benefit  by  the  plan- 
tation by  fishing,  and  make  use  of  wood  and  timber,  and 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  ordinance."  Mr.  Walton  was  to 
have  forty  pounds  for  his  services  this  year,  and  the  sum  of 
eighteen  pence  was  ordered  to  be  added  to  every  man's 
rate,  for  his  wood. 

The  common  lands  were  divided  equally  among  the  in- 
habitants, according  to  their  former  common  shares,  the  rec- 
cord  of  the  meeting  concluding  as  follows  :  — 

"  That  there  might  be  an  equal  proceedinge  had  having 
respect  to  families  according  to  their  former  common  shares, 
finding  the  comons  but  littell  as  we  conceive  to  paster  not 
more  than  fifty  head  of  cattell,  or  cows,  accounting  a  horse 
or  mare  as  two  cows,  two  yearling  cattell  for  one  cowe,  four 
goats  or  sheep  to  a  cowe,  a  steer  or  bullock  of  two  years  ould 
as  a  cowe,  the  number  of  families  in  the  plantation  being 
44,  thus  limited  :  — 

James  Smith  and  Rowland,  1  Henry  Stacey,  ^  cow, 

cowe,  Will.  Chicliesster  and  Sam.  Carr- 
Samuel  Doliber,  1  cowe,  witheu,  1  cow, 

John  Gatchell,  H  cowe,  David  Carrwithen,  1  cow, 


OF   MARBLEHEAD. 


19 


Edmund  Nicholson,  1^  cows, 
William  Barber,  1  cow, 
David  Thomas,  ^  cow, 
John  Legg,  1  cow, 
Peter  Pittford,  ^  cow, 
Erasmus  James,  1  cow, 
Tho.  Bowiuge,  ^  cow, 
John  Stacie,  1  cow, 
George  Chine,  1  cow, 
John  Northey,  1  cow, 
Nicolas  Merrett,  2  cows, 
Tho.  Pitman,  2  cows, 
Timothy  Allen,  1  cow, 
Thomas  Lane,  1  cow, 
Arthur  Sanden,  Ih  cows, 
Isaac  Allerton,  2  cows, 
Moses  Maverick,  3  cows, 
Mr.  Walton,  2  cows. 


Tho.  Gray,  1  cow, 

Richard  Norman,  1  cow, 

John  Peach,  junior,  1  cow, 

Richard  Curtice,  1  cow, 

John  Hart,  2  cows, 

William  Charles,  2  cows, 

John  Deverox,  2  cows, 

Abra.  Whiteare,  1  cow, 

John  Peach,  senior,  2  cows., 

John  Bartoll,  1  cow, 

Joseph  Dolliber,  1  cow, 

Robt.  Knight,  |  cow, 

John  Beunet,  1  cow, 

Francis  Johnson    Walsingham,  ^ 

cow, 
John  Norman,  1  cow, 
Chi     Salmon    for   Jon.    Goyt,    1 

cow." 


John  Lion,  2  cows, 

The  earlier  records  of  the  town  refer  principally  to  the 
common  lands,  cow  leases,  land  sales,  etc.,  though  occasion- 
ally there  are  very  quaint  entries  to  be  found.  In  March, 
1657,  "  It  is  ordered  that  all  swine  about  the  towne  shall  be 
sufficiently  ringed  by  the  first  of  Aprill  next  upon  the  pen- 
altie  of  2s.  6d.  for  every  defect  &  Edward  Pittsford  is  to  se 
this  order  to  be  obsarved." 

In  1658  the  town  had  evidently  increased  in  numbers,  and 
had  been  blessed  with  prosperity  to  a  greater  degree  than 
had  ever  been  its  fortune  before.  Mr.  Walton's  salary  was 
increased  to  <£70,  and  varied  afterward  from  ,£60  to  X80 
yearly.  This  money  was  usually  collected  by  persons  chosen 
annually  at  the  town  meetings  for  the  purpose,  and  those 
who  had  not  the  ready  money  to  pay  were  allowed  to  make 
up  the  amount  of  their  proportion  of  the  rate  in  provisions. 
Mr.  Walton  rendered  an  account  yearly  of  the  amount 
received  from  each  person,  and  these  reports  abound  in 
such  names  as  "  Ould  Harwood,  Ould  Sanden,  Ould  Ben- 


20  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

nett,"  and  others  equally  as  curious.  Occasionally  in  these 
reports  we  find  such  items  as  these:  "By  half  a  cow  of  Mr. 
Brown,  £2.  2s,  6d.,  by  h  ton  of  mackrell,  £5;  by  Richard 
Rowland  in  pork,  <£2  ;  by  Smith  in  cheese,  13  shillings;  by 
Christo.  Codner  in  liquor,  15  shillings." 

At  this  time  the  only  public  conveyance  to  and  from  Sa- 
lem was  a  ferry-boat  which  was  rowed  across  Salem  Harbor 
as  often  as  there  were  passengers  who  desired  to  cross,  the 
iare  being  regulated  by  a  town  meeting  as  "  two  pence  for 
the  inhabitants  of  INIarblehead."  Thomas  Dixie  was  the  fer- 
ryman, and  he  was  required  to  keep  a  boat  and  an  assistant. 
The  following  year  it  was  "  voted  to  have  the  meeting 
house  sealed,"  and  Mr.  Maverick,  Mr.  Lattimore,  and  Rich- 
ard Norman  were  chosen  a  committee  to  see  it  done.  The 
work  was  done  by  John  Norman  for  nineteen  pounds,  and 
William  Nick,  John  Legg,  Thomas  Pittman,  Richard  Row- 
land, and  John  Clemment  agreed  to  "  see  that  the  seals 
were  paid  for." 

The  events  which  were  daily  transpiring  in  England  dur- 
ing the  year  1660  were  of  the  utmost  interest  to  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  the  little  town 
of  Marblehead  in  particular,^  The  Commonwealth  estab- 
lished by  Cromwell  and  his  zealous  adherents  had  been  over- 
thrown, and  Charles  the  Second  had  been  restored  to  the 
throne  made  vacant  by  the  murder  of  his  roj^al  father.  One 
of  the  first  acts  of  the  new  king  was  to  bring  to  trial  and 
speedy  punishment  those  who  were  most  actively  concerned 
in  the  overthrow  and  subsequent  murder  of  his  father. 
Among  the  regicides  tried  for  this  offense  was  one  Hugh 
Peters,  an  eminent  preacher  and  a  man  of  great  influence 
among  the  Puritans.  Mr.  Peters  had  been  one  of  the  most 
active  of  the  Puritans  who  settled  Massachusetts,  and  had 
resided  in  New  England  for  fourteen  years,  holding  many 
ofiices,  and  being  generally  esteemed  for  his  zealous  efforts 
in  behalf  of  the  colonists.  In  1639  the  court  granted  him 
1  There  were  at  this  time  ouly  sixteen  houses  in  the  entire  township. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  21 

five  hundred  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  is  said  to  have 
been  in  Marblehead,  now  comprised  in  the  section  known 
as  Devereux.  Shortly  after  the  great  I^'uritan  uprising  in 
England  he  went  to  that  country,  and  became  an  active  par- 
ticipant in  the  stirring  events  of  those  times.  He  became 
the  chaplain  of  Cromwell's  army,  with  the  rank  of  colonel, 
and  in  his  sermons  and  public  addresses  advocated  the  most 
extreme  measures  for  the  overthrow  of  the  king.^  In  1648 
he  advocated  the  dethroning  and  beheading  of  the  king,  and 
in  1660,  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  IL,  he  was  tried  for 
high  treason,  and  sentenced  to  be  drawn  upon  a  hurdle.  He 
was  executed  at  Charing  Cross,  October  16, 1660. 

During  this  year  the  inhabitants  voted  to  lay  out  a  high- 
way between  Marblehead  and  Salem,  which  is  the  first  of 
which  there  is  any  record.  Seven  men  were  made  choice 
of  "for  the  placing  and  seating  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
towne  both  men  and  women  in  the  meeting  house  ; "  and 
it  was  agreed  that  the  townsmen  have  liberty  "  to  consider 
what  way  is  to  be  taken  for  the  accommodation  and  enter- 
tainment of  strangers,  if  it  cannot  be  that  one  house  is  suf- 
ficient, then  to  consider  of  another,  that  strangers  may  be 
the  better  accommodated." 

The  following  year  the  court  invested  three  commission- 
ers with  "  magistritticall  power,  refering  to  Salem  and  Mar- 
blehead, there  being  more  than  ordinary  need  thereof,  that 
iniquity  may  not  pass  unpunished." 

One  of  these  commissioners  was  Major  Wm.  Hathorne, 
who  for  several  years  previous  had  been  magistrate  of  Sa- 
lem and  several  other  towns,  and  who  now  appears  to 
have  assumed  special  charge  of  Marblehead.  Before  this 
august  personage  the  selectmen  summoned  several  of  the 

1  A  favorite  text  from  which  he  frequently  preached  was  as  follows :  "  Let 
the  high  praises  of  God  be  in  the  mouths  of  his  saints,  and  a  twofold  sword  in 
their  hands,  to  execute  vengeance  upon  the  heathen  and  punishment  upon  the 
people  ;  to  bind  their  kings  with  chains  and  their  nobles  with  fetters  of  iron ; 
V)  execute  upon  them  the  judgments  written  :'  This  honor  have  all  his  saints." 


22  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

most  prominent  citizens,  for  refusing  to  keep  their  cattle  in 
accordance  with  a  vote  of  the  town. 

In  March,  1662,  a  contract  was  made  with  Robert  Knight 
and  John  Slater,  carpenters,  to  build  a  gallery  at  the  south- 
west of  the  meeting  house,  "sufficient  for  four  seats,  with 
columns,  and  a  board  at  the  bottom  to  keep  the  dust  from 
coming  down  ;  and  to  be  arched  sufficient  to  strengthen  the 
house,  with  stairs  and  other  necessaries."  For  this  labor  the 
selectmen  agreed  to  pay  them  twenty-one  pounds  "  in  such 
necessaries  as  they  should  have  occasion  of,"  and  if,  when 
the  work  was  ended,  they  had  any  of  their  pay  to  take  up, 
the  balance  was  to  be  paid  in  fish  or  mackerel  at  the  cur- 
rent price. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  October  21  the  commoners 
agreed  "  that  the  Cove  lying  between  John  Codners  and 
John  Northies  stage,  shall  be  for  a  common  landing-place 
for  the  use  of  the  public  good  of  the  Towne  forever."  The 
agreement  was  signed  by  Moses  Maverick,  Joseph  Dolliber, 
John  Peach,  senior,  Christoph  Lattimore,  John  Waldron, 
John  Codner,  'John  BartoU,  and  five  others,  who  were  prob- 
ably all  of  the  commoners  who  could  write,  and  signed  in 
the  name  of  the  rest. 

The  records  of  this  period  abound  in  allusions  to  those  who 
were  appointed  to  keep  the  cows.  In  February,  1663,  an 
agreement  was  made  with  John  Staeie  to  "  keep  the  cattell 
for  the  year  ensuing,  and  to  fetch  the  cattell  of  the  lower  end 
of  the  Towne  at  William  Charles  by  the  sunn  half  an  hour 
hie  and  to  deliver  them  their  at  night  half  an  hour  before 
sunn  sett."  If  any  were  lost  he  was  to  use  his  best  endeavors 
to  find  them  the  next  day,  and  for  his  servi^.  's  he  was  to  re- 
ceive corn  and  provisions  to  the  value  of  sixteen  pounds. 

The  scarcity  of  money  among  the  inhabitants  cannot  be 
more  truly  illustrated  than  in  this  and  numerous  other  votes 
to  pay  the  town's  indebtedness  to  individuals  in  provisions, 
fish,  and  other  articles.  In  their  intercourse  with  the  out- 
side world  they  were  obliged  to  barter  to  an  almost  unlimited 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  23 

extent.  Depending  entirely  upon  the  fishing  trade  for  their 
sustenance  they  had  little  else  to  offer  for  commodities  of 
which  they  were  in  need,  and  thus  fish  became  almost  their 
only  medium  of  exchange. 

In  1666  the  court,  considering  the  exposed  condition  of 
the  harbor  of  Marblehead,  voted  that  if  the  inhabitants 
would  erect  a  suitable  fort  or  breastwork,  their  country  rate 
should  be  abated,  and  that  two  or  three  guns  should  be  fur- 
nished as  soon  as  the  fortification  was  finished.  That  the 
fishermen  might  be  drilled  and  disciplined  in  military  move- 
ments and  tactics  the  court  ordered  that  a  company  should 
be  organized,  and  Major  Hathorne  was  appointed  com- 
mander, with  Samuel  Ward  as  Sergeant.  The  fort  was 
finished  the  following  year,  the  cost  to  the  town  being  about 
thirty-two  pounds  New  England  money. 

The  year  1667  proved  disastrous  to  the  people  of  Marble- 
head.  Owing  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  during  most 
of  the  season  when  fish  were  plenty  they  were  unable  to 
venture  out  in  their  boats  to  any  distance,  and  in  several 
instances  those  who  did  so  were  lost.  The  court,  therefore, 
with  considerate  sympathy,  voted  to  abate  their  proportion 
of  the  country  tax  for  one  year. 

In  October,  1668,  William  Walton,  the  faithful  and  zeal- 
ous missionary,  died,  after  having  served  his  Master  and  the 
poor  people  of  Marblehead  for  a  period  of  thirty  years. 
Coming  to  them  as  a  missionary  to  preach  the  gospel  he 
became,  without  ordination  as  a  clergyman,  a  loving  pastor, 
a  faithful  friend,  and  a  wise  and  prudent  counselor.  His 
advice  was  sought  on  all  matters  of  public  or  private  impor- 
tance, and  when  obtained  was  usually  followed  without 
question.  That  his  loss  was  felt  as  a  public  bereavement 
by  the  entire  community  there  can  be  little  doubt. 

Mr.  Walton  was  succeeded  in  his  noble  work  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Cheever,  a  young  man,  who  but  a  few  years  before 
had  graduated  at  Harvard  College  with  the  highest  honors. 
The   meeting-house   had  recently   been  repaired,  and   the 


24  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

young  preacher  was  received  with  marked  attention  and 
every  possible  evidence  of  respect.  The  town  voted  to  pay 
him  the  sum  of  forty  pounds  for  his  service  during  the  first 
six  months,  and  after  that  eighty  pounds  yearly. 

In  Marcli,  16G9,  another  gallery  was  built  at  the  north- 
eastern end  of  the  meeting-house,  Robert  Knight,  Francis 
Collings,  and  Jeremiah  Neal  being  the  builders.  The  con- 
tract was  that  the  gallery  should  be  built  with  "  five  seats, 
stairs  and  other  necessaries  as  the  other  gallerey  was,"  and 
the  carpenters  were  to  receive  for  their  services  the  sum  of 
twenty-three  pounds  New  England  money.  At  the  same 
meeting  Francis  Linsford  was  chosen  to  ring  the  bell  and 
warn  the  town,  and  to  look  after  the  meeting-house. 

The  road  leading  to  the  Neck  was  evidently  laid  out  dur- 
ing this  year,  as  on  the  18th  of  December  it  was  voted  that 
on  "  the  next  convenient  day  as  many  of  the  Commoners 
and  proprietors  as  can  shall  see  that  a  convenient  way  be 
laid  out  for  drift  of  cattle  to  the  Necke  on  the  other  side  of 
the  great  harbor." 

To  the  early  settlers,  and  for  many  years,  the  harbor  was 
known  as  the  "  Great  Bay,"  or  "  Great  Harbor,"  while 
the  cove  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  known  as  "  Little 
Harbor,"  was  on  account  of  its  convenience,  and  because  it 
was  so  much  nearer  the  settlement,  used  almost  exclusively 
as  the  harbor. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1672,  the  town  "  ordered  by  gen- 
eral consent,  that  a  '  Lentoo'  be  built  adjoining  to  the  back 
side  of  the  meeting  house  twenty  foot  in  breadth  and  forty 
foot  in  length,  with  three  gable  ends  in  the  same,  with  tim- 
ber work,"  etc.  The  building  of  this  addition  to  their  house 
of  worship  appears  to  have  been  the  cause  of  great  contro- 
versy and  disagreement  among  the  inhabitants.  The  town 
voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  to  "  seat  the  men  and  women 
in  the  Lentoo,"  but  after  vainly  endeavoring  to  assign 
seats  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  fault-finding  and  jealous  wor- 
shipers, they  declined  to  have  anything  more  to  do  with  the 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  25 

matter;  and  were  with  difficulty  persuaded  not  to  resign 
their  offices  as  selectmen.  The  disagreement  now  assuming 
the  phase  of  a  downright  quarrel,  a  town  meeting  was  called 
and  the  matter  was  put  into  the  hands  of  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  Mr.  Maverick,  Mr.  John  Devereux,  John  Peach, 
Senior,  and  Nicholas  Merritt.  These  men  were  fully  empow- 
ered "  to  seat  the  Lentoo  men  and  women  in  ye  seats,  cut 
an  alley  way  through  ye  ould  part,  dispose  of  any  persons  * 
who  shall  want  seats,  or  lose  their  seats  by  means  of  ye 
alley,  in  ye  most  convenient  places  in  ye  ould  or  new  part, 
and  rectify  any  disorders  with  due  care  that  such  as  have 
been  formerly  seated  may  keep  their  places  as  many  as  con- 
veniently can."  It  was  also  ordered,  for  "  ye  regulating 
and  preventing  of  disorders  in  seats,"  that  Richard  Norman 
should  have  power  to  "look  after  all  persons,  men  and 
women,  that  they  keep  these  seats  upon  penaltie  of  two  shil- 
lings five  pence  for  every  single  offense  upon  every  Sabbath 
day."  These  fines  were  to  be  "  destrained  upon  legal  warn- 
ing given  to  the  parties  offending,"  and  one  third  of  the 
amount  was  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Norman,  and  the  remainder 
to  be  appropriated  for  the  poor  of  the  town. 

However  sadly  the  inhabitants  may  have  disagreed  in 
regard  to  the  seating  of  the  "  lentoo,"  as  they  termed  the 
addition,  it  is  evident  that  the  day  on  which  the  former  was 
raised  was  one  of  general  rejoicing.  Those  who  are  familiar 
with  New  England  customs  in  the  olden  time  know  that  it 
was  thought  next  to  impossible  to  have  a  "  house  raising  " 
without  extending  an  invitation  to  the  entire  community  to 
assist.  These  occasions  were  generally  observed  as  holidays, 
and  were  devoted  by  the  younger  people  to  merry-making 
and  the  most  joyous  festivities.  The  wine  and  other  liquors 
flowed  freely,  and,  while  many  partook  of  the  beverages  tem- 
perately, an  opportunity  was  given  to  the  weak  and  thought- 
less to  indulge  in  a  reckless  round  of  dissipation  and  drunk- 
enness. The  raising  of  the  Leanto  was  no  exception  to  the 
general  custom.     In  the  report  of  the  expenses  incident  to 


26  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

the  occasion  we  find  the  following  item  :  "  Paid  for  rum  and 
charges  about  fish  with  wine  at  raising  the  '  Lentoo '  at  the 
Meeting  House  ....  ^4  2s.  6d." 

The  custom  of  using  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage, 
which  prevailed  throughout  New  England  until  a  compara- 
tively recent  date,  was  one  of  the  besetting  sins  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Marblehead  from  its  earliest  settlement.  Not  a  ves- 
sel went  from  its  harbor,  whether  for  a  long  trip  to  the 
"  Banks  "  or  for  a  few  days'  fishing  in  the  bay,  without  a 
plentiful  supply  of  liquor.  Not  a  vessel  arrived  with  a  fare 
of  fish  without  providing  a  good  store  of  "  something  to 
take  "  for  washing-out  day.  This  custom  was  so  universal 
that  even  at  the  town  meetings  liquor  was  provided  as  a 
matter  of  course.  As  a  consequence  many  were  disorderly, 
and  the  meetings  were  frequently  disturbed. 

In  1674  the  town  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
there  were  then  one  hundred  and  fourteen  householders, 
whose  names,  with  their  commonage,  are  recorded  in  the 
records.!     At  a  town  meeting  held  during  this  year  it  was 

1  The  names  are  as  follows :  John  Deverix,  James  Smith,  Richard  How- 
land,  John  AValdein,  John  Gatchell,  William  Woods,  Thomas  Rose,  David 
Thomas,  John  Legg,  William  Nick,  Erasmus  James,  Thomas  Bourne,  John 
Stacey,  Senior,  John  Coduar,  John  Northey,  Nicholas  Marriatt,  Thomas  Pit- 
man, Elias  Heuly,  Roger  &  Lott  Couant,  Mr.  Christopher  Latimore,  Francis 
Johnson,  Mr.  Samuel  Cheever,  Moses  Maverick,  Mr.  Walton,  Henry  Stacey, 
Wm.  Chichester,  Sam.  Carwithey,  Thomas  Smith,  Rich'd  Norman,  David 
Cartwithey,  John  Peach,  Jr.,  Widow  Bartoll,  Joseph  Dollaber,  Robert  Knight, 
Widow  Bennett,  Mark  Pitman,  Samuel  Ward,  Ambrose  Gale,  Richard 
Knott,  Samuel  Cundy,  Matthew  Clarke,  Thos.  Cowley,  Wm.  AVaters,  John 
Roads,  Henry  Trevett,  William  Beal,  S.  Griggs,  Thomas  Dixie,  Bcnj.  Parme- 
ter,  Edw'd  Read,  Saral.  Morgan,  Wm.  Browne,  Capt.  Corwinge,  Thadeus  Red- 
den, Wm.  Bartholemew,  Wm.  Pitt,  John  Legg,  Jr.,  Rich'd  Read,  Thos.  Read, 
John  Brimblecome,  Rich'd  Hemeford,  Henry  Russell,  Thos.  Sanden,  Dinson 
Stilson,  Thomas  Trevy,  Rich'd  Reith,  Saml.  Reed,  Thomas  Tainors,  Edw'd 
Homan,  Thos.  Ellis,  Edw'd  Damon,  Nicholas  Fox,  Thos.  Pousland,  Thos. 
White,  Thos.  Dodd,  Robert  Houper,  John  Houper,  John  Pedricke,  Sr.,  John 
Pedricke,  Jr.,  Elias  Fortune,  John  Martiii,^Francis  Godler,  John  Tribby, 
George  Picke,  Roger  Russell,  Andrew  Tucker,  UoU.  Bartlett,  Saml.  Sarding, 
Rich'd  Crocker,  George  Bradtield,  Wm.  Pow,  John  Harris,  George  Godfry, 
Samuel  Gatchell,  Jeremiah   Gatchell,  John  Hoyle,  Alexander  Gilligan,  John 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  27 

voted  that  "  all  these  fifteen  or  sixteen  houses  built  in  Mar- 
blehead  before  ye  year  1660,  shall  be  allowed  one  cows 
common  and  a  halfe." 

In  1675  the  war  between  the  Massachusetts  colonists  and 
the  Indians,  known  as  King  Philip's  War,  broke  out.  The 
fort  was  accordingly  put  in  order  and  the  .three  great  guns 
which  had  been  granted  by  the  General  Court  were  placed 
in  a  proper  position  for  defense.  The  daring  atrocities  com- 
mitted by  the  Indians  during  this  terrible  war  were  such  as 
to  send  terror  to  the  stoutest  heart.  The  war  began  by  an 
attack  made  by  the  Indians  on  the  town  of  Swanzey,  where, 
after  slaughtering  the  cattle  and  plundering  the  houses, 
they  fired  on  the  inhabitants,  killing  and  wounding  several. 
The  troops  of  the  colony  marched  immediately  to  Swanzey, 
and  upon  their  appearance  the  Indians  fled,  marking  the 
course  of  their  flight  by  burning  the  buildings,  and  fixing 
on  poles  by  the  way-side  the  hands,  scalps,  and  heads  of 
the  whites. 

"  Most  of  the  settlements  were  surrounded  by  thick  for- 
ests, and  as  the  Indians  lived  intermixed  with  the  whites, 
the  former  were  acquainted,  of  course,  with  the  dwellings 
of  the  latter,  and  all  the  avenues  to  them  ;  could  watch  their 
motions,  and  fall  upon  them  in  their  defenseless  and  un- 
guarded moments.  Many  were  shot  dead  as  they  opened 
their  doors  in  the  morning ;  many  while  at  work  in  their 
fields,  and  others  while  traveling  to  visit  their  neighbors, 
or  to  places  of  worship  ;  their  lives  were  in  continual  jeop- 
ardy ;  and  no  one  could  tell  but  that  in  the  next  moment 
he  should  receive  his  death  shot  from  his  barn,  the  thicket, 
or  the  way-side.  Defenseless  villages  were  suddenly  at- 
tacked, the  houses  burned,  and  the  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren killed  or  carried  into  captivity."  ^ 

Williams,  Saml.   Nicholson,  John  Bartlett,  William  Poat,  George   Darling, 
Josiah  Codnar,  John  Roads,  Jr.,  James  Watts,  Wm.  Lightfoot,  Philip  Har- 
ding, Widow  Boatson,  Robt.  Johnson,  Saml.  Walton,  Josiah  Gatchell,  AVm. 
Brown,  John  Marriatt,  Widow  Stacie. 
1  Hinton's  United  States. 


28  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

This  terrible  and  bloody  war  lasted  three  years  and  ended 
only  at  the  death  of  King  Philip.  The  whites  had  so  di- 
minished before  its  close  that  they  began  seriously  to  ap- 
prehend total  extinction.  Daring  the  year  1677,  while  the 
war  was  at  its  height,  two  Indians  were  brought  as  captives 
to  Marblehead.  Their  fate  is  thus  portrayed  by  Mr.  In- 
crease Mather  in  a  letter  dated  23  of  Fifth  Month,  1677. 
"  Sabbath  night  was  sennight,  the  women  at  Marblehead,  as 
they  came  out  of  the  Meeting-house,  fell  upon  two  Indians 
that  were  brought  in  as  captives,  and  in  a  tumultuous  wa}^ 
very  barbarously  murdered  them.  Doubtless  if  the  Indians 
hear  of  it  the  captives  among  them  will  be  served  accord- 
ingly." 

The  first  school  in  .town,  of  wdiich  there  is  any  record,  was 
opened  in  1675,  Mr.  Edward  Humphries  being  the  teacher 
and  receiving  the  sum  of  forty  pounds  yearly  for  his  ser- 
vices. The  same  year  a  watch  house  was  built  upon  "  the 
hill  behind  Thomas  Dodds  house." 

In  1676  Ensign  Norman  and  John  Brimblecome  were 
chosen  "  to  look  after  the  youth  and  boys  on  the  Lords  day 
that  they  behave  themselves  well  and  orderly." 

In  April,  1678,  it  was  ordered  "  that  there  shall  be  a 
Training  day  warned  the  next  Monday  come  seven  night, 
that  all  persons  Meeting  at  ye  beat  of  ye  drum  at  ye  stocks. 
May  forth  with  goe  up  and  repair  the  outside  fence  for  the 
keeping  out  of  strange  Cattle  for  this  year." 

In  March,  1679,  it  was  agreed  at  a  town  meeting  "  that 
Robert  Knight  shall  be  clearly  requited  and  descharged  from 
paying  his  Town  Rates  during  his  life  for  his  workmanship 
done  in  the  Meeting  house  in  building  the  gallerey."  It 
was  also  voted  at  the  same  meeting  "  that  Robert  Knight 
hath  libertie  for  to  flow  the  ferry  swamps  as  to  the  benefit  of 
his  Mill,  and  it  is  to  Contenue  during  the  townes  pleasure." 
These  votes  illustrate  the  impulsive  and  genei-ous  disposi- 
tions of  the  people  of  Marblehead,  traits  which  have  charac- 
terized their  descendants   to  a   marked  degree   ever  since. 


OP   MARBLEHEAD.  29 

But  a  few  years  before  the  passage  of  these  votes  Mr. 
Knight  in  building  the  Leanto  had  found  it  necessary  to 
cut  away  a  post  under  the  gallery.  For  this  he  was  se- 
verely censured,  and  ordered  to  replace  it,  under  a  heavy 
penalty.  Naturally  resenting  the  indignity  he  delayed  his 
work  somewhat,  and  the  town  voted  that  if  it  were  not 
completed  before  a  certain  date  "  to  sue  him,  and  to  pros- 
ecute him  from  court  to  court  until  the  case  was  ended." 
Like  many  others  who  have  since  suffered  from  the  tem- 
porary unpopularity  which  their  actions  have  occasioned, 
Mr.  Knight  lived  to  see  the  excitement  of  his  fellow  citizens 
abate,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  the  popular  reac- 
tion in  his  favor,  of  which  the  votes  were  an  evidence. 

Sailors  and  fishermen  are  proverbial  for  their  sympathy 
and  disinterested  benevolence  in  behalf  of  the  distressed. 
The  people  of  Marblehead  have  ever  been  a  shining  example 
of  this  class  of  men,  and  their  generosity  and  good-hearted- 
ness  is  shown  on  nearly  every  page  of  their  history.  A  vote 
passed  by  the  commoners  in  1682  gives  an  evidence  of  their 
kindness  which  should  serve  as  an  example  worthy  of  emu- 
lation by  their  posterity.  Richard  Reed,  a  man  advanced 
in  years,  having  forfeited  his  lease  of  land  for  a  fish  fence, 
by  being  several  years  in  arrears  for  rent,  the  town  "  voted, 
in  consideration  of  his  age  and  losses,  that  he  might  pay  two 
pounds,  and  the  rest  should  be  abated ;  and  that  he  should 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  using  the  land  for  a  fish  fence  for  the 
rest  of  his  natural  life." 

The  year  1684  was  made  memorable  by  the  public  ordina- 
tion of  Mr.  Cheever,  and  the  organization  of  a  church  in 
Marblehead.  Mr.  Cheever  had  been  preaching  for  sixteen 
years,  and  the  number  of  communicants  had  now  increased 
to  fifty-four,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  going  to  Salem  to 
have  the  sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  ad- 
ministered. This  having  been  found  inconvenient,  a  vote 
was  passed  by  the  congregation,  after  the  afternoon  service 
on  the  6th  of  July,  to  request  Mr.  Cheever  to  be  ordained, 


30  THE   HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

and  to  take  measures  for  the  organization  of  a  church.  On 
the  16th  of  July  a  solemn  fast  was  observed  for  the  bless- 
ing of  God  on  the  undertaking,  the  exercises  being  con- 
ducted by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hale  of  Beverly.  The  ordination 
took  place  on  the  13th  of  August,  in  the  presence  of  "  the 
Deputy  Governor,  five  of  the  Assistants,  twenty  Elders," 
and  a  large  concourse  of  people. 

For  some  time  previous  to  the  period  of  which  we  are 
writing,  certain  Indians,  heirs  of  the  Squaw  Sachem  of  Sau- 
gus,  had  presented  claims  of  ownership  of  the  lands  com- 
prised in  the  township  of  Marblehead,  and  after  several 
years  of  controversy  it  was  decided  to  hold  a  town  meeting 
and  take  appropriate  action  in  regard  to  the  matter.  Ac- 
cordingly on  the  14th  of  July,  a  meeting  was  held,  and 
Moses  Maverick,  John  Devereux,  Captain  Samuel  Ward, 
Thadeous  Riddan,  William  Beal,  Thomas  Pitman,  Richard 
Read,  and  Nathaniel  Waltown,  with  the  Selectmen,  were 
chosen  a  committee  to  investigate  the  matter  and  search 
after  the  pretended  claims.  Messrs.  John  Devereux  and 
Samuel  Ward,  as  a  sub-committee,  were  authorized  to  pur- 
chase the  land  and  take  a  deed  of  it  in  the  name  of  the 
town  in  case  the  claim  should  be  found  valid.  The  com- 
mittee reported  that  the  claim  was  valid,  and  that  they  had 
purchased  the  land.  The  town  therefore  appointed  a  com- 
mittee, one  of  whom  was  Rev.  Samuel  Cheever,  to  "  jjro- 
portion  each  Mans  part  according  to  his  privilege  in  the 
township."  The  committee,  after  attending  to  the  duty  as- 
signed them,  reported  that  after  "  proportioning  the  amount 
by  Cow  leases,  they  found  it  to  amount  to  nine  pence  per 
Cow  in  Money." 

Passing  over  the  events  of  the  intervening  years  between 
1684  and  1692,  of  which  there  is  no  record  of  any  impor- 
tance, we  come  to  the  period  when  the  great  witchcraft  de- 
lusion spread  with  such  terrible  and  deadly  effect  among  the 
people  of  Essex  County.  The  people  of  Marblehead,  cred- 
ulous and  superstitious,  as  were  the  inhabitants  of  nearly 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  31 

all  maritime  towns,  listened  with  awe  to  tlie  tales  of  distress 
which  were  brought  from  time  to  time  from  their  neighbors 
in  Salem  ;  and,  clustered  about  their  firesides,  or  in  the 
shops  along  the  shore,  whispered  of  ghosts  and  goblins,  and 
told  blood-curdling  tales  of  the  sea. 

At  this  time  there  lived  in  Marblehead  an  old  woman, 
the  wife  of  a  fisherman,  of  whose  supernatural  powers  many- 
weird  and  dreadful  stories  had  been  told.  "  Mamm'y  Red" 
was  considered  a  witch,  and  had  been  known  to  afflict  those 
whom  she  disliked  in  various  ways.  To  some  she  sent  sick- 
ness and  distress  by  wishing  that  a  "  bloody  cleaver  "  might 
be  found  on  the  cradles  of  their  infant  children  ;  and  it  was 
said  that  whenever  the  wish  was  uttered  the  "cleaver"  was 
distinctly  seen,  and  the  children  sickened  and  died.  At 
other  times,  it  was  said,  she  caused  the  milk  to  curdle  in  the 
milkpail  as  soon  as  it  had  left  the  cow ;  and  numerous  in- 
stances were  cited  to  prove  that  she  had  often  caused  the 
butter  churned  by  her  enemies  to  turn  to  "  blue  wool." 

In  spite  of  the  grievous  manner  in  which  they  believed 
themselves  afflicted,  the  kind-hearted  people  of  Marblehead 
had  made  no  complaint  to  the  authorities  of  the  matter,  and 
it  was  reserved  for  several  deluded  young  women  of  Salem, 
who  had  already  caused  much  suffering  in  that  communit}'- 
by  their  ready  accusations,  to  cause  her  arrest  and  imprison- 
ment. Early  in  the  month  of  May,  1692,  a  warrant  was 
issued  by  John  Hathorne  and  Jonathan  Curwin,  two  of  the 
Assistants,  for  the  arrest  of  Wilmot  liedd,  wife  of  Samuel 
Redd,  of  Marblehead,  who  was  charged  with  "  having  com- 
mitted sundry  acts  of  witch  craft  on  the  bodies  of  Mary 
Walcot  and  Marcy  Lewis,  and  others  of  Salem  Village,  to 
their  great  hurt,"  etc.  The  examination  took  place  on  the 
31st  of  May  at  the  house  of  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  Liger- 
soll  of  Salem.  After  listening  patiently  to  the  evidence,  the 
grand  jury  brought  in  two  indictments  against  the  woman. 
In  one  she  was  charged  with  "  certain  detestable  arts  called 
witchcraft  and  sorceries,  wickedly,  maliciously,  and  feloni- 


82  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

ously  used,  practiced,  and  exercised  at  and  in  the  town  of 
Salem  ....  in,  upon,  and  against  one  Eliza  Booth  of  Sa- 
lem, single  woman,  by  which  said  wicked  acts  ye  said  Eliza 
Booth  was  tortured,  afflicted,  consumed,  pined,  wasted,  and 
tormented."  The  other  indictment  charged  her  with  prac- 
ticing her  "detestable  arts"  upon  one  Eliza  Hubbard  of 
Salem. 

The  Allowing  is  the  report  of  the  examination  as  found 
in  the  manuscript  records  of  the  trials  for  witchcraft :  — 

"  The  examination  of  Willmot  Redd,  wife  of  Samuel 
Redd,  of  Marblehead,  fisherman,  31st  May,  1692. 

"  When  this  examinant  was  brought  in  Mercy  Lewis, 
Mary  Walcot,  and  Abigail  Williams  fell  into  fits. 

"  Mercy  Lewis  said  this  woman  hath  pinched  me  a  great 
Many  times. 

"  Mary  Walcot  said  this  woman  brought  the  book  to  her. 

"  Ann  Putnam  Jun%  saith  she  never  hurt  her,  but  she 
hath  seen  her  once  upon  INIercy  Lewis  and  once  upon  Mary 
Walcot  the  last  fast  day. 

"  Eliza  Hubbard  said  this  examinant  had  brought  the 
book  to  her  and  told  her  she  would  knock  her  in  the  head 
if  she  would  not  write. 

"Ann  Putnam  said  she  brought  the  book  to  her  just  now. 

"  Eliz  Booth  fell  into  a  fit  and  Mary  Walcot  and  Ann 
Putnam  said  it  was  this*  woman  afflicted  her. 

"  Susan  Sheldan  was  ordered  to  go  to  the  examinant,  but 
was  knoct  down  before  she  came  to  her,  and  being  so  car- 
ryed  to  said  Redd  in  a  fit  was  made  well  after  said  Redd 
had  graspt  her  arm. 

"  This  examinant  was  bid  by  the  magistrates  to  look  upon 
Eliz.  Hubbard  and  upon  the  examinants  casting  her  eye 
upon  said  Hubbard,  she,  the  said  Hubbard  was  knoct  down. 

"  Abigail  Williams  and  John  Indian  being  carried  to  the 
examinant  in  a  grevious  fit  were  made  well  by  her  grasping 
their  arms. 

"  This  examinant  being  often  urged  what  she  thought 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  33 

these  persons  ailed,  would  say :  '  I  can  not  tell.'  Then  be- 
ing askt  if  she  did  not  think  they  were  bewitched,  she  an- 
swered ;  '  I  can  not  tell.'  And  being  urged  for  her  opinion 
in  the  case,  all  she  would  say  was  :  '*'  My  opinion  is  that  they 
are  in  a  sad  condition.''  " 

The  case  was  evidently  laid  over  for  trial  until  the  14th 
of  September  following,  when  a  grand  inquest  was  held. 
The  following  residents  of  Marblehead  were  summoned  as 
witnesses,  namely  :  the  wife  and  daughter  of  Thomas  Dodd, 
the  wife  and  daughter  of  Thomas  Ellis,  John  Galley,  David 
Shapley,  wife  and  daughter,  John  Chinn,  Martha  Beals, 
Elias  Henley,  Jr.,  and  wife,  Benjamin  Gale,  John  Bubbee 
(Bubier),  Charity  Pitman  and  Jacob  Wormwood;  all  of 
whom  appeared  except  John  Galley  and  Elias  Henley,  Jr., 
who  were  at  sea,  and  Benjamin  Gale,  who  was  not  well. 

The  testimony  of  the  persons  belonging  in  Salem  was 
substantially  the  same  as  that  given  by  them  at  the  exami- 
nation in  May,  except  that  every  look  and  gesture  of  the 
poor  woman  on  that  occasion  was  now  brought  up  as  evi- 
dence against  her,  and  each  of  the  witnesses  concluded  by 
saying :  "  I  believe  in  my  heart  that  Willmot  Redd  is  a 
witch." 

"  The  testimony  of  Gharity  Pitman  of  Marblehead :  — 

"  This  deponent  aged  twenty-nine  years  affirms  :  That 
about  five  years  ago,  Mrs.  Syms  of  ye  towne,  having  lost 
some  linnen  which  she  suspected  Martha  Lawrence  the  girl 
who  then  lived  with  Willmot  Redd  had  taken  up,  desired 
the  deponent  to  goe  with  her  to  Willmot  Redds  and  de- 
manding the  same,  having  many  words  about  the  same,  Mrs. 
Syms  told  her  that  if  she  would  not  deliver  them  she  would 
go  to  Salem  to  Major  Hathorne  and  gitt  special  warrant  for 
her  servant  girl.  Upon  which  the  said  Redd  told  her  in  my 
hearing  that  she  hoped  she  might  never  ....  if  she  did 
not  goe.  And  some  short  time  after,  the  deponent  observed 
that  Mrs.  Syms  was  taken  with  the  distemper  of  the  dry 
belly  ake,  and  so  continued  many  months  during  her  stay 


3 


84  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

in  the  towne,  and  was  not  cured  whilst  she  tarried  in  the 
country. 

"  Sarah  Dodd  affirmed  upon  her  oath  to  ye  grand  inquest 
that  she  heard  Mrs.  S'ynffe  threaten  to  have  WiUmot  Redd 
before  a  magistrate  for  some  of  sd  Redds  mesdemeanors 
and  sd  Redd  wisht  Mrs.  Syms  might  never  any  ways  ease 
Nature  before  she  did  it.  And  soon  after  to  this  deponents 
knowledge,  it  fell  out  with  Mrs.  Syms  according  to  said 
Redds  wish. 

"  Mr.  Ambrose  Gale  affirmed  that  Mrs.  Syms  was  about 
that  time  or  soon  after  so  afflicted  as  was  then  reported." 

The  testimony  of  the  other  witnesses  from  Marblehead  is 
not  recorded.  The  poor  woman  was  condemned,  however, 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  She  was  executed  at  Gallows 
Hill,  Salem,  on  the  22d  of  September. 

Let  us  not,  with  the  light  and  intelligence  of  this  nine- 
teenth century,  judge  our  ancestors  too  harshly  for  their  fa- 
naticism and  ignorance.  The  belief  in  witchcraft  at  that 
time  was  almost  universal  throughout  Europe,  and  was 
shared  alike  by  the  learned  and  the  ignorant,  the  magistrates 
and  the  clergy,  the  nabob  and  the  peasant. 

Let  us  remember  and  be  thankful  that  the  intelligence 
and  reason  of  our  ancestors  finally  conquered  in  the  strugr 
gle,  thereby  crushing  out  the  delusion,  and  giving  a  blow 
to  superstition  from  which  it  never  recovered. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  an  evidence  has  been  given  of 
the  superstition  of  the  people  of  Esses  County  at  the  time 
of  the  ever  memorable  witchcraft  delusion,  but  it  would  be 
almost  impossible  to  relate  half  the  superstitious  traditions 
firmly  believed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  then,  and 
for  more  than  a  century  after. 

Stories  of  phantom  ships  seen  at  sea  before  the  loss  of  a 
vessel ;  of  the  appearance  on  the  water  of  loved  ones  who 
had  died  at  home  ;  footsteps  and  voices  heard  mysteriously 
in  the  still  hours  of  the  night  coming  as  warnings  from  an- 
other world.  Signs  and  omens  which  foretold  the  approach- 
ing death  of  some  member  of  a  family,  or  prophecies  whis- 
pered by  the  wind  that  those  away  on  the  mighty  deep 
would  find  a  watery  grave. 

These,  and  other  stories  of  pirates  met  on  the  seas  and 
smugglers  who  secreted  their  treasures  along  the  shore, 
formed  the  burden  of  conversation  through  the  long  winter 
evenings.  Of  the  many  traditions  of  this  nature,  told  with 
simple  faith  and  sincere  belief  by  our  ancestors,  few  have 
come  down  to  their  descendants,  and  of  these  the  story  of 
the  Screeching  Woman  is  perhaps  the  most  distinctly  re- 
membered. 

It  was  said  that  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century  a  Spanish  ship  laden  with  rich  merchandise  was 
captured  by  pirates  and  brought  into  the  harbor  of  Marble- 
head.  The  crew  and  every  person  on  board  the  ill-fated 
ship  had  been  murdered  at  the  time  of  the  capture,  except 
a  beautiful  English  lady,  whom  the  ruffians  brought  on 
shore  near  what  is  now  called  Oakum  Bay,  and  there  bar- 


36  THE   HISTORY  AND   TKADITIOXS 

barously  murdered  her.  The  few  fishermen  who  inhabited 
the  place  were  absent,  and  the  women  and  children  who  re- 
mained conld  do  nothing  to  prevent  the  crime.  The  screams 
of  the  victim  were  loud  and  dreadful,  and  her  cries  of  "  Lord 
save  me!  Mercy!  Oh!  Lord  Jesus,  save  me!"  were  dis- 
tinctly heard.  The  body  was  buried  where  the  crime  was 
perpetrated,  and  for  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  on  the 
anniversary  of  that  dreadful  tragedy  the  screams  of  the 
poor  woman  were  repeated  in  a  voice  so  shrill  and  super- 
natural as  to  send  an  indescribable  thrill  of  horror  through 
all  who  heard  them. 

There  were  other  beliefs  as  firmly  held,  which,  though 
equally  as  superstitious,  were  much  more  agreeable  and  ro- 
mantic. The  young  women,  on  the  nights  when  a  new  moon 
was  to  appear,  would  congregate  at  one  of  the  houses  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  putting  a  huge  pot  of  tallow  over  the 
fire  would  drop  "  hob-nails  "  into  the  boiling  fat,  firmly  be- 
lieving that  the  young  man  who  should  appear  while  tlie 
nails  were  dropping  would  be  the  future  husband  of  the 
fair  damsel  who  dropped  them.  At  other  times  the  young 
women  would  go  to  an  upper  window  and,  reaching  half 
way  out,  throw  a  ball  of  yarn  into  the  street,  believing  that 
the  lucky  youth  who  picked  it  up  would  surely  come  for- 
ward with  an  offer  of  marriage. 

Until  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Cheever  neai'ly  all  the  mar- 
riages in  town  had  been  solemnized  by  Mr.  Maverick,  who 
had  been  appointed  one  of  the  magistrates,  and  was  for 
many  years  the  only  justice  of  the  peace  in  the  place.  Mr. 
Maverick  was  a  selectman,  town  clerk,  tything  man,  and  a 
member  of  every  important  committee  chosen  by  the  town. 
Owning  a  considerable  portion  of  the  townshij),  and  being 
largely  interested  in  the  fishing  trade,  he  was  a  man  of 
great  influence  in  the  community,  and  his  advice,  when 
given,  was  followed  with  implicit  confidence  by  the  simple 
fishermen  with  whom  he  lived. 

The  customs  of  the  people  at  this  time,  and  for  many 
years  after,  were,  some  of  them,  of  the  most  curious  nature. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  37 

A  marriage  was  the  scene  of  the  most  joyous  festivities, 
and  the  occasion  of  a  season  of  merry-making  for  an  entire 
week  in  duration.  Everybody  in  the  community  who  chose 
attended  the  wedding,  and  when,  at  a  late  hour  in  the  night, 
the  guests  were  ready  to  depart  for  their  own  homes,  the 
bride  and  groom  were  put  to  bed  by  their  maids  and  grooms- 
men, and  the  entire  company  marched  around  their  bed, 
throwing  old  shoes  and  stockings,  and  various  other  missiles, 
at  them,  for  good  luck,  and  by  way  of  a  patting  salute. 

As  the  town  increased  in  importance  and  prosperity,  the 
custom,  so  prevalent  throughout  New  England,  of  present- 
ing the  pall-bearers  at  funerals  with  gloves  and  gold  finger- 
rings,  became  very  fashionable  among  the  wealthier  families. 
These  rings  were  often  of  a  very  curious  and  unique  de- 
sign, and  there  are  several  of  them  held  as  heirlooms  by 
some  of  the  older  inhabitants  to-day. 

For  some  years  previous  to  the  year  1698  it  appears  that 
no  school  had  been  kept  in  Marblehead  for  any  length  of 
time  exceeding  a  few  brief  months.  In  November  of  that 
year  a  school  was  opened  by  Mr.  Josiah  Cotton,  who  came 
to  Marblehead  at  the  urgent  request  of  several  of  the  in- 
fluential inhabitants.  Mr.  Cotton  was  a  young  man,  not 
quite  nineteen  years  of  age,  who  had  but  a  short  time  be- 
fore graduated  from  Harvard  College.  He  was  a  grandson 
of  the  Rev.  John  Cotton,  and  a  nephew  of  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Cotton  Mather.  The  town  agreed  to  pay  him  fifteen 
pounds  a  year  for  his  services,  and  he  received  "  six  pence 
and  a  groate  a  week"  from  each  of  the  scholars  who  at- 
tended the  school.  As  the  inhabitants  generally  sent  their 
children  to  the  school  it  soon  increased  to  seventy-five 
scholars,  and  the  income  of  the  teacher  was  increased -to 
about  fifty  pounds  per  annum  in  silver  money. 

During  his  stay  in  Marblehead  Mr.  Cotton  lived  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  in  the  family  of  the  minister,  Mr. 
Cheever,  though  for  a  short  time  he  boarded  in  the  families 
of  Captain   Edward   Brattle   and   Captain   John   Browne. 


38  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

While  here  he  studied  theology,  and  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon November  23,  1701.  In  1704  Mr.  Cotton  took  his 
final  leave  of  Marblehead,  and  some  years  after  wrote  an 
account  of  his  life  while  here,  from  which  we  are  permitted 
to  extract  the  following :  — 

"When  I  came  to  this  place  I  was  raw  and  young,  not 
19  years-  old,  and  therefore  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  ^  I 
gave  way  too  much  to  that  extravagance.  Intemperance, 
Negligence  in  Religion,  and  Disorderliness,  that  is  too  rife 
in  that  place.  I  desire  to  thank  God  that  it  was  no  more, 
and  to  be  humbled  that  it  was  so  much,  and  to  be  thank- 
ful that  after  so  much  vanity  God  brought  me  to  myself 
and  did  not  suffer  me  -to  be  utterly  ruined.  In  the  latter 
end  of  1703  I  had  thoughts  of  removing  from  Marblehead, 
supposing  the  place  (being  then  under  decay)  not  likely  to 
afford  me  a  settlement,  and  accordingly  I  left  it  about  two 
months.  In  that  time  I  went  to  Sandwich  and  Dartmouth, 
in  the  county  of  Bristol,  to  which  I  had  been  directed  by 
the  Boston  ministers.  I  tarried  and  preached  at  Dartmouth 
but  one  Sabbath. 

"  After  my  coming  from  thence  I  had  several  letters  from 
my  brother  Gushing,  and  Samuel  Penhallow,  Esq.,  inviting 
me  to  keep  school  at  Portsmouth,  on  the  Piscataqua  River, 
towards  which  I  steered  my  course  ;  but  calling  at  Marble- 
head, and  they  remaining  still  destitute  of  a  school  master, 
I  agreed  with  them  again  (upon  the  advancement  of  my 
salary  from  the  Town,  under  the  former  regulation  for  par- 
ticular scholars,  for  they  would  not  make  it  a  free  school) 
and  tarried  half  a  year  longer  in  ye  school,  and  desire  to 
acknowledge  it  as  a  favor  that  my  service  therein  as  well  as 
before  was  acceptable  aad  successful. 

"  The  people  there  being  generally  if  not  universally  in- 
clined to  give  their  children  common  learning,  tlio'  schol- 
ars rise  but  thin  amongst  them.  There  was  but  one  that 
went  from  thence  whilst  I  kept  school  to  the  college,  and 
that  was  the  minister's  son  Mr.  Amos  Cheever,  now  minis- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  39 

ter  at  Manchester.  There  was  another  designed,  viz  :  John 
Browne  son  of  Capt.  Browne,  but  death  put  an  end  to  the 
design.  He  died  February  17, 1702-3,  Some  of  the  verses 
composed  on  that  sorrowful  occasion,  are  as  follows  :  — 

'  Death  is  a  tribixte  which  by  nature,  we 
Are  bouud  to  pay  unto  Mortality, 
A  lovelj'  plant  cropt  in  his  tender  years. 
Lyes  here,  a  subject  not  of  prayers,  but  tears, 
A  youth  w'ho  promis't  much,  but  awful  death 
Hath  snatcht  him  from  us  and  hath  stopt  his  breath. 
And  now  he's  gone  you'll  scarce  his  equal  find. 
On  'all  accounts  few  equals  left  behind.' 
• 

"  I  have  heretofore  thought  of  writing  a  particular  char- 
acter and  description  of  Marblehead,  or  rather  history  of 
my  observations  there,  but  upon  the  attempt,  finding  I 
could  not  do  it  without  too  much  satyr  and  reflection  (per- 
haps to  some  to  whom  I  was  obliged),  I  laid  it  aside  and 
shall  only  say  that  the  whole  township  is  not  much  bigger 
than  a  large  farm,  and  very  rocky,  and  so  they  are  forc't 
to  get  their  living  out  of  the  sea,  not  having  room  to  con- 
found the  fisherman  with  the  husbandman,  and  so  spoil  both 
as  they  do  in  some  places.  It  has  a  very  good  Harbour 
which  they  improve  to  the  best  advantage  for  Fishing  both 

Summer  and  Winter And  finally  it  is  one  of   the 

best  country  places  to  keep  school  in,  provided  a  man  be 
firmly  fix't  in  principles  of  Virtue  and  religion,  which  I 
heartily  wish  were  more  abundant  among  them  in  the  life 
and  power  of  it. 

"  -^^y  gi'eatest  intimacy  whilst  at  Marblehead,  was  with 
the  family  of  Col.  Legg,  whose  Lady  was  a  gentlewoman  of 
great  gravitj^  integrity  and  prudence,  and  with  the  families 
of  Capt.  John  Browne,  and  Capt  Edward  Brattle,  who  mar- 
ried Col.  Leggs  two  daughters.  By  which  means  I  had 
some  uncomfortable  jarrs  with  Col.  N.  and  his  Lady,  who 
held  no  great  correspondence  with  other  families.  And  I 
would  from  my  own  experience  advise  all  men  and  especially 
young  men,  upon  their  first  setting  out  in  life,  to  avoid  all 


40  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

meddling  too  far  and  to  carry  it  with  an  equal  hand- towards 
all." 

The  town  records  of  this  period  are  very  incomplete,  and 
furnish  little  information  concerning  the  customs  or  habits 
of  life  of  the  inhabitants. 

In  April,  1709,  the  commoners  leased  all  that  great  head 
of  land  on  the  northwest  side  of  Charles  Island  in  Little 
Harbor  to  Edward  Dimond,  "  shoreman,"  for  the  sum  of 
thirteen  shillings  yearly.  This  person  was  probably  the 
famous  "  old  Dimond  "  of  whom  such  fabulous  stories  were 
told  and  believed.  It  was  said  that  he  was  a  wizard,  and 
possessed  the  "  black  art  "  which  enabled  him  to  foretell 
coming  events,  to  avert  disasters  from  his  friends,  and  bring 
distress  upon  his  enemies.  When  the  night  was  dark  and 
stormy,  and  the  wind  gave  evidence  of  blowing  a  gale,  "  old 
Dimond  "  would  wend  his  way  to  the  "  burying  hill,"  and 
there  among  the  graves  and  tombstones  "  beat  about,"  and 
give  orders  for  the  management  of  his  vessels  at  sea.  In  a 
voice  loud  and  clear,  distinctly  heard  above  the  roar  of  the 
tempest,  these  orders  would  be  given,  and  no  one  dared 
question  their  power  to  save  from  shipwreck.  The  advice  of 
"  old  Dimond  ""  was  sought  by  people  far  and  near,  who  be- 
lieved in  his  great  powers,  but  woe  betide  the  evil-doer  who 
came  into  his  presence.  Once  when  a  guilty  fellow  who  had 
stolen  wood  from  a  poor  widow  came  to  him  for  advice,  the 
wizard  "  charmed  "  him,  and  caused  him  to  walk  all  night 
with  a  heavy  log  of  wood  on  his  back.  At  another  time, 
when  a  sum  of  money  had  been  stolen  from  an  aged  couple, 
"  old  Dimond "  told  where  it  could  be  found,  and  gave  the 
name  of  the  thief.  Let  not  the  reader  think  that  these 
stories  illustrating  the  superstition  of  our  ancestors  are  ex- 
aggerated in  the  least.  They  are  told  by  aged  people,  liv- 
ing in  Marblehead  to-day,  who  remember  with  what  faith 
and  earnestness  they  were  told  by  their  mothers  and  grand- 
mothers. 

Of  the  same  class  are  the  stories  told  of  the  man  who 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  41 

« 

was  chased  one  night  by  a  corpse  in  a  coffin,  and  shortly 
after  sickened  and  died  ;  of  the  poor  fellow  who  was 
chased  by  his  Satanic  majesty  himself,  seated  in  a  carriage 
and  drawn  by  four  white  horses  ;  and  of  the  young  fisher- 
man who  arrived  home  in  the  night,  and  meeting  the  young 
woman  to  whom  he  was  betrothed,  gave  her  a  few  of  the 
fish  he  had  caught,  only  to  see  her  fade  away  and  vanish 
from  his  sight.  The  next  morning  the  heart-broken  lover 
learned  that  the  girl  he  loved  had  died  during  his  absence, 
and  became  convinced  that  he  had  seen  an  apparition. 
What  the  ghost  did  with  the  fish  has  never  been  satisfac- 
torily explained. 

Of  the  events  of  the  intervening  years  between  1709  and 
1714  little  can  be  ascertained.^  A  few  years  previous  an 
Episcopal  church  had  been  gathered,  and  a  parish  organ- 
ized, and  during  the  year  1714  a  church  edifice  was  erected. 
The  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  building  were  subscribed 
by  thirty-three  gentlemen  who  pledged  themselves  in  various 
sums  to  the  amount  of  £175.  The  list  was  headed  by  Col. 
Francis  Nicholson,  who  subscribed  ^625,  and  the  remainder 
was  made  up  by  various  captains  of  vessels  in  sums  vary- 
ing from  £2  to  £12  each.  The  frame  and  all  the  mate- 
rials used  in  the  construction  of  the  building  were  brought 
from  England.  The  first  rector  was  the  Rev.  William 
Shaw,  who  arrived  and  took  charge  of  the  parish  on  the 
20th  of  July,  1715. 

In  1714,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cheever  having  become  very  old 
and  infirm,  his  church  voted  to  settle  a  younger  minister 
with  him  as  an  assistant.  Accordingly,  a  meeting  was  held, 
and  two  candidates  were  presented  for  the  choice  of  the 
church,  one  of  whom  was  JNIr.  John  Barnard,  of  Boston, 
and  the  other  Mr.  Edward  Holyoke.  Mr.  Barnard  was 
chosen  by  a  small  majority  and  at  a  town  meeting  convened 
for  the  purpose  the  choice  of  the  church  was  ratified  by  the 
town.  This  action  on  the  part  of  the  town  was  far  from 
1  The  Town  Eecords  between  1710  and  1721  have  been  lost  or  stolen. 


42  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

satisfactory  to  the  adherents  of  Mr.  Hofyoke,  and  occasioned 
a  controversy  which  resulted  in  a  division  of  the  church, 
and  the  withdrawal  of  the  disaffected  members.  The  town 
voted  to  grant  permission  for  the  organization  of  another 
church,  and  the  erection  of  a  new  meeting-house,  and  a 
charter  was  obtained  from  the  General  Court.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  first  church  sent  an  earnest  and  solemn  protest 
to  the  Governor  and  the  Legislature  against  the  formation 
of  a  new  church,  declaring  that  as  there  was  already  one 
"  Church  and  one  Meeting-house  in  the  place  "  the  erection 
of  a  third  place  of  worship  would  disturb  the  peace  of  the 
town.  They  also  charged  their  brethren  who  desired  to 
form  the  new  church  with  the  grave  offense  of  going  about 
the  town  and  "  defaming  and  vilifying  the  character  of  Mr. 
Barnard."  On  the  9th  of  November,  1715,  Mr.  Barnard 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  the  assistant  pastor  of  the  First 
Church,  and  on  the  25th  of  the  follo^ving  April,  1716,  the 
new  meeting-house  having  been  erected,  the  Second  Con- 
gregational Church  was  organized,  and  Mr.  Holyoke  was  or- 
dained as  pastor.  The  ordination  of  Mr.  Barnard  took 
place  on  the '1 8th  of  July  of  the  same  year. 

The  condition  of  the  town  at  this  time  is  described 
by  Mr.  Barnard  in  his  autobiography  as  miserable  in  the 
extreme.  He  says  :  "  When  I  first  came  [in  1714]  there 
were  two  companies  of  poor,  smoke-dried,  rude,  ill-clothed 
men,  trained  to  no  military  discipline  but  that  of  '  Whip- 
ping the  Snake,'  as  it  was  called.  There  was  not  so  much 
as  one  proper  carpenter,  nor  mason,  nor  tailor,  nor  butcher 
in  the  town,  nor  any  market  worth  naming  ;  but  they  had 
their  houses  built  by  country  Avorkmen,  and  their  clothes 
made  out  of  town,  and  supplied  themselves  with  beef  and 
pork  from  Boston,  which  drained  the  town  of  its  money. 
And  what  above  all  I  would  remark,  there  was  not  so  much 
as  one  foreign  trading  vessel  belonging  to  the  town,  nor  for 
several  years  after  I  came  into  it;  though  no  town  had 
really  greater  advantages  in  their  hands.     The  people  con- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  43 

tented  themselves  to  be  the  slaves  that  digged  in  the  mines, 
and  left  the  merchants  of  Boston,  Salem,  and  Enrope,  to 
carry  away  the  gains  ;  by  which  means  the  town  was  always 
dismally  poor  in  circumstances,  involved  in  debt  to  the 
merchants  more  than  they  were  worth ;  nor  could  I  find 
twenty  families  in  it  that,  upon  the  best  examination,  could 
stand  upon  their  own  legs,  and  they  were  generally  as  rude, 
swearing,  drunken,  and  fighting  a  crew  as  they  were  poor." 

Through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Barnard  the  jDeople  were 
finally  induced  to  send  their  own  fish  to  market,  Mr.  Joseph 
Swett  being  the  first  man  to  engage  in  the  enterprise.  He 
fitted  out  a  small  schooner  which  he  sent  to  Barbadoes  with 
a  cargo  of  fish,  and,  being  successful,  was  in  a  few  years  ena- 
bled to  build  vessels  and  send  his  fish  to  European  markets. 
In  a  short  time  others,  encouraged  by  his  success,  engaged  in 
the  business,  and  the  town  enjoyed  an  era  of  prosperity 
such  as  it  had  never  known  before.  Good  workmen  of  every 
description  now  abounded  in  the  place,  and  from  their  more 
frequent  intercourse  with  the  outside  world,  the  air  of  iso- 
lation which  had  so  long  characterized  the  inhabitants  be- 
gan to  wear  off  to  a  certain  extent,  and  though  their  man- 
ners were  somewhat  rude,  they  became  noted  for  their 
kindness  and  hospitality  to  strangers. 

Elsewhere  in  this  work  mention  has  been  made  of  the 
peculiar  dialect  of  the  people  of  Marblehead.  So  broad 
and  quick  was  their  pronunciation,  and  so  strange  were  the 
idioms  characterizing  their  speech,  that  a  native  of  the  town 
was  known  wherever  he  went.  Nor  was  this  peculiarity 
confined  to  any  class  or  condition  of  men  residing  in  the 
town.  All  shared  it  alike,  of  whatever  rank  or  condition  in 
life.  The  words  were  clipped  off  very  shortly,  and  in  some 
sections  there  was  a  slight  difference  in  the  dialect  noticea- 
ble. The  "  Cunny  Lane  "  people  always  dropped  the  "h  " 
in  speaking,  and  their  vernacular  was  much  like  that  of  a 
cockney  Englishman,  in  addition  to  that  which  betrayed 
them  "  to  the  manner  born." 


44  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Hardly  a  family  in  the  olden  time  escaped  with  a  correct 
pronunciation  of  its  name.  The  name  of  Crowninshield 
'became  "  Grounsel ;  "  Orne  was  transformed  to  "Home;" 
Trefry  was  variously  pronounced,  "  Duvy,"  "  Tewy," 
"  Trevye,"  and  "  Trefroy  ;  "  Quiner  became  "  Coonier  ;  " 
Florence  was  clipped  to  "Flurry;"  anfl  Trasher  was  ab- 
breviateii  to  "  Trash." 

So  accustomed  were  many  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  cog- 
nomen by  which  they  were  known,  that  in  some  instances 
they  did  not  recognize  their  own  names  when  called  by 
them.  An  instance  of  this  kind  is  related  in  the  "  Life  and 
Letters  of  Judge  Story,"  who  was  a  native  of  the  town. 
"  Once  while  he  was  trying  a  case  in  the  Circuit  Court,  in 
Boston,  the  clerk  called  out  the  name  of  one  of  the  jury 
as  Michael  Treffery  .(it  being  so  spelt).  No  answer  was 
given.  Again  he  was  called,  and  still  there  was  silence. 
'  It  is  very  strange,'  said  the  clerk,  '  I  saw  that  man  here 
not  two  minutes  ago.'  '  Where  does  he  come  from  ? ' 
asked  the  judge.  '  Marblehead,  may  it  please  your  Honor,' 
said  the  clerk.  '  If  that 's  the  case,'  said  the  judge,  '  let 
me  see  the  list.'  The  clerk  handed  it  up  to  him.  He 
looked  at  the  name  a  minute,  and  handing  back  the  list, 
said,  '  Call  Mike  Trevye  '  (throwing  the  accent  on  the  last 
syllable).  '  Mike  Trev?/g,'  called  the  clerk.  '  Here,'  an- 
swered a  gruff  voice.  '  Why  did  you  not  answer  be- 
fore ? '  said  the  clerk.  '  Treffery  is  no  way  to  pronounce 
my  name,'  said  the  juryman,  '  My  name  is  Mike  Treves, 
as  the  Judge  knows.'  " 

Another  anecdote  to  the  same  purpose  is  related  in  the 
work  :  "  On  one  occasion  when  some  of  our  fishermen  were 
in  court  to  settle  a  mutiny  which  had  taken  place  on  the 
Grand  Banks  (of  Newfoundland),  one,  on  being  called  upon 
to  state  what  he  knew,  said,  that  the  skipper  and  one  of  his 
shipmates  had  what  he  called  a  '  jor  of  ile.'  The  presid- 
ing judge  in  vain  endeavored  to  get  a  more  intelligible  an- 
swer, and  finally  Judge  Story  was  called  upon,  as  usual,  to 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  45 

act  as  interpreter  to  his  townsman,  whicli  he  did,  telling 
the  court,  that  a  'jor  of  ile,'  in  the  Marblehead  dialect,  was 
'  a  jaw  awhile,'  which,  being  interpreted,  meant  that  the 
two  men  abused  each  other  grossly  for  some  time." 

Though  the  dialect  once  so  general  among  the  people  is 
now  almost  extinct,  there  are  many  words  used  occasionally 
to  know  the  meaning  of  which  would  puzzle  a  stranger. 
Often,  when  any  of  the  natives  feel  slightly  cold  or  chilly 
they  will  say  that  they  are  "  crimmy.''''  If  they  lose  their 
way  in  the  dark  and  become  confused  or  bewildered,  they 
will  say  that  they  were  '•''  pixilated^  In  speaking  of  the 
ceiling  of  a  room  many  of  the  older  people  still  call  it  the 
'■'■  plancliment.''''  When  a  lady,  on  examining  a  piece  of  sew- 
ing, finds  that  it  is  carelessly  or  improperly  done,  it  is  not 
unusual  to  hear  her  pronounce  the  work  '•'•  a  froachr  When 
food,  has  be^n  improperly  prepared,  or  is  not  suffi6iently 
cooked,  it  is  spoken  of  as   "  cautchr 

When  very  angry  for  any  reason,  it  is  a  common  occur- 
rence to  hear  some  one  exclaim  "  Squael  'im  up !  "  "  Squael 
something  at  him  !  "  or  "  He  ought  to  be  squaeled  up  !  " 
which,  being  interpreted,  means  "  Throw  something  at 
him  !  "   "  Stone  him  !  "  or  "  He  ought  to  be  stoned  !  " 

A  crumb  or  a  small  piece  of  anything  to  eat  is  called  a 
'"'' grummet,''^  and  a  sulky  or  ill-natured  person  is  said  to  be 
'"'' grouty  r 

There  were  other  words  and  phrases  commonly  used  by 
our  ancestors,  equally  as  curious  as  those  above  mentioned. 
These  will  suffice,  however,  as  an  evidence  of  a  dialect  now 
almost  extinct,  and  which  in  a  few  years  is  doomed  to  share 
the  fate  of  all  obsolete  words,  and  to  live  only  in  tradition 
or  on  the  pages  of  history. 

The  difficulties  against  which  the  sailors  on  board  the 
merchant  vessels  of  the  colony  were  obliged  to  contend  were 
for  many  years  greatly  augmented  by  pirates,  who  infested 
the  waters  on  the  coast  of  North  America.  In  June,  1722, 
Philip  Ashton,  Jr.,  a  young  man  belonging  in  Marblehead, 


46  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

was  taken  from  the  harbor  of  Port  Roseway  by  the  crew  of 
Edward  Low,  a  noted  pirate.  Confined  on  board  the  pirate 
ship,  narrowly  watched,  and  continually  in  fear  that  his 
life  would  be  taken,  Ashton  was  obliged  to  perform  the  most 
menial  services.  His  sufferings  from  hardship  and  the 
cruelty  of  the  crew  at  length  became  so  unendurable  that 
he  resolved  to  make  his  escape,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 
For  months  no  opportunity  presented  itself  ;  but  in  March, 
1723,  the  ship  stopped  at  a  small  and  desolate  island  off  the 
West  Indies  to  obtain  fresh  water.  Here  Ashton  was  sent 
on  shore  to  assist  in  rolling  the  hogsheads  to  the  watering 
place.  Watching  his  opportunity,  he  at  length  succeeded 
in  eluding  the  vigilance  of  his  captors,  and  running  to  the 
woods  concealed  himself  in  the  thick  brush  with  which  the 
island  abounded.  Supposing  at  first  that  he  had  gone  to 
gather  cocoa-nuts,  the  pirates  made  no  search  ^f or  him,  but 
finding  that  he  did  not  return  they  made  a  diligent  search, 
coming  several  times  so  near  his  place  of  concealment  that 
he  could  distinctly  hear  their  conversation.  At  length,  get- 
ting out  of  patience,  they  decided  to  leave  without  him,  and, 
to  his  great  joy  Ashton  saw  the  ship  sail  away  from  the 
island. 

But  though  liberated  from  the  pirates  his  hardships  were 
not  at  an  end.  Alone  on  a  desert  island,  with  no  shelter 
from  the  weather,  and  with  very  scanty  means  of  subsistence, 
his  sufferings  at  length  became  very  intense.  His  feet  be- 
came sore  and  blistered  from  exposure,  and  at  length,  to 
add  to  his  misfortunes,  he  was  nearly  prostrated  by  sickness. 
While  in  this  condition,  he  was  attacked  by  a  company  of 
Spaniards  who  visited  the  island,  and  narrowly  escaped  with 
his  life. 

Finally,  in  March,  1725,  nearly  three  years  after  he  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  pirates,  he  was  taken  from  the  island 
by  Captain  Dove  of  Salem,  who  had  put  in  there  for  water. 
When  released  from  his  perilous  situation  the  poor  fellow 
had  scarcely  a  rag  of   clothing  left,  and   the  kind-hearted 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  47 

sailors  who  rescued  him  were  obliged  to  clothe  him  from 
their  own  scanty  wardrobes. 

On  his  arrival  in  Mai'blehead  Ashton  was  received  as 
one  from  the  dead.  On  the  following  Sunday  the  Rev.  John 
Barnard  preached  a  sermon  concerning  his  miraculous  es- 
cape, the  text  being :  Daniel  iii.  17,  "  If  it  be  so  our  God 
whom  we  serve  is  able  to  deliver  us  from  the  burning  fiery 
furnace,  and  he  will  deliver  us  out  of  thine  hand,  O  King." 

At  about  the  same  time  that  Ashton  was  captured  by  the 
pirates,  his  cousin  Nicholas  Merritt  met  with  a  similar  mis- 
fortune. After  being  with  the  banditti  several  months  Mer- 
ritt found  means  to  escape,  though  he  did  not  return  to 
Marblehead  for  more  than  a  year  after. 


48  THE   HISTOEY    AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  V. 

In  1724,  the  town  having  developed  into  a  comparatively 
prosperous  and  enterprising  community,  various  measures  of 
public  utility  and  improvement  were  adopted.  The  old 
meeting-house  was  enlarged  by  an  addition  twenty  feet  long 
built  at  the  southeast  end.  Permission  was  granted  to  Na- 
than Bowen  to  open  a  public  school,  and  it  was  voted  to 
increase  the  salary  of  the  school-master,  and  to  adopt  some 
"proper  method  of  paying  Mr.  Cheever  his  salary."  The 
town  seems  to  have  experienced  great  difficulty  in  obtaining 
school-teachers,  and  finally,  at  a  town  meeting  held  March 
4, 1727,  it  was  voted  to  authorize  the  selectmen  to  hire  a 
school-master  at  a  salary  of  not  more  than  eighty  pounds 
for  the  first  year.  At  the  same  meeting  it  was  voted  to 
build  a  town  house,  and  the  selectmen  were  chosen  a  com- 
mittee to  "  treat  with  some  workmen  in  order  for  the  build- 
ing said  house  and  make  return  to  ye  next  town  meeting." 
It  was  also  voted  that  "  the  Town  House  shall  be  built  on 
ye  land  where  the  Gale  and  .Cagge^  now  stands  on."  At  a 
subsequent  meeting,  on  the  17th  of  the  following  April,  the 
town  voted,  in  accordance  with  the  report  of  the  selectmen, 
to  build  "  the  Town  House  fifty  feet  long,  thirty  feet 
wide  and  twenty-three  feet  stud."  The  selectmen  were 
chosen  to  superintend  the  erection  of  the  building,  and  the 
following  year,  1728,  the  work  was  completed. 

In  October,  1727,  a  severe  storm  washed  away  and  greatly 

damaged  River  Head  Beach.    The  damage  was  so  great  that 

the  town  could  not  afford  the  expense  of  repairing  it,  and  at 

a  town  meeting  held  shortly  after  it  was  voted  to  petition 

1  Jail  and  Cage. 


Abbot  Hall. 


Old  Town  House. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  49 

the    General   Court,   "  praying   the   care   of   the  Province 
therein." 

The  first  town  meeting  held  in  the  town  house  after  its 
completion,  was  probably  held  on  the  17th  of  March,  1728, 
as  that  is  the  date  of  the  first  meeting  called  to  meet  there 
of  which  there  is  any  record. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1730,  intelligence  was  received 
in  Marblehead  that  the  small-pox  was  raging  in  the  town  of 
Boston.  As  rumors  of  the  fatal  effects  of  this  dread  and 
loathsome  disease  became  more  prevalent  the  excitement  of 
the  people  approached  almost  to  frenzy.  A  town  meeting 
was  called  and  it  was  voted  to  build  a  fence  across  the  road 
near  the  entrance  to  the  town.  This  fence  was  provided 
with  a  gate  which  was  kept  locked,  and  a  guard  of  four  men 
were  stationed,  with  instructions  to  "  restrain  all  strangers 
from  Boston  entering  the  town."  The  guard  was  kept  on 
day  and  night  for  over  two  months,  being  relieved  every 
twenty-four  hours.  Negroes,  Indians,  and  mulatto  slaves 
were  forbidden  to  walk  the  streets  after  nine  o'clock  at 
night,  and  every  possible  precaution  was  taken  to  prevent 
the  disease  from  making  its  appearance.  But  all  in  vain. 
In  October  a  young  woman  named  Hannah  Waters  was 
taken  sick,  and  the  disease,  to  the  consternation  of  the  in- 
habitants, proved  to  be  the  small-pox  in  its  most  contagious 
form.  The  pestilence,  having  obtained  a  foothold,  spread 
from  house  to  house  in  defiance  of  the  almost  superhuman 
efforts  of  the  panic-stricken  inhabitants,  and  ere  long  nearly 
every  family  was  afflicted  by  sickness  or  death.  Many  of 
the  people  in  their  terror  fled  from  the  town.  Business  of 
all  kinds  was  suspended,  and  quarantine  was  declared  against 
Marblehead  by  all  the  neighboring  towns.  Nurses  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  sick  were  forbidden  to  appear  in  the 
streets,  and  "  all  dogs  running  at  large  "  were  ordered  to 
be  killed.  The  disease  continued  its  fearful  ravages  till  late 
in  the  summer  of  1731,  and  gathered  its  victims  with  an 
unsparing  hand.    Rich  and  poor,  old  and  young,  the  learned 

4 


60  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

and  the  unlettered  were  alike  afflicted  by  this  impartial 
agent  of  death,  and  finally  only  two  members  of  the  Board 
of  Selectmen  remained  to  discharge  the  duties  of  their  office. 
A  meeting  was  called  by  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  town,  and  others  were  elected  to 
fill  the  vacancies.  The  town  was  not  declared  free  from  the 
disease  till  nearly  a  year  after  its  appearance.  The  number 
of  deaths  caused  by  the  pestilence  is  not  recorded,  but  it  is 
certain  that  few  towns  in  the  country  have  ever  been  visited 
by  a  calamity  more  fatal  or  disastrous  in  its  effect. 

The  people  had  not  recovered  from  the  blighting  effects 
of  the  terrible  visitation  to  which  they  had  been  subjected 
when  another  burden  was  laid  upon  them.  As  soon  as  the 
fishing  business  began  to  resume  its  accustomed  activity  a 
law  was  passed  by  the  legislature  requiring  a  tax  of  six- 
pence per  month  from  every  fisherman  in  the  province.  The 
penalty  for  the  non-payment  of  this  tax  was  a  fine  of  twenty 
pounds  sterling.  The  passage  of  this  act  was  regarded  as  a 
great  hardship  by  the  fishermen  of  Marblehead,  who  com- 
plained that  they  could  barely  obtain  a  livelihood,  and  could 
ill  afford  to  pay  the  tax.  Finally  one  45 en j  ami n  Boden,  a 
man  more  daring  than  his  associates,  determined  to  resist 
what  he  termed  "  the  imposition,"  and  flatly  refused  to  com- 
ply with  the  requirements  of  the  law.  The  collector,  Wil- 
liam Fairchild,  Esq.,  after  vainly  demanding  the  tax,  brought 
a  suit  against  the  delinquent  for  the  amount.  This  action 
on  the  part  of  the  collector  caused  great  excitement  through- 
out the  town,  and  finally  a  town  meeting  was  called  to  con- 
sider the  matter.  At  this  meeting  the  tax  was  denounced 
as  unjust  and  oppressive,  and  the  town  voted  to  pay  the 
penalty  and  the  costs  of  any  suit  or  suits  arising  from  a  re- 
sistance to  the  six-penny  act. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1737,  the  Rev.  Edward  Holyoke, 
pastor  of  the  Second  Congregationalist  Church,  was  unani- 
mously chosen  by  the  Board  of  Overseers  of  Harvard  Col- 
lege to  fill  the  office   made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Presi- 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  51 

dent  Wadsworth.  At  first  his  people  strenuously  objected 
to  his  acceptance  of  the  office,  but  after  several  meetings  for 
prayer  and  conference  had  been  held  they  gave  their  con- 
sent and  Mr.  Holyoke  departed  for  Cambridge.  At  the  last 
of  these  meetings  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Rev.  John 
Barnard,  who  prayed  long  and  earnestly  that  the  people 
might  be  reconciled  to  part  with  their  pastor.  The  prayer 
had  the  desired  effect,  and  when  some  of  the  people  were 
asked  why  they  consented  to  part  with  so  valuable  a  man 
and  so  excellent  a  j^astor,  the  quaint  reply  was :  "  Old  Bar- 
nard prayed  him  away."  ^ 

In  April,  1742,  the  General  Court  granted  the  sura  of  five 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  for  tbe  purpose  of  erecting  a  for- 
tification for  the  defense  of  the  harbor  against  the  French 
cruisers.  This  action,  though  in  accoixlance  with  a  petition 
from  the  town  presented  a  few  years  before,  was  the  cause 
of  a  great  deal  of  contention,  and  not  a  little  ill  feeling, 
among  the  inhabitants.  Three  gentlemen  were  chosen 
treasurers  of  the  fund,  and  a  committee  of  five  were  elected 
to  call  upon  the  captain-general  and  receive  the  money, 
with  instructions  to  pay  it  over  to  the  treasurers.  The 
most  careful  preparations  were  made  for  the  security  of  the 
money  when  it  should  be  received.  An  iron-bound  chest 
was  provided,  fastened  with  two  locks,  and  the  town  voted 
that  it  should  not  be  opened  except  in  the  presence  of  all 
three  of  the  treasurers.  A  few  days  after  the  passage  of 
this  vote,  two  of  the  treasurers  announced  their  refusal  to 
serve,  and  Messrs.  Thomas  Gerry,  and  Nathan  Bowen  were 
chosen  to  fill  the  vacancies,  the  other  gentleman  being  Capt. 
Joseph  Swett.  The  committee  chosen  to  receive  the  money 
did  not  pay  it  over  to  the  treasurers  as  soon  as  was  thought 
proper,  and  finally,  at  a  meeting  held  in  November,  the 
treasurers  were  authorized  to  sue  them  in  the  name  of  the 
town.  This  vote  does  not  appear  to  have  been  carried  into 
effect,  however,  and  at  a  meeting  held  in  January,  1743,  the 
1  Massachusetts  Historical  Collection,  vol.  t. 


62  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

selectmen  were  authorized  to  call  upon  the  committee  and 
demand  a  report  of  what  had  been  done  with  the  money. 
It  is  probable  that  the  committee  held  the  money  in  their 
hands  upon  some  legal  technicality,  for  at  another  meeting 
the  town  treasurer  is  authorized  to  receive  it,  and  no  more  is 
said  of  the  matter  in  the  records.  Another  grant  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds  had  been  made  by  the  Gen- 
eral Court  in  November,  and  the  fort  was  probably  com- 
pleted during  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1742.  This  fort, 
which  is  still  standing,  was  afterwards  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  and  for  many  years  has  been  known  as  Fort  Sewall, 
having  been  named  in  honor  of  Chief  Justice  Samuel 
Sewall,  a  distinguished  citizen  of  Marblehead. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write  Marblehead  boasted  a 
public  house  or  tavern  known  as  the  "  Fountain  Inn."  To 
this  house  the  captains  of  vessels  and  the  gentry  of  the  col- 
ony resorted  when  they  visited  the  town,  and  there  the 
fishermen,  many  of  them,  spent  their  evenings  and  their 
money  when  they  returned  from  successful  voyages.  It  was 
whispered  that  certain  pirates  and  smugglers  who  were 
known  to  have  visited  the  town  had  found  a  friendly  shel- 
ter beneath  its  roof.  These  stories  may  or  may  not  have 
been  true,  but  there  were  those  living  who  remembered 
when  a  gang  of  pirates  had  been  apprehended  and  arrested 
in  the  streets  of  Marblehead.^  They  remembered,  also,  with 
what  a  lavish  hand  these  pirates  expended  their  money,  and 
the  excitement  caused  in  the  town  when  several  of  tlie  in- 
habitants were  arrested  for  receiving  it.  The  Fountain 
Inn,  however,  was  to  be  made  famous  by  a  moi'e  romantic 
tale  than  any  yet  related  by  the  gossiping  girls  and  women 
of  the  village.  One  day  in  the  autu.mn  of  1742  a  coach 
and  four  drove  up  to  the  door  of  the  Inn,  and  a  young 
and  handsome  gentleman  alighted  and  entered.  The  guest 
was  Sir  Harry  Frankland,  then  collector  of  the  Fort  of 
Boston,  who  had  come  to  Marblehead  to  superintend  the 
1  Quelch,  the  pirate,  is  said  to  have  been  arrested  here,  in  1704. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  53 

building  of  the  fort,  which  was  then  in  process  of  erection. 
As  he  entered  the  house  he  was  struck  by  the  surpassing 
beauty  of  a  young  girl,  apparently  about  sixteen  years  of 
age,  who  on  her  bended  knees  was  scrubbing  the  stairs.  No- 
ticing that  her  dress  was  poor  and  scanty,  and  that  her  feet 
were  destitute  of  shoes  and  stockings,  he  called  her  to  his 
side  and  presenting  her  with  money,  told  her  to  purchase 
a  pair  of  shoes.  The  artless  simplicity,  the  beauty,  and 
the  exceedingly  musical  voice  of  the  young  girl  interested 
Frankland,  and  he  at  once  made  inquiries  concerning  her 
history.  Her  name,  he  learned,  was  Agnes  Surriage,  and 
that  she  was  the  daughter  of  Edward  Surriage,  a  poor  but 
honest  fisherman. 

A  short  time  after,  when  Frankland  again  visited  the 
town,  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  little  maid  still  working 
without  shoes  and  stockings,  and  to  his  inquiry  why  she  had 
not  purchased  them  she  replied  :  "  I  have  indeed,  sir,  with 
the  crown  you  gave  me  ;  but  I  keep  them  to  wear  to  meet- 
ing." ^  Sir  Harry's  heart  was  touched.  Taking  the  blush- 
ing girl  by  the  hand,  he  said :  "  Would  you  like  to  go  to 
school  ?  Will  you  go  with  me  if  I  will  take  you  from  this 
life  of  toil  and  drudgery  ?  I  will  educate  you,  and  you 
shall  be  a  lady."  Then,  seeking  her  parents,  he  obtained 
their  permission  to  remove  her  to  Boston,  where  she  was 
permitted  to  enjoy  the  best  educational  advantages  which 
the  place  then  afforded.  For  several  years  she  pursued  her 
studies  at  school,  and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  all  the  graces 
and  apcomplishments  then  thought  necessary  for  a  well-bred 
and  fashionable  lady.  The  beauty  of  Sir  Harry  Frankland's 
ward  was  for  some  time  the  theme  of  conversation  in  the 
aristocratic  circles  of  Boston.  A  few  years  and  their  rela- 
tionship was  discussed  in  a  far  different  manner.  Charges 
of  improper  intimacy  were  freely  made,  and  with  Puritanic 
firmness  the  polite  society  of  the  town  refused  to  recognize 
one  whom  they  believed  to  be  guilty  of  transgressing  the 

1  Life  of  Sir  Charles  Henry  Frankland,  by  Elias  Nason,  M.  A. 


54  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

most  holy  laws  of  God  and  man.  Poor  Agnes.  Her  bene- 
factor Lad,  indeed,  succeeded  in  gaining  her  affections,  but 
the  pride  of  race  and  position  prevented  him  from  wedding 
one  whom  he  considered  of  ignoble  birth.  The  indignation 
of  the  people  against  "  an  alliance  unsanctioned  by  the  holy 
rite  of  matrimony  "  at  length  became  so  great  that  "  the 
young  collector  resolved  to  seek  a  residence  for  himself, 
Agnes,  and  his  retainers,  in  the  seclusion  of  the  country." 

Accordingly  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  village 
of  Hopkinton,  where,  on  a  hill  commanding  a  full  view  of 
the  surrounding  country,  he  erected  a  commodious  manor 
house.  The  grounds  were  laid  out  in  a  beautiful  and  artis- 
tic manner.  Trees  and  shrubs,  and  choice  plants  of  almost 
every  description  were  set  out  to  adorn  the  estate,  which 
soon  became  one  of  the  finest  country  seats  in  the  province. 

For  several  years  Frankland  and  Agnes  Surriage  resided 
at  Hopkinton,  surrounded  with  every  comfort  which  wealth 
could  command,  and  devoting  themselves  wholly  to  the  pleas- 
ures of  a  life  of  ease.  The  labor  of  the  plantation  was  per- 
formed by  slaves,  upon  whom  the  entire  care  of  the  vast 
estate  devolved,  while  their  master  was  hunting,  riding,  or 
fishing  with  his  lady. 

During  the  year  1754  Frankland  was  unexpectedly  called 
to  England  to  transact  business  of  importance,  and  em- 
barked with  Agnes  Surriage  for  London.  On  his  arrival  he 
attempted  to  introduce  his  fair  ward  into  the  circle  of  his 
family,  but  in  spite  of  his  most  earnest  solicitations  in  her 
behalf  she  was  treated  with  the  utmost  disdain. 

Having  settled  the  business  upon  which  he  had  been 
called  to  London,  the  young  baronet  spent  a  few  months  in 
making  a  tour  of  Europe,  and  then,  with  his  ward,  proceeded 
to  Lisbon,  the  capital  of  Portugal,  where  he  hired  a  house 
and  entered  at  once  into  the  gay  round  of  fashionable  life. 
It  was  during  their  residence  at  Lisbon  that  the  great  earth- 
quake of  November,  1755,  occurred,  which  brought  Frank- 
land  to  a  realization  of  the  wicked  and  dissolute  life  he  was 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  55 

leading,  and  caused  him  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  right  the 
wrongs  he  had  done  poor  Agnes  Surriage.  The  day  was 
All-saints-day,  one  of  the  greatest  festivals  of  the  Romish 
and  Anglican  churches,  and  almost  the  entire  population  of 
the  great  city  had  assembled  in  the  churches,  when  the 
shock  of  the  earthquake  burst  upon  them,  burying  thou- 
sands in  the  ruins  of  the  falling  temples.  Frankland  was 
riding  with  a  lady  to  attend  the  services  at  one  of  the 
churches,  when  the  walls  of  a  building  tottered,  and  fell 
over  them,  enveloping  horses,  carriage,  and  its  occupants 
in  the  ruins.  The  death  agony  of  the  unfortunate  lady  was 
so  great  that  she  bit  entirely  through  the  sleeve  of  the  scar- 
let coat  of  her  companion,  and  tore  a  piece  of  flesh  from  his 
arm.  The  horses  were  instantly  killed,  and  only  Frankland 
was  spared  alive.  Buried  beneath  the  ruins  he  made  a  sol- 
emn vow  that  if  it  pleased  God  to  deliver  him  from  death 
he  would  thenceforth  lead  a  better  life.  Meanwhile,  where 
was  Agnes  Surriage  ?  Left  alone  in  the  house  of  her  lover, 
she  ran  into  the  street  upon  the  first  intimation  of  the  im- 
pending danger,  and  so,  miraculously,  her  life  had  been 
spared.  Wandering  almost  frantic  with  grief  among  the 
ruins,  the  sounds  of  a  well-known  voice  arrested  her  atten- 
tion, and  recognizing  it  as  Frankland's,  she  worked  with  al- 
most superhuman  strength  to  secure  his  release.  In  the 
course  of  an  hour  her  efforts  were  successful,  and  the  baro- 
net was  rescued  from  the  horrors  of  a  living  tomb.  He  was 
carried  to  a  house  near  by,  his  wounds  were  dressed,  and 
then,  faithful  to  his  vow,  a  priest  was  sent  for,  and  Agnes 
Surriage  received  the  reward  of  her  love  and  self-sacrificing 
devotion,  and  became  the  Lady  Agnes  Frankland. 

"No  more  her  faithful  heart  shall  bear 
These  griefs  so  meekly  borue,  — 
The  passing  sneer,  th.e  freezing  stare. 
The  icy  look  of  scorn." 

Sir  Harry  and  his  wife  set  out  for  England  shortly  after 
their  marriage,  and  then,  to  make  the  solemn  rite  doubly 


56  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

sure,  tbey  were  again  married  on  board  the  boat  during  tbeir 
passage,  by  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  On 
their  arrival  in  London  the  Lady  Agnes  was  received  with 
every  mark  of  esteem  by  the  family  of  her  husband,  and 
her  beauty  and  charming  manners  readily  gained  her  access 
to  the  most  cultivated  and  aristocratic  circles  of  the  city. 
After  a  brief  residence  in  London  and  Lisbon,  Sir  Harry 
and  Lady  Frankland  returned  to  Boston,  where  they  j)ur- 
chased  an  elegant  mansion  in  the  most  aristocratic  portion 
of  the  town  for  a  winter  residence,  spending  their  summers 
on  the  beautiful  estate  at  Hopkinton.  "  Though  Lady 
Frankland  had  thus  risen  from  obscurity  to  this  command- 
ing social  position,  she  did  not  allow  herself  to  forget  her 
humble  origin,  or  cease  to  cherish  a  sister's  kind  regard  for 
the  other  members  of  her  family.  She  received  and  sup- 
ported Sarah  and  John  M'Clester,  her  sister  INIar^^'s  chil- 
dren ;  and  her  brother,  Isaac  Surriage,  seaman,  alwajs  found 
a  hearty  welcome  to  her  hospitable  mansion."  ^  A  few  years 
before,  through  her  influence,  Sir  Harry  had  purchased  a 
claim  to  a  tract  of  land  in  Maine,  held  by  INIrs.  Surriage, 
who  was  then  a  widow,  for  which  he  paid  her  several  hun- 
dred pounds,  thus  enabling  her  to  live  comfortably  during 
the  remainder  of  her  days. 

Frankland  was  appointed  Consul-general  of  Portugal  in 
1757,  and  in  that  capacity  resided  at  Lisbon  for  several 
years.  Li  1763  he,  with  Lady  Frankland,  returned  to 
America,  and  resided  at  Hopkinton  until  his  declining 
health  caused  them  to  leave  the  country  and  take  up  a 
residence  at  Bath,  England,  where  he  died  in  1768,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years.  After  the  death  of  her  husband 
Lady  Agnes  returned  to  her  estate  at  Hopkinton,  where  she 
continued  to  reside,  respected  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
her,  till  the  summer  of  1775,  when  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolution  caused  her  to  return  to  England.  As  her  car- 
riage was  on  the  way  to  Boston  it  was  stopped  by  a  com- 

1  Nason's  Life  of  Frankland, 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  57 

pany  of  Continental  soldiers,  under  command  of  Abner 
Croft,  a  zealous  patriot,  and  Lady  Frankland  and  her  goods 
were  held  in  custody  until  released  by  order  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Safety.  Defended  by  a  guard  of  soldiers  her  car- 
riage was  finally  permitted  to  enter  Boston,  and  while  there 
she  witnessed  from  the  windows  of  her  residence  the  ter- 
rible conflict  at  Bunker  Hill.  Shortly  after  she  sailed  for 
England,  and  after  residing  in  the  Frankland  family  for 
several  years  "  was  married  to  John  Drew,  Esq.,  a  wealthy 
banker  of  Chichester."  She  died  April  23, 1783,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  years.  The  estate  at  Hopkinton  was  be- 
queathed at  her  death  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Swain,  and  finally 
passed  into  the  hands  of  her  brother,  Isaac  Surriage,  the 
last  member  of  her  family  who  owned  it.  ^.-' 

Such  is  the  story  of  Agnes  Surriage,  the  daughter  of  a 
poor  fisherman  of  Marblehead.  Our  readers  will  pardon 
the  digression  necessary  to  relate  it,  and,  with  their  permis- 
sion, Ave  will  now  return  to  the  events  of  the  year  1742. 

The  controversies  which  agitated  the  colony  during  the 
administration  of  Governor  Belcher,  regarding  a  fixed  sal- 
ary for  the  governor,  and  the  right  of  the  province  to  issue 
bills  of  credit,  seem  to  have  produced  no  excitement  in  Mar- 
blehead. Though  the  inhabitants  were,  doubtless,  deeply 
interested  in  the  result  of  the  controversy,  they  do  not  ap- 
pear to  have  espoused  the  cause  of  either  party  very  ar- 
dently, and  the  town  was  free  from  the  tumults  which  then, 
and  a  few  years  later,  tbreateiled  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the 
colony. 

During  the  year  1743  the  religious  movement  known  as 
the  "  great  awakening "  swept  like  a  whirlwind  through 
every  town  in  the  province.  Jonathan  Edwards  had, 
through  his  preaching,  aroused  the  minds  of  the  people  on 
religious  subjects,  and  when,  a  short  time  after,  the  cele- 
brated Whitefield  made  his  appearance  on  the  scene,  he  was 
welcomed  with  enthusiasm  everywhere.  Through  his  elo- 
quence  and   psychological  power  as  an  agitator,  hundreds 


58  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

were  brought  into  the  churches,  and  the  result  was  a  con- 
troversy  which  long  agitated  the  colony.  The  Calvinists 
welcomed  and  encouraged  the  enthusiast  wherever  he  went, 
and  the  Arminians  were  correspondingly  as  strong  and  bit- 
ter in  their  opposition  to  his  teachings  and  practices.  In 
1744  he  visited  Marblehead,  and  here,  as  elsewhere,  his  la- 
bors resulted  in  producing  the  most  violent  and  intense  ex- 
citement. The  Rev.  Mr.  Malcom,  rector  of  St.  Michael's 
Church,  engaged  in  an  exciting  discussion  with  him  relative 
to  some  of  his  teachings,  and  the  cause  of  Whitefield  was 
warmly  espoused  by  the  pastors  of  the  Congregational 
churches. 

The  controversy  incident  to  the  advent  of  Whitefield  had 
not  ceased  when  the  difficulties  which  had  long  been  threat- 
ening with  France  developed  into  a  declaration  of  war.  An 
English  garrison  on  the  border  between  the  French  and 
English  colonies  had  been  attacked,  and  four  companies  of 

CD 

sixty  men  each  were  raised  in  jNIassachusetts  and  sent  to 
Nova  Scotia,  for  the  protection  of  Annapolis.  An  expedi- 
tion was  planned  for  the  conquest  of  Louisburg,  an  impor- 
tant French  stronghold,  and  the  plans  were  rejected  by  the 
legislature.  Upon  the  petition  of  the  merchants  of  Bos- 
ton and  Salem,  and  the  fishermen  of  Marblehead,  the  vote 
was  reconsidered,  and  the  plans  were  adopted  by  a  majority 
of  a  single  vote.  The  expedition,  consisting  of  three  thou- 
sand men  and  several  frigates  and  gun-boats,  was  at  length 
fitted  out,  and  the  command  was  given  to  Sir  William  Pep- 
perell.  Though  there  is,  unfortunately,  no  record  of  the 
part  taken  by  the  men  of  Marblehead  in  this  expedition, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  many  of  the  sailors  who 
manned  the  gun-boats  were  fishermen  from  this  port.  The 
town  records  bear  testimony  to  the  interest  manifested  by 
the  inhabitants  in  the  result  of  the  contest.  The  fort  was 
put  in  readiness  to  repel  an  attack  at  any  moment.  Breast- 
works were  erected  along  the  coves  and  beaches  of  the  town. 
Parapets  to  "  cover  our  men  "  'and  to  "  oppose  and  annoy 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  69 

the  enemy  should  they  attempt  to  kind  "  were  constructed 
at  every  vuhierable  point.  For  days  the  men  were  sum- 
moned at  the  beat  of  the  drum  early  in  the  morning  to 
assist  in  erecting  these  fortifications,  and  it  was  determined 
to  give  the  enemy  a  deadly  reception. 

But  for  once  the  heroic  fishermen  did  not  have  a  chance 
to  display  their  bravery.  Their  warlike  preparations  were 
hardly  completed  before  the  news  was  received  of  the  suc- 
cess of  the  expedition,  and  the  surrender  of  Louisburg. 
This  ended  the  war,  and  the  people  of  Marblehead  returned 
to  their  usual  and  more  peaceful  avocations. 

In  May,  1747,  a  school  for  poor  children  was  established 
through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Robert  Hooper,  Jr.,  who 
agreed  to  pay  the  necessary  expenses  and  the  salary  of  the 
teacher,  if  the  town  would  fit  up  and  furnish  a  school-house. 
The  proposal  was  accepted  and  the  selectmen  were  in- 
structed to  "  fit  up  the  school-house  and  grant  a  lease  "  of 
it  for  the  purpose. 

During  the  same  year  several  of  the  inhabitants  peti- 
tioned for  a  town  meeting  to  take  action  in  regard  to  the 
"  old  school-house,"  which  was  represented  as  being  "  much 
out  of  repair,  and  at  present  unfit  for  public  use."  The  pe- 
tition, which  is  signed  by  Nathan  Bowen,  Samuel  Graves, 
Robert  Harris,  John  Stacey,  and  other  well-known  citizens, 
gives  the  following  additional  reason  why  the  dilapidated 
building  should  be  closed.  "  And  forasmuch  as  John  Pick- 
ett and  Ann  his  wife  have  Illegally  entered  into  said  House, 
and  by  means  of  their  being  frequently  in  drink  and  making 
large  fires  in  said  House  where  there  is  no  proper  hearth,  the 
sd  house  (and  the  contiguous  neighbourhood)  are  in  contin- 
ual danger  of  being  consumed."  The  meeting  was  called 
according  to  the  request  of  the  petitioners,  and  it  was  voted 
"  to  remove  the  persons  and  goods  "  of  the  offenders  and  to 
nail  up  the  school-house  in  order  to  guard  against  further 
depredations  of  a  similar  nature. 

The  town  at  this  time  is  estimated  to  have  contained 


60  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

about  four  hundred  and  fifty  houses.  The  fishery  had  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  that  over  eighty  schooners  sailed 
from  the  harbor,  and  six  hundred  men  and  boys  were  em- 
ployed in  the  industry.  This  comprised,  probably,  nearly 
the  entire  male  population  of  the  town.  When  a  boy  had 
attained  the  age  of  eleven  or  twelve  years  he  was  sent  to  sea, 
and  there  were  many  instances  where  children  of  not  more 
than  nine  years  of  age  were  taken  to  "  the  banks,"  to  assist 
in  the  support  of  a  large  family.  During  the  first  four 
years  of  a  boy's  life  at  sea  he  was  termed  -a  "  cut-tail," 
from  the  fact  that  he  received  pay  only  for  the  fish  actually 
caught  by  himself,  and  was  obliged  to  cut  a  small  piece 
from  the  tail  of  every  fish  he  caught  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  others  when  the  fare  was  weighed  and  sold.  A 
full  crew  consisted  of  eight  persons,  four  of  whom  were 
"sharesmen,"  the  others  being  boys  in  the  various  stages 
of  apprenticeship.  When,  after  an  experience  of  four  years, 
a  boy  was  considered  competent  to  catch  a  full  share  of  fish, 
he  was  promoted  to  the  important  post  of  "header,"  and 
was  admitted  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  a  "  sharesman." 
As  he  became  quahfied  he  could  then  assume  the  duties  of 
"  splitter  "  or  "  Salter  "  if  he  chose ;  but  it  was  necessary 
for  him  to  pass  through  all  the  various  grades  of  labor  in 
order  to  obtain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  before 
he  could  be  permitted  to  take  command  of  a  vessel,  and  be- 
come a  "skipper.'' 

The  fishermen  lived  on  equal  terms  on  board  their  vessels. 
Every  man  was  personally  interested  in  the  result  of  the 
voyage,  and  all  worked  with  untiring  energy  for  a  success- 
ful "trip"  and  as  large  a  "fare"  as  possible.  Dory  and 
trawl  fishing  were  then  unknown.  The  fishing  was  done  en- 
tirely from  the  vessels,  and  every  man  had  his  appointed 
station  and  was  expected  to  occupy  it  when  at  the  lines  dur- 
ing the  entire  trip. 

The  boats  usually  went  to  the  "  banks  "  twice  a  year,  in 
the  spring  and  in  the  fall,  and  remained  from  three  to  five 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  61 

months,  or  until  a  full  fare  was  obtained.  On  their  return 
the  salt  was  washed  from  the  fish,  and  they  were  then  cured, 
as  at  present,  on  flakes  in  the  open  air. 

The  year  1751  marks  an  important  era  in  the  annals  of 
Marblehead.  During  that  year,  the  fire  department  was 
organized.  As  the  townsliip  was  composed  almost  entirely 
of  wooden  buildings,  the  necessity  of  procuring  a  fire  engine 
was  considered  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  in  November, 
1750,  a  vote  was  passed  authorizing  the  selectmen. to  pur- 
chase an  "  engine,  of  the  third  size,  with  the  necessary  pipes 
and  a  dozen  of  leather  buckets."  This  vote  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  carried  into  effect,  however,  nor  was  there  any 
necessity  for  so  doing.  Robert  Hooper,  Esq,,  a  wealthy  and 
generous  merchant,  anticipating  the  needs  of  the  community 
in  which  he  resided,  ordered  an  engine  at  his  own  expense, 
and  on  its  arrival,  during  the  month  of  March  in  the  fol- 
lowing year,  presented  it  to  the  town.  The  simple  record 
of  the  fact  as  entered  on  the  books  of  the  town  speaks  vol- 
umes for  the  unostentatious  manner  of  its  presentation,  and 
the  gratitude  with  which  it  was  received.  "  JNIarch  19, 1751, 
voted  the  thanks  of  the  town  to  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  for 
his  donation  of  a  Fire  Engine  this  day  made  to  the  town." 

At  the  same  meeting  the  fire  department  was  organized 
by  the  election  of  a  "  Board  of  Firewards  "  as  follows  : 
"  Voted  :  That  Capt,  Nathan  Bowen,  Capt.  George  New- 
marsh,  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  Capt.  Richard  Reed,  and  Mr. 
Jeremiah  Lee,  be  Firewards  for  the  year  ensuing."  The 
firewards  were  authorized  to  appoint  a  suitable  company  for 
the  engine,  or  any  other  engine  which  should  belong  to  the 
to'wn,  "  and  to  covenant  with  these  appointed  to  work  and 
govern  them  that  they  shall  be  exempt  from  military  duty 
and  from  serving  as  fence  viewers,  hog-reeves  or  tythiug 
men  so  long  as  they  shall  serve  in  said  company." 

There  appears  to  be  no  record  of  the  names  of  those  as- 
signed to  the  engine,  but  a  few  years  later  (1755)  the  fire- 
wards appointed  Robert  Harris,  captain  of  the  "  Great  Fire 


62  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Engine  "  with  the  following  company  :  Will  Bowden,  John 
Bowden,  Henry  Trevett,  John  Pearce,  Richard  Wood,  Wil- 
liam Bassett,  John  Andrews,  Robert  Plarris,  John  Neal, 
Joseph  Bubier,  Benjamin  Darling,  3d,  Benjamin  Doe,  1st. 

The  engine  presented  by  Mr.  Hooper  was  undoubtedly 
the  "  Friend,"  which  was  located  on  Front  Street  near  Good- 
win's Court.  The  next  engine,  which  was  purchased  for 
the  town  in  London,  was  probably  the  one  named  the  "  En- 
deavor." It  was  located  for  many  years  near  "  Newtown 
Bridge,"  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  School  Streets. 

During  the  year  1752  the  small-pox  again  broke  out  in 
Boston,  and  the  usual  precautions  were  adopted  to  prevent 
the  disease  from  making  its  appearance  in  ]\Iarblehead.  A 
fence  and  guard  were  placed  at  the  entrance  to  the  town, 
strangers  were  forbidden  to  enter,  and  it  was  voted  to  send 
no  "  Representative  to  the  General  Court  that  year."  In 
spite  of  every  precaution,  including  a  general  inoculation 
of  the  inhabitants,  the  disease  again  made  its  appearance 
and  raged  for  several  months  with  great  severity,  though 
not  with  the  fatal  effect  of  the  pestilence  of  1730. 

The  practice  of  many  of  the  fishermen  who  spent  their 
time  in  the  winter  in  a  reckless  round  of  dissipation,  gam- 
bling, and  drunkenness  met  with  a  decided  rebuke  at  the 
annual  March  meeting  of  this  year.  Gathering  at  the  street 
corners  or  in  crowds  about  the  wharves,  it  had  long  been 
their  custom  to  "  pitch  pennies,"  a  mode  of  gambling  quite 
prevalent  in  nearly  every  seaport  in  the  colony  at  the  time. 
It  was  charged  that  by  this  practice  "  idleness  and  vice  were 
encouraged  to  the  great  reproach  and  damage  of  the  town," 
and  a  by-law  was  adopted  that  for  every  offense  of  this  na- 
ture committed  by  any  persons  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
and  upwards,  a  fine  of  ten  shillings  should  be  imposed.  In 
cases  where  the  offenders  were  children  or  servants  it  was 
decided  that  their  parents  or  masters  should  be  held  respon- 
sible. 

For  a  time  the  enforcement  of  this  wholesome  regulation 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  63 

put  a  decided  check  upon  the  practice,  but  the  quick-witted 
sailors  readily  found  means  to  evade  the  law  and  indulge  in 
their  favorite  pastime,  and  the  evil  continued  for  many- 
years,  in  defiance  of  every  effort  of  the  authorities  to  prevent 
it. 

The  bill  imposing  an  excise  duty  on  spirituous  liquors, 
wines,  lemons,  oranges,  etc.,  which  became  a  law  by  act  of 
the  General  Court  in  1754,  was  strenuously  opposed  by  the 
inhabitants  of  ]\Iarblehead.  The  town  had  now  become  one 
of  the  most  important  ports  of  entry  in  the  province.  The 
foreign  trade  was  yearly  assuming  proportions  which  gave 
the  most  encouraging  signs  of  a  prosperous  future.  The 
wealth  of  the  merchants  was  increasing  rapidly,  and  the 
people  were  reaping  a  rich  reward  from  their  industry.  The 
wharves  teemed  with  shipping,  and  the  merchant  vessels  of 
Marblehead  were  to  be  found  in  almost  every  port  of  im- 
portance in  EurojDe. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  granting  of  an  excise  to 
the  king  was  considered  as  especially  burdensome  to  the 
people  of  Marblehead,  and  several  town  meetings  were  held 
to  consider  the  matter,  and  to  protest  against  the  passage  of 
the  act.  The  representative  in  the  General  Court  was  in- 
structed "  to  use  all  proper  means  to  prevent "'  it  from  be- 
coming a  law,  and  finally,  at  a  town  meeting  held  in  Janu- 
ary, 1755,  six  of  the  most  prominent  merchants  were  chosen 
a  committee  "  to  petition  His  Majesty  to  disallow  the  act." 
The  members  of  this  committee  were  Robert  Hooper,  Esq., 
Mr.  Ebenezer  Stacey,  Col.  Jacob  Fowle,  Col.  Jeremiah 
Lee,  and  Capt.  Isaac  Freeman,  who  were  authorized  to  em- 
ploy an  eminent  London  lawyer  to  act  as  the  agent  of  the 
town,  and  petition  the  king  in  its  behalf. 

In  1755  the  war  known  as  the  "  French  and  Indian  War  " 
broke  out  between  the  French  and  English  over  the  terri- 
tory now  comprised  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  As  soon  as  hos- 
tilities were  actually  known  to  have  commenced  the  town 
began  to  take  measures  for  its  defense.    "  A  Powder  House 


64  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

or  Magazine  suitable  for  securiDg  ammunition  "  was  erected 
by  vote  of  the  town,  Col.  Jacob  Fowle,  Col.  Jeremiah  Lee, 
and  Major  Richard  Reed  being  members  of  the  building 
committee.^  The  depredations  of  the  French  on  the  sea 
against  the  commerce  and  fisheries  of  the  English  colonies 
during  the  following  year  were  severely  felt  in  Marblehead. 
Several  vessels  with  their  crews  belonging  here  were  cap- 
tured while  on  the  fishing  banks,  causing  great  distress 
among  their  families,  and  great  excitement  in  the  town.  The 
exposed  condition  of  the  harbor  caused  serious  apprehen- 
sions of  an  attack  from  the  enemy  when  the  people  were 
least  prepared  to  mee,t  it,  and  it  was  finally  voted  to  present 
a  petition  to  the  lieutenant-governor,  praying  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  province.  The  petition  j)rayed  also  for  the 
protection  of  the  fishing  interest,  and  stated  that  "  In  time 
of  war  the  fishery  is  prosecuted  with  much  greater  difficulty 
and  risk  than  any  other  branch  of  business,  as  will  appear 
by  the  late  capture  of  many  of  our  vessels  by  the  French, 
while  on  the  fishing  banks. 

"  That :  By  the  small  extent  of  our  town  (the  whole  ex- 
tent being  little  more  than  two  miles  square  ■  and  that  rocky 
and  barren,)  the  inhabitants  can  have  no  prospect  of  ex- 
changing this  for  a  more  profitable!)  employment,  in  time  to 
come." 

The  petition  concluded  as  follows' :  "  Tho'  our  Harbour  is 
well  situate  and  commodious  for  Nah^igation  and  fishery  yet 
the  same  is  by  nature  open  and  easy  of  access,  whereby  the 
vessels  of  His  Majesty's  Subjects  with  their  effects  and  es- 
tates lying  in  said  Town  and  Harbour,  are  exposed  to  the 
ravages  of  the  Meanest  Invader,  whom  we  are  in  no  condi- 
tion to  oppose.  Wherfore  we  the  sd  inhabitants  ]\Iost 
Humbly  pray  that  your  Hon""  will  be  pleased  to  take  the 
premeses  under  your  wise  Consideration,  and  act  thereon  as 
to  your  Honor  shall  seem  meet." 

The  disadvantages  to  which  the  commercial  and  fishing 

1  Tin's  Powder  House  is  still  staudinc:  on  Green  Street. 


OF  5IARBLEHEAD.  65 

interests  of  the  colonies  were  subjected  cannot  be  better  il- 
lustrated than  in  the  instances  of  seizures  by  the  French  of 
merchant  and  fishing  vessels  belonging  in  Marblehead. 

In  December,  1756,  the  schooner  Swallow,  owned  by  Rob- 
ert Hooper,  Esq.,  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Philip  Lewis, 
sailed  from  Marblehead  to  .the  West  Indies.  On  the  loth 
of  the  month,  having  been  but  but  a  few  days,  the  schooner 
was  captured  by  two  French  cruisers,  and  carried  into  Mar- 
tinico.  The  crew  were  imprisoned,  and  the  officers,  Cap- 
tain Lewis,  Mr.  Ashley  Bowen,  and  Mr.  George  Crownin- 
shield,  the  first  and  second  mates,  were  confined  in  a  public 
house  and  closely  guarded.  Watching  their  opportunity, 
they  finally  succeeded  in  eluding  the  vigilance  of  the  guard, 
and  escaped  from  the  house.  Seizing  a  small  schooner 
which  lay  in  the  harbor,  they  sailed  away  under  cover  of 
night,  and  at  length  reached  St.  Eustatia,  where  they  found 
friends  and  were  kindly  treated.  Among  others  who  were 
there  was  Mr.  James  Freeman,  of  Marblehead,  who  had 
purchased  a  sloop,  and  was  looking  for  some  competent 
person  to  take  command  and  go  to  Marblehead  in  her  with 
a  cargo  of  molasses.  As  Captain  Lewis  did  not  wish  to 
undertake  the  voyage,  Mr.  Bowen  was  appointed,  and 
the  vessel  reached  Marblehead  in  safet3^  The  unfortunate 
crew  of  the  Swallow,  who  were  imprisoned  at  Martinico, 
were  detained  as  prisoners  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
Theytwere  then  released,  and  were  obliged  to  work  their 
way  home  on  board  vessels  bound  for  the  various  ports  in 
the  colony. 

Early  in  the  month  of  April,  1759,  messengers  were  sent 
to  Marblehead  to  obtain  recruits  for  the  naval  service.  Act- 
ive preparations  were  then  in  progress  for  the  siege  of  Que- 
bec, and  the  town's  proportion  of  men  needed  for  this  serv- 
ice was  forty-five  able  seamen.  Mr.  Ashley  Bowen  en- 
listed as  a  midshipman,  and  in  a  short  time  thirty-two 
others  enlisted  as  common  sailors.  Each  man  received  a 
bounty,  and  a  certificate,  signed  by  the  governor,  promising 
5 


66  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

that  they  should  not  be  detained  in  the  service  longer  than 
the  time  for  which  they  enlisted  ;  that  they  should  be  free 
from  impressment,  and  be  landed  in  Boston  after  their  dis- 
charge. On  the  12th  of  April  they  sailed  from  Marble- 
head  for  Halifax,  where  they  arrived  on  the  16th,  and  the 
next  day  were  assigned  to  their  respective  ships.  Sixteen 
were  placed  on  board  the  ship  Pembroke,  a  frigate  of  sixty 
guns,  under  command  of  Captain  Wheelock,  and  the  others 
were  assigned  to  the  ship  Squirrel.  These  ships,  in  com- 
pany with  a  fleet  under  command  of  Rear  Admiral  Dur- 
rell,  sailed  for  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  arrived  before  Quebec 
with  the  expedition  commanded  by  General  Wolfe  during 
the  latter  part  of  June. 

On  the  night  of  June  28th  a  raft  of  fire  barges  was  sent 
down  from  Quebec  for  the  purpose,  if  possible,  of  destroy- 
ing the  fleet.  The  raft  was  grappled  by  the  sailors  before 
it  approached  near  enough  to  do  any  damage,  and  was 
towed  near  the  shore  and  anchored,  the  sailors  continually 
repeating,  "  All 's  well !  " 

From  a  remark  in  "  Knox's  Journal "  concerning  the 
affair,  we  are  led  to  believe  that  some  of  the  men  detailed 
for  this  work  were  from  Marblehead.  "  A  remarkable  ex- 
pression from  some  of  these  intrepid  souls  to  their  comrades 
on  this  occasion  I  must  not  omit,  from  its  singular  uncouth- 
ness,  '  Damn  me,  Jack,  didst  thee  ever  take  hell  in  tow 
before  ?  ' " 

For  two  months  the  army  of  General  Wolfe  was  encamped 
upon  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Montmorenci,  where  strong 
intrenchments  were  thrown  up,  from  which  an  almost  in- 
cessant fire  of  guns  and  mortars  was  poured  upon  the  city 
and  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  The  fleet  lay  at  anchor  within 
full  sight  of  the  fortress,  though  out  of  the  range  of  its  guns, 
and  arrangements  for  the  siege  were  rapidly  completed.  On 
the  13th  of  September,  in  the  darkness  of  the  early  morn- 
ing, the  boats  of  the  fleet  moved  down  the  river,  and  when 
the  sun  rose  the  astonished  French  commander  beheld  the 


,  OF   MARBLEHEAD.  67 

army  of  Wolfe  upon  the  Plains  of  Abraham.  Without  a 
moment's  hesitation  Montcalm  began  preparations  for  the 
battle.  At  sunset  the  contest  was  over,  Quebec  was  in  pos- 
session of  the  English,  and  the  gallant  commanders  of  both 
armies  were  mortally  wounded. 

This  victory  was  hailed  with  rejoicings  throughout  the 
colonies  and  in  England,  and  the  war  was  considered  as  vir- 
tually ended.  It  was  a  sad  day  for  France,  and  was  but  the 
beginning  of  the  end.  With  the  fall  of  Quebec,  Canada  was 
lost  to  her  forever,  and  with  it  the  last  hope  of  further  pos- 
sessions in  America. 

On  the  20th  of  September  the  men  of  Marblehead  were 
discharged  from  the  service,  and  with  others,  to  the  number 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty,  were  put  on  board  the  ship  Thorn- 
ton, and  transported  to  Boston.  The  entire  company  were 
placed  under  the  care  of  INIidshipman  Ashley  Bowen,  of  Mar- 
blehead. On  the  passage  homeward  many  of  the  men  were 
sick,  and  thirty-five  of  them  died.  Mr.  Bowen  was  exposed 
to  great  difficulty  and  danger,  as  nearly  the  entire  care  of 
the  sick  devolved  upon  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  person- 
ally superintend  the  burial  of  the  dead.  The  Thornton 
sailed  from  Quebec  on  the  8th  of  October,  and  arrived  in 
Boston  November  9. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  Marblehead  men  en- 
gaged in  the  siege  of  Quebec,  as  copied  from  the  manu- 
script journal  of  Mr.  Bowen  :  — 

ON    BOAED    THE    PEMBROKE. 

Ashley  Bowen,  midshipman,  Robert  Thompson,  died, 

William  Horn  (?),  (Orne),  Thomas  Woodfin, 

Edward  Akes,  Miles  Dollan, 

Jonathan  Welch,  deserted,  Edward  Kindeley, 

Robert  Bartlett,  Benjamin  Nichols, 

Garret  Farrell,  Arthnr  Lloyd, 

John  Batsman,  Edward  Saverin, 

Isaac  Warren,  died,  Zachary  Paine, 

Frederick  Swaburgs. 


68  THE   HISTORY  AND    TRADITIONS 

ON  BOARD  THE    SQUIRREL. 

John  Melzard,  Roper  Linsteed,  did  not  return, 
Thomas  Dove,  "William  Corkeriug,  did  not  re- 
William  Matthews,  turn, 
John  Stateman,  Chai'les  Jacobs, 
John  Goldsmith,  died,  William  Uncals, 
Thomas  Walpey  (Valpey),  Walter  Stevers,  did  not  return, 
Samuel  Look,  did  not  return,  Samuel  Linir,  died, 
Francis  Misalt,  died,  Thomas  Peach,  died. 

On  tLe  2d  of  January,  1761,  the  schooner  Prince  of 
Orange,  Nathan  Bowen,  master,  sailed  from  Marblehead  for 
some  port  in  Spain  or  Portugal.  While  on  the  passage, 
February  10th,  she  was  overtaken  and  captured  by  the 
French  brig  Gentile,  of  Bayonne.  Mr.  Bowen,  in  an  ac- 
count of  the  affair,  written  while  in  prison,  says,  "  I  was 
robbed  of  chest  and  clothes,  and  was  in  other  respects  ill- 
used.  On  Tuesday,  17th,  we  arrived  at  St.  Andreas ;  on 
Monday,  23d,  sailed  from  thence  in  company  with  my 
schooner  bound  for  Passage,  and  on  the  next  day  arrived 
there.  The  next  morning  we  were  all  sent  to  France,  and 
on  the  next  day  were  twenty  in  number  confined  in  this 
castle,  and  when  we  shall  get  clear  God  only  knows."  The 
prison  was  Bayonne  Castle,  France.  The  only  men  of  the 
crew  whose  names  can  be  ascertained  were,  Samuel  Lovis, 
William  Hannover,  Joseph  Lye,  Thomas  Trefry,  Amos 
Grandy,  and  Edward  Hallowell. 

In  June,  1762,  the  schooner  Rambler,  owned  by  Mr. 
Gamalial  Smethurst,  Ashley  Bowen,  master,  sailed  from 
Marblehead  for  Quebec.  While  on  the  passage  the  vessel 
was  boarded  by  a  company  of  armed  Frenchmen  and  In- 
dians, who  attempted  to  seize  her.  An  English  brig  for- 
tunately hove  in  sight  before  they  accomplished  their  pur- 
pose, however,  and  they  hastily  left  for  the  shore.  The 
vessel  was  not  molested  again  during  the  voyage,  and  at 
length  reached  her  destination  in  safety. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  69 

It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  regret  that  no  more  can  be 
learned  concerning  this  war,  of  a  local  nature.  But  that 
the  town  of  Marblehead  suffered  as  much  from  its  effects  as 
any  other  town  in  the  province,  and  that  its  people  behaved 
with  a  heroism  and  bravery  which  shed  lustre  upon  their 
annals,  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know. 

Peace  was  declared  in  1763,  and  though  England  rejoiced 
over  the  increase  of  her  possessions  in  consequence  of  the 
war  the  colonists  had  been  trained  and  disciplined  in  the 
very  arts  by  which  they  were  finally  to  achieve  their  inde- 
pendence. 

Meanwhile,  during  the  progress  of  the  war,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  at  home  had  not  been  idle.  At  the  annual 
town  meeting,  held  in  March,  1761,  it  was  voted,  on  account 
of  the  increasing  "  poor  idle,  vagrant  and  disorderly  per- 
sons," to  erect  a  work-house  on  the  back  side  of  the  piece 
of  ground  called  "  the  negro  burying  place."  The  sum  of 
five  hundred  pounds  was  appropriated  to  build  it,  and  the 
selectmen  were  instructed  to  petition  the  legislature  for 
permission  to  use  a  part  of  the  new  building  as  a  house  of 
correction.  The  building  was  erected  on  what  is  now 
known  as  Back  Street,  opposite  the  head  of  Pearl  Street. 

The  following  year  the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  name 
all  the  streets  and  alley-ways  in  the  town,  and  to  cause 
the  names  to  be  recorded  in  the  records  and  published  at 
the  Town  House.  Previous  to  this,  the  streets  had  been 
known  by  the  most  curious  names,  some  of  them  not  suit- 
able for  ears  polite.  In  many  instances  some  prominent 
landmark  gave  the  name  to  the  street  on  which  it  stood,  or 
which  led  to  it.  New  Meeting-house  Lane,  Wharf  Lane, 
Pond  Lane,  Frog  Lane,  Ferry  Lane,  and  others  of  a  similar 
nature  made  up  the  simple  list,  and  answered  every  purpose 
as  well  as  the  more  pretentious  titles  by  which  many  of 
these  very  streets  are  known  at  present.  They  were  prop- 
erly denominated  lanes,  for  they  were  nothing  else.  The 
laying  out  of  a  street  was  an  action  undreamed  of  in  the 


70  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

simple  and  unj)retending  community.  The  inhabitants  built 
their  houses  anywhere,  provided  only  that  they  owned  the 
land,  and  there  was  no  arbitrary  custom  to  dictate  which 
end  should  be  the  front,  or  which  the  back.  The  lanes 
were  made  afterwards  for  convenience,  and  to  name  the 
narrow  paths  would  to  them  have  seemed  an  absurdity. 

As  the  town  increased  in  population  and  various  improve- 
ments were  made,  the  old  meeting-house  was  removed  to  a 
more  convenient  location.  A  house  owned  by  one  Richard 
Ireson  was  found  to  project  so  far  into  the  street  which  led 
to  the  meeting-house  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  carriage 
to  pass  it,  and  finally  the  town  voted  to  remove  the  north- 
west end.  Several  feet  were  accordingly  cut  off,  the  house 
being  sawed  nearly  in  halves.  The  end  towards  the  street 
was  boarded  up,  and  there  it  remains  to  this  day,i  with  not 
a  single  window  in  it  except  a  very  small  one  near  the  roof. 

During  the  year  1763  the  town  voted  to  open  a  market  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  town  house,  and  eleven  very  stringent 
rules  were  adopted  for  its  government,  and  a  clerk  was  to  be 
chosen  annually  to  see  that  they  were  enforced.  These  rules 
provided  that  no  putrid  or  impure  meat  should  be  offered 
for  sale  ;  and  that  the  market  should  be  opened  every  Tues- 
day and  Thursday  in  the  year  till  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  till  sunset  on  Saturdays.  All  persons  were  for- 
bidden to  buy  provisions  in  the  market  with  intent  to  sell 
the  same  at  a  greater  price.  All  meat  left  in  the  market 
after  the  hour  for  closing,  through  the  negligence  of  the 
seller,  was  to  be  forfeited,  and  the  clerk  was  authorized  to 
appropriate  it  to  his  own  use,  "  without  any  account  to  the 
owner."  No  "hucksters"  were  to  be  allowed  to  sell  pro- 
visions of  any  kind  in  the  town  before  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  on  a  market-day. 

The  penalties  for  violating  these  rules  varied  in  amount 
from  ten  to  twenty  shillings,  and  all  fines  were  to  be  given 
to  the  poor  of  the  town. 

1  1878. 


OF    MARBLEHEAD.  71 

The  market  was  opened  on  the  first  Tnesday  in  August, 
1763.  Richard  Reed  was  chosen  clerk,  and  a  salary  of  ten 
pounds  per  annum  was  voted  for  his  services. 

The  well  at  the  northeast  end  of  the  town  house,  in 
which  the  town  pump  has  been  placed  for  so  many  years, 
yielding  such  a  plentiful  supply  of  pure  and  cool  water  to 
the  thirsty,  was,  in  all  probability,  sunk  during  the  month 
of  May,  1763.  At  a  meeting  held  on  the  9th  of  that  month 
it  was  voted,  among  other  measures,  "  To  sink  a  well  at 
the  North  east  end  of  the  Town  House  for  the  public  service, 
especially  in  the  case  of  fires." 

In  February,  1764,  the  small-pox  again  broke  out  in  Bos- 
ton. The  appearance  of  the  disease  in  that  city  was  regarded 
as  a  sure  warning  of  a  reign  of  the  pestilence  in  Marblehead. 
The  disease,  in  spite  of  every  precaution  taken  to  prevent 
it,  broke  out  during  the  following  May.  A  town  meeting 
was  immediately  held,  and  it  was  voted  to  erect  a  small- 
pox hospital  "  in  the  pasture  North  westerly  from  the  Alms 
house  about  eighty  poles  distant."  This  action  on  the  part 
of  the  citizens  was  deemed  a  necessity,  as  the  almshouse  was 
considered  too  near  the  body  of  the  town  for  use  as  a  hospi- 
tal. The  vote  was  promptly  carried  into  effect,  and  all 
patients  taken  with  the  loathsome  disease  were  removed  to 
the  hospital  as  soon  as  it  was  in  readiness. 


72  THE   fflSTOEY   AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  causes  which  led  to  the  controversy  between  Eng- 
land and  the  American  colonies  during  the  important  epoch 
upon  which  we  are  about  to  enter,  and  which  resulted  in  the 
war  for  independence,  are  too  well  known  by  all  readers  of 
history  to  require  review  here. 

"  The  contests  with  the  crown  over  the  right  of  Parlia- 
ment to  tax  the  colonies  for  a  revenue  had  ceased  for  a  time, 
under  the  wise  administration  of  Pitt,  and  the  loyalty  of  the 
American  people  had  been  fully  demonstrated  during  the 
wars  which  had  been  Avaged  for  the  conquest  of  Canada. 
On  the  accession  of  George  III.  to  the  throne,  the  contro- 
versy was  renewed  with  redoubled  energy  on  both  sides. 
The  king  and  his  ministers  were  determined  to  compel 
America  to  yield  a  revenue  at  the  disposition  of  the  crown  ; " 
and  the  people  of  the  colonies  were  equally  determined  to 
resist  every  attempt  to  subject  them  to  taxation  by  a  Parlia- 
ment in  which  they  were  not  represented.  For  nearly  thirty 
years  a  duty  had  been  imposed  by  act  of  Parliment  on  all 
molasses  imported  into  the  colonies.  This  law  had  always 
been  odious  to  the  colonists  ;  and  as  the  officers  of  the  cus- 
toms began  to  be  more  vigorous  in  its  enforcement,  the  op- 
position became  more  fierce  and  determined.  "  Under  color 
of  the  law  the  officers  had  been  accustomed  to  enter  ware- 
houses or  dwelling-houses  "  to  search  for  contraband  goods, 
and  growing  more  zealous  in  their  efforts  by  the  counte- 
nance of  the  governor  and  the  ministry,  they  applied  to  the 
Superior  Court  for  writs  of  assistance.  The  opposition  to 
this  application  at  length  compelled  the  court  to  grant  a 
hearing  in  regard  to  the  matter.     Thomas  Hutchinson,  the 


Tlxkhr's  Wharf. 


(_)l.l)  TrcKMR    Ht  >L^SK. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  73 

chief  justice,  presided,  and  the  council  chamber  of  the  old 
town  house  in  Boston  was  crowded  with  excited  and  inter- 
ested spectators. 

The  case  for  the  crown  was  ably  argued  by  Gridley,  the 
king's  attorney,  who  learnedly  maintained  the  authority  of 
the  court  to  issue  the  writs.  The  cause  of  the  people  was 
espoused  by  Oxenbridge  Thacher  and  James  Otis.  Thach- 
er's  arguments  evinced  depth  of  thought,  learning,  and 
great  research,  and  as  one  point  after  another  was  made  the 
excitement  of  the  people  became  intense.  But  it  was  re- 
served for  the  eloquence  of  Otis  to  fan  the  smoldering  em- 
bers of  discontent  into  a  flame  of  opposition  throughout  the 
colony.  For  over  four  hours  his  audience  listened  spell- 
bound to  his  eloquence,  and  John  Adams,  who  was  one  of 
his  hearers,  declared  that  "  American  independence  was 
then  and  there  born."    * 

The  events  which  followed  in  rapid  succession  soon  after 
this  famous  speech  were  not  such  as  to  quiet  the  fears  of  the 
colonists,  or  allay  the  storm  which  was  brewing  throughout 
America.  The  resignation  of  Pitt  and  the  organization  of 
a  new  ministry  known  to  be  hostile  to  America  were  con- 
sidered "  ominous  signs  "  of  an  approaching  contest.  One 
act  after  another  was  passed  levying  duties  on  foreign  sugars 
and  molasses  landed  in  the  colonies,  and  finally,  in  spite 
of  the  most  strenuous  remonstrances  of  the  colonial  legis- 
latures, the  obnoxious  Stamp  Act  was  passed.  This  act, 
which  was  to  become  a  law  on  and  after  November  1,  1765, 
provided  that  all  documents  of  an  official  character  used  in 
the  American  colonies  should  be  written  or  printed  on 
stamped  paper,  sold  by  the  government.  On  the  reception 
of  the  news  in  Boston,  the  most  intense  excitement  pre- 
vailed. Andrew  Oliver,  a  brother-in-law  of  Hutchinson, 
the  lieutenant-governor,  was  appointed  stamp  distributer  for 
Massachusetts.  As  soon  as  this  was  ascertained  the  "  Sons 
of  Liberty  '*  resolved  to  make  a  demonstration  to  show  their 
hostility  to  the  obnoxious  officer.     Early  one  morning  an 


74  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

effigy  of  Oliver  was  found  suspended  from  the  limb  of  a 
majestic  elm,  and  the  people  gathered  in  crowds  to  gaze  at 
it  and  show  their  approval. 

In  vain  did  Hutchinson,  as  the  chief  justice,  order  its  re- 
moval. The  people  were  determined  that  it  should  remain, 
and  the  officers  were  powerless  to  enforce  the  order. 

In  the  evening  the  effigy  was  taken  down,  a  procession 
was  formed,  and  the  excited  multitude  marched  to  Oliver's 
house,  where  the  figure  was  burned  in  front  of  his  own 
doors.  On  their  way  the  crowd  demolished  a  building 
which  had  been  erected  for  a  stamp  office. 

The  next  day,  Oliver,  fearing  that  unless  he  did  so  his 
life  would  be  taken,  resigned  his  office. 

Shortly  after  these  demonstrations  the  crowd  marched  to 
the  office  of  the  deputy  registrar,  and  burned  the  records  of 
the  Vice  Admiralty  Court.  They  then  ransacked  the  house 
of  the  comptroller  of  customs  ;  and  then,  proceeding  to 
the  house  of  Lieutenant-governor  Hutchinson,  they  "  broke 
down  the  doors,  destroyed  his  furniture,  threw  his  books 
and  manuscripts  into  the  street,  and  at  daybreak  left  his 
bouse  a  ruin." 

Though  the  people  of  Marblehead  sympathized  fully  with 
the  spirit  of  resistance  to  the  Stamp  Act  which  these  riot- 
ous demonstrations  in  Boston  were  intended  to  show,  they 
were  at  that  time  unprepared  to  sanction  such  a  violent 
rnethod  of  proceeding.  The  people  were  loyal  to  the  king, 
and  though  they  bitterly  denounced  the  act  they  laid  the 
entire  blame  for  its  passage  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  min- 
istry and  the  Parliament  of  Great  Britain. 

On  the  18th  of  September,  1765,  the  inhabitants  of  Mar- 
blehead convened  in  town  meeting  to  give  instructions 
to  their  representatives  concerning  the  Stamp  Act.  Col. 
Jeremiah  Lee  was  moderator  of  the  meeting,  and  Nathan 
Bowen,  Joshua  Orne,  and  John  Chipman  were  chosen  a 
committee  to  draw  up  instructions  and  report  at  an  ad- 
journed meeting.      At  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  on 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  75 

Tuesday,  September  24,  the  meeting  was  again  called  to 
order,  and  the  following  instructions  were  unanimously 
adopted :  — 

"  To  Jacob  Fowle  and  William  Bourne,  Esqrs.,  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Town  of  Marblehead  :  — 

"  Gentlemen,  —  We,  the  freeholders  and  other  inhabitants 
of  the  Town  of  Marblehead,  in  town  meeting  assembled, 
this  24  day  of  September  Anno  Domini  1765,  professing 
the  greatest  Loyalty  to  our  most  gracious  Sovereign,  and 
our  sincere  regard  and  profound  reverence  for  the  British 
Parhament  as  the  most  powerful  and  respectable  Body  of 
men  on  Earth,  yet,  at  the  same  time,  being  deeply  sensible 
of  the  Difficulties  and  Distress  to  which  that  august  Body's 
late  exertion  of  their  power,  in  and  by  the  Stamp  Act,  must 
necessarily  expose  us,  think  it  proper,  in  the  present  critical 
conjuncture  of  affairs  to  give  you  the  following  Instructions, 
viz. : 

"  That  you  promote  and  readily  join  in,  such  dutiful  re- 
monstrances and  humble  petitions  to  the  King  and  Parlia- 
ment, and  other  decent  measures  as  may  have  a  tendency 
to  obtain  a  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act,  or  alleviation  of  the 
heavy  burdens  thereby  imposed  on  the  American  British 
Colonies.  And  forasmuch  as  great  Tumults  tending  to  the 
Subversion  of  Government,  and  the  great  Reproach  of  the 
Inhabitants  of  this  Province  have  lately  happened,  and  sev- 
eral outrages  committed  by  some  evil  minded  persons  in  the 
Capital  Town  thereof,  you  are  therefore  directed  to  bear 
your  Testimony  against,  and  do  all  in  your  power  to  sup- 
press and  prevent  all  riotous  assemblies  and  unlawful  acts 
of  violence  upon  the  persons  or  substance  of  any  of  His 
Majesty's  Subjects.  And  that  you  do  not  give  your  assent 
to  any  act  of  assembly  that  shall  imply  the  willingness 
of  your  constituents  to  submit  to  any  internal  Taxes  that 
are  imposed  otherwise  than  by  the  Great  and  General  Court 
of  this  Province,  according  to  the  constitution  of  this  Gov- 
ernment." 


76  THE   fflSTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  first  of  November,  the  clay  on  which  the  Stamp  Act 
was  to  go  into  effect,  was  observed  throughout  the  country 
by  the  tolling  of  bells,  the  firing  of  minute  guns,  and  simi- 
lar demonstrations.  The  vessels  in  the  harbor  displayed 
their  colors  at  half  mast,  and  the  cry  of  the  people  every- 
where was  "  Liberty  and  no  Stamps  !  " 

The  remonstrances  of  the  colonial  legislatures,  together 
with  the  determination  of  the  merchants  not  to  import  any 
English  goods,  at  length  had  the  desired  effect  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  the  law  was  repealed.  The  news  of  the  repeal 
of  the  obnoxious  act  was  received  by  the  Americans  with 
every  demonstration  of  joy.  But  their  delight  over  this 
partial  recognition  of  their  rights  was  quickly  turned  to 
indignation  upon  the  passage  of  an  act  by  Parliament  im- 
posing duties  on  glass,  paper,  tea,  and  other  articles  imported 
into  the  colonies.  A  few  days  after  the  passage  of  this  act 
another  law  was  passed  enabling  the  king  to  put  the  customs 
and  other  duties  in  America,  and  the  execution  of  the  laws 
relating  to  trade  there,  under  the  management  of  commis- 
sioners to  be  appointed  for  that  purpose,  and  to  reside  in 
the  colonies.  "  This,  as  the  preamble  declares,  would  tend 
to  the  encouragement  of  commerce,  and  to  better  securing 
the  rates  and  duties,  and  the  more  speedy  and  effectual 
collection  thereof." 

The  excitement  produced  in  Massachusetts  by  these  acts 
of  Parliament  was  little  less  than  that  produced  by  the 
Stamp  Act.  The  uneasiness  of  the  people  was  still  further 
increased  by  the  arrival  of  a  body  of  British  troops  in  Bos- 
ton, said  to  have  been  driven  in  by  stress  of  weather.  The 
legislature  was  not  in  session  at  the  time,  and  the  governor 
and  council,  on  the  plea  of  necessity,  provided  for  their 
comfort  by  appropriations  from  the  public  treasury.  When 
the  legislature  assembled,  this  action  of  the  governor  was 
severely  rebuked  as  an  assumption  of  authority  and  a  usur- 
pation of  power. 

During  this  session  the  house  addressed  a  circular  letter 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  77 

to  the  other  colonies,  stating  the  clangers  to  be  apprehended 
from  the  recent  acts  of  Parliament,  and  requesting  their 
cooperation  in  petitioning  the  king  for  a  redress  of  griev- 
ances. This  letter  was  strongly  opposed  by  the  British 
cabinet,  and  the  secretary  of  state,  Lord  Hillsborough,  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  the  governor  of  Massachusetts  direct- 
ing him,  "  to  require  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  his 
Majesty's  name  to  rescind  the  resolution  which  gave  birth 
to  the  circular  letter  of  the  speaker,  and  to  declare  their 
disapprobation  of,  and  dissent  to,  that  rash  and  hasty  pro-^ 
ceeding."  The  house,  upon  the  reception  of  this  commu- 
nication, refused  to  rescind  the  action  of  their  predecessors 
by  a  vote  of  ninety-two  to  seventeen.  This  being  communi- 
cated to  the  governor,  he  immediately  dissolved  the  legisla- 
ture, in  accordance  with  instructions  previously  received  in 
case  the  House  refused  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the 
cabinet. 

This  prompt  and  patriotic  action  on  the  part  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  met  with  universal  approbation  through- 
out the  province.  At  a  town  meeting  held  by  the  citizens 
of  Marblehead  in  July,  1768,  it  was  unanimously  voted  "  to 
return  the  thanks  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  JNIarble- 
head  to  the  Ninety-two  members  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives for  their  steady  resolution  in  maintaining  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  Province." 

For  a  time  the  attention  of  tlie  people  of  INIarblehead  was 
diverted  from  public  affairs  by  the  disasters  to  their  fishing 
fleet,  at  sea.  During  the  year  1768  nine  vessels,  with  their 
crews,  were  lost,  and  the  following  year  fourteen  others  met 
a  similar  fate,  making  a  total  of  twenty-three  vessels  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  men  and  boys.  Besides  these, 
a  large  number  were  drowned  by  being  washed  overboard 
from  vessels  which  returned.  A  large  number  of  widows 
and  orphans  were  thus  left  to  the  care  of  the  town,  and  the 
grief  and  suffering  caused  by  these  terrible  calamities  was 
very  great. 


78  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

There  were,  at  this  time,  about  sixty  merchants  engaged 
in  the  foreign  trade,  besides  a  very  Lirge  number  of  "  shore- 
men "  who  prosecuted  the  fisheries.  Some  of  the  houses 
built  by  these  merchants  were  among  the  finest  in  the  prov- 
ince, and  one,  the  palatial  residence  of  Col.  Jeremiah  Lee, 
is  said  to  have  cost  over  ten  thousand  pounds.  Nearly  every 
family  of  sufficient  wealth  owned  several  negro  slaves,  and 
Colonel  Lee  is  said  to  have  owned  a  large  number,  whom  he 
employed  in  the  work  of  loading  and  unloading  his  ships  as 
fast  as  they  arrived  from  foreign  ports.  Slavery,  so  far  from 
being  considered  an  evil,  was  regarded  as  the  only  normal 
condition  of  the  negro,  and  the  institution  was  fostered  and 
encouraged  throughout  the  province.  About  five  thousand 
slaves  were  owned  in  JNIassachusetts  at  this  time.  The 
church  records  of  INIarblehead  bear  evidence  that  even  the 
clergymen  of  the  town  owned  negro  servants,  not  a  few  of 
whom  were  baptized  and  received  into  the  church.  Slave 
marriages  are  recorded,  also,  on  the  records  of  all  three 
of  the  earlier  churches. 

A  very  interesting  tradition  is  related  concerning  the 
Rev.  Peter  Bours,  one  of  the  earlier  rectors  of  St.  Michael's 
Church.  It  seems  that  among  other  servants  the  reverend 
gentleman  owned  a  very  ill-tempered  and  vicious  woman. 
One  night,  in  a  fit  of  ugliness,  she  attempted  to  take  the  life 
of  her  master,  and  the  next  day,  having  some  regard  for  the 
safety  of  his  life,  he  sold  her.  With  the  money  thus  ob- 
tained, Mr.  Bours  procured  a  life-size  portrait  of  himself, 
painted  by  one  of  the  most  celebrated  artists  in  the  country. 
This  portrait  is  now  in  possession  of  one  of  the  oldest  families 
in  Marblehead.* 

The  excitement  incident  to  the  passage  of  the  Stamp  Act 
did  not  cause  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  to  forget  other 
matters  of  local  importance.  At  the  annual  meeting  in 
March,  1767,  a  board  of  trustees  was  chosen  to  direct  and 

1  The  portrait  was  painted  by  Blackburn,  and  is  owned  by  Miss  Eunice 
Hooper,  a  sister  of  the  late  Hon.  Samuel  Hooper. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  79 

manao;e  the  affairs  of  the  schools.  There  were  several  pub- 
lie  schools  in  the  town,  but  they  were  in  a  deplorable  con- 
dition, and  the  well-to-do  families  preferred  to  send  their 
children  to  private  teachers.  The  town  appropriated  the 
sum  of  .£350  for  the  use  of  the  schools,  and  the  trustees 
were  instructed  to  report  annually  as  to  their  condition. 
At  an  adjourned  meeting  it  was  voted  to  establish  three  new 
schools  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  reading,  writing,  and 
arithmetic.  Messrs.  Jayne,  Phippen,  and  Ashton,  were  se- 
lected as  teachers  and  the  trustees  reported  that  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  scholars  attended  each  of  these  schools. 
A  few  years  later  the  town  voted  to  erect  two  new  school- 
houses  on  account  of  the  crowded  condition  of  the  schools. 
Children  were  expected  to  be  qualified  to  read  before  en- 
tering these  schools,  and  as  a  consequence  the  children  of 
the  poor,  whose  parents  in  many  instances  CDuld  not  read 
themselves,  were  denied  admission.  The  town  elected  a 
committee  to  investigate  the  matter,  and  it  was  found  that 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  boys  were  untaught.  To 
remedy  this  evil  it  was  voted  that  the  children  of  the  poor 
should  be  taught  the  necessary  branches  to  qualify  them 
for  entrance  into  the  schools  at  the  expense  of  the  town. 
This  was  the  foundation  of  the  primary  schools,  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  present  system  of  public  instruction  in  Mar- 
blehead. 

Governor  Bernard  having  dissolved  the  legislature  of 
Massachusetts,  and  refusing  to  call  it  together  again,  a  con- 
vention was  held  in  Boston  in  September,  1768,  "  to  deliber- 
ate on  constitutional  measures  to  obtain  redress  of  their  griev- 
ances." On  the  day  after  the  convention  adjourned  a  body 
of  British  troops  landed  in  Boston  and  marched  to  the  com- 
mon. The  selectmen  were  requested  to  furnish  quarters 
for  the  soldiers,  and  as  they  refused  to  do  so,  the  State 
House  was  opened  for  their  reception.  The  presence  of 
British,  soldiers  in  the  capital  town,  and  the  frequent  im- 
pressment  of  American   seamen   by  ships   of   the   British 


80  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

navy,  excited  the  indignation  of  the  inhabitants  throughout 
the  province.  These  attempts  to  bring  the  people  into  sub- 
jection to  the  will  of  the  ministry  of  Great  Britain  were 
firmly  resisted  by  the  colonists,  with  a  determination  never 
to  yield. 

During  the  spring  of  1769  a  brig  belonging  in  Marblehead 
was  boarded  off  Cape  Ann  by  a  lieutenant  and  a  party  of 
seamen  from  the  British  sloop-of-war  Rose,  and  an  attempt 
was  made  to  impress  some  of  the  crew  into  the  British  serv- 
ice. The  brig  was  the  Pitt  Packett,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Thomas  Powers,  returning  from  Cadiz  to  Marblehead.  The 
crew  at  once  determined  to  resist  the  transfer  of  any  of  their 
number  to  the  British  sloop,  and  a  hand-to-hand  encounter 
followed.  A  party  of  marines  was  sent  to  the  assistance  of 
the  lieutenant,  and  for  over  three  hours  the  heroic  sons  of 
Marblehead  defended  themselves  against  every  attempt  to 
compel  them  to  surrender.  During  the  struggle  two  of  the 
Americans  were  severely  wounded,  and  the  British  lieu- 
tenant was  killed  by  a  blow  from  a  harpoon  thrown  by  one 
Michael  Corbitt.  At  length,  being  overpowered  by  force  of 
numbers,  the  brave  men  surrendered,  and  Corbitt  was  taken 
to  Boston  to  be  tried  for  murder.  He  was  imprisoned,  but 
a  jury  of  inquest  finally  "vindicated  his  conduct,"  and  he 
was  released. 

This  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  act  of  forcible 
resistance  to  British  tyranny  in  defense  of  American  lib- 
erty. It  occurred  several  months  before  the  people  of  Boston 
were  fired  upon  by  the  British  troops,  and  six  years  before 
the  battle  at  Lexington. 

On  the  22cl  of  May,  1769,  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead 
again  assembled  in  town  meeting,  for  the  purpose  of  elect- 
ing representatives  to  the  General  Com-t,  and  passing  suita- 
ble instructions.  Joshua  Orne  and  John  Gallison  were 
elected  representatives,  and  their  instructions  were  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

"  1.  That  to  the  utmost  of  your  power  you  endeavor  to 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  81 

have  removed  everything  that  has  the  least  tendency  to 
awe  or  control  the  freedom  of  debate  in  your  assembly. 

"  2.  That  to  the  utmost  of  your  ability  you  promote  every 
measure  which  may  heal  the  unhappy  breach  with  our 
mother  country,  and  endeavor  to  have  things  once  more 
placed  upon  their  ancient  footing ;  to  which  end  use  your 
best  endeavors  to  refute  the  misrepresentations  which  have 
been  made  of  the  province  to  the  government  at  home, 
whereby  the  people  have  been  treated  as  if  in  open  rebellion, 
and  endeavor  by  'all  legal  methods  to  have  the  authors  of 
such  misrepresentations  (if  they  can  be  discovered)  brought 
to  suffer  deserved  punishment. 

"  3.  That  you  by  no  means  comply  with  any  requisition 
demanding  a  reimbursement  for  any  j^art  of  the  charges  sus- 
tained by  the  bringing  of  troops  into  this  province  ;  as  we 
cannot  conceive  to  what  purpose  they  were  introduced  ;  as 
the  course  of  justice  has  never  been  impeded,  nor  the  civil 
magistrate  been  deprived  of  the  full  and  free  exercise  of 
his  authority. 

"  4.  Avoid  every  measure  which  may  tend  to  weaken  the 
union  which  at  present  subsists  between  the  several  British 
colonies  in  America,  and  promote  those  which  may  tend  to 
strengthen  and  insure  it. 

"  5.  That  you  endeavor  to  have  a  provincial  agent  ap- 
pointed, a  man  of  integrity  and  honor,  well  acquainted  with 
the  interests  of  the  British  American  colonies,  and  let 
care  be  taken  that  he  have  ample  provision  to  support  his 
dignity,  and  to  put  him  above  the  want  of  court  favors. 

"  6.  That  you  promote  all  you  can  every  rational  scheme 
for  employing  the  poor  in  every  part  of  the  province  in 
manufactures  or  any  other  way  which  may  be  of  public 
utility. 

"  7.  That  after  the  appointment  of  the  salary  for  the  sup- 
port of  his  Majesty's  government,  you  endeavor  to  obtain 
a  vote  that  the  said  salary  be  paid  monthly  or  quarterly,  as 
shall  seem  best  to  the  wisdom  of  your  House. 


82  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

"  8.  That  as  you  are  acquainted  with  the  distressed  condi- 
tion of  the  trade  of  this  town  by  means  of  tlie  great  losses 
it  has  sustained  in  the  course  of  the  year,  both  in  men  and 
interest,  which  will  in  consequence  augment  the  burdens  it 
before  labored  under,  you  use  your  best  endeavor  to  obtain 
some  abatement  of  our  part  of  the  province  tax. 

"  9.  That  you  oppose  any  attempts  to  lay  an  excise  on 
spirituous  liquors,  as  the  general  trade  of  the  province  will 
be  thereby  greatly  burdened  and  hindered,  but  if  that  can- 
not be  prevented,  endeavor  to  have  what  is  consumed  in 
the  fishery  exempted  therefrom,  as  that  most  valuable 
branch  of  trade  already  labors  under  most  intolerable  bur- 
dens ;  an  excise  would  more  materially  affect  the  poor  of 
this,  than  of  almost  any  other  town  in  the  province. 

"  10.  That  you  make  strict  inquiry  into  the  conduct  of 
the  officers  of  the  crown  whether  the  impartial  administra- 
tion of  justice  has  not  been  greatly  obstructed,  and  the  au- 
thority of  the  prince  and  the  rights  of  the  subject  been,  in 
many  cases,  trampled  upon  with  impunity  by  high-handed 
officers  through  their  venality  and  corruption. 

"  11.  That  you  do  not  allow  by  any  vote  or  resolution 
whatever,  a  right  in  any  power  on  earth  to  levy  taxes  on  the 
people  of  the  province,  for  the  sake  of  raising  a  revenue, 
saving  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  province. 

"  12.  Finally,  embrace  every  opportunity  of  manifesting 
our  allegiance  to  our  rightful  sovereign.  King  George ;  ac- 
knowledge the  supreme  legislative  authority  of  the  British 
Parliament  over  the  whole  empire  excepting  the  power  of 
levying  taxes  on  the  province  for  the  purpose  of  a  reve- 
nue, and  endeavor  to  wipe  off  that  reproach  for  disloyalty 
and  disobedience  which  has  been  so  liberally  cast  upon  us 
by  malicious  and  malevolent  persons,  at  the  same  time  vin- 
dicating the  just  rights  and  privileges  of  your  country 
from  the  insults  and  designs  of  wicked  and  arbitrary  men." 

In  August  assurances  were  received  from  the  British 
ministry  that  it  was  their  intention  at  the  next   session  of 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  83 

Parliament  to  remove  the  duties  uj^on  glass,  paper,  and 
colors,  "  upon  consideration  of  such  duties  being  contrary 
to  the  true  principles  of  commerce."  These  concessions,  in- 
stead of  pacifying  the  people,  had  a  far  different  effect.  The 
repeal  of  the  duty  on  tea  was  demanded  as  an  evidence 
that  the  government  had  abandoned  the  right  to  tax  the 
colonies.  A  meeting  had  been  held  by  the  merchants  of  Bos- 
ton a  short  time  before,  and  an  agreement  had  been  signed 
not  to  import  any  British  goods  until  the  duties  were  re- 
pealed. As  soon  as  the  proposed  action  of  Parliament  was 
made  known  another  meeting  was  held,  and  a  committee 
was  chosen  to  procure  written  pledges  from  the  inliabitants 
not  to  purchase  goods  of  any  person  who  should  import 
them  contrary  to  the  non-importation  agreement. 

The  merchants  of  Marblehead  were  not  long  in  following 
the  example  of  their  brethren  in  Boston,  and  in  October 
all  but  four  signed  a  "  Non-importation  "  agreement.  Those 
who  refused  to  join  in  this  agreement  were  bitterly  denounced 
as  "  blindly  preferring  the  chains  of  slavery  to  our  most  val- 
uable inheritance,  English  Liberty.''  During  the  excitement 
occasioned  by  this  controversy  a  chest  of  tea  was  brought 
into  town,  but  so  indignant  were  the  people  that  the  pur- 
chaser reluctantly  consented  to  reship  it  the  next  day.  The 
patriotic  citizens  assembled  early  on  the  following  mornino-, 
and,  forming  a  procession,  paraded  about  town  with  the 
obnoxious  merchandise,  and  it  was  then  carried  to  Boston. 

The  events  of  the  winter  of  1770  produced  the  most  in- 
tense excitement  among  the  people  of  Marblehead.  The 
presence  of  the  troops  in  Boston,  making  the  capital  a  gar- 
risoned town,  was  regarded  as  an  insult  to  the  province,  and 
when,  on  the  5th  of  March,  the  soldiers  fired  on  the  people, 
killing  three  and  mortally  wounding  others,  an  uprising  of 
the  masses  seemed  inevitable. 

On  the  7th  of  May  a  town  meeting  was  held  to  consider 
the  agreement  for  the  non-importation  of  British  goods. 
John  Gallison,  Esq.,  was  chosen  moderator,  and  it  was  voted 


84  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

that  an  agreement  should  be  circulated  among  the  inhabi- 
tants against  the  use  of  India  tea.  A  committee  was  chosen 
to  circulate  the  agreement,  with  instructions  to  report  the 
names  of  all  persons  who  should  refuse  to  sign  it.  After 
electing  a  committee  to  draw  up  resolutions  the  meeting  ad- 
journed to  meet  again  in  three  days. 

On  the  10th  of  INlay  the  meeting  again  assembled,  and 
the  following  votes  recommended  by  the  committee  were 
unanimously  adopted :  — 

"  Voted.  That  this  Town  has  ever  looked  upon  acts  of  the 
British  Parliament  imposing  Taxes  upon  Americans  whose 
local  circumstances  can  never  admit  a  Representation  in 
any  Parliament  excepting  their  own,  to  be  highly  uncon- 
stitutional in  their  Nature  and  Dangerous  in  their  Ten- 
dency. 

"  Voted.  That  with  great  Satisfaction  and  a  Zealous  Ven- 
eration, we  have  beheld  the  Honorable  House  of  Represen- 
tatives for  this  Province,  in  its  Petitions  to  his  Majesty,  Re- 
monstrances to  Parliament,  and  Express  Resolutions,  exerting 
every  constitutional  Power  with  which  it  was  invested  for 
a  Repeal  of  such  acts,  and  a  prevention  of  their  fatal  effects. 

"  Voted.  That  with  equal  approbation  we  have  beheld  the 
merchants  of  this  place,  except  a  few,  uniting  with  those  of 
our  spirited  metropolis,  and  the  other  maritime  towns  in 
this  Province,  in  an  agreement  of  non-importation,  well 
calculated  to  add  weight  to  the  proceedings  of  that  assembly, 
which  has  gloriously  distinguished  itself  as  the  watchful 
guardian  of  Invaluable  Rights  and  Liberties. 

"  Voted.  That  if  these  measures  have  not  the  desired  effect 
in  procuring  a  total  repeal  of  the  act  imposing  a  duty  on  Tea, 
etc.,  we  esteem  it  our  duty  and  interest  as  Friends  to  our 
Country  and  as  Freemen,  to  assist  the  merchants  here  in 
adherance  to  their  agreement,  and  to  prevent  by  every 
legal  means  the  importation  of  English  goods  into  this  place 
(not  excepted  by  this  agreement)  until  a  grand  importation 
shall  be  admitted. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  85 

"  Therefore,  Voted.  That  after  this  time  every  person  in 
this  Town  importing  British  goods  contrary  to  the  agree- 
ment above  said,  be  waited  upon  by  a  committee  to  be 
chosen  for  that  purpose  and  desired  to  reship  said  goods,  and 
that  said  committee  be  hereby  directed  to  apply  to  ye  Town 
for  money  sufficient  to  pay  ye  freight  of  said  goods  back  to 
Great  Britain,  if,  from  their  being  shipped  in  consequence 
of  ye  late  partial  repeal,  or  from  any  other  consideration,  it 
appears  to  them  reasonable  that  ye  person  afoi-esaid  should 
be  excused  from  that  damage. 

"  Voted.  That  every  person  in  this  town,  who  importing 
British  goods  aforesaid,  shall  refuse  to  reship  them  as  afore- 
said, likewise  every  person  who  shall  continue  to  send  orders 
for  non-excepted  British  goods  as  'aforesaid,  after  this  time, 
until  a  general  importation  takes  place,  be  published  in  the 
Essex  Gazette,  and  looked  upon  as  an  enemy  to  his  country, 
and  we  will  not  either  ourselves  or  by  any  person  for  or 
under  us,  directly  or  indirectly,  purchase  of  such  person  or 
persons  any  goods  whatsoever,  and  so  far  as  we  can  effect 
it,  will  withdraw  our  connection  from  any  person  who  shall 
promote  their  trade. 

"  Voted.  That  if  any  person  not  an  inhabitant  of  this  town 
shall  purchase  of,  or  have  connection  in  trade  with  any  such 
importer,  ye  committee  aforesaid  finding  ye  name  and  place 
of  abode  of  such  person,  is  hereby  desired  and  authorized  to 
write  in  ye  name  of  the  town  to  ye  committee  of  merchants, 
or  Selectmen  of  such  other  town,  acquainting  them  with  ye 
proceedings  of  such  purchaser,  in  ojjposition  to  the  measures 
of  this  town,  and  desiring  ye  inhabitants  to  discountenance 
such  a  proceeding,  and  cause  the  goods  to  be  returned  to 
the  seller. 

"  Voted.  That  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  (altho  unau- 
thorized by  the  warrant  for  ye  present  meeting)  cannot  omit 
this  opportunity  of  expressing  their  highest  indignation  and 
resentment,  that  a  lawless,  ignorant,  and  bloody  soldiery 
should  attempt  of  its  own  authority  to  fire  upon  and  destroy 


86  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

SO  many  of  our  brethren  of  ye  town  of  Boston,  and  ive  hereby 
declare  a  readiness  with  our  Lives  and  Interest^  at  all  times 
to  support  ye  civil  authority  of  this  Province  in  bringing  to 
justice  all  such  high-handed  offenders  against  ye  wholesome 
laws  of  this  Land." 

The  committee  chosen  to  circulate  the  agreement  for  the 
discouragement  of  the  use  of  foreign  teas  reported  that 
seven  hundred  and  twelve  heads  of  families  had  signed  it, 
and  only  seventeen  had  refused,  a  list  of  whose  names  was 
reported  for  the  action  of  the  town.  Of  the  seventeen  who 
refused  their  signatures  seven  appear  afterward  to  have 
repented,  as  their  names  are  erased  from  the  report.  The 
names  of  the  remaining  ten  were  as  follows  :  "  William 
Gooden,  Sr.,  William  Peach,  William  Hammond,  Thomas 
Dolliver's  widow,  Samuel  Gooden's  wife,  Amos  Hubbard's 
wife,  Benjamin  Walpee,  Abraham  MuUett's  widow,  Samuel 
Rogers,  tailor,  Mr.  Jim  Mason.  "  The  punishment  of  these 
persons  for  their  refractory  disposition  was  both  novel  and 
amusing.  The  town  voted  that  they  should  be  recorded  in 
the  clerk's  office  and  published  in  the  Essex  Gazette  as  '•'  un- 
friendly to  the  community,"  and  the  selectmen  were  desired 
not  to  "  approbate  any  of  them  to  the  Sessions  for  license 
to  sell  spirituous  liquors." 

The  year  1771  is  chiefly  memorable  in  the  annals  of  the 
town,  on  account  of  the  suffering  caused  by  the  disasters  at 
sea.i  A  large  number  of  widows  and  fatherless  children 
had  been  left  in  a  helpless  situation,  and  the  town,  un- 
able to  provide  for  so  large  a  number,  applied  to  the  pro- 
vincial government  for  assistance.  By  means  of  a  "  Brief," 
issued  by  the  authority  of  the  legislature,  the  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  pounds  was  collected  for  their  re- 
lief. 

Early  in  the  year  Thomas  Hutchinson,  who  had  made 
himself  exceedingly  unpopular  throughout  the  province,  by 

1  Upwards  of  one  thousand  men  and  boys  were  employed  in  the  fislicries, 
besides  those  who  cured  fish. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  87 

his  duplicity  and  willing  subserviency  to  the  ministry  of 
Great  Britain,  was  appointed  governor  of  Massachusetts. 
The  measures  proposed  by  Parliament  to  render  the  gov- 
ernor, judges,  and  other  officials  of  the  crown  independent 
of  the  General  Court  served  only  to  increase  the  indignation 
of  the  people  of  the  province.  The  governor  shortly  after 
accepted  a  salary  from  the  king  and  the  British  secretary 
of  state  announced  "  that  the  king  had  made  provision  for 
the  support  of  his  law  servants  in  Massachusetts  Bay." 

On  the  28th  of  October  a  town  meeting  was  held  in  Bos- 
ton, to  consider  what  action  should  be  taken  in  regard  to 
these  matters.  At  this  meeting,  which  was  the  most  im- 
portant ever  held  in  the  province,  John  Hancock  presided, 
and,  as  has  been  very  aptly  said,  the  "foundation  was  laid 
for  the  American  Union."  It  was  there,  after  an  address  to 
the  governor  had  been  prepared,  that  Samuel  Adams  made 
his  famous  motion  that  "  a  committee  of  correspondence  be 
appointed,  to  consist  of  twenty-one  persons,  to  state  the 
rights  of  the  colonists,  and  of  this  province  in  particular,  as 
men  and  Christians,  and  as  subjects ;  and  to  communicate 
and  publish  the  same  to  the  several  towns  and  to  the  world, 
as  the  sense  of  this  town,  with  the  infringements  and  viola- 
tions thereof  that  have  been,  or  from  time  to  time  may  be, 
made."  This  motion  was  adopted,  and  the  committee  was 
appointed  with  James  Otis  as  its  chairman.  A  statement 
of  the  rights  of  the  colonies  was  prepared  by  Samuel  Adams, 
in  which  their  "  violations  and  infringements"  were  stated 
in  the  strongest  and  most  forcible  language. 

The  letter  to  the  towns  was  prepared  shortly  after.  After 
soliciting  a  "free  communication  of  the  sentiments  of  the 
towns  "  of  "  our  common  danger,"  it  concluded :  "  Let  us 
consider,  brethren,  we  are  struggling  for  our  best  birthrights 
and  inheritance,  which  being  infringed,  render  all  our  bless- 
ings precarious  in  their  enjoyments,  and,  consequently,  tri- 
fling in  their  value.  Let  us  disappoint  the  men  w^ho  are 
raising  themselves  on  the  ruin  of  this  country.     Let  us  con- 


88  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

vince  every  invader  of  our  freedom  tliat  we  will  be  as  free 
as  the  constitution  our  fathers  recognized  will  justify." 

These  documents  were  received  in  Marblehead  during  the 
following  month,  and  the  response  of  the  inhabitants  was 
prompt,  hearty,  and  characteristic.  A  petition  w^as  sent 
to  the  selectmen  requesting  them  to  call  a  town  meeting 
on  the  1st  of  December,  which  was  couched  in  such  patri- 
otic and  vigorous  language  that  it  was  inserted  entire  in 
the  "warrant.  *"  It  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  tlie  best  par- 
liaments that  ever  Britain  experienced  "  —  such  was  its 
language  —  "  in  listening  to  the  complaints  of  the  people 
against  any  of  their  acts,  and  to  suspend  enforcing  them 
contrary  to  the  repeated  remonstrances  of  a  considerable 
part  of  the  Empire;  it  being  thoroughly  known  to  these  wise 
men,  that  the  greatest  advantage  arising  from  mixt  govern- 
ment consisted  in  this,  the  republic  part  of  it.  That  which 
issues  from  the  people  is  best  able  to  direct  the  end  of  law, 
and  the  people  by  their  experience  of  its  operation  to  judge 
whether  it  is  mild  and  salutary  or  oppressive  and  distress- 

ing." 

"  But  such  wisdom  does  not  distinguish  the  present  era. 
The  complaints  of  so  considerable  a  part  of  the  Empire  as  is 
made  up  of  North  America  are  unattended  to  ;  their  peti- 
tions, renionstrances,  and  resolves  neglected  and  despised ; 
acts  of  Parliament  contrary  to  the  apparent  rights  of  man- 
kind, and  British  subjects,  carried  in  execution  and  cravimcd 
doivn  their  throats;  acts  assuming  a  power  unknown  be- 
fore to  Englishmen  ;  a  power  to  grant  their  moneys  with- 
out their  consent ;  a  power  which  (if  supported)  leaves  to 
Americans  not  tlie  least  appearance  of  property,  and  at  best 
makes  them  only  tenants  of  their  real  and  personal  estates." 

On  the  day  appointed  the  inhabitants  assembled  at  the 
town  house,  and  Thomas  Gerry  was  chosen  moderator. 
The  circular  letter  from  the  town  of  Boston,  and  the  pam- 
phlet "State  of  Rights  "  were  read  by  the  town  clerk,  and 
it  was  then  voted  to  choose  a  committee  "  to  take  the  whole 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  89 

warrant  into  consideration."  Col.  Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Ger- 
ry, Thomas  Gerry,  Jr.,  Joshua  Orne,  and  Capt.  John  Nutt 
were  the  members  of  this  committee.  The  meeting:  then 
adjourned  to  meet  again  on  the  following  Tuesday,  when 
the  committee  reported  several  resolutions,  which  were 
read  separately  and  unanimously  adopted.  These  resolu- 
tions denounced  in  the  strongest  terms  the  "recent  act  of 
Parliament  and  the  British  Ministry  in  sending  troops  and 
ships  to  parade  about  the  coast  and  in  the  streets  of  the 
towns  of  the  Province  ;  "  characterized  the  granting  of  sti- 
pends to  the  provincial  judges  as  an  attempt  to  "bribe  the 
present  respectable  gentlemen  to  become  tools  to  their  des- 
potic administration,"  and  to  "turn  the  seats  of  justice  into 
a  deplorable  and  unmerciful  inquisition."  The  dissolution 
of  the  provincial  legislature  was  condemned  in  language 
equally  as  forcible,  and  the  resolutions  concluded  by  declar- 
ing "  That  this  town  is  highly  incensed  at  the  unconstitu- 
tional, unrighteous,  presumptuous,  and  notorious  proceed- 
ings, detesting  the  name  of  a  Hillsborough,  Bernard,  and 
every  Minister  who  promoted  them.  And  that  it  not  only 
bears  testimony  against,  but  will  oppose  these,  and  all  such 
measures  until  some  way  for  a  full  redress  shall  be  adopted 
and  prove  effectual."  It  was  voted  to  elect  a  committee  of 
grievances  now,  and  from  year  to  year  as  long  as  may  be 
necessary,  to  correspond  with  like  committees  in  Boston  and 
other  towns  in  the  province.  The  committee  consisted  of 
Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Gerry,  Joshua  Orne,  Thomas  Gerry, 
Thomas  Gerry,  Jr.,  Capt.  John  Nutt,  Capt.  John  Glover, 
and  Deacon  William  Dolliber.  The  circular  letter  of  the 
town  of  Boston  was  referred  to  this  committee  with  in- 
structions to  prepare  a  reply,  and  the  meeting  then  ad- 
journed to  meet  on  the  15th  of  December. 

The  meeting  was  held  according  to  adjournment,  and 
Azor  Orne,  chairman  of  the  committee,  presented  a  letter 
which  had  been  prepared  according  to  the  instructions  of 
the  town.     This  letter  was  prefaced  by  a  report  in  which, 


90  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

among  other  patriotic  measures,  it  was  recommended  that 
one  of  the  pamphlets  of  the  town  of  Boston  "  containing  the 
'  State  of* Rights '  be  lodged  in  the  office  of  the  Town  Clerk, 
and  read  annually  until  our  grievances  are  redressed,  at 
the  opening  of  every  March  Meeting,  to  inform  posterity 
(should  their  rights  and  liberties  be  preserved)  how  much 
they  are  indebted  to  many  eminent  patriots  of  the  present 
day,  that  the  names  of  the  Hon.  John  Hancock,  Esq.,  Mod- 
erator of  the  meeting  which  originated  the  '  State  of  Rights,' 
the  Hon.  James  Otis,  Esq.,  Mr.  Adams,  Doctor  Warren, 
and  other  members  of  the  committee  which  reported  them, 
be  recorded  in  the  books  of  this  town  as  great  supporters  of 
the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  Province,  and  gentlemen  who 
do  much  honor  and  service  to  their  country." 

Every  patriotic  sentiment  contained  in  the  "  circular 
letter"  of  the  town  of  Boston,  was  indorsed  in  the  reply  of 
the  committee  of  grievance  in  INIarblehead.  It  was  worthy 
the  patriots  who  composed  it,  and  the  town  which  adopted 
its  language,  as  its  own.  "  We  beg  leave,"  it  concludes, 
"  to  bid  adieu  for  the  present  by  assuring  you  that  a  deter- 
mined resolution  to  support  the  rights  confirmed  to  us  by 
the  Great  King  of  the  Universe,  engages  the  minds  of  this 
people,  and  we  apprehend  that  all  who  attempt  to  infringe 
them  are,  in  obedience  to  wicked  dictates,  violating  the 
sacred  statutes  of  Heaven.  And  for  the  honor  of  our  Su- 
preme Benefactor,  for  our  own  welfare,  and  the  welfare  of 
posterity,  we  desire  to  use  these  blessings  of  Liberty  with 
thankfulness  and  prudence,  and  to  defend  them  with  in- 
trepidity  and  steadiness." 

There  were  those  among  the  merchants  of  INIarblehead 
who,  though  firm  friends  of  their  country,  and  sympathizing 
fully  with  every  proper  method  taken  to  obtain  a  redress  of 
grievances,  were  unprepared  to  indorse  the  language  of  the 
resolutions  adopted  at  these  meetings.  To  their  conserva- 
tive minds  the  action  of  the  town  appeared  "  reash  and  in- 
considerate,"   and    they    accordingly    protested   against   it. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  91 

The  protest  was  signed  by  twenty-nine  well  known  mer- 
chants, and  published  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Essex  Ga- 
zette." It  was  claimed  that  but  a  small  faction  of  the  in- 
habitants voted  in  favor  of  the  resolutions,  and  that  they 
therefore  "did  not  fairly  represent  the  sentiments  of  the 
people  of  Marblehead."  To  this,  a  reply  was  made  in  the 
next  issue  of  the  paper,  in  which  it  was  claimed  that  the  re- 
solves "  were  fully  and  fairly  discussed  for  more  than  an 
hour,  and  that  when  the  vote  was  taken  there  was  but  one 
person  found  in  opposition."  The  writer  also  stated  that 
the  protest  was  faithfully  circulated  four  days  before  the 
twenty-nine  signatures  were  obtained. 

During  the  year  1773  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants 
was  for  a  time  occupied  in  considering  their  danger  from 
another  source  than  the  oppressive  acts  of  the  British  Par- 
liament. In  June  the  wife  of  Mr.  William  Matthews  was 
taken  sick,  and  was  treated  for  "  poison."  Her  husband 
leaving  recently  arrived  home  from  a  fishing  voyage  to  the 
Grand  Banks  it  was  supposed  that  she  had  been  poisoned 
by  washing  his  clothing  with  some  soap  which  he  had  pro- 
cured on  board  a  French  fishing  vessel.  In  a  short  time 
other  members  of  her  family  were  afflicted,  and  in  less  than 
a  month  nearly  all  who  had  taken  care  of  them  were  pros- 
trate with  the  "  poison."  The  kind-hearted  neighbors  of 
these  unfortunates  took  their  turn  in  watching  with,  and 
caring  for  them,  when  to  their  consternation  and  alarm  the 
disease  which  had  thus  far  baffled  all  their  skill  was  pro- 
nounced to  be  the  small-pox  in  its  most  malignant  form. 
A  very  small  number,  comparatively,  of  the  inhabitants  had 
ever  had  the  disease,  and  their  excitement  was  increased 
when  it  was  known  that  an  old  lady  who  had  died  with  it 
had  been  visited  by  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons. The  town  —  as  an  old  gentleman  expressed  it  in  his 
journal,  —  was  now  in  an  "  uproar."  The  selectmen 
ordered  all  houses  where  the  disease  had  appeared  to  be 
closed  and  guarded,  and  "all  the  dogs  in  town  to  be  killed 


92  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

immediately."  Many  of  those  who  were  sick  were  removed 
to  a  house  at  the  "  Ferry,"  and  in  less  than  two  months 
twent}^- three  persons  died  there.  Eight  others,  who  died 
during  two  weeks  of  July  and  August,  were  buried  at  the 
Neck  in  the  plain  just  above  what  was  then  known  as 
"  Black  Jack's  Cove." 

In  August  a  town  meeting  was  held,  and  Azor  Orne, 
Jonathan  Glover,  John  Glover,  and  Elbridge  Gerry  peti- 
tioned the  town  to  build  a  hospital  on  Cat  Island  for  the 
treatment  of  small-pox  patients  by  inoculation,  "  or  allow 
certain  individuals  to  build  it  at  their  own  expense."  The 
town  voted  not  to  build  the  hospital,  but  gave  the  desired 
permission  to  the  petitioners  to  undertake  it  as  a  private 
enterprise,  provided  "  that  the  consent  of  the  town  of  Salem 
could  be  obtained,"  and  that  the  hospital  should  be  so  regu- 
lated that  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead  would  "  be  in  no 
danger  of  infection  therefrom." 

The  consent  of  the  selectmen  of  Salem  was  readily  ob- 
tained, and  early  in  September  preparations  were  made  for 
the  erection  of  the  building.  The  work  had  barely  com- 
menced, however,  before  the  people  of  Marblehead  began 
to  manifest  great  uneasiness,  through  fear  that  by  means  of 
the  hospital  the  dread  disease  might  take  the  form  of  a  pes- 
tilence among  them.  The  opposition  at  length  became  so 
great  that  a  town  meeting  was  held  on  the  19th  of  Septem- 
ber, and  the  vote  whereby  permission  was  granted  for  the 
erection  of  the  building  was  rescinded.  The  report  had 
been  freely  circulated  that  the  proprietors  desired  to  estab- 
lish the  hospital  for  their  own  personal  gain,  and  "  to  make 
money  by  means  of  the  dangerous  experiment."  To  allay 
the  indignation  created  by  these  rumors,  and  to  show  their 
own  disinterestedness,  the  proprietors  proposed  to  sell  the 
materials  for  the  building  to  the  town,  at  their  actual  cost. 
The  citizens,  unreasonable  now  in  their  opposition,  not  only 
refused  to  purchase  the  materials,  but  demanded  that  the 
work  be  abandoned. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  93 

Indignant  at  the  injustice  of  this  action,  tine  proprietors 
continued  their  work  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  hospital,  a  large  two-story  building,  was  com- 
pleted. Dr.  Hall  Jackson,  an  eminent  physician  of  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H.,  who  had  attained  a  distinguished  reputation 
for  his  success  in  treating  the  small-pox,  was  appointed  su- 
perintendent, and,  on  the  16th  of  October  entered  upon  his 
duties,  and  began  the  work  of  inoculation. 

A  large  number  of  j^'^tients,  numbering  several  hundreds, 
were  successfully  treated  ;  but,  unfortunately,  a  few,  who 
had  taken  the  disease  more  severely  than  the  others,  died 
while  at  the  hospital. 

The  opposition  to  the  enterprise,  which  from  the  begin- 
ning had  been  very  great,  now  took  the  form  of  the  most 
bitter  and  angry  hostility.  The  boatmen  had  landed  pa- 
tients at  places  nearer  the  town  than  those  appointed  by  the 
selectmen,  and  for  this  the  excited  citizens  demolished  their 
boats.  Four  men,  who  were  detected  in  the  act  of  stealing 
clothing  from  the  hospital,  were  tarred  and  feathered,  and, 
after  being  placed  in  a  cart  and  exhibited  through  all  the 
principal  streets  of  the  town,  were  carried  to  Salem,  accom- 
panied by  a  procession  of  men  and  boys,  marching  to  the 
music  of  five  drums  and  a  fife^ 

The  fears  of  the  inhabitants  were  still  further  increased 
when,  a  short  time  after  this  affair,  it  was  announced  that 
"twenty-two  cases  of  small-pox"  had  broken  out  in  the 
town.  The  storm  of  indignation  which  for  months  had  been 
brewing,  and  manifesting  itself  at  intervals,  now  burst  upon 
the  proprietors  of  the  hospital  in  all  its  fury.  Threats  of 
lynching  them  were  openly  made,  and  the  angry  populace 
demanded  .that  the  doors  of  the  detested  "Castle  Pox"  — 
as  the  hospital  was  ironically  called  —  should  be  closed  for- 
ever. The  jDi'oprietors  momentarily  expected  to  be  mobbed, 
and  it  is  said  that  one  of  them.  Col.  Jonathan  Glover,  placed 
two  small  artillery  pieces  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  his  house, 
fronting  the  street,  intending  to  give  the  crowd  a  warm  re- 


94  .     THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

ception  from  the  windows,  should  they  attempt  to  molest 
him. 

At  length,  unable  longer  to  resist  the  importunate  peti- 
tions of  their  fellow-citizens,  the  proprietors  closed  the  hos- 
pital, and  promised  that  no  more  patients  should  be  received. 
For  a  time  the  excitement  was  somewhat  allayed,  but  the  in- 
judicious remarks  of  one  of  the  proprietors  "  excited  the  sus- 
picion of  the  citizens  that  the  promise  would  not  be  kept," 
and  the  opposition  broke  out  afresh.  On  the  night  of  Jan- 
uary 26,  1774,  a  party  of  men  closely  disguised  A'isited  the 
island,  and  before  they  left  it  the  hospital  and  a  barn  adjoin- 
ing were  in  flames.  The  buildings  and  all  their  contents 
were  completely  destroyed. 

Naturally  indignant  at  this  outrage,  the  proprietors  deter- 
mined to  secure  the  speedy  punishment  of  the  incendiaries. 
John  Watts  and  John  Gulliard  were  arrested  as  being  impli- 
cated in  the  affair,  and  were  confined  in  Salem  jail.  As  soon 
as  the  news  of  the  arrest  became  generally  known  in  Mar- 
blehead,  the  cause  of  the  prisoners  was  earnestly  espoused  by 
the  inhabitants,  and  measures  were  adopted  to  rescue  them 
from  the  hands  of  the  authorities.  A  large  number  of  men 
at  once  marched  to  Salem,  and  in  a  short  time  the  jail  was 
completely  surrounded.  At  a  given  signal  the  doors  were 
broken  open,  the  jailer  and  his  assistants  were  overpowered, 
and  the  prisoners  were  rescued  and  conducted  in  triumph  to 
their  homes.  A  few  days  after,  the  sheriff  organized  a  force 
of  five  hundred  citizens,  intending  to  march  to  Marblehead 
and  recapture  his  prisoners.  A  mob  equally  as  large  at 
once  organized  in  Marblehead  to  resist  them.  Fearing  the 
disastrous  consequences  to  life  and  property  which  a  conflict 
would  endanger,  the  proprietors  decided  to  abandon  the  pros- 
ecution, and  the  sheriff  abandoned  his  purpose. 

Some  time  after  this  affair  a  man  named  Clark,  one  of 
the  persons  who  had  previously  been  tarred  and  feathered, 
went  to  Cat  Island  and  brought  a  quantity  of  clothing  into 
the  town.     He  was  at  once  ordered  to  take  the  bundle  to 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  95 

the  ferry  for  examination.  On  bis  return  to  the  town  he 
was  surrounded  by  an  angry  crowd,  who  threatened  to  inflict 
summary  punishment  upon  him.  The  selectmen  appeared 
upon  the  scene,  however,  and  he  was  released.  At  about 
eleven  o'clock  that  night  his  house  was  visited  by  a  delega- 
tion of  twenty  citizens,  and  he  was  taken  from  his  bed,  con- 
ducted to  the  public  whipping-post  in  front  of  the  town- 
house,  and  was  there  unmercifully  beaten.  One  of  the 
perpetrators  of  the  outrage  was  subsequently  arrested,  but 
the  others  were  not  detected.  The  town  having  been  dis- 
infected of  the  disease,  and  the  hospital,  the  great  cause  of 
all  the  contention,  having  been  removed,  peace  was  once 
more  restored  to  the  community. 

While  these  tumultuous  proceedings  were  transpiring  at 
Marblehead  the  people  of  the  province  were  equally  as  ex- 
cited over  matters  of  a  diiferent  nature.  Tbe  British  gov- 
ernment, finding  it  impracticable  to  carry  tbe  duty  on  tea 
into  execution  by  consti*aint,  determined  to  effect  it,  if  pos- 
sible, by  policy.  To  this  end  a  compromise  was  adopted,  by 
which  the  East  India  Company,  who  had  been  the  heaviest 
losers  by  the  diminution  of  exports  from  Great  Britain, 
were  authorized  by  law  to  "  to  export  their  tea,  free  of  du- 
ties, to  all  places  whatever."  Though  by  this  regulation  tea 
became  cheaper  to  Americans  than  before  the  duties  were 
imposed,  the  colonists  were  not  to  be  deceived  by  the  new 
ministerial  plan.  As  soon  as  the  news  was  received  that 
the  East  India  Company  had  freighted  several  ships  with 
tea  consigned  to  their  agents  in  the  colonies,  a  town  meet- 
ing was  held  in  Boston  "  to  devise  measures  to  prevent  its 
landing  and  sale  within  the  province."  A  committee  was 
chosen  to  wait  upon  the  agents  of  the  company,  and  request 
a  promise  from  them  that  the  tea  should  neither  be  unladed 
nor  sold.  The  agents  refused  to  give  the  promise  as  desired, 
and  the  citizens  passed  resolutions  declaring  them  "  enemies 
to  their  country,"  and  that  they  "  should  be  dealt  with  ac- 
cordingly." 


96  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

A  few  days  after,  on  the  arrival  of  the  ships  with  the  tea, 
the  Boston  Committee  of  Grievance  issued  a  circuhir  invit- 
ing all  the  neighboring  towns  to  hold  meetings,  "  to  make  a 
united  and  successful  resistance  to  this  last,  worst,  and  most 
destructive  measure  of  administration." 

In  response  to  this  invitation  the  citizens  of  Marblehead 
assembled  at  the  town  house  on  Tuesday,  December  7,  1773. 
The  meeting  was  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  William 
Whitwell,  pastor  of  the  First  Church.  Deacon  Stephen 
Phillips  was  chosen  moderator,  and  a  series  of  resolutions 
were  unanimously  adopted.  These  resolutions  began  by  af- 
firming "  That  Americans  have  a  right  to  be  as  free  as  any 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  to  enjoy  at  all  times  an  unin- 
terrupted possession  of  their  property."  "  The  late  measure 
of  the  East  India  Company,  in  sending  to  the  colonies  their 
tea,  loaded  with  a  duty  for  raising  revenue,"  was  denounced 
as,  "  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  so  many  attempts  to  tax 
Americans,  and  said  company,  as  well  as  the  freighters,  for 
these  daring  attempts  upon  the  liberties  of  America,  have 
justly  won  the  contempt,  and  severest  marks  of  resentment 
from  every  American."  The  "brave  citizens  of  Boston" 
were  commended  for  "  their  noble  firmness  in  support  of 
American  Liberty,"  and  the  people  of  Marblehead  were  de- 
clared ready  with  their  "  lives  and  interests  to  assist  them 
in  opposing  these  and  all  other  measures  tending  to  enslave 
our  country."  The  determination  was  announced  to  oppose 
the  landing  of  all  tea,  "  whether  shipped  by  the  East  India 
Company  or  imported  by  persons  here."  And,  after  de- 
nouncing the  consignees  for  refusing  to  reship  the  tea  lately 
brought  to  Boston,  the  resolutions  concluded  as  follows  :  — 

"  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  desire  of  the  town  to  be  free 
from  the  company  of  such  unworthy  miscreants,  and  it  is 
our  determination  to  treat  them,  wherever  found,  with  the 
contempt  they  deserve,  and  to  carry  into  execution  our  res- 
olutions against  all  who  may  be  concerned  in  landing  tea 
from  Great  Britain,  rendered  hateful  to  us  by  its  duty." 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  97 

The  events  of  the  winter  and  sjDring  of  1774  were  full  of 
exciting  interest  to  the  inhabitants  of  Marblehead.  On  the 
16th  of  December  the  famous  "  Tea  Party "  occurred  in 
Boston  Harbor,  when  the  sturdy  patriots  of  that  town  emp- 
tied three  hundred  and  forty-two  chests  of  tea  into  the  sea, 
rather  than  allow  them  to  be  landed  contrary  to  the  terms 
of  the  non-importation  agreement.  In  March  Governor 
Hutchinson  resigned,  and  Thomas  Gage  was  appointed  in 
his  stead.  One  bill  after  another  was  passed  by  Parliament 
and  readily  sanctioned  by  the  king,  having  for  their  object 
the  subjection  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts.  The  quar- 
tering of  troops  in  Boston  was  legalized ;  town  meetings 
were  abolished,  except  for  the  choice  of  officers,  or  by  spe- 
cial permission  of  the  governor.  Finally,  the  infamous  Port 
Bill  was  passed,  which  closed  the  port  of  Boston  to  com- 
merce, and  removed  the  seat  of  government  to  Salem. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1774,  a  town  meeting  was  held  for 
the  purpose,  according  to  the  warrant,  "of  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  alarming  situation  to  which  we  are  all  re- 
duced (it  being  no  less  than  this,  wlietlier  we  shall  hereaf- 
ter he  freemen  or  slaves  ;  to  choose  a  Committee  of  Corre- 
spondence ; "  and  to  "  adopt  any  other  measures  that  may 
appear  to  be  constitutional,  and  calculated  to  procure  relief 
from  the  difficulties  which  are  hastening  in  all  the  colonies  of 
America  by  acts  of  Parliament  taxing  and  unjustly  depriv- 
ing them  of  their  interest." 

The  meeting  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  Deacon  Ste- 
phen Phillips  as  moderator,  and,  after  prayer  by  the  Rev. 
William  Whitwell,  adjourned  to  meet  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  At  the  hour  appointed  the  citizens  again  assem- 
bled, and,  having  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Rev.  Mr.  Whit- 
well for  his  services  in  the  morning,  elected  the  following 
Committee  of  Correspondence :  Joshua  Orne,  Dea.  William 
Dolliber,  Dea.  Stephen  Phillips,  Edward  Fettyplace,  Capt. 
John  Nutt,  and  Ebenezer  Foster.  The  meeting  then  ad- 
journed to  meet  again  May  31. 

7 


98  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

Under  the  last  clause  of  the  warrant  for  these  meetings, 
the  town  could  legally  take  action  upon  almost  any  political 
measure  ;  and,  in  order  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  calling  new 
meetings  to  consider  the  various  issues  as  they  arose,  they 
were  held  by  adjournment  from  time  to  time  under  this  wai'- 
rant.  Forty-six  meetings,  the  largest  number  ever  held  in 
Marblehead  under  one  warrant,  were  held  pursuant  to  ad- 
journment, the  last  taking  place  on  the  3d  of  April,  1775, 
ten  months  and  ten  days  from  the  time  the  first  meeting  was 
convened. 

On  the  31st  of  May,  1774,  the  very  day  that  the  adjourned 
meeting  was  to  be  held,  an  exceedingly  complimentary  ad- 
dress to  the  late  Governor  Hutchinson  appeared  in  the 
columns  of  the  "Essex  Gazette."  This  address  was  signed 
by  thirty-three  citizens  of  Marblehead,  and  declared,  among 
other  things,  "  that  the  public  good  was  the  mark  at  which 
the  Ex-governor  had  ever  aimed  in  his  administration,  and 
that  this  judgment  was  sustained  by  the  opinions  of  all  dis- 
passionate, thinking  men."  The  publication  of  the  address 
caused  great  indignation,  and  as  soon  as  the  citizens  as- 
sembled in  town  meeting  it  was  referred  to  a  committee 
who  were  instructed  to  take  it  into  consideration  and  re- 
port at  an  adjourned  meeting. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  the 
citizens  again  assembled,  and  the  committee  presented  a 
long  report  concerning  the  address,  which  was  unanimously 
adoj)ted.  The  report  denounced  the  signers  as  enemies  of 
the  province,  and  declared  that  the  address  was  "  insulting 
to  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  and  effrontive  to  the 
town  : "  "  that  it  was  designed  to  destroy  the  harmojiy  of 
the  town  in  its  public  affairs  :  "  "  that  it  was  false  as  it  was 
malicious,  and  that  its  signers  should  only  be  forgiven  by  a 
public  recantation  of  the  sentiments  contained  in  the  ad- 
dress." One  of  the  signers  publicly  recanted  at  the  meet- 
ing, and  the  town  thereupon  voted  "  that  any  of  the  sub- 
scribers who  shall  signify  before  the  further  adjournment  of 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  99 

this  meeting,  that  they  are  desirous  of  detracting  them- 
selves from  all  enemies  in  ye  address  so  effrontive  and 
justly  obnoxious  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  town,  shall  be 
viewed  in  the  same  light  as  if  they  had  not  signed  the  ad- 
dress." 

Other  "recantations  "  soon  followed,  and  in  a  short  time 
all  but  ten  of  the  subscribers  had  publicly  acknowledged 
their  error,  and  expressed  their  sorrow  for  signing  the  ad- 
dress. Two  of  the  signers,  John  Fowle,  and  John  Prentiss, 
through  the  columns  of  the  "  Essex  Gazette,"  expressed  the 
wish  "that  the  address  had  been  to  the  devil  before  they 
had  either  seen  it  or  sig-ned  it." 

At  the  annual  election  in  May,  John  Gallison,  Esq.,  had 
been  elected  representative  to  the  General  Court,  and  a 
town  meeting  was  held  on  the  6th  of  June  to  adopt  in- 
structions which  had  been  prepared  by  the  Committee  of 
Grievance.  "  Some  bills "  then  "  pending  in  the  British 
Parliament  were  ordered  to  be  read  at  this  meeting,"  and 
the  following  instructions  were  then  adoj)ted  :  — 

"  To  John  Gallison,  Esq.,  our  Eepresentative. 

Sir :   The    wisdom,  the    Integrity  and    Firmness  of   the 
Honorable  House  of    Commons  of   this    Province,  whereof 
you  are  a  member,  are  so  conspicuous,  and  the  names  of 
the  gentlemen  who   compose   it  so  well  respected   by  this 
town,  that  your  constituents  feel  not  the  least  doubt  of  its 
undaunted  resolution,  even  in  this  day  of  its  greatest  diffi- 
culty.    The    worthy   patriot   does   not   fully  show  himself 
when  the  State  is  secure  and  tranquil,  but  shines  illustri- 
ously in  the  midst  of  attacks  and  dangers ;  and  the  honor- 
able members  of  this  house,  fully  convinced  of  the  upright- 
ness of  their  cause  in  ye  present  interesting  disputes,  are 
assured  that  they  breathe  the  sentiments  of  the  collective 
body  of  the  province.      We  dare  aver,  will  assert  and  main- 
tain the  invaded  rights  of  a  free  people,  however  surrounded 
by  a  hostile  band,  pointing  at  their  breasts  glittering  bayo- 


100  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

nets  and  threatening  sudden  destruction.  Nevertheless,  sir, 
we  feel  it  proper  to  suggest  to  you  our  sentiments  at  the 
present  alarming  crisis.  The  Parliament  of  Great  Britain, 
as  well  as  the  British  Administration,  we  will  not  only  ad- 
mit to  be  a  powerful,  but  likewise  an  understanding  and 
august  body  of  men ;  but  should  their  power  be  infinitely 
greater  than  it  is,  this  town  conceives  that  measures  which 
are  inconsistent  with  the  eternal  rules  of  Reason  and  Justice 
will  never  become  just  and  right  because  executed  by  that 
power.  Surely  power  is  one  thing,  right  another.  The 
late  act  of  Parliament  called  the  Port  Bill,  with  two  others 
which  hath  undoubtedly  passed  since,  hath  struck  this  town 
with  the  greatest  astonishment. 

"  The  Parliament  is  a  legislature  in  which  no  one  member 
represents  America  in  general,  or  any  person  in  it,  and  yet 
it  is  making  laws  that  not  only  affect  the  properties,  but 
likewise  the  lives  and  liberties  of  His  Majesty's  American 
Subjects.  This  distressing  grievance  is  magnified  in  this 
province,  and  will  undoubtedly  be  so  in  all  the  provinces, 
by  the  mode  of  government  in  which  the  laws  are  to  be  ex- 
ecuted, in  which  neither  the  representative  or  the  collective 
body  of  the  province  are  to  have  any  choice  or  control  what- 
ever, our  judges  and  justice^,  sheriffs  or  jurors,  either 
mediately  or  immediately,  on  whose  judgments  so  much  de- 
pends, thei7'  all.  Americans  thus  situated  and  with  no  in- 
terests but  what  can  be  granted  by  the  Commons  of  Great 
Britain,  are  in  a  state  but  little  above  that  of  abject  slaves 
on  farms  or  plantations.  Surely  no  man  on  earth  can  think 
these  measures  right,  and  Heaven  itself,  that  Grand  Court 
to  whose  decree  all  earthly  ones  must  be  subservient,  will, 
we  confidently  hope,  forbid  the  execution  of  them.  Do  the 
minions  of  power  tell  us  that  not  to  submit  to  these  meas- 
ures is  death  ?  We  coolly  answer  that  to  submit  is  infinitely 
worse  than  death  !  We  therefore  desire  you  as  the  Repre- 
sentative of  this  Town,  to  use  every  prudent  method  for 
avoiding  the  Miseries  threatening  the  province,  by  the  fore- 
going Measures. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  101 

"  First.  We  would  have  you  employ  your  best  abilities  in 
assisting  the  metropolis  of  this  province  under  the  operation 
of  the  detestable  Port  Bill.  Our  hearts  bleed  for  the  dis- 
tressed but  truly  respectable  Bostonians.  The  sacrifice  now- 
making  of  their  liberties  is  a  sacrifice  of  the  liberties  of  this 
province,  and  of  all  America.  Therefore  let  it  be  borne, 
if  not  by  the  provinces  in  general,  by  this  in  particular  ; 
and  should  one  plan  for  this  purpose  be  defeated,  we 
strongly  recommend  you  to  use  your  influence  for  adopting 
another  and  another  until  it  shall  be  accomplished.  It  is 
the  opinion  of  this  town  that  nothing  could  more  deface  the 
history  of  America  than  its  permitting  the  magnanimous 
Bostonians  to  suffer  more  than  an  equal  proportion  of  this 
unrighteous  sacrifice  now  making  of  their  interest.  In  sup- 
porting this,  we  prop  the  liberties  of  America. 

"  Second.  We  strongly  recommend  to  your  views  a  con- 
gress of  Committees  from  the  several  Houses  of  Assemblies 
on  the  Continent.  By  this  means  the  joint  wisdom  of  the 
whole  is  promised,  as  well  as  that  union  by  which  alone 
each  province  can  expect  to  jDreserve  its  freedom.  Every 
one  must  now  see  the  truth  of  that  excellent  maxim  of  the 
celebrated  farmer,  '  United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall.' 

"  Third.  We  desire  you  to  aim  at  harmonizing  in  your 
councils,  and  should  the  honorable  house  be  infested  with 
any  member  whose  general  conduct  shall  appear  to  be  in- 
fluenced not  by  the  public  good  but  private  views  of  sound- 
ing honor  or  sordid  profits,  you  cannot  render  to  this  town 
more  acceptable  service  than  by  contemning  such  a  man  ; 
but  we  sincerely  hope  that  such  a  man  may  not  be  found  in 
the  senate. 

"  Fourth.  We  desire  that  you  agitate  in  the  house  the 
assumed  right  of  Parliament  to  alter  or  disannul  the  char- 
ter of  this  Province.  It  is  humbly  conceived  by  this  town, 
that  while  the  province  shall  not  consent  to  any  alteration 
of  its  Charter,  Councellors,  Justices,  Sheriffs,  or  Jurors,  not 
chosen  according  to  it,  have  no  more  authority  over  the 


102  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

province  than  a  Nuncio  or  ambassador  from  the  Pope  of 
Rome. 

"  Fifth.  That  should  the  bills  of  Parliament  relating  to 
the  province,  (of  which  we  have  copies)  have  passed  into 
acts,  you  likewise  endeavor  to  obtain  the  sense  of  the  hon- 
orable house  upon  them  m  their  most  material  consequences. 
It  appears  to  this  town  that  abstracted  from  every  other 
consideration  the  bills  in  themselves  are  as  cruel  as  tyranny 
itself  can  devise. 

"  Sixth.  We  strongly  recommend  it  to  you,  that  if  any 
important  matter  relating  to  this  dispute  shall  be  agitated 
in  the  house  which  our  instructions  do  not  relate  to,  that 
you  make  the  earliest  communication  of  them  to  your  con- 
stituents and  receive  their  advice  thereon. 

"  Seventh.  And,  upon  the  whole,  that  the  sense  of  the 
honorable  house  be  obtained  upon  the  absolute  authority  of 
legislature  and  government  claimed  by  Great  Britain  over 
the  colonies  and  its  immediate  consequences  to  ye  latter. 

"  Nothing  is  more  clearly  conceived  by  this  town  than 
that  a  submission  to  this  authority  by  the  Colonies  will  in- 
evitably be  attended  with  such  a  dwindling  state  as  will 
finally  terminate  in  their  Total  Ruin.'" 

At  another  meeting,  held  shortly  after,  the  Committee  of 
Correspondence  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  six  mem- 
bers. In  July  subscriptions  were  solicited  by  order  of  the 
town,  in  aid  of  the  poor  of  Boston,  who  were  suffering 
from  the  operation  of  the  Port  Bill,  and,  among  other  con- 
tributions, eleven  cart-loads  of  Jamaica  fish  and  a  cask  of 
oil  were  donated.  The  town  house  and  powder-house  were 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  merchants  for  the  storage  of 
goods,  and  the  citizens  generally  tendered  the  use  of  their 
wharves,  store-houses,  and  other  unoccupied  buildings  for 
this  purpose. 

As  soon  as  the  determination  to  hold  a  "  Continental  Con- 
gress "  was  made  known,  the  town  voted  to  send  one  repre- 
sentative, and  appropriated  the  sum  of  nine  pounds  and 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  103 

eight  shillings  for  the  use  of  the  Congress.  Jeremiah  Lee, 
Azor  Orne,  and  Elbridge  Gerry  were  in  turn  elected  to 
represent  the  town,  but  all  three  declined  the  honor,  "  as 
the  condition  of  their  private  affairs  was  such  as  to  pre- 
vent their  acceptance."  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  the  town 
voted,  that  "  inasmuch  as  all  three  of  the  gentlemen  chosen 
had  been  unable  to  accept  the  choice,"  in  case  any  one  of 
them  should  find  it  convenient  to  set  out  for  Philadelphia, 
"  he  was  authorized  to  draw  upon  the  Town  Treasurer  for 
the  amount  of  his  expenses."  Elbridge  Gerry,  the  young- 
est person  of  the  three  who  had  been  chosen,  then  only 
thirty  years  of  age,  was  finally  induced  to  accept  the  posi- 
tion, and  thus  began  that  distinguished  public  career  which 
did  not  close  until  he  had  attained  the  office  of  Vice-presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  During  the  month  of  July  the 
town  voted  to  request  the  various  ministers  "  to  appoint  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  on  account  of  the  grievous  situa- 
tion of  public  affairs  throughout  America."  At  the  same 
meeting  the  constables  were  instructed  to  notify  the  inhabi- 
tants personally  to  attend  a  meeting  to  be  held  on  the  26th 
of  July,  as  the  "  disuse  of  tea  "  was  "  to  come  under  consid- 
eration." 

On  the  day  appointed,  the  meeting  was  held,  and  the 
town  voted  that  "  the  use  of  tea  at  a  time  when  our  invet- 
erate enemies  are  causing  it  to  be  enforced  on  the  American 
Colonies  in  the  most  violent  methods,  even  by  armed  bands, 
is  no  less  an  injury  offered  to  the  Colonies  by  all  who  vend 
or  purchase  it,  than  affording  assistance  to  those  enemies  to 
raise  revenues  to  pay  the  dragoons  who  are  to  enslave  us." 
It  was  also  voted,  "  that  this  town  highly  disapproves  the 
vending  or  use  of  any  India  Tea,  ....  and  views  all  per- 
sons who  shall  offer  it  for  sale  as  enemies  to  America  and 
this  town  in  particular."  A  tea  committee  of  eleven  persons 
was  chosen  to  warn  the  inhabitants  not  to  use  or  sell  India 
teas,  and  it  was  voted  that  all  who  refused  to  discontinue 
the  sale  and  use  of  the  article  after  being  warned  by  the 


104  THE   fflSTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

committee  should  have  their  names  "  posted  at  the  Town 
House  and  at  the  several  Churches  that  the  town  may  know 
their  enemies." 

In  defiance  of  the  acts  of  Parliament  for  the  suppression 
of  town  meetings,  the  people  of  Marblehead  continued  to 
assemble,  and  to  express  their  sentiments  concerning  the 
great  questions  then  agitating  the  country.  Nor  were  they 
awed  by  the  presence  of  a  company  of  "  British  Regulars," 
which  had  been  stationed  on  the  Neck  for  the  purpose  of 
enforcing  submission  to  this  act,  at  the  order  of  the  governor. 

On  the  eleventh  of  August  a  meeting  was  held,  and  a 
committee  of  four  persons  was  chosen  "to  take  into  consider- 
ation the  late  acts  of  Parliament  respecting  the  Constitution 
of  the  Province."  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  held  four  days 
later,  the  committee  brought  in  a  report  recommending  the 
holding  of  county  meetings,  by  delegates  from  each  town, 
"  to  deliberate  upon  matters  for  the  safety  and  defense  of 
the  Province,  and  to  confer  upon  whatever  may  be  for  the 
public  good."  The  report  was  promptly  adopted,  and  the 
Committee  of  Correspondence  was  instructed  to  address  a 
"circular  letter"  to  the  several  towns  in  the  county,  ap- 
pointing a  place  for  the  meeting,  and  requesting  them  to 
send  delegates.  The  town  voted  to  send  five  delegates,  and 
the  following  named  gentlemen  were  elected  :  Jeremiah  Lee, 
Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Gerry,  Joshua  Orne,  and  Deacon  Wil- 
liam Dolliber. 

INIean while,  throughout  the  province,  great  attention  was 
being  paid  to  military  discipline,  and  the  patriots  every- 
where were  anxious  to  be  properly  armed  and  accoutered. 
The  militia  officers  were  requested,  by  vote  of  the  town,  to 
"  have  tlie  law  of  the  Province  relative  to  the  militia  ad- 
hered to  with  respect  to  proper  equipment,  and  to  disci- 
pline such  of  the  inhabitants  as  have  regard  for  the  welfare 
of  their  country  at  least  four  times  a  week,  and  two  hours 
each  time."  The  selectmen  were  "desired  to  deposit  the 
town's  stock  of  powder  at  such  places  as  they  may  think 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  105 

most  secure  for  the  benefit  of  the  town."  These  and  similar 
votes  prove  conclusively  that  the  people,  though  hoping  that 
a  pohcy  of  conciliation  might  yet  be  adopted  by  the  British 
ministry,  were  steadily  preparing  to  rush  to  arms  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice,  in  defense  of  their  rights  and  liberties.  The 
signs  of  the  apiDroaching  struggle  were  read  aright,  and 
Americans  everywhere  were  determined  to  meet  it  with  un- 
yielding fortitude  and  bravery. 

The  presence  of  the  British  soldiers  on  the  Neck  was  a 
source  of  constant  irritation  to  the  inhabitants,  and  several 
times  a  collision  between  them  seemed  imminent.  The  ex- 
citement and  indignation  which  their  insolence  occasioned 
were  fomented  almost  to  fury,  when  Captain  Merritt,  a  wor- 
thy citizen,  was  wounded  by  one  of  the  guards.  The  citi- 
zens hastily  assembled,  intending  to  march  to  the  Neck 
and  "  exterminate  the  entire  body  of  soldiers,"  but  wiser 
counsels  prevailed,  and  the  officers  in  command,  in  order  to 
pacify  the  angry  populace,  promised  that  the  oifefider  should 
be  punished  with  five  hundred  lashes. 

On  the  5th  of  September  the  first  Continental  Congress 
met  at  Philadelphia.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  this  assembly 
was  to  pass  resolutions  and  sign  an  agreement,  by  the  terms 
of  which  the  colonies  were  bound  not  to  import  directly  or 
indirectly  any  goods  from  Great  Britain  or  Ireland,  after  the 
1st  of  December,  1774;  and  in  case  the  acts  complained  of 
should  not  be  repealed  by  the  10th  of  September,  1775,  they 
agreed  not  to  export  to  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  or  the 
West  Indies,  any  commodities  or  merchandise  whatever. 

In  the  mean  time,  Governor  Gage  issued  a  proclamation, 
dissolving  the  Massachusetts  legislature,  which  had  been 
called  to  meet  at  Salem  on  the  5th  of  October.  Notwith- 
standing this  order,  the  legislature  convened  on  the  day  ap- 
pointed, and  immediately  resolved  itself  into  a  Provincial 
Congress.  As  soon  as  this  intention  was  made  known,  a 
town  meeting  was  held,  and  Jeremiah  Lee,  Azor  Orne,  and 
Elbridge  Gerry  were  chosen  as  delegates  from  Marblehead. 


106  THE  fflSTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

At  the  same  meeting,  a  committee  of  "Observation  and 
Prevention"  was  chosen,  with  instructions  "to  cooperate 
with  other  towns  in  the  Province  for  preventing  any  of  the 
inhabitants  from  supplying  the  troops  with  labor,  lumber, 
spars,  pickets,  straws,  bricks,  or  any  other  material  what- 
ever, except  such  as  humanity  requires." 

The  militia  of  Marblehead  consisted  at  this  time  of  a  reg- 
iment of  seven  companies  of  well  disciplined,  active  men. 
This  regiment  was  under  the  command  of  ofl&cers,  all  of 
whom  had  been  commissioned  by  Governor  Gage  or  former 
governors,  and  the  town  voted  that  it  was  "  not  expedient  for 
the  people  "  to  be  led  or  influenced  by  any  militia  officers 
"  who  conceive  themselves  obliged  to  hold  and  execute  "  these 
commissions.  On  the  5th  of  December  the  regiment  was  or- 
dered, by  vote  of  the  town,  to  assemble  and  "  choose  officers 
for  each  company,"  and  every  inhabitant  was  ordered  to  be 
"possessed  of  a  firearm  and  bayonet  in  good  order,  and 
equipt  with  thirty  rounds  of  cartridges  and  ball,  a  pouch  and 
knapsack."  In  order  the  better  to  facilitate  the  work  of  re- 
organization, a  "  committee,  consisting  of  three  persons  for 
each  of  the  seven  companies,  was  chosen,  with  instructions 
to  give  personal  notice  to  all  on  the  alarm  list,  at  least  four 
days  before  the  time  appointed.  In  the  performance  of 
their  duty  the  committee  met  with  great  opposition  from 
some  of  the  officers  and  their  friends,  and  the  names  of  the 
offenders  were  reported  to  the  town.  Several  were  severely 
censured,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  wait  upon  all 
the  officers,  and  inform  them  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
town,  they  could  "  not  hold  or  execute  their  commissions 
without  hostile  designs  against  the  liberties  of  America." 
The  committee  were  also  directed  to  inform  theni  that  it 
was  the  desire  of  the  town  that  they  should  forthwith  resign 
their  commissions,  and  publish  their  resignations  in  the 
"  Essex  Gazette."  Upon  being  notified  of  this  action  of  the 
town,  a  majority  of  the  officers  complied  with  the  request  of 
their  fellow-citizens,  and  resigned  their  commissions.    There 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  107 

were  those,  however,  who  looked  upon  the  adoption  of  these 
measures  as  an  assumption  of  authority,  and  an  evidence  of 
an  arbitrary  and  coercive  spirit,  and  they  firmly  refused  to 
resign  their  commissions,  or  to  accede  to  the  wishes  of  the 
town.  The  excitement  of  the  people  at  length  became  so 
great  that  the  town  house  was  too  small  to  hold  the  crowds 
that  assembled  at  the  town  meetings,  and  the  citizens  were 
several  times  obliged  to  adjourn  to  the  "  New  Meeting 
House."  At  one  of  these  meetings,  the  town  voted  to  sus- 
tain all  those  inhabitants  who  should  disregard  the  orders 
and  commands  of  the  officers  who  had  not  resig-ned  their 
commissions,  and  the  constables  were  instructed  to  warn  the 
officers  not  to  attempt  to  muster  the  militia,  as  such  action 
would  disturb  the  peace  and  order  of  the  town. 

By  this  vote,  the  offices  of  those  who  had  not  already 
resigned  wei-e  virtually  declared  vacant,  and  the  regiment 
was  thus  without  officers.  But  it  was  not  the  intention  of 
the  citizens  to  allow  the  regiment  to  disband,  and  the  vari- 
ous companies  were  ordered  to  assemble  and  choose  officers 
to  fill  the  vacancies.  The  officers  elected  were  presented 
with  commissions  issued  by  the  authority  of  the  town,  and 
the  organization  of  the  regiment  was  thereby  preserved. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  loyalists,  of  whom  there  were  a  few 
among  the  wealthier  citizens,  were  not  inactive.  It  was  not 
to  be  expected  that  they  could  view  these  revolutionary  pro- 
ceedings without  deep  concern,  and  doing  all  in  their  power 
to  dissuade  their  fellow-citizens  from  the  course  they  had 
taken.  They  protested  that  the  entire  policy  of  the  colonies 
was  suicidal,  and  that  the  town  had  been  guilty  of  treason 
by  its  recent  action. 

In  November  a.  meeting  had  been  held,  and  a  "  Com- 
mittee of  Inspection  "  had  been  chosen  to  carry  into  effect 
the  resolve  of  the  Continental  Congress  respecting  the  non- 
importation of  British  goods.  This  committee  was  com- 
posed of  fifteen  patriotic  citizens,  whose  zeal  for  the  cause 
of  their  country  was  a  sufficient  guaranty  that  the  duty 


108  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

■svould  be  faithfully  performed,  namely :  Samuel  Hooper, 
Capt.  John  Glover,  Capt.  Israel  Foster,  Capt.  John  Prince, 
Capt.  Thomas  Pedrick,  Capt.  John  Russell,  Capt.  James 
Mugford,  Capt.  William  Courtis,  Mr.  Nicholas  Bruughton, 
Capt.  William  Blackler,  Thomas  Grant,  3d,  Edward  Wild, 
Samuel  Russell  Trevett,  Capt.  John  Grush,  and  Mr.  Joel 
Smith.  The  loyaHsts  were  especially  bitter  in  their  opposi- 
tion to  the  doings  of  this  committee.  The  behavior  of 
some  of  them  at  length  became  so  offensive,  that  the  town 
voted,  that  they  were  "  deserving  of  a  severe  rebuke  for 
their  misconduct."  Several  of  those  who  had  made  them- 
selves obnoxious  by  their  undisguised  "  tory  "  sentiments, 
were  signers  of  the  address  to  the  late  Governor  Hutchin- 
son. As  they  had  never  recanted,  nor  in  any  way  given 
the  least  evidence  of  regret  for  their  action,  the  indignation 
of  the  citizens  was  now  rekindled  against  them.  A  town 
meeting  was  held  at  the  "  New  Meeting  House,"  on  the 
28th  of  December,  to  consider  their  conduct,  and  a  com- 
mittee, of  which  Col.  Jeremiah  Lee  was  chairman,  was 
chosen  to  prepare  appropriate  resolutions.  These  resolu- 
tions, which  were  promptly  adopted  by  the  town,  denounced 
the  late  governor  as  an  "  unparalleled  hypocrite,"  and  the 
address  as  "an  indecent,  absurd,  and  ridiculous  instrument." 
The  addressers  were  stigmatized  as  "  enemies  to  their 
country,"  and  their  conduct  as  "  ungenerous,  unjustifiable, 
and  opprobrious  ;  "  and  it  was  therefore  voted,  to  "  break 
off  all  connection  in  commerce,  and  in  every  other  way  with 
the  persons  mentioned,  until  they  manifest  tokens  of  good 
disposition  to  join  their  country  in  its  just  cause."  In 
addition  to  this  severe  censure  of  the  town,  it  was  voted 
that  the  names  of  the  offenders  should  be  published  in  the 
"  Essex  Gazette,"  "  that  a  proper  resentment  from  the  Prov- 
ince may  likewise  fall  upon  them." 

But  the  zealous  loyalists  were  not  to  be  silenced.  With 
a  sincere  belief  that  these  rebellious  acts  of  the  colonists 
must  sooner   or   later   bring   disaster  and   ruin   upon   the 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  109 

country,  and  death  or  imprisonment  to  the  leaders,  they  en- 
treated their  friends  and  neighbors  to  recede  from  their 
position  before  it  was  too  late.  But  in  vain.  The  invari- 
able answer  of  the  sturdy  patriots  was,  "  Death  rather  than 
submission;"  and  their  entreaties  only  rendered  them  the 
more  unpopular.  Finally,  by  their  persistent  opposition  to 
the  measures  of  the  Committee  of  Inspection,  they  again 
provoked  the  anger  and  resentment  of  the  town,  and  at  a 
meeting  held  in  January,  1775,  it  was  voted  that  they 
"  ought  not  to  be  indulged  in  their  wickedness  ;  "  and  a 
committee  was  chosen  to  "  attend  to  the  conduct  of  these 
ministei'ial  Tools  and  Jacobites,"  with  instructions  to  re- 
port their  names  from  time  to  time,  that  effectual  measures 
might  be  taken,  "  either  for  silencing  them,  or  expelling 
them  from  the  community." 

■  Shortly  after  this  meeting  had  been  held,  the  public  mind 
was  again  exercised  by  the  report  that  three  vessels  were 
daily  expected  to  arrive  from  Falmouth,  England,  and  that 
the  owner  of  one  of  them  had  expressed  a  determination  to 
land  his  cargo  and  offer  it  for  sale.  The  people  were 
equally  determined  that  if  he  did  so,  the  goods  should  be 
immediately  re-shipped,  and  the  "  Committee  of  Inspec- 
tion "  was  instructed  to  take  possession  of  them  and  carry 
the  vote  into  effect,  even  at  "the  risk  of  life  itself." 

In  the  mean  time  the  citizens  had  not  been  unmindful 
of  their  other  duties,  nor  of  the  necessity  of  making  active 
preparations  for  the  struggle,  which  every  patriot  felt  must 
now  be  imminent. 


110  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  VII. 

One  of  the  most  important  measures  adopted  by  tlie  Pro- 
vincial Congress  during  tlie  last  days  of  its  session,  was  to 
provide  for  the  organization  of  an  army ;  and  the  several 
towns  were  advised  to  enlist  companies  of  minute  men,  and 
to  cause  them  to  be  properly  disciplined  and  equipped.  In 
accordance  with  this  recommendation,  a  town  meeting  was 
held  at  Marblehead  on  the  2d  of  January,  1775,  "  to  make 
provisions  to  pay  the  persons  who  may  enlist  as  minute 
men,  and  take  other  suitable  steps  for  perfecting  the  militia 
ill  the  arts  of  war."  The  subject  was  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee, of  which  Gerry,  Orne,  and  Lee  were  members,  and 
they  reported  that  as  a  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants 
would  soon  be  called  upon  "  to  assist  in  defending  the 
Charter  and  Constitution  of  the  Province,  as  well  as  the 
Rights  and  Liberties  of  America,  it  was  necessary  that  they 
should  be  proj)erly  disciplined  and  instructed ;  and  as  those 
who  were  first  to  take  the  field  would  be  required  to  devote 
a  large  proportion  of  their  time  to  this  exercise,  it  was  but 
just  and  reasonable  that  they  should  be  remunerated  for 
their  extra  services."  The  sum  of  eight  hundred  pounds 
was  accordingly  granted  for  the  purpose,  and  Capt.  James 
Mugford  was  appointed  paymaster  for  the  "  detached  Militia 
or  Minute  Men,"  with  instructions  to  pay  the  money  to  those 
only  who  presented  an  order  indorsed  by  a  committee  of  the 
town.  This  committee  consisted  of  Thomas  Gerry,  Richard 
Harris,  and  Joshua  Orne,  who  were  instructed  to  allow  a 
compensation  of  two  shillings  a  day  to  each  private ;  to  sear- 
gents,  clerks,  drummers,  and  fifers,  three  shillings  each; 
second  lieutenants  four  shillings;  first  Ueutenants  four  shil- 


'i^  1    ^       *■  j'tv 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  Hi 

lings  six-pence,  and  captains  six  shillings.  A  service  of  four 
hours  a  day  was  required,  but  compensation  was  allowed  for 
but  three  days  in  each  week. 

During  the  month  of  January  the  British  soldiers  were 
withdrawn  from  the  town,  and  on  the  9th  of  February  his 
Majesty's  ship  Lively,  mounting  twenty  guns,  arrived  in  the 
harbor,  and  anchored  off  the  fort.  All  vessels  arriving  in 
the  harbor  w^ere  diligently  searched  by  the  officers  of  this 
ship,  and  arms,  ammunition,  and  military  stores  of  every 
description,  found  on  board  them  were  confiscated  by  order 
of  the  governor.  A  vessel  containing  a  chest  of  arms  was 
compelled  to  anchor  near  the  Lively ;  but  a  few  nights  after 
her  arrival  the  prize  was  boarded  by  a  party  of  intrepid 
young  men  under  the  lead  of  Samuel  R.  Trevett,  and  the 
arms  were  removed  and  concealed  on  shore.  Though  a  dili- 
gent searcH  was  made  by  the  British  officers,  the  muskets 
could  not  be  found,  and,  as  was  supposed,  were  afterwards 
used  in  completing  the  armament  of  the  Marblehead  regi- 
ment. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  February  26,  while  the 
people  were  at  church,  a  transport  sailed  into  the  harbor. 
Soon  after,  a  regiment  of  British  soldiers,  under  command 
of  Colonel  Leslie,  landed  on  Roman's  Beach.  After  load- 
ing their  guns,  they  marched  through  the  town.  An  alarm 
drum  was  beaten  at  the  door  of  each  of  the  churches,  and, 
as  the  people  came  into  the  streets,  the  Marblehead  regi- 
ment was  mustered,  and  active  preparations  were  made  for 
the  defense  of  the  town.  Suspecting  the  object  of  the  ex- 
pedition to  be  the  seizure  of  several  pieces  of  artillery  se- 
creted at  Salem,  Major  John  Pedrick  hastened  on  horseback 
to  that  town,  and  gave  the  alarm  at  the  door  of  the  North 
Church.  He  was  soon  joined  by  a  party  of  young  men  fi'om 
Marblehead,  and  together  they  proceeded  to  the  North 
Bridge,  over  which  the  regulars  were  obliged  to  pass.  On 
their  arrival,  the  troops  found  the  draw  raised,  and  a  large 
body  of  citizens  determined  to  resist  their  passage.     Colonel 


112  THE   HISTORY   AND   TEADITIONS 

Leslie  demanded  that  "  the  draw  be  lowered  in  the  King's 
name,"  but  was  told  that  it  was  "  not  the  King's  highway, 
but  a  private  road."  Several  of  the  soldiers  then  attempted 
to  cross  in  boats  ;  but  they  were  told  that,  should  they  do 
so,  the  boats  would  be  immediately  sunk. 

While  Colonel  Leslie  and  his  officers  were  debating  with 
the  citizens,  Robert  Wormsted,  one  of  the  young  men  from 
Marblehead, — who  afterwards  distinguished  himself  by  his 
daring  and  bravery,  —  engaged  in  an  encounter  with  some 
of  the  soldiers.  He  was  a  skillful  fencer,  and,  with  his  cane 
for  a  weapon,  succeeded  in  disarming  six  of  the  regulars. 
Finally,  upon  their  agreement  to  march  a  short  distance  and 
then  return,  the  draw  was  lowered,  and  the  soldiers  were 
allowed  to  proceed.  Finding  himself  frustrated  in  his  de- 
sign, the  disap]3ointed  Colonel  returned  with  his  regiment  to 
Marblehead,  and  reembarked  on  board  the  transport.  Their 
discomfiture  was  rendered  the  more  complete,  as  they  were 
obliged  to  pass  the  Marblehead  regiment,  and  realized  that, 
had  their  mission  proved  successful,  it  wovild  have  resulted 
only  in  bloodshed  and  utter  defeat  on  their  return.^ 

The  British  Parliament  having  prohibited  the  colonists 
from  carrying  on  any  fisheries  on  the  Banks  of  Newfound- 
land, it  was  deemed  imprudent  for  the  fishing  fleet  to  vent- 
ure out.  As  nearly  if  not  quite  all  the  vessels  belonging  in 
town  were  ready  for  sea,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  wait 
upon  the  owners  and  "  skippers,"  and  request  them  not  to 
proceed  on  their  voyages  until  after  the  time  of  prohibition 
had  expired.  A  circular  letter  was  also  addressed  to  the 
fishermen  of  other  towns,  requesting  them  to  adopt  a  similar 
course,  as  the  safety  of  their  lives  and  the  welfare  of  their 
families  depended  upon  their  prudence  and  forbearance. 

The  events  which  followed  m  rapid  succession,  during  the 
months  of  March  and  April,  were  such  as  to  cause  the  ut- 
most excitement  in  Marblehead.      On  the  19th  of  April 

1  This  accouut  is  substantially  from  private  manuscripts  belonging  to  the 
Pedrick  family. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  113 

the  battle  of  Lexington  was  fought,  and  the  news  of  the 
disastrous  rout  of  the  British  was  received  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm.  The  war  for  freedom  had  commenced,  and  the 
patriots  everywhere  declared  themselves  ready  for  the  strug- 
gle. 

The  day  before  the  battle,  the  Province  Committee  of 
Safety  and  Supplies,  of  which  Jeremiah  Lee,  Elbridge 
Gerry,  and  Azor  Orne  were  members,  held  a  meeting  at 
Wetherby's  Black  Horse  Tavern,  on  the  road  between  Cam- 
bridge and  Lexington.  After  the  session  was  concluded, 
several  members  of  the  committee,  including  John  Hancock 
and  Samuel  Adams,  went  over  to  Lexington  to  pass  the 
night,  while  the  gentlemen  from  JNIarblehead  remained  at 
the  tavern.  Towards  nightfall,  small  parties  of  British  offi- 
cers and  soldiers  were  observed  to  pass  the  tavern,  and  Gerry 
at  once  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Hancock  and  Adams,  ap- 
prising them  of  the  fact.  Without  the  slightest  thought  of 
personal  danger  to  themselves,  Gerry  and  his  associates  re- 
tired to  rest,  and  remained  quietly  in  their  beds  until  the 
British  advance  were  within  view  of  the  house.  "  It  was  a 
fine  moonlight  night,  and  they  quietly  marked  the  glittering 
of  its  beams  on  the  polished  arms  of  the  soldiers,  as  they 
moved  with  the  silence  and  regularity  of  accomplished  dis- 
cipline. The  front  passed  on.  When  the  centre  was  op- 
posite the  house,  an  officer  and  file  of  men  were  detached 
by  signal,  and  marched  towards  it.  It  was  not  until  this 
moment  that  the  gentlemen  of  the  committee  entertained 
any  apprehension  of  danger.  While  the  officer  was  posting 
the  files,  the  gentlemen  found  means,  by  their  better  knowl- 
edge of  the  premises,  to  escape,  half  dressed  as  they  were, 
into  an  adjoining  cornfield,  where  they  remained  for  more 
than  an  hour,  until  the  troops  were  withdrawn.  Every 
apartment  of  the  house  was  searched  for  the  "  Members  of 
the  Rebel  Congress ;  even  the  beds  in  which  they  had  lain 
were  examined ;  but  their  clothing  and  other  property,  in- 


114  THE   HISTORY   AXD   TRADITIONS 

eluding  a  valuable  watch  of  ISIr.  Gerry's,  which  was  under 
his  pillow,  were  not  disturbed."  ^ 

The  night  being  very  cold,  the  gentlemen  suffered  very 
keenly  from  their  exposure,  and  Colonel  Lee  was  soon  after 
attacked  by  a  severe  fever,  from  which  he  never  recovered. 
He  died  on  the  tenth  of  May  following,  at  Newburyport, 
but  his  body  was  brought  to  Marblehead  for  interment. 

The  death  of  this  eminent  patriot,  at  a  time  when  his  in- 
estimable services  were  of  more  value  than  ever  to  the  town 
and  province,  was  universally  lamented.  In  the  various  po- 
sitions of  trust  and  honor  which  he  had  held,  as  an  ent«r- 
prising  and  successful  merchant,  and  as  "  an  ardent,  active, 
and  able  advocate  for  the  Liberties  and  Independence  of  his 
Country,"  he  inspired  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who 
knew  him.  In  his  private  hitercourse  with  his  fellow-men, 
he  was  admired  for  the  urbanity  of  his  manners,  and  be- 
loved for  his  generous  disposition  and  benevolence  to  the 
poor. 

After  the  sanguinary  scenes  at  Lexington  and  Concord, 
there  was  no  longer  any  question  as  to  the  determination  of 
Great  Britain  to  enforce  "  unconditional  submission."  The 
Provincial  Congress,  which  had  adjourned  to  meet  on  the 
10th  of  May,  was  convened  on  the  22d  of  April,  and  it 
was  voted  to  raise  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand  men  for 
the  service  of  the  Province.  On  Sunday,  the  23d  of  April, 
Mr.  Gerry,  one  of  the  delegates  from  Marblehead,  reported 
that  the  British  man-of-war  Lively  was  lying  off  the  harbor 
of  the  town,  and  that  the  means  of  defense  were  inadequate 
to  repel  an  attack.  Four  days  later,  the  Committee  of 
Safety  — 

"  Ordered^  That  Col.  John  Glover  take  such  effectual 
methods  for  the  prevention  of  such  intelligence  being  carried 
on  board  the  Lively  ship  of  war.  Captain  Bishop,  com- 
mander, now  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Marblehead,  or  any 
other,  as  may  have  a  tendency  to  injure  the  most  important 

1  Austin's  Life  of  Gerry. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  115 

cause  we  are  engaged  in  ;  and  tliat  he  take  such  effectual 
methods  for  carrying  this  order  into  execution  as  shall  ap- 
pear best  calculated  to  effect  this  purpose." 

During  the  month  of  May,  the  disturbed  condition  of 
public  affairs  caused  great  commotion  throughout  the  town. 
Press-gangs  prowled  about  the  streets,  seeking  to  impress 
seamen  for  the  royal  navy.  An  attack  from  the  gunboat  in 
the  harbor,  whose  officers  and  men  were  irritated  almost  be- 
yond endurance  by  the  successful  resistance  of  the  citizens 
to  their  arbitrary  measures,  was  considered  as  not  unlikely 
to  occur.  This,  together  with  the  unprotected  position  of 
the  harbor,  led  many  of  the  inhabitants  to  remove  their 
famihes  to  places  not  so  dangerously  exposed.  On  the  21st, 
the  artillery  company,  commanded  by  Capt.  Samuel  II.  Tre- 
vett,  marched  to  the  "  Old  Meeting  House,"  where  a  sermon 
was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  INIr.  Whitwell.  The  next  day, 
recruiting  officers  marched  about  the  town  with  drums  and 
fifes,  enlisting  recruits  for  the  Continental  army. 

On  the  30th,  the  inhabitants  were  alarmed  by  a  report 
that  British  soldiers  were  landing  at  the  Ferry.  The 
regiment,  led  by  the  intrepid  Glover,  "  turned  out  "  and 
promptly  marched  to  the  scene  of  action  ;  but  the  report 
proved  to  be  false. 

The  next  day  the  frigate  Lively  sailed  for  Boston,  and 
her  place  was  taken  by  the  sloop  of  war  Merlin.  A  few  days 
after  the  arrival  of  this  ship,  a  merchant  vessel  from  the 
West  Indies,  belonging  to  Colonel  Glover,  arrived  in  the 
harbor.  The  commander  of  the  Merlin  sent  an  officer  on 
board  to  order  the  captain  to  anchor  his  vessel  near  the 
ship ;  but  the  vigilant  owner  had  boarded  her  before  him, 
and  disregarding  the  imperative  commands  of  the  officer 
and  the  threatening  guns  of  the  ship,  had  his  vessel  brought 
"  directly  in  to  Gerry's  Wharf."  Crowds  of  people  were 
gathered  along  the  wharves  and  headlands,  expecting  that 
the  schooner  would  be  fired  into  by  the  INIerlin  ;  but  the 
angry  commander,  knowing   that  the  citizens  were  deter- 


116  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

mined  to  defend  the  owner  at  all  hazards,  wisely  refrained 
from  an  act  which  must  have  resulted  disastrously  to  him- 
self and  his  men. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  term  for  which  the  delegates  to  the 
Provincial  Congress  had  been  elected  having  expired,  a  town 
meeting  was  held,  and  Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Gerry,  Jonathan 
Glover,  and  Joshua  Orne,  were  chosen  to  attend  the  Con- 
gress soon  to  assemble  at  Watertown.  Two  days  later,  an- 
other meeting  was  held,  and  the  citizens,  anxious  to  provide 
for  the  comfort  of  those  who  were  soon  to  go  forth  to  fight 
the  battles  of  their  country,  authorized  the  selectmen  to 
provide  blankets  and  such  other  articles  as  were  needed  by 
those  who  had  enlisted  in  the  Provincial  service. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  Colonel  Glover  received  orders  from 
the  Provincial  Committee  of  Safety,  "  to  continue  the  Reg- 
iment under  his  command  at  Marblehead,  until  further  or- 
ders ;  and  to  hold  them  in  readiness  to  march  at  a  moment's 
warning  to  any  post  where  he  may  be  directed." 

At  the  same  time,  a  report  was  made  to  the  Congress  by 
the  committee  on  military  affairs,  that  "  Colonel  Glover  had 
levied  ten  companies,  making  in  the  whole  four  hundred 
and  five  men,  inclusive  of  officers  ;.  and  about  thVee  quarters 
of  said  number  are  armed  with  effective  fire-locks,  who  are 
willing  and  choose  to  serve  in  the  army  under  him,  all  now 
at  Marblehead."  The  committee  further  reported  that,  in 
their  "  opinion,  the  safety  of  the  country,  and  the  promoting 
the  public  service,  make  it  highly  necessary  and  expedient 
that  Colonels  John  Glover,  David  Brewer,  Woodbridge  Lit- 
tle, and  Jonathan  Brewer,  be  without  any  delay  commis- 
sioned as  Chief  Colonels  in  the  army,  and  that  their  field- 
officers,  captains,  and  subalterns  be  also  commissioned  as 
soon  as  the  list  of  them  can  be  settled." 

Accordingly,  on  the  16th  of  June,  Colonel  Glover  ap- 
peared before  Congress  and  was  sworn  and  commissioned  as 
commander  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment. 

Havino:  been  stationed  at  Marblehead  "  until  further  or- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  117 

ders,"  the  brave  seamen  of  the  marine  regiment  were  de- 
prived of  an  opportunity  to  distinguish  themselves  at  the 
Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  which  took  place  on  the  17th  of  June. 
But  there  were  other  sons  of  Marblehead  who  participated 
in  that  memorable  engagement  and  fought  like  heroes  in 
defense  of  their  country.  The  company  of  artillery  under 
command  of  Capt.  Samuel  R.  Trevett,  forming  a  part  of 
Colonel  Gridley's  regiment,  arrived  on  the  field  in  season  to 
engage  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action.  Captain  Trevett 
lost  a  small  four-pound  cannon  in  the  action,  but  made  up 
for  his  loss  by  capturing  two  of  a  larger  size  from  the 
British,  the  only  cannon  captured  by  the  Americans.  Two 
men  of  the  Marblehead  company  were  killed,  and  three 
were  wounded.  Of  the  killed,  one  was  William  Nutting ; 
and  of  the  wounded,  one  was  the  intrepid  Robert  Worm- 
stead,  who  was  struck  in  the  shoulder  by  the  fragments  of  a 
bursting  shell.  He  narrowly  escaped  having  his  head  blown 
from  his  shoulders,  the  fate  which  befell  a  companion  whom 
he  was  assisting  from  the  battle-field. 

On  the  21st  of  June,  Colonel  Glover  received  orders  to 
proceed  with  his  regiment  and  report  to  General  Ward  at 
Cambridge.  A  general  muster  was  held,  and  the  regiment, 
fully  armed  and  equipped,  made  an  imposing  appearance  as 
it  marched  through  the  town.  Every  officer,  soldier,  and 
musician,  in  the  entire  regiment  of  ten  companies,  were  citi- 
zens of  Marblehead,  except  one  captain  and  seven  privates. 
The  officers,  chosen  some  months  before,  were  as  follows :  — 

Colonel^  John  Glover. 
Lieutenant-colonel^  John  Gerry. 
Major^  Gabriel  Johonnet.^ 
Adjutant,  William  Gibbs. 
Surgeon,  Nathaniel  Bond. 
Surgeon's  Mate,  Nathaniel  Harrington. 
Quartermaster,  Joseph  Stacey. 

1  William  R.  Lee  afterwards  became  Major,  and  Gabriel  Johonnet  Lieu- 
tenant-colonel. 


118  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  uniform  of  the  regiment  consisted  of  a  bkie  round 
jacket  and  trousers,  trimmed  with  leather  buttons ;  and 
Colonel  Glover  was  said  to  be  the  most  finely  dressed  offi- 
cer of  the  arm}'  at  Cambridge. 

During  the  months  of  August  and  September  the  citizens 
of  Marblehead  busied  themselves  in  fortifying  and  making 
pre23arations  for  the  defense  of  the  town.  The  fort  was  re- 
paired, and  one  hundred  men  were  employed  for  seven  days, 
"  Sundays  not  excepted,"  to  complete  the  breastworks. 
The  cost  to  the  town  for  carriages,  planks,  and  other  mate- 
rials, was  thirty-two  pounds,  "  exclusive  of  donations  "  from 
the  citizens,  which  were  very  liberal. 

The  sloop  of  war  Merlin  remained  in  the  harbor  during 
the  entire  summer,  stopping  fishing-boats  as  they  passed, 
and  searching  the  merchant  vessels  as  they  arrived  in  the 
harbor.  One  schooner,  however,  which  arrived  from  New 
Providence,  was  seized  during  the  night  and  taken  around 
into  Salem  Harbor,  where  she  was  anchored  in  safety  near 
the  "  Ferry  Shore."      • 

As  no  arrangements  had  been  made  for  fitting  out  a  naval 
armament,  and  as  the  army  at  Cambridge  was  greatly  embar- 
rassed by  the  scarcity  of  ammunition,  General  Washington, 
who  had  assumed  command,  was  instructed  by  Congress,^  to 
intercept  and  capture  two  English  transports  which  were 
bound  to  Quebec  with  ammunition  and  military  stores  for 
the  British  army.  Accordingly,  Nicholas  Broughton  and 
John  Selman,  both  captains  in  Glover's  regiment,  were  or- 
dered to  take  command  of  a  detachment  of  the  army,  and 
proceed  at  once  on  board  the  schooners  Lynch  and  Frank- 
lin, then  lying  in  Beverly  Harbor.  Their  instructions  were 
issued  on  the  16th  of  October.  On  the  21st,  having  fitted 
their  vessels  for  sea,  —  the  Lynch  with  six  guns  and  the 
Franklin  with  four,  —  they  sailed  on  the  first  naval  expedi- 
tion of  the  war.  Each  commander  took  his  own  company 
for  a  crew,  and  Broughton,  as  Commodore,  hoisted  his  broad 
"pendant  on  board  the  Lynch." 

1  Auslin''s  Life  of  Gerry.     Correspondence  of  John  Adams. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  119 

After  a  long  passage,  being  detained  by  adverse  winds 
and  weather,  they  reached  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  but  found 
that  the  transport  for  which  they  were  in  search  had  es- 
caped. They,  however,  captured  ten  other  vessels  as  prizes, 
and  hearing  that  the  authorities  on  the  Island  of  St.  John's 
were  raising  recruits  for  the  British  army,  the  zealous  com- 
manders, thinking  to  do  essential  service  to  their  country, 
landed  their  troops  on  the  island,  besieged  a  fort,  and  de- 
tained and  brought  off  the  Governor  (Wright)  and  Judge 
Colbeck  as  prisoners  of  war.  In  December  the  expedition 
returned,  when,  much  to  their  astonishment,  the  two  naval 
officers  were  severely  reprimanded  by  the  commander-in- 
chief,  for  exceeding  their  instructions,  and  the  prisoners 
and  prizes  were  released.  It  was  the  desire  of  Congi-ess  to 
adopt  a  conciliatory  policy  towards  the  Northern  Provinces, 
and  Washington  feai-ed  that  this  hasty  action  of  the  brave 
but  ovei-zealous  seamen  would  cause  a  rupture  of  the  friendly 
relations  existing  between  these  colonies  which  might  be 
fraught  with  serious  consequences. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  had 
passed  an  act  authorizing  the  fitting  out  of  armed  vessels 
"  to  protect  the  sea-coast,"  and  to  cut  off  the  supplies  in- 
tended for  the  British  army.  This  act,  which  was  adopted 
on  the  15th  of  November,  was  due  chiefly  to  the  efforts  of 
Elbridge  Gerry,  one  of  the  representatives  from  INIarble- 
head,  by  whom  the  preamble  was  drawn  up.  The  first 
vessel  to  put  to  sea  under  this  arrangement  was  the 
schooner  Lee,  commanded  by  Capt.  John  Manly,  of  Marble- 
head.  On  the  29th  of  November  he  fell  in  with  the  brig 
Nancy,  a  vessel  of  250  tons  burden,  bound  to  Boston  with 
military  stores,  which  he  captured,  and  sent  in  to  Glouces- 
ter Harbor.  Her  cargo  consisted  of  several  brass  field- 
pieces,  2,000  stand  of  arms,  100,000  flints,  32  tons  of  lead, 
a  large  quantity  of  ammunition,  and  a  thirteen-inch  brass 
mortar,  besides  a  complete  assortment  of  tools,  utensils, 
and  machines,  necessary  for  military  operations.     Manly's 


120  THE    HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

schooner  -sailed  under  the  Pine  Tree  Flag  of  Massachusetts, 
and  this  was  the  first  naval  victory  in  which  the  British 
flag  was  struck  to  American  colors.^  The  prize  was  of  in- 
estimable value  to  Washington,  and  the  ordnance  stores 
and  field-pieces  were  at  once  forwarded  to  the  army  at 
Cambridge. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  Captain  Manly  captured  two 
other  vessels  within  full  sight  of  the  British  fleet  in  Boston 
Harbor.  After  a  brief  engagement  with  an  English  armed 
schooner,  he  succeeded  in  taking  his  prizes  into  Plymouth. 
On  leaving  this  port,  he  was  chased  into  Scituate  River  by 
the  British  sloop  of  war  Falcon,  Captain  Lendzee,  which 
had  been  sent  out  to  seize  him.  Manly  ran  his  brig  ashore. 
After  a  desperate  engagement,  during  which  the  British  ves- 
sel fired  more  than  three  hundred  guns,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  board  the  brig  by  men  in  barges.  They  were  re- 
pulsed, however,  and  the  British  commander  was  at  length 
obliged  to  retire  from  the  contest,  having  lost  more  than  half 
his  men.  Captain  Manly  succeeded  in  getting  his  vessel  off 
without  much  damage,  and  in  a  short  time  she  was  again 
refitted  for  sea. 

/  The  opening  of  the  year  1776  found  the  people  of  INIar- 
blehead  suffering  extreme  hardship  from  the  effects  of  the 
war.  On  the  8th  of  January  a  town  meeting  was  held  to 
consider  the  distressed  and  "  truly  miserable  condition  of 
the  poor  at  the  Work-house,"  and  the  selectmen  were  au- 
thorized to  hire  the  sum  of  ,£200  for  their  relief.  A  few 
months  before,  the  poor  people  of  the  town  had  been  recom- 
mended to  cut  turf  and  dig  roots  of  trees  in  the  swamps,  for 
fuel. 

At  the  annual  March  meeting,  the  Committee  of  Safety 
was  increased  to  nineteen  persons,  and,  two  months  later, 

1  "  Philadelphia  is  now  boasting  that  Paul  Jones  has  asserted  in  his  journal 
that '  this  hand  hoisted  the  first  American  flag  ; '  and  Captain  Barry  has  said 
that  the  first  British  flag  was  struck  to  him.  Now  I  assort  that  the  first  Ameri- 
can flag  ivas  hoisted  by  John  Manly,  and  the  first  British  fiag  ivas  struck  to  him." 
Correspondence  of  John  Adams.     Austin's  Life  of  Gerry,  p.  100. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  121 

Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Gerry,  Jonathan  Glover,  Thomas 
Gerry,  and  Joshua  Orne  were  elected  to  represent  the  town 
in  the  General  Court. 

Early  in  the  month  of  May,  James  Mugfoixl,  a  young 
man  who  had  previously  sailed  as  the  master  of  a  merchant 
vessel,  applied  to  General  AVard  for  permission  to  fit  out  the 
Continental  cruiser  Franklin,  then  lying  in  ordinary  at  Bev- 
erly. During  the  previous  year,  Mugford  had  been  im- 
pressed into  the  British  service  and  confined  on  board  a 
gunboat  then  lying  in  the  harbor.  He  was  soon  released, 
howevei-,  through  the  interposition  of  his  wife,  who  went  on 
board  the  ship  and  represented  to  the  captain  that  they  had 
been  recently  married,  and  that  she  was  dependent  uj)on  him 
for  support.  While  a  prisoner,  the  young  sailor  learned 
from  the  conversation  of  his  captors  that  a  "  Powder  Ship  " 
was  soon  to  sail  from  England,  with  ammunition  and  stores 
for  the  British  array.  Immediately  upon  his  release,  he 
communicated  the  important  intelligence  to  the  proper  au- 
thorities, and  requested  permission  to  attempt  the  capture 
of  the  transport.  After  much  importunity  his  request  was 
granted.  Without  delay,  the  intrepid  commander  collected 
a  crew,  and,  after  fitting  his  vessel  for  sea,  pushed  into  the 
Bay.  On  Friday,  the  17th  of  May,  the  British  ship  Hope, 
of  three  hundred  tons,  six  guns,  and  seventeen  men,  hove 
in  sight.  Notwithstanding  tlie  fact  that  a  British  fleet  lay 
at  anchor  in  Nantasket  Roads,  only  a  few  miles  off,  and  in 
full  sight,  Mugford  at  once  bore  down  upon  the  ship,  and 
carried  her  by  boarding.  While  the  crew  of  the  Franklin 
were  engaged  in  taking  possession  of  their  prize,  the  captain 
of  the  Hope  ordered  his  men  to  cut  the  topsail  halyard  ties, 
with  a  view  to  impede  the  sailing  of  the  ship,  and  thereby 
give  the  boats  of  the  squadron  time  to  come  up.  Mugford, 
sensible  of  the  danger  of  his  situation,  threatened  the  cap- 
tain and  all  on  board  with  instant  death,  should  the  order 
be  executed.  His  resolute  manner  terrified  the  crew,  and 
they  refused  to  obey  the  commands  of  their  officers.^  The 
1  Clark's  Naval  History. 


122  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

prize  was  taken  tlirough  Puddiug  Point  Gut,  —  a  channel 
then  but  little  known,  —  beyond  the  range  of  the  guns  of 
the  British  squadron,  and  arrived  safely  in  Boston  Harbor. 
This  was  the  most  valuable  capture  that  had  been  made 
durino;  the  war.  The  carofo  consisted  of  one  thousand  car- 
bines  with  bayonets,  several  carriages  for  field-pieces,  fifteen 
hundred  barrels  of  powder,  and  a  most  complete  assortment 
of  artillery  implements  and  pioneer  tools. 

Having  seen  his  prize  safe  in  port,  the  gallant  commander 
of  the  Franklin  took  a  supply  of  ammunition,  and  on  the 
following  Sunday  again  put  to  sea.  In  sailing  through  Pud- 
ding Point  Gut,  the  same  channel  through  which  the  prize 
was  brought  up,  the  vessel  grounded.  This  being  perceived 
by  the  oflicers  on  board  the  ships  of  the  British  fleet,  four- 
teen boats,  manned  by  two  hundred  sailors  fully  armed,  were 
sent  to  capture  the  unprotected  schooner.  Mugford,  how- 
ever, was  prepared  to  meet  them.  Waiting  until  they  came 
within  range  of  his  guns,  he  fired,  and  with  such  deadly 
effect  that  two  of  the  boats  were  immediately  sunk.  The 
men  in  the  remaining  boats  now  surrounded  the  schooner 
and  attempted  to  board.  Seizing  pikes  and  cutlasses,  and 
whatever  implements  they  could  obtain,  the  heroic  crew  of 
the  Franklin  fought  witli  desperation  in  defense  of  their 
vessel.  Many  of  the  British  were  shot  as  soon  as  the  boats 
*came  alongside,  while  others  had  their  hands  and  fingers  cut 
off  with  sabres,  as  they  laid  them  on  the  gunwales  of  the 
schooner.  The  brave  Mugford,  who  throughout  the  conflict 
had  been  fighting  wherever  his  presence  seemed  most  needed, 
encouraging  and  animating  his  men  by  voice  and  example, 
was  shot  through  the  breast  by  an  officer  in  one  of  the  boats. 
With  the  utmost  composure,  and  with  that  presence  of  mind 
which  ever  distinguishes  heroes,  he  called  to  his  lieutenant, 
and  exclaimed :  "  I  am  a  dead  man  ;  dont  give  %ip  the  ves- 
sel ;  you  will  he  able  to  heat  them  off.''  In  a  few  minutes  he 
expired.  The  death  of  their  gallant  commander  nerved  the 
crew  of  the  Franklin  to  still  greater  effort,  and  in  a  short 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  123 

time  the  men  in  the  boats  were  repulsed,  and  gave  up  the 
attack.  The  engagement  kisted  half  an  hour.  The  British 
lost  seventy  men,  while  the  only  person  killed  on  board  the 
schooner  was  its  heroic  captain.  /^ 

With  the  advancing  tide  t^ie  Franklin  floated  from  the 
soft  ground  where  she  had  struck,  and  taking  advantage  of 
a  fresh  breeze  that  had  sprung  up,  the  crew  brought  her  in 
safety  into" Marblehead  Harbor.  The  news  of  the  capture 
of  the  powder  ship,  and  of  the  death  of  the  captain  in  the 
contest  with  the  boats,  had  preceded  the  arrival  of  the 
schooner,  and  the  wharves  and  headlands  were  thronged  with 
people,  as  the  victorious  seamen  sailed  up  the  harbor. 

On  the  following  Wednesday  the  funeral  took  place  from 
the  "  New  Meeting  House,"  the  Rev.  Isaac  Story  officiating 
and  conducting  the  services.  Amid  the  tolling  of  bells  and 
the  firing  of  minute-guns,  the  body  was  conveyed  to  its  rest- 
ing-place on  the  "  Old  Burying  Hill,"  where  a  volley  was 
fired  by  the  Marblehead  Regiment,  which  did  escort  duty 
on  the  occasion. 

During  the  previous  winter  Elbridge  Gerry  took  his  seat 
as  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress.  As  each  meas- 
ure of  public  utility  was  adopted  by  Congress,  Mr.  Gerry 
advised  his  constituents  of  its  import,  and  suggested  the 
adoption  of  corresponding  measures  by  the  General  Court 
of  the  province  he  represented.  The  idea  of  a  complete 
separation  from  the  mother  country  found  in  him  a  warm 
and  able  advocate.  In  March  he  wrote  to  a  friend  :  "  I 
hope  nothing  will  satisfy  you  short  of  a  determination  of 
America  to  hold  her  rank  in  the  creation,  and  give  law  to 
herself."  ....  "I  sincerely  wish  you  would  originate  in- 
structions, expressed  with  decency  and  firmness,  and  give 
your  sentiments  in  favor  of  independency."  ^ 

Encouraged  by  such  sentiments  as  these,  openly  advocated, 
by  men  in  whom  they  reposed  the  utmost  confidence,  the 
citizens  of  Marblehead  assembled  in  town  meeting  on  the 

1  Life  of  Gerry,  p.  174. 


124  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

17th  of  June,  the  first  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Banker 
Hill,  and  declared :  "  That  if  the  Continental  Congress  think 
it  for  the  interest  of  these  united  colonies  to  declare  them 
Independent  of  Great  Britain,  and  should  publish  such  dec- 
laration, the  inhabitants  of  this  town  will  support  them  in 
maintaining  such  Independence  with  lives  and  fortunes." 

The  patriotic  citizens  had  not  long  to  wait.  Early  one 
morning  in  July,  —  so  runs  the  tradition,  —  a  horseman  rode 
into  town,  bringing  the  joyful  tidings  that  independence  had 
been  declared.  The  joy  of  the  people  knew  no  bounds. 
The  bells  of  the  churches  were  rung  for  an  entire  week,  and 
every  evening  fires  were  lighted  on  the  hill-tops,  in  honor  of 
the  great  event.  During  the  excitement  occasioned  by  these 
demonstrations,  St.  Michael's  Church  was  entered,  and  the 
royal  coat  of  arms  was  removed  from  its  place  above  the 
chancel,  while  the  bell  was  rung  till  it  cracked,  to  punish 
some  of  the  communicants  for  their  loj^alist  sentiments. 

In  a  few  weeks  printed  copies  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence were  received,  and  Benjamin  Boden,  the  town 
clerk,  transcribed  the  entire  document  on  the  records  of  the 
town. 

As  an  expedition  to  Canada  was  being  formed  for  the 
capture  of  military  stores  at  Quebec,  a  town  meeting  was 
held  to  adopt  measures  for  raising  money  and  recruits.  A 
committee  of  seven  persons  was  appointed  to  solicit  subscrip- 
tions of  money  to  be  used  as  a  bounty  for  volunteers,  and 
on  the  days  when  the  town  was  canvassed  the  church  bells 
were  rung,  and  the  town  crier  was  sent  about  to  notify  the 
inhabitants.  The  citizens  responded  generously  to  this  pa- 
triotic appeal,  and,  after  the  necessary  amount  had  been  j)aid 
for  bounties,  a  balance  of  over  two  hundred  dollars  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  committee.  This,  with  the  consent  of 
the  subscribers,  was  appropriated  to  the  erection  of  "  addi- 
tional fortifications  for  the  defense  of  the  town." 

The  year  1777  opened  with  little  encouragement  for  the 
success  of  the  American  army.    True,  a  glorious  success  had 


OF   IIARBLEHEAD.  125 

been  achieved  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  but  the  disheart- 
ening faiku'es  of  the  various  expeditions  North  and  South, 
and  the  extreme  sufferings  to  wliich  the  soldiers  in  the  army 
had  been  subjected,  were  rapidly  breeding  discontent  and 
discouragement  among  the  people.  On  the  first  of  January 
two  thousand  of  the  regular  ti'oops  were  entitled  to  a  dis- 
charge, and  a  general  apprehension  prevailed  that  their 
places  might  not  be  readily  filled.  But  the  people  of  Mar- 
blehead  were  not  despondent ;  and  though  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  able-bodied  citizens  were  already  in  the  service 
of  the  colonies,  either  on  land  or  water,  a  meeting  was  held 
early  in  February  for  the  purpose  of  enlisting  one  seventh 
of  the  remaining  male  inhabitants  "  for  the  defense  of  the 
American  States."  An  additional  bounty  was  offered  for 
volunteers,  and  in  a  short  time  the  requisite  number  was  ob- 
tained. 

The  treatment  to  which  the  loyalists  should  be  subjected 
had  been  sei'iously  discussed  by  Congress  and  by  the  State 
Legislature,  and  in  May  the  latter  body  passed  an  act  au- 
thorizing the  towns  to  procure  information  against  those 
who  were  known  to  be  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  towards 
the  colonies.  A  town  meeting  was  accordingly  held  in 
Marblehead  on  tlie  26th  of  May,  and  Thomas  Gerry,  Esq., 
was  chosen  to  report  the  names  of  all  persons  who  were 
inimical  to  the  American  States.  The  names  of  seven  per- 
sons were  reported,  among  them  those  of  the  Rev.  Joshua 
Wingate  Weeks,  the  rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church,  and 
Mr.  Woodward  Abraham,  who  conducted  the  services  as  a 
lay  reader  for  several  years  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

But  the  zealous  inhabitants  had  taken  it  upon  themselves 
to  punish  the  "  Tories  "  in  their  own  effective  manner,  and  a 
suggestion  from  the  legislature  was  hardly  necessary  to  in- 
duce them  to  establish  "an  inquisition,"  —  the  term  applied 
by  one  of  the  sufferers  to  the  measures  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
Nearly  two  years  before,  Thomas  Robie,  one  of  the  most  de- 
fiant of  the  loyalists  in  Mai-blehead,  had  charged  an  exor- 


126  THE   HISTOEY   AND    TRADITIONS 

bitant  price  for  about  twenty  half-barrels  of  powder,  pur- 
chased of  him  by  the  town,  and  the  indignant  citizens  voted 
that  no  interest  should  be  allowed  him  for  the  time  of  the 
town's  indebtedness.  The  ill  feehng  this  engendered  con- 
tinued to  increase,  until  Robie  and  his  wife  rendered  them- 
selves so  obnoxious  that  they  were  obliged  to  leave  the 
town  and  take  refuge  in  Kova  Scotia.  Crowds  of  people 
collected  on  the  wharf  to  witness  their  departure,  and  many 
irritating  remarks  were  addressed  to  them  concerning  their 
Tory  principles,  and  their  conduct  towards  the  Whigs.  Pro- 
voked beyond  endurance  by  these  insulting  taunts,  Mrs.  Ro- 
bie angrily  retorted,  as  she  seated  herself  in  the  boat  that 
was  to  convey  her  to  the  ship :  "  I  hope  that  I  shall  live 
to  return,  find  this  wicked  rebellion  crushed,  and  see  the 
streets  of  Marblehead  so  deep  with  rebel  blood  that  a  long 
boat  might  be  rowed  through  them."  The  effect  of  this  re- 
mark was  electrical,  and  only  the  sex  of  the  speaker  re- 
strained the  angry  citizens  from  doing  her  personal  injury. 

But  there  were  other  loyalists  in  Marblehead,  who  if  not 
so  demonstrative,  were  not  less  sincere  in  their  opinions. 
With  fortitude  and  in  silence  they  bore  the  taunts  and  in- 
sults to  which  they  were  subjected,  honestly  believing  that 
their  friends  and  neighbors  were  engaged  in  a  treasonable 
rebellion  against  their  lawful  sovereign.  One  of  those  upon 
whom  the  wrath  of  the  citizens  fell  with  especial  severity, 
was  Mr.  Benjamin  Marston.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Har- 
vard College,  and  had  for  many  years  been  an  influential 
citizen  in  the  community,  having  represented  the  town  in 
the  legislature,  and  held  many  local  offices.  In  1774  he 
was  one  of  the  addressers  of  Governor  Hutchinson,  which 
awakened  the  distrust  of  his  towns-people.  "  In  the  year 
1775,  his  house  was  visited  by  a  Marblehead  committee, 
who,  without  any  legal  authority,  entered  his  doors,  broke 
open  his  desks,  embezzled  his  money  and  notes,  and  car- 
ried off  his  books  and  accounts.  He  made  his  escape  from 
the  town  with  difficulty,  and  remained  for  some  time  con- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  127 

cealed  among  his  friends  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston. 
He  then  went  to  Halifax,  and  there  engaging  in  trade,  and 
venturing  to  sea,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Plym- 
outh," where  he  remained  until  exchanged.^ 

Another  of  the  loyalists  who  suffered  keenly  from  the  dis- 
pleasure of  his  towns-people,  during  these  exciting  times, 
was  Mr.  Ashley  Bowen.  He  had  seen  active  service  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  and  was  a  midshipman  on  board 
the  frigate  Pembroke  at  the  siege  of  Quebec.  So  indignant 
were  the  citizens  at  his  steady  resolution  in  defending  the 
king,  and  denouncing  the  acts  of  the  colonists  as  treason- 
able, that  at  one  time  during  the  war  it  was  with  great 
difficulty  that  he  obtained  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  store- 
keepers were  afraid  to  sell  their  goods  to  him  for  fear  of  in- 
curring the  displeasure  of  their  patrons,  and  he  feared,  with 
good  reason,  that  the  attempt  would  be  made  to  starve  him 
into  submission.  In  1778  he  made  the  following  entry  in 
his  journal,  which  tells  its  own  story :  "  This  is  a  year  of 
trouble  to  me.  I  was  drafted  twice  as  a  soldier,  and  taken 
by  Nathan  Brown  before  old  Ward  on  ye  25  of  March. 
Then  they  trained  with  me  so  much  that  they  would  have 
me  to  get  bondsmen  for  me  not  to  speak  nor  look,  nor  deny 
them  my  money  when  drafted.  As  I  would  not  get  bonds- 
men, it  was  determined  to  send  me  on  board  the  Guard 
Ship  at  Boston."  Fortunately  for  Mr.  Bowen  he  met  with 
an  old  friend,  the  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel,  with  whom 
he  shipped  as  mate,  and  so,  as  the  journal  expresses  it, 
"  was  taken  out  of  their  way." 

Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  the  loyalists  of  Marble- 
head,  it  cannot  be  said  that  they  were  cowardly.  They 
were  sincere  in  their  convictions,  and  had  the  courage  to 
declare  them  in  defiance  of  an  overwhelming  public  senti- 
ment in  opposition.  To  do  this,  required  a  strength  of 
character  such  as  is  seldom  exhibited  except  by  heroes  in 
times  of  public  peril.     They  were  actuated  by  no  mercenary 

1  Memoir  of  the  Marston  Family,  by  John  Lee  Watson. 


128  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

motives.  Estranged  from  friends  and  kindred,  liable  at  any 
moment  to  be  imprisoned  or  to  have  their  property  confis- 
cated, many  were  obliged  to  leave  the  home  of  their  child- 
hood, and  seek  a  residence  among  strangers.  Time  has 
removed  the  prejudice,  the  last  actor  in  the  great  drama  has 
long  since  passed  from  earth,  and  to-day,  though  the  im- 
partial reader  of  history  may  not  indorse  the  sentiments, 
nor  applaud  the  acts  of  the  zealous  loyalists,  he  will  find 
much  to  admire  in  their  evident  sincerity,  and  the  forti- 
tude with  which  they  encountered  danger  and  endured  ad- 
versity. 

During  the  spring  of  1777  the  small-pox  again  broke  out 
in  town.  The  usual  precautionary  measures  were  adopted, 
and  the  town  crier  was  sent  about  to  warn  the  inhabitants 
"not  to  attempt  to  inoculate  themselves  or  their  families." 
One  of  the  citizens,  however,  inoculated  his  wife  and  child 
for  the  disease,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the  town.  A  town 
meeting  was  called  to  consider  the  matter,  and  it  was  voted 
that  "  the  whole  town  or  the  inhabitants  now  assembled,  be 
a  committee  to  wait  upon  "  the  gentleman,  "  and  ascertain 
whether  his  wife  and  child  have  been  inoculated  or  not." 
A  building  was  erected  in  the  "  Middle  Division  "  for  the 
treatment  of  patients,  and  a  general  inoculation  was  or- 
dered. The  services  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Jackson  were 
again  obtained,  and  in  a  short  time  the  town  was  reported 
cleansed  from  the  disease. 

The  hardships  and  sufferings  to  which  the  people  were 
subjected  during  the  summer  months  were  severe  in  the 
extreme.  Many  of  the  soldiers  in  the  army  had  been  paid 
for  their  services  in  depreciated  Continental  notes,  which 
passed  for  less  than  half  their  face  value,  while  others  had 
not  been  paid  at  all.  As  a  consequence,  their  families  at 
home  were  deprived  of  many  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  and 
tlie  town  was  obliged  to  adopt  measures  for  their  relief. 
The  family  of  each  soldier  was  allowed  to  draw  provisions 
to  the  amount  of  half  the  wages  due  him,  and  for  a  time  the 
distress  was  alleviated. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  129 

Articles  of  Confederation  and  perpetual  Union  having 
been  proposed  by  the  Continental  Congress,  a  town  meeting 
was  held  on  the  26th  of  January,  1778,  and  the  unanimous 
vote  of  the  citizens  was  cast  in  favor  of  accepting  them. 
During  the  winter  the  legislature  framed  a  State  Constitu- 
tion, which  was  submitted  to  the  people,  and  in  June  the 
citizens  of  Marblehead  voted  unanimously  against  it. 

The  term  of  enlistment  of  many  of  the  soldiers  in  the 
army  having  expired,  the  legislature  voted  on  the  1st  of 
May  to  raise  two  thousand  men  for  a  service  of  eight  or  nine 
months,  and  apportioned  the  number  upon  the  towns.  Ar- 
dent and  spirited  appeals  were  made  to  the  people,  and,  as 
usual,  the  reply  of  Marblehead  was  prompt  and  decisive. 
Three  days  after,  a  town  meeting  was  held,  and  the  sum  of 
twenty-five  hundred  and  fifty-two  pounds  was  appropriated 
"  to  pay  the  bounty  due  the  Guards  at  Winter  Hill,  and  to 
raise  thirty-four  more  men  to  serve  in  the  Continental 
Army." 

Though  the  citizens  had  assented  willingly  to  the  numer- 
ous assessments  made  upon  them  for  war  purposes,  the  col- 
lectors, in  many  instances,  were  unable  to  obtain  the  full 
amount  of  the  tax  levied  by  the  town.  The  patriotic  town 
treasurer,  Jonathan  Glover,  supplied  the  deficiency  from 
time  to  time  with  private  funds  of  his  own,  rather  than  the 
town  should  be  delinquent,  and  interest  was  allowed  him  for 
the  use  of  the  money. 

The  financial  embarrassment  of  the  country,  and  the  de- 
preciated state  of  the  currency,  led  the  people  during  the 
following  year  to  adopt  measures  for  the  prevention  of  ex- 
tortion, and  for  the  regulation  of  the  prices  to  be  charged  by 
dealers  and  mechanics.  "  Any  person  guilty  of  buying  or 
selling  silver  or  gold,  or  demanding  gold  for  rent  or  other- 
wise," was  to  be  deemed  an  enemy  of  the  country,  and 
treated  accordingly.  The  price  of  wood  was  regulated  at 
eighteen  pounds  per  cord,  and  candles  at  eighteen  shillings 
a  pound.  "  Best  made  men's  shoes  were  to  be  eight  pounds 
9 


130  THE   HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

a  pair,"  and  other  shoes  in  proportion.  Farriers,  for  shoe- 
ing horses  all  round,  were  to  receive  six  pounds,  and  for 
shifth]g  a  single  shoe,  fifteen  shillings.  A  committee  of  forty 
persons  was  chosen  to  detect  any  violation  of  these  regula- 
tions, with  instructions  to  deal  summarily  with  every  of- 
fender. 

As  the  ships  of  the  British  navy  were  cruising  about  the 
bay,  the  towns  along  the  coast  were  in  great  danger  of  being 
attacked  at  any  moment.  Active  preparations  were  accord- 
ingly made  during  the  summer  for  the  defense  of  the  town. 
Fortifications  were  erected  on  Bartoll's  Head,  and  on  Twes- 
den's  Hill,  and  guards  were  stationed  at  various  points  along 
the  shore. 

The  new  State  Constitution  proposed  by  the  legislature 
having  been  rejected  by  the  people,  a  convention  of  dele- 
gates from  each  town  was  called  to  meet  at  Cambridge  on 
the  28th  of  October,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  another. 
On  the  30th  of  September,  Azor  Orne,  Joshua  Orne,  Thomas 
Gerry,  and  Jonathan  Glover,  were  elected  delegates  from 
Marblehead.  The  instrument  framed  by  this  convention 
was  ratified  by  the  people,  and  on  the  22d  of  May,  1780, 
the  vote  of  Marblehead  was  cast  in  favor  of  its  adoption. 

During  the  summer  of  1779  the  British  letter  of  marque 
Thorn,  a  ship  of  five  hundred  tons,  and  mounting  eighteen 
guns,  was  captured  by  Captain  Tucker  and  sent  into  Bos- 
ton. On  her  arrival  she  was  purchased  by  a  party  of  gen- 
tlemen, among  them  Col.  William  R.  Lee,  of  Marblehead, 
by  whom  she  was  again  fitted  out  as  a  letter  of  marque. 
Having  returned  late  in  the  autumn  from  a  remarkably  suc- 
cessful voyage  to  France,  it  was  decided  not  to  fit  out  the 
Thorn  for  another  voyage  until  the  following  spring. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  winter  of  1780,  information  was 
received,  by  means  of  a  letter  which  had  fallen  into  the 
wrong  hands  by  mis-direction,  that  an  expedition  was  fit- 
ting out  in  Halifax,  and  would  soon  sail  for  Marblehead  to 
capture  the  Thorn.     If  she  could  not  be  got  out  of  the  har- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  •  131 

bor,  the  intention  was  to  burn  her.    The  owners,  thus  placed 
on  their  guard,  had  the  ship  taken  immediately  into  Salem 
Harbor,  where  she  would  be  more  secure  and  less  liable  to 
surprise.     It  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  two  persons, 
each  of  whom  had  a  fishing  schooner  captured  and  taken 
into  Halifax,  had  been  down  there  to  obtain  the  release  of 
their  vessels,  and  that  their  request  had  been  granted  upon 
condition  that  one  of  them  should  be  used  for  secretly  trans- 
porting the  men  who  were  to  take  or  destroy  the  Thorn. 
The  letter  was  intended  for  the  owner  of  one  of  these  ves- 
sels.    On  the  night  of  the  very  day  that  the  ship  was  taken 
into   Salem  Harbor,  the  schooner  arrived. in   Marblehead, 
having  several  officers,  and  sixty  men  secreted  in  her  hold. 
Finding  that  their  prize  had  escaped  them,  the  Englishmen 
were  landed  late  in  the  night  at  the  extreme  southern  end  of 
the  town,  and  were  conducted  to  the  house  of  a  Tory  friend, 
where  they  were  secreted  for  several  days,  until  they  could 
be  privately  returned  to  Halifax.     But,  though  the  landing 
was  conducted  in  silence,  and  with  the  utmost  precaution 
against  discover}^,  it  was  not  unobserved.     A  young  fisher- 
man was  walking  out  with  the  girl  to  whom  he  was  engaged, 
and  having  reached  the  upper  end  of  the  harbor,  they  saw 
a   large  number  of   armed   men    landing   in   boats  from  a 
schooner.     Surprised  at  this  unusual  proceeding,  the  lovers 
had  barely  time  to  conceal   themselves  beneath   some  fish 
flakes  on  the  rising  ground  near  by,  when  the  entire  body  of 
men  passed  by  them.     They  were  discovered,  however,  by 
one  of  the  officers,  and  it  was  proposed  to  kill  them  at  once, 
to  prevent  their  giving  information.    Fearing  that  an  outcry 
would  be  made,  which  would  cause  a  search  to  be  instituted, 
thereby  rendering  an   escape    impossible,   the    Englishmen 
abandoned  the  idea  of  murdering  their  prisoners,  and  re- 
leased them,   but  not  before  a  solemn   promise   had   been 
exacted  from  them,  under  threats  of  instant  death,  that  what 
they  had  seen  and  heard  should  not  be  revealed  for  at  least 
three  days.     On   the  night  of  the  second  day  the  British 
were  sent  off  by  the  aid  of  their  Tory  friends. 


132  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

The  owners  of  the  Thorn,  though  possessmg  exact  infor- 
mation as  to  the  British  s^'mpathizers  and  Tories  who  were 
engaged  in  the  nefarious  scheme,  refrained  from  making 
known  their  names  or  giving  information  to  the  authorities, 
as  the  guilty  parties  were  respectably  connected,  and  such 
action  would  only  bring  distress  and  sorrow  upon  their  fam- 
ilies.^ 

On  the  19th  of  May  occurred  the  famous  "dark  day," 
which  caused  great  alarm  throughout  New  England.  At 
Marblehead  the  morning  was  cloudy,  and  as  the  day  ad- 
vanced the  darkness  increased  in  intensity.  At  noon  the 
darkness  was  so  great  that  artificial  lights  were  used  in  the 
houses,  and  the  birds  and  beasts  of  all  kinds  retired  to  their 
places  of  rest.  In  some  families  the  noonday  repast  was 
omitted,  and  the  time  was  piously  devoted  to  prayer.  To- 
wards night,  however,  it  grew  lighter.  Various  causes  were 
assigned  for  this  'startling  phenomena  by  the  terror-stricken 
inhabitants,  and  though  there  was  a  diversity  of  opinion,  all 
agreed  that  it  was  an  omen  of  ill.  By  some  it  was  thought 
to  be  a  warning  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  drawing 
near,  while  others  saw  in  it  the  displeasure  of  Heaven  with 
the  cause  for  which  the  colonists  were  struggling.  By  the 
learned  and  more  intelligent  portion  of  the  community,  who 
investigated  the  matter,  it  was  afterwards  generally  attrib- 
uted to  a  "  thick  smoke  which  had  been  accumulating  for 
several  days,  occasioned  by  the  burning  of  large  tracts  of 
woodland  in  the  northern  part  of  New  Hampshire,  where 
the  people  were  forming  new  settlements." 

Though  the  condition  of  national  affairs  was  far  from  en- 
couraging, the  patriotic  citizens  were  determined  that  noth- 
ing should  be  left  undone  by  which  the  war  could  be  brought 
to  a  successful  termination.  On  the  15th  of  June  the  sum 
of  forty  thousand  pounds  was  appropriated  to  hire  twenty- 
four  men  to  reenforce  the  Continental  army  ;  and  a  few  days 
later  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn,  one  hundred  hard  dollars, 
1  Manuscript  Life  of  Colonel  W.  R.  Lee. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  133 

or  tlie  equivalent  of  either  in  provisions,  were  offered  to 
every  man  vybo  would  enlist  in  the  army  for  six  months.  At 
the  same  time  a  committee  was  chosen  to  solicit  subscrip- 
tions of  cash  (in  specie),  or  provisions,  to  be  used  as  a 
bounty  in  raising  recruits. 

The  first  election  after  the  adoption  of  the  new  Constitu- 
tion was  held  on  the  4th  of  September.  The  meeting  was 
opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Isaac  Story.  Sixty-six  votes 
were  cast  for  governor,  sixty-three  of  which  were  for  the 
Hon.  John  Hancock,  the  remaining  three  being  cast  for  the 
Hon.  James  Bowdoin.  For  lieutenant-governor  sixty-two 
votes  were  cast,  all  of  which  were  for  the  Hon.  Benjamin 
Lincoln.  For  senators,  Azor  Orne,  Elbridge  Gerry,  and 
Samuel  Holton  received  fifty  votes  each,  and  Jonathan  Jack- 
son, Tristram  Dalton,  and  John  Pickering,  forty-nine  each. 

The  attention  of  the  people  having  been  called  to  the  suf- 
fering and  distress  to  which  the  soldiers  in  the  army  were 
subjected  for  the  want  of  clothing  and  provisions,  measures 
were  at  once  adopted  by  the  town  for  furnishing  stockings, 
shoes,  and  blankets,  and  for  forwarding  supplies.  Subscrip- 
tions were  solicited  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  beef  and 
and  other  provisions,  and  those  who  were  unable  to  contrib- 
ute money  were  requested  to  "  loan  their  notes." 

During  the  entire  trying  period  of  the  war  the  people  of 
Marblehead  had  submitted  with  becoming  fortitude  and  res- 
ignation to  the  inevitable  deprivations  and  distress  incident 
to  the  struggle.  "  Houses,  stores,  and  fish  fences "  were 
necessarily  demolished  and  used  for  fuel ;  and  in  November, 
1780,  a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  estimate  the  value  of 
those  used  since  the  beginning  of  the  war.  The  whole  num- 
ber of  men  in  town  at  this  time  was  reported  to  be  831,  of 
whom  477  were  unemployed  or  out  of  business.  There  were 
166  in  captivity,  and  121  were  missing.  The  whole  number 
of  women  was  1,069,  of  whom  378  were  widows,  and  of  2,242 
children,  672  were  fatherless.  Eight  years  before,  the  num- 
ber of  ratable  polls  was  1,202,  while  at  this  time  there  were 


134  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

but  544.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war  there  were  12,313 
tons  of  shipping  "  owned,  employed,  and  manned "  by  the 
citizens  of  Marblehead,  while  at  its  close  the  entire  amount 
owned  in  the  town  was  but  1,509  tons. 

In  the  autumn  of  1780  a  committee  of  the  legislature 
visited  the  town,  and  upon  their  report  of  the  great  sacri- 
fices already  made  by  the  inhabitants,  two  thirds  of  the  tax 
levied  upon  them  for  beef,  currency,  and  specie  was  abated. 
A  similar  reduction  was  made  in  the  town's  proportion  of 
men  required  to  reenforce  the  array. 

With  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  citizens  already  in  the 
service,  great  difficulty  was  experienced  in  raising  recruits, 
and  in  December  the  town  voted  to  sell  about  four  acres  of 
land  known  as  "Bubier's  Plain,"  for  the  purpose  of  obtain- 
ing money  to  be  used  as  a  bounty  for  volunteers.  This  land, 
which  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  road  to  the  Neck,  was  sold  at 
public  auction  during  the  following  month  (January,  1781), 
and  was  purchased  by  Mr.  John  Sparhawk,  the  amount  real- 
ized from  the  sale  being  X217  18  s.  The  money  thus  ob- 
tained was  at  once  forwarded  to  General  Glover,  at  West 
Point,  with  a  request  that  it  be  used  "  in  hiring  men  to  serve 
on  the  quota  of  the  town."  It  being  impracticable  to  obtain 
the  men  at  West  Point,  General  Glover  returned  the  money, 
and,  as  a  last  resort,  the  town  voted  to  classify  the  male  in- 
habitants, requiring  each  class  to  furnish  an  able-bodied  man, 
or,  as  a  penalty,  to  pay  double  the  amount  necessary  for  pro- 
viding a  substitute. 

For  several  years  the  public  school  had  been  taught  by 
Mr.  Peter  Jayne.  The  appropriations  made  by  the  town 
from  time  to  time,  for  the  payment  of  his  salary,  appear  to 
have  been  insufficient  for  the  support  of  his  family,  and  he 
was  finally  granted  the  sum  of  .£1,600  iu  paper  money,  for 
six  months'  service.  Even  this,  he  complained,  was  not 
enough  to  prevent  him  "  from  being  troublesome  to  his 
friends  for  a  living,"  and  in  March,  1781,  he  was  allowed  a 
salary  of  X70  hard  money  per  annum. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  135 

Shortly  after,  during  the  same  month,  Joshua  Orne, 
"William  R.  Lee,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Whitwell,  the  Rev.  Isaac 
Story,  and  Samuel  Sewall,  were  elected  trustees  of  the  pub- 
lic schools.  They  were  authorized  to  employ  a  school- 
master qualified  to  teach  "  the  English,  Latin,  and  Greek 
languages,  writing,  and  arithmetic,"  at  a  salary  not  exceed- 
ing £  80  in  specie. 

The  signal  success  of  American  arms  during  the  year 
1781,  culminating  in  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  and  his 
army  at  Yorktown  on  the  19th  of  October,  excited  the  ut- 
most joy  and  exultation  in  Marblehead.  Nowhere  in  the 
country  had  such  sacrifices  been  made  as  those  to  which  this 
people  had  uncomplainingly  submitted.  Nowhere  was  the 
dawn  of  peace  more  heartily  welcomed.  Their  commerce 
was  ruined  ;  many  who  had  been  wealthy  before  the  war 
were  reduced  to  poverty,  and  the  blood  of  their  sons  had 
been  poured  out  like  water.  But  there  was  no  complaint. 
No  sorrowing  now,  even  for  those  who  would  not  return. 
Only  joy  that  the  great  struggle  was  ended,  and  the  Inde- 
pendence for  which  they  fought  had  been  achieved. 

One  of  the  most  important  measures  claiming  the  atten- 
tion of  the  town  during  the  years  which  followed  before  the 
formal  declaration  of  peace,  was  the  liquidation  of  the  debt 
due  Jonathan  Glover,  the  public-spirited  town-treasurer. 
The  amount  of  the  debt  was  over  £1,153.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  obtain  a  loan  of  the  necessary  amount  from 
the  citizens,  but  only  X21  could  be  procured,  fifteen  from 
Samuel  Sewall,  Esq.,  and  six  from  Mr.  Seward  Brimble- 
come,  Jr.  At  length,  despairing  of  obtaining  money  by 
any  other  method,  the  citizens  voted  to  sell  a  wharf  and 
store  belonging  to  the  town,  which  had  been  improved  a 
few  years  before  by  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.  The  sum  of 
<£800  was  realized  by  this  transaction,  and  the  purchaser 
was  granted  permission  to  widen  or  extend  the  wharf. 

The  measure  known  as  the  "Warden  Act,"  which  had 
been  adopted  by  the  legislature  during  the  winter  of  1783, 


136  THE   HISTORY   AJS'D   TRADITIONS 

"for  making  more  effectual  provision  for  the  due  observance 
of  the  Lord's  Day  "  was  strenuously  opposed  by  the  citizens 
of  Marblehead.  On  the  17th  of  March  a  town  meeting  was 
held,  and  the  act  was  denounced  as  containing  "  unnecessary 
restrictions  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  and  opposed  to  the 
principles  of  the  constitution."  A  committee  was  chosen  to 
draw  up  a  vote  of  disapprobation  ;  and  the  town  voted  to 
comply  with  the  law,  "  as  a  non-observance  may  have  a 
tendency  to  pi'omote  contempt  of  the  laws  of  the  State." 
Notice  was  given,  however,  that  the  representatives  would 
be  instructed  to  remonstrate  against  it. 

The  exciting  events  of  the  month  of  April,  1783,  will  be 
forever  memorable  in  the  history  of  Marblehead.  Though 
composed  almost  entirely  of  wooden  buildings,  the  town  had 
hitherto  been  remarkably  fortunate  in  its  exemption  from 
fire  and  other  destroying  elements.  On  Tuesday,  April  22, 
a  fire  broke  out  in  a  barn  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Capt. 
John  Nutt,  which,  with  a  barn  adjoining,  was  soon  reduced 
to  ashes.  In  a  short  time  the  flames  were  communicated  to 
fifteen  other  buildings,  and  a  general  conflagration  of  the 
entire  township  seemed  imminent.  Fortunately  the  build- 
ings were  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  harbor,  and  a 
supply  of  water  was  easily  obtained.  "  To  this,"  says  one 
of  the  newspapers  of  the  day  in  its  account  of  the  affair, 
"  together  with  the  uncommon  activity,  zeal  and  forward- 
ness of  the  inhabitants,  in  the  face  of  the  greatest  danger,  it 
is  owing,  under  God,  that  the  town  is  still  entir6  and  com- 
pact together,  without  awful  wastes  and  breaches  in  the 
midst  thereof.  No  town,  perhaps,  on  the  continent,  equally 
populous,  can  boast  of  so  large  a  share  in  the  divine  protec- 
tion. None  of  the  inhabitants,  from  its  foundation  to  this 
day,  liave  been  turned  out  by  the  devouring  flames  to  seek  a 
shelter." 

Upon  the  publication  of  the  preliminaries  of  peace,  many 
of  the  refugees  were  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  return  to  their  former  homes  in  America.     During 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  137 

the  month  of  Aj^ril,  the  town  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  the 
greatest  excitement  by  the  return  of  Stephen  BUmey,  one 
of  the  most  objectionable  of  the  loyalists  who  had  left 
IMarblehead.  Rumors  were  prevalent  that  other  refugees 
were  also  about  to  return,  and  on  the  24tli  of  April  a  town 
meeting  was  held  to  consider  the  matter.  Resolutions 
severely  condemning  the  acts  of  the  loyalists  were  adopted, 
and  a  committee  of  twenty-one  persons  was  chosen  to  take 
measures  to  prevent  their  return.  All  refugees  who  made 
their  appearance  in  town  were  to  be  given  six  hours'  notice 
to  leave,  and  any  wdio  remained  beyond  that  time  were  to 
be  "  taken  into  custody  and  shipped  to  the  nearest  port  of 
Great  Britain." 

Late  one  afternoon,  shortly  after  this  action  of  the  town, 
a  vessel  from  the  provinces  arrived  in  the  harbor.  It  was 
soon  ascertained  that  the  detested  Robie  family  were  on 
board,  and,  as  the  news  spread  through  the  town,  the 
wharves  were  crowded  with  angry  citizens  threatening  ven- 
geance upon  them  should  they  attempt  to  land.  The 
dreadful  wish  uttered  by  Mrs.  Robie  at  her  departure  still 
rankled  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  as  their  thoughts 
reverted  to  the  many  sons  of  Marblehead  whose  blood  had 
been  shed  in  the  struggle  for  liberty,  they  realized  how 
nearly  it  had  been  fulfilled.  Enraged  by  these  reflections, 
the  crowd  determined  to  give  the  Robie's  a  "  significant  re- 
ception "  on  the  following  day.  So  great  was  the  excite- 
ment, that  it  was  feared  by  many  of  the  influential  citizens 
that  the  unfortunate  exiles  might  be  injured,  and  perhaps 
lose  their  lives  at  the  hands  of  the  infuriated  populace. 
During  the  night,  however,  a  party  of  gentlemen  went  on 
board  the  schooner  and  removed  them  to  a  place  of  safety. 
They  were  landed  in  a  distant  part  of  the  town  and  se- 
creted for  several  days  in  a  house  belonging  to  one  of  the 
gentlemen.  In  the  mean  time  urgent  appeals  were  made 
to  the  magnanimity  of  the  people,  and  the  excitement  sub- 
sided. 


138  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

The  restoration  of  peace  to  the  United  States  was  hailed 
throughout  the  land  with  every  demonstration  of  joy,  and 
nowhere  with  more  hearty  enthusiasm  than  at  Marblehead. 
On  the  29th  of  Ajjril  a  grand  celebration  took  place  in 
honor  of  the  great  event.  The  day  was  ushered  in  by  the 
ringing  of  bells,  and  a  federal  salute  from  the  battery  at  the 
fort.  At  noon,  the  bells  were  accompanied  by  salutes  from 
artillery  on  Training  Field  Hill.  At  two  o'clock  P.  M.,  a 
large  number  of  the  most  prominent  citizens,  together  with 
invited  guests  from  other  towns,  assembled  "  at  the  Coffee 
House,  and  partook  of  a  genteel  entertainment."  After 
dinner,  toasts  were  drank,  with  a  discharge  of  thirteen  can- 
non after  each  toast.  Nor  were  the  people  in  general  for- 
gotten. An  ox,  which  had  been  previously  provided  and 
cooked,  was  sent  to  the  town  house,  where  a  sumptuous 
dinner  was  served.  A  large  vessel  filled  with  liquor,  "  rum 
punch,"  the  tradition  has  it,  was  placed  in  front  of  the 
building,  and  the  beverage  was  freely  dispensed  to  all  who 
chose  to  imbibe,  the  vessel  being  duly  replenished  through- 
out the  day.  In  the  evening  many  of  the  houses  were 
brilliantly  illuminated,  and  a  beacon  which  had  been  erected 
at  the  beginning  of  hostilities  was  surrounded  with  combus- 
tibles and  converted  into  a  bonfire. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  139 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Our  narrative  now  returns  to  the  Marblehead  regiment. 
While  the  events  related  in  the  last  chapter  were  transpir- 
ing in  Marblehead  and  elsewhere,  the  brave  men  of  this 
efficient  corps  were  winning  unfading  laurels  by  their  val- 
orous achievements  in  the  service  of  their  country. 

The  regiment  left  Marblehead  on  the  22d  of  June,  1775, 
and  at  once  reported  to  General  Ward,  then  in  command  of 
the  army  at  Cambridge.  The  American  army  at  this  time 
consisted  of  about  seventeen  thousand  men,  though  but  four- 
teen thousand  were  available  for  active  service.  Of  these 
the  regiments  of  New  Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island,  with  a 
part  of  the  troops  from  Connecticut,  were  encamped  at 
IMystic,  and  on  Winter  and  Prospect  Hills.  The  Massa- 
chusetts regiments,  with  a  part  of  those  from  Connecticut, 
were  stationed  at  Cambridge  and  on  the  high  grounds  of 
Roxbury. 

At  the  same  time  the  main  body  of  the  British  army  was 
encamped  on  Bunker  Hill,  and  for  days  had  been  actively 
engaged  in  throwing  up  intrenchments.  The  remainder  of 
the  army,  except  the  cavalry  and  a  few  other  corps  stationed 
in  Boston,  was  on  the  neck  of  land  between  Boston  and 
Roxbury,  which  had  been  strongly  fortified. 

The  American  army  was  so  posted  as  to  form  a  complete 
line  of  siege  around  Boston  and  Charlestown,  extending 
nearly  twelve  miles,  from  Mystic  River  to  Dorchester.  In- 
trenchments and  redoubts  had  been  thrown  up  at  different 
points  along  this  line,  and  these  works  were  still  in  prog- 
ress. 

Such  was  the  state  of   affairs  when  on  the  3d  of   July 


140  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

General  Washington  assumed  command  of  the  army.  On 
the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  the  first  order  issued  by  the 
Commander-in-chief  assigned  a  special  duty  to  Glover's  ^ 
regiment,  as  follows :  — 

"  It  is  ordered  that  Colonel  Glover's  regiment  be  ready 
this  evening  with  all  their  accoutrements  to  march  at  a 
moment's  warning  to  support  General  Folsom  of  the  New 
Hampshire  forces  in  case  his  lines  should  be  attacked.  It  is 
also  ordered  that  Colonel  Prescott's  regiment  equip  them- 
selves to  march  this  evening  and  take  possession  of  the 
woods  leading  to  Lechemere's  Point,  and  in  case  of  attack 
there,  Colonel  Glover's  regiment  is  to  march  immediately  to 
their  support." 

During  the  summer,  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  the 
usual  routine  of  camp  duty,  its  oflicers  being  frequently  sta- 
tioned as  commanders  of  the  main  guard,  on  the  most  im- 
portant outposts.  The  colonel  is  frequently  mentioned  in 
the  orderly  books  as  the  president  of  courts-martial  held  for 
the  trial  of  petty  offenders. 

Early  in  October,  Colonel  Glover  was  appointed  by  Gen- 
eral Washington  to  superintend  the  equipment  and  manning 
of  armed  vessels,  for  the  service  of  the  colonies.  Through 
his  agency,  the  expedition  to  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  under 
Captains  Broughton  and  Selman,  and  the  privateer  Lee,  un- 
der command  of  Captain  Manly,  had  been  fitted  out.  An 
account  of  the  exploits  of  these  cruisers  has  been  given  in 
the  preceding  chapter. 

1  John  Glover  was  born  in  Salem,  November  5, 1 732.  Early  iu  life  he  removed 
with  his  three  brothers  to  Marblehead.  For  some  years  his  occupation  was 
that  of  a  shoemaker  ;  but  afterwards  engaging  in  the  fishing  business  and  other 
mercantile  pursuits,  he  became  a  successful  merchant  and  amassed  a  fortune. 
In  1754  he  married  Hannah  Gale,  of  Marblehead.  His  military  experience 
previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  was  obtained  by  service  in  the 
militia  of  the  province.  In  1759  he  was  an  ensign  in  a  company  commanded 
by  Capt.  Richard  Reed,  then,  in  1762,  a  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Azor  Orne's 
company,  and  finally,  in  1773,  he  became  captain  of  a  company  in  the  regiment 
commanded  by  Col.  Jacob  Fowle,  of  Marblehead.  His  subsequent  career 
can  be  easily  followed  in  these  pages. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  141 

On  the  27tli  of  November,  "  a  long,  lumbering  train  of 
wagons,  laden  with  ordnance  and  military  stoi-es,  and  deco- 
rated with  flags,  came  wheeling  into  the  camp "  at  Cam- 
bridge, "  escorted  by  Continental  troops  and  country  militia. 
They  were  part  of  the  cargo  of  a  large  brigantine  laden  with 
munitions  of  war  captured  and  sent  into  Cape  Ann  by  the 
schooner  Lee,  Captain  Manly,  one  of  the  cruisers  sent  out 
by  Washington."  "  Such  universal  joy  ran  through  the 
whole  camp,"  writes  an  officer,  "  as  if  each  one  grasped  a 
victory  in  his  own  hands."  "  Surely,  nothing,"  writes 
Washington,  "  ever  came  more  apropos^ 

"  It  was  indeed  a  charming  incident,  and  was  eagerly 
turned  to  account.  Among  the  ordnance  was  a  huge  brass 
mortar  of  a  new  construction,  weighing  near  three  thousand 
pounds.  It  was  considered  a  glorious  trophy,  and  there  was 
a  resolve  to  christen  it,  Mifflin,  Washington's  secretary, 
suggested  the  name.  The  mortar  was  fixed  in  a  bed  ;  old 
Putnam  mounted  it,  dashed  on  it  a  bottle  of  rum,  and  gave 
it  the  name  of  Congress.  The  shouts  which  rent  the  air 
were  heard  in  Boston.  When  the  meaning  of  them  was 
explained  to  the  British,  they  observed  that,  '  should  their 
expected  reenforcements  arrive  in  time,  the  rebels  would 
pay  dear  in  the  spring  for  all  their  petty  triumphs.'  "  ^ 

Shortly  after  this  event,  an  affair  occurred  in  the  camp  in 
which  the  Marblehead  regiment  figured  rather  prominently. 
It  seems  that  a  "  large  party  of  Virginia  riflemen,  who  had 
recently  arrived  in  camp,  were  strolling  about  Cambridge 
and  viewing  the  collegiate  buildings,  now  turned  into  bar- 
racks. Their  half-Indian  equipments  and  fringed  and  ruf- 
fled hunting  garbs  provoked  the  merriment  of  the  troops 
from  INIarblehead,  chiefly  fishermen  and  sailors,  who  thought 
nothing  equal  to  the  round  jacket  and  trousers.  A  banter- 
ing ensued  between  them.  There  was  snow  upon  the 
ground,  and  snow-balls  began  to  fly  when  jokes  were  want- 
ing.    The  parties  waxed  warm  in  the  contest.     They  closed 

1  Irving's  Life  of  Washington,  vol.  ii.,  p.  109. 


142  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

and  came  to  blows ;  both  sides  were  reenforced,  and  in  a 
little  while  at  least  a  thousand  were  at  fisticuffs,  and  there 
was  a  tumult  in  the  camp  worthy  of  the  days  of  Homer. 
'At  this  juncture,'  writes  our  informant,  'Washington  made 
his  appearance,  whether  by  accident  or  design  I  never  knew. 
I  saw  none  of  his  aids  with  him  ;  his  black  servant  just  be- 
hind him,  mounted.  He  threw  the  bridle  of  his  own  horse 
into  his  servant's  hands,  sprang  from  his  seat,  rushed  into  the 
thickest  of  the  melee,  seized  two  tall,  brawny  riflemen  by  the 
throat,  keeping  them  at  arm's-length,  talking  to  and  shaking 
them.'  "  1  This  prompt  and  energetic  action  on  the  part  of 
the  general  quickly  put  an  end  to  the  tumult,  and  in  a  few 
moments  order  was  restored  throughout  the  camp. 

On  the  19th  of  December  an  express  arrived  at  General 
Washington's  headquarters  from  Marblehead,  with  informa- 
tion that  three  British  ships  of  war  were  standing  into  the 
harbor.  Colonel  Glover's  regiment,  with  Captain  Foster's 
company  of  artillery  and  a  corps  of  riflemen,  were  ordered 
to  march  with  all  expedition  for  the  defense  of  the  town. 
As  no  attempt  was  made  by  the  enemy  to  land  troops,  and 
the  squadron  having  left  the  coast  soon  after,  the  artillery 
and  rifle  companies  returned  to  camp,  and  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Beverly  for  the  defense  of  that  town,  which  was  con- 
sidered in  imminent  danger  of  attack. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1776,  the  regiment  was  reorgan- 
ized as  the  Fourteenth  Continental  regiment,  and  the  term 
of  enlistment  having  expired,  nearly  every  soldier  recnlisted 
for  the  war. 

The  British  army  having  evacuated  Boston  after  the  bom- 
bardment of  that  town  by  the  Americans  from  the  heights 
of  Dorchester,  General  Washington  at  once  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  defense  of  New  York.  A  large  body  of  Brit- 
ish troops,  under  command  of  General  Howe,  had  landed 
on  Staten  Island  during  the  latter  part  of  June,  and  a  fleet 
with  reenforcements  was  daily  expected.  It  being  necessary 
1  Memoir  of  an  eye-witness.    Irving's  Washington,  vol.  ii. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  143 

to  concentrate  as  large  a  force  as  possible  in  tlie  vicinity  of 
these  operations,  Colonel  Glover's  regiment  was  ordered, 
with  other  Massachusetts  troops,  to  proceed  at  once  to  New 
York.  Glover  and  his  regiment  marched  from  Beverly  on 
the  20th  of  July,  and,  having  arrived  at  New  York  on  the 
9th  of  August,  were  ordered  to  join  General  Sullivan's  brig- 
ade. 

A  few  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  on  the  scene 
of  action,  two  of  the  captains  were  detailed  to  take  com- 
mand of  fire-ships  and  proceed  up  the  Hudson  River  for  the 
purpose  of  destroying  the  British  ships  of  war  stationed  at 
Tarrytown.  The  enterprise  was  but  partially  successful, 
however,  for,  though  one  of  the  ships  was  grappled,  the 
hardy  seamen  failed  to  set  fire  to  her.  A  tender  belonging 
to  another  ship  was  finally  burned,  and  the  others  soon  re- 
treated from  the  river.  "  The  enterprise  was  conducted 
with  spirit,"  writes  a  distinguished  author,  "  and  though  it 
failed  of  its  object,  had  an  important  effect.  The  com- 
manders of  the  ships  determined  to  abandon  those  waters, 
where  their  boats  were  fired  upon  by  the  very  yeomanry 
whenever  they  attempted  to  land,  and  where  their  ships 
were  in  danger  from  midnight  incendiaries  while  riding  at 
anchor." 

An  account  of  the  disastrous  battle  of  Long  Island,  which 
occurred  on  the  27th  of  August,  is  not  within  the  province 
of  this  work.  Our  history  is  of  Marblehead,  and  Marble- 
head  men  alone  ;  and  during  that  ever  memorable  contest. 
Colonel  Glover's  regiment  was  stationed  on  New  York 
Island.  It  was  not  until  the  battle  was  over  that  the  brave 
men  of  that  distinguished  corps  performed  the  difficult  feat 
which  saved  the  American  army  from  total  destruction. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  August,  the  regiment 
crossed  over  to  Long  Island  and  was  stationed  at  an  impor- 
tant post  on  the  left  of  the  American  army.  "  Every  eye 
brightened  as  they  marched  briskly  along  the  line  with  alert 
step  and  cheery  aspect."     On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  being 


144  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

convinced  that  the  only  safety  of  his  army  lay  in  a  success- 
ful retreat,  General  Washington  called  a  council  of  war. 
The  ships  of  the  British  fleet  were  unusually  active,  and  it 
was  thought  from  their  movements  that  they  were  about  to 
enter  East  River  and  thereby  cut  off  the  only  retreat  of  the 
American  army.  The  Americans  had  lost  nearly  two  thou- 
sand men,  their  arms  and  ammunition  were  greatly  injured 
by  the  heavy  rain  which  had  fallen,  and  the  soldiers  were 
sick  and  dispirited.  In  view  of  these  discouraging  circum- 
stances, the  council  decided  upon  a  speedy  withdrawal  of 
the  troops.  The  embarkation  was  to  take  place  in  the 
night,  and  the  preparations  were  made  with  the  utmost  se- 
crecy. During  the  day  orders  were  issued  for  the  impress- 
ment of  all  vessels,  great  and  small,  found  on  the  Hudson,  or 
on  the  Sound  in  the  vicinity,  "  and  although  some  of  the 
vessels  had  to  be  brought  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  they 
were  all  at  Brooklyn  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening." 

Colonel  Glover  was  called  upon  with  his  entire  regiment 
to  take  command  of  the  vessels  and  flat-bottomed  boats. 
The  colonel  went  over  to  Brooklyn  with  his  officers,  to 
superintend  the  embarkation,  and  at  about  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening  the  officers  and  men  went  to  w^ork  with  a  spirit 
and  resolution  peculiar  to  that  brave  corps.  The  militia 
were  first  sent  over;  but  as  they  were  not  so  alert  and  atten- 
tive to  order  as  regular  troops,  the  time  was  protracted  till 
between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock,  before  all  of  them  had  been 
removed  across  the  river.  INIean while  the  ebb-tide  made, 
and  the  wind  blew  strong  from  the  northeast,  which,  adding 
to  the  rapidity  of  the  tide,  rendered  it  impossible  to  effect 
the  retreat  with  the  limited  number  of  row-boats  at  com- 
mand, and  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  Colonel  Glover's  men 
to  make  any  use  of  the  sail  boats  and  small  vessels.  At 
this  crisis  General  M'Dougal,  under  whose  charge  the  em- 
barkation was  conducted,  sent  Colonel  Greyson,  one  of  the 
aids  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  to  report  to  him  their  em- 
barrassed situation  ;  and  that  he  considered  it  impracticable 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  145 

to  effect  a  retreat  that  night.  The  colonel  returned  soon 
after,  not  bemg  able  to  find  General  Washington.  General 
M'Dougal  went  on  with  the  enibarkation  amid  all  the  dis- 
couragements which  were  presented.  But  about  eleven,  the 
wind  died  away,  and  soon  after  sprung  up  at  southwest  and 
blew  fresh,  which  rendered  the  sail-boats  of  use,  and  at  the 
same  time  made  the  passage  from  the  island  to  the  city- 
direct,  easy,  and  expeditious.  Providence  further  interposed 
in  favor  of  the  retreating  army  by  sending  a  thick  fog  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  which  hung  over  Long  Island, 
while  on  New  York  side  it  was  clear. 

The  fog  and  wind  continued  to  favor  the  retreat  till  the 
whole  army,  9,000  in  number,  with  all  the  field  artillery, 
such  heavy  ordnance  as  was  of  most  value,  ammunition, 
provision,  cattle,  horses,  carts,  etc.,  were  safe  over.  The 
water  was  so  remarkably  smooth  as  to  admit  of  the  row 
boats  being  loaded  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  gunnel. 
The  enemy  were  so  near  that  they  were  heard  at  work  with 
their  pick-axes  and  shovels.  In  about  half  an  hour  after 
the  lines  were  finally  abandoned,  the  fog  cleared  off  and  the 
British  were  seen  taking  possession  of  the  American  works. 
Four  boats  were  on  the  river,  three  half  way  over,  full  of 
troops ;  the  fourth,  within  reach  of  the  enemy's  fire  upon 
the  shore,  was  compelled  to  return  ;  she  had  only  three  men 
in  her,  who  had  tarried  behind  for  plunder.  The  river  is  a 
mile  across,  and  yet  the  retreat  was  conducted  in  less  than 
thirteen  hours,  a  great  part  of  which  time  it  rained  hard. 
Had  not  the  wind  shifted,  not  more  than  half  of  the  army 
could  possibly  have  crossed,  and  the  remainder,  with  a  num- 
ber of  general  officers  and  all  the  heavy  cannon,  must  in- 
evitably have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  British.^ 

The  retreat  was  conducted  in  silence  and  with  the  utmost 
precaution  against  discovery.  With  muffled  oars  and  steady 
strokes,    the    hardy    seamen    of    the    Marblehead   regiment 

1  This  is  the  account  of  the  retreat  substantially  as  related  to  Gordon,  the 
historian,  by  General  Glover  himself.     See  Gordon,  ii.,  315. 
10 


146  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

rowed  with  such  precision  and  regularity,  that  not  a  sound 
broke  upon  the  stiUness  of  the  night.  When  the  morning 
broke  the  whole  embarkation  had  been  happily  effected. 

"  This  extraordinary  retreat,"  writes  Washington  Irving, 
"  which  in  its  silence  and  celerity  equaled  the  midnight 
fortifying  of  Bunker's  Hill,  was  one  of  the  most  signal 
achievements  of  the  war,  and  redounded  greatly  to  the  repu- 
tation of  Washington."  But  without  the  aid  of  Glover  and 
his  heroic  fishermen  from  INIarblehead,  by  whose  skill  and 
activity  the  orders  of  the  commander  were  successfully  exe- 
cuted, the  retreat  would  have  been  impossible.  By  their 
efforts  alone  the  American  army  was  saved  from  destruction. 

On  the  4th  of  September  Colonel  Glover  was  placed  in 
command  of  General  Clinton's  brigade,  and  by  his  recom- 
mendation Major  Wm.  R.  Lee,  of  the  Marblehead  regiment, 
was  appointed  brigade  major. 

The  British  fleet  having  entered  the  harbor  of  New  York, 
it  was  obvious  that  General  Howe  intended  to  attack  the 
city.  The  American  army  not  being  of  sufficient  force  to 
make  a  successful  resistance,  measures  were  immediately 
taken  for  evacuation.  Accordingly,  on  the  13th  of  Septem- 
ber, orders  were  issued  for  the  transportation  of  the  sick  to 
hospitals  on  the  Jersey  shore,  and  for  sending  all  the  arms 
and  military  stores  out  of  the  city.  This  arduous  duty  was 
assigned  to  Colonel  Glover's  brigade. 

The  work  began  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the 
13th,  and  by  sunrise  the  next  morning  all  the  sick,  number- 
ing about  five  hundred  men,  were  transported  in  safety  across 
the  Hudson.  On  the  following  day  all  the  tents  were  struck, 
and  these,  with  the  light  baggage,  were  carried  beyond 
Kingsbridge  in  wagons,  while  most  of  the  heavy  baggage 
was  removed  to  the  bank  of  the  river  and  sent. across  in 
boats.  At  about  nine  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  14th,  be- 
fore the  whole  of  the  baggage  had  been  removed,  an  alarm 
took  place,  and  Colonel  Glover  was  ordered  to  march  his 
brigade  to  Harlem  to  join  General  M'Dougal.     They  were 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  147 

thus  obliged  to  leave  the  baggage  of  two  regiments  behind, 
■which  afterwards  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Early 
on  the  morning  of  the  loth  they  were  directed  to  advance 
to  Kingsbridge,  and  had  just  unslung  their  knapsacks,  on 
their  arrival,  when  an  express  arrived  with  an  account  that 
the  enemy  were  landing  at  Kip's  Bay.  Upon  this  they 
marched  back  without  any  kind  of  refreshment,  joined  five 
other  brigades,  about  7,000  men,  and  formed  on  Harlem 
Plains,  having  marched  twenty-three  miles,  besides  the  labor 
of  transporting  the  sick. 

In  the  mean  time  three  British  ships  of  war  ascended  the 
Hudson  River  as  high  as  Blooming  Dale.  The  object  of  this 
expedition  was  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  Americans 
while  General  Clinton  was  lauding  troops  at  Kip's  Bay, 
about  three  miles  from  the  city  of  New  York.  The  troops 
landed  in  two  divisions,  between  Kip's  Bay  and  Turtle  Bay, 
the  Hessians  ni  one  place  and  the  British  in  another.  The 
American  batteries,  which  began  a  furious  cannonade,  were 
soon  silenced  by  the  guns  of  the  British  frigates.  As  soon 
as  General  Washington  heard  the  firing  of  the  men-of-war, 
he  rode  with  all  dispatch  towards  the  lines,  but,  to  his  great 
mortification,  found  the  troops  posted  there  retreating  with 
the  utmost  precipitation,  and  the  two  brigades  ordered  to 
support  them  flying  in  every  direction,  and  in  the  greatest 
confusion.  His  attempts  to  stop  them  were  fruitless,  though 
he  drew  his  sword  and  threatened  to  run  them  through,  and 
cocked  and  snapped  his  pistols.  He  rode  hastily  towards 
the  enemy  till  his  own  person  was  in  danger,  hoping  to  en- 
courage the  men  by  his  example  ;  but  all  his  exertions  were 
in  vain,  for,  on  the  appearance  of  a  small  number  of  the 
enemy,  the  whole  eight  regiments  fled  without  firing  a  single 
shot,  leaving  the  general  in  a  hazardous  situation.  At  this 
juncture  Glover's  brigade,  with  the  Marblehead  and  five 
other  regiments,  appeared  upon  the  scene,  having  hastened 
down  from  Harlem  Plain  to  the  support  of  the  flying  troops. 
The  forces  were  now  joined,  and  the  whole  marched  forward 


148  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

and  took  post  on  some  heights,  when  about  eight  thousand  of 
the  enemy,  as  was  thought,  hove  in  sight  on  the  next  height, 
and  halted.^  Though  the  troops  were  now  desirous  of  being 
led  forward  against  the  British,  General  Washington  would 
not  consent.  His  confidence  in  the  militia  was  gone,  and  he 
would  place  no  dependence  in  them. 

In  the  mean  time.  General  Putnam,  who  was  in  command 
at  New  York,  taking  advantage  of  the  temporary  inactivity 
of  the  British,  hastily  withdrew  with  about  thirty-five  hun- 
dred men  and  a  large  number  of  women  and  children.  The 
British  officers  were  loitering  at  the  house  of  a  Quaker  near 
hj,  refreshing  themselves  with  cakes  and  wine.  They  re- 
mained there  about  two  hours,  and  when  their  revel  was 
over  New  York  had  been  evacuated.  The  loss  sustained  by 
General  Putnam  during  his  perilous  retreat  was  fifteen 
killed  and  about  three  hundred  taken  prisoners. 

The  skill  and  intrepidity  of  Glover  and  his  regiment,  in 
saving  the  ammunition  and  military  stores,  won  for  that 
officer  and  the  brave  men  under  his  command  the  warmest 
encomiums  of  their  superior  officers.  The  interest  in  Glover 
with  which  the  event  inspired  General  Washington  ripened 
into  a  firm  friendship,  which  lasted  until  the  day  of  his 
death. 

Colonel  Glover,  in  writing  to  his  mother  from  Fort  Con- 
stitution, under  date  of  October  7,  said  of  the  evacuation : 
"  Happy  for  us  we  began  the  retreat  so  timely  as  we  did, 
otherwise  the  whole  that  were  in  the  city  must  have  been 
cut  off ;  for  the  enemy  had  landed  18,000  men  on  that  day 
on  the  east  side,  about  four  miles  from  the  city,  covered  by 
ten  sail  of  men  of  war,  and  opjDosite  to  them  on  the  North 
River  came  up  three  large  shij)s.  The  whole  kept  up  a  con- 
stant cannonading,  with  grape-shot  and  langrage,  quite  across 
the  Island.  I  lost  two  men  in  the  retreat,  Wormsted  Trefry, 
of  Marblehead,  and  Benjamin  Rowden  of  Lynn."^ 

1  Gordon,  ii.,  326,  327. 

2  Hist.  Coll.  Essex  Institute. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  149 

The  American  army,  after  the  retreat  from  the  city,  was 
encamped  on  New  York  Island.  Occasional  skirmishes  took 
place  between  detachments  of  the  two  armies,  and  finally, 
on  the  11th  of  October,  General  Howe,  with  a  view  of  cut- 
ting off  the  retreat  of  the  Americans,  landed  the  larger  por- 
tion of  his  troops  on  Frog's  Neck,  a  portion  of  the  main 
land  in  Westchester  County.  The  American  lines  were 
now  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  the  British,  and  on  the 
1 6th  of  October  a  council  of  war  was  called  to  determine 
the  course  to  be  pursued.  It  was  decided  that  the  army 
should  leave  New  York  Island,  and  advance  into  the  country 
so  far  as  to  outflank  General  Howe's  columns,  but  that  Fort 
Washington  should  be  retained  as  long  as  possible.  Two 
thousand  men  were  accordingly  left  for  that  purpose. 

The  division  under  the  command  of  Major-general  Lin- 
coln crossed  Kingsbridge  and  threw  up  works  at  Valentine's 
Hill;  the  others  followed  and  formed  a  line  of  detached 
corps,  with  intrenchments  on  the  heights,  and  stretching  along 
the  west  side  of  the  river  Bronx  to  White  Plains. 

INIajor-general  Lee  having  been  appointed  to  command 
the  troops  above  Kingsbridge,  repaired  with  his  division  to 
the  scene  of  operations  in  that  vicinity.  Colonel  Glover's 
brigade,  which  formed  a  portion  of  the  division,  was  sta- 
tioned on  the  East  Chester  road,  towards  Long  Island,  to 
watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  18th  the  British  commander-in-chief,  finding  that 
General  Washington  had  taken  measures  for  guarding  the 
position  in  the  vicinity  of  Frog's  Neck,  reembarked  several 
corps,  and  by  landing  at  the  mouth  of  Hutchinson's  River, 
secured  a  passage  for  the  main  body  which  crossed  and 
advanced  immediately  towards  Rochelle.  Colonel  Glover, 
being  apprised  of  the  advance  of  the  British  army,  posted 
his  troops  behind  the  stone  walls  which  flanked  the  road, 
and  awaited  the  approach  of  the  advanced  guard.  A  well 
directed  and  rapid  discharge  of  musketry  greeted  the  British 
upon  their  appearance,  and  though  they  faced  the  destruc- 


150-  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

tive  fire  with  great  bravery,  they  were  twice  repulsed.  The 
third  time,  the  enemy  advanced  in  solid  columns,  when  Col- 
onel Glover's  gallant  soldiers  fired  three  destructive  volleys 
and  then  fell  back  upon  General  Lee's  division  in  con- 
formity to  his  orders.  The  British  lost  a  large  number  of 
men,  the  Americans  having  a  few  killed  and  about  sixty 
wounded. 

By  their  daring,  and  the  efiicient  manner  in  which  they 
had  executed  their  orders,  the  brave  men  of  Glover's  brig- 
ade had  checked  the  advance  of  the  British  army,  and  time 
had  thus  been  gained  for  the  withdrawal  of  the  army  and 
military  stores  from  New  York  Island. 

On  the  following  day  Colonel  Glover  and  his  men  were 
publicly  thanked  in  the  general  orders  by  General  Lee,  for 
their  soldier-like  conduct  during  the  battle,  and  a  few  days 
later  they  had  the  honor  of  a  similar  expression  of  gratitude 
from  General  Washington. 

An  eye-witness  of  the  affair,  in  a  letter  dated  Mile 
Square,  October  23,  writes  :  "  The  brigade  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Glover,  consisting  of  about  seven  hundred 
men,  one  regiment  being  absent  for  guard,  marched  down 
towards  the  place  where  the  enemy  were  advancing  with  a 
body  of  16,000,  and  a  very  large  artillery.  The  first  attack 
was  made  by  a  small  party  on  their  advanced  guard,  which 
were  utterly  routed  and  forced  to  retreat  to  their  main  body, 
who,  when  they  came  up,  were  fired  upon  by  two  regiments, 
advantageously  posted  by  Colonel  Glover  and  Major  Lee 
(who  behaved  gallantly),  which  brought  many  of  them  to 
the  ground.  Thus  we  continued  figliting  them  and  retreat- 
ing the  whole  afternoon,  until  they  came  to  a  stand,  where 
they  now  remain,  stretching  down  along  the  South,  towards 
Connecticut,  we  suppose  for  forage.  Our  men  behaved  like 
soldiers,  conformed  to  the  orders  of  the  officers,  and  re- 
treated in  grand  order,  which  is  the  life  of  discipline.  Our 
loss  is  about  nine  or  ten  killed,  and  about  thirty  wounded. 
The  enemy,  a  deserter  says,  lost  two  hundred  killed  on  the 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  151 

spot,  aud  a  great  number  wounded.  People  may  think  what 
they  please  of  the  regular  and  spirited  behavior  of  the  British 
troops,  but  I  that  day  was  an  eye-witness  to  the  contrary.  I 
saw  as  great  irregularity,  almost,  as  in  a  militia ;  they  would 
come  out  from  their  body  and  fire  single  guns.  As  to  their 
courage,  their  whole  body  of  16,000  were  forced  to  retreat 
by  the  fire  of  a  single  regiment,  and  many  of  them  old 
troops.  The  fourth  regiment  was  the  one  that  had  run  ; 
and  had  we  been  reenforced  with  half  their  number,  we 
might  have  totally  defeated  them  ;  the  shot  from  their  artil- 
lery flew  very  thick  about  our  heads General  Lee 

says  we  shall  none  of  us  leave  the  army,  but  all  stay  and 
be  promoted  ;  but  how  that  will  be  is  uncertain."  ^ 

From  a  letter  written  by  Colonel  Glover,  on  the  22d  of 
October,  1776,  we  learn  that  during  the  engagement  the 
Marblehead  regiment  was  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
William  Courtis,  Lieutenant-colonel  Johonnet  being  sick, 
and  Major  Lee  acting  in  the  capacity  of  brigade  major. 
The  letter,  after  giving  a  graphic  description  of  the  skir- 
mish, concludes  with  an  account  of  the  movements  of  the 
brigade  after,  and  for  a  few  days  previous  to  the  affair,  from 
which  we  extract  the  following  :  — 

"  At  dark  we  came  off,  and  marched  about  three  miles 
to  Dobb's  Ferry,  after  fighting  all  day  without  victuals  or 
drink,  laying  as  a  picket  all  night,  the  heavens  over  us  and 
the  earth  beneath  us,  which  was  all  we  had,  having  left 
our  baggage  at  the  old  encampment  we  left  in  the  morning. 
The  next  morning  marched  over  to  Mile  Square.  I  had 
eight  men  killed  aud  thirteen  wounded,  among  which  was 
Colonel  Shepherd,  a  brave  officer. 

'"'•Sunday,  General  Lee  sent  for  and  informed  me  there 
were  two  hundred  barrels  of  pork  and  flour  at  East  Chester, 
if  the  enemy  had  not  taken  it ;  would  be  glad  if  I  would 
think  of  some  way  to  bring  it  off.  I  sent  out  and  pressed 
fifteen  wagons,  aud  at  night  turned  out  the  whole  brigade, 
1  The  Freeman's  Journal,  Nov,  12,  1776. 


152  THE  HISTORY   AND  TRADITIONS 

and  went  so  nigh  we  heard  their  music  and  talk  very  plain, 
and  brought  off  the  whole. 

"  Wednesday/,  sent  out  a  scouting  party,  principally  from 
my  own  regiment,  who  met  with  a  party  of  Hessians  and 
attacked  them,  killed  twelve  and  took  three  prisoners  ;  one 
of  the  slain  was  an  officer  of  high  rank  on  horseback ;  the 
horse  was  taken  and  brought  off.  We  had  one  man  mor- 
tally wounded,  of  Colonel  Baldwin's  regiment. 

"  Sunday^  the  enemy  struck  their  tents,  and  were  on  a 
march  iij  two  columns,  one  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the 
left,  towards  the  North  River.  General  Lee  immediately 
gave  orders  for  his  division,  which  consisted  of  eight  thou- 
sand men,  to  march  for  North  Castle,  to  take  the  ground  to 
the  eastward  and  north  of  them,  about  fourteen  miles  dis- 
tance. We  had  not  marched  more  than  thi-ee  miles  before 
we  saw  the  right  column  advancing  in  a  cross  road  to  cut  us 
off,  not  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  mile  distance  ;  this 
being  our  situation,  eight  thousand  men  on  the  road  with 
their  baggage,  artillery,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  wagons, 
filled  the  road  for  four  miles.  We  then  turned  off  and 
marched  by  Dobb's  Ferry  road,  and  got  into  White  Plains 
about  ten  o'clock  Monday  morning,  after  being  out  all  night. 
We  left  General  McDougal's  brigade  posted  on  a  height  be- 
tween the  enemy  and  us,  to  cover  our  march.  About  twelve 
o'clock  they  attacked  him  with  a  heavy  column,  supported 
with  twelve  pieces  of  artillery,  who  pressed  him  so  hard  he 
was  obliged  to  retreat,  having  twenty  men  killed  and  about 
forty  wounded,  and  wholly  from  their  artillery. 

"  I  am  posted  on  a  mountain,  commanding  the, roads  to 
Albany  and  New  England ;  the  enemy  on  one  opposite, 
about  one  mile  distance.  We  expect  an  attack  every  mo- 
ment. I  don't  care  how  soon,  as  I  am  very  certain,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  we  shall  give  them  a  severe  drubbing."  ^ 

On  the  25th  of  October,  General  Lee's  division  marched 
from  Kingsbridge  to  White  Plains,  and  joined  the  rest  of 
1  American  Archives,  5th  Series,  vol.  ii. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  153 

the  army  under  General  "Washington.  The  baggage  and 
military  stores  were  intrusted  to  the  care  of  Glover's  brig- 
ade, and  on  the  26th  reached  their  destination  in  safety. 

On  the  28th  of  October  the  British  under  General  Leslie 
made  an  attack  upon  the  right  of  the  American  army  at 
White  Plains.  General  M'Dougal,  with  about  sixteen  hun- 
dred men,  occupied  Chatterton's  Hill,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river  Bronx,  while  Colonel  Glover  was  stationed  with 
his  brigade  on  another  hill  near  by.  On  the  first  charge  of 
the  British  cavalry  four  regiments  of  the  American  militia 
ran  away,  leaving  General  M'Dougal  with  only  six  hundred 
men  to  defend  the  hill.  The  remaining  troops  made  a  gal- 
lant resistance,  however,  and  for  more  than  an  hour  held 
their  position  against  the  whole  fire  of  twelve  pieces  of  artil- 
lery, besides  the  musketry  and  a  charge  of  cavalry.  The 
loss  of  the  Americans  was  forty-seven  killed  and  seventy 
wounded.  The  following  morning  the  British  advanced 
upon  the  hill  upon  which  Glover's  brigade  was  stationed. 
With  one  brass  twenty-four,  a  six,  and  a  three-pounder,  and 
three  iron  twelve-pounders,  Glover  awaited  their  approach. 
A  line  of  12,000  men,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  approached  in  four  columns,  and  filed  off  to  the  left 
of  Glover's  position.  Their  objective  point  was  a  hill  over- 
looking that  upon  which  the  Americans  were  posted.  Re- 
serving his  fire  until  the  enemy  had  entei-ed  a  valley  be- 
tween the  hills,  in  order  to  make  the  attack.  Glover  brought 
his  guns  to  bear,  and  welcomed  them  with  the  contents  of 
the  three-pounder.  The  six  and  twelve-pounders  were  dis- 
charged in  rapid  succession,  and  finally,  as  a  parting  salute, 
the  brass  twenty-four  pounder  blazed  forth  with  terrible 
effect.  The  rout  of  the  British  was  complete.  Once  after 
their  repulse  they  attempted  to  ascend  the  hill,  but  after  dis- 
charging a  small  artiUeiy  piece  three  or  four  times,  were 
forced  to  retire.  Dismayed  at  his  defeat,  the  British  gen- 
eral ordered  a  retreat,  and  his  troops  fled  in  the  gi-eatest  con- 
fusion. 


154  THE   HISTOEY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  reader  is  sparecl  a  recital  of  the  retreat  of  the  army 
of  Washington  across  New  Jersey.  For  several  weeks  after 
the  affair  at  Chatterton's  Hill,  Glover's  brigade  —  of  which, 
it  should  be  remembered,  the  Marblehead  regiment  was  al- 
ways a  part  —  was  stationed  at  North  Castle,  under  Gen- 
eral Lee.  About  the  middle  of  December  the  entire  division 
joined  the  main  army,  then  on  its  "  dismal  retreat." 

This  was  the  gloomiest  period  of  the  war  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. The  campaign  had  been  little  else  than  a  series  of 
disasters  and  retreats.  The  enemy  had  gained  possession  of 
Rhode  Island,  Long  Island,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  New 
Jersey. 

Encouraged  by  the  arrival  of  reenforcements,  and  knowing 
that  the  British  troops  were  so  posted  "  that  they  could  not 
readily  be  brought  to  act  in  concert  on  a  sudden  alarm," 
General  Washington  conceived  the  idea  of  recrossing  the 
Delaware  and  attacking  the  Hessian  advance  posts.  Re- 
ports had  been  received  that  the  British  commander  was 
only  waiting  for  the  river  to  freeze  over  in  order  to  make  a 
triumphant  march  to  Philadelphia.  To  prevent  this,  and 
at  the  same  time  regain  his  lost  position  iu  New  Jersey,  the 
commander-in-chief  resolved  to  make  an  attack  upon  Tren- 
ton, on  the  night  of  December  25. 

"  Early  on  the  eventful  evening,"  writes  Washington  Ir- 
ving, "  the  troops  destined  for  Washington's  part  of  the  at- 
tack, about  two  thousand  four  hundred  strong,  with  a  train 
of  twenty  small  pieces,  were  paraded  near  INIcKoukey's 
Ferry,  ready  to  pass  as  soon  as  it  grew  dark,  in  the  hope  of 
being  all  on  the  other  side  by  twelve  o'clock.  Washington 
repaired  to  the  ground,  accompanied  by  Generals  Greene, 
Sullivan,  Mercer,  Stephen,  and  Lord  Stirling.  It  was  in- 
deed an  anxious  moment  for  all Boats  being  in  read- 
iness, the  troops  began  to  cross  about  sunset.  The  w^eather 
was  intensely  cold  ;  the  wind  was  high,  the  current  strong, 
and  the  river  full  of  floating  ice.  Colonel  Glover,  with  his 
amphibious  regiment  of  JNIarblehead  fishermen,  was  iu  the 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  155 

advance,  —  the  same  wlio  had  navigated  the  army  across  the 
Sound  in  its  retreat  from  Brooklyn,  on  Long  Island,  to  New 
York.  They  were  men  accustomed  to  battle  with  the  ele- 
ments ;  yet,  with  all  their  skill  and  experience,  the  crossing 
was  difficult  and  perilous.  Washington,^  who  had  crossed 
with  the  troops,  stood  anxiously,  yet  patiently,  on  the  east- 
ern bank,  while  one  precious  hour  after  another  elapsed, 
until  the  transportation  of  the  artillery  should  be  effected. 
The  night  was  dark  and  tempestuous  ;  the  drifting  ice  drove 
the  boats  out  of  their  course,  and  threatened  them  with  de- 
struction." 

Before  daybreak  the  transportation  had  been  effected. 
The  troops  landed  about  nine  miles  above  Trenton,  and 
were  formed  in  two  divisions,  the  Marblehead  regiment  lead- 
ing the  advance.  Shortly  after  the  troops  began  to  march, 
Capt.  John  Glover,  a  son  of  the  colonel,  discovered  that 
the  arms  had  been  rendered  unfit  for  use  by  the  storm  of 
snow  and  sleet  which  prevailed.  This  information  was  at 
once  communicated  to  General  Sullivan,  and,  as  the  column 
moved  forward,  the  men  were  ordered  to  clean  their  muskets 
in  the  best  manner  possible.  While  the  men  were  engaged 
in  this  unavailing  occupation,  an  officer  was  sent  to  apprise 
General  Washington  of  the  fact,  and  his  only  reply,  commu- 
nicated almost  instantly  by  his  aid-de-camp,  was,  tell  the 
column  "  to  advance  and  charge.''''  ^  The  troops  moved  on, 
and  as  the  storm  continued  to  increase,  the  cold  grew  more 
bitter  and  intense.  Two  men  were  frozen  to  death  ;  and 
Lieut.  Joshua  Orne,  of  one  of  the  Marblehead  companies, 
became  so  benumbed  from  the  cold,  during  the  march,  that 
he  had  fallen  on  the  ground  a  little  distance  from  the  side 
of  the  road,  and  would  have  perished  had  he  not  been  acci- 
dentally discovered,  when  nearly  covered  with  snow,  by 
some  one  in  the  rear  of  the  regiment. 

1  Capt.  William  Blackler,  of  Marblehead,  had  command  of  the  boat  in 
which.  Washington  was  rowed  across. 
*  Wilkinson's  Memoirs. 


156  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

The  story  of  the  successful  attack  upon  Trenton,  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  nearly  one  thousand  prisoners 
■with  their  arms  and  ammunition,  and  compelled  the  British 
army  to  abandon  New  Jersey  and  retreat  to  New  York, 
needs  no  repetition  here.  There,  as  elsewhere,  the  men  of 
Marblehead  were  distinguished  for  the  valorous  manner  in 
which  they  acquitted  themselves. 

Years  afterwards,  in  a  speech  before  the  Massachusetts 
Legislature,  General  Knox,  who  was  Chief  of  Artillery  at 
Trenton,  paid  the  following  tribute  to  the  brave  men  of  the 
Marblehead  regiment :  — 

"  Sir  :  I  wish  the  members  of  this  body  knew  the  peo- 
ple of  Marblehead  as  well  as  I  do.  I  could  wish  that  they 
had  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  River  in  1776, 
in  that  bitter  night  when  the  Commander  in  Chief  had 
drawn  up  his  little  army  to  cross  it,  and  had  seen  the  power- 
ful current  bearing  onward  the  floating  masses  of  ice,  which 
threatened  destruction  to  whosoever  should  venture  upon  its 
bosom.  I  wish  that  when  this  occurrence  threatened  to  de- 
feat the  enterprise,  they  could  have  heard  that  distinguished 
warrior  demand  '  Who  will  lead  us  onf  and  seen  the  men 
of  Marblehead,  and  Marblehead  alone,  stand  forward  to  lead 
the  army  along  the  perilous  path  to  unfading  glories  and 
honors  in  the  achievements  of  Trenton.  There,  sir,  went 
the  fishermen  of  Marblehead,  alike  at  home  upon  land  or 
water,  alike  ardent,  patriotic,  and  unflinching,  whenever 
they  unfurled  the  flag  of  the  country." 

Shortly  before  the  engagement  at  Trenton,  Congress  had 
clothed  General  Washington  with  additional  powers,  and  as 
soon  as  practicable  measures  were  adopted  for  recruiting 
new  regiments  of  cavalry  and  artillery.  The  gallantry  and 
meritorious  conduct  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Marble- 
head regiment  had  not  escaped  the  notice  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief, and  on  the  first  of  January,  1777,  William 
R.  Lee,  the  major  of  the  regiment,  who,  for  some  time  had 
been  acting  as  brigade  major,  was  promoted   to  the  rank 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  157 

of  colonel.  Immediately,  upon  receiving  bis  commission, 
Colonel  Lee  returned  to  Massachusetts  to  recruit  and  organ- 
ize his  regiment.  Many  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  new 
regiment  were  from  Marblehead.  Joseph  Swasey  was  ma- 
jor, Joseph  Stacey  quartermaster,  and  Joshua  Orne  was  cap- 
tain of  one  of  the  companies.  Among  the  lieutenants  were 
William  Hawkes,  Samuel  Gatchell,  Jeremiah  Reed,  John 
Clark,  and  John  Barker. 

In  March,  the  office  of  adjutant-general  having  become, 
vacant.  Colonel  Lee  was  recommended  by  Congress  for  that 
office.  General  Washington  conferred  the  appointment,  how- 
ever, upon  Colonel  Pickering,  of  Salem,  and  upon  his  refusal 
to  serve.  Colonel  Lee  was  immediately  summoned  to  head- 
quarters. Upon  his  arrival,  Lee,  with  becoming  modesty, 
declined  the  honor,  and  recommended  Colonel  Pickering, 
"  whom  he  declared,  he  considered,  from  a  very  friendly  and 
intimate  acquaintance,  as  a  first-rate  military  character,  and 
that  he  knew  of  no  gentleman  so  well  qualified  for  the  post." 
Washington  afterwards  declared  in  a  letter  to  Congress, 
that  nothing  derogatory  to  the  merits  of  Colonel  Lee,  who 
held  a  high  place  in  his  esteem,  and  who  had  "deservedly 
acquired  the  reputation  of  a  good  officer,"  influenced  him 
in  giving  the  preference  to  Colonel  Pickering. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  Colonel  Glover,  who  had  tem- 
porarily left  the  army  to  attend  to  his  private  affairs,  was 
appointed  by  Congress  a  brigadier-general.  Receiving 
orders  from  General  Washington  to  join  the  army  at  Peeks- 
kill,  he  immediately  set  out  from  home,  and  took  command 
of  his  brigade  on  the  14th  of  June.  From  this  time,  until 
the  27th  of  July,  the  men  under  his  command  rendered  effi- 
cient "  service  in  resisting  the  encroachments  of  the  enemy 
at  New  York."  On  that  day  the  brigade  sailed  from  Peeks- 
kill  for  Saratoga  to  reenforce  General  Schuyler,  then  retreat- 
ing before  the  army  of  Burgoyne,  and  formed  a  portion  of 
the  troops  which,  on  the  3d  of  August,  marched  from  Sara- 
toga to  Stillwater.     Of  the  experience  of  his  men  during 


158  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

their  brief  stay  at  Saratoga,  General  Glover,  in  a  letter 
from  Stillwater  under  date  of  August  6,  wrote  as  follows : 
"  During  the  three  days  at  Saratoga,  we  were  constantly 
(night  and  day)  in  alarm ;  our  scouting  parties  a  great  part 
of  the  time  cut  off,  killed,  scalped,  and  taken  prisoners. 
The  day  we  left  it,  our  scouts  were  all  driven  in  by  the 
Indians,  and  two  men  were  brought  to  my  quarters,  one  of 
them  scalped  ;  it  appeared  they  had  not  been  dead  more  than 
half  an  hour.  I  immediately  detached  four  hundred  men 
from  my  brigade  to  scour  the  woods,  where  they  remained 
till  four  o'clock  ;  saw  nothing  of  the  enemy  save  three  blank- 
ets supposed  to  be  left  by  them. 

"We  have  had  twenty-five  or  thirty  men  killed  and 
scalped  and  as  many  more  taken  prisoners  within  four  days. 
This  strikes  a  panic  on  our  men ;  which  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  when  we  consider  the  hazard  they  run  as  scouts,  by 
being  fired  upon  from  all  quarters  (and  the  woods  so  thick 
they  can't  see  three  yards  before  them),  and  then  to  hear 
the  cursed  war-whoop  which  makes  the  woods  ring  for 
miles."  1 

On  the  19th  of  August,  the  army  having  retreated  to  Van 
Schaick's  Island,  General  Gates  arrived  and  took  command 
of  the  centre  division,  comprising  Glover's,  Nixon's,  and 
Patterson's  brigades.  Shortly  after,  the  army  moved  up 
the  river  as  far  as  Bemis's  Heights,  where,  in  the  battle  on 
the  19th  of  September,  Glover's  brigade  composed  a  part  of 
the  right  wing  of  the  army  which  was  posted  on  the  hills 
near  the  river.  The  British  army  was  encamped  about  two 
miles  from  General  Gates,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  19th 
advanced  in  great  force  on  the  left  of  the  Americans.  "  The 
battle,"  wrote  General  Glover,  "  was  very  hot  till  half-past 
one  o'clock;  ceased  about  half  an  hour,  then  renewed  the 
attack.  Both  armies  seemed  determined  to  conquer  or  die. 
One  continual  blaze  without  intermission  till  dark,  when  by 
consent  of  both  parties  it  ceased ;  during  which  time  we 
1  Hist.  Coll.  Essex  Inst. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  159 

several  times  drove  them,  took  tlie  ground,  passing  over 
great  numbers  of  their  dead  and  wounded.  Took  one  field- 
piece,  but  the  woods  and  bush  were  so  thick,  and  being  close 
pushed  by  another  party  of  the  enemy  coming  up,  was 
obliged  to  give  up  our  prize.  The  enemy  in  their  turn 
sometimes  drove  us Our  men  were  bold  and  coura- 
geous, and  fought  like  men  fighting  for  their  all.  We  have 
taken  about  seventy  prisoners,  among  whom  are  two  officers. 
....  The  enemy  suffered  much,  having  two  regiments 
almost  cut  off ;  their  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  number- 
ing seven  hundred,  among  whom  were  a  great  proportion  of 
officers." 

The  British  encamped  about  one  mile  distant,  and  as 
Burgoyne  was  desirous  of  receiving  re  enforcements  before 
venturing  another  attack,  no  general  engagement  took  place 
again  until  the  7th  of  October.  In  the  mean  time  the 
Americans  were  not  idle.  They  employed  their  time  in 
harassing  the  British  camp  with  frequent  night  alarms, 
driving  their  pickets,  and  bringing  off  their  horses.  As  an 
instance  of  the  fine  spirits  and  daring  bravery  of  his  men  in 
exploits  of  this  nature.  General  Glover  writes  :  "  I  ordered 
one  hundred  men  from  my  brigade  to  take  off  a  picket  of 
the  enemy  who  were  posted  about  half  a  mile  from  me,  at 
the  same  time  ordering  a  covering  party  of  two  hundred  to 
support  them.  This  being  the  first  enterprise  of  the  kind, 
and  as  it  was  proposed  by  me,  I  was  very  anxious  for  its 
success.  I  therefore  went  myself.  The  night  being  very 
foggy  and  dark,  we  could  not  find  the  enemy  till  after  day. 
When  I  made  the  proper  dispositions  for  the  attack,  they 
went  on  like  so  many  tigers,  bidding  defiance  to  musket- 
balls  and  bayonets.  Drove  the  enemy,  killed  three,  and 
wounded  a  great  many  more,  ....  without  any  loss  on 
our  side." 

The  British  General  Burgoyne  unconsciously  testified  to 
the  manner  in  which  his  army  was  harassed  by  Glover  and 
the  men  under  his  command,  when  he  wrote :  "  Not  a  night 


160  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

passed  without  firing,  and  sometimes  concerted  attacks  upon 
our  advanced  pickets.  I  do  not  believe  either  officer  or 
soldier  ever  slept  in  that  interval  without  his  clothes  ;  or 
that  any  general  officer  or  commander  of  a  regiment  passed 
a  single  night,  without  being  upon  his  legs  occasionally  at 
different  hours,  and  constantly  an  hour  before  daylight."  ^ 

On  the  7th  of  October,  during  the  battle  which  resulted 
in  the  disastrous  rout  of  the  British,  Glover's  brigade,  being 
a  part  of  the  right  wing  of  the  army,  under  command  of 
General  Lincoln,  was  held  in  reserve.  A  part  of  the  bri^ 
gade,  however,  including  the  Marblehead  regiment,  were  en- 
gaged under  General  Arnold  during  his  impetuous  assault 
upon  the  British  camp  during  the  latter  part  of  the  day. 
The  British,  having  abandoned  their  artillery,  and  knowing 
that  the  field  was  lost,  retreated  to  their  camp,  which  they 
were  determined  to  preserve  at  all  hazards.  Scarcely  had 
they  entered  their  lines  when  they  were  attacked  by  the 
intrepid  troops  under  Arnold.  The  attack  was  made  by  a 
determined  charge  with  the  bayonet,  resulting  in  one  of  the 
most  desperate  hand  to  hand  fights  ever  known.  The  camp 
was  defended  with  great  bravery,  the  Americans  being 
greeted  with  a  tremendous  fire  of  grape-shot  and  small 
arms.  "  Even  the  stolid  Hessians,"  says  a  recent  writer, 
"  expressed  their  amazement  when  they  saw  these  brave 
Marbleheaders  dash  through  the  fire  of  grape  and  canister 
and  over  the  dead  bodies  of  their  comrades,  through  the  em- 
brasures, over  the  cannon,  with  the  same  agility  with  which 
they  had  formerly  climbed  to  the  main-top,  or  traversed  the 

backstays,  bayoneting  the  cannoneers  at  their  posts 

Glover's  troops  evinced  the  coolness  and  agility  of  sailors  in 
their  attack,  and  showed  that  they  could  use  the  bayonet 
with  as  much  skill  and  effect  as  the  marline  or  handspike  on 
board  ship."  During  the  engagement  General  Glover  had 
three  horses  shot  under  him. 

At  night  the  battle  was  over,  and  victory  had  once  more 
crowned  the  arms  of  the  Americans. 

1  Burgoyne's  Expedition,  p.  166. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  161 

On  the  following  evening  the  British  array  retreated  to 
Saratoga,  but  owning  to  the  badness  of  the  roads  and  the 
heavy  rain  which  prevailed,  did  not  arrive  there  until  the 
morning  of  the  10th.  On  the  morning  of  the  11th,  General 
Gates,  under  the  impression  that  the  main  body  of  Bur- 
goyne's  army  had  retreated  to  Fort  Edward,  commenced  an 
attack  upon  the  camp  at  Saratoga.  This  was  a  great  mis- 
take, and  but  for  a  fortunate  discovery  by  General  Glover, 
would  have  proved  disastrous  to  the  Americans.  "  General 
Nixon's,  being  the  oldest  brigade,  crossed  the  Saratoga  Creek 
first.  Unknown  to  the  Americans,  Burgoyne  had  formed  a 
line  under  the  cover  of  the  woods,  to  support  a  post  of 
artillery  where  the  others  meant  to  make  their  attack. 
General  Glover  was  on  the  point  of  following  Nixon.  Just 
as  he  entered  the  water,  he  saw  a  British  soldier  making 
across,  whom  he  called  and  examined.  The  soldier  claimed 
to  be  a  deserter,  and  said  that  he  was  going  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. Glover  asked  him  about  Burgoyne's  army.  The 
soldier  answered,  '  It  is  encamped  the  same  as  days  past.' 
Glover  told  him,  '  If  you  are  found  attempting  to  deceive 
me,  you  shall  be  hung  in  half  an  hour  ;  but  if  you  speak 
nothing  but  the  truth,  you  shall  be  protected  and  meet  with 
good  usage.'  He  then  asked  him,  '  Have  not  numbers  been 
sent  off  to  Fort  Edward  ? '  The  deserter  replied,  '  A  small 
detachment  was  sent  off  a  day  or  two  ago,  but  are  returned 
on  finding  the  passes  occupied  by  the  Americans,  and  the 
whole  army  is  now  in  camp.'  Glover,  though  the  junior 
officer  to  Nixon,  sent  off  immediately  to  him,  to  desist  and 
re-cross  the  creek ;  and  at  the  same  time  despatched  his  aid- 
de-camp,  with  the  deserter  behind  him  on  horseback  to  Gen- 
eral Gates  ;  who,  having  examined  the  soldier,  hurried  away 
the  aid-de-camp,  the  adjutant-general  and  others  to  counter- 
mand the  former  orders  and  prevent  the  attack.  General 
Nixon,  upon  receiving  Glover's  message,  retreated  ;  but  be- 
fore he  had  recrossed,  the  fog  cleared  off,  and  the  rear  of 
his  brigade  was  galled  by  the  enemy's  cannon,  which  killed 
11 


162  THE    HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

several  of  his  men Glover's  message  was  received  by 

Nixon  in  the  critical  moment ;  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later 
would  2:>robably  have  proved  fatal  to  the  whole  brigade,  and 
given  a  turn  to  affairs  in  favor  of  the  royal  army."  ^ 

By  this  fQrtunate  discovery  the  last  hope  of  the  British 
general  was  destroyed.  The  reenforcements  which  he  had 
confidently  expected  had  not  arrived  ;  his  pi-ovisions  were 
nearly  exhausted,  and  his  retreat  was  cut  off  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, who  were  posted  everywhere  in  the  vicinity.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  13th  of  October,  he  surrendered  with  his 
whole  army  to  General  Gates. 

The  entire  number  of  soldiers  who  surrendered  on  this 
occasion  was  5,791,  and  by  the  terms  of  the  capitulation 
they  "  were  to  be  sent  to  Massachusetts  and  guarded  in  or 
near  Boston."  The  duty  of  guarding,  and  conducting  the 
prisoners  to  their  destination,  was  assigned  to  General 
Glover  and  the  men  under  his  command,  whose  brilliant 
achievements  during  the  campaign  had  made  them  famous 
throughout  the  country.  All  along  the  march  from  Sara- 
toga to  Cambridge  the  roads  and  hill-sides  were  lined  with 
interested  spectators,  and  though  the  victorious  brigade  was 
everywhere  greeted  with  cheers  and  other  encouraging  dem- 
onstrations, not  a  word  of  insult  was  offered  to  the  unfortu- 
nate prisoners. 

In  the  mean  time,  Col.  William  R.  Lee  had  returned  to 
Massachusetts,  where  he  had  been  busily  engaged  during 
the  summer  in  recruiting,  and  suitably  equipping  his  regi- 
ment. On  the  2d  of  October  he  was  ordered  to  march  with 
his  regiment  to  join  the  army  at  Philadelphia.  While  on 
the  march  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  was  re- 
ceived, and  Colonel  Lee,  with  the  troops  under  his  com- 
mand, was  ordered  to  return  to  Cambridge  to  form  a  por- 
tion of  the  guard  for  the  British  army. 

The  prisoners  arrived  at  Cambridge  on  the  7th  of  Novem- 

1  An  account  of  the  affair  as  related  by  General  Glover  to  Gordon,  the  his- 
torian, March  18,  1785. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  163 

ber,  and  were  received  by  Colonel  Lee,  as  the  commanding 
ofl&cer  of  the  cantonment.  It  was  indeed  a  remarkable 
coincidence.  On  the  very  ground  where,  two  years  before, 
the  Marblehead  regiment  had  first  appeared  in  arms  in  the 
Continental  service,  General  Glover  now  delivered  an  army 
to  the  care  of  Colonel  Lee.  And  what  a  change  had  taken 
place  during  the  interval  in  the  positions  of  these  heroic 
citizens  of  Marblehead.  When,  in  1775,  the  regiment  left 
the  town,  one  was  its  colonel,  and  the  other  the  captain  of 
one  of  its  companies.  Now,  the  colonel  had  become  a  gen- 
eral, and  the  captain,  having  been  promoted  from  one  grade 
after  another  to  that  of  colonel,  had  been  offered  the  posi- 
tion of  adjutant-general  of  the  American  army.  Further 
comment  is  unnecessary.  The  responsible  positions  to  which 
they  had  been  promoted  is  sufficient  evidence  of  their  hero- 
ism, and  of  the  distinguished  services  which  they  had  ren- 
dered to  their  country. 

The  British  soldiers  were  placed  in  barracks  on  Prospect 
Hill,  and  the  Germans  on  Winter  Hill,  while  the  officers 
were  allowed  to  obtain  quarters  among  the  citizens  of  Cam- 
bridge and  the  neighboring  town.  The  utmost  limits  of 
parole  were  allowed  them,  and  they  were  treated  with  the 
consideration  and  courtesy  due  them  as  gentlemen. 

On  the  day  after  their  arrival  at  Cambridge,  General 
Burgoyne  and  his  two  major-generals,  Phillips  and  Reidesel, 
were  invited  to  dine  with  General  Heath,  then  in  command 
of  the  American  forces  in  and  around  Boston.  The  dinner 
is  described  as  an  elegant  affair,  and  among  other  prominent 
guests  were  Generals  Glover  and  Wliipple,  who  had  con- 
ducted the  British  army  from  Saratoga.^ 

'Though  General  Heath  and  the  officers  under  his  com- 
mand had  done  everything  in  their  power  to  render  the 
situation  of  the  British  officers  and  soldiers  as  comfortable 
and  pleasant  as  possible,  many  of  them  seemed  incapable 
of  feeling  a  sense  of  gratitude.  Every  liberty  consistent 
1  Heath's  Memoirs,  p.  326. 


164  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

with  a  due  regard  to  their  security  was  allowed  them,  of 
which  advantage  was  taken  in  many  instances  to  commit 
tbe  most  destructive  depredations  on  the  property  of  the 
inhabitants.  Fences,  sheds,  barns,  and  other  structures, 
as  well  as  fruit  and  ornamental  trees,  were  destroyed  and 
used  as  fuel  whenever  it  could  be  done  with  impunity.  To 
such  an  extent  were  these  outrages  committed,  that  it  be- 
came necessary  to  double  the  guards,  and  the  matter  was 
made  the  subject  of  the  following  report  from  Colonel  Lee 
to  General  Heath.  "  This  moment  a  subaltern  from  the 
Hills  informs  me  that  the  British  soldiers  behave  in  a 
most  scandalous  manner,  by  pulling  down  fences,  barns,  and 
other  buildings,  and  abusing  the  guards  and  sentries  ;  in 
consequence  of  which  I  have  ordered  all  the  guards  to  be 
doubled,  and  the  regiments  to  be  ready  to  move  at  a  mo- 
ment's warning." 

Shortly  after  this  affair,  Colonel  Henley,  who  was  in  im- 
mediate command  at  Cambridge,  being  the  senior  officer, 
ordered  some  of  the  prisoners  who  were  under  arrest  in  the 
guard-house  to  parade,  that  he  might  examine  them.  One 
of  the  prisoners  behaved  with  so  much  insolence  towards 
him,  that  Colonel  Henley  in  a  moment  of  anger  pricked  him 
with  his  sword.  General  Burgoyne,  upon  hearing  of  the 
matter,  wrote  a  very  insolent  letter  to  General  Heath,  in 
which  he  charged  Colonel  Henley  "  with  barbarous  and 
wanton  conduct  and  intentional  murder." 

In  consequence  of  this  complaint.  Colonel  Henley  was 
placed  under  arrest,  and  Colonel  Lee  was  ordered  to  take 
command  at  Cambridge.  A  few  days  after,  a  court  of  in- 
quiry, of  which  General  Glover  was  president,  decided  that 
"  for  the  honor  of  Colonel  Henley  as  well  as  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  concerned,  it  would  "be  most  proper  that  the  judg- 
ment of  a  court-martial  should  be  taken  on  his  conduct.'' 
A  court-martial  was  accordingly  ordered,  of  which  General 
Glover  was  president,  and  Colonel  Lee  one  of  the  members. 
After  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  affair  Colonel  Henley 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  165 

was  exonerated,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  charges  were 
not  supported. 

During  the  trial,  which  lasted  more  than  twenty  days, 
General  Burgoyne  was  an  attentive  and  interested  partici- 
pant in  the  proceedings.  Though  his  conduct  was  at  times 
extremely  disrespectful,  and  very  offensive  to  the  members 
of  the  court-martial,  the  following  extract  from  a  speech 
which  he  made  during  the  trial,  shows  his  high  estimation 
of  the  character  and  conduct  of  General  Glover  and  Colonel 
Lee.  After  dwelling  at  length  upon  the  unfortunate  posi- 
tion of  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  his  army,  and  the  sanguine 
expectations  which  had  been  indulged  "  of  their  being  re- 
ceived with  all  that  magnanimity  and  kindness  which  was 
due  them  as  prisoners  of  war,"  General  Burgoyne  said : 
"  We  were  led  into  these  delusive  hopes  by  the  very  honor- 
able treatment  shown  us  by  General  Gates ;  by  that  we  re- 
ceived from  you,  Mr.  President,^  when  you  conducted  us 
upon  the  march,  and  by  that  we  afterwards  found  from  the 
worthy  member  of  the  court  near  you,^  who  had  the  imme- 
diate command  in  this  district  upon  our  arrival,  and  to 
whom,  most  happily  for  us,  the  command  is  now  again  de- 
volved." 3 

Lieutenant  Anbury,  of  the  British  army,  who  was  one  of 
the  prisoners,  afterwards  wrote  an  account  of  his  "  Travels 
in  America,"  in  which,  after  a  review  of  the  court-martial, 
he  pays  the  following  tribute  to  Colonel  Lee,  and  his  merits 
as  an  officer. 

"  In  consequence  of  this  acquittal.  Colonel  Henley  re- 
assumed  his  command  the  next  day,  but  merely  for  form's 
sake,  as  the  next  week  Colonel  Lee  took  the  command 
which  he  had  when  we  first  arrived.  Affairs  are  much  bet- 
ter regulated,  everything  is  now  in  perfect  tranquillity,  and 
a  good  understanding  has  taken  place  between  our  troops 
and  the  Americans.     Colonel  Lee  has  remedied  one  great 

1  General  Glover.  ^  Colonel  Lee. 

3  See  Travels  through  America,  by  Lieutenant  Aubury. 


166  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

evil,  which  was  compeUing  our  sokliers  to  purchase  all  their 
provisions  at  two  stores  in  the  barracks,  and  not  permitting 
them  to  send  to  Cambridge,  where  they  were  mu<5h  cheaper. 
Passes  have  been  granted  for  a  sergeant  and  a  certain  num- 
ber of  men  to  go  out  and  purchase  provisions,  by  which 
means  the  stores  cannot  impose  on  the  troops  ;  and  they 
now  sell  their  commodities  at  the  market  price." 

Owing  to  the  hazardous  condition  of  his  private  affairs, 
which  had  long  been  in  need  of  his  personal  supervision, 
Colonel  Lee  found  it  necessary,  in  the  summer  of  1778,  to 
resign  his  commission  and  request  his  discharge  from  the 
army.  His  request  was  granted  by  Congress,  but  though 
the  papers  were  forwarded  on  the  24th  of  June,  he  did  not 
relinquish  his  command  until  the  1st  of  August,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Marblehead. 

General  Glover  was  detained  in  Massachusetts  a  much 
longer  time  than  was  expected  would  be  necessaiy  to  finish 
the  business  with  which  he  had  been  intrusted  by  General 
Gates,  and  did  not  again  join  the  army  until  the  following 
summer.  During  that  ever  memorable  winter  of  1778,  his 
brigade  formed  a  part  of  the  army  of  Washington  and  ex- 
perienced all  the  suffering  which  must  forever  make  the 
camp  at  Valley  Forge  famous  in  American  history.  But 
through  it  all  they  behaved  like  men.  Neither  want,  nor 
hunger,  nor  nakedness,  nor  all  combined,  could  induce  them 
to  forsake  the  service  of  their  country.  To  the  patient  for- 
bearance and  fidelity  of  men  like  these,  we  owe  the  founda- 
tion of  the  American  Republic. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  General  Glover,  in  obedience  to  the 
urgent  requests  of  Washington,  again  joined  the  nrmy,  and 
at  once  assumed  command  at  Fort  Arnold,  near  West  Point 
on  the  Hudson,  where  he  rendered  efficient  service  in  super- 
intending the  erection  of  forts  and  redoubts  in  the  vicinity. 
In  the  mean  time,  his  brigade,  in  company  with  that  of 
General  Varnum,  had  been  sent,  under  the  command  of  the 
Marquis  Lafayette,  to  reenforce  the  army  of  General  Sulli- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  '  167 

van,  who  was  then  in  command  of  the  department  of  Provi- 
dence. A  concerted  effort  was  to  be  made  for  the  purpose 
of  recapturing  Rhode  Island  proper,  which  the  enemy  had 
made  one  of  their  mihtary  depots  and  strongholds,  and  to 
this  end,  it  was  necessary  that  additional  troops  should  be 
raised  as  reenforcements.  General  Glover  joined  his  brigade 
after  it  had  been  several  days  on  the  march.  Immediately 
upon  reporting  to  General  Sullivan  with  his  command,  he 
was  requested  to  proceed  to  Boston,  Marblehead,  and  other 
places,  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  "  two  or  three  hundred 
seamen,  or  other  persons  well  acquainted  with  boats,  to  act 
as  boatmen  in  the  expedition  against  Rhode  Island."  The 
pay  of  tlie  recruits  was  to  be  three  dollars  a  day,  and  their 
time  of  service  was  to  be  fifteen  days  if  they  were  not 
sooner  discharged. 

In  accordance  with  these  instructions,  General  Glover 
went  to  Massachusetts,  and  in  a  short  time  returned  with 
two  entire  companies  raised  in  Boston  and  Salem,  and  a 
large  number  of  volunteers  from  Marblehead.  They  arrived 
at  Providence  on  the  10th  of  August,  and  were  assigned  to 
their  various  positions  in  the  army. 

General  Sullivan's  reenforcements  having  arrived,  and  all 
things  being  in  readiness  for  the  descent  upon  Rhode  Island, 
the  army  crossed  fi'om  Tiverton  in  two  divisions,  by  means 
of  eighty-six  flat-bottomed  boats,  and  landed  on  the  north 
end  of  the  island.  The  British  abandoned  their  works  in 
that  part  of  the  island,  when  the  Americans  landed,  and 
retired  within  their  lines,  about  three  miles  above  Newport. 
This  being  perceived  by  the  Americans,  they  moved  from 
the  ferry  in  the  afternoon,  and  encamped  upon  the  high 
ground  known  as  Quaker  Hill,  between  ten  and  eleven 
miles  north  of  Newport.  By  an  agreement  with  the  Count 
D'Estaing,  who  commanded  the  French  squadron,  it  was 
expected  that  the  army  would  be  joined  by  four  thousand 
marines  as  soon  as  it  landed  on  the  island.  The  French 
commander,  however,  instead  of  landing  his  marines  as  he 


168  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

liad  promised,  sailed  away  to  attack  the  British  fleet  which 
had  appeared  off  Newport  on  the  day  before. 

Though  greatly  disappointed  by  this  action  on  the  part  of 
their  French  allies,  the  Americans  continued  the  pi*epa- 
rations  for  attack.  On  the  15th.  in  expectation  of  the 
"  speedy  return  of  the  French  squadron,"  the  army  marched 
forward  in  three  divisions,  took  post  within  two  miles  of  the 
enemy's  lines,  commenced  the  erection  of  batteries,  and  soon 
afterwards  opened  a  fire  of  balls  and  bombs  upon  the  Brit- 
ish works. 1  Glover's  brigade  was  on  the  left  of  the  line, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Bigelow,  the  general  having 
been  placed  temporarily  on  the  staff  of  General  Sullivan. 
The  French  fleet  failed  to  put  in  an  appearance,  and  the 
Americans  were  forced  to  abandon  the  siege. 

The  time  for  which  the  Massachusetts  volunteers  had  en- 
listed having  nearly  expired,  and  the  plans  of  General  Sul- 
livan having  been  defeated  through  the  perfidy  of  the  French 
admiral,  it  became  necessary  to  induce  the  soldiers  to  remain 
for  some  after  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  20th  of  August,  General  Sullivan  addresed 
them  in  the  general  orders,  as  follows :  "  While  the  com- 
mander-in-chief esteems  it  his  duty  to  return  his  warmest 
acknowledgments  to  the  truly  spirited  citizens  of  Salem  and 
Marblehead,  who  so  cheerfully  turned  out  to  take  charge  of 
the  boats,  and  wdio  have  hitherto  executed  their  trust  to  so 
universal  satisfaction,  he  cannot  help  expressing  his  concern 
that  the  term  of  time  they  agreed  for  is  so  nearly  expired ; 
it  gives  him  the  most  sensible  pain  to  reflect  that  the  unfa- 
vorable weather,  the  absence  of  the  French  fleet,  and  some 
other  unforeseen  and  unfortunate  events,  have  lengthened 
out  the  operations,  and  lay  him  under  a  necessity  of  calling 
on  those  men  (who  ought  to  have  returned  with  the  thanks 
of  the  army  and  country  in  general)  to  continue  the  sacri- 
fice they  are  making  of  their  private  interest  a  few  days 
longer,  to  see  the  business  they  are  so  nobly  engaged  in  com- 
1  LossiDg,  vol.  i. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  169 

pleted,  and  this  island  again  restored  to  the  domination  of 
the  United  States."  ^ 

The  French  admiral,  on  the  return  of  his  squadron,  hav- 
ino-  announced  his  determination  to  proceed  at  once  to  Bos- 
ton, General  Glover  joined  with  the  other  American  generals 
in  signing  a  remonstrance  against  the  withdrawal  of  the 
squadron  at  such  an  important  crisis ;  but  without  avail. 
The  squadron  sailed  away  on  the  23d,  and  the  American 
array  was  left  to  work  its  way  out  of  the  difficulty  in  the 
best  manner  possible. 

Discouraged  by  this  abrupt  withdrawal  of  the  French, 
between  two  and  three  thousand  of  the  American  volunteers 
left  for  home  on  the  following  day.  Not  so  with  the  volun- 
teers from  Salem  and  Marblehead.  Their  time  of  service 
bad  expired,  but  they  would  not  desert  the  army  at  a  time 
when  their  services  were  so  necessary. 

The  American  force  having  been  greatly  reduced  by  the 
perfidy  of  the  French,  and  the  desertion  of  so  large  a  num- 
ber of  volunteers,  a  retreat  was  determined  upon,  which  be- 
gan on  the  night  of  the  28th,  with  great  order  and  secrecy. 
The  position  of  the  army  was  changed  from  the  advanced 
batteries  before  the  lines  of  the  British,  to  an  eminence 
known  as  Butt's  Hill,  about  twelve  miles  from  Newport. 
The  retreat  was  not  discovered  until  morning,  when  the 
British  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  advantageous  position  on 
Quaker  Hill,  a  little  more  than  a  mile  from  the  American 
front.  During  the  skirmishing  which  ensued  between  the 
advance  corps  of  the  two  armies,  the  American  left  was  re- 
enforced  by  a  regiment  from  Glover's  brigade.  At  about 
nine  o'clock  the  British  opened  a  severe  cannonade  upon  the 
Americans,  which  was  returned  with  great  spirit.  Skirmish- 
ing ensued  until  about  ten  o'clock,  when  two  British  sloops- 
of-war  and  some  small  armed  vessels  sailed  up  the  river, 
and  the  enemy's  troops,  under  cover  of  their  fire,  advanced 
in  force  to  turn  the  right  flank  of  the  American  army,  and 

1  Hist.  Coll.  Essex  Inst. 


170  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

capture  tlie  redoubt  which  protected  it.  They  were  twice 
driven  back  in  confusion,  when  a  third  effort  was  made  with 
greater  numbers.  General  Sullivan  now  ordered  the  right 
to  be  reenforced,  and  a  sharp  conflict  of  nearly  an  hour's 
duration  succeeded,  in  which  the  artillery  of  both  armies 
played  briskly  from  the  hills.  The  enemy  were  at  length 
routed,  and  fled  in  great  confusion  to  a  hill  where  they  had 
cannon  and  works  to  cover  them,  leaving  their  dead  and 
wounded  on  the  field.  The  action  must  have  ended  in  the 
ruin  of  the  British  army  had  not  the  redoubts  on  the  hill 
covered  them  from  a  close  pursuit.  Immediately  upon  the 
repulse  of  the  enemy  on  the  right,  they  appeared  advancing 
on  the  left,  in  consequence  of  which  Glover's  brigade  and 
General  Tyler's  militia,  supported  by  Titcomb's  brigade, 
were  ordered  to  advance  and  form  in  a  cross-road  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  enemy.  They  accordingly  took  post,  and 
a  cannonade,  with  skirmishing,  ensued  and  continued  till 
dark.  It  was  not  judged  advisable  to  attack  them  in  their 
works,  as  the  Americans,  inferior  in  numbers  to  the  enemy, 
were  much  fatigued,  and  had  been  without  provisions  or  re- 
freshment of  any  kind  for  thirty-six  hours. ^  The  Americans 
had  thirty  killed,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  wounded,  and 
forty-four  missing.  The  British  loSt,  in  killed  and  wounded, 
two  hundred  and  ten,  and  twelve  missing. 

On  the  following  night.  General  Sullivan,  with  his  army, 
evacuated  Rhode  Island.  The  troops  were  transported  to 
the  main  land  in  the  flat-bottomed  boats,  which  were  so  skill- 
fully manned  by  the  volunteers  from  Marblehead  and  Salem 
that  before  midnight  the  whole  army  had  crossed  without 
the  loss  of  a  man. 

In  February,  1779,  General  Glover  was  granted  a  fur- 
lough by  Congress,  and  returned  to  Marblehead  to  adjust 
his  private  affairs.  He  evidently  did  not  remain  long  from 
his  brigade,  for  a  month  later,  on  the  departure  of  General 
Sullivan,  the  command  of  the  department  of  Providence 
devolved  upon  him. 

1  New  York  Journal.  September  1.4,  1778. 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  171 

On  the  30tb  of  June,  Glover,  with  his  brigade,  marched 
from  Providence  to  join  the  main  army.  On  the  way,  at 
the  request  of  General  Parsons,  he  marched  to  Norwalk  to 
defend  that  town  against  the  British,  who  were  advancing 
upon  Connecticut. 

On  the  23d  of  July  he  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Ridge- 
field  and  remain  until  further  orders,  for  the  purpose  of 
watching  and  communicating  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 
How  long  General  Glover  remained  at  this  post  is  uncer- 
tain ;  but  in  November  he  was  with  his  brigade  at  Peekskill, 
from  whence  he  wrote  to  John  Hancock  on  the  25th  :  "  The 
spirit  of  reenlisting  prevails  much.  It  is  my  opinion,  had  I 
money  to  pay  the  bounty  as  resolved  by  court,  I  could  retain 
the  greater  part  of  the  nine  months'  men,  as  well  as  those 
that  were  engaged  for  three  years,"  to  serve  during  the  war. 
"  About  seventy  have  already  reenlisted  in  my  brigade  ;  my 
money  is  all  exhausted  ;  I  can  do  no  more.  It  is  idle  to 
suppose  men  who,  as  they  say,  have  been  so  often  neglected, 
will  engage  upon  resolves  of  Court.  We  may  as  soon  ex- 
pect lines  to  be  stormed  and  forts  to  be  taken  by  plans  of 
attack  drawn  upon  paper,  without  men,  arms,  or  ammuni- 
tion sufficient  to  execute  those  plans,  as  old  soldiers  to  re- 
enlist  without  money.     It  is  the  sinews  of  war." 

"  The  whole  of  the  army  has  gone  into  winter  canton- 
ments except  General  Nixon's  and  my  brigades,  who  are 
now  in  the  field  (eight  hundred  of  my  men  without  shoes  or 
stockings)  enjoying  the  sweets  of  a  winter  campaign,  while 
the  worthy  and  virtuous  citizens  of  America  are  enduring 
the  hardships,  toils,  and  fatigues  incidental  to  parlours,  with 
good  fires  and  sleeping  on  beds  of  down."  ^ 

During  the  summer  of  1780,  General  Glover  was  with 
his  brigade  at  West  Point,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
weeks  spent  in  Massachusetts  for  the  purpose  of  forwarding 
drafts  to  the  army.  At  the  time  of  the  capture  of  the  un- 
fortunate Major  Andr^,  Glover  had  again  rejoined  his  bri- 

1  Upham's  Memoir  of  Glover. 


172  THE  HISTORY  'AND   TRADITIONS 

gade,  and  on  the  29tli  of  September  was  a  member  of  the 
court  which  sentenced  the  spy  to  death.  Andre's  heroie 
conduct,  after  the  sentence  had  been  imposed  upon  him,  in- 
spired the  admiration  of  all  who  witnessed  it.  Though  his 
mission,  had  it  been  successful,  would  have  been  ruinous  to 
the  American  army,  his  captors  felt  that  the  chief  conspira- 
tor was  the  traitor  Arnold,  and  their  hearts  went  out  to  the 
brave  young  officer  in  sympathy.  On  the  2d  of  October, 
when  the  execution  took  place.  General  Glover  was  officer 
of  the  day,  and  was  deeply  affected  by  the  scene.  Even 
old  soldiers,  who  had  many  times  braved  death  on  the  battle 
field,  shed  tears  on  the  occasion.  But  though  the  necessity 
of  the  execution  was  sincerely  regretted,  no  one  questioned 
the  equity  of  the  sentence. 

During  the  following  winter  and  spring,  General  Glover 
was  at  West  Point.  On  the  departure  of  Washington  with 
the  allied  armies,  for  Virginia,  his  brigade  formed  a  part  of 
the  force  which  was  left  to  protect  the  Hudson  Highlands, 
under  command  of  General  Heath.  During  the  march  of 
the  army  for  Peekskill,  Glover  had  command  of  Lincoln's 
division. 

We  learn  little  of  the  doings  of  Glover  and  his  men  from 
this  time  until  the  12th  of  November,  when  he  commanded 
a  foraging  expedition  of  which  his  brigade  formed  a  part, 
and  for  which  he  was  subsequently  thanked  in  the  general 
orders  of  General  Heath. 

The  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown  in  October, 
1781,  had  decided  the  great  contest  in  favor  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  though  the  army  was  not  disbanded,  nor  the  treaty 
of  peace  signed  till  two  years  later,  the  war  was  virtually  at 
an  end.  Enlistments  for  the  army  went  on,  however,  for 
some  time,  and  in  the  spring  of  1782  General  Glover  was 
ordered  to  Massachusetts  to  "  take  charge  of  the  mustering 
and  forwarding  recruits."  ^     This  was  the  last  service  ren- 

1  General  Glover  retired  from  the  army  on  account  of  his  rapidly  failing 
health,  and  in  July,  1782,  was  placed  on  the  hal-f-pay  establishment  by  resolu- 
tion of  Congress.     He  died  January  30,  1797. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  173 

dered  by  Glover  as  a  general  in  the  American  army,  and 
with  it  must  end  our  account  of  the  part  taken  by  the  men 
of  Marblehead  in  the  various  movements  upon  the  land. 
Throughout  the  war  they  were  distinguished  for  their 
bravery  and  the  faithful  performance  of  duty.  Whether 
in  camp,  or  on  the  march;  leading  the  advance  in  an  at- 
tack, or  covering  a  retreat ;  everywhere,  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, the  same  steady  resolution  characterized  their 
actions. 


174  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Having  followed  the  men  of  INIarblelieacl  as  far  as  pos- 
sible through  the  various  campaigns  of  the  Revolution,  let 
us  now  turn  our  attention  to  their  exploits  upon  the  water. 
The  naval  history  of  the  war  for  Independence  can  never  be 
fully  written.  Many  of  the  most  daring  exploits  of  men  in 
private  armed  vessels  must  forever  remain  unknown.  The 
information  to  be  obtained  from  the  records  of  the  period  is 
very  meagre,  and  reliance  must  be  placed  principally  upon 
newspaper  reports  of  engagements,  and  the  log  books  and 
private  journals  of  seamen.     The  rest  is  traditionary. 

In  another  chapter,  an  account  has  already  been  given 
of  the  early  captures  by  Captains  Broughton,  Selman,  and 
Manly,  in  privateers  fitted  out  by  order  of  General  Wash- 
ington, and  of  Captain  Mugford's  heroic  capture  of  the 
transport  Hope,  and  his  subsequent  death  while  defending 
his  vessel  against  the  boats  of  the  British  fleet. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1776,  Captain  Manly  was  given 
the  command  of  the  armed  schooner  Hancock,  and  became 
commodore  of  a  fleet  of  six  vessels  fitted  out  by  order  of 
General  Washington.  The  other  schooners  were  the  Lee, 
Captain  Waters;  the  Franldin,  Captain  Samuel  Tucker; 
the  Harrison,  Captain  Dyer;  the  Lynch,  Captain  Ayres  ; 
and  the  Warren,  Captain  Burke.  Captains  Waters,  Tucker, 
and  Dyer  were  commissioned  on  the  20th  of  January,  1776, 
while  the  last  three  commanders  did  not  obtain  their  com- 
missions until  the  first  of  February. 

It  is  related  of  Captain  Tucker,  that  when  the  express 
with  his  commission  rode  up  to  his  door,  the  gallant  captain, 
with  his  sleeves  rolled  up,  and  with  a  tarpaulin  hat  slouch- 


^T^^***^  <^/>    l/ci^'A-e^ 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  175 

ing  over  liis  face,  was  engaged  in  chopping  wood  in  the  yard. 
The  officer  thought  that  he  must  have  mistaken  the  direc- 
tion, and  exclaimed,  somewhat  roughly  — 

"  I  say,  fellow,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  if  the  Honorable 
Samuel  Tucker  lives  hereabouts !  " 

"  Honorable  !  honorable !  "  said  Tucker,  with  a  shrewd 
look  at  the  stranger  ;  "  there  is  not  any  man  of  that  name 
in  Marblehead.  He  must  be  one  of  the  family  of  Tuckers 
in  Salem.     I  am  the  only  Samuel  Tucker  there  is  here." 

The  gallant  look  and  deportment  of  the  young  man  con- 
vinced the  officer  that  he  could  not  be  mistaken,  and,  after 
handing  him  his  commission  and  partaking  of  refreshments, 
he  returned  to  the  camp  at  Cambridge.^ 

On  the  following  day  Captain  Tucker  was  at  Beverly, 
superintending  the  fitting  out  of  the  Franklin,  and  in  a  short 
time  sailed  on  his  first  cruise.  The  small  arms  necessary  for 
the  proper  armament  of  his  vessel  were  purchased  with  his 
own  private  funds,  and  the  banner  under  which  he  sailed 
was  the  handiwork  of  his  wife.  In  a  short  time  he  fell  in 
with  the  British  ship  George  and  the  brig  Annabel.  The 
two  vessels  were  transports,  and  had  on  board  about  two 
hundred  and  eighty  Highland  troops  under  command  of 
Col.  Archibald  Campbell.  It  was  about  ten  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  a  conflict  ensued  which  lasted  neai-ly  two  hours 
and  a  half.  At  length  the  British,  having  lost  a  large  num- 
ber of  men,  including  the  commander  of  one  of  the  trans- 
ports, struck  their  colors  and  surrendered.  The  prizes  had 
on  board  a  large  amount  of  ammunition  and  military  stores. 
Tucker  sustained  no  damage  in  the  loss  of  men,  but  the  sails 
of  his  schooner  were  completely  riddled. 

During  the  month  of  April,  Commodore  Manly  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Hancock,  of  32  guns, 
and,  on  his  promotion,  the  command  of  the  schooner  Han- 
cock was  given  to  Captain  Tucker.  Shortly  after  taking 
command  of  this  schooner,  Tucker  captured  two  brigs  within 

1  Sheppard's  Life  of  Tucker. 


176  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

sight  of  a  British  man  of  war,  and  carried  them  into  Lynn. 
One  of  the  brigs  was  from  Cork,  ninety-two  tons  burden, 
laden  with  beef,  pork,  butter,  and  coal ;  the  other,  of  about 
one  hundred  tons  burden,  was  from  the  Western  Islands, 
and  laden  with  wine  and  fruit. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1776,  Capt.  John  Lee,  of  Marble- 
head,  was  commissioned  commander  of  the  privateer  Nancy, 
a  small  vessel  carrying  six  guns.  One  afternoon,  just  before 
night,  he  discovered  a  heavy  armed  merchantman,  which, 
though  much  larger  than  his  own  vessel,  he  resolved  to  cap- 
ture. The  Nancy  was  so  low  in  the  water  that  she  was  not 
discovered  by  the  enemy.  As  soon  as  the  night  became  suf- 
ficiently dark,  Lee  sailed  up  to  the  ship,  having  extended 
indistinct  lights  beyond  the  bowsprit  and  from  the  stern  of 
his  vessel;  which  gave  her  the  appearance  of  great  length. 
The  English  captain,  thinking  it  idle  to  contend  with  a  force 
so  much  superior  to  his  own,  as  he  thought  her  from  this 
stratagem,  struck  his  colors.  His  men  were  sent  on  board 
Captain  Lee's  small  vessel  in  boat-loads,  and  were  easily  se- 
cured. The  captain  was  among  the  last  to  leave  the  ship  ; 
and  when  he  stepped  on  to  the  deck  of  the  schooner,  and 
saw  how  he  had  been  deceived,  he  attempted  to  kill  himself. 
He  was  prevented  by  Captain  Lee,  who  by  courteous  and 
gentle  treatment  endeavored  to  soothe  his  wounded  feelings. 
During  this  cruise,  Lee  captured  thirteen  prizes  which  were 
sent  into  the  port  of  Bilboa,  in  Spain.  Tlie  last  of  these 
he  followed,  in  order  to  superintend  the  trial,  condemnation 
and  sale  of  the  vessels  and  cargoes,  and  to  repair  his  own 
vessel. 

After  refitting,  he  sailed  into  the  British  Channel  on  a 
cruise,  and  was  chased  by  the  flag-ship  of  Admiral  Jarvis. 
Captain  Lee  made  every  effort  to  increase  the  speed  of  his 
vessel  by  throwing  his  guns  and  other  heavy  ordnance  over- 
board ;  but  finding  it  impossible  to  escape,  ran  her  on  shore. 
The  wreck  was  immediately  surrounded  by  the  boats  of  the 
ship,  and  the  officers  and  crew  were  captured,  and  ultimately 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  177 

landed  in  England  and  sent  to  Forton  Prison.^  Of  their 
treatment  while  there,  and  the  escape  of  Captain  Lee,  we 
have  more  to  relate  hereafter. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  1776,  the  ship  Peggy,  mounting 
six  three-pounders  and  two  two-pounders,  was  sent  into 
Marblehead,  having  been  captured  by  the  privateers  Han- 
cock, Captain  Tucker,  and  the  Franklin,  Captain  Skinner. 
The  prize  was  from  Scotland,  and  was  estimated  as  worth 
about  £15,000  sterhng.^ 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  October,  Tucker 
captured  the  brig  Lively,  bound  from  Air  to  Newfound- 
land, which,  together  with  the  cargo  and  crew,  was  sent 
into  Boston.  Mr.  Sheppard,  in  his  •  "  Life  of  Commodore 
Tucker,"  states  that  during  the  year  1776  the  number  of 
prizes  captured  by  that  daring  commander  was  from  thirty 
to  forty,  including  ships,  brigs,  and  smaller  vessels,  many  of 
them  with  very  valuable  cargoes,  and  some  of  them  armed 
vessels. 

In  March,  1777,  Captain  Tucker  was  received  into  the 
navy,  and  was  commissioned  as  commander  of  frigate  Bos- 
ton. It  is  probable  that  he  did  not  assume  the  command  of 
the  frigate  for  some  time  after,  however,  as  would  seem  from 
the  following  incident  of  naval  warfare,  during  which  the 
Boston  was  commanded  by  Captain  Hector  McNeil. 

"  In  May  of  this  year,  the  Hancock,  32,  Captain  John 
Manly,  and  the  Boston,  24,  Captain  Hector  McNeil,  sailed 
in  company  from  Boston,  on  a  cruise  to  the  eastward.  A 
few  days  out,  or  in  the  month  of  May,  the  Hancock  made  a 
strange  sail,  early  in  the  morning,  and  succeeded  in  getting 
near  enough  to  her  to  exchange  broadsides,  on  opposite 
tacks,  the  Hancock  using  her  starboard  and  the  enemy  her 
larboard  guns.  At  this  time  the  Boston  was  out  of  gunshot. 
Finding  that  he  had  to  deal  with  an  antagonist  of  superior 
force,  the  English  vessel,  which  was  a  frigate,  stood  on, 

1  Life  of  Col.  W.  R.  Lee. 

2  American  Archives. 
12 


178  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

crowding  sail  to  escape.  The  Hancock  now  went  about  in 
pursuit,  when  Captain  Manly  sent  his  people  from  the 
guns,  and  ordered  them  to  get  their  breakfasts.  As  the 
Hancock  was  one  of  the  fastest  ships  that  was  ever  built, 
she  quickly  drew  up  abeam  of  the  chase,  which  renewed  her 
fire  as  soon  as  her  guns  would  bear.  Captain  Manly,  how- 
ever, commanded  his  men  not  to  discharge  a  gun,  until  fairly 
alongside,  when  a  w^arm  and  close  action  commenced  that 
lasted  an  hour  and  a  half,  when,  the  Boston  drawing  near, 
the  Englishman  struck.  The  prize  proved  to  be  the  Fox,  of 
28  guns.  In  this  action  the  Hancock  lost  eight  men,  and 
the  Fox  thirty-two.  The  Boston  did  not  fire  a  gun  until 
just  after  the  Fox  had  struck,  when  she  is  said  to  have  given 
her  a  broadside,  the  Hancock  being  in  the  act  of  lowering 
the  boats  to  take  possession  as  her  consort  ranged  up  on  the 
beam  of  the  prize. 

"  Captain  Manly  now  put  a  crew  on  board  the  Fox  and 
continued  his  cruise,  but  was  not  fortunate  enough  to  fall  in 
with  anything  of  moment.  On  the  1st  of  June  the  three 
ships  appeared  off  Halifax,  in  company,  looking  into  the 
harbor.  This  brought  out  the  Rainbow,  a  44  on  two  decks, 
Sir  George  Collier,  the  Flora,  32,  and  the  Victor,  18,  in 
chase.  The  Americans  scattered,  the  Rainbow  and  Victor 
pressing  the  Hancock,  the  Flora  the  Fox,  while  the  Boston 
had  so  much  the  start  as  to  be  able  easily  to  keep  aloof. 
The  Flora  first  closed  with  the  Fox,  which  ship  she  recap- 
tured after  a  short  but  spirited  action.  The  wind  being 
very  light.  Captain  Manly  attempted  to  lighten  his  ship  by 
pumping  out  the  water,  and  is  believed  to  have  hurt  her 
sailing  by  altering  her  trim.  Finding  the  Rainbow  was 
closing,  that  gallant  officer  made  his  disposition  for  board- 
ing, and,  doubtless,  would  have  made  a  desperate  effort  to 
carry  his  powerful  antagonist,  had  the  wind  permitted. 
The  air  remained  so  light,  however,  that  the  Rainbow  got 
him  fairly  under  her  guns,  before  he  could  get  near  enough 
to  accomplish  the  object,  the  Victor  getting  a  raking  position 
at  the  same  time  the  Hancock  struck. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  179 

"  Captain  McNeil  was  mucli  censured  for  abandoning  his 
consort  on  this  occasion,  and  was  dismissed  the  service  in 
consequence."^ 

Shortly  after  this  event,  Captain  Tucker,  upon  whom  the 
rank  of  commodore  had  been  conferred,  sailed  on  a  cruise 
in  the  Boston.  While  out  he  fell  in  with  a  frigate  much 
larger  than  his  own  and  carried  her  by  boarding.  The 
mannes  were  led  by  Lieutenant  Magee,  a  brave  young  officer, 
who  was  killed  the  moment  his  feet  struck  the  enemy's  deck. 
Captain  Tucker,  who  had  brought  his  ship  gun  to  gun  with 
the  British  frigate,  leaped  into  the  midst  of  his  adversaries, 
cutting  down  all  before  him.  The  loss  of  life  on  board  the 
frigate  was  very  great,  and  she  soon  struck  her  colors  and 
became  the  prize  of  the  Boston. 

During  the  latter  part  of  October,  or  early  in  the  month 
of  November,  1777,  the  brigantine  Penet,  Captain  John 
Harris,  of  Marblehead,  master,  sailed  for  the  port  of  Nantes, 
in  the  kingdom  of  France.  Captain  Harris  was  charged  by 
the  Board  of  War  with  the  important  duty  of  conveyino- 
Mr.  Austin,  who  carried  important  papers  from  the  govern- 
ment, to  the  first  port  that  could  be  made  in  France  or  Spain. 
The  passage  was  made  in  safety,  and  the  Penet  returned 
with  a  cargo  and  several  seamen  who  had  been  discharo-ed 
from  American  ships  in  France.  Captain  Harris  subse- 
quently sailed  in  private  armed  vessels,  and  in  1779  was 
sailing-master  on  board  a  ship  commanded  by  Capt.  John 
Conway,  of  Marblehead.  On  the  19th  of  November,  of  that 
year,  they  fell  in  with,  and  were  captured  by  a  British  ship 
of  a  larger  size  than  their  own,  though  not  without  a  spirited 
engagement.  The  American  vessel  was  at  length  obliged  to 
strike  her  colors.  After  the  battle  was  over,  and  the  Amer- 
ican seamen  had  surrendered  themselves  as  prisoners,  a  lieu- 
tenant of  the  British  ship  seized  a  musket,  and  aiming  at 
Captain  Harris,  shot  him  through  the  head,  killing  him  in- 
stantly. The  murder  was  deliberate  and  intentional,  and  is 
^  Cooper's  Naval  History. 


180  THE   HISTORY  AND    TRADITIONS 

only  one  of  many  instances  of  brutality  on  the  part  of  Brit- 
ish officers. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1778,  Commodore  Tucker,  who 
had  again  been  commissioned  as  commander  of  the  Boston, 
received  orders  to  carry  the  Hon.  John  Adams  as  envoy  to 
France.  Mr.  Adams  took  with  him  his  son,  John  Quincy 
Adams,  then  about  eleven  years  of  age.  The  Boston  ex- 
perienced a  great  deal  of  unpleasant  weather  during  the 
passage,  and  was  several  times  chased  by  British  cruisers 
which  had  been  sent  out  to  capture  her.  Commodore 
Tucker  succeeded  in  eluding  them  all.  On  the  11th  of 
March,  he  fell  in  with  the  armed  ship  INIartha,  bound  from 
London  to  New  York  with  a  valuable  cargo.  As  the  Bos- 
ton sailed  up  to  her,  the  decks  were  cleared  for  action,  and 
the  men  were  at  the  guns  ready  for  battle.  Noticing  Mr. 
Adams  standing  among  the  marines  with  a  gun  in  his  hand, 
Commodore  Tucker  in  tones  of  authority  ordered  him  to 
leave  the  deck.  Mr.  Adams,  however,  continued  at  his  post, 
when,  at  last,  Tucker  seized  him  and  forced  him  away,  ex- 
claiming as  he  did  so,  "  I  am  commanded  by  the  Conti- 
nental Congress  to  deliver  you  safe  in  France,  and  you  must 
go  down  below,  sir."  Mr.  Adams  accordingly  left  the  deck. 
The  Boston  fired  but  one  gun  at  the  enemy,  who  returned 
three,  and  then  struck  his  colors.  The  prize  was  manned 
and  sent  into  Boston,  and  Tucker  kept  on  his  course  to 
France,  arriving  at  Bordeaux  on  the  31st  of  March.  On 
the  11th  of  May,  the  Boston,  having  refitted,  again  put  to 
sea.  Between  the  19th  and  23d  of  June,  Tucker  captured 
three  prizes,"  one  of  which  was  sent  to  Boston  and  the  other 
two  to  L' Orient.  On  the  3d  of  July  the  Boston  jDut  into 
L'Orient,  where  she  remained  until  the  1st  of  August. 
Having  sold  his  prizes.  Tucker  sailed  for  Nantes,  where  he 
was  joined  by  Commodore  Whipple,  in  the  Providence. 
The  next  day,  August  8,  they  sailed,  and  on  the  14th  ar- 
rived at  Brest,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  ship  Ranger, 
commanded  by  Captain  Simpson.     On  the  22d,  the  three 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  181 

ships  sailed  in  company,  and  two  days  later  they  captured 
the  brig  Sally,  Captain  Ward.  Early  in  September,  Tucker 
gave  chase  to  a  brig  called  the  Friends,  and  took  it,  and  on 
the  9th,  he  captured  the  snow  Adventure,  Captain  Symes. 
While  crossing  the  Grand  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  the 
three  frigates  were  separated,  but  subsequently  they  all 
arrived  safely  at  Portsmouth. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1778,  Captain  John 
Lee,  who  for  more  than  two  years  had  been  confined  in 
Forton  Prison,  England,  succeeded,  by  a  most  remarkable 
adventure,  in  effecting  his  escape.  Throughout  the  entire 
period  of  his  detention,  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  Captain  Lee 
suffered  the  most  cruel  treatment.  The  cells  were  damp 
and  cold,  the  provisions  scanty,  and  of  the  meanest  kind, 
and  the  bed-clothing  was  not  sufficient  to  protect  him  from 
the  deleterious  effects  of  his  comfortless  position.  Being 
without  funds,  he  was  unable  to  purchase  even  wearing 
apparel  enough  to  decently  cover  his  person,  and  in  a  short 
time  his  naturally  robust  and  vigorous  constitution  was 
seriously  impaired.  Three  times  he  attempted,  with  a  few 
of  his  companions  in  misery,  to  effect  an  escape.  They  were 
detected,  however,  and  as  a  punishment  were  confined  in  a 
filthy  and  comfortless  apartment  called  the  "  Black  Hole," 
where  their  sufferings  were  greatly  increased. 

When  again  allowed  the  range  of  the  large  apartments 
and  yard  of  the  prison,  he  was  informed  by  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  establishment  that  there  was  a  person  at  the 
gate,  who  had  been  authorized  and  desired  to  have  an  inter- 
view with  him.  On  going  to  the  entrance  of  the  prison  he 
found  a  well,  but  plainly  dressed  gentleman,  who,  as  soon  as 
he  presented  himself,  asked :  "  Are  you  Captain  John  Lee 
of  Marblehead  ?  "  and  being  answered  in  the  aflarmative,  he 
presented  a  purse  containing  seventy-five  guineas. 

Captain  Lee  asked  in  astonishment,  to  whom  he  was  in- 
debted for  such  a  timely  and  most  acceptable  present. 
"  No  matter,"  was  the  answer,  and  then  the  gentleman  ob- 


182  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

served :  "  With  a  part  of  those  funds,  purchase,  or  procure 
in  some  manner,  a  complete  suit  of  uniform,  like  those  worn 
by  the  soldiers  of  the  guard ;  and  this  evening  place  your- 
self in  some  obscure  corner  or  position,  from  whence,  when 
they  go  the  rounds,  you  can  unperceived  fall  into  the  ranks, 
and  come  out  into  the  yard.  But  as  there  are  sentinels  who 
must  be  passed  before  you  reach  the  street,  the  countersign 
will  be  required ;  "  which  was  then  whispered  in  his  ear, 
and  the  unknown  gentleman  disappeared. 

By  using  the  gold  freely  and  adroitly,  during  the  day, 
Captain  Lee  was  enabled  to  obtain  the  requisite  dress,  and 
following  the  instructions  which  he  had  received,  he  fell  into 
the  ranks  as  the  guard  passed  through  the  prison,  and  soon 
reached  the  yard.  Then,  giving  the  countersign,  he  passed 
the  guard  at  the  outer  gate,  and  found  himself  alone  in  the 
street.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  the  roads  were  en- 
tirely unknown  to  him,  so  that  he  did  not  know  where  to 
go,  or  what  next  to  do.  While  he  was  endeavoring  to  come 
to  some  decision,  in  this  perplexing  dilemma,  the  gentleman 
who  gave  him  tbe  purse  came  up,  and  taking  him  by  the 
hand,  congratulated  him  upon  his  good  fortune.  Then, 
conducting  him  to  a  carriage  which  was  waiting  at  a  little 
distance,  the  gentleman  requested  him  to  enter  it,  and 
stated  that  the  coachman  had  instructions  where  to  convey 
him.  As  he  entered  the  carriage  the  gentleman  wished 
him  a  prosperous  and  safe  return  to  America,  and  was  about 
taking  his  leave,  when  Captain  Lee  again  asked  to  whom 
he  w^as  indebted  for  such  a  humane  and  generous  act  ?  He 
answered  "  No  matter  ;  "  and  after  directing  the  coachman 
to  move  off,  he  bowed  and  said,  "  Farewell,  God  bless  you,'" 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight.  On  his  arrival  in  America, 
Captain  Lee  related  the  circumstances  of  his  escape  to  his 
brother.  Col.  William  R.  Lee,  and  expressed  a  strong  desire 
to  know  who  the  gentleman  could  have  been,  and  what  were 
his  motives  for  extending  assistance  to  an  utter  stranger 
and  a  natural  enemy.     Colonel  Lee  replied  :  "  I  can  inform 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  183 

you.  When  General  Burgoyne  and  bis  army  arrived  at 
Cambridge  as  prisoners  of  war,  I  bad  tbe  command  of  tbe 
troops  wbicb  were  stationed  tbere  as  a  guard  ;  and  again 
for  several  montbs  previous  to  bis  departure  for  England. 
Wben  I  waited  upon  bim,  to  take  leave  on  tbe  day  of  bis 
departure,  be  tbanked  me  in  tbe  most  cordial  manner  for 
my  attentions,  and,  as  be  expressed  it,  tbe  gentlemanly  and 
honorable  manner  in  which  I  had  treated  bim  and  bis  offi- 
cers, and  wished  to  know  whether  tbere  was  anything  which 
he  could  do  for  me,  when  he  reached  England.  I  informed 
him,  I  had  a  brother  who  for  more  than  two  years  bad  been 
confined  in  Forton  Prison ;  and  as  he  was  entirely  destitute 
of  funds,  I  should  consider  it  a  great  favor  if  he  would  take 
charge  of  seventy-five  guineas,  and  cause  them  to  be  de- 
livered to  him  on  bis  arrival.  He  replied  :  '  Why  did  you 
not  inform  me  before,  that  you  bad  a  brotlier  a  prisoner  in 
England  ?  You  shall  not  send  any  money  to  bim ;  I  will 
see  that  it  is  supplied,  and  shall  with  the  greatest  pleasure 
do  everything  in  my  power  to  render  his  situation  as  com- 
fortable as  possible.'  I  tbanked  him  for  bis  generous 
proffer  of  services,  but  informed  him  that  I  could  not  con- 
sent to  receive  pecuniary  aid,  and  desired  as  a  special  favor 
that  he  would  be  so  kind  as  to  deliver  you  the  purse  wbicb 
I  put  into  bis  band.  '  It  shall  be  done,'  he  said,  '  and  you 
may  be  assured  that  I  shall  find  him  out,  and  see  that  he  is 
well  provided  for  in  all  respects.'  Thus,  it  is  evident  that 
you  are  indebted  to  General  Burgoyne  for  your  fortunate 
escape  from  the  horrors  of  a  prison."  ^ 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  1779,  Commodore 
Tucker,  in  tbe  frigate  Boston,  sailed  on  several  remarkably 
successful  crui  es.  During  the  month  of  June  alone,  he 
captured  seven  prizes,  six  of  which  were  armed  vessels.  Of 
these,  the  most  important  were  tbe  Pole,  a  frigate  of  two 
hundred  tons  burden,  mounting  twenty-four  guns,  and  the 
sloop  of  war  Thorn,  mounting  sixteen  guns.  The  Pole  was 
1  From  the  Manuscript  Life  of  Col.  W.  R.  Lee. 


184  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

captured  witliout  the  firing  of  a  gun  on  either  side.  As 
soon  as  Tucker  saw  the  ship  in  the  distance,  he  knew  her  to 
be  a  British  frigate,  and  boldly  sailed  up  to  her.  Disguising 
his  own  ship  with  English  colors,  he  prepared  for  action, 
and,  having  obtained  a  commanding  positioii,  hoisted  the 
American  flag  and  ordered  an  instant  surrender.  The  com- 
mander of  the  British  frigate,  seeing  that  resistance  was  in 
vain,  struck  his  colors.  The  prize  was  subsequently  sold  for 
£103,000,  the  sale  of  the  coal  and  provisions  found  on  board 
increasing  the  amount  to  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  pounds. 

In  the  mean  time.  Commodore  Manly,  who  two  years  be- 
fore had  been  captured  by  the  British  and  sent  to  prison, 
was  exchanged.  Upon  regaining  his  freedom,  he  at  once 
assumed  command  of  the  privateer  Cumberland.  While 
cruising  in  her,  he  was  captured  by  the  British  frigate  Po- 
mena,  and  carried  into  Barbadoes,  where  he  and  his  officers 
were  impi'isoned.  All  their  applications-  to  obtain  paroles 
were  rejected.  They  finally  succeeded  in  effecting  an  es- 
cape, and  seizing  a  sloop,  sailed  for  Martinico,  where  they 
arrived  in  safety.  Manly  was  afterwards  in  command  of 
the  privateer  Jason,  which  had  been  captured  from  the  Brit- 
ish shortly  before  his  escape.  While  on  a  cruise,  during 
the  month  of  July,  he  was  attacked  by  two  British  priva- 
teers, one  of  eighteen  guns,  and  the  other  of  sixteen.  In 
the  engagement  which  ensued,  Manly  behaved  with  great 
bravery,  and  reserved  his  fire  until  he  came  close  up  with 
his  adversaries.  Running  between  them,  he  first  discharged 
a  broadside  into  the  eighteen-gun  vessel,  killing  and  wound- 
ing nearly  thirty  of  her  crew.  He  then  gave  her  consort 
the  other  broadside,  when  both  vessels  surrendered,  and  be- 
came his  prizes. 

In  July,  Commodore  Tucker,  in  the  Boston,  sailed  on  a 
cruise  in  company  with  the  frigate  Deane,  commanded  by 
Captain  Nicholson.  On  the  15th  they  captured  the  priva- 
teer Enterprise,  of   seventeen  guns   and  eighty  men,  and 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  185 

shortly  after  the  sloop-of-war  Mermaid,  a  tender  of  the  frig- 
ate Vigihmt.  During  a  part  of  the  time,  the  Boston  and 
Deane  were  accompanied  by  the  United  States  frigate  Con- 
federacy. A  large  number  of  prizes  were  taken  during  this 
cruise,  thirteen  of  which  were  taken  by  the  Boston  alone 
without  the  assistance  of  the  other  frigates.  Among  their 
captures  was  the  ship  Earl  of  Glencairn,  mounting  twenty 
guns,  with  a  cargo  of  dry  goods,  the  invoice  of  which 
amounted  to  .£40,000,  besides  four  hundred  barrels  of  pro- 
visions, and  fifty  puncheons  of  rum.  They  also  took  the  brig 
Venture,  bound  from  Madeira  to  New  York,  with  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pipes  of  Madeira  wine  ;  and  four  British  pri- 
vateers, which  were  sent  into  Philadelphia, 

In  November  of  this  year,  the  letter  of  marque  Freema- 
son, Capt.  Benjamin  Boden,  sailed  from  Marblehead  to  Mar- 
tinico.  She  carried  six  guns  and  fifteen  men.  On  her  pas- 
sage she  was  taken  by  a  British  privateer  sloop,  mounting 
sixteen  guns.  The  captain,  second  mate,  and  a  boy,  were 
left  on  board  the  Freemason,  but  the  first  mate,  Robert 
Wormsted,  with  the  rest  of  the  crew,  was  carried  on  board 
the  privateer.  The  prisoners  were  handcuffed  and  thrust 
into  the  hold,  and  at  night  the  hatchway  was  closed.  Here, 
Wormsted  conceived  a  plan  of  escape  which  was  successfully 
executed.  His  handcuffs  were  so  large  that  he  could  with 
little  exertion  get  rid  of  them  and  set  the  rest  at  liberty. 
He  proposed  rising  upon  the  privateer  the  next  day,  when 
the  captain  should  be  taking  the  sun.  At  first  the  attempt 
was  thought  to  be  too  desperate,  they  being  so  few  in  num- 
ber compared  with  the  crew  on  board.  At  length,  however, 
Wormsted  prevailed  with  his  companions,  .and  they  solemnly 
bound  themselves  to  do  their  utmost.  His  plan  was  to 
spring  upon  deck  and  knock  down  the  captain,  and  they 
were  to  follow  and  do  their  part.  At  twelve  o'clock  the 
next  day  their  courage  was  put  to  the  test,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments the  captain  and  many  others  were  laid  prostrate  upon 
the  deck.     Their  pistols  were  taken  and  aimed  at  the  enemy 


186  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

in  the  cabin,  who  surrenclered  without  opposition.  Worm- 
sted  then  bore  down  upon  the  schooner  and  ordered  her  to 
strike  her  colors.  Captain  Boden  cried  for  joy,  and  his 
captors  were  as  much  chagrined  as  astonished  at  this  unex- 
pected reverse  of  fortune.  Wormsted,  as  commander,  had 
the  English  flag  lowered,  and  the  American  hoisted.  Hav- 
ing ordered  the  British  officers  and  sailors  to  be  handcuffed 
and  thrust  into  the  hold,  he  appointed  Captain  Boden  prize- 
master,  and  directed  him  to  steer  for  Guadaloupe.  There 
in  due  time  they  arrived  in  triuuiph,  and  were  received  with 
unusual  testimonials  of  exultation.  The  crew  of  the  priva- 
teer were  sent  to  prison  and  the  prize  was  sold  at  auction. 
Having  loaded  his  vessel,  Wormsted  sailed  for  Massachu- 
setts, and  on  the  second  day  was  again  captured  and  lost 
everything."  ^ 

On  the  20th  of  November  the  frigate  Boston,  Commodore 
Tucker,  in  company  with  the  frigates  Providence,  Queen 
of  France,  and  Ranger,  was  ordered  to  proceed  without  de- 
lay to  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  where  they  arrived 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  following  month.  The  squad- 
ron was  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Whipple.  The 
frigates  remained  in  the  harbor  during  the  entire  win- 
ter and  spring,  and,  during  the  thirty  days'  siege  by  the 
British,  rendered  efficient  service  in  defense  of  the  city. 
Commodore  Tucker,  with  a  party  of  picked  marines,  suc- 
ceeded in  demolishing  the  Beacon  Light-house  and  Fort 
Johnson,  both  of  which  it  was  feared  might  be  of  great  ser- 
vice to  the  enemy.  The  work  in  both  instances  was  attended 
with  great  peril,  as  the  men  were  obliged  to  land  in  boats 
and  perform  their  labor  directly  under  the  guns  of  the  Brit- 
ish fleet.  The  undertaking  was  executed  with  the  utmost 
secresy,  and  its  successful  accomplishment  was  hailed  with 
delight  by  the  American  authoriti"S.  On  the  lltli  of.  May, 
after  having  withstood  a  siege  of  thirty  days'  duration,  Gen- 
eral Lincoln,  who  was  in  command  of  the  American  forces, 
1  Aldun's  Collections. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  187 

surrendered,  and  Charleston  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Brit- 
ish. Commodore  Tucker  was  the  last  of  the  squadron  to 
strike  his  flag,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  action  a  special 
order  was  sent  to  him  to  do  so.  "  I  do  not  think  much  of 
striking  m}^  flag  to  your  present  force,"  replied  Tucker,  "•  for 
I  have  struck  more  of  your  flags  than  are  now  flying  in  this 
harbor." 

An  account  of  the  first  cruise  of  the  sloop-of-war  Thorn, 
after  her  capture  from  the  British,  and  of  the  subsequent 
attempt  to  seize  and  restore  her  to  her  former  owners,  has 
been  given  in  another  chapter.  On  the  second  cruise  of  the 
Thorn,  Capt.  Richard  Cowell,  of  Marblehead,  was  appointed 
commander,  and  she  had  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men.  Being  a  very  enterprising  and  brave  officer,  he  made 
many  captures,  to  man  out  which  took  so  many  of  his  sea- 
men that  his  crew  was  reduced  to  only  sixty,  including  offi- 
cers and  boys.  He  therefore  concluded  to  return  to  port  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  reenforcement  of  seamen. 

Within  a  few  days  after  having  commenced  his  homeward 
passage,  he  fell  in  with  the  British  letter  of  marque  St. 
David,  of  twenty-two  guns.  He  first  asked  the  opinion  of 
his  officers  as  to  the  expediency  of  engaging  a  ship  of  such 
superior  size  and  armament,  and  apparently  fully  manned. 
Finding  that  the  officers  were  in  favor  of  attacking  her,  he 
ordered  the  crew  to  be  mustered,  and  having  represented  to 
them  the  great  disparity  of  force  between  the  two  ships,  he 
observed,  "  Still  your  officers  are  anxious  to  attack  her ;  are 
you  ready  to  go  into  action  ?  "  They  instantly  gave  three 
hearty  cheers,  as  an  emphatic  affirmative  response.  The 
Thorn  immediately  ran  down  alongside  of  the  enemy,  and 
began  a  desperate  engagement  at  close  quarters.  The  con- 
test lasted  an  hour  and  a  half,  when  the  St.  David  struck 
her  colors.  On  boarding  her  it  was  found  that  she  had  a 
crew  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  men,  having  taken  on 
board  seventy  marines  from  a  transport,  which  she  had  fallen 
in  with  in  distress.    The  captain  was  mortally  wounded,  and 


188  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

one  third  of  the  crew  killed  or  wounded.  Her  cargo  con- 
sisted of  six  hundred  puncheons  of  Jamaica  spirit.  Captain 
Cowell  put  an  officer  and  twenty-five  men  on  board  the 
prize,  and  ordered  him  to  make  the  nearest  port ;  but  the 
ship  was  never  heard  of  again. 

On  the  next  cruise  of  the  Thorn,  she  was  commanded  by 
Commodore  Tucker,  wlio  had  been  released  from  his  parole 
given  at  Charleston  by  being  exchanged  for  a  British  officer 
of  equal  rank.  The  crew  of  the  Thorn  was  composed  of 
eighty-one  men  and  eighteen  boys.  "  She  had  been  cruising 
about  three  weeks,  when  they  fell  in  with  the  Lord  Hyde, 
an  English  packet  of  twenty-two  guns  and  one  hundred 
men.  As  the  two  vessels  drew  near,  the  commanders  hailed 
each  other  in  the  customary  way  when  ships  meet  at  sea, 
and  the  captain  of  the  English  packet  cried  out  roughly  from 
the  quarter-deck  — 

"  Haul  down  your  colors,  or  I  '11  sink  you." 
"Ay,  ay,  sir,  directly,"  replied  Tucker,  calmly  and  com- 
placently ;  and  he  then  ordered  the  helmsman  to  steer  the 
Thorn  right  under  the  stern  of  the  packet,  luff  up  under 
her  lee  quarters,  and  range  alongside  her.  The  order  was 
promptly  executed.  Tlie  two  vessels  were  laid  side  by  side 
within  pistol-shot  of  each  other.  While  the  Thorn  was  get- 
ting into  position,  the  enemy  fired  a  full  broadside  at  her, 
which  did  but  little  damage.,  As  soon  as  she  was  brought 
completely  alongside  her  adversary.  Tucker  thundered  to  his 
men  to  fire,  and  a  tremendous  discharge  followed,  and,  as 
good  aim  had  been  taken,  a  dreadful  carnage  was  seen  in 
that  ill-fated  vessel.  It  was  rapidly  succeeded  by  a  fresh 
volley  of  artillery,  and  in  twenty  minutes  a  piercing  cry  was 
heard  from  the  English  vessel :  "  Quarter,  for  God's  sake ! 
Our  ship  is  sinking  !  Our  men  are  dying  of  their  wounds  !  " 
To  this  heart-rending  appeal.  Commodore  Tucker  replied : 
"  How  can  you  expect  quarters  while  that  British  flag  is  fly- 
ino;  ?  "  The  sad  answer  came  back :  "  Our  halliards  are 
shot  away !  "     "  Then  cut  away  your  ensign-mast,  or  you  '11 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  189 

all  be  dead  men."  It  was  done  immediately  ;  down  came 
the  colors ;  the  din  of  cannonading  ceased,  and  only  the 
groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying  were  heard.  Thirty-four 
of  the  crew  of  the  prize,  with  the  captain,  were  either  killed 
or  wounded.  Her  decks  were  besmeared  with  blood,  and 
in  some  places  it  stood  in  clotted  masses  to  the  tops  of  the 
sailors'  slippers."  ^  On  going  on  board  the  prize.  Commo- 
dore Tucker  is  said  to  have  exclaimed,  as  he  witnessed  the 
suffering  of  the  wounded,  "  Would  to  God  I  had  never  seen 
her !  " 

During  the  year  1780,  while  cruising  in  the  ship  Marquis, 
of  sixteen  guns,  many  of  which  were  small  four-pounders, 
Capt.  Richard  Cowell  fell  in  with  a  British  letter  of  marque. 
She  mounted  twenty-four  guns,  and  a  complete  set  of  men, 
far  superior  in  numbers  to  his  own.  Relying,  however,  on 
the  spirit  and  bravery  of  his  officers  and  crew,  he  laid  his 
ship  alongside  the  enemy,  and  continued  there  for  nearly 
three  hours.  So  near  were  the  two  ships  in  this  situation 
that  the  sponges  were  frequently  taken  from  one  to  the  other 
while  the  men  were  in  the  act  of  loading.  One  man  on 
board  the  Marquis  was  nearly  taken  out  of  the  port  at  which 
he  was  stationed,  by  one  of  the  crew  of  the  enemy.  This 
gallant  and  heroic  action  would  undoubtedly  have  resulted 
in  a  glorious  victory  for  Captain  Cowell ;  but  the  enemy, 
after  having  expended  all  his  ammunition,  hauled  off  from 
his  opponent,  and  the  disabled  state  of  the  spars  and  rig- 
ging of  the  Marquis  prevented  the  gallant  captain  from  pur- 
suing him. 

In  March,  1781,  Commodore  Tucker,  who  had  again  sailed 
in  the  Thorn,  captured  two  prizes,  one  of  which  was  a  ship 
from  Liverpool,  mounting  sixteen  six-pounders,  bound  to 
Charlestown  with  a  cargo  of  brandy  and  dry  goods.  The 
other  was  a  packet  from  Jamaica  bound  to  London.  The  en- 
gagement lasted  two  hours,  during  which  the  packet  had 
four  men  killed  and  fourteen  wounded.     Not  a  man  was 

1  Sheppard's  Life  of  Tucker. 


190  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

lost  on  board  the  Thorn.  Daring  the  montli  of  May,  and 
early  in  June,  Tucker  captured  three  prizes,  namely,  a  sloop 
from  St.  Eustatia  bound  to  Halifax,  a  letter  of  marque  brig 
of  fourteen  guns,  bound  from  Antigua  to  Quebec,  laden  with 
rum  and  molasses,  and  a  scow  laden  with  three  hundred 
hogsheads  of  sugar. 

Shortly  after  this,  he  captured  the  English  ship  Elizabeth 
of  twenty  guns.  The  ship  was  bound  for  Halifax  under 
convoy  with  the  brig  Observer  of  sixteen,  and  the  sloop-of- 
war  Howe,  of  fourteen  guns.  Ascertaining  that  two  smaller 
vessels  with  valuable  cargoes  were  sailing  under  protection 
of  the  convoy,  Tucker  determined  to  intercept  them.  On 
the  appearance  of  the  fleet  Tucker  hoisted  the  English  flag 
and  boldly  sailed  into  the  midst  of  them.  Coming  up  be- 
tween the  Elizabeth  and  the  Observer,  he  made  friendly  in- 
quiries of  them,  and  then,  as  if  by  accident,  managed  to  get 
his  vessel  entangled  with  the  Elizabeth.  When  all  was  in 
readiness.  Tucker  lowered  the  English  flag  and  hoisted  the 
American,  at  the  same  time  giving  orders  to  fire  a  broad- 
side. The  Elizabeth  fired  at  the  same  time.  Before  the 
Enghsh  captain  had  time  to  discharge  another  gun,  thirty 
picked  men  from  the  Thorn  boarded  his  vessel.  Obtaining 
possession  of  the  deck,  they  drove  the  crew  below,  and 
hauled  down  the  colors.  The  brig  and  the  sloop-of-war 
then  attempted  an  attack  upon  the  Thorn,  but  Tucker  as- 
sumed a  threatening  attitude,  and  after  the  sloop-of-war  had 
discharged  a  broadside  both  vessels  sailed  away.  During 
the  engagement  the  Thorn  had  nine  men  killed  and  fourteen 
wounded. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  July,  the  Thorn 
was  captured  by  the  British  frigate  Hind.  She  was  cap- 
tured near  the  mouth  of  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  and  Com- 
modore Tucker,  with  his  crew  of  eighty  men,  was  landed  at 
the  Island  of  St.  John's,  to  be  conveyed  to  Halifax. 

Shortly  after  they  were  landed  at  St.  John's,  Tucker  and 
the  officers  of  the  Thorn  were  placed  in  an  open  boat  for 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  191 

tlie  purpose  of  being  carried  to  Halifax.  A  verbal  promise 
was  exacted  from  Tucker,  that  he  would  coast  along  the 
shore  and  proceed  direct  for  Halifax ;  but  he  was  over- 
powered by  his  officers,  who  were  determined  to  escape. 
They  accordingly  sailed  across  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  about 
the  middle  of  August  arrived  at  Boston  in  safety. 

This  was  the  last  cruise  made  by  Commodore  Tucker 
during  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  biographer  claims  that 
he  "  took  more  prizes,  fought  more  sea-fights,  and  gained 
more  victories,  than,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  any  naval 
hero  of  the  age."     And  it  is  true. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  Capt.  Robert  Wormsted, 
of  Marblehead,  sailed  in  a  privateer  from  Salem.  When  off 
the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  he  fell  in  with  an  English  armed 
vessel,  and  being  in  danger  of  capture,  ran  his  vessel  ashore 
and  abandoned  her.  After  traveling  for  some  time  through 
the  woods,  Wormsted  and  his  men  again  came  to  the 
water,  where  they  found  an  open  boat,  which  they  seized 
and  at  once  sailed  for  New  England.  On  their  passage, 
they  fell  in  with  a  vessel  from  Cork,  laden  with  linens,  but- 
ter, candles,  etc.,  which  had  been  taken  by  the  Americans 
and  re-taken  by  the  British.  Captain  Wormsted  and  his 
crew  boarded  and  took  her  by  surprisal  without  arms. 
They  were  shortly  after  chased  by  a  British  vessel,  which 
bore  down  upon  them  so  rapidly,  that  they  were  obliged 
once  more  to  have  recourse  to  their  boat.  Hastily  throwing 
in  a  few  stores,  and  other  articles,  they  made  their  escape, 
and  finally  arrived  in  Marblehead. 

During  the  month  of  November,  1782,  the  ship  St. 
Helena,  commanded  by  Captain  John  Still  well,  sailed  with  a 
fleet  from  Havana  for  Philadelphia.  She  mounted  twenty 
guns  between  decks,  —  ten  of  which,  however,  were  of 
wood,  —  and  had  under  convoy  fifteen  American  vessels, 
which  had  previously  been  subjected  to  an  embargo.  On 
the  day  they  were  permitted  to  leave  port,  the  St.  Helena, 
in  attempting  to  get  under  way,  met  with  a  disaster  which 


192  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

detained  her  till  sunset.  The  fleet  was  beating  backward 
and  forward  during  the  night,  which  was  dark,  waiting  for 
the  convoy.  The  St.  Helena  passed  and  repassed  a  num- 
ber of  the  vessels.  In  the  mean  time  several  guns  were 
heard,  supposed  to  be  from  one  of  the  fleet.  At  length, 
about  midnight,  she  was  saluted  with  a  broadside.  It  was 
something  wholly  unexpected ;  the  men  were  fatigued ;  no 
one  seemed  to  know  his  station,  and  great  confusion  ensued. 
Some  of  the  guns,  however,  were  soon  got  into  operation, 
and  the  firing  continued  till  daylight,  when  the  antagonist 
was  found  to  be  His  Britannic  ]\Iajesty's  brig  Lively,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Michael  Stanhope.  The  St.  Helena 
was  also  within  reach  of  the  guns  of  the  Jupiter,  a  ship  of 
the  line.  Of  course,  lier  colors  were  lowered,  and  the  men 
taken  on  board  the  Lively.  Six  days  afterwards,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  crew  of  the  St.  Helena  were  preparing  to 
rise.  All  the '  men  were  consequently  confined  below,  and 
were  suffered  to  come  up  only  through  a  narrow  grating  one 
at  a  time,  the  hatchway  being  constantly  guarded  by  a  sen- 
tinel. After  six  days'  close  confinement,  five  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, namely,  Anthony  Garner,  John  Prince,^  Setli  Farrow, 
Leiois  liussell,^  and  Nathan  Walker,  concerted  a  plan  for 
taking  the  brig.  Accordingly,  about  noon.  Walker  disarmed 
the  sentinel,  took  out  the  bar  which  fastened  the  hatchway, 
and  the  other  four  instantly  rushed  upon  deck,  fought  in  a 
most  desperate  manner,  and  in  a  few  moments  took  the  ves- 
sel.^ The  number  of  Americans  on  board  the  Lively  was 
forty-six.  They  immediately  bore  away  for  Havana,  and 
upon  their  arrival  at  that  port,  a  committee  was  chosen  to 
sell  the  prize  and  settle  with  the  crew.  Of  this  committee, 
John  Prince  was  chairman,  and  after  having  disposed  of  the 
prize,  he  submitted  the  following  report :  ^  — 
1  Of  Marblehead.  2  Alden's  Collections.  8  From  original  manuscript. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  193 

"  Brig  and  materials $18,000.00 

Cash  on  board 1,827.00 

One  negro 380.00 

Sundry  goods  sold  on  board         .         .         .  124.00 


$20,331.00 


After  deducting  sundry  expenses  amounting  to  $1,556,  the 
money  was  divided  among  the  crew." 

The  end  of  the  year  1782  closed  the  maritime  war  of  the 
American  Revokition.  As  it  had  been  begun  by  the  men 
of  Marblehead,  so  it  was  reserved  for  a  Marblehead  com- 
mander to  close  it  with  a  brilliant  achievement.  Commo- 
dore Manly,  who,  in  1775,  hoisted  the  first  American  flag,^ 
and  on  board  the  little  schooner  Lee  made  the  first  impor- 
tant capture  of  the  war,  had  been  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  United  States  frigate  Hague.  While  cruising  about 
the  West  Indies,  he  was  chased  by  an  English  seventy-four, 
and  grounded  on  a  sand-bank  near  Guadaloupe.  Three 
ships  of  the  line  having  joined  the  seventy-four,  they  came 
to  anchor  within  gunshot  of  the  Hague.  With  springs  on 
their  cables  they  opened  a  most  tremendous  fire.  Commo- 
dore Manly  supported  this  cannonade  for  three  days.  On 
the  fourth  day  he  succeeded  in  extricating  his  ship  from  her 
perilous  position,  when,  hoisting  Continental  colors  at  the 
maintop-gallant-mast,  he  fired  thirteen  guns  as  a  farewell 
defiance,  and  boldly  sailed  away.  In  due  time  the  Hague 
arrived  safe  in  Boston. 

Shortly  after  this,  early  in  the  year  1783,  Captain  Am- 
brose James  sailed  from  St.  Martin's  for  Marblehead.  He 
had  been  out  but  a  short  time  when  his  schooner  was  taken 
by  an  English  cruiser  and  pillaged  of  every  movable  article 
on    board,  including   five   or   six   hundred  dollars  in    cash. 

1  The  ensign  was  the  pine-tree  flag,  according  to  Colonel  Reed,  who  in  a 
letter  to  Colonels  Glover  and  Moylan,  dated  October  20,  1775,  said:  "Please 
to  fix  some  particular  color  for  a  flag  and  signal  by  which  our  vessels  may 
know  one  another.  What  do  you  think  of  a  white  ground,  a  tree  in  the  midtUe, 
the  motto, '  Appeal  to  Heaven  V"  —  Lossing,  vol.  i.,  576. 
13 


194  THE   HISTOKY   AND    TRADITIONS 

The  commander  of  the  cruiser  theu  ransomed  the  schooner 
for  one  hundred  Johannes,  and  took  Captain  James's  note 
of  hand  as  security  for  the  payment.  The  vessel  subse- 
quently arrived  in  Marblehead  without  further  molesta- 
tion. 

/  Many  years  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
/  several  of  those  who  had  taken  a  part  in  the  struggle  were 
living  in  Marblehead.  They  were  all  aged  men,  and  pen- 
sioners of  the  government.  One  of  their  number,  who  had 
represented  the  town  in  both  branches  of  the  State  legisla- 
ture, and  who  was  at  the  time  a  justice  of  the  peace,  ob- 
tained from  each  of  these  veterans  a  deposition  of  his  expe- 
rience duraig  the  war.  As  in  nearly  every  instance  they 
were  engaged  the  greater  proportion  of  their  time  in  pri- 
vateering, it  is  fitting  that  the  brief  narrative  of  their  ex- 
perience as  contained  in  these  interesting  depositions  should 
close  this  chapter.^ 

Geoege  Cash  served  as  a  private  in  Captain  Merritt's 
company,  of  Glover's  regiment. 

Mason  Haeeis,  a  sergeant  in  Captain  Selman's  com- 
pany. Marched  to  Cambridge,  June  22,  1775  ;  returned  to 
Marblehead,  December  31,  1775.  In  1778,  at  Rhode  Island 
forty-five  days. 

William  Haeeis,  a  soldier  in  Capt.  Samuel  R.  Trevett's 
artillery  company  in  1775.  At  Cambridge  May  24 ;  returned 
June  22.  In  January,  1776,  enlisted  in  Colonel  Hitchcock's 
regiment  and  was  at  Cambridge  about  three  months,  having 
entered  for  "during  the  war."  Hired  a  man  to  take  his 
place,  and  sailed  with  Captain  Forrester  in  the  sloop  Rover. 
Afterwards  sailed  with  Captain  Cole  in  the  Coronet ;  then 
with  Captain  Cowell  in  the  ship  Marquis,  and  subsequently 
with  Captain  Reed,  in  the  same  ship.  His  last  cruise  was 
with  Captain  Vallison,  in  the  schooner  Hawk. 

1  These  depositions  were  taken  in  1830  by  Capt.  John  Prince,  and  were 
copied  from  the  original  especially  for  this  work.  The  oldest  of  the  deponents 
was  eighty-five  years  of  age,  the  youngest  sixty-nine. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  195 

William  Bean,  a  private  in  Captain  Selman's  company. 
Then  sailed  with  Capt.  John  White,  in  the  sloop  Revenge. 
Afterwards  with  Captain  Warren,  in  the  brig  Handen,  and 
subsequently  in  the  Springbird,  four  cruises.  His  last  cruise 
was  in  the  letter  of  marque  Freemason. 

Richard  Martin,  a  private  in  Captain  Selman's  com- 
pany in  1775.  In  November  of  that  year  sailed  with  Cap- 
tain Selman  on  the  expedition  to  St.  John's  Island.  Was 
steward  and  pilot  on  board.  Afterwards  enlisted  in  the 
fort  for  one  year,  and  subsequently  sailed  in  the  Spring- 
bird. 

George  Tucker,  a  soldier  in  the  fort  during  the  year 
1775.  Afterwards  sailed  with  Captain  Fettyplace,  in  the 
sloop  Odione  ;  then  with  Captain  Hamilton,  in  the  ship 
Jason.  His  last  cruise  was  with  Captain  Tucker,  in  the 
schooner  Hancock. 

Abram  Moss,^  a  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Norman  Bancroft's 
company.  Was  stationed  at  Bunker  Hill  for  three  months 
to  guard  General  Burgoyne's  troops.  Afterwards  went 
privateering  with  Captain  Hamilton,  in  the  ship  Jason. 
Then  sailed  on  a  cruise  with  Captain  Cross,  in  the  brig 
Tiger,  and  was  captured  and  carried  to  St.  John's,  New- 
foundland. On  being  released  he  sailed  with  Captain  Neal 
in  the  ship  Viper,  and  was  again  captured  and  taken  into 
Halifax.  From  there  he  went  to  St.  Thomas,  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  from  thence  to  Hayti.  On  a  voyage  from  Hayti 
to  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  he  was  again  captured  and  carried  to 
Charleston,  S.  C.  From  there  he  was  sent  on  board  a  trans- 
port to  New  York,  and  then  carried  to  Newfoundland. 

Charles  Florence,  a  fifer  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment. 
I'he  day  after  the  enemy  left  Bunker  Hill,  marched  on  to 
it,  and  saw  the  "  kittles  "  on  the  fire  left  by  them.  Was 
there  about  five  weeks.  Afterwards  sailed  with  Captain 
Cole,  in  the  schooner  Oliver  Cromwell,  and   manned   out 

1  This  name  was  TindoubtetUy  Morse ;  iu  the  Marblehead  veruaciilar,  how- 
eveij  it  would  be  iJi-ouounced  as  writteD  iu  the  deposition. 


196  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

eleven  prizes.  Then  sailed  with  Captain  Vallison  in  the 
schooner  Hawk,  and  took  a  large  Jamaica  ship  laden  with 
sugar.  While  on  a  cruise  with  Captain  Graves,  in  the  brig 
Eagle,  he  was  captured,  and  sent  to  Quebec,  where  he  re- 
mained eighteen  months.  He  was  then  transferred  to  Hali- 
fax,  and  from  thence  to  New  York,  where  he  was  confined 
on  board  the  prison  ship  "  Old  Jersey."  While  he  was  on 
board  this  floating  prison,  a  ship  arrived  from  Yorktown 
with  a  number  of  British  officers,  who  had  been  taken  with 
Cornwallis,  and  released  on  parole.  Ten  of  the  prisoners, 
of  whom  he  was  one,  were  put  on  board  the  American  ship, 
with  instructions  to  return  to  Yorktown  in  her,  and  deliver 
her  to  the  authorities,  which  was  done.  On  his  return 
from  Yorktown,  Florence  sailed  in  the  brig  Peacock,  and 
after  being  out  three  days  was  captured  by  a  British  frigate 
and  carried  to  New  York,  where  he  was  again  confined  on 
board  the  "  Old  Jersey."  One  month  after,  he  was  ex- 
changed, and  traveled  home,  having  been  absent  thirty-two 
months.  A  short  time  after  arriving  in  INIarblehead,  he 
went  on  a  cruise  in  the  privateer  General  Glover,  Captain 
Caswell.  They  were  out  six  weeks  and  took  four  prizes,  all 
of  wliich  arrived  at  Salem.  One  of  the  prizes  was  loaded 
with  munitions  of  war  which  the  government  took.  His 
last  cruise  was  with  Captain  Caswell,  in  the  ship  Rover. 
They  were  out  nine  months,  and  took  two  ships,  one  of 
which  was  laden  with  flour,  the  other  with  slaves.  Both 
were  carried  into  Martinico.  Returned  home  in  May,  after 
the  peace  of  1783. 

Samuel  Petees  sailed  with  Captain  Stiles,  in  the  ship 
Traveller ;  was  captured  and  impressed  into  the  British  ser- 
vice. Was  on  board  British  ships  seven  years,  and  returned 
from  London  in  a  Salem  brig  after  the  declaration  of  peace. 

William  Laskey  sailed  in  the  Springbird,  and  after- 
wards with  Captain  Twisden,  in  the  Tornado.  Subse- 
quently, while  on  a  cruise  in  the  schooner  Bunker  Hill,  he 
was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  thirteen  months.     During 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  197 

four  months  of  the  year  1776  he  was  stationed  at  Castle 
William. 

Thomas  Brown  arrived  from  Grand  Bank  in  May,  1775, 
and  during  the  next  six  months  was  in  service  at  the  fort. 
He  then  commanded  a  look-out  schooner  in  the  Bay.  Af- 
terwards went  on  a  cruise  in  the  brig  Massachusetts.  She 
was  out  about  two  months,  and  took  a  brig  mounting  twenty 
guns.  His  next  cruise  was  with  Captain  Thorndike,  in  the 
schooner  Warren.  On  his  next  cruise,  which  was  with  Caj^ 
tain  Bartlett  in  the  brig  Hampden,  he  was  taken  prisoner 
and  carried  to  Dominico.  From  there  he  ran  away,  how- 
ever, and  succeeded  in  making  his  escape,  after  which  he 
shipped  on  board  the  ship  Tyranicide,  as  mate.  While 
cruising  in  this  ship  they  took  a  valuable  prize,  which  was 
sent  into  Boston.  He  then  sailed  in  the  privateer  Brutus, 
which  took  three  prizes.  On  a  subsequent  cruise,  in  the 
schooner  Oliver  Cromwell,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  car- 
ried into  Newfoundland.  His  last  cruise  was  in  the  schooner 
Hancock,  during  which  two  prizes  were  taken. 

Samuel  Giles  sailed  in  1778,  with  Captain  Stiles,  in 
the  schooner  Swan.  They  went  to  Baltimore  in  the  State 
service  and  carried  a  load  of  flour.  On  their  return  they 
were  captured  by  a  British  vessel  on  George's,  and  carried 
to  Halifax.  After  his  release,  he  sailed  on  four  cruises  in 
the  brig  Tiger,  during  which  eighteen  prizes  were  taken. 
His  next  cruise  was  in  the  ship  Jack,  of  eighteen  guns,  Cap- 
tain Brown.  After  being  out  a  short  time  they  took  five 
prizes.  During  another  cruise  with  Capt.  T.  Colly er,  in  a 
ship  of  eighteen  guns,  a  large  ship  loaded  with  provisions 
was  captured.  Giles  subsequently  sailed  one  cruise  in  the 
ship-of-war  Thorn,  during  which  four  prizes  were  captured. 
He  was  afterwards  on  board  the  ship  Jason.  A  short  time 
after  sailing,  this  ship  fell  in  with  and  captured  a  British 
privateer  brig  of  twenty  guns,  after  an  action  of  two  hours. 
The  captain,  one  of  the  Heutenants,  and  several  sailors  of 
the  British  brig,  were  killed.     The  Jason  had  seven  men 


198  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

killed.     The  j^rize  was  dismantled  and  sent  asliore.     They 
soon  after  took  another  prize,  which  was  sent  in. 

After  this,  Mr.  Giles  sailed  in  the  ship  Henry,  which, 
after  taking  several  prizes,  was  captured  by  a  British  ship. 
The  crew  were  sent  to  New  York  and  put  on  board  the  frig- 
ate Balfour,  in  which  they  were  carried  to  Jamaica  and  im- 
prisoned. Giles  finally  succeeded  in  escaping,  and  shipped 
on  board  a  vessel  bound  for  New  York,  where  he  arrived 
after  peace  had  been  declared.  He  returned  to  Marblehead 
about  1T83. 

Nicholas  Bessom  sailed  from  Boston  in  the  brig  Free- 
mason, March  24,  1779,  on  a  voyage  to  France.  The  ship 
reached  her  destination  in  safety,  and  Teturned  with  a  load 
of  munitions  of  war  for  the  army,  the  entire  voyage  occupy- 
ing about  six  ninths.  He  afterwards  sailed  a!»  cruise  in  the 
brig  Montgomery,  and  another  with  Captain  Reed,  in  the 
Marquis.  He  subsequently  sailed  in  the  ship  Buckamoor, 
and  while  on  board  a  prize  which  she  had  captured,  was 
taken  prisoner  and  carried  to  Lisbon. 

Capt.  Thomas  Baeker  arrived  from  fishing  about  the 
middle  of  May,  1775,  and  enhsted  in  Captain  Trevett's  com- 
pany of  artillery.  J^Iay  21,  Mr.  Whitwell  preached  a  ser- 
mon to  the  artillery  company  at  the  Old  Meeting-house. 
A  few  days  after,  the  artillery  company  marched  to  Cam- 
bridge, and  was  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  On  his  re- 
turn to  Marblehead  he  was  employed  in  rebuilding  the  fort, 
and  afterwards  enlisted  in  Captain  Fettyplace's  company,  in 
which  he  was  stationed  at  the  fort  until  August,  1776. 
Soon  after,  he  shipped  on  board  the  brig  Massachusetts, 
Capt.  Daniel  Foster,  and  sailed  on  a  cruise.  After  being 
out  two  or  three  weeks,  they  fell  in  with  and  captured  an 
English  brig,  which  had  on  board  twenty-seven  light  horse 
for  the  British  army.  He  was  afterwards  taken  prisoner 
with  "  Jack  Lee." 

Samuel  Graves  was  in  a  company  at  the  fort  in  1775. 
Afterwards,  Capt.  Joseph  Barker's  company  came  to  attend, 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  '  199 

and  he  went  to  Westborough,  where  he  remained  till  the 
peace  of  1783.  He  returned  with  Captain  Hooper  in  a 
company  of  artillery. 

William  Hooper,  Jr.,  was  in  Captain  Hooper's  com- 
pany, and  came  home  with  Captain  Graves.  Afterwards 
sailed  in  the  Tyi-anicide.  He  was  in  the  Rhode  Island  ex- 
pedition in  1778. 


200  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  X. 

Though  their  fortunes  had  been  seriously  impaired  by  the 
fearful  ravages  of  the  war,  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  were  not 
disheartened.  On  the  return  of  peace,  with  that  determined 
spirit  of  enterprise  for  which  they  had  ever  been  distin- 
guished, they  entered  at  once  upon  their  accustomed  com- 
mercial pursuits.  Under  the  direction  of  merchants  of  the 
character  and  ability  of  Col.  William  R.  Lee,  John  Hooper, 
Thomas  and  Knott  Pedrick,  and  a  score  of  others  equally 
well  known  and  respected  in  their  day  and  generation,  large 
ships  were  fitted  out,  some  of  which  made  successful  voyages 
to  France,  Spain,  Portugal,  Italy,  and  the  West  Indies. 
The  Grand  Bank  fisheries  were  also  in  a  measure  revived, 
and  every  attempt  was  made  to  restore  the  prosperity  which 
the  town  enjoyed  in  the  years  before  the  war.  It  was  not 
until  these  attempts  were  found  to  be  well  nigh  futile,  that 
the  disastrous  effects  of  the  great  struggle  were  realized.  The 
days  when  ]\Iarblehead  gave  promise  of  being  a  great  com- 
mercial port  were  gone  ;  and  they  were  gone  forever.  The 
only' recourse  of  the  inhabitants  was  to  prosecute  the  fish- 
ing business,  and  in  a  few  years  it  became  almost  the  sole 
industry  of  the  town. 

On  Tuesday,  November  2,  1784,  the  Marquis  de  Lafay- 
ette visited  the  tomi.  The  general  was  accompanied  by 
the  Chevalier  Grandchamps,  the  Chevalier  Caraman,  and 
Samuel  Breck,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  The  distinguished  visitors 
were  met  on  Salem  road  by  a  procession  of  prominent  citi- 
zens, and  escorted  to  the  entrance  of  the  town,  where  they 
were  received  with  a  band  of  music  by  a  large  concourse  of 
people.     As  the  procession  marched  into  town  the  church 


Lee  Mansion. 


St.  Michael's  Church. 


/ 

/ 

■  OF   MARBLEHEAD.  ^      •    201 

bells  were  rung,  and  the  marquis  was  received  on  all  sides 
with  prolonged  cheers,  and  cries  of  "  Long  life  to  the  Mar- 
quis de  Lafayette  !  "  Arriving  at  the  residence  of  one  of 
the  citizens,  he  was  introduced  "  to  the  gentlemen  of  the 
place,"  after  which  the  following  address  was  presented. 

"  ^ir^  —  The  citizens  of  Marblehead  with  open  arms  and 
affectionate  hearts  welcome  your  return  to  the  United 
States. 

"  Your  early  attachment  to  the  cause  of  America,  —  The 
Cause  of  Mankind,  —  your  unremitting  exertions  and 
eminent  services  therein,  —  all  conspire  to  reanimate  our 
breasts  with  that  superlative  esteem  and  respect  we  have 
long  entertained  for  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette. 

"  Our  loss  of  men  and  property  in  the  glorious  conflict  may 
deprive  us  of  the  pleasure  of  fully  manifesting  the  principles 
of  hospitality  we  feel  on  this  joyful  occasion  ;  but,  sir,  we 
are  happy  in  this  assurance,  that  your  magnanimity  will  con- 
sider our  circumstances  as  a  misfortune,  and  not  a  fault. 

"  We  assure  you,  sir,  with  utmost  sincerity,  that  we  are 
deeply  interested  in  your  welfare,  and  happy  when  honored 
with  your  company  ;  and  we  flatter  ourselves  that  the  pres- 
ent interview  is  only  a  prelude  to  similar  favors  from  your- 
self and  friends  who  now  accompany  you." 

The  reply  of  the  Marquis  was  as  follows :  — 

"  G-entlemen,  While  I  have  the  satisfaction  once  more  to 
enter  a  town  which  so  early  fought  and  so  freely  bled  in  the 
great  conflict,  admiration  mingles  with  the  tender  concerns 
of  a  sympathizing  heart.  But,  amidst  our  regrets  of  brave 
men  who  had  the  honor  to  fall  in  their  country's  cause,  I 
rejoice  in  the  virtuous  spirit  and  animating  industry  re- 
markable in  the  remaining  sons  of  Marblehead.  May  your 
losses  be  an  hundred  fold  repaired  by  all  the  blessings  of 
peace  and  plenty.  And  may  your  numerous  posterity,  in 
the  preservation  of  that  liberty  so  gloriously  purchased,  ever 
venerate  the  memory  of  their  ancestors. 

"  Equally  proud  of  your  esteem,  and  happy  in  your  friend- 


202  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

ship,  gentlemen,  I  heartily  thank  you  for  your  kind  wishes, 
and  so  honorable  a  welcome,  and  will  most  pleasingly  antici- 
pate every  opportunity  to  present  you  with  the  affectionate 
tribute  of  my  respect  and  gratitude." 

General  Lafayette  was  then  escorted  to  another  private 
residence,  represented  in  the  newspaper  reports  as  a  "  gen- 
teel House,"  where  a  grand  dinner  was  served.  After  din- 
ner, an  hour  was  devoted  to  speeches,  and  the  customary 
thirteen  toasts  were  drank,  the  sentiment  offered  by  Lafay- 
ette being,  "  The  town  of  Marblehead,  and  unbounded  suc- 
cess to  its  fisheries." 

At  six  o'clock  General  Lafayette  and  his  friends  departed 
as  they  had  come,  amid  the  booming  of  cannon,  the  ringing 
of  bells,  and  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the  people. 

With  the  expectation  that  the  visitors  would  remain  in 
town  over  night,  arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  grand 
ball  in  the  evening ;  but  other  engagements  rendered  it  nec- 
essary for  them  to  decline  the  invitation,  and  the  citizens 
were  deprived  of  their  company  on  the  occasion. 

The  unsettled  condition  of  affairs  at  the  close  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  together  with  the  great  increase  of  debts, 
both  public  and  private,  had  for  several  years  been  breeding 
discontent  among  the  people  of  INIassachusetts.  Conven- 
tions of  delegates  had  been  held  in  various  towns  in  the 
counties  of  Middlesex,  Berkshire,  Hampshire,  Bristol,  and 
Worcester,  and  the  most  inflammatory  appeals  had  been 
made  to  incite  the  people  against  the  lawfully  constituted 
authorities  of  the  State.  The  effect  of  these  incendiary 
appeals  was  soon  apparent.  IMobs  of  armed  men,  under  the 
lead  of  demagogues  as  unprincipled  and  deluded  as  their 
followers,  assembled  in  the  towns  of  Concord,  Taunton,  and 
Great  Barrington,  and  prevented  the  courts  of  justice  from 
assembling.  The  rioters  numbered  from  two  hundred  to 
eight  hundred  men.  Before  the  end  of  September,  these 
riotous  proceedings  had  developed  into  a  formidable  insur- 
rection, which  continued   to  increase  until  about  eighteen 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  203 

hundred  men,  under  the  lead  of  Daniel  Shays  and  Luke 
Day,  defied  all  civil  and  militar}^  authority,  and  spread  con- 
sternation and  alarm  throughout  the  State.  Prompt  and 
decisive  measures  were  taken  by  the  governor  and  the 
General  Court  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion,  and  a 
force  of  nearly  five  thousand  men  under  Generals  Lincoln, 
Shepard,  and  Brooks,  was  sent  to  rout  the  malcontents. 
Quiet  was  soon  restored  in  the  eastern  counties ;  but  in  the 
west,  where  the  rebellion  had  assumed  more  formidable  pro- 
portions, the  task  was  much  more  difficult.  On  the  25th  of 
January,  1787,  the  insurgents  made  a  concerted  attack  upon 
the  arsenal  at  Springfield.  The  post  was  defended  by  Gen- 
eral Shepard,  with  about  eleven  hundred  men,  and  the 
rebels  were  routed  in  great  confusion.  Four  men  were 
killed,  and  though  the  leaders  made  every  effort  to  rally 
their  forces,  the  mob  retreated  in  disorder.  They  were  pur- 
sued from  one  place  to  another,  and  finally,  early  in  Feb- 
ruary, were  effectually  routed. 

Rumors  had  been  in  circulation  for  some  time  that  the 
citizens  of  JNIarblehead  were  in  sympathy  with  the  insur- 
gents. Though  the  injustice  of  the  stigma  was  keenly  felt, 
the  people  suffered  it  to  pass  in  silence,  awaiting  their  own 
good  time  to  refute  it.  On  the  7th  of  February  a  town 
meeting  was  held,  at  which  a  vote  was  passed  expressing 
the  hearty  concurrence  of  the  citizens  in  the  measures 
adopted  by  the  government  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebel- 
lion. Measures  were  also  adopted  for  raising  recruits  and 
offering  bounties,  and  a  committee  was  chosen  to  "  receive 
subscriptions  of  money,  provisions,  arms,  ammunition,  and 
clothing,  to  be  repaid  out  of  the  next  town  tax."  Peace 
was  soon  restored,  however,  a  large  proportion  of  the  insur- 
gents availed  themselves  of  the  clemency  of  the  government, 
and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and  sixteen  of  the  leaders 
were  convicted  of  treason  and  sentenced  to  death. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1787,  the  Constitutional  Convention, 
composed  of  delegates  from  all  the  States,  met  in  Philadel- 


204  THE   fflSTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

phia.  The  articles  of  confederation  which  formed  the  only 
"cord  of  connection  between  the  States"  had  been  "tried 
and  found  wanting,"  and  the  necessity  of  a  more  perfect 
union  was  seen  and  felt  throughout  the  country.  The  dele- 
gates from  Massachusetts  were  Francis  Dana,  Elbridge 
Gerry,  Nathaniel  Gorham,  Rufus  King,  and  Caleb  Strong. 
Though  Mr.  Gerry  labored  earnestly  throughout  the  entire 
session  of  the  convention  to  secure  "  a  constitution  adequate 
to  the  exigencies  of  the  government  and  the  preservation  of 
the  Union,"  he  was  one  of  the  sixteen  members  who  with- 
held their  signatures  from  the  document  when  completed. 
In  his  report  to  the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  giving  the 
reason  for  this  action,  he  says :  "  It  was  painful  to  me,  on  a 
subject  of  such  national  importance,  to  differ  from  the  rcr 
spectable  members  who  signed  the  Constitution.  But  con- 
ceiving as  I  did  that  the  liberties  of  America  were  not  se- 
cured by  the  system,  it  was  my  duty  to  oppose  it." 

"  My  principal  objections  to  the  plan  are,  that  there  is  no 
adequate  provision  for  a  representation  of  the  people  ;  that 
they  have  no  security  for  the  right  of  election ;  that  some 
of  the  powers  of  the  legislature  are  ambiguous,  and  others 
indefinite  and  dangerous  ;  that  the  executive  is  blended  with 
and  will  have  an  undue  influence  over  the  legislature  ;  that 
the  judicial  department  will  be  oppressive  ;  that  treaties  of 
the  highest  importance  may  be  formed  by  the  president, 
with  the  advice  of  two  thirds  of  a  quorum  of  the  senate, 
and  that  the  system  is  without  the  security  of  a  bill  of 
rights." 

The  instrument  was  referred  to  the  several  States  for  rat- 
ification, the  Convention  of  Massachusetts  being  held  at  the 
State  House  in  Boston  on  the  9th  of  January,  1788.  The 
delegates  from  Marblehead,  chosen  at  a  town  meeting  held 
on  the  3d  of  the  previous  month,  were  Isaac  Mansfield, 
Azor  Orne,  Jonathan  Glover,  and  John  Glover,  all  of  whom 
voted  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  the  instrument. 

Of  the  subsequent   events,  resulting   in  the  election  of 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  205 

George  Wasliington  and  John  Adams  as  President  and  Vice- 
president  of  the  United  States,  and  the  peaceful  establish- 
ment of  the  national  government,  it  is  not  within  the  prov- 
ince of  this  work  to  treat.  The  elevation  of  these  patriots 
to  the  two  highest  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  people  gave  un- 
bounded satisfaction  in  Marblehead,  as  elsewhere.  For  Mr. 
Adams,  especially,  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  entertained 
feelings  of  the  deepest  gratitude  for  his  inestimable  services 
"  in  preserving  to  the  United  States  of  America  in  the 
Treaty  of  Peace  the  extensive  advantage  of  the  cod-fishery." 
These  advantages  were  considered  as  especially  beneficial  to 
Marblehead,  and  the  citizens,  in  the  f ulhiess  of  their  hearts, 
resolved  to  present  Mr.  Adams  with  an  address,  and  some 
slight  testimonial  of  their  appreciation  of  his  efforts  in  their 
behalf.  Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1789,  a  town 
meeting  was  held,  at  which  it  was  voted  to  "  present  his  Ex- 
cellency John  Adams,  Esq.,  with  six  quintals  of  table  fish," 
accompanied  by  the  following  address,  drawn  up  by  a  com- 
mittee chosen  for  that  purpose  :  — 

«An  Address  to  His  Excellency  John  Adams,  Esq. 

"  Sir  :  The  Inhabitants  of  Marblehead,  in  common  with 
their  fellow-countrymen,  have  ever  felt  strongly  impressed 
with  sentiments  of  gratitude  and  satisfaction  for  the  eminent 
services  rendered  by  you  to  the  United  States  of  America 
in  all  their  foreign  negotiations  which  have  been  committed 
to  your  charge ;  in  considering  the  result  of  those  negotia- 
tions we  find  ourselves  under  very  peculiar  obligations  to 
your  faithful  and  unshaken  patronage  of  the  fishery,  which 
we  apprehend  to  have  been  in  danger  from  the  politics  and 
interests  of  powerful  nations.  We  therefore,  being  now 
legally  assembled  in  Town  Meeting,  pray  your  excellency  to 
accept  this  our  unanimous  address  as  expressing  our  sense 
of  those  essential  benefits  which  we  now  enjoy  in  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  fishery,  for  which  we  believe  ourselves  more 
especially  indebted  to  your  excellency.     While  we  are  en- 


206  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

joying  the  fullness  of  those  benefits,  we  pray  your  excellency 
will  indulge  us  to  furnish  your  table  with  a  small  share  of 
the  fruits  of  your  good  services,  which  we  wish  may  be  ac- 
ceptable as  a  mark  of  our  gratitude." 

The  committee,  consisting  of  ]\Iessrs,  Marston  Watson, 
Joshua  Orne,  and  Thomas  Lewis,  by  whom  the  address  was 
reported,  were  instructed  to  forward  it  to  Mr.  Adams,  to- 
gether with  the  fish. 

During  the  year  1788,  or  early  in  the  year  1789,  several 
influential  citizens,  who  appreciated  the  necessity  of  greater 
educational  advantages  for  the  youth  of  the  town,  contrib- 
uted the  funds  for  the  establishment  of  an  academy.  These 
gentlemen,  who  styled  themselves  "  benefactors,"  were  Sam- 
uel Sewall,  Robert  Hooper,  Samuel  Hooper,  William  Ray- 
mond Lee,  Elisha  Story,  Samuel  Russell  Trevett,  John 
Humphreys,  John  Goodwin,  Marston  Watson,  Richard  Ho- 
man,  Joseph  Sewall,  Samuel  Bartoll,  John  Dixie,  Richard 
Pedrick,  Ebenezer  Graves,  and  Burrill  Devereux.  In  a 
short  time  a  building  was  erected,  which  is  still  standing  on 
Pleasant  Street,  and  Mr.  William  Harris,  a  gentleman  who 
had  been  studying  medicine  with  a  physician  in  Salem,  was 
employed  as  preceptor.  The  first  public  exhibition  by  the 
pupils  was  held  on  the  6th  of  July,  1789,  when  "  the  youth 
by  their  just  pronunciation,  and  pleasing  manners,  gained 
the  approbation  of  a  large  and  very  respectable  audience."  ^ 
"  The  benefactors  of  the  academy,  and  the  parents  of  the 
youth,"  remarked  one  of  the  county  papers,  "  were  amply 
rewarded  by  these  early  and  distinguishing  proofs  of  their 
success  ;  and  the  public  congratulates  them  upon  the  choice 
of  a  Preceptor,  who  affords  good  hopes  that  he  will  answer 
their  most  generous  intentions." 

The  national  government  havmg  been  firmly  established, 
one  of  the  most  important  measures  claiming  the  attention 
of  the  administration  was  the  appointment  of  federal  offi- 

1  Salem  Mercury,  July  14,  1789. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  207 

cers  tliroiigliout  the  country.  For  many  years  previous  to 
the  Revokition,  Marblehead  had  been  a  port  of  entry,  but 
the  records  were  taken  away  by  the  Tory  refugees  during 
the  war,  and  we  are  thereby  deprived  of  much  vahiable  in- 
formation concerning  the  commercial  and  maritime  history 
of  the  town.  For  several  years  after  the  close  of  the  war, 
a  naval  officer  was  chosen  by  the  State  legislature,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1786  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Samuel  R. 
Gerry,  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Stephen  Sewall,  whose  term  of 
office  had  expired,  caused  an  earnest  and  somewhat  personal 
controversy  among  the  citizens.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Sewall, 
among  them  many  of  the  merchants  and  business  men  of 
the  town,  remonstrated  against  his  removal,  and  the  remon- 
strance was  published  in  the  '*  Massachusetts  Gazette."  But 
a  large  majority  of  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  were  on  the 
side  of  Mr.  Gerry,  and  the  next  issue  of  the  "  Gazette  "  con- 
tained an  article  several  columns  in  length  in  reply  to  the 
remonstrance.  Unfortunately  for  the  remonstrants,  they 
had  st3ded  themselves  "  sixty  of  the  most  respectable  inhab- 
itants of  Marblehead,"  which  exposed  them  to  the  satire  of 
their  opponents,  by  whom  they  were  mercilessly  assailed. 
The  controversy  continued  for  several  weeks,  and  finally  the 
"  Gazette  "  appeared  with  a  supplement  devoted  entirely  to 
"  a  reply  to  the  most  respectable  inhabitants." 

The  first  collector  appointed  after  the  organization  of  the 
government  was  Richard  Harris,  who  was  evidently  com- 
missioned in  the  autumn  of  1789.  The  district  comprised 
all  the  waters  and  shores  in  the  towns  of  Marblehead  and 
Lynn,  though  since  that  time  the  towns  of  Swampscott, 
Nahant,  and  Saugus  have  been  set  off  from  Lynn,  and  are 
still  included  in  the  district.  The  first  entry  made  in  the 
records  is  under  date  of  October  2,  1789.  The  number  of 
licenses  granted  during  the  year  ensuing  was  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two,  twenty-seven  of  which  were  sloops,  schoon- 
ers, and  brigantines  registered  in  the  foreign  trade. 

The  universal  joy  of  the  people  over  the  inauguration  of 


208  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

General  Washington  as  the  first  President  of  the  United 
States,  was  heightened  by  the  announcement  that  he  would 
soon  make  a  tour  of  the  New  England  States.  This  journey- 
was  undertaken  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  disposition  of 
the  people  towards  the  government  and  its  measures,  as 
well  as  to  recruit  his  health,  which  was  feeble.  He  com- 
menced his  journey  on  the  15th  of  October,  in  company 
with  INIajor  Jackson  and  Mr.  Lear,  gentlemen  of  his  family  ; 
and  after  passing  through  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts, 
and  as  far  north  as  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  he  re- 
turned to  New  York  by  a  different  route. 

Though  Marblehead,  from  its  peculiar  position,  was  some- 
what out  of  the  route  of  his  journey.  President  Washington 
had  not  forgotten  the  brave  men  who  served  under  him  at 
Trenton,  Princeton,  and  Valley  Forge,  and  the  invitation  of 
the  selectmen  to  visit  the  town  was  promptly  accepted.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  29th  of  October,  he  was  received  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  town  by  a  procession  comjDosed  of  the  selectmen, 
the  clergymen  of  the  town,  and  a  large  body  of  citizens.  The 
accounts  of  the  celebration  on  this  important  occasion  are 
very  meagre ;  but  we  are  informed  that  the  distinguished 
visitor  "  was  conducted  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Lee,^  where  a 
collation  was  provided  of  which  he  very  cheerfully  partook, 
with  the  gentlemen  of  his  suite,  the  selectmen,  clergymen, 
and  other  gentlemen  of  the  town."  President  Washington 
was  welcomed  by  the  selectmen,  who  presented  the  followmg 
address  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  the  town. 

"  To  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United  States. 
"  /SVr ;  Your  presence  has  inspired  the  inhabitants  of 
Marblehead  with  the  most  unbounded  joy ;  but  they  cannot 
express  as  they  would  wish,  their  grateful  sense  of  the  honor 
done  them  on  this  occasion.  The  too  visible  decay  and  pov- 
erty of  this  Town,  must  be  their  excuse  that  they  have  not 
offered  to  the  illustrious  character  who  now  visits  them,  a  re- 
1  Now  the  Marblehead  National  Bank  Buildiujr. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  209 

ception  more  answerable  to  his  Dignity,  and  more  expres 
sive  of  their  own  veneration. 

"  The  blessings  of  Independence  and  a  Republican  Govern- 
ment, must  ever  excite  our  gratitude  and  affection  to  so 
eminent  a  supporter  of  the  Public  Liberty,  whose  wisdom 
and  valor  have  so  successfully  defended  the  riglits  of  his 
country.  The  establishment  by  the  United  States  of  a 
secure  and  efficient  Government,  gives  us  the  pleasing  ex- 
pectation of  the  gradual  revival  of  our  Fishery  and  Com- 
merce, objects  of  the  industry,  and  the  principal  means 
of  the  subsistence  of  the  Inhabitants  of  this  place  for  above 
a  century  previous  to  the  late  Revolution.  In  the  com- 
mencement of  the  contest  with  Great  Britain,  this  Town 
was  early  in  their  exertions  in  the  common  cause,  and  were 
not  discouraged  when  they  foresaw  that  reverse  of  their 
situation  which  the  war  has  necessarily  produced.  The  re- 
turn of  Peace  did  not  restore  to  us  the  former  advantages  of 
the  Fishery,  which  hath  remained  under  peculiar  discourage- 
ments ;  and  we  have  yet  patiently  to  expect  that  attention 
of  the  General  Government  which  may  remedy  these  evils, 
and  which  the  subject  may  deserve  from  its  extensive  im- 
portance to  the  commerce  of  the  United  States. 

"  The  present  Government  of  the  United  States  commands 
our  ready  submission  and  inviolable  attachment,  and  we 
deem  it  as  peculiar  felicity,  that  the  highest  Dignity  of  that 
Government  is  so  properly  vested  in  you,  in  whom  all 
America  repose  the  most  entire  confidence,  and  in  whose 
administration  the  world  will  admire  the  example  of  a 
Patriot  Ruler. 

"  Sir,  our  anxiety  for  your  health  and  long  life  is  propor- 
tionate to  our  most  ardent  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  our 
country  ;  and  we  are  well  assured  that  you  will  ever  par- 
take in  the  happiness  of  that  numerous  people  over  whom 
you  preside.  May  the  Divine  Providence  continue  to 
favor  your  care  and  guidance  of  their  most  important  public 
u 


>  Selectmen.''^ 


210  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

affairs,  and  reward  your  virtues,  whicli  Lave  been   so  long 
employed  in  j)romoting  the  happiness  of  mankind. 

"In  behalf  of  the  Town  of  Marblehead,  October  29, 1789. 
"Isaac  Mansfield,     ^ 
JoNA.  Glover, 
John  Glovee, 
Sa]m'l  Sew  all, 
Sam'l  Hooper, 
Nathan'l  Lindsey, 

BURRILL   DeVEREUX, 

Rich'd  Harris. 

Before  leaving  the  town.  President  Washington  visited 
one  of  the  fish  yards,  and  several  other  "places  of  interest, 
after  which  he  proceeded  on  his  journey.  Two  days  later, 
having  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  he  forwarded  the  fol- 
lowing letter  in  reply  to  the  address  :  — 

"To  THE  Inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Marblehead. 

"  Gentlemen:  The  reception  with  which  you  have  been 
pleased  to  honor  my  arrival  in  Marblehead,  and  the  senti- 
ments of  approbation  and  attachment  which  you  have  ex- 
pressed of  my  conduct,  and  to  my  person,  are  too  flattering 
and  grateful  not  to  be  acknowledged  with  sincere  thanks, 
and  answered  with  unfeigned  wishes  for  your  prosperity. 

"  Avoiding  to  dwell  on  the  diminution  of  pleasure  which 
the  mention  of  your  impaired  circumstances  occasions  me, 
I  desire  to  engage  your  thoughts  on  the  pleasing  prospect 
presented  to  all  our  interests,  and  particularly  to  our  fishery, 
in  the  efficiency  of  our  government,  and  the  invigorated 
industry  of  our  citizens. 

"  Protected  in  the  exercise  of  those  means  which  the  be- 
neficent Parent  of  INIankind  has  furnished  for  their  suste- 
nance and  comfort,  the  citizens  of  America,  animated  by 
virtuous  enterprize,  and  actuated  by  due  obedience  to  the 
laws  and  regulations  of  their  government,  may  expect  with 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  211 

confidence,  to  enjoy  every  blessing  -whicli  industry  can 
promise,  and  national  union  may  insure.  Your  attachment 
to  the  Constitution  of  tlie  United  States  is  worthy  of  men 
who  fought  and  bled  for  freedom,  and  who  know  its  value. 

"  Your  anxiety  for  my  health,  and  your  prayers  for  my 
happiness  are  replied  to  with  solicitude  for  your  welfare,  and 
earnest  entreaty  to  the  Author  of  Good  for  your  felicity. 

"  G.  Washington." 

The  plea  of  poverty,  offered  in  apology  for  not  receiving 
the  President  of  the  United  States  in  a  manner  more  be- 
coming to  his  station,  gives  but  a  faint  conception  of  the 
condition  of  the  town  at  this  time.  For  two  years  the  fish- 
ing business  had  failed  to  be  remunerative,  and  many  of  the 
inhabitants  were  reduced  to  a  state  of  extreme  wretchedness. 
There  were  four  hundred  and  fifty-nine  widows  and  eight 
hundred  and  sixty-five  orphan  children  in  the  town,  nearly 
all  of  whom  were  dependent  in  some  degree  upon  the  tax-pay- 
ing inhabitants  for  support.  As  the  winter  of  1790  advanced, 
their  sufferings  were  greatly  augmented,  and  several  perished 
from  hunger  and  exposure. 

Added  to  the  general  distress  of  the  inhabitants  from  this 
cause,  was  the  anxiety  produced  by  the  visible  decay  of  prop- 
erty, both  public  and  private.  Houses,  barns,  and  fences 
were  falling  to  pieces,  and,  without  the  means  to  repair 
them,  their  owners  were  powerless  to  prevent  it.  The 
town  house  and  work-house  were  in  a  ruinous  condition, 
and  "  River  Head  Beach "  had  been  so  long  out  of  repair 
that  it  was  in  great  danger  of  being  entirely  washed  away 
by  the  constant  inroads  of  the  sea. 

The  citizens  knew  not  where  to  seek  relief,  and  various 
expedients  were  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
money  for  the  assistance  of  those  in  distress.  On  the  19th 
of  February,  1790,  the  scholars  of  the  Academy  gave  an 
exhibition  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  and  under  the  direc- 
tion of  their  preceptor,  acted  the  "  tragedy  of  George  Barn- 


212  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

well,  and  the  comedies  of  the  Recruiting  Officer,  and  the 
Haunted  House."  Tlie  price  of  admission  was  half  a  dollar, 
and  though  no  report  has  come  down  to  us  of  the  result  of 
this  benevolent  enterprise,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  its 
success.  At  length,  driven  to  desperation  by  the  misery 
about  them,  the  citizens,  in  town  meeting  assembled,  voted 
to  petition  the  legislature  for  permission  to  hold  a  lot- 
tery for  the  relief  of  their  necessities.  The  desired  per- 
mission was  readily  granted,  and  William  R.  Lee,  Sam- 
uel Sewall,  Samuel  Hooper,  Marston  Watson,  and  Joseph 
Sewall  were  appointed  managers  of  the  lottery,  and  gave 
bonds  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Commonwealth  in  the  sum  of 
one  thousand  pounds  for  the  faithful  execution  of  their  trust. 
The  lottery  consisted  of  8,000  tickets,  divided  into  four 
classes ;  2,000  prizes  being  drawn  in  the  first  class,  1,000 
in  the  second,  1,000  in  the  third,  and  1,420  in  the  fourth, 
the  whole  number  of  prizes,  therefore,  being  5,420,  and 
the  whole  number  of  blanks  2,580.  The  price  of  tickets  in 
the  first  class  was  -half  a  dollar,  in  the  second  class  one 
dollar,  in  the  third  class  two  dollars,  and  in  the  fourth 
class  four  dollars.  The  managers  in  advertising  their  scheme 
to  the  public,  after  enumerating  the  possible  advantages  to 
be  derived  from  the  purchase  of  tickets,  concluded  as  fol- 
lows :  "  The  benevolent  and  public  spirited  may  in  this 
form,  with  a  liope  of  immediate  advantage  to  themselves, 
and  a  certainty  of  promoting  the  general  welfare,  contribute 
their  aid  for  the  preservation  of  the  town  of  Marblehead,  and 
provide  for  the  employment  and  support  of  many  helpless 
and  distressed  persons." 

The  drawing  of  prizes  in  the  first  class  was  advertised  to 
take  place  on  or  before  the  22d  day  of  April ;  but  owing  to 
the  rapid  and  unexpected  sale  of  tickets  the  managers  were 
enabled  to  draw  them  on  the  26th  of  March.  The  tickets  in 
every  class  were  disposed  of  as  readily,  and  the  final  draw- 
ing took  place  on  the  3d  of  June.  The  prizes,  all  of  which 
were  of  money,  varied  in  amount  from  three  thousand  dol- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  213 

lars  to  one  dollar,  and  were  subject  to  a  deduction  of 
twelve  and  one  half  per  cent,  for  the  use  of  the  lottery. 

By  means  of  this  lottery,  and  two  others  subsequently 
held,  the  beach  at  the  head  of  the  harbor  was  repaired ;  the 
distress  of  the  inhabitants  was  alleviated  ;  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  town  was  greatly  improved. 

During  the  year  1790,  the  Methodist  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  the  house  of  Mr.  Prentiss,  on  Mugford  Street.  The 
new  society  consisted  of  seven  members  only  ;  but  so  rapidly 
did  it  increase  in  numbers  that  in  a  few  years  a  pastor  was 
settled  and  religious  services  were  regularly  maintained. 

On  the  11th  of  April,  1792,  the  town  narrowly  escaped  a 
serious  conflagration.  A  house  belonging  to  a  INIr.  Bowler, 
and  situated  near  one  of  the  wharves,  caught  fire,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  flames  were  communicated  to  five  other 
houses  in  the  vicinity,  including  a  brick  warehouse  upon  the 
wharf.  The  three  engines  belonging  to  the  town  were  soon 
found  insufficient  for  the  emergency,  and  but  for  the  timely 
arrival  of  assistance  from  Salem,  the  town  must  have  suf- 
fered from  the  ravages  of  fire  in  addition  to  its  other  mis- 
fortunes. Mr.  Bowler  lost  his  dwelling-house,  which  con- 
tained a  bake-house  under  the  same  roof,  and  his  loss  was 
estimated  at  one  thousand  pounds.  The  most  severe  sufferer, 
however,  was  a  poor  widow  who  lost  a  comfortable  dwelling- 
house  and  all  her  furniture. 

The  Marblehead  Academy  had  now  become  an  estab- 
lished institution.  Education  was  encouraged  in  Massachu- 
setts as  in  no  other  State  in  the  Union,  by  wise  laws  and 
judicious  appropriations,  and  when,  in  1792,  an  act  of  in- 
corporation was  applied  for,  it  was  readily  obtained.  The 
act  became  a  law  on  the  17th  of  November  of  that  year, 
and  the  corporation  was  established  "  by  the  name  of  The 
Trustees  of  the  Marblehead  Academy."  Shortly  after,  the 
legislature  granted  a  township  of  land  six  miles  square, 
lying  between  the  rivers  Kennebeck  and  Penobscot,  in  the 
county  of  Hancock,  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  acad- 


214  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

einy.     This  laud  was  subsequently  sold  to  Samuel  Sewall, 
Esq.,  for  the  sum  of  ^1,500. 

There  were  other  schools  in  Marblehead  where  the  com- 
mon branches  of  an  English  education  were  taught ;  but  it 
was  at  the  acadeni}'  alone  that  any  knowledge  of  the  Latin 
and  Greek,  or  of  the  higher  studies  in  literature,  could  be 
acquired.     It  was,  too,  the  only  school  where  girls  were  ad- 
mitted on  the  same  footing  as  boys.     Joseph  Story,  in  after 
years  Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  was  one  of  the  earliest  scholars  that  belonged  to  it, 
and  it  was  there  that  he  fitted  for  college.     In  his  autobiog- 
raphy, written  in  1831,  he  pays  the  following  tribute  to  his 
schoolmates  of  the  gentler  sex,  and  gives  us  a  view  of  the 
customs  in  vogue  at    the  academy  which  might  otherwise 
have  been  lost.     "  Girls  as  well  as  boys  went  to  the  same 
school  at  the  same  hours,  and  were  arranged  on  opposite 
sides  of  a  large  hall  on  their  appropriate  forms.     In  the 
simplicity  of  those  days  it  was  not  thought  necessary  to 
separate  the  sexes  in  their  studies.     Generally  w^e  studied 
the  same  books,  and  as  we  recited  our  lessons  in  the  pres- 
ence of  each  other,  there  was  a  mutual  pride  to  do  our  best, 
and  to  gain  an  honest  portion  of  flattery  or  of  pi'aise.     I  was 
early  struck  with  the  flexibility,  activity,  and  power  of  the 
female  mind.     Girls  of  the  same  age  were  on  an  average  of 
numbers  quite  our  equals  in  their  studies  and  acquirements, 
and  had  much  greater  quickness  of  perception  and  delicacy 
of  feeling  than  the  boys.     Remaining  thus  at  school  with 
them  until  I  was  about  fifteen  years  old,  I  could  not  be  mis- 
taken as  to  their  powers  ;  and  I  then  imbibed  the  opinion, 
which  I   have  never  since   changed,  that  their  talents  are 
generally  equal  to  those  of  men,  though  there  are  shades  of 
difference  in   the  character  of  their  minds   resulting  from 
several  causes." 

The  progress  made  by  the  pupils  of  the  academy  in  their 
studies,  gave  great  satisfaction  to  their  parents  and  guard- 
ians, and  when,  from  time  to  time,  the  doors  were  opened 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  215 

and  an  exhibition  was  given,  the  hall  was  crowded  with  in- 
terested spectators.  On  one  of  these  occasions  the  exercises 
began  with  an  oration  by  Master  Watson,  on  the  subject  of 
"  heroism,"  in  which  a  pleasing  and  useful  contrast  was 
drawn  between  the  characters  of  Cassar  and  Washington. 
This  was  followed  by  a  Latin  oration  in  which  jNIaster 
Story  appeared  to  great  advantage.  The  young  ladies  also 
came  in  for  their  due  share  of  praise,  in  the  newspaper  re- 
ports of  the  affair,  and  were  highly  complimented  for  "  the 
manner  in  which  they  acquitted  themselves.". 

The  mails  had  been  carried  to  Marblehead  from  Salem, 
regularly  twice  a  week,  for  many  years,  and  on  special  oc- 
casions it  had  been  customary  to  dispatch  a  messenger  on 
horseback  to  carry  important  news  or  documents.  On  the 
20th  of  March,  1793,  the  first  post  office  was  established, 
and  Thomas  Lewis  was  appointed  postmaster. 

The  war  between  France  and  England,  which  began  in 
1793,  involved  the  United  States  in  serious  complications 
with  both  nations.  The  cruisers  of  these  powers  were  con- 
stantly committing  depredations  on  American  commerce, 
and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  a  strict  neutrality  was 
preserved.  During  the  month  of  September,  the  schooner 
Peacock,  Captain  Blaney,  sailed  from  Marblehead  with  a 
cargo  of  fish  for  the  West  Indies.  The  cargo  was  sold  at 
Martinique,  and  having  taken  on  board  a  cargo  of  rum, 
sugar,  and  cotton,  the  captain  sailed  for  home  by  way  of  St. 
Eustatia,  when  his  vessel  was  captured  by  the  English 
brigantine  Argus,  Capt.  Charles  Parker.  Though  the  out- 
rage was  committed  in  utter  disregard  of  the  neutrality 
laws  of  all  nations,  the  English  captain  took  his  prize  into 
the  nearest  British  port  where  she  was  condemned.  The 
court  decided,  that  though  a  neutral  vessel,  she  had  sailed 
from  a  French  colony,  with  French  produce,  and  was  there- 
fore the  lawful  prize  of  her  captors.  Though  manifestly 
unjust,  and  in  violation  of  the  treaty  of  1783,  the  decision 
was  in  accordance  with  an  order  of  council  which  authorized 


2l6  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

British  cruisers  to  stop  all  vessels  loaded  wholly  or  in  part 
with  provisions  bound  to  any  port  in  France  or  occupied  by 
the  armies  of  France.  A  similar  order  from  the  French 
government  had  the  effect  "  to  sweep  the  sea  of  all  neutral 
commerce." 

By  means  of  a  treaty  negotiated  by  a  special  embassy  to 
the  court  of  St.  James,  war  with  England  was  happily 
averted.  The  difficulties  with  France,  however,  were  not 
so  easily  adjusted.  C.  C.  Pinckney,  Elbridge  Gerry,  and 
John  Marshall,  were  sent  by  the  administration  to  negotiate 
a  settlement ;  but  instead  of  courteous  treatment  they  re- 
ceived an  intimation  that  unless  a  loan  of  money  were  forth- 
coming, war  might  be  the  result.  Messrs.  Pinckney  and 
Marshall  at  once  returned  to  America,  but  Mr.  Gerry,  with 
the  hope  of  preserving  friendly  relations  between  the  two 
countries,  remained  in  France  some  months  longer.  He  was 
recalled  by  the  administration  and  his  course  was  severely 
criticised  by  his  political  opponents,  but  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  he  was  actuated  by  the  most  patriotic  mbtives. 

Active  preparations  were  now  made  throughout  the  coun- 
try for  a  war  with  France,  and  the  fortifications  along  the 
coast  were  put  in  a  state  of  defense;  The  old  fort  in  Mar- 
blehead  became  a  rendezvous  for  the  enlistment  of  volun- 
teers, and  a  company  was  stationed  there  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1798,  under  the  command  of  George  W.  Duncan,  a 
lieutenant  of  engineers.  With  the  same  patriotic  spirit  by 
which  they  had  been  actuated  during  the  great  struggle  for 
independence,  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  sprang  to  arms  for 
the  defense  of  their  country.  The  veterans  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, though  exempt  from  military  duty,  formed  themselves 
into  a  company,  and  were  armed  and  equipped  at  their  own 
expense.  Their  commander  was  the  intrepid  Col.  William 
R.  Lee,  under  whose  direction  they  were  disciplined  once  a 
fortnight,  in  order  to  be  in  readiness  to  act  at  a  moment's 
notice.  Encouraged  by  the  example  of  their  elders,  the 
young  men  of  the  town  organized  a  company  of  light  in- 


OF   MARBLEHE^D.  217 

fantry,  and  early  in  the  month  of  September  made  their 
first  public  appearance,  clad  in  bright  new  uniforms  and 
properly  armed.  Another  company  was  organized,  consist- 
ing of  the  firemen  and  other  exempts,  and  in  a  short  time  a 
large  proportion  of  the  able-bodied  men  of  the  town  had 
enrolled  themselves  as  volunteers.  Fortunately,  their  coun- 
try did  not  find  it  necessary  to  call  its  ever-ready  defenders 
into  active  service;  for  two  years  later,  with  the  accession 
of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  to  power  in  France,  peace  was  re- 
stored. 

During  the  year  1799,  little  of  especial  local  interest  to 
the  people  of  Marblehead  appears  to  have  occurred.  On  the 
6th  of  June,  Col.  Azor  Orne,i  who  had  been  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  town,  died  in  Boston,  and  his  re- 
mains were  broue-ht  to  Marblehead  for  interment.  On  the 
Sunday  following  his  death,  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Hubbard, 
pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Society,  preached  an  ap- 
propriate sermon,  taking  for  his  text  the  words  found  in 
chapter  eleven  of  the  gospel  according  to  St.  John,  thirty- 
fifth  verse  :  "  Jesus  wept." 

Another  event  to  which  considerable  local  importance  at- 
tached, was  the  election  of  the  Hon.  Samuel  Sewall,^  as  a 

1  Col.  Azor  Orne  was  born  in  Marblehead  on  the  22cl  of  July,  1731,  and 
was  the  son  of  Joshua  Orne,  an  eminent  merchant,  who  had  served  the  town 
in  various  capacities.  He  began  his  public  career  in  1773  as  a  represeutative 
in  the  General  Court;  but  his  most  active  services  commenced  in  1775,  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Eevolutionary  War.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety  during  the  exciting  years  previous  to  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war  i  a  delegate  to  the  Provincial  Congress,  and  a  member  of  both 
branches'  of  the  General  Court.  He  shared  with  Elbridgc  Gerry  and  Jeremiah 
Lee  the  honor  of  being  elected  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress. 
During  the  war  for  Independence  he  was  an  eminent  patriot,  freely  giving  his 
time,  and  loaning  his  money  for  the  cause  in  which  he  was  engaged.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  State  Convention  which  framed  the  new  Constitution  after 
the  war,  and  also  of  the  convention  called  for  the  adoption  of  the  Federal 
Constitution  in  1788.  He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  council  in  1780,  and 
again  in  1788,  holding  the  office  at  the  time  of  his  death.     In  1792  he  was 

■chosen  an  elector  of  President  and  Vice-president  of  the  United  States. 

2  Samuel  Sewall,  LL.  D.,  A.  A.  S.,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College, 


218  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

member  of  Congress.  Mr.  Sewall  was  an  eminent  member 
of  the  Essex  bar,  and  had  for  several  years  represented  Mar- 
blehead  in  the  General  Court.  Having  been  prominent  in 
all  local  matters,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  his  election  gave  the  most  sincere  pleasure 
to  the  people  of  Marblehead,  who  felt  that  in  him  they  had 
an  able  advocate  of  their  interests  at  the  national  Capitol. 
Nor  was  their  confidence  misplaced.  "  No  man  "  —  said 
Hon.  Isaac  Parker,  in  a  tribute  to  his  memory  — "  ever 
understood  better  the  general  interests  of  his  country  and 
the  particular  interests  of  his  constituents.  The  citizens  of 
Marblehead  used  to  acknowledge  the  great  benefits  derived 
from  his  attention  to  their  peculiar  business  and  the  im- 
provements introduced  into  it 'by  his  exertions.  His  com- 
mercial information  was   much  valued  and    much  used  in 

Congress No  man  in  the  House  of  Representatives 

was  more  relied  upon  for  useful  knowledge,  nor  more  es- 
teemed for  power  in  debate  than  he  was Whenever 

he  addressed  the  chair,  members  of  all  descriptions  listened 
with  an  expectation  of  being  informed  and  an  assurance  that 
they  should  not  be  deceived." 

The  first  bequest  made  to  the  town  was  the  sum  of  nine 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  dollars  which  was  given  by  Capt. 
John  INIarchant  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor.  During  the 
month  of  June,  1797,  Captain  Miirchant,  who  was  about  to 
sail  on  a  foreign  voyage  from  Philadelphia,  placed  a  promis- 
sory note  for  that  amount,  which  he  held  against  a  citizen 

and  studied  law  under  the  direction  of  Chief  Justice  Dana,  a  lawyer  of  great 
eminence.  He  began  his  professional  labors  in  Miirbleliead,  and  continued 
his  practice  in  the  county  of  Essex  until  his  election  to  Congress.  He  owned 
considerable  property  in  the  town,  tlie  "  Lee  Mansion  "  being  at  one  time  a 
part  of  liis  estate.  In  the  year  1800  he  was  appointed  to  a  seat  on  the  bench 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts,  and  subsequently  became  Chief  Jus- 
tice, which  ])osition  he  held  at  the  time  of  hi=  death.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
exemplary  communicant  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  esteemed 
and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  in  1814,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven 
years. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  219 

of  Dorchester,  in  the  bands  of  Col.  William  R.  Lee,  with 
instructions  to  collect  it,  and  in  case  he  never  returned,  to 
donate  the  amount  to  the  poor  of  the  town.  Captain  Mar- 
chant  died  at  Batavia  during  the  following  year,  and  the 
note  was  collected  in  accordance  with  his  instructions.  It  is 
doubtful,  however,  whether  the  benevolent  intentions  of  the 
donor  have  ever  been  carried  into  effect.  After  an  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  invest  the  fund,  the  overseers  of  the  poor 
turned  it  over  to  the  town,  and  it  was  appropriated  for  the 
erection  of  two  grammar  school-houses. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1799,  George  Washington,  re- 
vered and  beloved  as  "  the  father  of  his  country,"  died  at 
Mount  Vernon,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  In  ac- 
cordance with  a  recommendation  of  the  General  Court,  that 
eulogies  be  delivered  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  of  the  Com- 
monwealth,  Thursday,  the  2d  day  of  January,  1800,  was 
observed  in  Marblehead  with  impressive  ceremonies,  in 
honor  of  the  illustrious  dead.  Bells  were  tolled,  flags  were 
raised  at  half-mast,  minute-guns  were  fired  by  artillery 
stationed  on  "  Training-field  Hill,"  and  there  was  a  general 
suspension  of  business  in  token  of  the  grief  of  the  people  at 
the  nation's  loss.  In  the  afteraoon,  the  Lodge  of  Masons, 
the  Marine  Society,  and  the  scholars  of  the  public  schools, 
formed  a  procession,  and  after  parading  through  the  princi- 
pal streets  marched  to  the  new  meeting-house,  where,  after 
other  appropriate  exercises,  an  oration  was  delivered  by 
Joseph  Story,  then  a  student  in  the  law  office  of  Hon. 
Samuel  Sewall,  and  afterwards  Associate  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States.  The  oration,  which  was 
listened  to  with  rapt  attention  by  a  large  and  appreciative 
audience,  was  spoken  of  as  "an  elegant  address,"  and  was 
afterward  published  by  vote  of  the  town. 

In  the  autumn  of  1800,  the  town  was  once  more  thrown 
into  a  state  of  the  most  intense  excitement  by  the  breaking 
out  of  the  small-pox.  Doctor  Elisha  Story,  who  had  for 
many  years  been  a  popular  and  successful  physician  in  the 


220  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

town,  having  learned  of  the  important  discovery  by  Dr. 
Jenner,  that  contagion  from  small-pox  could  be  averted  by 
inoculation  with  cow  virus,  sent  to  England  and  procured  a 
quantity  of  virus,  with  which  he  inoculated  several  of  his  own 
children,  and  those  of  some  of  his  friends.  It  was  soon  evi- 
dent, however,  that  a  fatal  mistake  had  been  made.  The 
virus  proved  to  be  that  of  the  genuine  small-pox,  and  as  the 
disease  spread  from  house  to  house,  the  people  were  panic- 
stricken  with  fear.  Several  town  meetings  were  held  to 
consider  the  matter,  and  the  town  house  being  too  small 
to  contain  the  crowd  of  excited  citizens  that  assembled, 
the  meetings  were  adjourned  and  again  convened  at  the 
"  New  Meeting-house."  All  intercourse  with  other  towns 
was  prohibited,  and  a  committee  was  chosen  to  adopt  other 
necessary  measures  of  precaution  against  the  spread  of  the 
pestilence.  The  wrath  of  the  unreflecting  and  ignorant  por- 
tion of  the  community  was  directed  with  especial  severity 
against  Dr.  Story,  to  whom  they  attributed  the  cause  of 
the  entire  trouble.  Threats  of  lynching  him  were  publicly 
made,  and  fears  were  entertained  by  his  friends  that  some 
serious  injury  would  be  done  him,  either  in  person  or  prop- 
erty. The  counsels  of  the  wise  prevailed,  however,  and  the 
good  doctor,  who  suffered  keenly  in  his  mind  on  account 
of  the  distress  which  he  had  innocently  caused,  was  unmo- 
lested. 

To  add  to  the  general  distress,  a  large  proportion  of  the 
community  were  suffering  from  the  most  extreme  privations 
of  poverty.  "  Melancholy  indeed,"  wrote  the  town's  com- 
mittee a  few  weeks  later,  "  was  the  prospect  of  six  hundred 
inhabitants  (one  twelfth  of  our  population)  who,  independ- 
ent of  disease,  were  destitute  of  the  common  comforts  of 
life  ;  who  had  little  else  than  hunger  and  cold  in  prospect, 
with  the  approaching  inclement  season."  The  town  had 
voted  to  care  for  the  poor  and  destitute,  but  it  was  found 
impossible  to  "furnish  relief  proportionate  to  such  a  de- 
maud."     Succor   was    at   hand,   however,    for   upon    their 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  221 

necessities  being  known,  contributions  ^  began  to  pour  in 
from  several  of  the  neighboring  towns,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  distress  was  alleviated. 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1801,  a  little  less  than  two 
months  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  disease,  the  town  was 
declared  cleansed,  and  the  inhabitants  of  other  towns  were 
invited  to  resume  their  usual  intercourse.  But  before  this 
could  be  done,  the  grave  had  received  sixty-four  victims  of 
the  pestilence,  twenty  of  whom  were  adults. 

We  have  now  reached  a  period  in  the  history  of  our  town, 
and  of  the  nation,  when,  in  order  to  obtain  a  proper  under- 
standing of  the  events  which  follow,  in  the  years  interven- 
ing before  the  War  of  1812,  it  becomes  necessary  to  review 
briefly  the  origin  and  principles  of  the  two  great  political 
parties  into  which  the  people  were  divided.  Both  parties 
had  their  beginning  in  the  events  incident  to  the  adoption  of 
the  Constitution,  and  the  organization  of  the  national  gov- 
ernment. The  advocates  of  a  consolidated  and  powerful 
government,  led  by  John  Adams,  Alexander  Hamilton,  and 
John  Jay,  styled  themselves  Federalists,  and  were  in  favor 
of  the  subordination  of  the  States  to  the  nation.  Opposed 
to  them  were  Thomas  Jefferson,  James  Madison,  Samuel 
Adams,  and  Elbridge  Gerry,  who  viewed  with  a  jealous 
eye  the  eucroaehments  of  the  general  government  upon  the 
rights  reserved  to  the  States,  and  who  were  the  recognized 
leaders  of  a  large  minority  styling  themselves  Republicans, 
or,  as  they  were  afterwards  called.  Democrats. 

1  According  to  a  report  made  by  Nathan  Bowen,  chairman  of  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  town,  the  contributions  were  as  follows  :  — 
From  Messrs.  G.  Crowuinshield  &  Sons,  Salem       .         .         .         $200.00 

Marine  Insurance  Office,  Salem 1,800.00 

Mr.  King's  Insurance  Office 800.00 

Mr.  Brooks'  Insurance  Office,  Boston         ....      600.00 
Messrs.  Bradstreet  &  William  Story       ....  50.00 

Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry,  Cambridge       ....  100.00 

An  unknown  hand ■        •  20.00 

South  Parish  in  Andover,  in  cash,  meal,  etc.     .         .         .      200.00 
Mr.  Makepeace  of  Lynn,  a  load  of  meal,  and  several  loads  of  vegetables 
from  different  persons. 


222  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

The  Federalists,  being  conservative  in  their  ideas,  found 
it  difficult  to  relinquish  the  pomp  and  splendor  to  which 
they  liad  been  accustomed  when  under  the  government  of 
England,  and  were  in  favor  of  "  high  sounding  titles,"  and 
of  creating  great  distinctions  between  the  officials  and  the 
people.  The  Democrats  were  radically .  opposed  to  every 
measure  of  a  monarchial  or  an  aristocratic  tendency,  and 
were  in  favor  of  the  utmost  simplicity  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  government.  Instead  of  creating  distinctions, 
they  regarded  the  officials  as  the  servants  of  the  people, 
and  insisted  upon  holding  them  to  a  strict  accountability  for 
the  proper  discharge  of  their  duties  while  in  office. 

Party  spirit  ran  high  upon  all  the  public  questions  of 
the  day,  and  especially  at  the  time  of  an  election,  and  the 
adherents  of  both  parties  were  often  guilty  of  indulging  in 
the  most  excessive  and  bitter  vituperation  against  their 
oj^ponents.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  campaign  pre- 
ceding the  presidential  election  of  1800,  which  resulted  in 
the  triumph  of  the  Republican-Democrats,  and  the  election 
of  Thomas  Jefferson.  The  citizens  of  Marblehead  were 
Democi-ats  by  a  large  majority,  and  when,  in  the  spring  of 
the  following  year,  Elbridge  Gerry  was  the  candidate  of 
their  party  for  the  office  of  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts, 
the  vote  of  the  town  was  three  hundred  and  fourteen  in  his 
favor,  against  twenty-seven  votes  cast  for  his  opponent, 
Governor  Strong.  The  Federalists  were  in  the  majority  in 
the  State,  and  Governor  Strong  was  elected  ;  but  "  it  is  a 
proof  of  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  integrity  of  Mr. 
Gerrj' ,  that  the  vote  for  him  was  large  though  insufficient 
to  insure  his  election." 

During  the  years  intervening,  until  1804,  there  appears  to 
be  nothing  of  importance  to  record.  Early  in  the  month  of 
January  of  that  year,  the  principal  business  men  and  capi- 
talists of  the  town  subscribed  $100,000  as  the  capital  stock 
of  a  bank,  and  applied  to  the  legislature  for  an  act  of  incor- 
poration.    "  We  feel  confident,"  they  declared  in  their  me- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  223 

morial,  "  that  the  trade  and  mercantile  capital  of  the  place, 
though  slowly  reviving  from  the  depression  they  suffered 
in  the  American  war,  are  now  adequate  to  the  support  of 
the  institution,  and  will  receive  from  it  an  increasino;  vio-or. 
The  means  of  a  frequent  credit  at  a  common  rate  of  inter- 
est, and  obtained  in  money,  must  be  an  important  aid  to 
their  fishery,  which  now  employs  a  thousand  seamen  and  a 
large  capital.  Though  not  restored  to  its  former  extent 
and  prosperity,  the  foreign  commerce  of  the  place  is  mate- 
rially connected  with  the  fishery,  and  principally  engaged  in 
exporting  its  produce,  and  the  returns  in  gold  and  silver  re- 
ceived for  this  valuable  export  will  continually  supply  thei' 
bank  and  maintain  its  credit."  The  act  of  incorporation 
received  the  signature  of  the  governor  on  the  7th  of  March, 
1804,  and  the  institution  was  established  as  the  Marble- 
head  Bank.  The  first  meeting  of  the  company  for  the  elec- 
tion of  officers  was  held  at  Putnam's  Tavern,  on  the  10th  of 
April,  when  Capt.  Joseph  Barker,  Mr.  Henry  Gallison, 
Capt.  John  Selman,  Mr.  John  Hooper,  4th,  Capt.  William 
Hooper,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Hooper,  and  Capt.  Thomas  Meek, 
were  chosen  directors.  At  a  meeting  of  the  directors  held 
subsequently  at  the  store  of  John  Williams  &  Co.,  Capt. 
Joseph  Barker  was  elected  president,  and  Mr.  John  Pedrick, 
3d,  cashier.  A  few  days  later,  the  "  Lee  Mansion  House  " 
was  purchased  of  Hon.  Samuel  Sewall,  for  five  thousand 
dollars,  and  has  ever  since  been  owned  and  occupied  by  the 
bank. 

Instances  of  great  bravery  are  not  uncommon  when  men 
are  fighting  for  the  honor  of  their  country  or  in  defense  of 
their  homes.  The  deeds  of  the  soldier  who  bravely  faces 
death  upon  the  battle-field  are  recorded  on  enduring  monu- 
ments, and  all  men  unite  in  doing  honor  to  the  hero.  But 
there  are  deeds  of  heroism  performed  when  the  country  is 
at  peace,  and  the  home  is  free  from  danger,  when  the  ocean 
is  the  battle-field,  and  the  mighty  wind  the  foe.  These,  too 
often,  are  allowed  to  fade  from  the  memory,  and  to  perish 


224  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

in  oblivion.  Thus,  there  are  few  persons  living  to-day  who 
have  ever  heard  of  the  many  acts  of  heroism  performed  by 
Marblehead  fishermen  while  at  sea.  IMuch  has  been  done 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  an  act  of  injustice  to  an  inno- 
cent man,  who  had  been  accused  by  a  cowardly  crew  of  will- 
fully refusing  to  assist  a  vessel  in  distress  ;  but  the  following 
incident,  so  worthy  to  be  had  in  remembrance,  has  been 
almost  forgotten. 

In  the  spring  of  1805,  the  English  ship  Jupiter  foundered 
at  sea,  and  three  days  after  the  sad  event,  skipper  William 
Powers  fell  in  with  her  long-boat,  having  on  board  thirty- 
nine  of  the  passengers  and  crew.  The  fresh  wind  and 
heavy  sea  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  boat  to  board  the 
schooner,  and  for  a  time  it  was  feared  that  all  attempts  to 
rescue  the  unfortunate  occupants  must  be  abandoned.  Fi- 
nally, as  a  last  resort,  the  heroic  "  skipper "  placed  a  rope 
about  his  waist,  and  by  flinging  himself  over  the  "  lee  quar- 
ter," succeeded  in  lifting  each  person  separately  on  board 
the  vessel.  It  was  nobly  done ;  but  the  disinterested  skip- 
per performed  the  act  of  mercy  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life, 
and,  though  a  strong  and  powerful  man,  was  completely  ex- 
hausted and  severely  bruised.  The  rescued  passengers  were 
shortly  after  distributed  among  three  other  vessels,  com- 
manded by  skippers  John  Powers,  Green,  and  Dennis,  by 
whom  they  were  brought  in  safety  to  Marblehead.  Their 
arrival  was  the  signal  for  similar  acts  of  generosity  on  the 
part  of  the  inhabitants,  who  vied  with  each  other  in  supply- 
ing their  necessities,  and  making  them  as  comfortable  as 
their  friendless  situation  would  permit. 

Shortly  after  this  event  the  town  was  again  thrown  into  a 
state  of  excitement  by  the  news  of  an  outrage  committed  by 
the  British  frigate  Ville  de  Milan  upon  several  fishing  ves- 
sels from  ISIarblehead,  Salem,  and  Beverly.  The  frigate 
was  cruising  on  the  Banks,  and  her  commander,  Captain 
Lowrie,  boarded  the  vessels  and  impressed  twelve  or  fourteen 
of  their  best  men  into  the  British  naval  service.     Though 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  225 

only  one  of  many  similar  outrages,  this  incident  is  important 
as  an  illustration  of  the  depredations  committed  by  British 
cruisers  upon  American  seamen,  which  resulted  in  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Embargo  Act,  and  the  subsequent  war  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

The  political  campaign  preceding  the  election  of  1805  was 
chiefly  remarkable  for  the  party  spirit  and  bitter  intolerance 
manifested  by  both  Federalists  and  Democrats.  For  several 
years,  Marblehead  had  been  represented  in  the  General 
Court  by  five  Democrats,  all  of  whom  were  nominated  for 
reelection.  As  the  day  of  election  approached,  the  "Ga- 
zette," a  Federalist  organ  published  in  Salem,  contained  ar- 
ticles from  time  to  time,  addressed  to  the  citizens  of  Marble- 
head,  strongly  urging  the  claims  of  the  Federalist  candidates, 
and  severely  reflecting  upon  the  course  adopted  by  their  op- 
ponents. Articles  in  reply  were  published  in  the  "  Regis- 
ter," the  organ  of  the  Democrats,  and  the  result  was  a  news- 
paper controversy  which  continued  long  after  the  election 
was  over.  The  Democratic  candidates  were  reelected  ;  but 
the  ill-feeling  engendered  during  the  campaign  took  the 
form  of  triumphant  exultation  on  the  part  of  their  support- 
ers, which  increased  the  virulence  of  the  defeated  and  dis- 
comfited Federalists.  PoHtical  argument  soon  developed 
into  personal  abuse  ;  crimination  and  recrimination  followed, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  opposing  parties  were  engaged  in  a 
warfare  of  words,  which,  with  its  attendant  excitement, 
threatened  the  peace  of  the  community. 

This  state  of  affairs  continued  until  the  spring  of  1806, 
when  the  time  for  holding  the  annual  town  meeting  was  ap- 
proaching. A  short  time  before  the  day  on  which  the  meet- 
ing was  to  be  held,  several  hundred  copies  of  a  pamphlet^ 
entitled,  "An  Address  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Marblehead, 
Relative  to  the  Very  Bad  Policy  of  the  Town,"  were  inys- 
teriously  distributed  from  house  to  house.  The  address  con- 
sisted of  a  review  of  the  expenditures  by  the  various  boards 
of  town  officers,  and  a  severe  criticism  upon  the  manner  in 

15 


226  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

which  the  business  of  the  town  had  been  conducted.  After 
the  most  covert  insinuations  concerning  the  overseers,  col- 
lectors, and  assessors,  the  remainder  of  the  address  was 
largely  devoted  to  abuse  of  the  selectmen.  They  were  char- 
acterized as  "  men  without  talents,  information,  or  integi-ity  ; 
wholly  wrapped  up  in  their  own  importance,  and  passionate 
without  restraint."  They  were  also  charged  with  extreme 
partisanship,  and  with  delaying  "  honest  -applicants  merely 
to  annoy  a  political  opponent."  "  What  have  politics,"  con- 
cludes this  portion  of  the  address,  "to  do  with  surveying 
our  highways,  or  passing  upon  a  town  ordei-  ?  Such,  how- 
ever, is  the  disposition  of  some  men,  who  are  continually 
prating  on  the  corners  of  the  streets,  and  extolling  nobody's 
goodness  and  philanthropy  but  their  own  ;  and  such  is  their 
baseness,  that  they  would  fain  make  you  believe  that  be- 
cause this  or  that  man  does  not  agree  with  you  in  politics, 
therefore  he  cannot  be  an  honest  man." 

These,  and  similar  sentences,  caused  the  indignant  citi- 
zens to  believe  that  the  address  was  the  work  of  their  Fed- 
eralist opponents,  who  had  adopted  this  method  of  destroy- 
ing the  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  honor  and  integrity 
of  their  officials.  If  such  was  its  mission  tlie  address  was  a 
failure.  Instead  of  having  the  desired  effect,  it  created  a 
storm  of  indignation  and  excitement.  Men  congregated  in 
groups  upon  the  wharves  and  in  the  various  places  of  public 
resort,  angrily  discussed  the  more  objectionable  portions  of 
the  address,  and  threatened  vengeance  upon  the  author. 
But  their  threats  were  not  easily  executed.  The  pamphlet 
had  been  circulated  at  night,  and  as  it  contained  neither  the 
name  of  the  author  nor  the  imprint  of  the  printer,  no  one 
knew  whence  it  came,  or  by  whom  it  was  written. 

Though  unable  to  ascertain  the  name  of  the  author,  the 
.  citizens  wei-e  determined  to  show  their  disapprobation  of  the 
sentiments  contained  in  the  address.  They  resolved,  how- 
ever, to  wait  until  "  town  meeting  day,"  and  then  in  their 
corporate  capacity  take   such  action  as  should   be  deemed 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  227 

appropriate  and  expedient.  The  seventeenth  of  March, 
1806,  will  be  forever  memorable  in  the  annals  of  Marble- 
head.  It  was  the  day  of  the  annual  town  meeting,  and 
from  every  quarter  of  the  town  the  sturdy  fishermen  con- 
gregated, until  the  old  town  house  was  crowded  to  reple- 
tion, and  the  entire  square  in  the  vicinity  was  thronged 
with  an  earnest  and  excited  multitude. 

Who  can  describe  the  scenes  incident  to  a  Marblehead- 
town  meeting  three  quarters  of  a  century  ago  ?  The  strong 
traits  of  character  which  marked  the  men  of  those  days  can 
never  be  properly  delineated,  save  by  one  with  the  genius 
and  keen  perception  of  a  Dickens,  Democratic  at  all  times, 
and  under  all  circumstances,  they  were  especially  so  when 
in  town  meeting  assembled.  The  wealthy  merchant,  proud 
of  his  aristocratic  ancestry  ;  the  imperious  captain,  accus- , 
tomed  to  the  strict  discipline  of  a  ship,  where  he  had  but  to 
command,  to  be  obeyed  ;  and  the  poor  fisherman  whose  life 
from  youth  to  old  age  had  been  one  incessant  round  of  toil 
and  privation,  met  on  an  equality,  which  in  any  other  town 
would  have  been  impossible.  If  their  ideas  were  peculiar 
not  less  so  were  their  customs.  They  were  a  law  unto 
themselves,  and  they  passed  their  vote?  in  utter  defiance  of 
warrants  and  of  rulings.  Though  no  one  ever  removed  his 
hat  except  to  address  the  meeting,  every  fisherman  took  off 
his  jacket  upon  entering  the  hall.  And  they  were  nearly 
all  debaters.  Woe  betide  the  luckless  individual  who,  in 
an  unguarded  moment,  indulged  in  personalities,  or  advo- 
cated unpopular  sentiments ;  "  it  were  better  for  him  that 
he  had  never  been  born,"  than  to  draw  upon  himself  the 
contemptuous  sarcasm  and  fierce  denunciation  of  his  fellow- 
citizens. 

The  town  meeting  of  which  we  write  was  no  exception  to 
the  general  rule.  As  soon  as  the  meeting  had  been  organ- 
ized by  the  choice  of  a  moderator,  a  prominent  citizen  pro- 
duced a  copy  of  the  obnoxious  pamphlet,  from  which  he 
read  some  of  the  m.ost  objectionable  sentences,  and  then,  in 


228  THE  mSTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

a  speech  of  several  minutes'  duration,  proceeded  to  denounce 
the  author,  the  printer  and  the  entire  Federal  party.  Other 
speakers  followed,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  their  remarks,  it 
was  voted  :  "  That  the  Lying  Pamphlet^  introduced  into 
this  meeting,  lately  addressed  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
town,  be  burned  by  the  chimney-sweeper,  and  that  Thomas 
Nicholson  be  directed  to  see  it  put  in  execution."  But 
there  was  no  necessity  of  choosing  a  master  of  ceremonies. 
The  citizens  took  the  matter  into  their  own  hands,  and  after 
collecting  as  many  copies  of  the  pamphlet  as  possible,  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  entrance  of  the  town,  where  a  fire  was 
kindled,  and  the  "Address  to  the  Inhabitants,"  was  com- 
mitted to  the  flames.  The  proceedings  were  probably  of 
the  most  boisterous  nature,  for  men  in  a  state  of  excitement 
are  not  likely  to  judge  of  the  propriety  of  their  actions. 
No  authentic  report  of  the  affair  has  come  down  to  us,  but 
there  is  a  tradition  that  a  poor  negro,  rejoicing  in  the  cog- 
nomen of  "  Black  Charley,"  was  violently  pushed  into  the 
fire,  and  though  no  bodily  harm  befell  him,  his  hat,  which 
fell  off,  was  entirely  consumed. 

The  Salem  "  Gazette,"  in  its  next  issue,  characterized  the 
affair  as  a  riot,  and  a  few  days  later  several  of  the  principal 
participants  were  summoned  before  the  grand  jur}^,  then 
sitting  at  Ipswich,  and  subjected  to  a  rigid  examination  con- 
cerning the  proceedings.  The  blame  for  this  indignity  was 
also  charged  to  the  Federalists,  and  on  the  Ttli  of  April 
another  meeting  was  held  to  consider  the  matter.  The 
citizens  had,  in  the  mean  time,  demonstrated  their  confidence 
in  the  town  officers  by  reelecting  them,  and  on  this  occa- 
sion ]\Ir.  Ebenezer  Graves,  one  of  the  selectmen,  was  chosen 
moderator  of  the  meeting.  After  remarks  by  several  promi- 
nent citizens,  the  following  votes,  expressive  of  the  senti- 
ments of  the  people,  were  unanimously  adopted  :  — 

"  Voted :  That  this  town  views  with  just  resentment 
certain  measures  taken  by  restless  persons  to  destroy  the 
peace  and  harmony  of  the  same  ;  and  it  now  appearing  that 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  229 

several  of  the  good  citizens  have  lately  been  summoned  and 
did  appear  before  the  grand  jury  at  a  court  sitting  at  Ips- 
wich for  the  county  of  Essex,  and  were  examined  respect- 
ing certain  proceedings  in  this  town  on  or  about  the  17th  of 
March  last,  therefore,  — 

"  Voted :  That  this  town  has  a  fellow-feeling  of  sympathy 
for  the  good  citizens  thereof,  and  that  should  any  of  them 
be  indicted,  or  process  of  law  be  commenced  against  any  of 
them  for  the  doings  of  that  day  (March  17th),  for  burning 
what  was  then  termed  the  Lying  Pamphlet,  this  town  will 
in  its  corporate  capacity  (agreeable  to  the  laws  and  Consti- 
tution of  this  Commonwealth)  defend  and  support  them  in 
and  against  any  lawsuit  that  has  been  or  may  be  commenced 
in  consequence  of  the  proceedings  of  the  17th  of  March 
aforesaid. 

"  Voted :  That  this  town  consider  the  aforesaid  pamphlet 
entitled  '  An  Address  to  the  Inhabitants  of  Marblehead,'  as 
an  insult  offered  to  the  inhabitants  thereof,  both  in  their 
individual  and  incorporate  capacity,  and  that  a  committee 
be  appointed  '  to  search  and  inquire  for  the  author  of  the 
pamphlet  aforesaid,  or  any  accessory  thereto,  and  him  or 
them  to  prosecute  according  to  law  at  the  expense  of  the 
town.' " 

Nine  persons  were  elected  as  members  of  this  important 
committee,  who  were  also  authorized  to  act  as  the  agents 
of  the  town  in  employing  attorneys.  But  there  was  no 
necessity  for  this  action.  No  one  was  indicted  by  the  grand 
jury,  and  in  a  short  time  the  excitement  subsided. 


230  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Foe,  several  years  tlie  attention  of  the  country  had  been 
attracted  to  the  depredations  committed  by  British  cruisers 
upon  American  commerce;  but  it  was  not  until  the  summer 
of  1807,  when  the  United  States  frigate  Chesapeake  was 
attacked  by  the  EngKsh  ship  Leopard,  that  the  people  were 
fully  aware  of  the  danger  which  threatened  them.  The 
outrage  was  committed  near  the  capes  of  Virginia,  and  the 
insult  was  the  more  aggravated  because  perpetrated  in 
American  waters.  An  indignation  meeting  was  held  at 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  on  hearing  of  the  affair  ;  and  President 
Jefferson  at  once  issued  a  proclamation,  complaining  of  the 
insolence  of  British  cruisers,  and  ordering  all  ships  of  war 
belonging  to  that  nation  to  quit  immediately  the  waters  of 
the  United  States.  Meetings  were  held  in  all  the  principal 
towns  in  the  country  to  indorse  the  action  of  the  President, 
and  on  the  11th  of  July  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  assem- 
bled in  town  meeting  and  adopted  a  series  of  j^atriotic  reso- 
lutions, which-  concluded  with  the  declaration,  "  That  we 
will  support  the  government  of  the  United  States,  and  with 
alacrity  obey  its  dictates  ;  and  we  do  hereby  tender  our  all 
whenever  our  country  calls  for  the  same." 

The  repeated  indignities  to  which  American  seamen  were 
subjected,  had  the  effect  to  impress  upon  Congress  the  neces- 
sity of  legislation  for  the  protection  of  the  commerce  of  the 
country,  and  on  the  8th  of  January,  1808,  the  famous  em- 
bargo law  was  passed.  This  act,  which  was  adopted  at  the 
instance  of  the  president,  detained  all  vessels  in  American 
ports,  and  required  all  American  vessels  then  away,  to  re- 
turn home.     But  the  depredations  of  the  British  continued, 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  231 

in  spite  of  the  embargo.  Vessel  after  vessel  was  captured 
and  confiscated,  and  many  were  overhauled  while  returning 
from  foreign  ports  in  compliance  with  the  law.  Among 
these  were  the  schooners  Minerva  and  Perseverance,  of  Mar- 
blehead,  commanded  by  Captains  Poor  and  Messervey. 

The  Minerva  was  intercej)ted  by  a  British  frigate,  and 
ordered  to  England  under  the  command  of  a  prize  master. 
Fortunately  she  fell  in  with  the  flag  ship  of  a  British  ad- 
miral, and  after  her  papers  had  been  indorsed  by  that 
officer,  she  was  allowed  to  proceed  on  her  passage  home. 
The  Perseverance  was  captured  near  Nantes  by  a  British 
man-of-war,  and  taken  into  Plymouth,  England.  She  was 
subsequently  released,  and  on  her  arrival  home,  the  captain 
reported  that  he  had  left  sixty  American  vessels  at  Plym- 
outh, among  which  was  the  schooner  Betsy  Hooper,  of 
Marblehead,  which  had  been  confiscated. 

Though  firmly  in  favor  of  the  embargo,  and  sincerely  be- 
lieving in  its  necessity  as  a  measure  of  precaution,  the  in- 
habitants of  Marblehead  were  among  the  greatest  sufferers 
from  its  effects.  With  a  population  of  six  or  seven  thou- 
sand, nearly  all  of  whom  were  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
fishing  business  for  subsistence,  the  condition  of  the  town 
was  deplorable.  Eighty-seven  vessels,  averaging  eighty  tons 
each,  were  necessarily  idle ;  and  the  warehouses  were  stored 
with  the  fish  caught  during  that  and  the  previous  year. 
The  law  prohibited  their  exportation,  and  there  was  no 
market  for  them  at  home  ;  consequently  they  could  not  be 
sold,  and  there  was  great  distress  among  the  people. 

As  the  summer  advanced,  the  suffering  among  the  families 
of  fishermen  increased ;  and  on  the  15th  of  August,  the 
town  appropriated  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  for  their 
relief.  On  the  26th  of  September,  the  town  ceded  to  the 
United  States  "  so  much  of  the  land  on  the  southerly  side 
of  the  Work  house  lot  (now  Back  St.)  as  may  be  necessary 
for  the  erectfon  of  a  brick  gun  house  thereon."  In  the 
course  of  time  the  gun-house  was  erected,  and  though  many 


232  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

years  have  passed  since  it  ceased  to  be  used  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  originally  intended,  it  is  still  standing. 

Earl}^  in  the  month  of  November  the  people  of  ^Nlarble- 
head  were  greatly  excited  by  an  event,  the  narration  of 
which  the  writer  would  gladly  omit.  But  a  proper  regard 
for  the  completeness  of  this  work,  and  the  unenviable  noto- 
riety given  to  the  town  by  the  various  vei'sions  of  the  affair 
which  have  already  been  published,  renders  it  necessary 
that  it  shall  receive  some  recognition  in  these  pages. 

On  Sunda}',  the  30th  of  October,  the  schooner  Betty, 
commanded  by  Skipper  Benjamin  Ireson,  arrived  from  the 
Grand  Banks.  Shortly  after  their  arrival,  the  crew  reported 
that  at  midnight  on  the  previous  Friday,  when  off  Cape 
Cod  light-house,  they  passed  the  schooner  Active,  of  Port- 
land, which  was  in  a  sinking  condition  ;  and  that  the  skip- 
per had  refused  to  render  any  assistance  to  the  unfortunate 
men  on  board  the  wreck.  The  excitement  and  indignation 
of  the  people  upon  the  reception  of  this  news  can  be  better 
imagined  than  described.  Two  vessels,  manned  by  willing 
volunteers,  were  immediately  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  dis- 
aster, with  the  hope  of  their  arrival  in  time  to  save  the  ship- 
wrecked sailoi's.  But  their  mission  was  a  failure,  and  they 
returned  with  no  tidings  of  the  wreck.  The  resentment  of 
the  people  was  still  further  provoked  when,  on  the  following 
day,  the  sloop  Swallow  arrived,  having  on  board  Captain 
Gibbons,  the  master  of  the  ill-fated  schooner.  He  corrobo- 
rated the  story  told  by  the  crew  of  the  B"etty,  and  stated  that 
the  Active  sprung  a  leak  at  about  eleven  o'clock  on  Friday 
night.  An  hour  later  the  Betty  was  spoken,  "•  but,  contrary 
to  the  principles  of  humanity,"  she  sailed  away  without  giv- 
ing any  assistance.  On  Saturday,  Captain  Gibbons  and  three 
of  the  passengers  were  taken  off  the  wreck  by  j\Ir.  Hardy,  of 
Truro,  in  a  whale  boat.  Four  other  persons  were  left  on  the 
wreck,  but  the  storm  increased  so  rapidly  that  it  was  found 
impossible  to  return  to  their  rescue.  Captain  Gibbons  was 
placed  on  board  the  revenue  cutter  Good  Intent,  and  after- 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  233 

ward  went  on  board  the  sloop  Swallow,  in  which  he  came  to 
Marblehead.^ 

This  statement  by  one  who  had  so  narrowly  escaped  a 
watery  grave  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  fishermen, 
and  they  determined  to  demonstrate  their  disapproval  of 
Skipper  Ireson's  conduct  by  a  signal  act  of  vengeance. 
Accordingly,  on  a  bright  moonlight  night,  the  unfortunate 
skipper  was  suddenly  seized  by  several  powerful  men  and 
securely  bound.  He  was  then  placed  in  a  dory,  and,  be- 
smeared from  head  to  feet  with  tar  and  feathers,  was 
dragged  through  the  town,  escorted  by  a  multitude  of  men 
and  boys.  When  opposite  the  locality  now  known  as  Work- 
bouse  Rocks,  the  bottom  of  the  dory  came  out,  and  the  pris- 
oner finished  the  remainder  of  his  ride  to  Salem  in  a  cart. 
The  authorities  of  that  city  forbade  the  entrance  of  the 
strange  procession,  and  the  crowd  returned  to  Marblehead. 

Throughout  the  entire  proceeding,  Mr.  Ireson  maintained 
a  dignified  silence,  and  when,  on  arriving  at  his  own  home, 
he  was  released  from  custody,  his  only  remark  was;  "I 
thank  you  for  my  ride,  gentlemen,  but  you  will  live  to  re- 
gret it." 

His  words  were  prophetic.  When  too  late  to  make  rep- 
aration for  the  wrong  they  had  committed,  the  impulsive 
fishermen  realized  that  they  had  perpetrated  an  act  of  the 
greatest  injustice  upon  an  innocent  man. 

At  this  late  day,  when  for  years  his  memory  has  been  de- 
famed throughout  the  land,  and  the  fair  name  of  the  women 
of  Marblehead  has  been  sullied  by  the  fictitious  story  of  one 
of  our  best  New  England  poets,  it  is  but  just  that  the  true 
history  of  the  affair  should  be  written.  Skipper  Ireson  was 
not  more  to  blame  than  his  crew,  and,  it  is  believed,  not  at 
all.  When  the  wreck  was  spoken  and  the  cry  of  distress 
was  heard,  a  terrific  gale  was  blowing.  There  was  a  consul- 
tation on  board  the  Betty  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued, 
and  the  crew  decided  not  to  endanger  their  own  lives  for 

1  See  Boston  Centinel,  Essex  Register,  and  Salem  Gazette,  November,  1808. 


234  THE   HISTORY   AXD   TRADITIONS 

the  sake  of  saving  others.  Finding  that  they  were  resokite 
in  their  determination,  Skipper  Ireson  proposed  to  lay  by 
the  wreck  all  night,  or  until  the  storm  should  abate,  and 
then  go  to  the  rescue  of  the  unfortunate  men.  To  this  they 
also  demurred,  and  insisted  upon  proceeding  on  their  home- 
ward voyage  without  delay.  On  their  arrival  in  Marble- 
head,  fearing  the  just  indignation  of  the  people,  they  laid 
the  entire  blame  upon  the  skipper.  This  version  of  the  af- 
fair is  generally  accepted  as  true ;  and  for  the  credit  of  the 
town,  be  it  said,-  that  it  is  one  of  the  few  incidents  in  its  en- 
tire history  that  its  citizens  have  any  reason  to  regret. 

The  embargo,  which  had  now  been  in  operation  nearly 
a  year,  had  been  strongly  opposed  by  the  Federalists  from 
the  beginning,  and  as  the  ill  effects  of  the  measure  began  to 
be  felt  their  hostility  increased.  They  had  succeeded  in 
obtaining  control  of  both  branches  of  the  legislature  of  ]Mas- 
sachusetts,  and  a  series  of  resolutions  had  been  adopted  by 
that  body,  "questioning  the  constitutionality  of  the  em- 
bargo, and  condemning  it  as  an  experiment  both  novel  and 
dangerous."  Town  meetings  had  been  held  in  nearly  all 
the  principal  seaports  to  remonstrate  against  the  law,  and 
many  of  the  speeches  at  these  meetings  were  seditious  and 
inflammatory  in  the  extreme.  But  not  so  in  Marblehead. 
Though  starvation  stared  them  in  the  face,  the  citizens  were 
loyal  to  the  government,  and  at  a  town  meeting  held  on  the 
7th  of  December,  the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously 
adopted :  — 

'•'■  Resolved :  That  this  town  continues  steadfast  in  the 
faith  that  the  Embargo  law  was  a  law  of  wisdom,  and  that 
the  President  and  Congress  of  the  United  States  are  en- 
titled to,  and  shall  receive  our  warmest  thanks  for  their 
early  attention  to  the  Indej^endence,  Liberty,  and  just 
rights  of  the  Union  and  particularly  of  the  commercial  part 
thereof. 

"  Resolved :  That  this  town  will  use  all  the  energy  they 
possess  to  carry  into  full  effect  all  the  laws  the  present  Con- 


^  r-^?^' 


J'  vv 


^^^^^LoA^'^Z^^nly 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  235 

gress  have  enacted  or  may  enact  for  the  support  of  our  just 
and  equal  rights,  against  the  unjustifiable  and  imperial  de- 
crees of  the  belligerent  powers  of  Europe,  by  proffering  to 
our  country  our  property  and  services." 

Captains  William  Story,  Nathan  B.  Martin,  and  Joseph 
Pedi-ick  "were  elected  a  committee  to  forward  the  resolu- 
tions to  the  Hon.  Joseph  Story,^  member  of  Congress  from 
this  district.  The  resolutions  were  forwarded  according  to 
the  instructions  of  the  town,  accompanied  by  a  letter  signed 
by  every  member  of  the  committee. 

"  Having  learned  that  the  government  intends  employing 
some  cutters  as  gun-boats,  to  prevent  the  evasions  of  the 
laws  of  the  country,"  they  wrote,  "  we  with  humility  beg 
leave  to  suggest  to  you  our  opinion,  that  on  this  coast, 
(that  is  to  say)  from  Cape  Cod  to  Cape  Sable,  any  cutters 
which  the  government  may  send  will  not  so  well  answer 
the  purpose  ;  the  gun-boats  will  be  useless,  for  they  would 
not,  in  this  inclement  season  of  the  year,  be  able  to  keep  at 
sea  without  great  risk.  From  the  knowledge  we  have  of 
our  fishing  vessels,  we  think  they  will  answer  every  purpose 
and  be  a  saving  to  the  government  to  employ  them  in  de- 
fense of  their  laws.     We  also  beg  leave  to  offer  the  gov- 

1  Joseph  Story  was  born  in  Marblehead,  September  18,  1779.  His  father 
was  Dr.  Elisha  Story,  an  eminent  physician  and  surgeon.  He  was  fitted  for 
college  at  the  Marblehead  Academy,  but  studied  the  languages  for  a  time  with 
the  town  schoolmaster.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in  1798.  On 
his  return  to  Marblehead  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  Hon. 
Samuel  Sewall.  In  January,  1801,  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Samuel  Put- 
nam, of  Salem,  and  in  July  of  that  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  Essex  bar. 
In  1805  he  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  General  Court  from  Salem.  In 
1808,  after  having  served  three  sessions  in  the  legislature,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  Congress.'  He  remained  in  Congress  but  one  session,  declining  to 
be  a  candidate  for  reelection.  In  1810,  he  was  again-elected  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature,  and  became  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tive. In  1811,  he  was  appointed  by  President  Madison,  Associate  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  In  1829,  he  was  appointed  Dane 
Professor  of  Law  in  Harvard  University.  He  was  eminent  as  a  judge,  as  a 
judicial  writer,  and  as  a  teacher  of  law.  He  died  in  Cambridge,  September 
10,  1845. 


236  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

eminent  as  many  vessels  of  this  description  as  will  fully 
prevent  any  evasions  whatever  from  any  ports  or  places 
between  tlie  above  mentioned  capes,  or  wherever  otherwise 
wanted. 

"  Knowing,  as  you  do,  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  people 
of  this  place,  that  they  have  now  on  hand  two  years'  catch- 
ing of  fish,  and  no  vent  for  the  same.  Notwithstanding  this, 
they  look  upon  the  measures  of  the  government  as  the  onl}^ 
means  of  retaining  our  future  commerce.  They  therefore 
feel  disposed  to  the  utmost  of  their  abilities,  to  support  the 
general  government  with  the  risk  of  their  lives  and  prop- 
erty, and  beg  leave  through  you  to  tender  their  services  to 
man  out,  and  have  manned,  any  vessels  which  it  may  please 
for  the  service  of  the  United  States." 

This  action  of  the  town  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the 
friends  of  the  administration  throughout  the  country.  The 
resolutions  were  published  by  Republican  newspapers  every- 
where, and  from  one  and  all  the  town  received  words  of 
praise  and  encouragement.  Of  the  manner  of  their  recep- 
tion in  Congress,  Representative  Story  wrote  to  his  brother 
under  date  of  December  21,  1808:  "This  day  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  presenting  the  Marblehead  Petition,  and  as  a 
part  of  my  address  on  this  occasion,  which  was  short,  I  read 
in  the  hearing  of  the  House  the  Resolves  of  Marblehead. 
The  effect  was  electrical.  It  gave  a  degree  of  delight,  it 
awakened  a  sensation  of  admiration,  far  beyond  what  I  ever 
Jsnew  in  a  public  body.  On  every  side  the  patriotism,  the 
honorable,  the  tried  and  uniform  patriotism  of  Marblehead, 
resounded.  All  the  Republicans  declare  their  determination 
to  assist  in  some  way  to  honor  and  relieve  the  citizens  of 
the  Town,  and  I  feel  an  assurance  that  some  of  onr  fislier- 
men  will  be  employed  as  protectors  of  our  coasts.  One  able 
Republican  member  from  South  Carolina  (Mr.  D.  R.  Wil- 
liams) declared  that  such  was  his  sense  of  the  virtue  and 
character  of  the  town,  that  he  would  willingly  give  them  a 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  as  a  present  from  his  plantation. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  237 

But  all  tlie  friends  of  the  Government  rejoiced  tliat  in 
this  day  of  disaffection  in  the  Eastern  States  a  people 
could  be  found  who  were  true  to  the  honor  and  rights  of 
their  country. 

"  Mr.  Giles  of  the  Senate  hearing  of  my  having  the  Re- 
solves, sent  for  them,  and  in  a  speech  which  he  made  to-day 
in  the  Senate  read  them,  and  complimented  you  all.  You 
may  depend  that  a  more  reasonable  and  welcome  resolution 
never  came  to  Congress.  It  is  an  example  worthy  to  be 
followed.  When  I  named  the  facts  to  the  President  he 
appeared  highly  delighted. 

"  If  you  in  the  Eastern  States  will  resolutely  support  the 
government  all  will  certainly  go  right.  The  Southern  and 
Western  States  are  firm  and  united.  They  cannot  be 
moved  from  their  determination  to  defend  our  rights."  ^ 

The  anxiety  expressed  by  the  Republicans  concerning 
the  effect  of  the  opposition  to  the  embargo,  manifested  by 
the  people  of  the  Eastern  States,  was  not  without  reason. 
Senator  Adams  expressed  his  belief  in  a  communication  to 
to  the  President,  that  "  from  information  received  by  him, 
and  which  might  be  relied  upon,  it  was  the  determination 
of  the  ruling  party  in  Massachusetts,  and  of  the  Federalists 
in  New  England  generally,  if  the  embargo  was  persisted  in, 
no  longer  to  submit  to  it,  but  to  separate  themselves  from 
the  Union,  at  least  until  the  existing  obstacles  to  foreign 
commerce  were  removed."  This,  it  has  been  said,  was  a 
false  alarm;  but  that  such  was  the  sincere  belief  of  the 
citizens  of  Marblehead,  is  evident  from  the  following  reso- 
lutions, adopted  at  a  town  meeting  held  on  the  9th  of , Feb- 
ruary, 1809  :  — 

"  Resolved :  That  we  view  with  the  utmost  abhorrence 
and  indignation,  the  conduct  of  a  party  among  us  who  are 
continually  endeavoring  to  excite  the  good  people  of  this 
Commonwealth  to  a  disobedience  of  the  laws  of  the  Union, 

1  From  the  origiual  letter  written  by  Hon.  Joseph  Story  to  his  brother, 
Capt.  William  Story. 


238  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

by  false  and  libellous  publications  respecting  the  motives 
and  measures  of  the  general  government,  and  gross  mis- 
statements of  the  nature  and  sources  of  our  present  embar- 
rassments ;  that  the  real  object  of  this  party  is  to  separate 
the  United  States,  and  excite  rebellion  and  civil  war  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  monarchy  uuder  the  pretense  of  a 
northern  confederacy,  or  force  us  into  a  destructive  war 
with  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  consequently  a  fatal  alli- 
ance with  the  corrupt  monarchy  of  Britain,  whose  embrace 
is  death. 

"  Resolved :  That  the  real  causes  of  our  present  embar- 
rassments are  not  the  embargo,  nor  any  measure  of  our 
government,  but  are  wholly  owing  to  the  unjust,  oppressive, 
and  tjn-annical  conduct  of  Great  Britain  and  France,  and 
that  orders  of  the  former  and  decrees  of  the  latter  have 
destroj'ed  all  neutral  trade  and  rendered  it  not  worth  pre- 
serving ;  that  these  orders  and  decrees  are  destructive  of 
all  our  commercial  rights,  and  cannot  be  submitted  to  with- 
out national  degradation  and  national  ruin  ;  and  therefore 
it  is  our  opinion  that  the  administration  has  acted  a  highly 
honorable  part  in  vindicating  our  rights  and  opposing  the 
outrageous  aggressions  of  foreign  nations  ;  and  we  are  ready 
to  meet  all  the  consequences  of  a  war  if  it  be  necessary  to 
support  them  by  the  sword. 

"  Resolved  :  That  the  conduct  of  Great  Britain  in  the  im- 
pressment of  our  seamen  adds  a  deeper  dye  to  the  inju- 
ries inflicted  upon  us  by  her  ;  that  her  claims  to  force  our 
innocent  seamen  into  her  service  under  the  false  pretext  of 
their  being  her  subjects,  is  an  outrage  upon  our  national 
sovereignty  which  ought  to  be  resisted  at  all  hazards  ;  and 
the  men  who  publish  to  the  world  declarations  that  Great 
Britain  has  done  us  no  injury,  when  thousands  of  our  sea- 
men are  confined  on  board  her  ships  of  war,  are  unworthy 
the  name  of  Americans,  and  should  receive  the  pointed  dis- 
trust of  all  honest  and  honorable  men 

"  Resolved :  That  we  are  determined  never  to  yield  our 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  239 

Liberties  and  Rights,  purchased  by  the  best  blood  of  our 
country,  either  to  external  foes  or  domestic  traitors  ;  that 
"we  are  determined  at  all  hazards  to  maintain  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  and  all  the  laws  made  in  pursuance 
thereof ;  and  we  do  most  religiously  and  solemnly  pledge 
our  lives,  our  property,  and  our  sacred  honor,  for  their  sup- 
port, through  every  peril  of  insurrection,  rebellion,  or  inva- 
sion. 

"  Resolved  :  That  we  hold  sacred  those  inestimable  privi- 
leges resigned  to  our  hands  by  a  numerous  class  of  brave 
and  hardy  townsmen,  who  sacrificed  their  lives  for  the 
achievement  of  our  glorious  independence  ;  that  in  order  to 
protect  and  defend  these  privileges,  ever  to  be  held  sacred 
by  Americans,  we  will  arm  and  equip  ourselves  in  such  a 
manner  as  our  circumstances  will  admit,  and  do  hereby 
publicly  declare  that  we  will  die  Freemen  and  never  live 
Slaves.'' 

So  great  was  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  Congress 
from  all  parts  of  New  England,  demanding  the  repeal  of 
the  embargo  law,  that  it  was  deemed  the  part  of  wisdom 
to  pacify  the  people,  and  "  to  allay  the  tumult  which  threat- 
ened to  become  serious."  Accordingly  on  the  27th  of  Feb- 
ruary, an  act  was  passed  effecting  the  repeal  of  the  law 
after  the  15th  of  March.  An  arrangement  was  also  made 
with  the  British  minister  for  an  adjustment  of  the  contro- 
versy between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  This 
arrangement,  however,  was  disowned  by  the  British  govern- 
ment, and  the  excitement  in  America  became  more  intense 
than  ever.  Party  spirit  increased  in  rancor  ;  the  Democrats 
were  determined  to  support  the  administration,  while  the 
Federalists  were  loud  in  their  clamors  against  it. 

The  people  of  Marblehead  had  not  forgotten  their  resolu- 
tion to  "  arm  and  equip  "  themselves,  and  during  the  month 
of  June  the  company  known  as  the  Marblehead  Light  In- 
fantry was  organized.  Joshua  O.  Bowden  was  the  first 
commander,  and  the  comj^any  has  maintained  its  organiza- 
tion ever  since. 


240  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  events  of  the  year  1810  were  of  more  than  ordinary- 
interest  to  the  people  of  Marblehead.  Early  in  the  month 
of  January  two  schooners  were  captured  by  British  cruisers 
and  carried  into  St.  Jean  de  Luce.  This  was  considered  an 
evidence  that  the  British  government  intended  to  continue 
its  policy  of  seizing  American  vessels  and  impressing  Ameri- 
can seamen,  and  had  the  effect  to  increase  the  indignation  al- 
ready felt  by  the  people.  "  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights," 
was  the  cry  everywhere,  and  when  in  the  month  of  May, 
the  annual  State  election  took  place,  Elbridge  Gerry,  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  governor,  received  471  of  the  524 
votes  cast  in  Marblehead.  Mr.  Gerry  was  elected,  and  in 
both  branches  of  the  legislature  the  majorities  were  Demo- 
cratic. 

By  the  census  of  this  year,  it  appeared  that  the  number 
of  inhabitants  in  the  town  was  5,842,  of  whom  63  were 
"  people  of  color."  ^ 

During  the  month  of  February  the  First  Baptist  Church 
was  organized,  twenty-one  persons  being  regularly  dismissed 
from  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Salem,  for  this  purpose. 

During  the  following  year  (1811)  the  town  voted  to 
"  purchase  the  tract  of  land  at  the  entrance  to  the  town, 
owned  by  Mr.  Aaron  Waitt,  at  a  price  not  exceeding  three 
thousand  and  two  hundred  dollars ;  and  to  erect  a  suitable 
building  for  the  permanent  and  convenient  occupation  of 
the  poor  of  the  town." 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1812,  war  was  formally  declared 
against  Great  Britain  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
The  reasons  publicly  given  for  this  step  were  substantially 
as  follows :  "  The  impressment  of  American  seamen  by  the 
commanders  of  British  ships  of  war  ;  their  doctrine  and  sys- 
tem of  blockade  ;  and  the  adoption  and  continuance  of  the 
Orders  in  Council,  which  operated  extensively  to  the  inter- 
ruption and  injury  of  American  commerce." 

1  In  1765  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  4,594. 
In  1780  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  4,142. 
In  1790  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  5,661. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  241 

Intelligence  of  the  declaration  of  war  reached  Boston  on 
the  23d  of  June,  and,  as  the  General  Court  was  then  in  ses- 
sion, the  governor  communicated  it  to  the  representatives  of 
the  people.  In  the  preceding  State  election  the  Federalists 
had  been  partially  successful,  and  had  elected  the  governor 
and  a  majority  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  Accord- 
ingly, the  House  prepared  an  address  regretting  the  event, 
and  expressing  their  opinion  of  its  impolicy  and  inexpedi- 
ency. The  action  of  the  Senate,  which  was  Democratic, 
was  exactly  opposite,  and  that  body  adopted  and  published 
an  address  approving  of  the  war,  and  declaring  it  in  their 
opinion  just  and  necessary. 

"  From  the  moment  when  war  was  declared,  the  citizens 
of  Boston,  the  metropolis  of  Massachusetts,  clamored  for 
peace,  and  reprobated  the  war  as  wicked,  unjust,  and  unnec- 
essary." Many  other  towns  in  the  State  were  only  too 
ready  to  follow  the  example  set  by  Boston,  and  on  the  29th 
of  June  the  citizens  of  Newbury  declared  :  "  We  consider 
this  war  ruinous  to  the  property  as  well  as  the  happiness 
and  morals  of  the  nation.  It  is  brought  on  the  country  by 
surprise  ;  it  was  conceived  in  darkness  and  secret  conclave  ; 
the  People  were  kept  in  profound  ignorance  of  their  impend- 
ing destruction." 

Far  different  were  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  citizens 
of  Marblehead.  On  the  very  day  that  the  meeting  was  held 
in  Newbury  a  town  meeting  was  held  in  Marblehead,  and 
the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  :  — 

'•'•  Resolved,  That  we  view  the  late  solemn  act  declaring 
war  against  Great  Britain  and  her  dependencies,  as  the  last 
resort  of  a  much  injured  people,  fully  persuaded  that  its 
justice  and  necessity  will  be  acknowledged  by  all  who  can- 
didly pass  in  review  the  doctrines  of  our  enemy ;  and  noth- 
ing short  of  a  base  submission  would  have  prolonged  peace. 

"  Resolved,  That  whatever  sacrifices  may  result,  we  pledge 
ourselves  to  support  our  government,  our  laws,  and  our  Lib- 
erty, through  the  present  arduous  conflict.     We  also  pledge 

16 


242  THE  HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

ourselves  to  support  and  protect  tlie  Union  of  the  States  as 
the  ark  of  our  political  safety ;  and  that  we  view  all  those 
who  dare  intimate  a  wish  for  the  separation  of  the  Union  as 
the  worst  enemies  to  our  peace,  prosperity,  and  happiness." 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  declaration  of  war  was  re- 
ceived in  Marblehead,  the  town  was  the  scene  of  the  utmost 
activity.  Nowhere  in  the  country  did  the  citizens  spring 
to  arms  with  more  alacrity.  Four  privateers,  namely,  the 
Lion,  the  Thorn,  the  Snowbird,  and  the  Industry,  Avere  im- 
mediately fitted  out,  and  began  a  series  of  remarkably  suc- 
cessful cruises  against  the  ships  of  the  British  nation. 

This  was  not  all.  Forty  private  armed  schooners  were 
soon  fitted  out  in  Salem,  a  large  proportion  of  which  were 
manned  by  Marblehead  seamen.  One  schooner,  the  Growler, 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Lindsey,  of  Marble- 
head, and  had  an  entire  crew  of  Marblehead  men.  Of  the 
crew  of  the  ship  America,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  and 
successful  cruisers  during  the  entire  war,  thirty  were  from 
Marblehead. 

The  fishermen  of  Marblehead  were  also  largely  repre- 
sented on  board  the  frigates  of  the  United  States  navy. 
Eighty  men  of  the  crew  of  the  Constitution  were  from  Mar- 
blehead, and  were  on  board  her  throughout  the  entire  period 
of  her  brilliant  career. 

Though  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  so  great  at  the 
prospect  of  war,  they  were  not  unmindful  of  other  patriotic 
duties  ;  and  the  Fourth  of  July,  the  thirty-sixth  anniversary 
of  American  Independence,  was  appropriately  celebrated. 
The  church-bells  were  rung  at  sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset, 
and  the  customary  Federal  salutes  were  fired.  At  eleven 
o'clock  A.  M.,  a  procession  was  formed  at  the  town  house, 
which,  after  being  escorted  about  town  by  the  Marblehead 
Light  Infantry  Company,  proceeded  to  the  New  Meeting- 
house, where  an  oration  was  delivered  by  Jacob  Willard, 
Esq.  The  other  exercises  were  participated  in  by  the  choii' 
of  the  church,  and  the  Reverend  Messrs.  Bowers,  Dana,  and 
Ellis. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  243 

The  war  had  now  begun  in  earnest.  On  the  20th  of  July, 
the  ship  Orient,  of  Marblehead,  Captain  Andrews,  com- 
mander, while  on  the  passage  home  from  a  merchant  voy- 
age to  Gibraltar,  was  captured  on  the  Banks  of  Newfound- 
land by  the  British  sloop-of-war  Hazard.  The  Orient,  which 
had  on  board  a  rich  cargo,  and  about  thirteen  thousand  dol- 
lars in  specie,  was  sent  into  St.  John's,  N.  B.  The  crew, 
ten  in  number,  were  placed  on  board  a  prison  ship,  from 
which  they  were  subsequently  released  by  the  United  States 
frigate  Essex,  and  sent  to  New  York  on  board  a  cartel  ship. 

During  the  month  of  July,  three  Nova  Scotia  shallops 
arrived  in  the  harbor,  having  been  sent  in  as  prizes  by  the 
privateer  Lion.  They  were  laden  with  West  India  produce, 
and  had  on  board  several  thousand  dollars  in  specie. 

A  fine  English  brig  from  Liverpool,  bound  to  St.  Johns, 
was  also  sent  in  as  the  joint  prize  of  the  Lion  and  Snow- 
bird.    The  brig  had  six  guns,  but  made  no  resistance. 

Early  in  the  month  of  August,  the  schooner  Dolphin, 
of  Salem,  was  captured  by  the  British  cruiser  Belvidera. 
Among  the  unfortunate  crew  of  the  Dolphin,  who  became 
prisoners  of  war,  was  Joseph  Furness,  of  Marblehead. 
Shortly  after  his  confinement  on  board  the  Belvidera,  he 
was  carried  on  board  the  ship  San  Domingo,  where  an  at- 
temj)t  was  made  to  impress  him  into  the  British  naval  ser- 
vice.^ With  manly  heroism,  Furness  declared  that  he  would 
not  fight  against  his  country,  and  told  his  captors  to  shoot 
him  as  he  stood,  if  they  chose  to  do  so.  They  then  placed 
him  on  board  the  gaard  ship,  where  his  steady  resolution 
and  undaunted  courage  inspired  the  admiration  of  the  Brit- 
ish officers.  Soon  after,  documents  were  sent  down  for  his 
release,  and  he  returned  home. 

1  Twenty-one  citizens  of  Marblehead  were  impressed  into  the  British  naval 
service,  namely :  John  Smith,  William  Hooper,  John  Holden,  Thomas  Curtis, 
Samuel  Brimblecom,  Philip  Brimblecom,  Richard  Pearce,  Paul  NewhaU, 
Israel  Eaton,  Benjamin  Ashton,  William  Eaton,  John  Nicholson,  William 
Homan,  Thomas  Mitchell,  Jacob  Wadden,  Ambrose  Dodd,  William  Mitchell, 
Luke  Magan,  Asa  Prichard,  William  Pousland,  and  Thomas  Porter. 


244  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

On  the  lOth  of  August,  the  celebrated  battle  between  the 
United  States  frigate  Constitution  and  the  British  frigate 
Guerriere  took  place,  which  resulted  in  a  glorious  victory 
for  the  Constitution.  During  the  engagement,  Captain 
William  B.  Orne,i  of  Marblehead,  was  a  prisoner  on  board 
the  Guerriere,  and  the  following  graphic  account  of  the  ac- 
tion is  from  his  private  journal. 

"  I  commanded  the  American  brig  Betsey,  in  the  year 
1812,  and  was  returning  home  from  Naples,  Italy,  to  Bos- 
ton. When  near  the  western  edge  of  the  Grand  Bank  of 
Newfoundland,  on  the  10th  of  August,  1812,  I  fell  in  with 
the  British  frigate  Guerriere,  Captain  Dacres,  and  was  cap- 
tured by  him.  Myself  and  a  boy  were  taken  on  board  of 
the  frigate  ;  the  remainder  of  my  officers  and  crew  were  left 
in  the  Betsey,  and  sent  into  Halifax,  N.  S.,  as  a  prize  to  the 
Guei'riere.  On  the  19th  of  the  same  month,  when  in  lati- 
tude 41°  41'  north,  longitude  about  55°  40'  west,  the  wind 
being  fresh  from  the  northward,  the  Guerriere  was  under 
double-reefed  topsails  during  all  the  forenoon  of  this  day. 
At  two  P.  M.  we  discovered  a  large  sail  to  windward,  bear- 
ing about  north  from  us.  We  soon  made  her  out  to  be  a 
frigate.  She  was  steering  off  from  the  wind,  with  her  head 
to  the  southwest,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  cutting  us 
off  as  soon  as  possible.  Signals  were  soon  made  by  the 
Guerriere ;  but  as  they  were  not  answered,  the  conclusion  of 
course  was  that  she  was  either  a  French  or  an  American 
frigate.  Captain  Dacres  appeared  anxious  to  ascertain  her 
character,  and  after  looking  at  her  for  that  purpose,  handed 
me  his  spy-glass,  requesting  me  to  give  him  my  opinion  of 
the  stranger.  I  soon  saw,  from  the  peculiarity  of  her  sails 
and  from  her  general  appearance  that  she  was  without  doubt 
an  American  frigate,  and  communicated  the  same  to  Cap- 
tain Dacres.  He  immediately  replied  that  he  thought  she 
came  down  too  boldly  for  an  American,  but  soon  after  added, 
'  The  better  he  behaves,  the  more  honor  we  shall  gain  by 
taking  him.' 

1  Captain  Orne  subsequently  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  245 

"  The  two  ships  were  rapidly  approaching  each  other, 
when  the  Guerriere  backed  her  main-topsail  and  waited  for 
her  opponent  to  come  down  and  commence  the  action.  He 
then  set  an  English  flag  at  each  mast-head,  beat  to  quarters, 
and  made  ready  for  the  fight.  When  the  strange  frigate 
came  down  to  within  two  or  three  miles  distance,  he  hauled 
upon  the  wind,  took  in  all  his  light  sails,  reefed  his  topsails, 
and  deliberately  prepared  for  action.  It  was  now  about  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  filled  away  and  ran  down 
for  the  Guerriere.  At  this  moment,  Captain  Dacres  politely 
said  to  me  :  '  Captain  Orne,  as  I  suppose  you  do  not  wish 
to  fight  against  your  own  countrymen,  you  are  at  liberty  to 
go  below  the  water-line.'  It  was  not  long  after  this  before 
I  retired  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  cock-pit.  Of  course, 
I  saw  no  more  of  the  action  until  the  firing  ceased,  but  I 
heard  and  felt  much  of  its  efiiects  ;  for,  soon  after  I  left  the 
deck,  the  firing  commenced  on  board  the  Guerriere,  and  was 
kept  up  almost  constantly  until  about  six  o'clock,  when  I 
heard  a  tremendous  explosion  from  the  opposing  frigate. 
The  effect  of  ber  shot  seemed  to  make  the  Guerriere  reel 
and  tremble  as  though  she  had  received  the  shock  of  an 
earthquake.  Immediately  after  this  I  heard  a  tremendous 
crash  on  deck,  and  was  told  the  raizzen-mast  was  shot  away. 
In  a  few  moments  afterward,  the  cock-pit  was  filled  with 
wounded  men.  At  about  half-past  six  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, after  the  firing  had  ceased,  I  went  on  deck,  and  there 
beheld  a  scene  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe.  All 
the  Guerriere's  masts  were  shot  away,  and,  as  she  had  no 
sails  to  steady  her,  she  lay  rolling  like  a  log  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea.  Many  of  the  men  were  employed  in  throwing 
the  dead  overboard.  The  decks  were  covered  with  blood, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  a  butcher's  slaughter-house ;  the 
gun-tackles  were  not  made  fast,  and  several  of  the  guns  got 
loose  and  were  surging  to  and  fro  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
Some  of  the  petty  officers  and  seamen,  after  the  action,  got 
liquor,  and  were  intoxicated ;  and  what  with  the  groans  of 


246  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

the  -wounded,  the  noise  and  confusion  of  the  enraged  sur- 
vivors on  board  of  the  ill-fated  ship,  rendered  the  whole 
scene  a  perfect  hell."  ^ 

The  loss  on  board  of  the  Guerriere,  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing,  was  101.  The  loss  on  board  the  Constitution 
was  seven  killed  and  seven  wounded. 

The  news  of  this  engagement  was  received  in  Marblehead 
with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  ;  and  so  large  a  proportion  of 
the  crew  of  the  victorious  frigate  were  citizens  of  the  town, 
it  was  considered  almost  a  local  victory. 

During  the  month  of  August,  three  prizes  were  captured 
and  sent  in  by  the  Marblehead  privateers.  The  Lion  sent 
in  a  schooner  laden  with  lumber  and  military  stores.  The 
Industry  captured  the  brig  Earl  of  Moria,  bound  from  Liv- 
erpool to  St.  Andrew's,  and  sent  her  into  Machias.  The 
Growler,  of  Salem,  Captain  Lindsey,  of  Marblehead,  cap- 
tured the  brig  Ann,  of  ten  guns,  bound  from  Liverpool  to 
New  Providence,  richly  laden  with  dry  goods  and  crates 
worth  8100,00(5. 

Two  other  prizes  were  subsequently  sent  in,  but  the  ex- 
act date  of  their  capture  cannot  now  be  ascertained.     One . 
was  the  brig  Richard,  of  three  hundred  tons,  captured  by 
the  Industry ;  and  the  other  was  the  brig  Freedom,  with 
seven  hundred  hogsheads  of  salt,  sent  in  by  the  Thorn. 

The  presidential  election  of  1812  resulted  in  another  tri- 
umph for  the  Democratic  party,  and  the  reelection  of  Presi- 
dent Madison.  This  was  accepted  as  an  indorsement  of  the 
war  policy  of  the  administration  and  gave  great  satisfaction 
to  its  friends  throughout  the  country.  In  Marblehead,  es- 
pecially, the  event  was  hailed  with  great  rejoicing.  Elbridge 
Gerry,  who  was  revered  and  honored  as  a  patriot  and  a 
statesman,  had  been  elected  vice-president  of  the  United 
States,  and  nowhere  was  the  honor  conferred  upon  him  and 
Massachusetts  more  sincerely  appreciated  than  in  his  na- 
tive town.2 

1  Coggshall's  Privateers  of  1S12. 

2  Elbridge   Gerry  was  boru   iu  Marblehead,  July  17,  1774.     He   received 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  247 

On  the  29tli  of  December  a  desperate  engagement  was 
fought  off  St.  Salvador,  between  the  United  States  frigate 
Constitution,  then  commanded  by  Captain  Bainbriclge,  and 
the  British  frigate  Java,  of  thirty-eighty  guns.  The  com- 
bat continued  more  than  three  hours,  and  when  the  Java 
struck  she  was  reduced  to  a  mere  wreck.  Of  her  crew,  one 
hundred  and  sixty  were  killed  and  wounded,  while  on  board 
the  Constitution  there  were  only  thirty-four.  Among  the 
killed  on  board  the  Constitution  in  this  action,  were  two 
brothers  named  Cheever,  of  Marblehead,  the  only  sons  of  a 
poo}'  widow. 

/6n  the  first  of  June,  1813,  a  battle  was  fought  in  the  bay 
back  of  Marblehead  Neck,  in  sight  of  a  multitude  of  anxious 
spectators,  between  the  United  States  frigate  Chesapeake, 

the  rudiments  of  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Marblehead,  and 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1762.  He  was  elected  a  representative 
from  Marblehead  to  the  General  Court  in  1772,  and  again  in  1773.  During  the 
difficulties  between  England  and  the  colonies  preceding  the  Revolutionary  War, 
he  was  an  active  member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  Marblehead.  In  1774, 
he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  of  Massachusetts  and  con- 
tinued a  member  of  that  body  until  his  election  as  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress  in  1779.  On  the  4th  of  July  of  that  year,  he  signed  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  He  continued  a  member  of  Congress  until  the  year  1780, 
when  he  resigned  and  declined  a  reelection.  In  1783,  he  was  again  chosen 
a  member  of  Congress,  and  remained  a  member  of  that  body  till  178.5.  During 
that  year,  and  while  a  member  of  Congress,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature  by  the  citizens  of  Marblehead.  In  1786,  he  was  a 
delegate  to  the  Convention  which  met  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  to  report  a  system 
for  the  regulation  of  the  commercial  trade  of  the  United  States.  In  1787,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Convention  which  met  at  Philadelphia  and  framed  the 
Constitution  of  the  UnitecJ  States.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  and  second 
Congress  which  met  after  the  organization  of  the  government  in  1789.  In 
1797,  he  was  chosen  an  elector  of  president  and  vice-president  of  the  United 
States,  and  cast  his  vote  for  John  Adams.  During  the  same  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Adams  a  commissioner  to  France.  In  1810,  he  was 
elected  governor  of  Massacliusetts  and  in  1811  was  reelected.  In  1811,  he 
was  elected  vice-president  of  the  United  States.  While  on  his  way  to  the  cap- 
ital as  president  of  the  Senate  he  died  suddenly  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
November  23,  1814,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  remains  were  buried  in 
the  Congressional  Cemetery  at  Washington,  and  in  1823  Cougress  erected  a 
monument  to  his  memory. 


248  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

commanded  by  Captain  Lawrence,  and  the  British  frigate 
Shannon,  commanded  by  Captain  Broke.  Tlie  action  ter- 
minated fatally  for  the  Chesapeake  and  the  intrepid  Law- 
rence was  mortally  wounded.  Of  the  crew  of  the  Shannon, 
twenty-four  were  killed  and  fifty-six  wounded.  Of  the  crew 
of  the  Chesapeake,  forty-eight  were  killed  and  nearly  one 
hundred  wounded.  When  carried  below  and  asked  if  the 
colors  should  be  struck,  Captain  Lawrence  replied  :  "  No  : 
they  shall  wave  while  I  live."  Delirious  from  excess  of 
suffering,  he  continued  to  exclaim.  "  Dont  give  up  the 
ship !  "  an  expression  consecrated  by  the  people  of  Marble- 
head  as  the  last  words  also,  of  the  heroic  Mugford,  thirty- 
seven  years  before./ 

During  the  engagement,  three  Marblehead  sailors  were  on 
board  the  Shannon  as  prisoners  of  war,  by  whom  the  prog- 
ress of  the  battle  was  watched  with  the  utmost  interest. 
They  had  been  taken  on  board  a  prize  of  the  privateer 
America,  several  da3^s  before,  and  their  hopes  of  a  speedy 
delivery  were  suddenly  brought  to  an  end  by  the  capture 
of  the  Chesapeake. 

The  body  of  Captain  La^vl•ence  was  carried  to  Halifax, 
but  was  subsequently  brought  to  Salem,  and  reburied  with 
great  parade,  the  Hon.  Joseph  Story,  a  native  of  Marble- 
head,  acting  as  the  orator  of  the  day. 

The  large  number  of  British  sloops  of  war  which  were 
cruising  about  the  bay  caused  the  inhabitants  to  fear  an 
attack  upon  the  town,  and  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  this 
year  active  preparations  were  made  for  its  defense.  Forti- 
fications were  erected,  and  batteries  were  stationed  on  Twis- 
den's  Hill,  Goodwin's  Head,  Hewitt's  Head,  and  on  the 
Neck.  The  town  was  divided  into  two  wards,  and  all  the 
able-bodied  men  remaining  at  home  were  enlisted  into  com- 
panies and  detailed  for  guard  duty.  The  Marblehead  Light 
Infantry,  which  now  numbered  one  hundred  men  in  its 
ranks,  acted  as  a  reserve  force  to  be  called  upon  in  case  of 
an  attack.     A  company  was  also  recruited,  and  mustered 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  249 

into  the  service  of  the  United  States,  for  duty  at  Fort  Se- 
wall.  This  company  was  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
John  Bailey,  and  Joshua  O.  Bowden,  the  efficient  com- 
mander of  the  Light  Infantry,  was  its  first  lieutenant. 

Guards  were  stationed  along  the  coast,  on  the  Neck,  and 
at  various  localties  in  the  town,  for  the  purpose  of  alarm- 
ing the  inhabitants  should  an  attack  be  made.  On  several 
occasions  the  alarm  gun  was  heard,  and  the  citizens  rushed 
to  arms ;  but  in  every  instance  the  vigilant  sentinels  were 
mistaken,  and  no  attack  was  made. 

These  precautionary  measures  were  not  adopted  by  the 
town,  however,  without  sufficient  cause.  The  British  cruis- 
ers had  become  so  bold  that  in  several  instances  nnarmed 
American  vessels  were  captured  within  full  sight  of  the 
shore,  and  almost  within  range  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  On 
one  occasion,  during  the  month  of  August,  two  English  ships 
of  war  sailed  close  into  the  Neck,  and  captured  six  coasting 
vessels  which  were  bound  to  Boston. 

During  this  period  of  excitement,  two  men  were  killed  by 
the  guards  in  the  public  streets  of  the  town.  Both  of  the 
unfortunate  incidents  occurred  in  the  night,  when  it  was  im- 
possible for  the  sentinels  to  see  who  was  approaching.  One 
of  the  victims  was  a  young  man  named  Joseph  Butman, 
who  was  foolishly  trying  to  alarm  the  sentinel  stationed  at 
the  town  house.  The  other  was  a  negro,  known  as  Black 
Charley,  who  was  shot  by  the  sentinel  stationed  at  Lovis's 
Cove.  Charley  was  on  his  way  home  from  a  dancing  party, 
where  he  had  performed  the  important  service  of  fiddler, 
and  being  somewhat  deaf,  it  is  presumed  did  not  hear  the 
challenge  of  the  guard.  These  sad  events  cast  a  general 
gloom  over  the  community,  and  were  deeply  regretted  ;  but 
the  stern  necessities  of  war  demanded  that  the  guards  should 
be  commended  for  the  faithful  performance  of  duty. 

During  the  month  of  February,  1814,  a  number  of  Brit- 
ish prisoners  were  brought  to  Marblehead  and  confined  in 
Fort  Sewall.     This  action  on  the  part  of  the  government 


250  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

was  seriously  resented  by  the  citizens,  many  of  whom  de- 
clared that,  if  opportunity  offered,  they  would  inflict  sum- 
mary vengeance  upon  the  detested  Englishmen,  in  retalia- 
tion for  the  inhuman  treatment  of  American  prisoners  by 
the  British.  Finally,  as  a  measure  of  precaution,  the  pris- 
oners were  removed  and  carried  to  Boston.^ 

On  Sunday,  the  3d  of  April,  1814,  the  citizens  were 
alarmed  by  the  sudden  ajjpearance  of  three  ships  of  war, 
which  appeared  to  be  sailing  directly  for  Marblehead  Har- 
bor. Two  of  the  frigates  were  ascertained  to  have  British 
flags  at  their  mast-heads,  while  the  third,  which  was  in  ad- 
vance of  the  others,  carried  the  stars  and  stripes.  It  proved 
to  be  the  frigate  Constitution,  wliich  for  three  days  had  been 
chased  by  the  British  frigates  Tenedos  and  Endymion.  As 
the  three  stately  ships  neared  the  land,  and  the  exciting 
chase  could  be  more  distinctly  witnessed,  the  headlands  and 
housetops  were  filled  with  interested  and  anxious  spectators. 
The  Constitution  succeeded  in  escaping  from  her  pursuers, 
and,  as  she  majestically  sailed  into  the  harbor,  cheer  after 
cheer  rent  the  air,  and  from  many  a  heart  a  prayer  of  thanks- 
giving went  forth  for  the  preservation  and  safety  of  "  Old 
Ironsides."  When  about  three  miles  out,  the  commander  of 
the  Constitution  inquired  if  any  of  the  Marblehead  seamen 
felt  competent  to  pilot  the  ship  into  the  harbor.  "Aye, 
aye,  sir !  "  was  the  answer  from  a  score  of  volunteers,  and 
from  the  number  Samuel  Green  was  selected,  by  whom  the 
good  ship  was  successfully  brought  in.  Towards  evening 
she  again  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  into  Salem  Harbor, 
where  she  was  not  so  much  exposed,  and  was  less  liable  to 
attack. 

One  evening,  late  in  the  month  of  July,  two  ships  sailed 
into  the  harbor,  causing  some  ap])rehensions  of  an  attack. 
An  alarm-gun  was  fired,  and  the  people  prepared  to  repel 
them  should  they  prove  to  be  enemies.  They  were  neutral 
vessels,  however,  being  the  Dutch  sloop-of-war  Ajax,  and 

1  See  files  Salem  Gazette,  1814. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  251 

the  merchant  ship  Prince  of  Orange,  under  her  convoy. 
The  Ajax  had  on  board  his  Excellency  Mynheer  Chaugu- 
lon,  with  his  family  and  suite,  who  had  come  as  minister 
from  the  Prince  of  Orange  to  the  United  States.  The  next 
day  the  ships  sailed  for  Boston,  where  the  minister  was  re- 
ceived in  state,  and  with  the  honors  due  his  station. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring  at  home,  the  heroic 
sons  of  Marblehead  were  winning  unfading  laurels  by  their 
valorous  conduct  upon  the  watei'.  In  the  spring  of  1814, 
Capt.  David  Porter,  in  the  frigate  Essex,  engaged  the  British 
frigate  Phoebe,  of'  fifty-two,  and  the  sloop-of-war  Cherub,  of 
twenty-eight  guns,  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso.  For  more 
than  two  hours  he  sustained  this  unequal  encounter,  before 
he  surrendered,  and  his  crew  fought  with  a  bravery  never 
exceeded.  Of  his  intrepid  officers  and  seamen,  fifty-eight 
were  killed,  thirty-one  were  missing,  thirty-eight  were  se- 
verely, and  twenty-five  slightly  wounded.  During  the  ac- 
tion, Lieut.  John  Glover  Cowell,  a  son  of  the  intrepid  Capt. 
Richard  Cowell,  and  a  grandson  of  Gen.  John  Glover,  of 
Revolutionary  fame,  was  w^ounded.  After  having  the  wound 
dressed  a  second  time,  he  returned  to  his  station,  when  an- 
other shot  severely  wounded  him  in  the  leg.  He  was  taken 
up  to  be  carried  below ;  but  peremptorily  refusing  to  go,  he 
continued  at  his  post  until  loss  of  blood  rendered  him  insen- 
sible. He  was  then  taken  below  and  placed  under  the  care 
of  the  surgeon.  After  the  battle  he  was  carried  on  shore, 
where  his  leg  was  amputated,  and  after  suffering  with  exem- 
plary fortitude  for  twenty-one  days,  he  expired  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  gallant  companions.  "  His  case  excited  in  Val- 
paraiso the  liveliest  interest.  The  whole  city  most  feelingly 
and  deeply  sympathized  in  his  sufferings  and  lamented  his 
fate.  His  heroism  had  made  every  one  his  friend  and  his 
mourner.  He  was  buried  with  the  most  distinguished  hon- 
ors, both  military  and  civil,  that  the  place  could  afford.  All 
the  American  and  British  officers,  the  crews  of  the  Essex  and 
the  Essex  Junior,  of  the  Phcebe  and  Cherub,  and  of  every 


252  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

other  vessel  in  port,  joined  to  swell  tlie  funeral  procession. 
But  the  chief  pomp  that  was  displayed  on  this  solemn  and 
interesting  occasion,  arose  from  the  attention  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  place.  It  would  be  scarcely  hyperbolical  to  say 
that  the  ashes  of  the  gallant  Cowell  were  watered  by  the 
tears  of  all  Valparaiso.  The  concourse  of  Spaniards,  headed 
by  the  governor  of  the  district  and  a  large  military  escort, 
was  immense. 

"  Followed  by  this  vast  and  magnificent  procession,  and 
attended  by  solemn  music  and  lighted  tapers,  the  remains 
of  the  hero  were  carried  to  the  principal  church  of  the  city. 
Here,  after  having  been  exposed  to  pubHc  view  for  two 
days,  shrouded  in  elegant  funeral  apparel,  they  were  in- 
terred in  consecrated  ground  within  the  walls  of  the  build- 
ing, an  honor  never  perhaps  before  conferred  on  a  stranger 
in  that  part  of  the  world."  ^ 

The  war  virtually  ended  in  December  of  this  year,  when 
the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent,  by  the  representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  In  February, 
1815,  the  treaty  was  ratified  by  the  two  governments,  and 
President  Madison  issued  a  proclamation  to  that  effect.  On 
the  reception  of  the  news  in  Marblehead,  every  house  in 
town  was  illuminated,  and  from  nearly  every  housetop  some- 
thing was  set  flying  to  the  breeze ;  those  wdio  could  not  pro- 
cure flags,  hoisting  sheets,  pillow  cases,  and  in  some  instances 
even  petticoats,  in  honor  of  the  great  event.  For  an  entire 
week  the  church  bells  were  rung,  and  as  day  after  day  their 
merry  peals  rang  out,  they  left  full  conviction  on  every 
heart  of  the  sincere  joy  and  most  ardent  patriotism  of  the 
people. 

Though  peace  had  been  declared,  over  seven  hundred 
citizens  of  Marblehead  were  confined  in  British  prisons. 
Halifax,  Chatham,  Plymouth,  and  the  loathsome  prison 
ships  each  had  their  quota,  while  in  Dartmoor  Prison  alone 
more  than  five  hundred  were  confined.  The  majority  of 
1  See  Captain  Porter's  official  report,  and  Boston  papers  of  1814. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  253 

these  men  were  captured  in  privateers  by  British  ships  of 
many  times  their  size  and  armament.  Many,  however, 
were  taken  from  unarmed  merchant  vessels  on  their  voyages 
to  and  from  the  various  foreign  ports. 

To  narrate  the  experience  of  the  men  of  Marblehead 
while  confined  in  these  prisons  would  require  a  volume  in 
itself.  Throughout  the  entire  period  of  their  incarceration, 
which  lasted  for  six  months  after  the  war  was  over,  they 
were  noted  for  the  cheerful  manner  in  which  they  bore  their 
sufferings  and  privations.  It  was  only  at  times,  when  ad- 
verse intelligence  was  received  concerning  their  loved  ones 
at  home,  that  they  were  depressed.  At  one  time  they  were 
"told  positively  and  circumstantially  that  three  frigates  sent 
their  boats  into  Marblehead,  and  after  driving  out  all  the 
women  and  children,  set  fire  to  the  town  and  reduced  the 
whole  to  ashes."  This  for  a  time  was  believed,  and  the  pris- 
oners from  Marblehead  were  in  a  state  of  great  anxiety.  At 
another  it  was  reported  in  the  prison,  "  that  peace  between 
America  and  England  was  concluded,  and  that  one  of  its 
conditions  was  giving  up  the  fisheries  on  the  banks  of  New- 
foundland. This  alarmed  the  Marblehead  men  more  than 
the  report  of  the  burning  of  their  town;  they  raved  and 
swore  like  mad  men.  '  If  that  be  the  case,'  said  they,  '  I  am 
damned,  Marblehead  is  forever  damned,  and  we  are  all 
damned  ;  and  damnation  seize  the  peacemakers  wdio  have 
consented  to  this  condition.'  On  this  subject  they  worked 
themselves  into  a  fever  and  were  very  unhappy  all  the  time 
the  story  was  believed."  ^ 

The  brutal  treatment  to  which  the  prisoners  in  Dartmoor 
Prison  were  subjected,  culminated  on  the  6th  of  April,  1815, 
in  a  premeditated  and  bloody  massacre.  On  the  afternoon 
of  that  day  some  boys  who  were  playing  ball  in  one  of  the 
yards,  accidentally  knocked  their  ball  over  into  the  barrack 
yard.     The  disobliging   sentinel   in   that   yard   refused   to 

1  Journal  of  Chatham,  Halifax,  and  Dartmoor. 


254  THE   HISTORY   AND  TRADITIONS 

throw  it  back  to  them,  and  they  therefore  picked  a  hole  in 
the  wall  to  get  in  after  it.  This  gave  the  murderous  com- 
mander of  the  prison  the  pretext  he  desired.  The  alarm-bell 
was  rung,  and  while  the  defenseless  prisoners  were  running 
into  the  yard  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  alarm,  the  sol- 
diers, who  had  been  stationed  at  the  gates  and  upon  the 
walls,  were  ordered  to  fire  upon  them.  There  was  no 
avenue  of  escape  for  the  unfortunate  victims.  Even  after 
they  retreated  to  the  interior  of  the  prison,  the  soldiers  pur- 
sued them  and  fired  into  the  doors.  Seven  of  the  prisoners 
were  killed,  and  sixty  wounded.  Among  the  wounded  were 
John  Peach,  and  Thomas  Tindley,  of  Marblehead. 

A  few  days  after  the  massacre,  the  hearts  of  the  prisoners 
were  made  glad  by  the  joyful  intelligence  that  orders  had 
been  issued  for  their  release.  The  news  proved  to  be  true, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were  on  board  cartel-ships 
homeward  bound. 

The  intrepid  Marbleheaders  kept  up  their  reputation  for 
courage  to  the  last.     The  captain  of  one  of  the  ships  being 
a  man  of  weak  nerves  and  rather  a  timid  nature,  was  afraid 
to  spread  the  amount  of  canvas  that  his  ship  could  carry. 
This  disgusted  the  prisoners,  who  were  impatient  to  arrive 
home,  and    they  accordingly  took    matters  into    their  own 
hands.     The   captain   was   deposed,   and   an   election    was 
held  for  the  choice  of  commander.     Mr.  John  Hubbard,  of 
]\Iarblehead,  a  son  of  the  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  was   chosen,  and  that  gentleman  at  once  assumed 
command  of  the  ship.     Stepping  upon  the  quarter-deck,  he 
pohtely  informed  the  English  captain  that  the  prisoners  had 
voted  to  work  the  ship  during  the  remainder  of  the  passage, 
and  that  there  was  therefore  no  further  need  of  his  services, 
nor  those  of  his  crew.     The  captain  and  his  subordinates, 
knowing   that   they  had  a  resolute   and  determined  set  of 
men  to  deal  with,  offered  no  opposition,  and  in  due  season 
the  voyage  was  completed  in  safety. 


iJIRiHI'LAtK  ti|-  lJ.!;KlL>i;i;  (;i;Rk\.  axd  ViciNir^ 


\*iK\v  ox  \Vashi\(;t(1\  Strlk 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  255 

Over  one  thousand  men  from  Marblehead  were  engaged 
in  the  war  for  "  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights."  Of  these, 
seven  hundred  and  twenty-six  were  on  board  privateers,  oile 
hundred  and  twenty  were  in  the  navy,  fifty-seven  were  in 
the  army,  and  one  hundred  were  members  of  the  Marble- 
head  Light  Infantry. 


256  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  citizens  applied  themselves 
earnestly  and  industriously  to  the  task  of  restoring  their 
shattered  fortunes.  There  were  now  only  forty-eight  ves- 
sels employed  in  the  bank  fisheries,  eighteen  of  which  were 
of  less  than  fifty  tons  burden.  When  the  embargo  of  1807 
went  into  operation  there  were  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
vessels  engaged  in  the  business,  ninety-eight  of  which  were 
of  more  than  fifty  tons  burden.  This  great  reduction  in  the 
number  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  industry  by  which  the  in- 
habitants obtained  a  livelihood,  is  the  best  evidence  that  can 
be  given  of  the  sacrifices  made  by  the  town  during  the  pe- 
riod of  controversy  and  war  with  Great  Britain. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  James  Monroe,  of  Virginia, 
was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was  a 
man  of  amiable  and  conciliatory  character,  and  was  popular 
with  both  political  parties.  His  inaugural  address,  which 
was  remarkable  for  its  patriotic  sentiments,  and  the  able 
and  temperate  manner  with  which  it  dealt  with  all  the  im- 
portant questions  of  the  day,  was  warmly  applauded  through- 
out the  country,  by  Federalists  as  well  as  Democrats. 

A  few  months  after  his  inauguration.  President  Monroe 
made  a  tour  of  the  Eastern  States,  and  in  so  doing  honored 
the  town  of  Marblehead  with  a  brief  visit.  He  was  re- 
ceived at  the  entrance  of  the  town  by  a  procession  consisting 
of  the  military,  the  boards  of  town  officers,  the  scholars  of 
the  public  and  private  schools,  the  clergy,  and  a  large  con- 
course of  citizens.  He  was  escorted  to  the  "  Lee  Mansion," 
where  a  large  number  of  prominent  citizens  assembled  "  to 
pay  their  respects,"  and  afterwards  visited  Fort  Sewall  and 
other  points  of  interest. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  257 

The  organization  of  Sabbath-schools  in  Marblehead  began 
in  the  spring  of  1818.  On  the  22d  of  May  of  that  year, 
several  prominent  citizens  assembled  at  the  "  New  Meeting 
House,"  and  measures  were  taken  for  the  organization  of  a 
"  Sabbath-school  Union  Society."  At  a  subsequent  meet- 
ing, held  at  Academy  Hall,  a  constitution  was  adopted,  and 
the  society  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  the  following  offi- 


cers; 


President.  —  Hon.  William  Reed. 

Vice-president,  —r  Dr.  Calvin  Briggs. 

Treasurer.  —  Hon.  Nathaniel  Hooper. 
Secretary.  —  Nathan  Bowen,  Esq. 

On  Sunday,  June  14,  the  school  was  opened,  divisions  hav- 
ing been  established  at  each  of  the  churches  in  town.  These 
divisions  were  each  under  the  direction  of  a  superintendent 
and  teachers  elected  by  the  society.  The  schools  held  their 
sessions  on  the  morning  of  each  Sabbath  day  from  May  to 
November,  and  continued  under  the  direction  of  the  society 
for  eleven  years,  when  each  church  assumed  control  of  its 
own  school. 

By  a  vote  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts,  a  convention 
was  called  to  meet  at  Boston  in  November,  1820,  for  the 
purpose  of  revising  and  amending  the  Constitution  of  the 
State.  Benjamin  Knight,  John  Prentiss,  Jr.,  Nathan  B. 
Martin,  Hon.  Nathaniel  Hooper,  and  Capt.  John  Gregory, 
were  elected  as  delegates  from  Marblehead.  The  conven- 
tion was  in  session  seven  weeks,  and  its  deliberations  were 
marked  by  the  harmony  which  prevailed  among  its  members. 
As  a  result  of  their  labors,  fourteen  amendments  were  pro- 
posed, a  majority  of  which  were  adopted  by  the  people. 

The  year  1824  was  marked  by  an  event  of  the  greatest 
interest  to  the  people  of  Marblehead.  The  venerable  Mar- 
quis de  Lafayette,  who  had  come  to  the  United  States  at 
the  express  invitation  of  Congress,  was  traveling  through 
the  country,  and  the  citizens  voted  unanimously  to  invite 

17 


258  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

him  to  revisit  the  town.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  a 
day  hite  in  the  month  of  August  was  appointed  for  the  aus- 
picious occasion.  The  distinguished  visitor,  accompanied  by 
his  son,  George  Washington  Lafayette,  was  received  at  the 
entrance  of  the  town  by  a  procession  of  civic  and  military 
organizations,  and  escorted  through  the  principal  streets 
amid  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the  people.  He  was  then 
conducted  to  the  "  Lee  Mansion,"  where  a  grand  dinner  was 
served,  and  a  public  reception  was  given  to  the  citizens. 
The  dinner-table,  it  is  said,  presented  a  magnificent  appear- 
ance. All  the  "  well-to-do  "  families  of  the  town  contributed 
their  silver  ware  to  grace  the  festal  board,  and  neither  pains 
nor  expense  were  spared  in  its  arrangement.  General  La- 
fayette remained  in  jNIarblehead  several  hours,  and  before 
departing  made  a  brief  call  upon  Mrs.  Mary  Glover  Hooper, 
the  wife  of  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  and  the  only  surviving 
daughter  of  his  old  friend  and  companion  in  arms.  Gen.  John 
Glover. 

Among  other  interesting  incidents  of  this  memorable  day 
was  the  first  appearance  of  the  military  company  known  as 
the  Lafayette  Guards,  which  had  been  organized  a  short 
time  before,  under  command  of  Capt.  William  B.  Adams. 

At  this  time,  and  for  many  years  previous,  the  male  in- 
habitants of  Massachusetts  were  required  by  law  to  be  en- 
rolled in  the  militia  of  the  State.  Only  those  belonging  to 
the  fire  department,  or  who  held  the  office  of  constable,  were 
exempt  from  military  duty.  The  scenes  in  INIarblehead  on 
the  days  of  the  general  muster  were  often  ludicrous  in  the 
extreme.  The  inhabitants  were  divided  into  two  artillery 
companies,  one  of  which  was  known  as  the  North  Ward 
Company,  and  the  other  as  that  of  the  South  Ward.  The 
members  of  these  companies  were  usually  ordered  to  appear 
armed  and  equipped,  and,  like  good  soldiers,  they  always 
obeyed  orders.  Some  presented  themselves  with  swords  and 
cutlasses  of  various  lengths  and  shapes.  Others  were  armed 
with  gun-stocks  without  barrels,  and  vice  versa.     The  ma- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  259 

jority,  however,  carried  clirk-knives,  pistols,  and  anything 
that  "  could  pass  muster  "  in  the  shape  of  a  weapon.  Each 
company  was  possessed  of  two  brass  cannons,  which  more 
than  made  up  for  all  deficiencies  in  other  respects.  Not  a 
man  was  in  uniform  except  the  officers,  who  were  gorgeous  in 
blue  coats,  with  brass  buttons  and  gold  lace.  But  the  march 
was  the  principal  feature  of  the  great  occasion.  Trudging 
along  beside  a  very  short  fisherman,  clad  in  "monkey  jacket 
and  sou' -wester,"  would  be  a  very  tall  farmer  lad,  in  home- 
spun frock  and  broad-brimmed  hat.  The  rolling  gait  of  the 
fisherman  and  the  gigantic  strides  of  the  farmer  rendered  it 
impossible  for  them  to  keep  in  step,  and  numerous  were  the 
misunderstandings  on  this  account. 

Occasionally  there  was  a  division  muster  at  some  town  in 
the  county,  and  at  such  times  the  Marblehead  artillerymen 
were  conspicuous  in  the  sham  fights  which  occurred.  It  was 
at  one  of  these  sham  fights  in  the  year  1824,  that  the  ex- 
pression "  Marblehead  never  retreats,"  had  its  origin.  "  It 
was  arranged  that  a  high  hill  in  Danvers  should  be  held  by 
a  portion  of  the  troops  called  the  British,  who,  with  their 
allies,  the  Indians,  were  to  be  attacked  by  the  other  troops 
and  eventually  retreat;  while  the  attacking  party  were  to 
take  possession,  and  plant  their  flag  on  the  ramparts.  The 
wigwams  were  built  and  the  preliminary  arrangements  all 
made,  the  Marblehead  artillery  being  the  last  to  retire. 

"  Now  the  battle  waxed  loud  and  furious,  big  guns  and 
little  guns,  smoke  and  smother,  and  the  grand  rush  of  the 
attacking  party  up  the  hill ;  but  it  was  brought  to  a  stand- 
still by  the  persistent  peppering  from  the  Marbleheaders 
under  Major  Traill,  and  his  gallant  adjutant,  afterwards 
Major  Green. 

"  '  Why  don't  you  retreat  ? '  said  the  attacking  colonel,  as 
the  flashes  threw  the  gun-wads  in  his  face  and  singed  his 
whiskers,  '  why  don't  you  retreat  ?  ' 

"  But  these  semi-marine  gunners,  who  had  learned  to 
handle  and  train  a  gun  '  on  the  briny,'  had  got  warmed  up, 


260  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

and  forgot  that  they  for  the  nonce  represented  John  Bull ; 
and  one  of  them,  rushing  forward,  sang  out :  '  Marblehead 
never  retreats  ! '  "  i 

It  is  said,  too,  that  some  of  the  gunners  loaded  their  guns 
with  small  potatoes,  which  rendered  the  attack  a  somewhat 
hazardous  undertaking. 

Early  in  this  year  a  society  was  incorporated  by  the  name 
of  the  "  Columbian  Society,"  which  for  more  than  fifty 
years  exercised  a  perceptible  influence  upon  the  political 
sentiments  of  the  citizens.  "  Actuated  by  a  sincere  desire  to 
promote  political  and  useful  knowledge  among  ourselves  and 
our  fellow  men  "  — its  members  declared  in  the  preamble  of 
thair  Constitution  —  "  and  believing  no  method  so  produc- 
tive of  advantage  in  the  improvement  of  the  mind  as  read- 
ing and  the  interchange  of  sentiments  and  ideas  among 
men  ;  and  feeling  an  ardent  zeal  to  perpetuate  the  princi- 
ples and  rights  for  which  our  Fathers  of  the  Revolution 
fought  and  bled ;  we  have  associated  and  do  by  these  pres- 
ents voluntarily  associate  ourselves  together."  This  society 
was  in  the  truest  sense  a  Marblehead  institution.  Had  it 
been  otherwise  it  could  not  have  existed.  The  doctrines 
inculcated  by  its  constitution  were  democratic  in  the  broad- 
est and  noblest  sense.  Every  person  upon  becoming  a 
member  was  required  to  make  the  following  declaration  : 
"  I  do  firmly  believe  that  man  by  nature  is  and  ought  to 
be  free  ;  that  I  cherish  an  ardent  attachment  to  the  rights 
and  liberties  of  our  coimtry,  and  the  Republican  institutions 
thereof." 

For  many  years  the  best  moderators  of  our  town  meet- 
ings were  graduates  of  the  president's  chair  of  the  Colum- 
bian Society,  and  the  most  skillful  debaters  who  participated 
in  town  meeting  discussions  obtained  their  experience  at 
the  weekly  meetings  of  that  institution. 

During  this  year  the  public  streets  were  named  by  vote  of 

1  This  story,  which  appeared  in  a  Boston  paper  some  years  ago,  was  corrob- 
orated by  persons  who  remembered  the  incident. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  '  261 

the  town.  Nearly  all  of  them  had  been  known  as  "  lanes  " 
from  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  and  Mugford, 
Green,  and  State  Streets  are  still  familiar  to  most  of  the 
older  inhabitants  as  "  New  Meeting  House,"  "  Ferry,"  and 
"  Wharf "  lanes.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolution,  State  Street  was  known  as  "  King  Street,"  but 
the  patriotic  citizens  declined  to  recognize  the  name  after 
the  close  of  the  war.  One  of  the  most  curious  incidents  of 
this  action  of  the  town,  was  the  naming  of  a  narrow  foot- 
path, leading  over  a  ledge  of  rocks  from  Lookout  Court,  or 
Lodo-e  Hill,  to  Lee  Street.  Its  name  as  entered  on  the 
records  is  "  Prospect  Alley." 

As  early  as  1825,  the  manufacture  of  misses  and  chil- 
dren's shoes  was  introduced  into  Marblehead.  Previous  to 
this  time,  the  only  boots  and  shoes  made  in  town  were 
heavy  leather  boots  for  the  use  of  fishermen  and  "  custom 
shoes  for  ladies  and  gentlemen."  The  first  manufacturer 
to  engage  in  the  new  enterprise  was  Mr.  Ebenezer  Martin, 
who  made  his  own  shoes  and  sold  them  at  retail.  His  work- 
shop was  in  the  old  "  Reynolds  House,"  on  Darling  Street. 
It  was  his  custom  to  carry  his  goods  about  in  a  cart,  and 
drive  from  one  town  to  another,  until  he  disposed  of  them. 
The  next  earliest  manufacturer  was  Mr.  Thomas  Wool- 
dredge,  whose  factory  was  on  Orne  Street ;  and  a  few  years 
later  Messrs.  Benjamin  Hawkes,  Thomas  Garney,  and  Ado- 
niram  C.  Orne,  engaged  in  the  business  as  a  firm.  Shortly 
after,  Messrs.  Samuel  and  Peter  Sparhawk  began  business. 
Of  all  the  early  manufacturers,  Mr.  Samuel  Sparhawk  is 
the  only  one  engaged  in  the  business  at  the  present  time.^ 

During  the  year  1829  the  attention  of  the  citizens  was 
called  to  the  condition  of  the  poor  at  the  almshouse.  A 
committee  appointed  by  the  town  to  investigate  the  matter, 
reported  that  one  hundred  and  twelve  persons  were  confined 
in  the  institution,  a  majority  of  whom  were  "  lodged  in  a 
g-arret  of  the  house   for  want   of  better   accommodation." 

1  1879. 


262  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Among  other  evils  complained  of  was  the  allowance  of  ar- 
dent spirits  to  the  subjects,  "  a  barrel  a  month  "  being  con- 
sumed. The  place  as  a  reformatory  institution  was  an  utter 
failure.  Men  convicted  of  drunkenness  were  sentenced  to 
be  confined  in  the  almshouse,  and  while  there  were  given  an 
allowance  of  the  beverage  which  had  brought  them  to  grief. 
These,  and  other  evils,  aroused  the  virtuous  indignation  of 
the  citizens,  and  the  result  was  a  thorough  reformation  in 
the  overseer's  department. 

On  Saturday,  March  13,  1830,  the  first  local  newspaper 
ever  established  in  town  made  its  appearance.  It  was 
called  the  "  Marblehead  Register,"  and  was  published  by 
Mr.  Henry  Blaney.  For  three  years  the  editor  struggled 
heroically  to  make  the  enterprise  a  success ;  but  his  efforts- 
were  futile,  and  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  publication. 
Several  newspapers  have  since  been  established,  but  a  simi- 
lar fate  has  befallen  them  all,  except  the  last,  which  is  still 
in  existence.^ 

During  the  year  1831,  several  important  local  institutions 
were  established.  On  the  18th  of  March,  the  Grand  Bank 
was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders,  a  board 
of  nine  directors  was  chosen,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Edmund 
Kimball,  Joseph  W.  Green,  Benjamin  Porter,  Joel  Newhall, 
James  Oliver,  Knott  Martin,  Abel  Gardner,  David  Blaney, 

1  The  newspapers  published  in  Marblehead  since  1833  have  been  The  Ga- 
zette, published  by  Peter  Dixey,  Jr.,  in  1832  ;  The  Mercury,  published  by  Rob- 
inson Breare,  in  1848  ;  The  Essex  County  Times,  published  by  J.  K.  Averill, 
in  1848;  The  People's  Advocate,  published  by  Beckford  &  Coffin,  in  1849  ;  The 
ierf^fir,  published  by  T.  J.  Hutchinson,  in  1859.  Mr.  Hutchinson  subsequently 
admitted  a  partner,  and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Hutchinson  &  Skinner. 
In  1861,  Mr.  Horace  Traill  became  proprietor  of  the  Ledger,  anA  it  was  pub- 
lished until  the  end  of  the  year  1863.  In  December,  1871,  The  MarUehad  Mes- 
senger was  established  by  Messrs.  Hart  and  Trask.  Shortly  after,  Mr.  Hart 
died,  and  the  paper  was  published  by  Mr.  E.  I.  Trask,  with  Mr.  William  Mar- 
tin Chamberlain  as  editorial  manager.  In  1874,  the  Messenger  was  purchased 
by  Messrs.  Samuel  Roads,  Jr.,  and  Frederick  W.  Leek,  by  whom  it  -was  con- 
ducted until  January  1,  1877.  It  was  then  purchased  by  Messrs.  N.  Allen 
Lindsey  and  AVilliam  S.  Phillips,  Jr.,  by  whom  it  is  still  published. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  263 

and  Edmund  Bray.  The  directors  subsequently  elected 
Joseph  W.  Green,  president,  and  John  Sparhawk,  Jr.,  cash- 
ier. At  their  first  meeting  the  directors  voted  to  purchase 
the  estate  of  Capt.  Wilham  Russell,  on  Hooper  Street,  and 
to  erect  thereon  a  stone  building  with  slated  roof.  On  the 
18th  of  November  the  business  of  banking  was  begun  in 
the  new  building. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  the  town  voted  to  petition  Con- 
gress for  the  erection  of  a  light-house  on  Point  Neck.  The 
light-house  was  erected  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the 
town,  Mr.  Ezekiel  Darling  being  the  first  keeper. 

Early  in  this  year  the  Marblehead  Seamen's  Charitable 
Society  was  organized.  This  society  is  still  in  existence, 
there  being  only  one  older  society  in  town.  The  Marble- 
head  Female  Humane  Society  antedates  it,  having  been  or- 
ganized in  1816. 

In  the  summer  of  1833,  President  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
had  entered  upon  his  second  term  as  the  executive  of  the 
nation,  made  a  tour  of  the  Middle  and  New  England  States. 
On  the  28th  of  June,  accepting  the  urgent  invitation  of 
the  citizens,  he  visited  Marblehead.  He  was  received  at 
the  entrance  of  the  town  by  a  procession  consisting  of  the 
military  companies,  a  cavalcade  of  fifty  horsemen,  the  fire 
department,  scholars  of  the  public  schools,  and  a  large  con- 
course of  citizens.  Along  the  route  of  the  procession  several 
triumphal  arches,  decorated  with  flowers  and  bearing  ap- 
propriate mottoes,  were  erected,  and  many  private  residences 
were  elaborately  decorated.  President  Jackson  rode  through 
the  principal  streets  in  an  open  carriage,  after  which  the 
procession  halted  at  the  "  Lee  Mansion,"  where  an  address 
of  welcome  was  delivered  by  Frederick  Robinson,  Esq.  A 
dinner  had  been  provided  for  the  occasion,  but  to  the  great 
disappointment  of  the  citizens  their  distinguished  visitor 
was  obliged  to  proceed  as  soon  as  possible  to  Salem,  and 
they  were  deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  his  company. 

The   violent   opposition    to   the    measures   of   President 


264  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Jackson's  administration,  gave  rise  to  a  new  political  or- 
ganization, known  as  the  Whig  party.  Between  this  party 
and  the  Democrats  there  existed  a  feeling  of  the  most  bitter 
hostility.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  adherents  of  both 
parties  in  Marblehead.  Their  opposition  to  each  other  was 
so  intense  that  on  the  occasion  of  a  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tion in  1834  they  refused  to  act  in  concert,  and  the  result 
was  two  rival  celebrations. 

The  Democrats  formed  a  procession,  and  escorted  by  the 
Lafayette  Guards,  with  a  drum  and  fife  and  two  bugles,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Methodist  jMeeting-house,  where  an  oration 
was  delivered  by  Mr.  Frank  Knight,  a  native  of  the  town. 
They  then  marched  to  Fort  Sewall,  where  a  dinner  was  pro- 
vided, and  appropriate  speeches  were  made  by  prominent 
members  of  the  party.  The  Whigs  were  escorted  by  the 
Marblehead  Light  Infantry,  a  majority  of  whose  members 
were  of  that  political  faith:  Led  by  a  band  of  music,  they 
marched  to  the  Old  North  Meeting-house,  where  an  oration 
was  delivered ;  after  which  they  sat  down  to  a  dinner  at 
Academy  Hall. 

During  the  year  1835,  the  fire  department  was  thoroughly 
reorganized.  The  town  at  this  time  owned  four  hand  en- 
gines, including  the  "  Friend"  and  the  "  Endeavour,"  already 
mentioned.  The  other  two  were  the  "  Union,"  purchased 
in  1798,  which  was  located  at  the  junction  of  Orne  and 
Washington  Streets,  and  the  "Liberty,"  purchased  about 
1808,  which  was  located  on  the  hill  at  the  head  of  Watson 
Street.  Besides  these  there  were  two  engines  owned  by 
private  parties,  one  of  which  was  named  the  "  Torrent,"  and 
the  other  the  "  Relief."  The  "  Torrent  "  was  located  in 
the  rear  of  the  Stone  Church,  and  the  "  Relief  "  in  a  small 
building  near  the  "  Lee  Mansion  House." 

A  committee  appointed  by  the  town  to  examine  the  sev- 
eral engines  belonging  to  the  fire  department,  reported 
that  only  one,  the  "  Liberty,"  was  "  worth  spending  a  dollar 
on."     That  engine  was   accordingly  repaired   and  refitted 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  265 

with  all  the  modern  improvements,  and  two  new  suction 
engines,  the  "•  Marblehead  "  and  "  Essex,"  were  purchased. 
Two  new  houses  were  erected  for  their  accommodation, 
that  of  the  "  Marblehead  "  being  on  Bassett  Street  and  that 
of  the  "  Essex  "  on  Franklin  Street. 

During  the  year  1836,  the  Universalist  Society  was  or- 
ganized. For  a  time  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  hall  on 
the  corner  of  Washington  and  Darling  Streets ;  but  the 
following  year,  so  rapid  had  been  the  growth  of  the  society, 
that  the  present  church  edifice  was  erected  on  the  corner  of 
Watson  and  Pleasant  Streets. 

The  year  1837  is  memorable  as  the  period  of  one  of  the 
most  severe  financial  panics  the  country  has  ever  experi- 
enced. Business  was  everywhere  at  a  stand-still ;  bank- 
ruptcy had  become  a  common  lot,  and  by  midsummer  the 
banks  universally  had  suspended  specie  payments.  Notwith- 
standing the  distress  which  prevailed  in  consequence  of  the 
depression  of  business,  the  year  was  one  of  the  most  event- 
ful in  the  annals  of  Marblehead.  For  years  the  town  had 
maintained  three  grammar  schools,  known  as  the  North, 
Centre,  and  South  schools.  It  was  now  voted  to  establish  a 
High  School,  with  separate  departments  for  boys  and  girls. 
The  school  was  established  in  accordance  with  the  vote  of 
the  town,  and  the  building  known  as  the  "  Masonic  Lodge  " 
was  rented  for  its  accommodation. 

It  was  during  this  year,  also,  that  the  famous  controversy 
over  the  "Surplus  Revenue"  took  place.  During  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Jackson,  a  large  amount  of  money 
accumulated  in  the  treasury  of  the  United  States.  By  an 
act  of  Congress,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was  author- 
ized to  distribute  the  amount  among  the  several  States, 
and  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  on  the  reception  of  its  pro- 
portion, distributed  it  among  the  towns  of  the  Common- 
wealth. By  this  act  of  the  legislature  the  town  of  Mar- 
blehead received  about  thirteen  thousand  dollars.  As  soon 
as  it  was  known  that  the  town  was  to  receive  so  large  a 


266  THE   fflSTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

sum  of  money,  a  controversy  arose  among  the  citizens  as 
to  the  disposition  that  should  be  made  of  it.  At  a  town 
meeting  held  on  the  15th  of  April,  a  committee  of  nine  per- 
sons was  chosen  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and 
"to  report  at  length"  on  the  disposal  of  the  money.  The 
Hon.  Frederick  Robinson  was  chairman  of  the  committee, 
and  ujjon  their  recommendation  it  was  voted  that  the  money 
be  appropriated  "  for  the  purchase  of  a  large,  fertile,  and 
convenient  town  farm,  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  acres, 
and  for  erecting  upon  it  a  large,  durable,  and  convenient 
building  for  the  poor."  A  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Frederick  Robinson,  Benjamin  Stone,  William  B.  Adams, 
Samuel  Avery,  Richard  Cole,  and  Jeremiah  Hathawaj^,  was 
chosen  to  carry  the  vote  into  effect.  Three  dsijs  later,  the 
citizens  again  convened,  and  a  building  committee  was 
chosen,  with  authority  to  "take  down  the  old  almshouse, 
and  to  erect  a  new  one  on  the  town  farm."  The  entire 
scheme  to  purchase  a  farm  was  bitterly  opposed  by  a  large 
minority,  and  at  a  meeting  held  on  the  24th  of  April  it  was 
voted  to  reconsider  all  former  votes,  and  to  divide  the  money 
among  the  inhabitants  per  capita.  This  proposition  was 
carried  by  a  vote  of  172  in  the  affirmative  and  144  in  the 
negative.  In  the  afternoon  an  adjourned  meeting  was  held, 
when  the  friends  of  the  town  farm  succeeded  in  reconsider- 
ing the  action  of  the  morning,  and  defeating  the  "  dividing 
project."  One  meeting  after  another  was  held  to  consider 
the  matter,  and  the  excitement  of  the  citizens  increased  with 
each  meeting.  During  the  controversy,  Frederick  Robinson, 
John  Hooper,  Richard  Girdler,  and  Andrew  Lackey,  were  in 
turn  elected  town  treasurer,  all  of  whom  declined  to  serve. 
Finally  the  choice  fell  upon  Mr.  John  Nutting,  who  accepted. 
At  one  meeting  it  was  voted  to  "  indefinitely  postpone  the 
entire  matter,"  and  at  another  to  "  cancel  the  outstanding 
orders  of  the  town  with  the  fund."  At  length,  after  a  con- 
troversy of  nearly  a  year  in  duration,  it  was  ascertained  that 
the  town  was  under  a  legal  obligation  to  purchase  the  farm 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  267 

belonging  to  Humphrey  Devereux,  Esq.  The  farm  was  ac- 
cordingly purchased  for  the  sum  of  fl3,000.  Two  years 
later  the  farm  was  sold  for  111,000,  and  the  money  was 
turned  over  to  the  treasurer,  the  town  losing  $2,000  by  the 
transacrton. 

The  date  of  the  regular  establishment  of  stage  communi- 
cation between  Marblehead  and  Boston  was  about  the  year 
1768.  The  establishment  of  a  regular  line  of  stages  be- 
tween Marblehead  and  Salem,  however,  did  not  take  place 
until  twenty- six  years  later.  The  first  proprietor  of  a  line 
of  stages  in  Marblehead,  of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge, 
was  Mr.  Hooker  Osgood,  who  drove  regularly  to  Boston  for 
many  years  previous  to  the  War  of  1812.  He  died  in  1811, 
and  the  business  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  Israel  Putnam 
and  Jonathan  Cass.  This  firm  subsequently  sold  out  to  a 
company,  under  whose  management  the  business  was  con- 
ducted for  several  years.  Upon  the  abandonment  of  the 
enterprise  by  the  company,  Mr.  Cass  resumed  the  business, 
with  Mr.  Increase  H.  Brown  as  a  partner.  In  1829,  Mr. 
Cass  withdrew,  and  Mr.  Brown  entered  into  a  copartnership 
with  Messrs.  Stephen  P.  Hathaway  and  Benjamin  Thomp- 
son, the  style  of  the  firm  being  I.  H.  Brown  &  Co.  A  stage 
was  driven  to  Boston  daily,  and  to  Salem  twice  a  day,  Mr. 
Thompson  being  the  driver  of  the  former,  and  Mr.  Hatha- 
way of  the  latter.  On  the  opening  of  the  Eastern  Railroad 
between  Salem  and  Boston,  in  1838,  the  stage  to  Boston 
was  discontinued,  and,  instead,  stages  were  driven  four  times 
a  day  to  the  Marblehead  Depot,  then  located  in  Swampscott, 
on  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Old  Lynn  Road."  On  the 
opening  of  the  Marblehead  and  Salem  Branch  of  the  East- 
ern Railroad,  in  1839,  the  stage  to  Salem  was  discontinued. 

The  year  1839  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  period  when 
the  fishing  business  of  Marblehead  reached  the  zenith  of  its 
prosperity.  At  that  time  ninety-eight  vessels,  only  three 
of  which  were  under  fifty  tons  burden,  were  employed  in 
the  business,  —  a  larger  number  than  have  ever  sailed  from 
this  port  since  the  time  of  "  Jefferson's  embargo." 


268  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

By  the  will  of  Mr.  A.  S.  Courtis,  who  died  during  the 
year  1839,  the  town  received  a  legacy  of  $5,000,  upon  condi- 
tion of  an  annual  payment  of  live  per  cent,  to  his  three  heirs 
during  their  lifetime.  At  the  death  of  the  last  heir  the 
whole  amount  was  to  revert  to  the  town  for  the  purchase  of 
school-books  and  stationery  for  poor  children.  A  committee 
chosen  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration  reported  that 
the  heirs  had  offered  to  compromise  with  the  town  for  the 
sum  of  f  500,  and  it  was  voted  to  accept  the  proposition. 

The  presidential  contest  of  1840,  known  as  the  "Hard 
Cider  Campaign,"  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  and  mem- 
orable in  the  history  of  the  country.  President  Van  Buren 
was  renominated  by  the  Democrats  ;  against  him  the  Whigs 
placed  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  a  man  of  great 
popularity  by  reason  of  his  services  on  the  northwestern 
frontier  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  struggle  in  Marble- 
head  was  marked  by  an  unusual  degree  of  bitterness  and 
intolerance.  The  enthusiasm  of  partisans  was  aroused  to 
the  highest  pitch,  and  in  many  instances  the  reason  of 
voters  was  obscured  by  prejudice  and  personal  feeling.  Po- 
litical meetings  were  held  every  day  and  evening  during  the 
campaign.  The  meetings  of  the  Whigs  were  held  in  a  "  Log 
Cabin,"  which  they  had  erected  on  the  estate  now  owned  by 
John  S.  Martin,  Esq.,  on  Pleasant  Street,  while  the  Demo- 
crats held  their  meetings  in  a  "  Pavilion  "  on  the  Common. 
The  .contest  resulted  in  the  election  of  General  Harrison,  by 
a  large  majority. 

The  question  of  slavery,  which  had  occupied  the  attention 
of  thinking  men  throughout  the  country  to  a  greater  or  less 
degree  ever  since  the  close  of  the  War  for  Independence,  was 
now  again  brought  before  the  people.  Anti-slavery  con- 
ventions were  held  in  all  the  Northern  and  Western  States, 
and  though  not  largely  attended,  were  beginning  to  have  a 
perceptible  effect  in  moulding  public  opinion.  In  February, 
1841,  an  Anti-slavery  convention  was  held  at  Georgetown, 
Mass.,  and  as  a  result  of  its  deliberations  the  political  organi- 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  269 

zation  known  as  the  Liberty  Party  came  into  existence. 
This  party  advocated  the  total  aboHtion  of  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  over  which  Congress  had  the  sole 
legislative  power.  The  only  person  from  Marblehead  who 
attended  the  convention  at  Georgetown  was  Mr.  Samuel 
Goodwin,  a  gentleman  who  had  long  been  an  earnest  and 
outspoken  abolitionist.  Three  years  later,  at  the  presiden- 
tial election  of  1844,  six  votes  were  cast  in  Marblehead  for 
the  candidates  of  the  Liberty  Party.  The  voters  were  : 
Samuel  Goodwin,  Ambrose  Allen,  Robert  P.  Stevens, 
George  Pedrick,  Thomas  M.  Goodwin,  and  John  Dennis. 
These  gentlemen  appeared  regularly  at  the  polls  at  each  re- 
curring State  election,  and  their  party  gradually  increased  to 
fifteen  members.  For  years  they  made  little  or  no  progress, 
but  with  steady  resolution  and  firm  devotion  to  principle, 
they  maintained  their  organization,  forming  the  nucleus  of 
the  great  Anti-slavery  party  which,  under  two  names,  has 
assumed  such  proportions  in  Marblehead. 

The  year  1844  was  marked  by  the  erection  of  the  building 
known  as  "  Lyceum  Hall,"  and  by  the  organization  of  two 
of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  societies  in  the  town. 
These  were  Samaritan  Tent  of  Rechabites,  and  Atlantic 
Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  1845,  another  engine  was  added  to  the  fire  depart- 
ment. This  engine  was  the  "  Gerry,"  and  upon  its  recep- 
tion the  Fire  Association  of  that  name  was  organized. 

The  year  1846  marks  a  memorable  period  of  distress  in 
the  annals  of  the  town.  On  the  19th  of  September  of  that 
year,  one  of  the  most  terrible  gales  ever  known  took  place 
on  the  Grand  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  ten  vessels  be- 
longing in  Marblehead,  containing  sixty-five  men  and  boys, 
were  lost.  Forty-three  of  these  unfortunate  seamen  were 
heads  of  families,  leaving  forty-three  widows  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  fatherless  children.  This  great  calamity 
may  be  said  to  have  given  the  death-blow  to  the  fishing  in- 
terests of   the  town.     Gradually  as  the  years  have  passed 


270  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

one  vessel  after  another  has  dropped  from  the  roll  of 
"  Bankers,"  until  only  one  remains  as  a  silent  reminder  of 
the  greatness  of  the  industry  in  former  years. 

In  1848,  the  Marblehead  Seamen's  Charitable  Society 
erected  a  monument  on  the  "  Old  Burying  Hill  "  in  memory 
of  its  deceased  members,  fourteen  of  whom  were  lost  in  the 
September  gale  of  1846.  The  monument  is  of  white  mar- 
ble, fifteen  feet  high,  and  stands  upon  the  highest  point  of 
ground  on  the  hill,  being  visible  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles 
at  sea. 

The  inhabitants  had  not  recovered  from  the  calamity  of 
1846  when  another  of  a  different  nature,  but  not  less  appall- 
ing, cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  community.  The  presi- 
dential campaign  of  1848  had  nearly  drawn  to  its  close, 
when  on  Thursday  evening,  November  2,  two  large  political 
gatherings  were  held  at  Salem.  The  Hon.  Daniel  Webster 
was  advertised  to  address  the  Whigs,  and  Gen.  Caleb  Cush- 
ing  the  Democrats.  Special  trains  were  run  to  Salem  from 
all  the  towns  in  the  vicinity,  and  more  than  two  hundred 
citizens  of  Marblehead  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity 
to  listen  to  the  eloquence  of  the  great  orators.  At  twelve 
o'clock  that  night,  as  the  Marblehead  train  was  returning 
from  Salem,  a  collision  took  place  with  the  down  train  from 
Lynn.  The  engine,  tender,  and  forward  car  of  the  Marble- 
head train  were  utterly  demolished.  Six  of  the  occupants 
of  the  car  were  killed,  and  five  were  seriously  wounded. 
The  killed  were,  Henry  G.  Trefry,  Samuel  Manning,  John 
Stevens,  Nathaniel  Roundy,  John  Cross,  and  John  Cloon 
Russell.  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Brown  was  maimed  for  life,  hav- 
ing both  legs  broken.  Messrs.  Francis  Curtis,  Edmund 
Glover,  Thomas  Clothey,  and  Asa  Hooper,  were  seriously 
wounded  ;  and  several  others,  including  the  engineer,  were 
slightly  injured. 

During  the  year  1849,  the  ship  Robert  Hooper,  owned  by 
Mr.  Edward  Kimball,  was  constructed  at  "  Red  Stone  " 
Cove.     The   launching,  which  took  place  on   the  31st  of 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  27i 

October,  was  witnessed  by  bundreds  of  people,  many  of 
wbom  came  from  tbe  neigbboring  cities  and  towns.  Busi- 
ness was  generally  suspended,  and  tbe  day  was  observed  as 
a  boliday  tbrougbout  tbe  town.  Tbe  enterprise  tbus  begun, 
for  a  time  gave  promise  of  becoming  one  of  tbe  permanent 
industries  of  tbe  town.  Six  otber  sbips  of  from  eigbt  bun- 
dred  to  twelve  bundred  tons  burden  were  subsequently  built 
for  Mr.  Kimball ;  and  witbin  a  period  of  nine  years  twenty 
scboouers  of  from  eigbty-seven  to  one  bundred  and  twelve 
tons  burden  were  built  for  various  persons  engaged  in  tbe 
fisbing  business. 

In  1850,  a  Hook  and  Ladder  Carriage  was  purcbased  and 
placed  in  tbe  fire  department.  It  was  named  tbe  "  Wash- 
ington," and  a  company  was  organized  for  its  management. 

During  tbe  following  year,  tbe  present  almshouse  was 
erected  by  vote  of  tbe  town. 

For  several  years  tbe  "  Manifestations,"  at  Rochester, 
New  York,  had  engaged  public  attention,  and  during  tbe 
year  1852,  several  families  in  town  avowed  themselves  as 
believers  in  tbe  doctrines  of  Spiritualism.  Seances  were 
at  first  held  at  tbe  residence  of  Mr.  John  Lefavour,  on  Bea- 
con Street,  and  subsequently  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Samuel 
B.  Gregory,  opposite  the  Common,  and  at  that  of  the  Hon. 
Frederick  Robinson,  on  Sewall  Street.  A  few  years  later 
public  lectures  were  regularly  given  at  Shawmut  Hall.  A 
society  of  Spiritualists  was  subsequently  organized,  and  ex- 
isted several  years.  It  finally  disbanded,  however,  and  for 
some  years  the  seances  have  been  held  at  private  houses. 

In  1852,  the  Infantry  Company  known  as  the  Glover 
Light  Guards  was  organized.  The  first  captain  was  Mr. 
William  H.  Hooper,  a  descendant  of  General  Glover. 

On  the  31st  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Moses  A.  Pickett,  a 
gentleman  who  had  for  years  been  a  noted  character  in  the 
town  from  his  odd,  eccentric  manners,  died  and  was  buried. 
The  event  attracted  little  or  no  attention  at  the  time  be- 
yond tbe  circle   of  his  few  immediate  relatives  and  friends ; 


272  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

but  when  his  will  was  opened  it  was  found  that  he  had  be- 
queathed the  entire  residue  of  his  estate,  after  paying  a  few 
small  legacies,  to  be  used  as  a  fund  "  to  comfort  the  widow 
and  the  fatherless,  the  aged,  the  sick,  and  the  unhappy." 
His  house,  he  directed  should  be  kept  in  repair,  and  "  let  to 
widows  at  a  moderate  rent."  There  was  only  one  provision 
in  the  will,  which  was  that  those  to  whom  his  house  gave 
shelter,  should  be  natives  of  the  town  of  Marblehead.  The 
entire  amount  of  the  bequest  was  about  113,400. 

In  his  lifetime,  Mr.  Pickett  had  been  considered  a  man 
of  a  very  penurious  and  miserly  disposition  ;  but  when  the 
contents  of  the  will  were  made  known,  the  mouths  that  for 
years  had  been  sealed  were  opened.  Then,  for  the  first 
time,  his  quiet  and  unostentatious  charities  were  made 
known.  The  widow,  the  fatherless,  the  aged  and  the  sick, 
had  many  times  been  the  recipients  of  his  never  failing 
help  in  time  of  need.  They  had  not  known  the  name  of 
their  mysterious  benefactor,  and-  the  local  dealers  who  were 
the  almoners  of  his  charity  had  been  pledged  to  secrecy. 
It  was  not  until  he  had  been  called  to  his  reward,  that  his 
fellow-citizens  saw  and  appreciated  the  true  worth  of  the 
man  who  had  lived  among  them. 

The  remainder  of  the  year  1853  is  chiefly  memorable  on 
account  of  the  three  great  military  festivals  which  took  place 
before  it  closed.  On  Tuesday,  June  28,  the  Marblehead 
Light  Infantry,  which  had  adopted  the  name  of  "  Sutton,  " 
in  honor  of  Gen.  William  Sutton,  appeared  under  the  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Knott  V.  Martin.  Among  the  distinguished 
visitors  present  were  His  Excellency  Governor  Clifford,  the 
Hon.  Charles  W.  Upham,  who  at  that  time  represented  the 
Essex  District  in  Congress,  and  a  large  number  of  military 
officers  from  other  towns.  The  Glover  Light  Guards,  under 
Capt.  John  M.  Anderson,  appeared  in  a  grand  parade  on 
the  29th  of  September ;  and  on  the  1 9th  of  October,  the 
Lafayette  Guards,  under  command  of  Capt.  John  Carroll, 
Jr.,  made  a  similar  demonstration.     On  each  of  these  occa- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  273 

sions  the  company  parading  was  presented  with  a  silk  ban- 
ner, the  gift  of  the  ladies  of  the  town. 

The  anniversary  of  American  Independence  had  been 
celebrated  from  time  to  time  with  great  parade,  but  proba- 
bly the  greatest  celebration  of  the  kind  ever  known  in  town 
was  that  which  took  place  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1856.  At 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  that  day,  a  procession  was 
formed  in  seven  divisions,  consisting  of  the  three  military 
companies  ;  the  entire  fire  department ;  all  the  secret  societies 
and  other  organizations ;  the  scholars  of  the  public  schools ; 
the  town  officials  and  their  predecessors  in  office  ;  aged  citi- 
zens in  carriages ;  a  party  of  mounted  Indian  warriors  and 
a  cavalcade  of  horsemen.  Mr.  Joseph  P.  Turner  acted  as 
Chief  Marshal.  The  procession  moved  through  all  the  prin- 
cipal streets  to  the  "  Old  North  Church,"  where  an  oration 
was  delivered  by  W.  C.  Endicott,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  The 
other  exercises  consisted  of  prayer  by  the  Rev.  B.  R.  Allen, 
and  reading  the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  Mr.  Frank- 
lin Knight.  An  ode,  written  for  the  occasion  by  Mrs. 
Maria  L.  Williams,  was  sung  by  the  choir.  In  the  evening 
there  was  a  brilliant  display  of  fij-e-works,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  Boston  pyrotechnist. 

In  1856,  a  lodge  of  the  "  Sons  of  Temperance  "  was  or- 
ganized, known  as  "  Washington  Division  No.  3."  The 
following  year,  the  "  Marblehead  Musical  Association  "  was 
organized. 

In  1858,  several  communicants  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Church  withdrew  from  that  body,  and  organized  the 
society  which  for  nearly  twenty  years  was  known  as  the 
*'  Third  Congregational  Church."  During  the  year  1860  the 
society  erected  the  house  of  worship  known  as  the  "  South 
Church,"  on  the  corner  of  Essex  and  School  streets. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1858,  the  Hibernian  Friendly 
Society  was  organized. 

The  year  1859  was  as  remarkable  for  local  events  as  any 
in  the  history  of  the  town.     On  the  1st  of  January,  a  new 

18 


274  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

engine,  named  the  Mngford,  was  added  to  the  fire  depart- 
ment. On  the  evening  of  that  day  the  Mugford  Fire  Asso- 
ciation was  organized. 

A  controversy  had  arisen  relative  to  the  purchase  of  an- 
other hand  engine,  and  many  of  the  firemen  were  loud  in 
their  praises  of  a  machine  known  as  the  "  Button-Tub  En- 
gine." The  town  decided  adversely  to  the  proposition,  how- 
ever, and  the  engine  known  as  the  "  General  Glover  "  was 
purchased.  The  General  Glover  Fire  Association  was  or- 
ganized upon  its  reception. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  the  Waterside  Cemetery  was 
consecrated  with  appropriate  exercises,  consisting  of  prayer, 
singing,  and  an  address  by  the  Rev.  Benjamin  R.  Allen, 
pastor  of  the  North  Congregational  Church. 

On  the  29th  of  the  same  month  a  destructive  fire  broke 
out  on  State  Street,  destroying  two  buildings,  and  seriously 
damaging  several  others.  The  loss  was  about  five  thousand 
dollai-s. 

For  several  years,  the  citizens  professing  the  faith  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  had  maintained  occasional  services 
at  private  houses  and  in  various  halls  in  town,  going  to  Sa- 
lem to  receive  the  holy  communion.  In  1859,  the  church 
"  Star  of  the  Sea  "  was  erected,  and  since  that  time  services 
have  been  regularly  held.  During  the  same  year  Washing- 
ton Lodge  of  Good  Templars  and  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  were  organized. 

The  year  1860  was  not  less  eventful  than  the  previous 
year  had  been.  On  the  26th  of  January,  a  large  building 
on  Essex  Street,  known  as  Bassett's  Hall,  was  totally  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  This  hall  had  been  erected  but  a  short  time 
before,  and  was  dedicated  to  the  use  of  the  Spiritualists  of 
the  town.  The  house  of  the  "  General  Glover  Fire  Asso- 
ciation "  was  also  destroyed.  Another  house  was  soon 
erected  on  Pleasant  Street  for  the  use  of  the  company,  how- 
ever, and  at  the  same  time  a  house  was  erected  on  State 
Street  for  the  use  of  the  "  Gerry  Fire  Association." 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  275 

A  reduction  of  the  price  paid  for  labor  by  the  shoe  man- 
ufacturers of  Lynn  and  Marblehead,  in  the  spring  of  this 
year,  resulted  in  one  of  the  greatest  strikes  ever  known  in 
either  place.  Nearly  every  man,  woman,  and  child  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  shoes  in  Marblehead  participated  in 
the  movement,  and  there  was  a  general  determination  not 
to  submit  to  the  reduction.  On  the  2d  day  of  March  the 
"  strikers  "  made  a  grand  demonstration,  and  in  their  parade 
about  town  they  were  escorted  by  the  entire  fire  department 
and  the  three  military  companies.  Five  days  later  a  simi- 
lar demonstration  took  place  in  Lynn,  when  the  shoemakers 
of  Marblehead,  escorted  by  the  firemen  and  military,  visited 
that  city  and  participated  in  the  proceedings.  On  the  29th 
of  March,  the  "  women  strikers  "  paraded  about  town,  and 
one  of  their  number  acted  as  drummer.  With  commendable 
gallantry,  the  firemen  and  the  military  again  tendered  their 
services  as  an  escort,  and  the  affair  passed  off  very  pleasantly 
for  all  concerned.  At  length,  after  a  strike  of  six  weeks  in 
duration,  the  shoemakers  accepted  the  terms  of  the  manu- 
facturers, and  returned  to  their  labor. 

The  presidential  contest  of  this  year  was  as  exciting  in 
Marblehead  as  elsewhere  throughout  the  country.  The  ques- 
tion of  the  extension  of  slavery  was  now  brought  before  the 
people  for  decision  as  it  had  never  been  before.  Four  can- 
didates for  the  presidency  were  in  the  field,  supported  by  as 
many  different  parties.  But  there  is  little  need  of  a  review 
of  this  subject  here.  The  result  is  well  known,  and  another 
chapter  will  treat  of  the  part  taken  by  the  men  of  Marble- 
head in  the  civil  war  which  followed. 


276  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  Xin. 

The  end  of  the  year  1860  closed  a  quarter  of  a  century  of 
great  industrial  development  in  the  history  of  Marblehead. 
For  a  period  of  fifty  years  previous  to  the  year  1835,  not  a 
street  or  road  was  laid  out  in  the  town.  Nearly  every  street 
was  overcrowded  with  houses,  and  there  were  few  vacant 
lots  to  be  obtained  in  the  settled  portion  of  the  township, 
that  were  considered  available  for  building  purposes.  A 
general  apathy  seemed  to  have  settled  over  the  entire  com- 
munity. Those  who  owned  land  would  not  sell  it  for  busi- 
ness enterprises  or  other  purposes,  and,  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence, there  came  to  be  little  or  no  demand  for  it.  In  1835, 
a  new  order  of  things  was  inaugurated.  During  that  year, 
through  the  persistent  efforts  ©f  Mr.  Adoniram  C.  Orne,  a 
road  was  laid  out  by  the  county  commissioners,  which  may 
properly  be  called  an  extension  of  Pleasant  Street.  This 
road  began  at  a  point  near  the  corner  of  Spring  Street,  and 
extended  through  a  field  known  as  the  "tan  yard,"  in  which 
the  "  Brick  Pond "  was  situated,  into  Washington  Street. 
This  was  a  great  improvement,  as  previous  to  that  time 
Pleasant  Street  opened  into  Washington  Street  through 
what  is  now  known  as  Essex  Street. 

With  the  opening  of  the  railroad  to  Salem,  in  1839,  an 
impetus  was  given  to  the  manufacturing  interests  of  the 
town,  and  an  era  of  prosperity  began.  One  of  the  first  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  presented  by  this  ready 
means  of  transportation  by  rail,  was  Mr.  Joseph  R.  Bassett, 
an  energetic  and  enterprising  young  man  who  had  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  shoe  business  a  few  years  before.  As 
his  business  increased  he  built  a  factory  near  the  depot,  and 


OP  MARBLEHEAD. 


277 


beo^an  to  devise  measures  for  the  improvement  of  tlie  town. 
But  in  those  days  the  people  of  Marblehead  were  not  easily- 
convinced  of  the  necessity  of  improvement,  and  Mr.  Bassett 
was  obliged  to  contend  with  the  stubborn  opposition  and 
blind  conservatism  of  his  fellow-citizens.  For  years  a  twine 
factory  or  rope- walk  had  been  situated  in  a  field  fronting  on 
Washington  Street,  and  a  few  feet  back  of  this  building 
there  was  a  tan  yard  and  a  cordage  factory.  The  only- 
access  to  these  buildings  until  another  way  was  opened  by 
the  extension  of  Pleasant  Street,  was  by  means  of  a  narrow 
foot  path  which  led  from  Washington  Street  to  a  gate  at 
the  entrance  to  the  pastures  on  "  Reed's  Hill."  The  first 
venture  of  the  enterprising  shoe  manufacturer  was  to  pur- 
chase the  field  in  which  the  rope-walk  stood,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  foot  path  was  transformed  into  the  street  now 
known  as  School  Street.  The  town  refused  to  sanction  his 
action,  and  would  not  accept  the  street  after  it  was  finished. 
He  was  not  to  be  discouraged,  however,  and  a  short  time 
after  purchased  the  "  Sewall  Lot,"  through  which  a  street 
was  laid  out  from  the  Cornish  and  Evans  estate  to  a  point 
on  "  Reed's  Hill."  This  street  was  accepted  by  the  town 
in  1844,  and  has  since  been  known  as  "Sewall  Street." 
''Spring  Street"  was  laid  out  during  the  following  year, 
and  was  so  named  from  a  spring  of  pure  water  on  the  prem- 
ises. Mr.  Bassett's  next  movement  was  to  lay  out  and  build 
four  streets  over  Reed's  Hill,  and  in  that  vicinity. 

The  question  which  now  perplexed  the  people  was,  "  How 
could  the  house-lots  on  all  these  streets  be  sold,  and  by 
whom  would  they  be  purchased  ?  "  The  problem  was  soon 
solved.  On  every  street  that  he  had  laid  out  Mr.  Bassett 
began  to  build  neat  and  comfortable  cottages,  agreeing  to 
furnish  those  of  his  workmen  who  purchased  them  with 
constant  employment,  and  to  deduct  a  certain  proportion 
from  their  earnings  every  week,  until  the  houses  and  lots 
were  paid  for.  This  proposition  was  readily  accepted  by 
many  of  his  workmen;   and  in  a  few  years  the  entire  seo- 


278  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

tion   in  the  vicinity  of   the  new  streets  was  covered  with 
houses. 

Though  actively  engaged  in  enterprises  which  were  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  of  a  public  nature,  Mr.  Bassett  did 
not  neglect  his  own  business.  With  the  keen  foresight  of  a 
shrewd  business  man,  he  made  use  of  every  new  invention 
as  it  appeared,  and  the  effect  was  soon  apparent  in  the  in- 
creasing proportions  of  his  business.  In  1844  he  introduced 
the  first  sewing-machine  ever  used  in  the  town.  It  was 
used  for  stitching  uppers,  Miss  Hannah  Johnson,  a  young 
woman  at  work  in  his  factory,  being  the  first  operator.  Pre- 
vious to  this  time,  all  the  shoes  manufactured  in  town  had 
been  made  entirely  by  hand.  With  the  introduction  of  the 
sewing-machine  other  possibilities  were  suggested  and  the 
idea  was  conceived  of  using  it  for  binding  shoes  as  well  as 
stitching  them.  The  work  was  at  first  performed  by  stitch- 
ing the  binding  on  one  side  of  the  upper  with  the  machine, 
and  then  turning  it  over  and  sewing  it  down  on  the  other 
side  by  hand.  This  was  not  a  very  satisfactory  method, 
however,  and  finally  Mr.  Bassett  succeeded  in  inventing  a 
"  binding  attachment "  fof  the  machine.  The  "  binder,"  as 
it  was  called,  was  made  from  an  old  pewter  spoon  which  had 
been  filed  and  bent  into  the  requisite  shape.  But  it  per- 
formed its  work  well,  and  was  as  successful  as  if  made  from 
some  more  pretentious  material. 

During  the  year  1847,  Mr.  Bassett  erected  a  steam  saw- 
mill on  the  shore  in  the  section  known  as  the  ship-yard. 
This  was  for  the  manufacture  of  wooden  shoe-boxes ;  but  it 
had  an  effect  little  dreamed  of,  even  by  its  sanguine  projector. 
The  necessity  of  a  good  road  to  the  mill  suggested  the  lay- 
ing out  of  streets,  and  the  founding  of  a  new  settlement. 
The  idea  was  speedily  put  in  execution.  A  large  tract  of 
land  in  the  vicinity  was  purchased,  and  Commercial  Street, 
the  two  streets  running  parallel  with  it,  and  the  cross  streets 
intervening,  were  laid  out.  Two  years  later,  the  street  lead- 
ing over  the  hill,  known  as  "  Prospect  Street,"  was  laid  out. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  279 

The  growth  of  the  settlement  in  this  section  was  hardly 
less  rapid  than  that  of  those  near  the  depot  and  on  "Reed's 
Hill."  As  before,  houses  were  erected  and  sold  to  working- 
men  at  reasonable  prices,  and  in  a  short  time  there  was  a 
villao;e  of  comfortable  homes  where  once  had  been  vacant 
fields  and  pasture  lands. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  write  of  the  large  buildings  erected 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  depot  during  these  and  the  years  that 
followed.  We  have  already,  perhaps,  devoted  too  much 
space  to  the  doings  of  one  man.  But  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  to  him,  more  than  to  any  other  person,  the  citi- 
zens of  Marblehead  are  indebted  for  the  growth  and  indus- 
trial development  of  their  community.  During  the  great 
panic  of  1857  he  w^as  the  only  manufacturer  who  did  not 
close  his  factory.  Hundreds  of  workingmen  were  thrown 
out  of  employment,  and  in  their  extremity  all  looked  to 
him.  He  employed  them  all,  nearly  the  entire  laboring 
population,  and  by  his  persistent  energy  averted  the  suffer- 
ins  and  distress  that  otherwise  must  have  been  inevitable.^ 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  write  of  men  still  living.  Their 
mistakes,  their  weaknesses,  and  their  faults  are  brought 
prominently  to  view  even  in  praising  their  virtues  ;  and  few 
men  have  lived  who  have  not  made  enemies.  So,  perhaps, 
with  this  man.  He  has  undoubtedly  made  mistakes,  been 
guilty  of  indiscretions,  and  shown  many  grievous  faults. 
But  with  these  we  have  nothing  to  do.  The  record  of  his 
career  while  a  resident  of  Marblehead  bears  evidence  that 
he  has  not  lived  for  himself  alone,  and  it  is  ours  only  to  rec- 
ognize in  him  the  public-spirited  citizen  who  did  what  he 
could  for  the  good  of  the  community. 

There  were  other  manufacturers  who  were  contemporaries 
with  Mr.  Bassett,  during  all  these  years.  Of  some  of  them 
we  have  already  written,  and  space  will  permit  mention  of 
but  two  of  the  principal  firms.  These  were  the  Messrs. 
William  T.  Haskell  &  Co.,  and  Joseph  Harris  &  Sons. 
1  He  had  700  hands  at  work. 


280  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  founders  of  both  these  firms  began  business  as  poor 
men.  It  is  said  of  Mr.  Haskell  that  he  obtained  the  money 
■with  which  he  established  his  business  by  a  fortunate  rise  in 
the  price  of  wood.  He  was  a  clerk  in  his  father's  grocery 
store,  and  one  day  a  coaster  with  a  load  of  wood  arrived  in 
the  harbor,  and  the  owner,  after  vainly  endeavoring  to  sell 
his  load,  turned  it  over  to  young  Haskell,  telling  him  that 
all  the  money  he  could  obtain  for  it  over  a  certain  amount 
should  be  his  own.  Shortly  after,  there  was  a  scarcity  of 
wood  in  the  market,  and  the  load  was  sold  for  a  good  price. 
With  the  capital  thus  obtained,  the  young  man  at  once  be- 
gan the  manufacture  of  shoes.  His  first  place  of  business 
was  in  a  building  on  the  corner  of  Front  and  State  streets. 
He  subsequently  removed  to  a  building  on  Washington 
Street,  near  the  "  Lee  Mansion,"  and  finally  to  a  small 
building  on  Pleasant  Street,  which  was  enlarged  from  time 
to  time  as  his  business  increased.  In  this  building  he  con- 
ducted liis  business  during  the  remainder  of  the  period  of 
his  residence  in  Marblehead.^  Mr.  Haskell  was  eminently 
successful  as  a  business  man.  By  his  energy  and  persever- 
ance he  built  up  an  industry  which  gave  employment  to 
hundreds  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  brought  to  him  a  rich 
reward, 

Mr.  Joseph  Harris,  the  founder  of  the  firm  of  Joseph  Har- 
ris &  Sons,  began  business  in  the  year  1841.  His  workshop 
was  an  upper  chamber  of  his  dwelling-house  on  Harris's 
Court,  where  for  years  he  conducted  his  business.  The  sons 
of  INIr.  Harris,  of  whom  he  had  a  large  family,  entered 
heartily  and  with  the  utmost  sympathy  into  all  the  plans  he 
projected.  With  untiring  industry  they  toiled,  making  all 
the  shoes  manufactured  by  their  father,  until,  by  rigid  econ- 
omy and  self-denial,  they  laid  the  foundation  of  a  successful 
business.  As  the  business  increased,  a  large  number  of 
workmen  were  employed,  and  a  factory  was  erected  on 
Pleasant  Street.  This  building  was  enlarged  from  time  to 
1  He  removed  his  business  to  Lynn  in  1861. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  281 

time,  until  it  became  one  of  the  largest  shoe  manufactories 
in  the  to\vn. 

The  shoes  manufactured  in  Marblehead  during  the  pe- 
riod of  which  we  write,  were  made  almost  entirely  outside 
the  factories.  The  uppers  were  cut  under  the  supervision 
of  a  foreman  in  these  buildings  ;  but  this  was  about  the 
only  portion  of  the  work  performed  there.  The  shoes 
were  generally  given  out  in  sets  of  thirty-six  and  seventy- 
two  pairs  each,  to  be  stitched  and  bound  by  the  deft  hands 
and  nimble  fingers  of  the  young  women.  The  homes  in  the 
old  town  were  "  hives  of  industry  "  in  those  days,  and  pre- 
sented a  most  cheerful  appearance.  Having  first  performed 
their  regular  daily  duties  as  beseemed  good  housekeepers, 
the  mother  and  her  daughters  were  accustomed  to  sit  down 
vnth  their  work-baskets  and  prepare  the  uppers  which  were 
to  be  made  into  shoes  by  the  father  and  brothers.  In  some 
instances,  too,  the  happy  laugh  and  merry  song  of  the 
maiden  proved  that  the  shoes  she  bound  were  for  the  hands 
of  some  one  dearer  than  a  brother.  These  were  exceptional 
cases,  however,  for  generally,  when  prepared,  the  uppers 
were  carried  to  the  factoiy,  from  whence  they  found  their 
way  in  company  with  soles  and  thread  and  lasts  into  the 
small  shops  with  which  the  town  abounded.  Once  there, 
the  various  parts  began  to  assume  shape.  The  soles  were 
wet  and  "  skived  "  and  "  rounded  on  "  ;  —  they  had  no  pat- 
terns then  ;  —  the  " stiffenings "  were  wet  and  "skived"  and 
pasted  in  ;  the  upper  was  lasted  to  the  soles  and  sewed  ;  the 
shoe  was  dried  and  turned  and  beat  out ;  the  edges  were  prop- 
erly blacked  and  "  slicked ;  "  the  bottoms  were  scraped 
and  sand-papered  and  chalked ;  the  sole  linings  were  pasted 
in  ;  the  shoes  were  strung  into  pairs,  and  the  set  was  fin- 
ished. This  work  was  all  performed  by  one  man,  but  it 
took  several  days,  perhaps  a  week,  to  do  it.  The  shoes 
were  then  neatly  packed  in  a  basket  and  returned  to  the 
factory,  when  the  work,  if  satisfactory,  was  paid  for,  and 
another  lot  was  given. 


282  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Has  it  ever  occurred  to  the  reader  that  the  little  shops, 
■with  their  groups  of  six  or  eight  workmen,  were  educa- 
tional institutions  ?  Perhaps  not ;  but  they  were,  neverthe- 
less, and  their  influence  was  hardly  less  apparent  than  that 
of  the  public  schools.  The  shoemakers  of  Marblehead  were 
generally  men  of  very  limited  education ;  yet  they  were  men 
of  sound  judgment,  and  were  well  informed  upon  all  the 
great  political  questions  of  the  day.  This  was  from  their 
constant  practice  of  having  the  newspapers  read  to  them 
while  at  their  work.  Sometimes  the  editorials  and  speeches 
provoked  a  partisan  discussion,  when  both  sides  of  the  ques- 
tion at  issue  were  ably  argued.  Nor  were  the  newspapers 
the  only  sources  of  information  of  which  they  availed  them- 
selves. Books  of  history,  biography,  and  travel  found  their 
way  into  the  shops  occasionally,  and  were  read  to  willing 
auditors,  perchance  by  some  school-boy,  delighted  at  the 
prominence  which  the  opportunity  gave  him. 

With  the  introduction  of  the  sewing-machine,  the  divis- 
ion of  labor  and  the  factory  system  began.  This  has  had 
the  effect  to  abolish  nearly  all  outside  labor.  It  was  very 
gradual  in  its  growth,  beginning  first  with  having  a  certain 
proportion  of  the  uppers  stitched  or  bound  in  the  factory. 
Then,  in  1859,  came  the  McKey  sewing-machine,  intro- 
duced by  Mr.  Bassett  for  sewing  uppers  to  the  soles. 
Compo  work  began  at  about  the  same  time ;  but  as  only 
the  first  of  these  innovations  had  made  ver^^  great  progress 
in  the  town  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1860,  let  us  leave  the 
new  system  to  a  later  period  for  consideration. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  283 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  opening  of  the  year  1861  found  the  people  of  the 
United  States  excited  as  they  had  never  been  before,  over 
the  questions  of  slavery  and  State  sovereignty.  The  presi- 
dential contest  of  1860,  which  was  unequaled  in  the  history 
of  the  country  for  the  sectional  prejudice  manifested  by  the 
pro-slavery  advocates  of  the  South,  and  the  anti-slavery 
men  of  the  North,  had  resulted  in  the  election  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  the  candidate  of  the  Republican  party. 
From  the  well-known  principles  of  his  party,  it  was  pre- 
sumed that  the  policy  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  administration  would 
be  to  oppose  the  extension  of  slavery  into  the  territories. 
The  result  of  the  election  produced  the  most  intense  excite- 
ment throughout  the  slave-holding  States.  On  the  20th  of 
December  the  State  of  South  Carolina  passed  an  ordinance 
of  secession  from  the  Union  ;  and  this  action  was  followed 
in  rapid  succession  by  the  States  of  Mississippi,  Florida, 
Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana,  and  Texas.  On  the  4th  of 
February,  1861,  a  convention  of  delegates  from  the  seceding 
States  was  held  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  a  provisional  gov- 
ernment was  formed  under  the  style  of  the  Confederate 
States  of  America.  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  was 
afterward  chosen  President,  and  Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of 
Georgia,  Vice-president. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  public  affairs  when,  on  the 
4th  of  March,  President  Lincoln  was  inaugurated.  Seven 
States  had  already  severed  their  connection  with  the  Union, 
and  others  were  evidently  on  the  verge  of  adopting  the 
ordinance  of  secession. 

For  several  months  the  seceding  States  had  been  making 


284  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

active  and  warlike  preparations.  Nearly  all  the  United 
States  forts  and  arsenals  within  the  boundaries  of  these 
States  had  been  seized  and  fortified,  and  a  large  proportion 
of  the  arms,  ammunition,  and  military  stores  belonging  to 
the  General  Government  were  in  their  possession.  On  the 
12th  of  April,  General  Beauregard,  commanding  the  Con- 
federate forces  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  opened  fire  on  Fort 
Sumpter,  a  United  States  garrison  commanded  by  Major 
Robert  Anderson,  in  the  harbor  of  that  city.  Major  Ander- 
son and  the  small  force  under  his  command  fought  nobly  in 
defense  of  their  flag  ;  but  at  length,  after  sustaining  a  bom- 
bardment which  continued  two  days  without  cessation, 
while  their  fort  was  on  fire,  and  the  magazines  were  begin- 
ning to  explode  about  them,  they  were  obliged  to  surrender 
and  evacuate. 

The  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumpter  aroused  the  entire 
North  to  action.  The  great  civil  war  which  had  so  long 
been  threatened  could  no  longer  be  averted,  and  in  every 
town  and  hamlet,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  the  peo- 
ple rose  as  one  man  to  defend  the  integrity  of  the  Union. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  President  Lincoln  issued  his  first 
proclamation  calling  for  seventy-five  thousand  militia  for  a 
three  months'  service.  The  news  was  received  in  Marble- 
head  late  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  and  the  three  militia 
companies  were  at  once  notified  by  their  respective  com- 
manders to  be  in  readiness  to  take  the  early  morning  train 
for  Boston.  These  companies  were :  The  Marblehead  Sut- 
ton Light  Infantry,  Company  C,  Eighth  Regiment,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Knott  V.  Martin ;  the  Lafayette  Guards, 
Company  B,  Eighth  Regiment,  commanded  by  Capt.  Rich- 
ard Phillips;  and  the  Glover  Light  Guards,  Company  H, 
Eighth  Regiment,  commanded  by  Capt.  Francis  Boardman. 

The  morning  of  Tuesday,  the  16th  of  April,  broke  cold 
and  stormy.  Notwithstanding  the  rain  and  sleet  which 
rendered  the  cold  weather  uncomfortable  in  the  extreme, 
the  streets  of  Marblehead  were  filled  with  an  excited  throng 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  285 

of  people.  Wives  and  mothers  and  fathers  and  children 
were  represented  there  in  the  dense  ci'owd,  all  anxious  to 
speak  a  farewell  word  to  the  soldiers  on  their  departure. 
The  first  companies  to  leave  town  were  those  commanded 
by  Captains  Martin  and  Boardman,  which  marched  to  the 
depot  and  took  the  half-past  seven  o'clock  train  for  Boston. 
Captain  Phillips'  company  took  the  train  which  left  Marble- 
head  about  an  hour  and  a  half  later. 

As  the  trains  slowly  left  the  depot,  the  cheers  of  the 
assembled  multitude  were  reechoed  by  the  soldiers  in  the 
cars.  "  God  bless  you  !  "  "  Good-by  !  *'  resounded  on  all 
sides  ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  last  car  had  disappeared  in 
the  distance,  that  the  great  crowd  began  to  disperse. 

Of  the  arrival  of  the  Marblehead  companies  in  Boston,  in 
response  to  the  President's  call  for  troops,  there  is  little  need 
for  us  to  write.  The  testimony  of  such  eminent  witnesses 
as  Adjutant-general  Schouler,  and  General  E.  W.  Hinks, 
cannot  be  disputed,  and  we  quote  it  verbatim. 

"  There  has  been  some  controversy  in  military  circles," 
wrote  General  Schouler,  "  as  to  which  company  can  claim 
the  honor  of  first  reaching  Boston.  I  can  answer,  that  the 
first  were  the  three  companies  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  be- 
longing to  Marblehead,  commanded  by  Captains  Martin, 
Phillips,  and  Boardman.  I  had  been  at  the  State  House  all 
night ;  and,  early  in  the  morning,  rode  to  the  arsenal  at 
Cambridge,  to  ascertain  whether  the  orders  from  headquar- 
ters, to  send  in  arms,  ammunition,  overcoats,  and  equip- 
ments, had  been  properly  attended  to.  Messengers  had  also 
been  stationed  at  the  different  depots,  with  orders  for  the 
companies,  on  their  arrival,  to  proceed  at  once  to  Faneuil 
Hall,  as  a  northeasterly  storm  of  sleet  and  rain  had  set  in 
during  the  night,  and  had  not  abated  in  the  morning.  On 
my  return  from  Cambridge,  I  stopped  at  the  Eastern  Rail- 
road depot.  A  large  crowd  of  men  and  women,  notwith- 
standing the  storm,  had  gathered  there,  expecting  the  arrival 
of  troops.    Shortly  after  eight  o'clock,  the  train  arrived  with 


286  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

the  Marblehead  companies.  They  were  received  with  deaf- 
ening shouts  from  the  excited  throng.  The  companies  im- 
mediately formed  in  line,  and  marched  by  the  flank  directly 
to  Faneuil  Hall,  the  fifes  and  drums  playing  "  Yankee 
Doodle,"  the  people  following  and  shouting  like  madmen, 
and  the  rain  and  sleet  falling  piteously  if  to  abate  the 
ardor  of  the  popular  welcome.  And  thus  it  was  the  Marble- 
head  men  entered  Faneuil  Hall  on  the  morning  of  the  16th 
of  April."  1 

The  testimony  of  General  Hinks,  who  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war  was  Lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Eighth  Regiment, 
is  interesting  as  an  important  historical  statement,  and  is  as 
follows  :  — 

"  On  Monday,  A^jril  15,  1861,  at  quarter-past  two  o'clock, 
in  reply  to  an  offer  of  my  services  made  in  the  morning  of 
that  day,  I  received  from  Governor  Andrew  a  verbal  com- 
mand to  summon  the  companies  of  the  Eighth  Regiment,  by 
his  authority,  to  rendezvous  at  Faneuil  Hall  at  the  earliest 
possible  hour.  Leaving  Boston  on  the  half-past  two  o'clock 
train,  I  proceeded  to  Lynn,  and  personally  notified  the  com- 
manding officers  of  the  two  companies  in  that  city,  and  from 
thence  telegraphed  to  Captain  Bartlett,  at  Newburyport, 
and  Captain  Centre,  of  Gloucester,  and  then  drove  to  Bev- 
erly, and  summoned  the  company  there ;  and  from  thence 
hastened  to  Marblehead,  where  I  personally  notified  the 
commanding  officers  of  the  three  Marblehead  companies.  I 
found  Captain  Martin  in  his  slaughter-house,  with  the  car- 
cass of  a  hog,  just  killed,  and  in  readiness  for  the  "  scald." 
On  communicating  to  the  captain  my  orders,  I  advised  him 
to  immediately  cause  the  bells  of  the  town  to  be  rung,  and 
to  get  all  the  recruits  he  could.  Taking  his  coat  from  a 
f)eg,  he  seemed  for  a  moment  to  hesitate  about  leaving  his 
business  unfinished,  and  then  turned  to  me,  and  with  words 
of  emphatic  indifference  in  regard  to  it,  put  the  garment  on, 
with  his  arms  yet  stained  with  blood  and  his  shirt-sleeves 

1  Massachusetls  in  the  Civil  War,  p.  50. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  287 

but  half  rolled  down,  and  with  me  left  the  premises  to  rally 
bis  company. 

"  On  Tuesday,  April  16,  I  was  directed  to  remain  on 
duty  at  Faneuil  Hall,  and  during  the  forenoon  the  following 
named  companies  arrived  there  and  reported  for  duty,  to 
wit :  — 

"  1.  Companies  C,  Eighth  Regiment,  forty  muskets,  Capt. 
Knott  V.  Martin,  and  H,  Eighth  Regiment,  Capt.  Francis 
Boardman,  both  of  Marblehead,  which  place  they  left  at 
half-past  seven  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  arrived  in  Boston  at  about 
nine  o'clock. 

"  2.  Company  D,  Fourth  Regiment,  thirty-two  muskets, 
Sergt.  H.  F.  Wales,  of  Randolph,  left  home  about  nine 
o'clock,  and  arrived  at  about  ten  A.  M. 

"  3.  Company  B,  Eighth  Regiment,  forty  muskets,  Capt. 
Richard  Phillijjs,  of  Marblehead,  left  home  at  nine  o'clock, 
and  arrived  in  Faneuil  Hall  about  eleven  A.  M " 

"  The  above  is  substantially  a  true  record,  as  will  appear 
by  reference  to  the  files  of  the  '  Journal '  of  that  date,  and 
is  prompted  only  by  a  desire  to  do  justice  to  Captain  Mar- 
tin and  the  patriotic  men  of  Marblehead,  who,  on  the  out- 
break of  the  Rebellion,  were  the  first  to  leave  home,  the 
first  to  arrive  in  Boston,  and  subsequently,  under  my  com- 
mand, the  first  to  leave  the  yard  of  the  Naval  Academy 
at  Annapolis,  to  repair  and  relay  the  track  in  the  march 
through  Maryland  to  relieve  the  beleaguered  capitol  of  the 
Nation." 

On  the  morning  after  the  departure  of  the  companies, 
thirty  more  men  left  Marblehead  to  join  them.  The  great- 
est enthusiasm  prevailed  throughout  the  town,  and  men 
everywhere  were  ready  and  anxious  to  enlist.  Of  the  patri- 
otic spirit  of  the  people,  no  better  evidence  can  be  given 
than  that  contained  in  the  reply  of  Governor  Andrew  to  a 
gentleman  who  asked"  him  if  any  more  men  would  be  needed. 
"For  heaven's  sake,"  replied  the  governor,  "don't  send  any 
more  men  from  Marblehead,  for  it  is  imposing  on  your  good- 
ness to  take  so  many  as  have  already  come  !  " 


288  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  citizens  were  not  less  pi'omj)t  to  act  than  those  who 
had  rallied  for  the  defense  of  the  nation.  On  the  20th  of 
April,  a  town  meeting  was  held  to  provide  for  the  families 
of  the  soldiers,  and  the  old  towui  hall  was  crowded  to  reple- 
tion. Mr.  Adoniram  C.  Orne  was  chosen  moderator.  The 
venerable  town  clerk,  Capt.  Glover  Broughton,  a  veteran  of 
the  War  of  1812,  was  there  beside  the  moderator,  his  hands 
tremulous  with  emotion,  awaiting  the  action  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  "  It  was  voted  that  the  town  treasurer  be  author- 
ized to  hire  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars,  to  be  distrib- 
uted for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  those  who  have  gone 
or  are  going  to  fight  the  battles  of  their  country."  A  com- 
mittee of  five  persons  was  chosen  to  repair  to  the  assessors' 
room,  and  report  the  names  of  ten  persons  to  act  as  distrib- 
utors of  the  fund.  The  town  was  divided  into  districts,  and 
the  following  gentlemen  were  chosen  as  a  distributing  com- 
mittee, namely :  Messi's.  Thomas  Main,  John  J.  Lyon,  Fred- 
erick Robinson,  William  Courtis,  William  Litchman,  Ste- 
phen Hathaway,  Jr.,  James  J.  H.  Gregory,  John  C.  Hamson, 
Jr.,  Richard  Tutt,  Joshua  O.  Bowden. 

No  resolutions  were  adopted.  The  times  called  for  action, 
and  '-'' Factis  non  verbis^''  was  the  motto  of  the  hour.  But 
human  nature  must  find  some  vent  for  enthusiasm,  and  we 
are  informed  in  the  records,  by  the  faithful  clerk,  that  "  three 
cheers  were  then  given."  They  probably  shook  the  building, 
for  genuine  Marbleheaders  are  blessed  with  strong  lungs, 
and  can  never  cheer  by  rule. 

The  patriotism  of  the  ladies  of  Marblehead  at  this  time, 
and  throughout  the  entire  period  of  the  war,  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. With  loving  hearts  and  willing  hands,  they 
contributed  their  time,  their  labor,  and  their  money  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  had"  gone  forth  to  battle.  The  work 
of  some  was  of  a  public  nature,  and  the  deeds  of  these  are 
recorded  ;  but  the  only  record  of  hundreds  who  worked  qui- 
etly in  their  own  homes  was  written  on  the  grateful  hearts 
of  the  soldiers  for  whom  they  labored. 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  289 

On  the  22cl  of  April  a  meeting  of  the  ladies  was  held  at 
tlie  town  hall,  and  a  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  was  organized. 
The  object  was  to  perform  such  work  as  was  necessary  for 
the  comfort  of  the  soldiers,  and  to  furnish  articles  of  clothino-, 
medicines,  and  delicacies  for  use  in  the  hospitals.  Mrs. 
Maria  L.  Williams  was  elected  president.  That  lady  sub- 
sequently resigned,  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Newhall  became 
president,  and  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Oliver,  secretary. 

On  the  following  day,  eighteen  ladies  met  at  the  Sewall 
Grammar  School-house,  on  Spring  Street,  and  organized 
a  committee  to  solicit  money  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers. 
The  following  are  the  names  of  the  ladies  who  composed 
this  committee :  — 

Miss  Mary  E.  Graves,  President. 

Miss  Mary  A.  Alley,  Secretary. 

Miss  Mary  L.  Pitman,  Treasurer. 
Mrs.  Mary  Glover.  Miss  Hannah  J.  Woodfin. 

Mrs.  Hannah  Hidden.  Miss  Lizzie  Cross. 

Miss  Harriet  Newhall.  Miss  Mary  A.  Cross. 

Miss  Tabitha  Trefry.  Mrs.  Hannah  Doak. 

Mrs.  Hannah  J.  Hathaway.  Miss  Alicia  H.  Gilley. 

Mrs.  John  F.  Harris.  Miss  Carrie  Paine. 

Miss  Amy  K.  Prentiss.  Miss  Mary  E.  Homan. 

Miss  Sarah  E.  Sparhawk. 

In  less  than  one  week  from  the  time  of  their  organization 
the  ladies  of  this  committee  had  collected  the  sum  of  $508.17. 
The  teachers  of  the  public  schools  generously  contributed 
six  per  cent,  of  their  salaries  for  the  year  in  aid  of  the  ob- 
ject ;  and  there  was  a  disposition  manifested  by  the  people 
generally,  to  give  something,  however  small  the  amount. 

Stirring  reports  were  now  received  from  the  companies  at 
the  seat  of  war.  The  blockading  of  the  railroad  to  Bal- 
timore by  the  Secessionists ;  the  seizure  of  the  steamer 
Maryland ;  and  the  saving  of  the  old  frigate  Constitu- 
tion, in  which  their  fathers  fought  so  valiantly,  caused  the 
hearts  of  the  people  to  swell  with  pride,  as  they  related  the 

19 


290  THE   HISTORY    AND    TRADITIONS 

story  one  to  another.  The  men  of  Captain  Boardman's  com- 
pany were  the  first  to  board  "  Old  Ironsides,"  and  a  delega- 
tion of  them  helped  to  man  her  on  the  voyage  to  New  York. 
The  sufferings  of  their  soldier  boys,  who  were  obliged  to 
eat  pilot  bread  baked  in  the  year  "  1848,"  brought  tears  to 
the  eyes  of  many  an  anxious  mother.  But  the  tears  were 
momentary  only,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  boys  were  forgot- 
ten in  the  joy  that  Marblehead  soldiers  had  been  permitted 
to  lead  the  advance  on  the  memorable  march  to  Annapolis 
Junction  and  to  relay  the  track  which  had  been  torn  up  to 
prevent  the  passage  of  the  troops.  The  arrival  of  the  troops 
in  Washington  ;  the  new  uniforms  furnished  in  place  of  those 
worn  out  in  eight  days  ;  and  the  quartering  of  soldiers  in 
the  United  States  Capitol  Building,  was  all  related  in  the 
letters  that  came  home. 

Some  of  these  letters  wei'e  so  full  of  patriotic  sentiment 
that  they  should  be  preserved  to  testify  of  the  spirit  of  the 
men  of  Marblehead  who  participated  in  the  struggle  for 
national  life.  We  have  space  only  for  one  of  these,  which 
is  quoted  in  full  because  it  is  so  characteristic  of  the  heroic 
old  veteran  who  wrote  it. 

"  House  of  Representatives, 
Washington  City,  Apr^  27,  18G1, 

"  Bear  Sir :  We  arrived  in  Washington  yesterday  after 
a  great  deal  of  hardship  and  privation,  living  for  thirty-six 
hours  at  a  time  on  one  small  loaf  to  a  man ;  water  a  great 
part  of  the  time  very  scarce,  and  not  of  a  very  good  quality. 
But  the  men  bore  it  almost  without  a  murmur.  The  Eighth 
Regiment  had  the  honor  of  taking  the  noble  old  frigate 
Constitution  out  of  the  dock  at  Annapolis,  and  placing  her 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  Secessionists.  The  Eighth  came 
from  Annapolis  to  Washington,  in  company  with  the  New 
York  Seventh,  —  God  bless  them.  They  shared  with  us  their 
last  morsel ;  and  the  two  regiments  together  have  laid  rail- 
road tracks,  built  bridges,  run  steam-engines,  and  contracted 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  291 

an  eternal  friendship,  which  has  been  cemented  by  deeds  of 
daring  for  each  other.  We  have  encamped  in  corn-fields,  on 
railroad  embankments,  with  one  eye  open  while  sleeping ; 
and  have  opened  R.  R.  communication  between  Annapolis 
and  Washington,  for  all  troops  which  may  hereafter  want 
to  pass  that  way. 

"  Give  my  love  to  all  friends  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and 
my  eternal  hatred  to  its  enemies. 

"  Yours  respectfully, 

"Knott  V.  Maetin. 
«  To  Wm.  B.  Brown,  Esq." 

During  the  latter  part  of  April,  active  measures  were 
taken  to  recruit  another  company  to  join  those  already  in 
the  field.  In  a  few  days  the  "  Mugford  Guards,"  a  full 
company  of  fifty-seven  men,  was  organized,  and  Captain 
Benjamin  Day  was  commissioned  as  commander.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  get  the  new  company  in  readiness  for 
departure  as  soon  as  possible.  The  men  were  without  uni- 
forms, and  the  school  teachers  at  once  voted  to  furnish  the 
materials  for  making  them,  at  their  own  expense.  Mr.  John 
Marr,  the  local  tailor,  offered  his  services  as  cutter,  and 
they  were  gratefully  accepted.  On  Sunday,  May  5,  the 
ladies  of  the  Soldiers  Aid  Society,  with  a  large  number  of 
others,  assembled  at  Academy  Hall,  and  industriously 
worked  throughout  the  entire  day  and  evening  to  make  up 
the  uniforms. 

On  the  following  day,  the  town  voted  to  appropriate  the 
sum  of  $400  to  furnish  the  company  with  comfortable  and 
necessary  clothing. 

On  the  7tli  of  June  another  meeting  was  held,  and  the 
town  voted  to  borrow  a  sum  not  exceeding  ten  thousand 
dollars,  to  be  applied  by  the  selectmen  in  aid  of  the  fami- 
lies of  volunteers. 

On  Sunday,  June  23,  the  Mugford  Guards  attended  di- 
vine service  at  St.  Michael's  Church.    After  an  address  by 


292  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

the  rector,  the  Rev.  Edwin  B.  Chase,  each  man  in  the  com- 
pany was  made  the  recipient  of  a  copy  of  the  "  Book  of 
Common  Prayer." 

On  the  morning  of  Monday,  June  24,  the  new  company 
took  its  departure  for  the  "  seat  of  war."  The  soldiers  were 
escorted  to  the  entrance  of  the  town  by  the  Mugford  Fire 
Association  and  a  large  concourse  of  citizens.  Almost  the 
entire  community  assembled  in  the  streets  to  say  "  fare- 
well," and  to  bid  them  "  God  speed."  On  arriving  at  the 
locality  known  as  the  "  Work-house  Rocks,"  the  procession 
halted,  and  the  soldiers  were  addressed  by  William  B. 
Brown,  Esq.,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens. 

"It  may  soon  be,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  in  conclusion,  "that 
yours  will  be  the  only  entire  company  to  represent  the  town 
of  Marblehead,  for  our  men  who  now  represent  her,  though 
•willing  and  anxious  to  continue  in  the  service,  must  give 
way,  we  are  told,  to  the  hosts  which  are  everywhere  uprising 
and  claiming  a  partnership  in  the  glorious  work  of  redeem- 
ing the  land.  Be  it  so,  if  it  must  be ;  they  have  already 
proved  their  lineage,  and  have  shown  the  jewels  of  bravery 
and  patriotism,  as  undimmed  in  our  crown  through  years  of 
peace  and  plenty  as  when  set  there  by  Mugford,  Glover, 
Tucker,  Gerry,  and  Orne.  They  have  added  new  glory  to 
the  grand  old  flag  for  which  they  fought,  while  they  gath- 
ered inspiration  from  its  grace,  its  beauty,  and  its  history. 
You  are  to  follow  them,  and  for  a  longer  time  !  God  only 
knows  how  long  !  And  the  hour  is  about  to  strike  which 
shall  summon  you  away.  We  offer  you  gladly,  though  in 
tears,  on  the  altar  of  our  country,  —  another  wreath  from 
among  us,  along  with  the  myriads  of  garlands  laid  there  in 
unalterable  devotion  to  Liberty,  Union,  and  Law.  May  no 
flower  or  leaf  be  withered  in  weakness  or  cowardice,  no 
sirocco  of  passion  or  sensuality  blast  its  beauty  or  blemish 
its  perfume ;  but  may  it  be  a  '  joy  forever,'  that  we  may- 
hang  it  up  in  the  chambers  of  our  remembrance  on  your  re- 
turn, as  a  memorial  that  every  member  of  this  company  was 
constant  to  the  cause,  was  manly  and  brave 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  293 

"  But  if  the  fortunes  of  war  —  always  dark  and  uncertain 

—  keep  some  of  you  back  forever,  we  will  take  courage  from 
your  example,  and  stronger  than  ever  stand  by  the  Union 
which,  from  the  day  of  its  birth  until  now,  has  rained  bless- 
ings on  us  all.  The  muster-roll  of  your  gallant  band  is 
written  on  all  our  hearts.  Not  a  man  of  you  shall  be  for- 
gotten, nor  shall  the  loved  ones  you  leave  behind  be  neg- 
lected. Every  name  shall  be  cherished  in  the  fond  hope  of 
return  and  reunion ;  and  if  any  comes  not  back  again,  we 
will  write  them  on  the  virgin  leaves  of  the  history  we  all 
love  and  honor,  we  will  recount  them  to  the  future  as  proofs 
of  your  supreme  devotion  to  Liberty,  and  as  pledges  that 
the  sons  of  Marblehead  shall  be  true  to  her  forever."  ^ 

Captain  Day,  in  reply,  expressed  the  most  patriotic  senti- 
ments in  behalf  of  the  company. 

The  soldiers  embarked  for  Boston  in  wagons  which  were 
in  waiting,  and  departed  amid  the  deafening  cheers  of  the 
citizens. 

On  Thursday,  August  1,  the  three  Marblehead  companies 
arrived  home.  Arrangements  had  been  made  to  give  them 
an  enthusiastic  welcome.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
a  procession  was  formed,  consisting  of  the  Marblehead  Band, 
the  "Home  Guards,"  the  boards  of  town  officers,  the  entire 
fire  department,  and  the  scholars  of  the  public  schools.  An  in- 
teresting feature  of  the  procession  was  thirteen  young  ladies, 
representing  the  original  States,  wearing  white  dresses,  and 
red,  white,  and  blue  veils.  The  arrival  of  the  train  bring- 
ing the  soldiers  was  announced  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  the 

1  It  is  hut  just  to  state  in  this  connection,  that  every  promise  made  by  Mr. 
William  B.  Brown  to  the  soldiers  has  been  — so  far  as  he  is  himself  concerned 

—  sacredly  fulfilled!  For  the  past  eighteen  years  be  has  assiduously  devoted 
his  time  and  attention,  during  the  hours  usually  taken  by  men  of  business  for 
rest  and  recreation,  to  the  service  of  invalid  veterans  of  the  war,  and  the  fami- 
lies of  those  who  were  killed  in  battle,  or  died  ffom  diseases  contracted  in  the 
army  or  navy.  Hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  have  reason  to  bless 
his  name  for  the  pensions  and  State  aid  obtained  through  his  disinterested 
efforts.  He  has  received  no  remuneration  for  his  services,  save  the  love  and 
veneration  of  the  people  of  his  native  town. 


294  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

firing  of  guns,  and  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the  people. 
They  were  received  at  the  depot  at  about  six  o'clock  p.  m., 
and  escorted  to  the  "  Town  House,"  vrhere  an  address  of 
welcome  was  delivered  by  Jonathan  H.  Orne,  Esq.,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  selectmen. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  the  veterans  were 
given  a  grand  reception.  The  procession  was  again  formed, 
and  they  were  escorted  about  town  to  Fort  Sewall,  where  a 
dinner  was  served. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  companies,  Capt.  Knott  V. 
Martin  resigned  as  commander  of  the  Sutton  Light  Infantry, 
and  recruited  a  company  for  the  Twenty-third  Regiment. 
More  than  half  the  members  of  this  company  were  enlisted 
in  Marblehead.  They  left  for  the  seat  of  war  during  the 
month  of  November. 

On  the  21st  of  December  the  town  voted  to  appropriate 
the  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars  in  aid  of  the  families  of 
volunteers. 

The  news  of  the  splendid  triumph  of  General  Burnside 
in  his  expedition  against  North  Carolina,  resulting  in  the 
capture  of  Roanoke  Island  on  the  8th  of  January,  1862,  sent 
a  thrill  of  exultation  through  every  loyal  heart  in  the  coun- 
try. But  the  joy  of  the  people  of  Marblehead  was  turned 
to.  grief  by  the  news  that  three  of  their  bravest  citizens  had 
fallen  in  the  battle.  These  were  Lieut.  John  Goodwin,  Jr., 
Sergt.  Gamaliel  H.  Morse,  and  Private  John  Shaw,  of  Com- 
pany B,  Twenty-third  Regiment.  Messrs.  Goodwin  and 
Shaw  were  killed  instantly ;  but  Mr.  Morse  was  mortally 
wounded  and  died  after  several  days  of  severe  suffering. 

Just  one  month  from  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Roanoke 
Island,  the  famous  battle  took  place  between  the  United 
States  frigates  Cumberland  and  Congress,  and  the  Confed- 
erate Ram  Merrimac,  in  Hampton  Roads,  Virginia.  After 
an  engagement  of  fifteen  minutes  the  Merrimac  ran  into  the 
Cumberland,  crushing  in  her  side.  The  frigate  immediately 
began  to  sink.     Over  one  hundred  of  the  seamen  on  board 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  295 

the  ill-fated  vessel  went  down  in  her  and  found  a  watery- 
grave.  One  of  the  bravest  of  the  heroes  who  lost  their  lives 
in  this  engagement  was  William  B.  Hubbard,  of  Marble- 
head.  He  was  captain  of  one  of  the  guns  on  board  the 
Cumberland.  When  the  ship  was  sinking,  and  death  stared 
them  in  the  face,  the  first  thought  of  many  was  naturally 
that  of  self-preservation.  Not  so  with  Hubbard.  His  pow- 
der-boy had  become  frightened  and  could  not  be  found.  "I 
am  determined  to  have  one  more  shot  at  them  !  "  cried  the 
gallant  Hubbard,  and  immediately  went  below  to  procure 
ammunition.  On  his  return,  as  he  approached  his  gun  to 
reload  it,  a  shot  from  the  enemy  laid  him  on  the  deck.  He 
went  down  with  the  ship,  nobly  dying  at  his  post. 

Among  the  crew  of  the  Cumberland  were  David  Bruce 
and  John  Hazel,  of  Marblehead.  Nathaniel  Roundey  and 
John  Flemming  were  on  board  the  Congress  throughout 
the  action. 

Late  in  the  month  of  April,  the  citizens  received  the 
precious  bodies  of  their  earliest  dead,  the  first  slain  in 
battle.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  they  realized  the  magni- 
tude of  the  sacrifice  to  be  made.  Only  the  life-blood  of 
their  best  and  bravest  could  preserve  the  institutions  for 
which  their  fathers  fought.  The  funeral  services  over  the 
bodies  of  Messrs.  Goodwin  and  Morse  took  place  on  Thurs- 
day, April  24,  at  the  Unitarian  Church.^  The  services  con- 
sisted of  singing  by  the  choir,  prayer  by  the_  Rev.  George 
W.  Patch,  and  an  address  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Calthrop, 
pastor  of  the  church.  The  remains  were  accompanied  to 
their  last  resting-place  in  the  New  Burying  Ground,  by  the 
three  companies  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  belonging  in  Mar- 
blehead, and  a  large  concourse  of  people. 

It  is  seldom  that  heroes  are  so  honored  as  were  these 
dead  soldiers.  His  excellency,  John  A.  Andrew,  the  war 
Governor  of  Massachusetts,  was  there  in  the  procession,  ac- 
companied by  Adjutant-general  Schouler,  and  the  members 
1  The  body  of  Mr.  Shaw  was  not  brought  home. 


296  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

of  his  staff.  ]\Iajor-general  Sutton,  and  the  field  and  staff 
officers  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  were  also  in  attendance. 

On  the  2d  of  July  President  Lincoln  issued  a  call  for 
three  hundred  thousand  more  volunteers  to  serve  for  three 
years,  or  during  the  war.  In  accordance  with  this  call  the 
most  earnest  efforts  were  made  to  procure  recruits  from 
Marblehead.  On  the  19th  of  July  the  town  voted  to  offer 
a  bounty  of  $100  to  every  man  who  would  volunteer  on  the 
quota  of  the  town ;  and  Captains  Richard  Phillips,  Samuel 
C.  Graves,  Francis  Boardman,  Messrs.  Samuel  Roads  and 
John  Goodwin,  were  chosen  a  committee  to  assist  the  select- 
men in  recruiting. 

On  the  31st  of  July  the  town  treasurer  was  authorized  to 
hire  the  sum  of  $14,400,  to  be  used  as  bounties  for  volun- 
teers in  sums  of  $100  each.  A  committee  was  chosen  to 
wait  upon  the  governor  and  request  him  to  appoint  an  ad- 
ditional recruiting  agent.  On  the  1st  of  August  Governor 
Andrew  issued  the  following  permission  to  recruit :  — 

"  In  consequence  of  the  request  of  the  town  of  Marble- 
head,  made  by  a  legal  town  meeting  held  yesterday,  —  a 
copy  of  the  record  of  which  is  handed  me,  attested  by  the 
town  clerk,  —  I  appoint  at  the  nomination  of  the  other  gen- 
tlemen who  came  to  represent  the  town,  Samuel  Roads, 
Esq.,  additional  recruiting  agent  for  Marblehead.  He  will 
cooperate  with  the  town's  committee,  and  use  his  influence 
to  forward  the  enlistment ;  and  I  ask  the  good  people  of 
Marblehead  to  support  and  help  him  with  all  their  hearts 
and  hands." 

]\Ir.  Roads  at  once  established  his  headquarters  at  an 
office  on  Washington  Street,  opposite  the  head  of  Hooper 
Street,  and  the  enlistment  progressed  rapidly.  In  a  short 
time,  sixty-nine  men  had  enrolled  themselves  for  a  service 
of  three  years,  or  during  the  war.  Of  these,  thirty-two 
were  assigned  to  the  Tenth  Battery,  then  recruiting  at 
Lynnfield ;  ten  to  the  Thirty-second  Regiment ;  eight  to 
the  Seventeenth  Regiment ;  seven  to  the  Twenty-third  Reg- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  297 

iment;  and  the  others  were  distributed  among  the  First 
Massachusetts  Cavalry,  and  the  Twentieth,  Twenty-fourth, 
Fortieth,  and  Forty-first  Regiments. 

On  Tuesday,  August  26,  the  town  voted  to  pay  a 
bounty  of  one  hundred  dollars,  "  for  each  volunteer  enlist- 
ing in  the  service  of  the  United  States  for  a  period  of  nine 
months,  until  the  quota  of  the  town  shall  be  full."  It  was 
also  voted  to  "  request  all  shoe  manufacturers,  all  store- 
keepers, and  all  others  to  close  their  places  of  business  each 
day  during  the  remainder  of  the  week,  from  two  o'clock 
P.  M.  to  six  o'clock  P.  M. ;  and  that  all  citizens  be  entreated 
to  abstain  from  customary  labor  during  these  hours,  and 
assist  the  authorized  agent  in  procuring  recruits."  It  was 
ordered  that  the  bells  be  rung  each  day  from  two  o'clock  to 
three  o'clock  P.  M.  The  Marblehead  Band  was  invited  to 
be  present  at  the  town  hall,  and  give  their  services  during 
the  hour  in  which  the  bells  were  to  be  rung. 

On  the  27th  of  September  another  meeting  was  held,  at 
which  it  was  voted  to  pay  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars 
as  a  bounty  to  every  volunteer  enlisting  over  and  above  the 
quota  of  the  town,  for  a  service  of  nine  months.  This  action 
was  intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  two  Marblehead  compa- 
nies, the  Sutton  Light  Infantry,  and  the  Lafayette  Guards. 
A  vote  was  also  passed  restricting  each  company  to  the  num- 
ber of  eighty -four  men.  The  company  known  as  the  Glover 
Light  Guards  was  disbanded  shortly  after  its  return  from 
the  three  months'  campaign,  in  consequence  of  the  enlistment 
of  a  large  proportion  of  its  members  in  the  various  three 
years'  regiments. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  the  Sutton  Light  Infantry, 
under  command  of  Capt.  Samuel  C.  Graves,  and  the  Lafay- 
ette Guards,  under  command  of  Capt.  Richard  Phillips,  left 
the  State  with  the  other  companies  of  the  Eighth  Regiment, 
for  Newbern,  N.  C. 

The  town  had  made  generous  provision  for  the  famihes  of 
soldiers  from  time  to  time,  since  the  beginning  of  the  war. 


298  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

As  the  proportion  of  citizens  who  were  absent  in  the  army 
and  navy  increased,  additional  appropriations  were  foimd 
necessary,  and  in  March,  1863,  the  treasurer  was  authorized 
to  hire  the  sum  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  this  pur- 
pose. 

In  the  spring  of  1863,  Congress  authorized  a  draft  to  ob- 
tain reenforcenients  for  the  army.  A  provost-marshal  was 
apjjointed  for  each  State,  with  an  assistant  in  every  con- 
gressional district.  Mr.  Daniel  H.  Johnson  was  appointed 
marshal  of  the  Essex  District,  with  headquarters  at  Salem. 
A  board  was  also  established  to  make  an  enrollment  of  all 
the  men  in  the  State  between  the  ages  of  twenty  and  forty- 
five  years.  In  May,  Messrs,  John  C.  Hamson  and  Thomas 
Swasey  were  appointed  enrollment  oSicers  for  Marblehead, 
with  instructions  to  return  the  names  of  all  persons  enrolled 
to  the  assistant  provost-marshal,  on  or  before  the  first  day 
of  July.  The  town  was  divided  into  two  districts  for  the 
purpose  of  enrollment,  one  being  on  the  north  side  of  Wash- 
ington Street,  and  the  other  on  the  south  side.  After  a 
thorough  canvass  of  the  town,  the  enrollment  ofiicers  re- 
ported the  names  of  over  twelve  hundred  citizens  of  Marble- 
head  between  the  ages  of  twenty  and  forty-five  years,  and 
therefore  subject  to  conscription. 

The  draft  took  place  at  Lyceum  Hall,  in  Salem,  on  the 
afternoon  of  July  10,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  and  deeply 
interested  audience.  The  names  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
citizens  of  INIarblehead  were  drawn  from  the  box.  Of  these, 
a  large  proportion  were  exempted  by  the  examining  sur- 
geons on  account  of  physical  disability,  or  other  causes. 
Many  procured  substitutes,  and  others  paid  the  commuta- 
tion fee  of  three  hundred  dollars.  A  very  few  —  not  more 
than  twenty,  it  is  said  —  of  the  number  originally  drafted, 
were  mustered  into  the  United  States  service. 

The  draft  was  one  of  the  most  unpopular  acts  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln's  administration.  In  New  York  the  attempt 
to  enforce  the  order  caused  a  serious  riot;    and   only  the 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  299 

prompt  and  decisive  action  of  the  governor  and  the  adjutant- 
general  prevented  a  similar  outbreak  in  the  city  of  Boston. 

When  the  war  broke  out  old  Fort  Sewall  was  in  ruins. 
The  exposed  condition  of  the  harbor,  and  the  fact  that  Con- 
federate gun-boats  were  cruising  about  the  coast,  caused  the 
citizens  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  fortification  of  the 
town.  At  a  town  meeting  held  on  the  15th  of  August,  it 
was  voted  to  appropriate  the  sum  of  f  4,000  to  be  paid  to 
laborers  employed  upon  the  repairs  of  Fort  Sewall.  This 
sum  was  sufficient  to  paj  eacli  of  the  laborers  fifty  cents-  a 
day,  which,  with  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  paid  by 
the  government,  gave  them  a  fair  remuneration  for  their 
labor.  In  a  short  time.  Fort  Sewall  was  thoroughly  re- 
paired and  considerably  enlarged.  The  government  also 
erected  two  other  fortifications,  one  at  the  head  of  the 
harbor  overlooking  River  Head  Beach  and  the  Neck,  known 
as  "  Fort  Glover,  "  and  another  on  Naugus  Head,  overlook- 
ing Salem  Harbor,  known  as  "  Fort  Miller."  All  three 
forts  were  garrisoned  by  companies  from  other  parts  of  the 
State  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1864,  Congress  passed  an  act 
authorizing  the  enlistment  of  recruits  for  the  Union  army 
in  the  insurgent  States.  The  Governor  of  Massachusetts 
at  once  adopted  measures  to  procure  a  portion  of  these  re- 
cruits for  the  benefit  of  the  State ;  and  on  the  23d  of  July, 
the  town  of  Marblehead  voted  to  deposit  the  sum  of  $5,000 
with  the  treasurer  of  the  Commonwealth  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  a  portion  of  these  recruits  to  serve  on  the 
quota  of  the  town.  The  town  also  voted  to  pay  a  bounty 
of  $125  to  every  recruit  enlisting  on  its  quota. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  the  Eighth  Regiment,  which  had 
returned  from  the  nine  months'  campaign  several  months 
before,  again  left  the  State  for  a  service  of  one  hundred  days. 
The  regiment  at  this  time  was  under  the  command  of  Col- 
onel Benjamin  F.  Peach,  Jr.,  a  Marblehead  boy  who  had 
risen  from  the  ranks.     The  "  Sutton  Light  Infantry  "  took 


300  THE   HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

its  departure  witli  tlie  regiment.  The  "  Lafayette  Guards  " 
subsequently  left  town  as  an  unattached  company,  having 
been  too  late  in  recruiting  to  take  its  accustomed  place  in 
the  regiment. 

During  the  month  of  August  the  ladies  of  the  Unitarian 
Society  held  a  fair  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers.  The  citi- 
zens responded  nobly,  —  as  they  had  done  to  every  patriotic 
appeal,  —  and  the  sum  of  f  1,500  was  netted.  Of  this  sura 
$400  was  given  to  the  Sanitary  Commission,  and  the  balance 
was  distributed  among  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  the 
needy  families  of  those  in  the  army. 

The  desire  to  do  something  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of 
those  in  the  army  was  almost  universal.  Nearly  every  or- 
ganization in  town  sent  boxes  of  luxuries  and  medicines  to 
the  soldiers  in  camp.  Early  in  the  year  the  members  of 
the  Gerry  Fire  Association  presented  the  sum  of  eighty-two 
dollars  to  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society,  the  proceeds  of  a  dan- 
cing party  held  under  their  auspices.  The  members  of 
Washington  Lodge  of  Good  Templars  presented  the  sum  of 
thirty-five  dollars,  the  proceeds  of  a  social  party  held  at 
their  hall.  These  donations  were  applied  to  the  purchase 
of  materials  which  were  made  up  into  quilts,  comforters,  and 
dressing-gowns  for  soldiers  in  the  hospitals. 

In  November  of  this  year  the  ladies  of  Marblehead  sup- 
plied a  table  at  a  fair  held  in  Boston  for  the  benefit  of 
sailors,  and  by  their  efforts  alone  the  sum  of  $1,300  was 
netted. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  from 
the  one  hundred  days'  campaign,  Capt.  Samuel  C.  Graves 
resigned  as  commander  of  the  Sutton  Light  Infantry,  and 
organized  an  unattached  company.  This  company  left 
town  in  February,  1865,  and  was  stationed  for  some  time  at 
Fort  Warren  in  Boston  Harbor.  It  was  then  ordered  to 
Plymouth,  Mass.,  where  it  remained  several  months  after 
the  close  of  the  war. 

We  have  written  only  of  the  companies  actually  organ- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  301 

ized  or  enlisted  in  Marbleliead.  But  it  is  impossible  to  do 
otherwise.  The  history  of  the  part  taken  by  the  men  of 
Marblehead  in  the  great  civil  war  can  never  be  fully  writ- 
ten. They  were  in  nearly  every  regiment  that  went  from 
Massachusetts.  In  every  battle  of  importance,  from  Bull 
Run  to  Appomattox  Court  House,  they  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  their  ancestors  and  of  Marblehead. 

Where-  all  are  brave,  instances  of  individual  heroism 
are  seldom  noticed.  But  the  bravery  of  William  Goss, 
"  Hacker,"  as  his  companions  called  him,  a  private  soldier 
from  Marblehead,  deserves  special  mention  here.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  First  Massachusetts  Cavalry.  At  the 
battle  of  James's  Island,  S.  C,  in  the  summer  of  1862, 
he  was  appointed  an  orderly  to  the  Brigade  Commander. 
During  the  impetuous  charge  upon  Fort  Johnston  he  had 
three  horses  shot  from  under  him  ;  but  his  courage  was 
undaunted.  After  the  battle,  he  was  publicly  thanked  for 
his  valorous  conduct,  and  was  honorably  mentioned  in  the 
general  orders  of  the  Commander-in-chief. 

There  were  other  sons  of  Marblehead  equally  as  brave  ; 
but  their  experience  was  not  unlike  that  of  thousand's  who 
suffered  and  died  for  the  nation.  With  patient  endurance, 
and  the  fortitude  of  martyrs,  they  drank  to  the  dregs  the 
bitter  cup  of  war.  Through  the  long  and  fatiguing  marches, 
in  the  many  hard-fought  battles,  and  in  the  hopeless  agony 
of  life  in  the  death-fostering  prison-pens,  they  were  manly 
and  true.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  more.  By  the  self-sac- 
rificing devotion  of  heroes  like  these,  the  nation  was  saved. 

Throughout  the  entire  period  of  the  war,  the  news  of 
every  Union  victory  was  announced  to  the  people  by  the 
merry  peal  of  the  church  bells  of  the  town.  On  Saturday, 
April  8,  1865,  news  was  received  of  the  surrender  of  Gen- 
eral Lee,  at  Richmond,  Va.,  and  the  bells  rang  out  the  joy- 
ful tidings.  The  event,  however,  did  not  take  place  until 
the  following  day.  On  Monday,  April  10,  the  citizens 
formed   in   procession,  and,  headed   by  a  band  of   music, 


302  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

marched  through  the  principal  streets  to  Lj^ceum  Hall, 
where  addresses  of  congratulation  were  delivered  by  Dr. 
Briggs,  of  Salem,  and  other  speakers.  In  the  evening  many 
of  the  houses  were  illunlinated,  and  beacon  fires  were  lighted 
on  the  hills  in  honor  of  the  great  event. 

The  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  on  the  night  of 
April  14,  gave  a  tragic  ending  to  one  of  the  greatest  civil 
wars  recorded  in  history.  In  Marblehead,  as  elsewhere 
throughout  the  country,  every  mark  of  respect  was  paid  to 
the  memory  of  the  martyred  President.  On  the  day  of  the 
funeral  many  of  the  shoe  manufactories,  private  residences^ 
and  other  buildings,  were  appropriately  draped  in  mourn- 
ing ;  the  church  bells  were  tolled,  and  public  services  were 
held  at  the  Baptist  Church,  where  an  address  was  delivered 
by  the  Rev.  George  W.  Patch. 

Though  actual  hostilities  ceased  in  April,  the  soldiers  who 
had  enlisted  for  a  service  of  three  years  were  not  discharged 
until  June,  when  the  war  was  considered  as  finally  ended. 
On  the  20th  of  that  month,  the  people  of  Marblehead  gave 
a  reception  to  the  members  of  the  Tenth  Massachusetts  Bat- 
terj,  a  large  proportion  of  whom  were  citizens  of  the  town. 
This  battery  had  been  engaged  in  all  the  most  important 
battles  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  and  had  become  dis- 
tinguished for  efficiency  and  bravery. 

On  the  4th  of  December  a  reception  was  given  to  Gen- 
eral Kilpatrick,  who  delivered  an  address  on  the  steps  of  the 
town  hall. 

During  the  war,  Marblehead  furnished  for  the  army  and 
navy  one  thousand  and  forty-eight  men,  which  was  a  surplus 
of  ninety-one  over  and  above  all  demands.  Eight  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  were  in  the  military  service,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  were  in  the  navy.  Of  these,  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  were  killed  in  battle,  or  died  from  wounds  and 
sickness,  and  eighty-seven  were  wounded,  many  of  whom 
returned  home  only  to  die  after  months,  and,  in  some  in 
stances,  years  of  suffering. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  303 

The  whole  amount  of  money  raised  for  war  purposes  by 
the  town,  exclusive  of  State  aid,  Avas  1139,725. 

The  sum  of  $107,800.65  was  raised  by  the  town  and  paid 
to  families  of  volunteers,  as  State  aid,  during  the  four  years 
of  the  war.  This  sum  was  afterwards  refunded  by  the  Com- 
monwealth. 

Note.  —  One  of  the  oiScers  who  are  deserving  of  especial  mention  for  the 
faithful  performance  of  duty  during  the  civil  vv^ar,  is  Mr.  James  C.  Graves,  of 
Marblehead.  He  enlisted  on  board  the  United  States  ship  Ino,  August  23, 
1861,  as  a  first-class  boy.  Soon  after,  he  was  appointed  paymaster's  clerk  on 
board  the  Ino,  and  subsequently  held  the  same  position  on  board  the  receiving 
ship  Ohio,  and  the  United  States  steamer  Albatross.  While  attached  to  this 
steamer  he  was  detailed  to  proceed  to  New  Orleans  for  provisions.  Returning- 
on  board  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Richmond,  it  was  found  that  Admi- 
ral Farragut  was  blockaded  by  the  enemy  above  Port  Hudson.  To  establish 
communication  with  the  fleet  volunteers  were  called  for,  and  Mr.  Graves  with 
several  others  responded  and  crossed  a  dangerous  point  then  in  possession 
of  the  enemy.  The  expedition  was  successfully  conducted,  though  with  great 
danger,  the  men  being  obliged  to  walk  about  two  miles  in  water  waist  deep. 
For  his  participation  in  this  expedition  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of 
assistant  paymaster,  and  ordered  to  the  United  States  steamer  Rodolph. 
While  attempting  to  engage  a  fort  off  Blakely  River,  near  Mobile,  Ala.,  a  few 
days  before  the  surrender  of  that  city,  April  1,  1865,  the  Rodolph  was  de- 
stroyed by  a  torpedo.  Mr.  Graves  succeeded  in  saving  all  his  books,  papers, 
and  money,  and  for  this  service  received  the  thanks  of  the  War  Department. 
He  was  honorably  discharged.  May  2,  1867,  after  having  served  six  consecu- 
tive years  in  the  United  States  navy. 


504  THE  HISTORY   AXD   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Though  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  did  not  take  so 
prominent  a  part  in  the  naval  service  of  the  country,  during 
the  civil  war,  as  in  the  wars  against  Great  Britain,  the  rec- 
ord of  those  who  enlisted  is,  as  a  whole,  creditable  to  the 
town. 

In  the  summer  of  1861,  Capt.  Michael  B.  Gregory  en- 
listed, and  was  assigned  to  duty  at  the  Charlestown  Navy- 
yard.  After  a  service  of  several  months,  during  which  he 
was  distinguished  for  his  promptness  and  ability  in  fitting 
out  government  vessels,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  United  States  ship  R.  B.  Forbes.  This  ship  imme- 
diately sailed  on  a  brief  cruise  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  after 
which  Captain  Gregory  left  the  service  and  came  home. 

In  September,  Capt.  Josiah  P.  Cressy,  in  command  of  the 
United  States  ship  Ino,  sailed  on  a  cruise  in  the  North  At- 
lantic. The  commander  and  eighty  men  of  the  crew  were 
from  Marblehead.  In  January,  1862,  the  Ino  returned,  and 
on  the  19th  of  February  sailed  on  a  cruise  to  Cadiz.  The 
passage  was  accomplished  in  a  few  hours  over  twelve  days, 
being  at  that  time  the  quickest  ever  known  for  a  sailing  ves- 
sel. From  Cadiz,  Captain  Cressy  sailed  up  the  straits  of 
Gibraltar,  and  there  formed  a  blockade  for  the  Confederate 
steamer  Sumpter.  He  subsequently  sailed  to  the  island  of 
Tangiers,  Morocco,  and  captured  two  Confederate  officers, 
who  were  made  prisoners  of  war.  They  were  sent  to  Fort 
Warren,  Boston  Harbor,  in  the  bark  Harvest  Moon.  Cap- 
tain Cressy  returned  in  June,  1862,  and  resigned  his  com- 
mission. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  Capt.  Samuel  B.  Gregory, 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  305 

and  his  brother  Capt.  WiUiam  D.  Gregory,  enlisted  in  the 
navy,  and  were  assigned  to  duty  on  board  the  gunboat  E. 
B.  Hale,  then  lying  in  New  York  Harbor.  While  getting 
ready  for  sea,  and  daily  expecting  sailing  orders,  they  were 
summarily  dismissed  from  the  service.  An  investigation 
proved  that  a  few  of  their  personal  enemies  in  Marblehead 
had  preferred  charges  of  disloyalty  against  them  to  the  sec- 
retary of  the  navy.  Upon  ascertaining  the  origin  of  these 
charges,  the  brothers  at  once  returned  to  Marblehead. 

Shortly  after  their  arrival  in  town,  a  large  and  enthusi- 
astic meeting  of  the  citizens,  irrespective  of  party,  was  held 
at  Lyceum  Hall,  and  resolutions  were  adopted  severely  con- 
demning the  action  of  those  who  had  preferred  the  charges, 
and  expressing  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  integrity 
and  loyalty  of  the  injured  officers.  Armed  with  the  record 
of  this  meeting,  and  with  a  petition  signed  by  nearly  every 
legal  voter  in  Marblehead,  the  brothers  proceeded  to  Wash- 
ington, and  were  at  once  reinstated  in  the  service.  Their 
commissions  were  dated  October  3,  1861,  Capt.  Samuel  B. 
Gregory  being  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  United 
States  steamer  Western  World,  and  Capt.  William  D. 
Gregory  to  the  United  States  ship  Bohio. 

Both  vessels  had  several  Marblehead  sailors  on  board. 
They  sailed  from  New  York  Harbor  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1862. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  while  cruising  on  the  coast  of 
Louisiana,  Capt.  William  D.  Gregory  discovered  a  schooner 
sailing  under  a  British  flag.  He  immediately  gave  chase, 
and  on  overtaking  the  stranger  found  her  to  be  the  Confed- 
erate schooner  Eugenie  Smith,  bound  from  Havana  to  Met- 
amoras,  with  a  valuable  cargo  of  coffee,  soap,  dry  goods,  and 
other  articles.  She  was  put  in  charge  of  a  prize-master,  and 
sent  to  the  United  States  District  Court,  at  Key  West,  Fla. 
The  officers  and  crew  were  placed  on  board  the  United 
States  steamer  Rhode  Island,  as  prisoners  of  war. 

Immediately  after  forwarding  his  prize  to  the  proper  au- 

20 


306  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

thorities,  Captain  Gregory  sailed  for  the  Southwest  Pass,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  where  he  arrived  hite 
iu  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  March  7-  On  his  arrival  he  was 
informed  that  the  captain  of  a  United  States  ship  which 
arrived  the  day  before,  had  fallen  in  with,  and  boarded  a 
suspicious  looking  schooner  sailing  under  an  English  flag 
and  register;  but  after  an  examination  of  her  papers  had 
allowed  her  to  proceed  on  her  voyage. 

Ascertaining  the  latitude  and  longitude  in  which  the 
strange  schooner  had  been  seen,  Captain  Gregory  obtained 
permission  to  cruise  for  her,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  P.  M.  the 
Bohio  was  under  way.  At  five  o'clock  the  next  morning 
a  sail  was  discovered  on  the  lee  bow.  All  drawing  sails 
were  at  once  set  on  board  the  Bohio,  and  the  captain  gave 
directions  to  "  keep  off  "  for  the  stranger.  Noticing  that  he 
was  pursued,  the  commander  of  the  strange  vessel  set  all 
sails  and  an  exciting  chase  ensued.  The  stranger  proved  to 
be  a  fast  sailer,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  Bohio 
kept  up  with  her.  At  eight  o'clock  A.  M.,  a  shot  was  fired 
from  the  Bohio  with  no  effect.  At  noon,  finding  that  the 
stranger  was  steadily  out-sailing  him,  Captain  Gregory  re- 
solved to  capture  her  if  possible,  by  stratagem.  Several 
barrels  were  placed  upon  the  deck,  and  upon  these  about 
twelve  feet  of  stove-pipe  were  fastened  for  a  smoke  stack. 
The  precaution  having  been  taken  to  place  sand  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  lower  barrel,  a  fire  was  started  with  bits  of  rope, 
old  junk,  tar,  and  other  materials,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
smoke  began  to  poiir  out  of  the  funnel  in  fine  style.  The 
men  were  constantly  employed  in  wetting  the  sails,  and  as 
the  wind  filled  them,  and  the  speed  of  the  ship  increased, 
the  stratagem  had  the  desired  effect.  The  schooner  "  hove 
to "  at  about  two  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  surrendered.  She 
proved  to  be  the  Confederate  schooner  Henry  Travers  of 
New  Orleans,  sailing  under  a  British  register. 

The  captain   of  the  schooner  stated  that  when  he  per- 
ceived the  Bohio  getting  up  steam,  as  he  supposed,  and  saw 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  307 

how  fast  she  was  gaining  on  him,  he  coi>sidered  it  useless  to 
try  to  out  sail  a  steamship.  He  therefore  held  a  consulta- 
tion with  his  officers,  and  was  advised  by  his  mate  to  sur- 
render, "  as  the  Yankees  would  certainly  blow  the  schooner 
out  of  the  water,  after  chasing  her  so  far." 

Captain  Gregory  cruised  for  several  months  in  Mississippi 
Sound,  capturing  prizes,  and  effectively  putting  an  end  to 
blockade  running  in  that  vicinity.  He  continued  in  com- 
mand of  the  Bohio  until  mid-summer,  1862,  when  he  re- 
signed and  retired  from  the  service. 

The  Marblehead  sailors  on  board  the  Bohio  were  distin- 
guished at  all  times  for  their  daring  and  bravery.  During 
the  summer  of  1863,  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Preble, 
lying  in  Pensacola  Bay,  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire.  The 
officers  and  crew  were  panic-stricken,  and  in  their  efforts 
to  save  the  ship,  seemed  unconscious  of  their  own  jaeril. 
The  fire  was  rapidly  eating  towards  the  powder  magazine, 
which  had  been  filled  the  day  before,  when  a  boat-load 
of  men  from  the  Bohio  boarded  the  burning  ship.  With 
almost  superhuman  exertions  they  succeeded  in  extricating 
the  crew  from  their  perilous  situation.  In  many  instances 
they  were  obliged  to  push  the  men  overboard  to  be  picked 
up  by  the  boats.  Just  as  the  last  man  was  removed,  the 
magazine  exploded.  The  heroism  displayed  by  the  men  of 
the  Bohio  was  long  the  subject  of  conversation,  and  they 
were  rewarded  by  the  approbation  of  their  officers,  and  the 
gratitude  of  the  men  whose  lives  they  had  preserved. ^ 

During  all  this  time,  the  armed  steamer  Western  World, 
under  command  of  Capt.  Samuel  B.  Gregory,  was  doing 
effective  service  on  the  Southern  coast.  After  leaving  New 
York  Harbor,  in  Januarj^  1862,  Captain  Gregory  was  or- 

^  The  Marblehead  sailors  engaged  in  this  act  of  heroism  were  William  P. 
Dinsniove,  John  H.  Giles,  Mason  H.  Sweet,  Asa  W.  S.  Rix,  Daniel  Dennis, 
and  John  Glynn.  Mr.  Dinsmore,  who  held  the  office  of  master's  mate  on 
board  the  Bohio,  was  returning  home  on  board  the  transport  North  America, 
when  she  foundered  at  sea,  December  22,  1864.  He  escaped,  but  lost  all  his 
clothing,  and  the  entire  amount  of  money  received  for  his  three  years'  service. 


308  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

dered  to  proceed  ajb  once  to  Port  Royal,  S.  C,  where  he 
arrived  after  a  passage  of  six  days.  Three  days  after  his 
arrival,  the  Western  World,  with  four  other  gunboats,  was 
ordered  up  St.  Augustine  River.  On  their  arrival,  they  fell 
in  with  a  Confederate  fleet  under  Commodore  Tatnall,  and  a 
spirited  engagement  took  place.  Little  damage  was  done  on 
either  side  ;  but  the  Union  sailors  succeeded  in  disconnect- 
ing the  telegraph  wires  between  the  city  of  Savannah  and 
Fort  PuUiski,  which  was  situated  on  a  point  at  the  mouth  of 
Savannah  River. 

During  the  month  of  February,  while  arrangements  were 
being  made  for  the  capture  of  Fort  Pulaski,  the  Western 
W^orld  and  the  gunboat  E.  B.  Hale  were  ordered  to  pro- 
ceed up  Mud  River.  On  the  15th  of  the  same  month,  they 
again  fell  in  with  the  Confederate  fleet  under  Commodore 
Tatnall.  After  a  battle  of  an  hour  and  a  half  in  duration 
several  of  the  rebel  gunboats  were  crippled  and  the  fleet 
was  obliged  to  retreat. 

Captain  Gregory  remained  with  his  steamer  in  ]\Iud 
River  until  the  10th  of  April,  when  the  attack  upon  Foi-t 
Pulaski  took  place.  After  the  battle  he  sailed  down  the 
river  and  his  ofiicers  had  the  honor  of  raising  the  stars  and 
stripes  on  the  fort,  the  first  time  that  honored  emblem  had 
■waved  there  since  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

On  returning  to  Port  Royal,  the  Western  World  and 
three  other  gunboats  were  placed  under  command  of  Com- 
mander Prentiss,  and  ordered  to  Wingaw  Bay.  While 
there,  they  sailed  on  an  expedition  up  the  South  Santee 
River,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  raih'oad  bridge 
connecting  Savannah  with  Richmond,  Va.  The  river  was 
very  shoal,  however,  and  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  the 
enterprise.  On  their  return,  the  enemy  opened  fire  upon 
them  from  a  battery  which  had  been  placed  on  Blake's  Plan- 
tation, by  the  side  of  the  river.  The  gunboats  returned 
the  fire,  and  a  lively  fight  ensued.  The  enemy  were  at 
length  driven  off,  but  not  until  a  large  number  of  them  had 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  309 

been  killed,  and  several  men  on  board  the  gunboats  had 
been  wounded.  The  owner  of  the  plantation  was  an  Eng- 
lishman by  birth,  and  quite  wealthy,  owning  about  fourteen 
hundred  slaves.  During  the  skirmish,  the  slaves  flocked  to 
the  banks  of  the  river  for  protection,  and  about  twelve  hun- 
dred of  them  were  taken  on  board  the  gunboats  as  "  contra- 
bands of  war."  .On  landing,  the  sailors  set  fire  to  the  rice 
houses,  which  the  enemy  had  used  as  a  shelter  during  the 
attack.  They  also  burned  about  seven  hundred  stacks  of 
rice,  containing  about  eight  hundred  bushels  in  each  stack. 

In  September  the  Western  World  was'  ordered  to  Doboy 
Sound,  Georgia,  where  there  was  about  fifteen  miles  of  coast 
to  guard.  A  company  of  colored  men  was  formed  for  picket 
duty,  and  stationed  on  an  island  in  the  Sound.  During  the 
month,  this  company  was  attacked  by  a  company  of  Con- 
federates, but  with  the  aid  of  the  marines,  and  a  company 
of  sailors  from  the  Western  World,  the  enemy  were  repulsed 
and  driven  from  the  island.  In  the  engagement  the  captain 
of  the  colored  company  was  killed. 

While  the  Western  World  was  on  duty  at  Doboy  Sound, 
the  crew  rose  against  the  captain,  and  organized  one  of  the 
most  serious  mutinies  that  took  place  during  the  entire 
period  of  the  war.  One  evening  late  in  the  month  of  Oc- 
tober, as  Captain  Gregory  appeared  on  the  spar  deck  of  his 
steamer,  he  found  nearly  the  entire  crew  of  one  hundred 
men  assembled,  and  ready  to  receive  him.  He  was  informed 
that  they  refused  to  serve  under  him  any  longer,  and  de- 
sired the  executive  officer,  Mr.  Pettengill,  for  their  com- 
mander. With  rare  presence  of  mind.  Captain  Gregory 
reminded  them  that  he  was  in  command  of  the  steamer,  and 
ordered  them  to  return  to  their  duty.  Finding  that  they 
refused  to  obey  him,  he  called  the  Marblehead  sailors  and  a 
few  others  who  had  not  joined  the  mutiny  to  his  assistance, 
and  stationed  them  as  a  guard  in  various  parts  of  the 
steamer.  He  then  read  the  law  concerning  mutiny,  and 
after  explaining  its  provisions,  and  the  consequences  attend- 


310  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

ing  its  violation,  requested  all  who  were  ready  to  return  to 
their  duty,  to  step  "  abaft  the  mainmast."  To  his  surprise 
eveiy  man  did  as  he  requested.  Nearly  all  the  officers  sym- 
pathized with  the  mutiny.  When  executive  officer  Petten- 
gill  was  ordered  to  arm  himself  and  assist  the  commander, 
he  refused  to  obey.  On  being  ordered  a  second  time,  he 
obeyed,  but  with  great  reluctance. 

Ascertaining  that  Pettengill  was  the  chief  instigator  of 
the  mutiny,  Captain  Gregory  placed  him  under  arrest,  and 
reported  the  case  to  Admiral  Dupont.  The  Western  World 
was  at  once  ordered  to  Boston,  where,  in  accordance  with 
instructions  from  Admiral  Dupont,  charges  were  preferred 
against  Pettengill,  and  forwarded  to  Washington.  Petten- 
gill was  tried  by  a  court-martial  at  the  Charlestown  Navy 
Yard,  and  convicted  on  all  the  charges.  He  was  sentenced 
to  suffer  imprisonment  for  six  months  at  hard  labor,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  his  term  of  imprisonment  to  be  dismissed 
from  the  service. 

In  March,  1863,  the  Western  World  was  ordered  to  New- 
port News,  Va.,  to  join  the  squadron  under  command  of 
Rear-admiral  Lee.  The  steamer  was  then  ordered  to  Guinn's 
Island,  in  the  Piankatank  River,  for  the  purpose  of  inter- 
cepting blockade  runners  who  were  supplying  the  city  of 
Richmond  with  flour  and  other  articles.  So  effectively  was 
this  service  performed,  that  nearly  every  blockade  runner 
was  captured,  and  the  price  of  flour  advanced  in  the  city 
of  Richmond  from  |60  to  $140  per  barrel.  The  suffering 
and  inconvenience  caused  by  the  scarcity  of  breadstuffs  at 
length  became  so  great  that  Jefferson  Davis,  President  of 
the  Confederate  States,  offered  a  reward  for  the  capture 
of  Samuel  B.  Gregory,  commander  of  the  United  States 
steamer  Western  World.  Influenced  by  this  offer,  and  per- 
haps a  desire  to  be  revenged,  a  band  of  twelve  men  secreted 
themselves  in  ambush,  and  mistaking  the  commander  of 
another  United  States  gunboat  for  Captain  Gregory,  shot 
and  killed  him,  as  he  was  passing  up  the  river  in  his  gig. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  311 

The  successful  manner  in  which  Captain  Gregory  con- 
trolled the  mutiny  on  board  the  Western  World,  gave  great 
satisfaction  to  his  superior  officers.  When,  therefore,  the 
crew  of  the  United  States  steamer  Perry  became  mutinous, 
in  the  autumn  of  1863,  the  secretary  of  the  navy  trans- 
ferred him  to  the  command  of  her.  On  taking  command, 
Captain  Gregory  adopted  a  firm  bu.t  conciliatory  policy 
towards'  the  crew,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  working 
together  in  harmony.  While  cruising  in  this  steamer  about 
Murrell's  Island,  South  Carolina,  Captain  Gregory  discovered 
a  schooner  loading  for  the  purpose  of  running  the  blockade. 
A  boat's  crew  were  at  once  dispatched  to  fire  her,  but  their 
retreat  was  cut  off  by  a  company  of  Confederate  Cavalry, 
and  they  were  all  taken  prisoners. 

Captain  Gregory  subsequently  commanded  the  United 
States  steamer  Pautumskey  ;  the  iron  double-propeller  Don  ; 
and  the  steamer  Currituck.  In  the  last  steamer  he  was 
stationed  on  the  Potomac  River  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  record  of  the  services  of  this  distinguished  com- 
mander must  close  the  history  of  Marblehead  in  the  civil 
war.  Like  their  brethren  who  served  as  privates  in  the 
army,  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  who,  as  common  sailors 
or  inferior  officers,  helped  to  man  the  gunboats  of  the  navy, 
were  celebrated  for  their  ability  and  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  duty.  We  cannot  follow  them  all.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  in  the  words  of  one  who  had  many  of  them  under  his 
command :  "  They  were  smart  and  brave,  and  as  true  as 
steel." 


312  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

During  the  war,  and  the  years  immediately  following  its 
close,  the  shoe  business  of  Marblehead  was  in  a  more  pros- 
perous condition  than  it  had  ever  been  before.  With  the 
introduction  of  the  McKay  sewing  machine,  a  division  of 
labor  became  necessary,  and  the  entire  system  of  manufac- 
turing shoes  was  revolutionized.  All  work  was  now  per- 
formed in  the  factories,  and  instead  of  the  old  system  under 
which  boys  were  taught  a  thorough  knowledge  of  shoemak- 
ing  as  a  trade,  they  were  taught  simply  to  be  proficient  in 
some  particular  branch  of  the  work. 

By  the  improved  method  of  manufacturing,  thousands  of 
cases  of  boots  and  shoes  were  made  in  a  much  shorter  time 
than  it  had  formerly  taken  to  produce  as  many  hundreds. 

The  divisions  of  labor  increased  also,  with  each  new  in- 
vention, until  a  single  shoe  in  the  process  of  construction 
passed  through  the  hands  of  thii-ty-six  different  persons. 

As  the  business  increased,  and  became  remunerative,  the 
effect  was  apparent  in  the  improved  condition  of  the  town. 
Large  buildings  were  erected  in  the  vicinity  of  the  depot  for 
manufacturing  purposes,,  while  handsome  residences  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  town  gave  evidence  of  the  prosperity  of 
the  people. 

Efforts  had  been  made  from  time  to  time  to  establish 
more  direct  railroad  communication  between  Marblehead 
and  Boston.  In  1847,  William  Fabens,  Eben  B.  Pliillips, 
Increase  H.  Brown,  and  their  associates,  were  granted  an 
act  of  incorporation  as  the  "  Marblehead  and  Lynn  Branch 
Railroad  Company."  The  route  of  the  proposed  road  was 
from  a  point  on  South  Street,  in  Marblehead,  southwesterly 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  313 

through  the  farms  near  the  sea-shore,  and  westerly  through 
the  village  of  Swampscott,  connecting  with  the  Eastern 
Railroad  at  Lynn.  The  entire  amount  of  the  capital  stock 
was  not  subscribed,  however,  and  the  project  was  aban- 
doned. 

The  increasing  prosperity  of  the  town  after  the  close  of 
the  war  seemed  to  warrant  another  attempt,  and  in  1865, 
INIessrs.  John  F.  Harris,  Jonathan  H.  Orne,  and  others, 
obtained  a  charter  for  the  organization  of  a  company.  The 
project  was  received  with  favor  by  a  majority  of  the  citizens, 
and  in  September,  1866,  the  town  voted  to  petition  the  leg- 
islature for  the  privilege  of  subscribing  to  the  capital  stock 
of  the  company.  The  permission  was  obtained ;  but  with 
the  provision  that  the  credit  of  the  town  should  not  be 
granted  in  aid  of  the  railroad  except  by  a  two  thirds  vote  of 
a  legal  town  meeting. 

During  the  same  year,  the  citizens  of  Swampscott  peti- 
tioned the  county  commissioners  to  lay  out  an  avenue  from 
Swampscott  to  Marblehead,  terminating  at  the  Neck  line. 
This  measure  was  not  popular  in  Marblehead,  and  as  the 
advocates  of  the  avenue  were  generally  opj3onents  of  the 
railroad  scheme,  the  result  was  a  long  and  exciting  contro- 
versy. Numerous  town  meetings  were  held  to  consider  both 
subjects,  and  a  committee  was  finalh'  chosen  to  appear  be- 
fore the  county  commissioners  and  protest  against  the  build- 
ing of  the  avenue.  In  1870,  the  commissioners  ordered  the 
town  to  build  its  portion  of  the  road,  and  the  sum  of  twelve 
thousand  dollars  was  accordingly  appropriated  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

The  road  was  completed  and  opened  for  travel  during  the 
following  year. 

The  conditions  imposed  by  the  legislature  rendered  it  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  for  the  town  to  appropriate  money  in  aid 
of  the  railroad.  After  several  unsuccessful  town  meetings 
had  been  held,  the  requisite  two  thirds  vote  was  obtained, 
and  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  for 


314  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

the  purchase  of  five  hundred  shares  of  the  capital  stock. 
This  action  of  the  town  was  reconsidered  at  a  subsequent 
meeting,  and  the  motion  was  lost.  Finally,  in  August,  1871, 
the  town  voted  to  issue  its  bonds  to  the  amount  of  seventy- 
five  thousand  dollars,  in  aid  of  the  construction  and  equip- 
ment of  the  railroad,  receiving  as  collateral  security  the  first 
mortgage  bonds  of  the  company.  This  vote  was  never  car- 
ried into  effect,  however,  as  the  Eastern  Railroad  Company 
undertook  the  construction  of  the  road  under  the  charter 
granted  to  the  original  petitioners. 

During  all  these  years  of  controversy  the  citizens  had  not 
been  unmindful  of  other  duties,  nor  had  the  period  been 
wanting  in  important  local  events.  New  streets  were  laid 
out  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  and  great  improvements 
were  made  by  removing  buildings  and  widening  several  of 
the  older  highways.^ 

During  the  year  1866  another  hand-engine,  known  as  the 
"  M.  A.  Pickett,"  was  added  to  the  fire  department.  On 
the  27th  of  June,  of  the  same  year,  a  serious  fire  broke  out 
on  Prospect  Street,  destroying  a  brick  rope-factory  and  sev- 
eral wooden  buildings.  In  August,  two  other  fires  occurred, 
and  several  buildings  on  the  wharves  were  destroyed. 

On  the  night  of  February  5,  1867,  the  town  narrowly 
escaped  a  destructive  conflagration.  A  fire  broke  out  in  the 
shoe  manufactory  of  Joseph  Harris  &  Sons,  on  Pleasant 
Street,  destroying  the  building,  together  with  the  Baptist 
Church  and  the  dwelling-house  of  Increase  H.  Brown.  The 
flames  were  communicated  to  several  other  buildings  in  the 
vicinity,  but  the  fire  was  fortunately  controlled  before  doing 
further  damage. 

The  work  of  rebuilding  began  early  in  the  spring.  A 
commodious  factory  was  erected  by  Messrs.  Harris  &  Sons, 
on  Elm  Street,  and  the  Baptist  Society  erected  a  new  church 

1  Elm  Street  was  widened  in  1865,  Gregory  Street  in  1868,  and  the  corner 
of  Pleasant  and  Washington  Streets,  by  the  removal  of  the  "  old  Ilinckley 
Building,"  in  1870. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  315 

on  the  site  formei-ly  occupied  by  their  old  house  of  worship. 
On  the  14th  of  October,  eight  men  at  work  on  the  new 
church  edifice  were  thrown  to  the  ground  by  the  breaking 
away  of  a  staging.  One  man  was  killed  instantly,  and  an- 
other died  from  his  injuries,  after  several  days  of  extreme 
suffering. 

The  custom  of  decorating  the  graves  of  soldiers  with  flow- 
ers was  observed  in  Marblehead  for  the  first  time  on  the 
13th  of  June,  1868,  under  the  auspices  of  the  "  Soldiers' 
and  Sailors'  Union  League."  Nearly  every  organization  in 
town  participated  in  the  procession.  The  exercises,  which 
took  place  on  the  Common,  consisted  of  an  oration  by  Wil- 
liam B.  Brown,  Esq.,  an  address  by  the  Rev.  William  G. 
Haskell,  and  reading  a  poem  written  for  the  occasion  by 
Mr.  Benjamin  K.  Prentiss,  of  Lynn,  a  native  of  Marble- 
head.  The  procession  then  marched  to  the  several  ceme- 
teries, where  the  graves  of  those  who  gave  their  lives  in 
defense  of  the  country  were  reverently  decorated.  This 
beautiful  custom  has  been  annually  observed  on  the  30th  of 
INIay,  under  the  auspices  of  the  "  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public." 

The  most  notable  events  of  this  year,  besides  the  usual 
excitement  attending  a  presidential  election,  were  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Liberty  Hose  Company,  and  the  action  of 
the  town  in  authorizing  the  lighting  of  the  public  streets  at 
night. 

Little  of  importance  marked  the  passage  of  the  year  1869. 
Two  prominent  local  organizations  were  chartered,  however : 
"  John  Goodwin,  Jr.,  Post  82,  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic," and  "  Ozias  Encampment  I.  O.  of  Odd  Fellows." 

During  the  following  year.  Unity  Degree  Lodge  Daugh- 
ters of  Rebekah,  and  Neptune  Lodge,  No.  31,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  were  organized. 

In  1871,  the  town  voted  to  purchase  a  new  steam  fire-en- 
gine, which  resulted  in  a  controversy  among  the  firemen  as 
to  which  company  should  have  the  custody  of  the  new  ma- 


316  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

chine.  At  the  annual  March  meeting,  the  citizens  elected  a 
board  of  firewards,  in  accordance  with  the  time-honored  cus- 
tom of  the  town.  This  action  was  resisted  by  the  boai'd  of 
selectmen,  who  appointed  another  set  of  firewards,  and 
claimed  that  the  election  by  the  citizens  was  illegal.  The 
question  was  finally  carried  before  the  courts,  and  a  decision 
was  rendered  declaring  the  election  by  the  people  the  only 
legal  method  of  appointment. 

The  new  engine  arrived  on  the  8th  of  September,  and 
was  subsequently  placed  in  charge  of  the  General  Glover 
Fire  Association. 

The  Marblehead  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated  early  in 
the  year,  and  in  December  a  new  local  newspaper,  known 
as  the  "  Marblehead  Messenger,"  made  its  appearance. 

On  New  Year's  night,  1872,  the  fire  department  made  a 
grand  demonstration  in  honor  of  the  satisfactory  ending  of 
the  controversy  concerning  the  new  steam  fire-engine.  Af- 
ter a  torch-light  procession  about  town,  the  various  compa- 
nies assembled  at  the  rooms  of  the  Glover  Fire  Association, 
where  a  dinner  was  served.  The  Marblehead  Steam  Fire 
Association  was  oi^ganized  on  the  same  evening. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  a  new  church  edifice,  which  had  been 
erected  a  short  time  before  on  Gregoiy  Street  by  the  Roman 
Catholics,  was  burned  to  the  ground.  Soon  after,  a  parson- 
age was  erected  on  the  same  site,  for  the  use  of  the  parish 
priest. 

During  the  month  of  August,  "  Manataug  Tribe  Im- 
proved Order  of  Red  Men  "  was  organized. 

The  year  1873  was  one  of  the  most  eventful  in  the  annals 
of  the  town.  Early  in  the  winter,  several  persons  were  re- 
ported sick  with  the  small-pox,  and  great  excitement  pre- 
vailed among  the  people.  The  first  to  die  with  the  disease 
was  Mr.  George  Hatch,  a  member  of  the  board  of  select- 
men, and  a  gentleman  well  known  and  highly  respected  in 
the  community.  Shortly  after,  a  house  on  Water  Street  was 
taken  for  a  small-pox  hospital,  and   several  persons  were 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  317 

placed  there  for  treatment.  The  management  of  this  hos- 
pital was  not  satisfactory  to  the  citizens,  and  a  controversy 
ensued  which  continued  until  the  close  of  the  annual  town 
meeting. 

On  Thursday  morning,  September  11,  a  fire  broke  out  in 
a  stable  on  Darling  Street,  belonging  to  ]Mr.  Thomas  T. 
Paine,  and  before  it  could  be  extinguished  a  large  hotel  on 
Washington  Street,  known  as  the  "  Manataug  House,"  and 
a  dwelling-house  adjoining,  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Sam- 
uel Homan,  were  destroyed.  Several  other  buildings  in  the 
vicinity  were  badly  damaged. 

On  Monday,  October  19,  the  new  railroad  from  Mar- 
blehead  to  Lynn,  known  as  the  Swampscott  Branch,  was 
opened  for  travel,  and  the  event  was  celebrated  in  an  ap- 
propriate manner.  Five  hundred  citizens  were  conveyed 
over  the  route  in  the  first  train,  and  on  its  return  a  grand 
dinner  was  served  at  AUerton  Hall.  The  Marblehead  Band 
was  in  attandance,  and  speeches  were  made  by  many  of  the 
prominent  citizens  and  invited  guests. 

The  year  1874  opened  with  a  gloomy  prospect  for  the 
people  of  Marblehead.  The  shoe  business  was  suffering 
from  the  effects  of  the  great  financial  panic  of  1873,  and  a 
large  proportion  of  the  laboring  population  were  out  of 
employment.  As  the  year  advanced,  and  the  business  de- 
pression continued,  a  "  Citizens'  Relief  Association  "  was  or- 
ganized for  the  assistance  of  those  in  distress.  The  people 
responded  generously  to  every  appeal  made  in  behalf  of  the 
sufferers,  and  the  distress  was  alleviated. 

At  the  annual  March  meeting  of  this  year,  William  B. 
Brown,  Esq.,  who  had  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
committee  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  declined  a  reelection. 
As  soon  as  his  determination  was  made  known  to  the  citi- 
zens the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted :  — 

"  Whereas,  Our  beloved  fellow-citizen,  William  B.  Brown, 
has  served  his  native  town  as  a  member  of  the  School 
Committee  for   the   long   period   of   twenty-five   years;  as 


318  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

chairman  of  the  Board,  writing  the  annual  report,  and 
giving  most  freely  of  his  time,  his  intelligence,  and  hia 
hearty  sympathy  to  the  cause  of  education  in  our  midst, 
without  one  cent  of  remuneration,  even  to  the  prejudice 
of  his  pecuniary  interest  and  bodily  health  ;  And  Whereas, 
for  the  present  high  standing  of  our  public  schools  we  grate- 
fully acknowledge  a  large  indebtedness  for  his  direct  per- 
sonal efforts,  therefore,  be  it  — 

"  Resolved :  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Marblehead,  in  town 
meeting  assembled,  do  hereby  vote  him  our  most  hearty 
thanks,  for  these  rare  and  invaluable  services." 

On  the  night  of  April  14,  a  dwelling-house  on  Reed's 
Hill,  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  John  Stewart,  caught  fire 
and  was  partially  destroyed.  After  the  fire  was  extin- 
guished, it  was  discovered  that  Miss  Amy  Stewart  had  lost 
her  life  from  suffocation  in  attempting  to  escape  from  her 
room.  This  is  the  only  instance  of  the  loss  of  human  life 
at  a  fire  since  the  settlement  of  the  town. 

On  the  25th  of  April  the  old  "  Columbian  Building,"  on 
Washington  Street,  was  burned  to  the  ground.  At  a  town 
meeting  held  on  Wednesday,  May  27,  Mr.  James  J.  H. 
Gregory  donated  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  to  the 
town,  to  be  used  as  a  fund,  the  interest  of  which  is  to  be 
applied  once  in  four  years  to  promote  the  moral,  mental, 
and  physical  welfare  of  the  inhabitants.  The  method  of 
investment  for  this  purpose,  is  to  be  decided  by  a  com- 
mittee consisting  of  the  chairman  of  the  selectmen,  the 
chairman  of  the  school  committee,  and  all  the  ministers  of 
the  gospel  settled  over  religious,  societies  in  the  town. 

On  Friday,  October  2,  the  first  annual  parade  of  the 
fire  department  took  place.  Every  association  in  the  de- 
partment participated  in  the  procession.  All  the  engine 
houses  and  many  private  residences  were  elaborately  deco- 
rated with  flags  and  bunting.  In  the  afternoon  there  was  a 
trial  of  hand  engines,  and  a  race  between  the  Liberty  Hose 
Company  and  Washington  Hook  and  Ladder  Company. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  319 

During  the  year  the  selectmen  were  formally  notified 
that  Mr.  Benjamin  Abbot,  who  died  in  Boston  in  September, 
1872,  had  bequeathed  all  the  residue  of  his  property,  after 
the  payment  of  several  other  legacies,  to  the  town  of  Mar- 
blehead.  The  property  consisted  of  United  States  bonds 
and  other  securities  to  the  value  of  8103,000.^  The  will  of 
the  donor  concluded  as  follows  :  "  I  have  made  this  provision 
for  the  town  of  Marblehead  because  it  was  my  birthplace. 
And  it  is  my  desire  that  a  building  shall  be  erected  for  the 
benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  said  town  ;  but  I  do  not  intend 
to  limit  the  use  of  the  legacy  to  that  purpose  or  to  impose 
conditions  which  would  prevent  the  use  of  it  for  such  other 
general  objects  as  the  citizens  of  said  town  may  determine 
upon  in  their  discretion.  I  desire  that  my  name  shall  al- 
ways be  attached  to  said  fund." 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1875,  a  town  meeting  was  held 
at  Lyceum  Hall,  and  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted 
accepting  the  legacy,  and  declaring  the  steadfast  purpose  of 
the  town  to  erect  a  building  in  accordance  with  the  wishes 
of  the  donor.  At  the  same  meeting,  Messrs.  William  B. 
Brown,  Henry  A.  Potter,  Henry  F.  Pitman,  Thomas  In- 
galls,  Samuel  Sparhawk,  and  Josejoh  P.  Turner,  were  elected 
trustees  of  the  fund. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  the  town  voted  to  "  erect  a  public 
building  of  brick  with  stone  trimmings,  to  be  designated  as 
Abbot  Hall,  of  such  dimensions  as  will  secure  an  audience 
hall  that  will  seat  at  least  twelve  hundred  persons ;  a  hall 
for  a  public  library  and  reading-room,"  a  fire  proof  vault  for 
the  storage  and  security  of  the  records,  and  rooms  for  the 
use  of  the  various  boards  of  town  officers, 

1  Benjamin  Abbot,  the  donor  of  this  munificent  gift,  was  born  in  Marble- 
head,  September  7,  1795.  Early  in  life  he  removed  to  Salem,  and  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  cooper.  He  subsequently  opened  a  coopers'  shop  in  Boston, 
and  by  economy  and  persevering  industry  succeeded  in  amassing  a  fortune. 
Mr.  Abbot  was  esteemed  by  all  as  a  man  of  honor  and  integrity,  and  his 
genial  disposition  and  ready  sympathy  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle  of 
friends.     He  died  in  Boston,  September,  1872. 


320  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

The  selection  of  a  site  for  the  new  building  had  for  some 
time  occupied  the  attention  of  the  people,  and  various  locali- 
ties were  strongly  advocated  through  the  columns  of  the 
local  paper.  On  Saturday,  May  22,  a  town  meeting  was 
held  for  the  choice  of  a  site,  and  a  majority  of  the  citizens 
voted  in  favor  of  the  Common.  Several  meetings  were  held 
for  the  election  of  a  building  committee,  and  Messrs.  James 
J.  H.  Gregory,  Simeon  Dodge,  jNIoses  Gilbert,  Henry  F. 
Pitman,  and  Thomas  Appleton  were  chosen  by  a  majority 
vote. 

In  December,  the  town  voted  to  appropriate  $75,000  of 
the  Abbot  fund  for  the  erection  of  the  building,  and  the 
committee  were  instructed  to  proceed  with  the  work.  The 
opponents  of  the  site  chosen  by  the  town,  though  in  the 
minority,  were  active  and  determined  in  their  antagonism ; 
and  when,  in  the  spring  of  1876,  ground  was  broken  on  the 
Common  for  the  erection  of  the  building,  a  bill  in  equity 
was  filed  in  the  supreme  judicial  court  to  restrain  the  com- 
mittee from  further  proceedings.  The  bill  was  based  prin- 
cipally on  the  claim  that  the  town  had  no  legal  right  to 
erect  the  hall  on  the  Common,  as  the  land  was  the  property 
of  the  commoners  of  Marblehead. 

The  case  was  tried  on  Monday,  April  17,  before  Associate 
Justice  Ames,  of  the  supreme  judicial  court.  Hon.  Eben- 
ezer  R.  Hoar  appeared  as  counsel  for  the  town,  and  Mr.  S. 
B.  Ives,  Jr.,  for  the  petitioners.  A  decision  was  rendered 
in  favor  of  the  town,  the  petitioners  being  unable  to  prove 
an  adverse  title. 

The  work  on  the  foundation  of  the  building  began  at  once 
and  progressed  rapidly.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  the 
25th  of  July,  the  exercises  consisting  of  music  by  the  Mar- 
blehead Brass  Band,  prayer  by  the  Rev.  John  W.  Chad- 
wick,  and  addresses  by  Messrs.  James  J.  H.  Gregory  and 
Jonathan  H.  Orne. 

There  were  other  important  events  in  the  year  1876,  be- 
sides the  erection  of  Abbot  Hall,  and  to  these  we  must  turn 
our  attention. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  321 

During  the  autumn  of  the  previous  year  a  great  temper- 
ance revival  was  inaugurated  through  the  eiiorts  of  a  few- 
faithful  and  zealous  women,  wh.o  styled  themselves  the 
"  Christian  Temperance  Union."  By  their  invitation  Dr. 
H.  A.  Reynolds,  of  Bangor,  Maine,  visited  the  town  and  be- 
gan a  series  of  temperance  meetings  at  Lyceum  Hall.  In  a 
short  time  a  "  Reform  Club "  was  organized,  and  as  one 
after  another  of  those  who  were  known  to  be  inebriates 
signed  the  pledge  of  total  abstinence,  the  movement  assumed 
proportions  far  exceeding  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of 
its  originators. 

Throughout  the  winter  and  spring  of  1876  the  people 
were  in  a  constant  state  of  excitement  and  enthusiasm. 
Public  meetings  were  held  several  times  a  week,  and  more 
than  twelve  hundred  persons  signed  the  pledge.  The  Re- 
form Club  increased  to  four  hundred  members,  and  a  tem- 
perance society  known  as  the  Independent  Associates  was 
organized.  During  the  summer  out-door  meetings  were 
held,  and  though  the  enthusiasm  was  not  as  great  as  in  the 
winter,  many  of  the  fallen  were  reclaimed.  The  influence 
of  this  great  reformation  cannot  be  overestimated.  A 
majority  of  those  who  forsook  the  dangerous  paths  of  intem- 
perance were  sincere  in  their  professions  and  have  since 
been  industrious  and  law-abiding  citizens. 

Wednesday,  May  17,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of 
the  capture  of  the  British  transport  Hope,  by  Capt.  James 
Mugford,  in  the  Continental  schooner  Franklin,  witnessed 
one  of  the  greatest  celebrations  ever  known  in  the  history 
of  Marblehead.  The  day  was  ushered  in  by  the  ringing  of 
all  the  church  bells  for  an  hour  at  sunrise,  and  a  salute  of 
thirty-nine  guns  from  a  battery  on  "  Wofk-house  rockS." 
The  bells  were  also  rung,  and  salutes  were  fired  at  noon,  and 
sunset.  At  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  a  procession  was  formed, 
consisting  of  military  companies  of  Marblehead  and  Lynn, 
seven  bands  of  music,  distinguished  visitors,  soldiers  and 
sailors  of  the  War  of  1812,  veterans  of  the  civil  war,  town 

21 


322  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

officers,  clergy,  secret  societies,  scholars  of  the  public  schools, 
and  the  entire  fire  department.  The  procession  moved 
through  the  principal  streets  to  the  square  at  the  junction  ot 
Pleasant  and  Essex  Streets,  where  a  monument  which  had 
been  placed  in  position  the  day  before  was  dedicated  with 
appropriate  exercises.  The  monument  is  a  shaft  of  Hallo- 
well  granite,  eighteen  and  one  half  feet  high,  and  four  feet 
nine  inches  square  at  the  base.  It  is  inscribed  on  all  four 
sides  as  follows :  — 

On  the  northern  side :  — 

A  TRIBUTE   OF  MAEBLEHEAD 

To  the  memory  of  the  brave  Captain  Mugford,  and  his  heroic  crew,  who, 
in  the  Franklin  of  sixty  tons,  and  four  four-pounders,  May  17,  1776, 
under  the  guns  of  the  British  fleet,  captured  and  carried  into  Boston 
the  transport  Hope,  three  hundred  tons,  ten  guns,  loaded  with  muni- 
tions of  war,  including  1,500  barrels  of  powder. 

On  the  eastern  side  :  — 

CEEW   OF   THE   FRANKLIN   AS   FAR  AS   KNOWN. 

James  Mugford       .         .         .     Captain. 

Thomas  Russell  .  .         .        Lieutenant. 
Jeremiah  Uibard    .         .         .     Lieutenant. 

William  Thomas  .         .         Gunner. 
Samuel  H.  Green   .         .         •     Quartermaster. 

James  Topham      .  .         .         Carpenter. 
John  Powers    ....     Boatswain. 

SEAMEN. 

John  Dove,  Samuel  Roff, 

Thomas  Dove,  James  Quilty, 

John  Witham,  Quinn  Bettis. 

On  the  western  side  :  — 

CAPTAIN   JAMES   MUGFORD, 

Born  in  Marblehead,  May  19,  1749. 

Killed  May  19,   1776, 

while  successfully  defending  his  vessel  against  thirteen  boats  and  two 

hundred  men  from  the  British  fleet. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  323 

On  the  southern  side  :  — 

ERECTED   MAY    17,    1867. 

After  the  dedication  of  the  monument,  the  procession 
moved  to  the  Unitarian  church,  where  the  other  exercises 
took  place.  They  consisted  of  singing  by  the  Marblehead 
Musical  Association,  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Benjamin  H.  Bai- 
ley, an  ode  written  for  the  occasion  by  the  Rev.  John  W. 
Chadwick,  an  oration  by  the  Hon.  George  B.  Loring,  of 
Salem,  and  an  ode  written  by  Miss  Marcia  M.  Selman. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  another  celebration  took  place  ; 
but  owing  to  a  controversy  concerning  the  dedication  of  the 
Soldier's  and  Sailor's  Monument,  it  was  not  so  successfully 
conducted  as  that  of  the  Mugford  Centennial.  At  nine 
o'clock  A.  M.,  a  procession  was  formed,  consisting  of  the  Mar- 
blehead Brass  Band,  the  Marblehead  Monumental  Associa- 
tion, the  Hibernian  Friendly  Society,  a  delegation  of  the 
Mugford  Fire  Association,  the  Board  of  Selectmen,  the  cler- 
gy, and  the  children  of  the  North  and  South  Church  Sab- 
bath-schools in  carriages.  The  procession  moved  through  the 
principal  streets  to  the  square  at  the  junction  of  Mugford 
and  Elm  Streets,  where  a  monument  erected  in  memory  of 
the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  Marblehead  who  fell  in  the  civil 
war  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  The  monu- 
ment is  of  Hallowell  granite,  being  thirty-four  feet  high, 
and  eight  feet  square  at  the  base.  It  bears  four  tablets 
containmg  the  names  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  sol- 
diers and  sailors.  On  the  base  directly  in  front  is  the  fol- 
lowing inscription :  — 

IN  MEMORY   OE   OUR   COUNTRY'S   DEFENDERS. 

1776.        1812.        1861. 

ERECTED   BY   THE   CITIZENS   OF   MARBLEHEAD. 
DEDICATED   JULY   4,    1876. 

The  other  exercises  of  the  day  took  place  at  the  Unita- 


324  THE   HISTOKY   AND   TRADITIONS 

rian  Church.  They  consisted  of  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Julius 
H.  Ward  ;  singing,  by  the  Marblehead  Musical  Association  ; 
reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  by  Mr.  Charles 
H.  Litchman  ;  and  addresses,  by  Messrs.  James  J.  H.  Greo- 
ory  and  William  B.  Brown.  At  the  close  of  the  exercises, 
a  dinner  was  served  at  AUerton  Hall. 

The  political  campaign  of  this  year  was  as  exciting  in 
Marblehead  as  elsewhere  throughout  the  country.  The  most 
memorable  event  in  connection  with  it,  however,  was  a  Re- 
publican caucus  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  attend  the 
senatorial  convention  of  that  party.  The  caucus  was  held 
at  the  town  hall  on  Monday  evening,  October  9,  and  con- 
tinued three  entire  evenings  before  a  choice  was  made.  The 
names  of  three  gentlemen  were  presented  as  candidates  for 
the  nomination,  and  the  friends  of  each  rallied  in  large  num- 
bers. At  length,  after  a  bitter  and  most  exciting  contest, 
delegates  favorable  to  one  of  the  contestants  were  chosen. 
The  nomination,  however,  was  not  conferred  upon  either  of 
the  contestants.  The  Prohibitory  party  had  nominated  Mr. 
James  J.  H.  Gregory,  of  Marblehead,  for  senator,  and  the 
nomination  was  ratified  by  the  Republican  convention.  At 
the  ensuing  election,  Mr.  Gregory  w^as  elected,  though  a 
heavy  vote  was  cast  for  Mr.  Daniel  Appleton,  of  Marble- 
head, the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  vote  of 
Marblehead  was  cast  in  favor  of  the  entire  Democratic 
ticket  by  a  large  majority,  and  both  the  candidates  of  that 
party  for  representatives  to  the  General  Court  were  elected. 
During  the  campaign,  a  new  political  organization,  known 
as  the  "  Greenback  Labor  Party,"  was  formed.  Forty-four 
votes  only  were  polled  for  the  candidates  of  this  party  at 
the  election,  but  two  years  later  it  had  increased  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  elect  two  representatives  to  the  General  Court. 

The  local  events  of  the  year  1877  were  among  the  most 
memorable  in  the  entire  history  of  the  town.  At  the  an- 
nual Mai-ch  meeting,  the  town  voted  to  appropriate  the  sum 
of  $20,000  from  the  Abbot  fund,  to  be  placed  in  the  hands 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  325 

of  trustees,  and  devoted,  principal  and  interest,  in  their  dis- 
cretion, to  the  founding  and  maintenance  of  a  reading-room 
and  library,  to  be  called  "Abbot  Libi'ary."  It  was  also 
voted  to  place  the  unappropriated  balance  of  the  Abbot 
fund  at  interest,  and  to  devote  the  income  to  the  payment 
of  the  annual  expense  of  maintaining  the  Abbot  Building, 
including  heating,  lighting,  and  the  care  of  the  building  and 
grounds. 

On  the  15th  of  May  the  town  voted  to  make  a  reservoir 
of  Red's  Pond,  and  to  lay  water-pipes  therefrom,  with  hy- 
drants in  suitable  places  for  use  in  the  case  of  fires.  The 
sum  of  $10,000  was  appropriated  for  the  purpose,  and  Ado- 
niram  C.  Orne,  Caleb  Prentiss,  Jr.,  Hooper  R.  Goodwin, 
Isaac  Atkins,  and  Thomas  Appleton  were  elected  a  com- 
mittee to  carry  the  vote  into  effect.  An  effort  had  been 
made  many  years  before  to  convert  Red's  Pond  into  a  reser- 
voir, but  a  majority  of  the  citizens  were  strenuously  opposed 
to  the  measure,  and  the  projector,  Mr.  A.  C.  Orne,  was 
obliged  to  wait  for  another  generation  of  citizens  to  realize 
its  necessity. 

The  eventful  morning  of  June  25,  1877,  will  never  be  for- 
gotten by  the  people  of  Marblehead.  At  about  half-past 
one  o'clock,  a  barn  in  the  rear  of  a  large  three-story  build- 
ing known  as  the  "  Marblehead  Hotel,"  situated  on  Pleasant 
Street,  in  the  midst  of  the  largest  and  finest  buildings  of 
which  the  town  could  boast,  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire. 
Before  assistance  could  be  summoned  the  fire  had  communi- 
cated to  the  hotel,  and  when  the  firemen  arrived  on  the 
scene  the  building  was  in  flames.  Every  effort  was  made  to 
check  the  progress  of  the  destructive  element,  but  without 
avail.  The  General  Glover  engine-house,  situated  directly 
over  the  Brick  Pond  Reservoir,  was  soon  in  flames,  cutting 
off  the  supply  of  water  from  that  source.  The  fire  was  now 
beyond  the  control  of  the  firemen,  and,  in  spite  of  their  al- 
most superhuman  efforts  to  stop  it,  spread  from  building  to 
building  with  lightning-like  rapidity.     In  a  few  moments  a 


326  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

large  slioe  manufactory  known  as  Pope's  Block,  was  on  fire, 
the  flames  spreading  to  a  barn  owned  by  E.  V.  Bartlett  & 
Co.,  and  from  thence  to  a  shoe  manufactory  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  that  firm.  The  fire  now  defied  all  efforts  at  con- 
trol. Leaping  around  the  corner  of  School  Street,  the  con- 
flagration extended  from  Rechabite  Building  to  a  shoe  man- 
ufactory owned  by  Nathaniel  Glover,  thence  to  a  large  block 
owned  by  Wormsted  &  Woodfin,  and  soon  the  shoe  manu- 
factory of  William  Stevens,  a  stable  owned  by  Thomas  T. 
Paine,  and  fifteen  other  buildings,  mostly  dwelling-houses, 
comprising  every  building  on  Sewall  Street,  from  the  corner 
of  School  Street  to  Spring  Street,  were  in  flames.  Extend- 
ing along  the  north  side  of  Pleasant  Street,  the  fire  con- 
sumed a  building  belonging  to  T.  T.  Paine,  a  small  dwelling- 
house  owned  by  William  Humphrey,  the  beautiful  depot 
erected  a  few  years  previous,  said  at  that  time  to  be  the  finest 
on  the  line  of  the  Eastern  Railroad,  a  barn  and  dwelling- 
house  owned  by  Benjamin  G.  Hathaway,  a  boarding-house 
owned  by  Henry  F.  Pitman,  a  large  shoe  manufactory  owned 
and  occupied  by  Jonathan  Brown,  the  dwelling-house  of  Wil- 
liam C.  Lefavour,  and  a  barn  belonging  to  the  estate  of  the 
late  Dr.  H.  H.  F.  Whittemore.  On  the  south  side  of  Pleasant 
Street,  every  building  save  one  was  consumed,  from  a  house 
belonging  to  the  estate  of  Mrs.  Leonora  Chapman,  nearly  op- 
posite  the  place  where  the  fire  originated,  to  the  Mugford 
Monument,  at  the  junction  of  Essex  and  Spring  streets. 
These  included  a  large  block  owned  by  Joshua  O.  Lefavour, 
a  house  owned  by  John  H.  Brown  and  occuijied  by  G.  W. 
Forsyth  as  a  boarding-house,  a  large  four-story  building 
known  as  Allerton  Block,  a  shoe  manufactory  owned  by  M. 
J.  Doak,'and  several  dwelling-houses.  On  the  southern  end 
of  School  Street,  every  building  was  destroyed,  including  a 
large  building  owned  by  Henry  O.  Symonds,  the  frame  and 
materials  for  a  new  engine-house  in  process  of  construction, 
a  stable  owned  by  Enoch  A.  Perkins,  the  South  Church,  a 
dwelling-house    owned    by   Edmund    Glover,   and    several 


OF   MAEBLEHEAD.  327 

smaller  buildings.  On  Essex  Street,  every  building  was  de- 
stroyed, including  a  large  shoe  manufactory  belonging  to  the 
estate  of  John  H.  Wilkins,  a  small  shop  occupied  by  a  mar- 
ble-worker, and  several  dwelling-houses.  On  Spring  Street, 
two  shoe  manufactories  owned  by  William  C.  Lefavour,  and 
four  dwelling-houses,  were  destroyed,  the  only  building  left 
standing  being  the  Sewall  School-house.  On  Bassett  Street 
two  dwelling-houses  were  consumed,  together  with  a  barn 
belonging  to  Franklin  Reynolds.  On  Nickerson's  Hill,  a  car- 
penter's shop  belonging  to  Henrj'-  F.  Pitman  was  destroyed, 
and  several  other  buildings  were  seriously  damaged. 

The  exciting  scenes  throughout  the  town  during  the  prog- 
ress of  the  great  conflagration  beggar  description.  Men, 
women,  and  children  were  panic  stricken,  and  hundreds  were 
rushing  about  the  streets  vainly  endeavoring  to  save  their 
household  goods  or  personal  effects.  Many  families  were 
obliged  to  flee  from  burning  houses,  leaving  furniture,  wear- 
ing apparel,  and  everything  they  possessed,  to  the  destroy- 
ing element.  Others  succeeded  in  removing  their  furniture 
and  household  goods  to  the  open  fields,  only  to  see  them 
take  fire,  in  some  instances  before  the  flames  reached  the 
houses  from  which  they  had  been  removed.  Many  houses 
in  various  parts  of  the  town  caught  fire  from  burning  em- 
bers and  were  saved  only  by  the  heroic  efforts  of  the 
women,  who  carried  water  to  the  roofs  in  buckets,  and 
thus  preserved  their  own  homes,  while  their  husbands  and 
brothers  were  engaged  in  preserving  the  property  of  others. 
At  one  time  every  church  in  the  town  was  on  fire  except 
the  Ba]3tist  and  Roman  Catholic.  Then  it  was  that  strong 
men  trembled,  fearing  that  the  town  would  be  utterly  de- 
stroyed. But  their  desperation  only  nerved  them  to  greater 
effort,  and  at  length,  reenforced  by  assistance  from  Salem, 
Lynn,  and  other  cities,  the  firemen  were  successful  and  the 
great  fire  was  conquered.  But  what  a  scene  of  devastation 
met  the  eye  when  the  morning  sun  broke  forth.  Where 
but  a  few  hours  before  had  been  large  factories,  and  comfort- 


328  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

able  homes,  monuments  of  the  enterprise  and  industry  of 
the  people,  were  only  stone  walls  and  tottering  chimneys. 
The  entire  business  portion  of  the  town  had  disappeared 
in  a  single  night.  Seventy-six  buildings,  with  nearly  all 
their  contents,  representing  over  half  a  million  dollars' 
worth  of  property,  had  been  consumed.  Only  four  of  the 
large  shoe  manufactories  were  left  standing  in  the  town, 
while  ninety  families  were  made  homeless,  and  fifteen  hun- 
dred men  and  women  were  thrown  out  of  employment.  The 
prospect  for  them  was  dark  and  discouraging  in  the  ex- 
treme. The  loss  of  the  property  owners  and  business  men, 
though  severe,  was  partially  covered  by  insurance  ;  but  the 
working  population,  many  of  whom  had  already  been  out 
of  employment  several  months  in  consequence  of  the  depres- 
sion in  business,  besides  losing  all  their  tools,  were  suddenly 
deprived  of  the  means  of  obtaining  a  livelihood.  But  though 
"cast  down"  the  people  were  not  disheai'tened.  Some  of 
the  business  men  immediately  began  to  devise  measures 
for  "  starting  again,"  with  the  heroic  determination,  if  pos- 
sible, to  restore  their  shattered  fortunes.  A  notable  instance 
of  this  kind  deserves  especial  mention  here.  Among  those 
who  lost  almost  everything  by  the  fire,  were  Messrs  N.  Allen 
Lindsey  &  Co.,  the  proprietors  of  the  local  paper.  Their 
office  was  in  Allerton  Block,  and  when  the  great  building 
was  consumed,  all  their  stock,  fixtures,  machines,  and  other 
materials  shared  in  the  general  destruction.  They  suc- 
ceeded, however,  in  saving  their  heading  and  column  rules, 
and  that  evening,  before  the  ruins  of  their  former  office  had 
done  smoking,  an  extra  edition  of  the  "  Marblehead  INIes- 
senger  "  appeared  with  a  full  account  of  the  great  conflagra- 
tion. Never  before  since  its  establishment,  was  the  "  Mes- 
senger" more  welcome  to  the  citizens  of  Marblehead.  Then 
for  the  first  time  they  realized  the  value  of  their  local  paper, 
and  appreciated  the  energy  and  business  enterprise  of  its 
proprietors. 

During  the  afternoon  a   meeting  was   held  at  the  town 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  329 

hall  to  devise  measures  of  relief  for  the  sufferers  by  the 
fire.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Capt.  Knutt  V. 
Martin,  and  a  citizens'  Relief  Committee  was  chosen  to  so- 
licit donations  of  money  and  clothing.  Before  an  appeal 
could  be  issued,  however,  donations  began  to  pour  in  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  and  in  a  short  time  the  committee 
reported  that  enough  had  been  received  to  alleviate  the 
distress.  The  total  amount  of  contributions  received  was 
$23,498.30.  The  clcfthing  was  distributed  by  a  society  of 
ladies  known  as  the  "  Women's  Centennial  Aid  Society," 
who  rendered  efficient  assistance  to  the  committee  in  its 
charitable  work. 

We  cannot  close  our  account  of  this  terrible  visitation 
without  a  few  commendatory  words  concerning  the  forti- 
tude and  enterprising  energy  which  characterized  the  busi- 
ness men  throughout'  the  entire  trying  period.  They  had 
received  a  blow  from  which  it  Avas  thought  they  could  not 
recover.  But  with  steady  resolution  they  set  themselves  to 
the  work  before  them,  and  in  less  than  three  months  had  re- 
built more  than  one  third  of  the  number  of  buildino-s  de- 
stroyed  by  the  fire. 

During  the  two  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  great 
conflagration  to  the  present  time  of  writing,^  nearly  every 
building  destroyed  has  been  replaced  by  a  new  and  commo- 
dious structure.  The  buildings  erected  for  business  pur- 
poses are  very  much  inferior,  both  in  size  and  architectural 
beauty,  to  those  which  were  destroyed ;  but  the  dwelling- 
houses  are  superior  in  size,  and  besides  being  convenient, 
modern  homesteads,  are  ornaments  to  the  town. 

Another  important  local  event,  during  the  year  1877,  was 
the  completion  of  Abbot  Hall.  This  beautiful  edifice  was 
erected  in  strict  accordance  with  the  vote  of  the  town,  not  a 
dollar  in  excess  of  the  appropriation  being  expended  by  the 
committee.  Great  credit  is  due  to  Messrs.  Simeon  Dodge 
and  Moses  Gilbert,  under  whose  supervision  the   building 

1  1879. 


330  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

was  constructed.  Many  of  the  conveniences  which  render 
the  new  hall  superior  to  most  public  buildings,  are  due  to 
the  faithful  and  efficient  manner  in  which  these  gentlemen 
performed  the  work  assigned  them  by  the  town. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  building,  several  of  the  citi- 
zens and  natives  of  the  town  residing  abroad  generously 
contributed  pictures  and  other  articles  to  add  to  its  attract- 
iveness. The  Hon.  James  J.  H.  Gregory  presented  a  clock 
and  bell  for  the  tower,  and  a  large  oil  painting  for  the  read- 
ing-room. Mr.  Thomas  Appleton,  also,  donated  a  picture 
for  the  reading-room ;  a  piano  for  use  in  the  hall  was  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  Henry  F.  Pitman ;  and  a  carpet  for  the  stage 
by  Mr.  Joel  Goldthwaite,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Nathaniel  Brira- 
blecome,  of  Boston,  gave  a  clock  for  the  hall,  and  Mr.  Wil- 
liam F.  Joy,  of  Boston,  a  book -case  for  the  use  of  the  town 
clerk. 

The  dedication  of  the  building  took  place  on  Wednesday, 
December  12,  under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  thirteen 
gentlemen  elected  for  that  purpose.  The  exercises  consisted 
of  instrumental  music  by  the  American  Band  of  Providence, 
R.  I. ;  prayer  by  the  Rev.  George  Pierce,  Jr.,  of  Milford, 
N.  H. ;  singing  by  the  Marblehead  Musical  Association  ;  an 
original  ode  written  for  the  occasion  by  Miss  Marcia  M. 
Selman ;  and  an  oration  by  the  Hon.  Edward  Avery,  of 
Braintree,  ]\Iass.  The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  the 
Rev,  Edward  Crowninshield,  of  West  Dedham,  Mass.  In 
the  evening  a  concert  was  given  by  the  American  Band,  of 
Providence,  R.  I. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year  Abbot  Library 
was  opened  to  the  public,  Miss  Mary  G.  Brown  being  ap- 
pointed librarian  with  Mrs.  Sarah  Gregory  as  assistant. 

Little  of  importance  occurred  during  the  year  1878.  In 
the  autumn  the  annual  State  election  took  place,  when  both 
the  old  political  parties  in  Marblehead  were  nearly  disinte- 
grated by  the  conversion  of  a  large  proportion  of  the  legal 
voters   to   the   principles   of   the  Greenback   Labor  Party. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  331 

This  was  caused  by  the  candidacy  of  Gen.  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  who  was  nominated  as  an  independent  candidate  for 
Governor.  The  Democratic  Convention  at  Worcester  in- 
dorsed his  nomination,  and  the  result  was  a  split  in  that 
party,  the  opposition  supporting  the  Hon.  Josiah  G.  Abbott, 
of  Boston.  The  Kepublican  candidate  was  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Talbot,  of  Billerica,  who  received,  besides  the  united  sup- 
port of  his  party,  a  large  number  of  votes  from  Democrats. 
The  campaign  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  ever  known  in 
Marblehead.  At  the  election  ten  candidates  for  representa- 
tives to  the  General  Court  were  in  the  field,  supported  by 
the  various  parties.  A  majority  of  the  citizens  voted  in 
favor  of  General  Butler,  however,  and  the  nominees  of  the 
Greenback  Labor  Party  were  elected. 

During  the  period  of  which  we  have  written  in  this  chap- 
ter, the  town  has  gradually  developed  into  a  popular  sum- 
mer resort.  Nearly  every  available  spot  along  the  shore 
has  been  purchased  and  built  upon  by  summer  residents, 
and  every  year  brings  a  larger  number  of  pleasure-seekers 
to  our  shore  than  its  predecessor.  Within  ten  years  the 
peninsula  known  as  "  Marblehead  Neck  "  has  been  laid  out 
into  house-lots,  and  the  growth  of  its  settlement  has  been 
rapid  and  constant.  Wide  and  well-kept  avenues  have  been 
laid  out  in  various  directions,  commanding  a  full  view  of  the 
ocean,  the  town,  and  the  coast  from  Thacher's  Island  to  the 
South  Shore.  There  are  sixty-seven  houses  already  occupied 
during  the  summer  and  others  are  being  erected.  The  pic- 
turesque little  village  of  Nashua  comprises  a  large  number 
of  neatly  painted  houses,  some  of  which  rival  any  city  resi- 
dence in  the  beauty  of  their  surroundings. 

What  is  true  of  the  Neck  is  true  also,  though  in  a  lesser 
degree,  of  various  other  sections  of  the  town.  Peach's  Point 
has  grown  within  a  few  years  into  a  beautiful  village  of  com- 
modious residences,  and  every  year  new  houses  are  erected 
in  the  sections  known  as  Devei-eux  and  Clifton.  The  board- 
ing-houses at  these  sections  are  always  well  filled  during  the 


332  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

summer,  and  the  future  prominence  of  Marblehead  as  a  wat- 
ering-place seems  to  be  assured. 

And  now,  having  traced  the  growth  of  the  town  from  the 
time  of  its  settlement,  let  us  glance,  before  closing,  at  the 
condition  of  its  people  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1879.  The 
great  depression  to  which  the  business  of  the  entire  country- 
has  been  subjected  during  the  past  five  or  six  years,  has  been 
a  decided  check  to  all  material  prosperity  in  Marblehead. 
The  shoe  business,  the  great  industry  of  the  town,  has  been 
at  times  almost  stagnant,  and  the  working  men  and  women 
have  been  out  of  employment  several  months  in  each  year. 
This  has  had  the  effect  to  drive  temporary  residents  to  more 
prosperous  cities  and  towns,  and  to  cause  a  decrease  in  the 
number  of  inhabitants.  But  during  the  past  year  there 
have  been  unmistakable  signs  of  returning  prosperity.  The 
shoe  manufactories  have  been  busy  for  a  longer  period  than 
for  years  past,  and  a  larger  proportion  of  the  inhabitants 
have  been  employed.  Nor  is  this  the  only  encouraging  sign 
of  the  times.  Though  the  Bank  fishery,  the  industry  by 
means  of  which  the  people  obtained  a  livelihood  in  former 
years,  has  passed  away,^  it  is  being  rapidly  replaced  by  the 
bay  fishing  trade,  in  which  more  than  twenty  boats  are 
already  engaged.  The  men  go  out  in  the  morning  and  re- 
turn at  night-fall  with  a  fare  of  fresh  fish  for  which  they 
find  a  ready  market  as  soon  as  they  land  on  the  wharves. 
This  enterprise  is  as  yet  in  its  infancy,  but  the  successful 
proportions  to  which  it  has  attained  within  a  period  of  two 
years,  suggest  great  possibilities  for  the  future. 

1  Only  one  vessel  was  sent  to  the  Banks  from  Marblehead  in  1879. 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  333 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  peninsula  known  as  Marblehead  Great  Neck,  as  has 
been  stated  in  another  chapter,  is  one  mile  long  and  half  a 
mile  wide,  and  contains  about  three  hundred  acres  of  land. 
Previous  to  the  year  1724,  the  land  was  held  in  common  bj 
various  proprietors,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  grants  of 
several  acres  each,  made  by  the  town  of  Salem  before  the 
incorporation  of  the  township  of  Marblehead.  On  the  4th 
of  December,  1724,  the  proprietors  voted  to  subdivide  the 
land,  and  to  locate  the  claim  of  each  owner.  This  duty  was 
assigned  to  Richard  Trevett,  John  Waldron,  and  Ebenezer 
Hawkes,  by  whom  the  Vote  was  carried  into  effect,  and  the 
division  accordingly  made.^ 

There  is  little  of  interest  concerning  the  Neck  during  the 
years  preceding  the  division  of  land.  It  was  used  principally 
as  a  pasture  for  cattle  and  sheep,  and  a  man  was  elected  an- 
nually by  the  town  to  "  look  after  them  and  drive  them 
home  at  night-fall."  There  were  those,  however,  among 
the  proprietors,  who  erected  houses  upon  their  land  and 
either  resided  there  themselves,  or  leased  them  to  others,  in 
order  the  more  conveniently  to  carry  on  the  fishing  business 
in  which  they  were  engaged.  The  harbor  side  of  the  Neck, 
as  we  are  informed  by  reliable  tradition  and  by  frequent 

1  The  proprietors  of  the  Neck  property,  at  the  time  of  the  division  in  1724, 
were  Richard  Skinner,  John  Pedrick,  Andrew  Pedrick,  John  Waldron,  Fran- 
cis Bouden,  John  Roads,  Christopher  Booby,  John  Trevett,  John  Calley, 
Robert  Devoricks,  John  Edgcomb,  Jeremiah  Gatchell,  Richard  Trevett,  Capt. 
Richard  Reith,  Mrs.  Emma  Peach,  Ebenezer  Hawkes,  John  Legg,  Esq.,  Na- 
than Norden,  Samuel  Russell,  Mr.  William  Nick's  widow,  John  Stacey,  Wil- 
liam Hands,  Sr.,  John  Conant,  Ebenezer  Ingalls'  widow,  Capt.  Benjamin 
James,  successors  of  Rev.  Samuel  Cheever,  Mr.  William  Reed,  John  Raddin. 


334  THE   HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 

references  in  the  records,  was  for  many  years  covered  by 
"  fish  flakes,"  where  the  fish  were  cured  and  dried,  and 
warehouses  in  which  they  were  stored.  Among  those  who 
thus  availed  themselves  of  these  advantages,  were  John 
Roads  and  Nathaniel  Ingersoll,  both  of  whom  were  "  shore- 
men." They  were  owners  of  vessels,  and  it  was  their  cus- 
tom —  as  it  has  been  that  of  many  other  citizens  of  ^Marble- 
head  since  that  time  —  to  fit  out  their  vessels  and  send  them 
to  the  Banks,  receiving  as  remuneration  a  certain  proportion 
of  the  fare. 

For  many  years  the  fishermen  of  the  town  obtained  most 
of  the  fresh  water  which  they  carried  to  sea  from  a  spring 
on  the  harbor  side  of  the  Neck,  known  as  "Stratton's  spring 
well,"  which  yielded  a  plentiful  supply.  Frequent  refer- 
ences are  made  to  this  spring  in  old  leases  and  deeds,  and  it 
was  doubtless  one  of  the  most  famous  landmarks  in  the 
vicinity. 

One  of  the  earliest  of  those  who  erected  houses  and  re- 
sided upon  the  Neck,  was  John  Pedrick,  whose  name  ap- 
pears among  the  householders  of  Marblehead  in  1665.  He 
possessed  a  large  amount  of  property  in  real  estate,  and  be- 
ing a  man  of  considerable  means,  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  From  the  records  and  tradi- 
tions of  his  family  it  appears  that  he  was  of  high  lineage, 
and  that  Pedrick  was  not  his  real  name.  Coming  to  Amer- 
ica at  a  time  when  the  English  government  strongly  opposed 
the  emigration  of  families  of  the  upper  class,  a  disguise  was 
rendered  necessary,  and  he  had  recourse,  as  did  many  others 
of  his  rank  and  station  in  society,  to  an  assumed  name.  He 
brought  with  him  mone}^,  servants,  laborers,  farming  imple- 
ments, and  household  furniture.  Some  of  the  persons  who 
came  with  him,  it  is  said  —  but  in  no  way  related  to  him  or 
his  family  —  were  permitted  to  take  his  name.  That  it  was 
his  intention  to  throw  off  the  disguise  and  resume  his  legiti- 
mate name  there  can  be  little  doubt,  but  as  the  years  passed 
on  and  his  property  accumulated,  it  was  evident  that  the 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  335 

act  would  be  attended  by  great  inconvenience,  and  the  idea 
was  abandoned. 

Another  resident  was  Joshua  Coombs,  whose  family  oc- 
cupied the  estate  for  three  generations.  He  was  the  father 
of  Michael  Coombs,  who  during  the  Revolutionary  War  was 
one  of  the  most  obnoxious  of  the  Loyalists  residing  in  Mar- 
blehead.  Finding  the  indignation  of  his  fellow-citizens 
rather  more  severe  than  was  comfortable  or  desirable, 
Coombs  fled  to  England,  where  he  remained  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  After  the  declaration  of  peace  he  returned  to 
Marblehead  and  died  in  1806,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years. 

During  the  year  1774,  shortly  before  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  a  company  of  British  soldiers  were 
stationed  on  the  Neck  under  command  of  Major  McGrath. 
They  were  there  but  a  short  time,  however,  and  their  com- 
mander is  said  to  have  been  the  first  British  officer  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

It  is  impossible  to  trace  the  families  who  made  a  home 
upon  the  Neck  at  different  periods.  The  names  of  Wise, 
Tasker,  John  Tucker,  William  Searle,  J.  Swan,  Henry 
Roads,  and  William  Messervey,  are  frequently  mentioned  in 
the  records,  and  from  traditions  related  by  aged  inhabitants 
of  the  town  it  appears  that  they  were  fishermen.  Though 
these  men  occupied  a  portion  of  the  land  with  their  "  fish 
flakes,"  it  was  a  comparatively  small  section,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  territory  was  used  chiefly  as  a  pasture  for  many 
years. 

During  the  year  1795,  Ebenezer  Giles  established  salt 
works  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Neck,  on  the  harbor  side,  and 
the  buildings  remained  there  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  though 
the  enterprise  proved  a  failure. 

One  of  the  most  enterprising  of  the  proprietors  previous 
to  the  Revolutionary  War  was  John  Andrews,  a  wealthy 
"  shoreman,"  who  purchased  several  leases  and  inclosed 
them  for  a  farm.     During  the  year  1762,  in  the  days  of  his 


336  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

prosperity,  lie  erected  a  house  near  the  harbor,  which  has 
since  been  enlarged,  and  for  several  years  has  been  known 
as  the  "  Samoset  House."  A  large  portion  of  this  property 
was  subsequeiitly  purchased  by  Jesse  Blanchard,  and  at  his 
death  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Ephraim  Brown,  his  son- 
in-law.  At  frequent  intervals,  Mr.  Brown  purchased  the 
land  of  the  several  owners,  until  his  estate  increased  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  embracing  nearly  the  entire  terri- 
tory of  the  Neck. 

About  the  year  1840,  Mr.  Brown  began  the  cultivation  of 
a  farm  upon  his  estate,  and  in  a  few  years  it  became  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  productive  in  the  country.  After  the 
death  of  the  owner  the  property  was  leased  to  various  par- 
ties, one  of  whom  was  Mr.  Martin  Ham,  who  conducted  the 
farm,  while  his  son,  Martin  Ham,  Jr.,  occupied  the  house 
near  the  beach,  since  known  as  the  "  Atlantic  House,"  and 
opened  it  to  the  public  as  a  hotel. 

During  the  year  1867,  Mr.  Ham  began  to  under-lease 
small  lots  to  sojourners  for  the  summer,  and  in  a  short  time 
a  large  number  of  temporary  cottages  were  erected.  As  the 
advantages  of  the  Neck  became  known,  many  who  desired 
the  delightful  freedom  of  sea-shore  life  erected  commodious 
tents,  in  which  they  dwelt  with  their  families  throughout  the 
season.  In  a  few  years  the  ocean-side  presented  the  appear, 
ance  of  an  encampment  of  a  small  army.  Hundreds  of  tents 
were  pitched  along  the  shore,  and  through  the  long  and 
sultry  summer  days  the  dwellers  found  health  and  happiness 
in  the  calm  enjoyment  o*!  their  surroundings.  Mr.  Whit- 
tier,  in  his  "  Tent  on  the  Beach,"  has  given  a  picture  of  life 
at  the  sea-shore  which  can  be  appropriately  applied  to  the 
dwellers  on  the  Neck  during  this  transition  period  :  — 

"  The  clanging  sea-fowl  came  and  went, 

The  hunter's  gun  in  the  marshes  rang  ; 
At  nightfall,  from  a  neighboring  tent, 
A  flute-voiced  woman  sweetly  sang. 
Loose-haired,  bare-footed,  hand  in  hand. 
Young  girls  went  tripping  down  the  sand ; 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  337 

And  youths  and  maidens,  sitting  in  the  moon, 

Dreamed  o'er  the  old  foud  dream  from  which  we  wake  too  soon. 

"  At  times  their  fishing-lines  they  plied, 

With  an  old  Triton  at  the  oar, 
Salt  as  the  sea-wind,  tough  and  dried 

As  an  old  cusk  from  Labrador. 
Strange  tales  he  told  of  wreck  and  storm  — 
Had  seen  the  sea-snake's  awful  form, 
And  heard  the  ghosts  on  Haley's  Isle  complain. 
Speak  him  ofiF-shore,  and  beg  a  passage  to  old  Spain. 

"And  there,  on  breezy  morns,  they  saw 

The  fishing-schooners  outward  run  ; 
Their  low-bent  sails,  in  tack  and  flaw, 

Turned  white  or  dark  to  shade  and  sun. 
Sometimes,  in  calm  of  closing  day, 
They  watched  the  spectral  mirage  play, 
Saw  low,  far  islands  looming  tall  and  nigh, 
And  ships  with  upturned  keels  sail  like  a  sea  the  sky. 


"  And  when  along  the  line  of  shore 

The  mists  crept  upward  chill  and  damp. 
Stretched  careless  on  their  sandy  floor 

Beneath  the  flaring  lantern  lamp. 
They  talked  of  all  things  old  and  new, 
Read,  slept,  and  dreamed  as  idlers  do  ; 
And,  in  the  unquestioned  freedom  of  the  tent. 
Body  and  o'ertaxed  mind  to  healthful  ease  unbent." 

While  the  Brown  estate  was  thus  passing  from  farm  and 
pasture  land  to  a  summer  resort,  a  similar  transition  was 
taking  place  upon  other  portions  of  the  Neck.  On  the  29th 
of  April,  1867,  Mr.  John  H.  Gregory  sold  his  estate  near 
the  harbor  (about  three  quarters  of  an  acre)  to  Messrs.  A. 
H.  Dunlap,  Thomas  Pierson,  John  Blunt,  and  George  Mc- 
Masters,  all  of  Nashua,  N.  H.  Late  in  the  month  of  June, 
in  the  same  year,  these  gentlemen  left  Nashua  with  a  com- 
pany of  carpenters,  and  all  the  materials  necessary  for  the 
construction  of  four  cottages  and  four  small  stables.  On  the 
4th  of  July  the  houses  were  finished,  and  shortly  after,  the 
owners  with  their  families,  moved  into  them.     These  were 

22 


838  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

the  first  bouses  built  by  permanent  summer  residents  upon 
the  Neck. 

During  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  John  Spar- 
hawk,  who  owned  about  three  and  a  half  acres  of  land  in 
the  vicinity,  leased  a  portion  of  it  to  various  persons,  and 
several  houses  were  erected.  From  this  small  beginning 
the  growth  of  the  settlement  was  rapid  and  constant.  New 
houses  were  erected  every  year,  and  with  each  season  the 
number  of  summer  residents  increased. 

On  the  11th  of  January,  1872,  the  entire  property  upon 
the  Neck,  belonging  to  the  heirs  of  Ephraim  Brown,  was 
sold  at  public  auction  for  the  sum  of  $255,000.  The  pur- 
chasers were  Charles  Odiorne  and  others  of  Boston,  who 
formed  a  company  known  as  the  "  Marblehead  Great  Neck 
Land  Company." 

Under  the  direction  of  this  company  the  land  was  laid 
out  into  house-lots,  an  avenue  was  built  along  the  entire 
ocean  side  of  the  Neck,  and  other  similar  improvements 
were  made.  A  few  years  later,  however,  the  company  hav- 
ing failed  to  keep  the  conditions  of  a  mortgage  given  at  the 
time  of  the  purchase,  the  property  again  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  trustees  of  the  Brown  estate.  Since  that  time, 
the  trustees,  Messrs.  Isaac  C.  Wyman,  William  D.  North- 
end,  and  George  F.  Flint,  of  Salem,  have  been  constantly 
employed  in  improving  the  estate.  The  effect  has  been  to 
bring  the  land  more  prominently  into  the  market,  and  dur- 
ing the  year  1879  a  large  amount  of  property  was  sold, 
and  seventeen  new  houses  were  erected.^ 

Within  a  few  years  a  better  class  of  houses  have  been 
built  by  summer  residents  than  formerly,  and  the  small 
cottages  have  gradually  given  way  to  those  of  a  larger  size. 
Some  of  these  houses  are  among  the  finest  in  the  entire 
township,  the  owners  apparently  sparing  neither  pains  nor 
expense  in  improving  and  beautifying  their  surroundings. 

During  the  year  1877,  a  hall  was  erected  by  the  efforts  of 
1  In  1879  there  were  sixty-seven  houses  upon  the  Neck. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  339 

the  young  people,  which  answers  the  double  purpose  of  a 
place  for  holding  religious  services  on  the  Sabbath  and  for 
social  gatherings  on  other  evenings  of  the  week. 

To  the  lover  of  nature,  Marblehead  Great  Neck  presents 
rare  opportunities  for  the  enjoyment  and  cultivation  of  his 
tastes.  One  of  the  greatest  natural  curiosities  on  the  ocean 
side  is  the  "  Churn,"  a  fissure  in  the  rocks  about  thirty  feet 
deep,  where  the  water  roars  and  seethes  at  half-tide. 

The  view  from  "  Castle  Rock,"  or  "  Great  Head,"  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  is  one  of  the  finest  to  be  found  on  the  en- 
tire New  England  coast.  The  vast  expanse  of  water  from 
the  South  Shore  to  Thacher's  Island,  relieved  here  and  there 
by  the  beautiful  islands  along  the  shore,  presents  a  scene 
which  the  appreciative  beholder  will  not  soon  forget.  In 
the  distance,  "  Half-way  Rock,"  so  called  because  it  is  half- 
way between  Boston  and  Cape  Ann,  is  seen  standing  bold 
and  defiant  in  mid-ocean.  For  many  years  the  fishermen  of 
Marblehead,  when  sailing  past  this  rock,  were  in  the  habit 
of  throwing  a  few  pieces  of  small  coin  upon  it,  believing, 
with  characteristic  superstition,  that  the  act  would  insure 
good  luck  and  a  safe  return. 

Nearer  the  shore  are  Tinkers  and  Ram  Islands,  and  a 
short  distance  off,  the  "  Point."  Marblehead  Rock  serves  as 
a  guide  to  vessels  entering  the  harbor.  The  view  from  the 
harbor  side  includes  at  once  the  town,  Lowell,  Baker's  and 
other  adjacent  islands,  and  in  the  distance,  Beverly,  Man- 
chester, and  Gloucester  shores. 


340  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  history  of  a  town  cannot  be 
better  told  than  in  the  story  of  its  ancient  buildings  and 
landmarks.  Marblehead  is  rich  in  these.  Some  -oi  the 
houses  erected  within  fifty  years  after  the  settlement  of  the 
town  ate  still  standing,  and  there  are  many  that  have  with- 
stood the  storms  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

It  would  be  of  little  interest  to  the  reader  to  trace  the 
history  of  all  these  houses,  even  if  it  were  possible.  There 
are  those,  however,  which  recall  memories  of  the  men  of 
other  days,  whose  noble  deeds  and  earnest  lives  reflect 
honor  on  the  town.  These,  at  least,  are  worthy  of  atten- 
tion. 

Some  of  the  oldest  houses  in  the  town  are  undoubtedly 
to  be  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  section  known  as  Peach's 
Point,  where  the  first  settlement  was  made.  The  oldest 
house  of  which  we  have  any  accurate  record,  however,  is 
that  known  as  the  Tucker  House,  situated  on  Front  Street. 
As  early  as  the  year  1664,  this  house  was  deeded  by  John 
Codner  to  his  son  John.  It  is  said  that  the  young  man  was 
about  to  be  married,  and  that  his  father  intended  it  as  a 
wedding  present.  For  many  years  the  house  stood  by  itself 
in  an  open  field,  and  as  Codner  owned  nearly  all  the  land  in 
the  vicinity,  there  were  few  houses  built  around  it. 

As  the  commercial  trade  of  the  town  increased,  several 
wharves  were  built  near  by,  and  the  land  in  the  vicinity  was 
purchased  for  the  erection  of  dwelling-houses,  and  for  busi- 
ness purposes.  The  large  warehouses,  some  of  which  are 
still  standing  where  they  were  erected  more  than  a  century 
ago,  recall  the  days  when  they  were  filled  with  foreign  mer- 


The  Home  of  Chief  Justice  Sewall. 


llHliJlj 

rfsiiii 


Parson  Barnard's  House,  Fr.ankijn  Street. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  341 

chaiiclise,  and  the  fisli  cured  in  Marbleliead  were  exported 
to  the  markets  of  Europe  and  the  West  Indies.  The  peo- 
ple, generally,  were  prosperous  in  those  days,  and  as  the 
town  was  constantly  visited  by  strangers  who  desired  enter- 
tainment, several  public  houses  or  taverns  were  established, 
all  of  which  were  profitably  conducted.  Of  one  of  these 
taverns,  which  was  kept  in  a  house  on  the  corner  of  Front 
and  Glover  Streets,  an  interesting  tradition  is  related.  It 
is  said  that  during  the  year  1775,  when  the  British  frigate 
Lively  was  lying  in  the  harbor,  several  shots  were  fired  on 
shore,  one  of  which  struck  the  side  of  this  house,  where  it 
was  imbedded  many  yeai's. 

A  short  distance  from  the  old  tavern,  though  on  different 
streets,  are  the  houses  once  owned  and  occupied  by  Gen. 
John  Glover,  and  his  brother  Col.  Jonathan  Glover.  The 
house  of  the  general  stands  on  the  street  now  known  by 
his  name,  while  that  of  his  brother  is  on  Front  Street. 

This  house  is  situated  some  distance  back  from  the  street, 
and  is  partially  concealed  from  view  by  several  houses  in 
front  of  it.  The  land  now  occupied  by  these  houses  was 
formerly  Colonel  Glover's  garden,  which,  in  its  day,  is  said 
to  have  been  one  of  the  finest  in  town.  A  gate  at  the  en- 
trance to  this  garden  was  supported  by  two  large  posts 
upon  each  of  which  stood  a  gilded  eagle  with  outspread 
wings.  For  this  reason,  the  house  was  for  many  years 
called  the  "Eagle  house,"  and  by  this  name  it  is  still 
familiarly  known  by  the  older  inhabitants. 

During  a  severe  thunder-storm,  this  house  was  struck  by 
lightning.  Colonel  Glover  and  his  two  daughters,  one  of 
whom  was  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Hubbard,  who 
was  also  present,  barely  escaped  serious  injury.  A  room 
which  they  had  left  but  a  few  moments  before  was  literally 
torn  to  pieces.  One  of  the  young  ladies  was  prostrated  by 
the  lightning,  and  a  portion  of  her  clothing  took  fire.  The 
event  was  long  the  chief  topic  of  conversation  in  the  town, 
and  upon  one  person,  at  least,  it  made  a  serious  impression.^ 


342  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

This  was  a  youth  named  Samuel  Bowden,  who  wrote  a 
graphic  account  of  the  affair  in  verse.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  the  poem,  in  which  he  prays  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  Mr.  Hubbard,  and  refers  to  the  ministers  of  the  other 
churches  in  town. 

"  0  God  therefore  we  thee  implore, 
His  precious  life  to  save  ; 
For  none  can  praise  thee  with  such  lays, 
When  huddled  in  the  grave. 

"  He  is  the  only  pastor  we  have  now, 
To  point  the  way  to  heaven,  which  way  and  how  ; 
St.  Michael's  guide,  to  keep  his  mind  at  ease, 
Remaineth  still  among  the  absentees. 

"  The  Reverend  Isaac  Story,  mourn  his  fate. 
What  is  he  now  to  what  he  was  of  late  1 
Bo'nerges  like,  he  used  to  speak  in  thunder. 
Now  at  his  silence  we  are  apt  to  wonder. 
But  it  is  weakness,  caused  by  fatal  ills. 
Affects  his  nerves,  and  through  his  vitals  thrills; 
And,  vulture-like,  preys  on  the  mental  flame. 
And  every  drop  of  vital  moisture  drains. 
May  he  regain  his  wasted  strength  once  more. 
And  be  as  nervous  as  he  was  before." 

Near  Colonel  Glover's  house,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  is  the  old  custom-house,  where  the  merchants  in  the 
olden  time  were  in  the  habit  of  congregating,  to  hear  the 
news  and  to  talk  over  the  expected  return  of  their  vessels. 
During  the  Revolution,  the  records  kept  in  this  building 
were  stolen  by  loyalists,  and  carried  to  Halifax,  N.  S.  In 
this  way  much  important  information  has  been  lost,  and 
we  have  little  documentary  evidence  of  the  commerce  of  the 
town  before  the  war. 

On  Selman  Street,  near  Franklin  Street,  is  the  house  in 
which  that  sturdy  old  patriot,  Capt.  John  Selman,  resided 
during  his  lifetime.  His  famous  expedition  to  Prince  Ed- 
ward's Island,  and  his  patriotic  zeal  in  capturing  the  gov- 
ernor, will  be  remembered  by  the  reader.  The  old  gentle- 
man did  not  have  a  very  exalted  opinion  of  General  Washing- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  343 

ton  after  tlie  severe  reprimanding  he  received,  and  through- 
out his  hfe  expressed  the  greatest  indignation  at  what  he 
considered  the  injustice  done  him. 

Near  by,  on  Frankhn  Street,  is  the  house  erected  by  the 
Rev.  John  Barnard,  and  in  which  he  resided  during  his  long 
and  useful  pastorate.  Mr.  Barnard  was  born  in  Boston,  No- 
vember 6, 1681,  and  entered  Harvard  College  in  1696.  Four 
years  later  he  graduated  from  that  institution  with  honors. 
Though  constantly  engaged  in  preaching  during  the  years 
which  followed,  it  appears  that  he  was  not  regularly  ordained 
until  the  year  1716,  when  he  was  settled  in  Marblehead  as 
the  colleague  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Cheever.  From  this  time 
until  his  death  he  resided  in  the  town,  devoting  himself  as- 
siduously to  the  sacred  profession  he  had  chosen.  As  a 
preacher,  he  was  considered  a  "  burning  and  shining  light 
for  many  years  ;  his  praise  was  in  all  the  churches,  and  he 
seemed  like  a  high-priest  among  the  clergy  of  the  land." 
He  died  January  24,  1770,  in  the  89th  year  of  his  age. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  is  the  modest  house, 
once  the  home  of  Capt.  Richard  James.  Captain  James 
was  a  prosperous  merchant  previous  to  the  Revolution,  and 
owned  a  large  amount  of  property  in  various  parts  of  the 
town.  In  later  years  the  house  became  the  home  of  Moses 
A.  Pickett,  who  died  in  1853,  leaving  his  entire  property  to 
the  poor  of  the  town.  This  eccentric  individual  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  those  who  knew  him.  His  ambition,  evi- 
dently, was  to  be  considered  an  artist,  and  in  time  he  at- 
tained considerable  local  celebrity.  His  pictures  —  painted 
on  glass,  representing  green  cows  and  horses,  eating  red  or 
blue  grass  —  excited  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  every 
child  who  beheld  them.  For  many  years  the  house  has  been 
used  as  a  home  for  poor  widows,  the  benevolent  old  gentle- 
man having  bequeathed  it  to  the  town  for  that  purpose. 

Orne  Street,  leading  from  Franklin  to  Beacon  Street,  de- 
rives its  name  from  Col.  Azor  Orne,  one  of  the  patriots  who, 
with  Gerry  and  Glover,  took  an  active  part  in  the  stirring 


344  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

scenes  incident  to  the  war  for  Independence.  The  house  in 
which  he  lived  still  stands  on  this  street,  suggesting  interest- 
ing reminiscences,  related  by  the  old  people  a  generation 
since,  of  the  days  when  its  hospitable  doors  were  thrown 
open  to  receive  distinguished  guests,  and  the  negro  slaves 
sang  merrily  while  busy  about  their  work. 

The  street  upon  which  the  greatest  number  of  historic 
houses  are  situated  is  Washington  Street,  extending  nearly 
the  entire  length  of  the  town.  The  first  of  these  houses  we 
shall  mention  is  that  situated  on  the  corner 'of  Stacey  Street, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  originally  a  part  of  the  first  meet- 
ing-house in  Marblehead.  The  meeting-house  was  erected 
on  the  old  Burying  Hill,  but  was  subsequently  removed  to 
Franklin  Street,  where  it  was  very  much  enlarged.  In  the 
course  of  time  it  was  pulled  down,  when  the  timbers  were 
purchased  and  used  in  the  construction  of  this  building. 

Nearly  opposite  the  "  North  Church  "  is  the  old  home- 
stead of  Capt.  Thomas  Gerry,  one  of  the  most  eminent  mer- 
chants of  the  town  in  the  olden  time.  In  this  house  his 
distinguished  son,  Elbridge  Gerry,  was  born,  and  tliough  it 
has  since  undergone  a  number  of  alterations,  the  room  in 
which  the  great  patriot  first  saw  the  light  has  been  allowed 
to  remain  unchanged. 

In  later  years  the  house  became  the  property  of  Capt. 
William  Blackler,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  a 
captain  in  Glover's  regiment,  and  it  was  his  proudest  boast 
through  life  that  he  was  in  command  of  the  boat  in  which 
General  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware  River  on  the 
night  before  the  battle  of  Trenton. 

Near  by,  on  the  corner  of  Pickett  Street,  is  the  house 
once  the  home  of  Maj.  John  Pedrick,  a  prosperous  merchant 
before  the  Revolution.  His  ships  sailed  to  nearly  every 
port  in  England,  Spain,  and  the  West  Indies,  and  his  trans- 
actions were  with  some  of  the  largest  mercantile  houses  of 
Eur6pe.  At  one  time,  it  is  said,  he  owned  twenty-five  ves- 
sels engaged  in  the  foreign  trade. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  345 

The  Revolutionary  War,  -whicli  proved  so  disastrous  to 
the  merchants  of  Marblehead,  bore  with  especial  severity 
upon  Major  Pedrick.  Several  of  his  vessels  were  destroyed 
by  British  cruisers  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  many  others 
rotted  in  port.  But  through  it  all  he  proved  himself  a  zeal- 
ous patriot,  and  a  firm  friend  to  his  country.  When  his 
son  was  drafted  as  a  soldier,  he  charged  him  not  to  accept  a 
dollar  from  the  government  for  his  services,  and  provided 
him  with  money  to  meet  his  expenses.  His  daughters 
made  a  silk  belt  for  their  brother  to  wear,  in  which  the  gold 
and  silver  coins  were  quilted  for  safety. 

In  addition  to  his  other  losses.  Major  Pedrick  suffered 
severely  by  the  depreciation  of  Continental  money.  At  a 
critical  period  of  the  war,  he  furnished  the  government  with 
valuable  military  and  naval  stores,  for  which  he  was  obliged 
to  receive  a  large  amount  of  paper  money.  In  a  short  time 
this  money  became  utterly  worthless  and  the  entire  amount 
was  lost. 

Another  house  in  this  vicinity,  of  which  an  interesting 
story  is  related,  is  that  on  the  corner  of  Pearl  and  Mechanic 
Streets.  It  was  erected  by  the  Rev.  Simon  Bi-adstreet,  the 
successor  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Holyoke  as  pastor  of  the 
Second  Congregational  Church.  After  his  death  it  became 
the  property  of  his  daughter,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Isaac 
Story.  It  was  in  this  house  that  William  Story,  Esq.,  re- 
sided at  the  time  of  his  death.  Mr.  Story  was  formerly  of 
Boston,  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
held  the  office  of  registrar,  in  the  court  of  admiralty.  His 
office  was  on  State  Street,  nearly  opposite  the  old  State 
House.  On  the  eventful  night  in  1765  when  the  citizens 
of  Boston,  infuriated  by  the  passage  of  the  Stamp  Act, 
sacked  the  house  of  Governor  Hutchinson,  the  office  of  Mr. 
Story  was  also  visited,  and  many  valuable  books  and  docu- 
ments were  carried  into  the  street  and  burned.  Mr.  Story 
subsequently  took  his  residence  with  his  sons  in  Marble- 
head.  He  died  November  24,  1799,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years. 


346  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

On  "Washington  Street,  near  the  head  of  State  Street,  the 
old  Town  House  still  stands  where  it  was  erected  in  1728. 
What  Faneuil  Hall  is  to  Boston,  this  old  building  is  to  Mar- 
blehead.  Witliin  its  halloAved  walls  nearly  every  question 
of  importance  to  the  town,  the  State,  or  the  nation,  was  dis- 
cussed by  local  orators  for  more  than  a  century.  It  was 
here  that  Orne  and  Lee  fired  the  hearts  of  their  townsmen 
with  their  patriotic  eloquence  in  the  days  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  young  Elbridge  Gerry  gave  evidence  of  that  abil- 
ity which  made  him  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
Governor  of  Massachusetts,  and  finally  Vice-j)resident  of 
the  United  States. 

Here,  too,  the  famous  Marblehead  regiment  was  re- 
cruited ;  and  here  the  Sutton  Light  Infantry  assembled  on 
the  stormy  morning  of  April  16,  1861,  and  sent  the  first  re- 
sponse to  the  call  of  the  President  for  troops  to  preseiwe  the 
integrity  of  the  Union.  In  former  years,  the  hall  now  used 
for  public  purposes  was  the  town  market,  the  town  meet- 
ings being  held  in  the  room  above.  A  public  school  was 
kept  in  the  same  room,  and  it  was  there  that  many  of  the 
most  distinguished  citizens  of  the  town  obtained  the  rudi- 
ments of  education. 

The  houses  in  this  vicinity  are  among  the  oldest  in  Mar- 
blehead. Nearly  all  of  them  have  been  standing  more  than 
a  century,  and  there  are  several  of  which  an  interesting 
story  can  be  told. 

North  of  the  town  house,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Muof- 
ford  Street,  is  the  quaint  old  homestead  of  the  Bowen 
family.  Nathan  Bowen,  and  three  of  his  descendants,  placed 
their  signs  over  the  door  of  this  house  and  the  store  adjoin- 
ing, as  "  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Notary  Public."  Each  of 
these  dignitaries,  in  turn,  held  various  important  local  offices, 
and  all  were  men  of  marked  intelligence  and  ability. 

In  former  years,  a  justice  of  the  peace  exercised  the  au- 
thority now  vested  in  a  trial  justice.  Petty  offenders  were 
brought  before  him  for  trial,  and  those  whose  crimes  were 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  347 

of  a  more  serious  nature,  were  examined  and  put  under 
bonds  for  appearance  at  a  higher  court. 

The  records  kept  by  Nathan  Bowen,  the  first  justice  of 
that  name,  throw  a  curious  light  upon  the  criminal  annals 
of  the  town.  He  held  office  under  the  colonial  government, 
in  the  days  when  the  stocks  and  the  whipping-post  were 
the  dread  of  offenders. 

A.  few  extracts  from  these  records,  will,  perhaps,  be  ap- 
preciated by  the  reader. 

"  1769  Ajjril  19.  Mary  Russell,  wife  of  John  Russell  of 
Marblehead,  Fisherman,  having  on  the  27  day  of  June,  A.  D. 
1768,  complained  to  me  that  the  sd  Russell,  had,  on  the 
2oth,  of  June  aforesaid,  had  stolen  from  him  a  pair  of  Cot- 
ton and  Linnen  Sheets,  of  the  value  of  thirty  shillings,  the 
property  of  the  sd.  John,  and  praying  for  a  warrant  to 
search  for  the  same  and  that  the  Thief  may  be  brought  to 
punishment.  Cesar,  a  Negro  man  servant  of  William  Peach 
was  brought  before  me,  and  being  examined,  confessed  that 
he  stole  the  said  pair  of  sheets  from  the  said  Russell  on  the 
Summer  last  past,  and  left  them  in  the  Dwelling  house  of 
Mary  Messer  on  her  Bed. 

"  Its  therefore  ordered  by  me,  the  said  justice,  that  the 
said  Cesar  be  whipped  Ten  stripes  on  his  naked  back  at  the 
Public  Whipping  Post  in  Marblehead." 

"  1770  October  2d.  John  Bryant  otherwise  called  Wise- 
man was  brought  before  me,  charged  with  profanely  swear- 
ing in  Marblehead,  the  twenty  third  day  of  September  fore- 
going. Ordered,  that  the  said  John  Bryant  do  pay  a  fine 
of  five  shillings  to  the  poor  of  the  town  of  Marblehead  and 
stand  committed  till  performed." 

"  1771  Ajyril  24th.  Samuel  Russell  Gerry,  and  Francis 
Abbot,  came  before  me  and  confessed  that  they  were  sev- 
erally guilty  of  unnecessarily  walking  on  the  last  Sabbath 
Day  in  Marblehead  contrary  to  Law.  Whereupon  its  or- 
dered that  they  do  each  of  them  pay  a  fine  to  the  poor  of 
the  town  of  Marblehead  of  Five  Shillings  and  costs." 


348  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

"  1771  August  26.  Samuel  Lovis,  of  Marblehead,  La- 
borer, being  intoxicated  and  misbehaving  him  in  my  pres- 
ence in  said  Marblehead,  contrary  to  the  peace  etc.  Or- 
dered, that  the  said  Samuel  Lovis  be  committed  to  the 
Stocks  in  Marblehead  and  there  kept  from  half  past  3  till 
half  past  5  of  the  clock,  afternoon  of  this  day,  which  was 
done  accordingly." 

"  1772  November  24.  John  Sparhawk  of  Marblehead, 
Merchant,  having  this  day  complained  to  me  the  said  jus- 
tice, against  Elizabeth  Petro  and  INIary  Gallison  of  sd.  Mar- 
blehead single  women  for  stealing  from  the  complainant  Two 
Dozen  Handkerchiefs,  the  said  Elizabeth  and  Mary  were 
brought  before  me  and  pleaded  guilty.  Its  therefore  ordered 
that  they  restore  to  the  said  John  Sparhawk  six  pounds, 
being  treble  the  value  of  the  goods  stolen  ;  and  that  Eliza- 
beth Petro  be  whipped  Ten  stripes  on  her  naked  back,  and 
that  the  sd  Mary  Gallison  pay  a  fine  of  Twenty  Shillings  to 
the  King." 

On  the  eastern  side  of  Washington  Street,  situated  south 
of  the  town  house,  is  the  house  which  was  formerly  the  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  Elisha  Story,  and  in  which  his  son  Joseph 
Story,  the  distinguished  jurist,  was  born.  Doctor  Story  was 
an  eminent  physician  and  surgeon,  who  removed  from  Bos- 
ton to  ]\Iarblehead  in  1770.  From  that  time  until  his  death 
lie  resided  in  the  town.  Li  1773,  he  was  one  of  that 
"  small  band  of  sturdy  revolutionists,"  who  gave  a  prac- 
tical demonstration  of  the  opposition  of  the  colonists  to 
the  duty  on  tea,  by  boarding  the  ships  laden  with  that 
article,  and  throwing  their  whole  cargoes,  amounting  to 
about  three  hundred  and  forty-two  chests,  into  the  harbor 
of  Boston. 

He  was  also  one  of  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty,"  and  was  se- 
lected to  disarm  and  gag  one  of  the  sentinels  on  Boston 
Common,  on  the  night  when  the  two  brass  field-pieces  placed 
there  by  order  of  the  British  Commander-in-chief,  were 
captured  and  taken   over  to  Boston  Neck.     He  performed 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  .349 

this  difficult  and  dangerous  service  in  accordance  with  a 
plan  preyiously  arranged,  and  the  affair  was  successfully 
conducted. 

"  The  two  cannon  played  a  distinguished  part  in  the  Rev- 
olution, and  were  the  same  afterwards  described  by  the 
secretary  of  war  in  a  representation  to  Congress,  as  two 
brass  cannon,  which  constituted  one  moiety  of  the  field  artil- 
lery with  which  the  late  war  was  commenced  on  the  part  of 
America,  and  were  constantly  in  service  during  the  war, 
and  upon  which  he  was  desired  to  affix  a  suitable  inscrip- 
tion. On  one  of  them  therefore  was  inscribed,  '  The  Han- 
cock, sacred  to  Liberty  ; '  on  the  other  (which  was  the  can- 
non taken  by  Dr.  Story),  '  The  Adams.' 

During  the  Revolution  Dr.  Story  was  attached  to  Colonel 
Little's  regiment  as  a  surgeon.  But  it  was  common  in  the 
Continental  army  for  the  surgeons,  and  even  the  chaplains,  to 
act  as  soldiers,  and  in  most  of  the  battles  occurring  during  his 
connection  with  the  army  he  was  engaged.  He  fought  at 
Concord  and  Lexington,  pursuing  the  British  troops  at  every 
step  during  their  retreat  to  Charlestown,  and  was  in  the 
trenches  as  a  volunteer  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  fight- 
ing beside  his  friend  Warren  during  all  the  early  part  of  the 
engagement,  and  until  he  was  forced  to  abandon  the  duty  of 
a  soldier  for  that  of  a  surgeon  in  removing  and  attending  to 
the  wounded."  ^ 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  near  the  corner  of 
Pleasant  Street,  is  the  homestead  of  Edward  Holyoke,  the 
first  pastor  of  the  Second  Congregational  Church,  afterward 
president  of  Harvard  College.  Here,  on  the  first  day  of 
August,  1728,  his  son,  Edward  Augustus  Holyoke,  after- 
wards one  of  the  most  distinguished  physicians  in  Massa- 
chusetts, was  born.  Dr.  Holyoke  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1746,  and  in  1749  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Salem.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
Medical  Society,  and  also  president  of  the  American  Acad- 

^  Life  and  Letters  of  Joseph  Story. 


350  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

emy  of  Arts  and  Sciences.  He  died  in  Salem,  March  31, 
1829,  having  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred 
years  and  seven  months. 

On  the  same  side  of  the  street,  near  the  head  of  Darling 
Street,  is  the  large  brick  house,  once  the  home  of  Thomas 
Robie,  the  loyalist,  of  whose  acts  during  the  Revolution  an 
account  has  been  given  in  a  previous  chapter  of  this  work. 
In  later  years  the  house  became  the  residence  of  Major  Jo- 
seph W.  Green,  who  for  nearly  thirty  years  was  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  merchants  in  the  town.  A  few  years  after 
the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  engaged  in  business  with 
Benjamin  Porter,  under  the  firm  name  of  Porter  &  Green. 
In  a  short  time  this  firm  employed  fourteen  vessels  in  the 
fishing  trade,  besides  brigs  and  packets  which  were  sent  to 
New  Yoi»k  and  the  West  Indies.  Their  wharves  and  ware- 
rooms  were  filled  with  every  commodity  used  in  fitting  out 
vessels  for  sea,  and  it  is  said  that  at  one  time  they  furnished 
seventy-five  vessels  with  stores,  anchors,  cables,  wood,  and 
supplies  of  every  kind  necessary  for  a  long  voyage  to  the 
Banks.  Through  the  influence  of  Major  Green,  the  Grand 
Bank  was  established,  and  he  was  its  first  president. 

A  short  distance  from  Washington  Street,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  Hooper  Street,  the  former  residence  of  the  "  Hon- 
orable Robert  Hooper,  Esquire,"  is  still  standing.  "  King  " 
Hooper,  as  he  was  called,  was  the  wealthiest  merchant  in 
Marblehead,  and  one  of  the  wealthiest  in  New  England  pre- 
vious to  the  Revolution.  His  ships  sailed  to  every  port  of 
Europe  and  the  West  Indies,  and  his  name  and  fame  as  a 
merchant  extended  to  all  the  mercantile  centres  of  the 
world.  He  lived  in  princely  style  for  those  days,  and  some 
of  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the  land  were  his  frequent 
guests.  His  uniform  courtesy  and  kindness,  and  his  be- 
nevolence to  the  poor,  endeared  him  to  all,  especially  the 
people  of  Marblehead,  by  whom  he  was  greatly  beloved. 
The  sobriquet  "  King,"  it  is  said,  was  given  to  him  by  the 
fishermen,  not  on  account  of  his  wealth,  as  is  generally  sup- 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  351 

posed,  but  because  of  bis  bonor  and  integrity  in  deabng  witb 
tbem.  Tbey  were  ignorant  men,  and  contrary  to  tbe  prac- 
tice of  some  of  tbe  mercbants  and  sboremen,  King  Hooper 
was  never  known  to  cbeat  tbem  or  to  take  advantage  of  tbeir 
ignorance.  During  the  Revokition,  Mr.  Hooper  was  a  loy- 
alist, and  bis  name  was  reported  to  tbe  town  as  one  of  tbose 
"  inimical  to  tbe  cause  of  tbeir  country." 

Tbe  Lee  Mansion,  situated  on  tbe  northern  side  of  Wash- 
ington Street,  is  tbe  best  evidence  that  can  be  produced  of 
the  prosperity  tbe  town  enjoyed  during  tbe  years  preceding 
•the  Revolution.  It  was  built  in  tbe  year  1768,  by  Col. 
Jeremiah  Lee,  a  wealthy  merchant,  and  its  original  cost  was 
over  ten  thousand  pounds.  It  is  said  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  elegant  and  expensively  finished  bouses  in  tbe 
British  colonies,  and,  judging  from  its  magnificent  propor- 
tions, no  one  can  doubt  it.  Its  fine  ball  and  stairway,  and 
tbe  paper  made  in  England  for  the  walls,  still  excite  tbe  ad- 
miration of  all  who  visit  tbe  old  bouse.  It  was  here  that 
Wasbington  was  entertained  when  be  visited  tbe  town,  and 
Lafayette  was  received  on  two  occasions.  Here,  too,  Presi- 
dent Monroe  received  tbe  hospitality  of  tbe  citizens ;  and 
here  Andrew  Jackson  shook  the  bands  of  the  sturdy  fisher- 
men, who  almost  worshiped  tbe  old  hero,  and  were  so  true 
to  him  through  life. 

On  Tucker  Street,  opposite  tbe  bead  of  Mason  Street,  is 
tbe  building  formerly  known  as  tbe  Masonic  Lodge.  It  was 
erected  in  tbe  year  1822,  by  tbe  Marblehead  Free  School 
Association,  and  originally  contained  two  school-rooms  and  a 
large  ball.  Tbe  ball  was  occupied  by  Philanthropic  Lodge 
of  Freemasons,  which  for  many  years  was  tbe  oldest  lodge 
of  that  order  in  tbe  country.  It  was  instituted  in  1760, 
though  its  charter  was  not  obtained  until  tbe  year  1778. 
Many  of  tbe  most  eminent  citizens  of  tbe  town  have  been 
members  of  this  order,  and  in  former  years  it  was  a  large 
and  flourishing  organization. 

The  houses  upon  "  Training-field  Hill,"  or  Washington 


352  THE  HISTORY  AND  TRADITIONS 

Square,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Common,  were  formerly  the 
houses  of  opulent  merchants  and  sea  captains.  The  two  con- 
sidered most  noteworthy,  however,  are  the  Lee  House  and 
the  Hooper  House,  both  of  which  are  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  square,  fronting  the  common.  The  first  of  these 
houses  was  built  by  Col.  William  R.  Lee,  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  who  resided  there  after  his  return  from  the  army  until 
his  removal  from  town. 

The  Hooper  House  was  built  by  John  Hooper,  Esq.,  one 
of  the  wealthiest  of  the  merchants  of  Marblehead.  Mr. 
Hooper  was  for  many  years  the  president  of  the  Marblehead 
Bank,  and  his  connection  with  that  institution  in  the  earlier 
years  of  its  existence  did  much  to  establish  its  reputation  as 
one  of  the  most  solid  and  reliable  in  the  State. 

That  which  is  of  more  especial  interest  concerning  the 
house,  however,  is  the  fact  that  it  was  the  birthplace  of  the 
Hon.  Samuel  Hooper,  a  son  of  the  merchant.  He  was  born 
February  3,  1808.  In  early  life  he  removed  to  Boston, 
where  he  became  an  eminent  merchant,  and  amassed  a  large 
fortune.  His  public  life  began  in  1851,  when  he  was  elected 
a  representative  in  the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  and  served 
three  terms.  In  1857,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate,  where  he  distinguished  himself  by  directing  legisla- 
tion upon  banking  and  finance.  In  1861,  he  was  elected  a 
representative  in  Congress,  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  b}''  the 
death  of  the  Hon.  William  Appleton,  and  continued  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body  until  his  death,  which  took  place  February 
14,  1875.  While  in  Congress,  Mr.  Hooper  was  a  member 
of  several  important  committees,  among  them  that  on  bank- 
ing and  currency.  His  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  bill  provid- 
ing for  the  national  banking  system  were  such  that  Secre- 
tary Chase  wrote  a  letter  attributing  ifcs  success  to  his  "  sound 
judgment,  persevering  exertions,  and  disinterested  patriot- 
ism." 

Near  the  western  end  of  the  "  Training-field  Hill,"  on  the 
southern  side  of  Washington  Street,  is  the  house  formerly 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  353 

owned  by  Michael  Bowden,  another  loyalist  of  the  Revolu- 
tion.    During  tlie  war,  one  of  the  loyalists  who  had  made 
himself  especially  obnoxious  to  the  citizens,  fled  to  this  house 
for  protection.     He  was  pursued,  however,  and  the  angry 
citizens  surrounded  the   house   and  demanded  admittance. 
Finding  that  no  notice  was  taken  of  their  demands,  they 
forced  an  entrance  and  began  a  vigilant  search.     As  they 
entered  the  sitting-room,  they  were  confronted  by  Mrs.  Bow- 
den, who  exclaimed  :   "  Gentlemen,  I  assure  you  the  man 
you  seek  is  not  in  this  house.     On  my  word  and  honor,  I 
assure  you  he  is  not  under  this  roof.     If  you  persist  in  this 
unlawful    business,   this    unprecedented   conduct,   you   will 
cause  the  death  of  my  daughter."     As  some  of  the  persons 
present  were  aware  of  the  illness  of  the  daughter,  the  search 
was  abandoned.     The  citizens  had  been  truthfully  informed. 
The  man  was  not  in  the  house  nor  under  the  roof,  but  he 
was  on  the  outside  of  the  roof,  concealed  behind  a  chimney. 
Having  visited  all  the  houses  of  especial  interest  on  Wash- 
ington Street,  let  us  pass  to  the  Sewall  Mansion,  situated  on 
Pleasant  Street.     This  house  was  built  a  few  years  previous 
to  the  Revolution,  by  "  King "  Hooper,  for  his  son  Joseph, 
who  resided  there  a  short  time.     This  was  probably  the 
same  Joseph  Hooper  who  was  a  loyalist  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  in  the  year  1775  fled  from  Marblehead  to  England, 
where  he  became  a  paper  manufacturer.     He  died  in  that 
country  during  the  year  1812. 

For  some  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  house  ap- 
pears to  have  had  several  occupants ;  but  in  the  year  1795  it 
was  purchased  by  Chief  Justice  Samuel  Sewall,  who  resided 
there  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

'  In  1815  the  estate  was  bought  by  the  Hon.  William  Reed. 
Mr.  Reed  was  born  in  Marblehead,  June  6,  1776.  He  was 
for  many  years  an  eminent  merchant  in  the  town,  and 
throughout  his  life  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  benevolent 
and  religious  character.  In  1811,  he  was  elected  a  repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  and  remained  in  office  until  the  year 


354  THE  HISTORY  AND  TRADITIONS 

1815.  He  was  president  of  the  Sabbath-scliool  Union  of 
Massachusetts,  and  of  the  American  Tract  Society,  and  a 
member  of  many  other  rehgious  and  educational  organiza- 
tions. He  was  so  deeply  interested  in  the  cause  of  temper- 
ance that  he  was  styled  the  "  Apostle  of  Temperance."  He 
died  suddenly  at  Academy  Hall,  February  18,  1837,  while 
preparing  for  a  celebration  by  the  Sabbath-school  of  the 
North  Congregational  Church.  For  many  years  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Reed,  the  house  was  occupied  by  his  widow, 
who  "  was  always  engaged  in  works  of  charity,  and  was  re- 
garded as  a  most  accomplished  lady  and  eminent  Christian." 

In  1856,  the  estate  was  bought  by  Mr.  Joseph  Harris,  a 
prominent  shoe  manufacturer,  and  has  since  remained  in  the 
possession  of  his  family. 

The  "  Watson  House,"  situated  on  the  hill  at  the  head  of 
Watson  Street,  was  built  by  Benjamin  Marston,  Esq.,  who 
before  the  Revolution  was  an  eminent  merchant  in  Marble- 
head.  He  was  a  brother-in-law  of  "  King  "  Hooper,  and  of 
Col.  Jeremiah  Lee,  with  both  of  whom  he  was  associated  in 
business  as  a  partner.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolu- 
tion he  became  an  earnest  loyalist,  and  was  obliged  to  leave 
the  country.  After  his  departure  the  house  was  confiscated 
by  order  of  the  government,  and  subsequently  became  the 
property  of  his  nephew,  Marston  Watson,  Esq.  That  gen- 
tleman was  born  at  Plymouth,  May  27,  1756.  "  After  re- 
ceiving an  excellent  school  education,  and  being  qualified 
for  admission  to  the  University,  he  was,  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, placed  as  an  apprentice  with  Col.  Jeremiah  Lee. 
Upon  the  death  of  Colonel  Lee,  in  1775,  Mr.  Watson  re- 
sumed his  classic  studies  with  an  intention  of  entering 
college,  and  had  actually  made  arrangements  at  Cambridge 
for  that  purpose  ;  but  the  Revolutionary  War  having  then 
commenced,  and  Colonel  Glover  offering  him  a  lieutenancy 
in  his  own  regiment,  Mr.  Watson,  reluctantly  abandoning 
his  literary  pursuits,  accepted  the  commission,  and  in  the 
month  of  December,  1776,  was  actively  engaged  in  the  bat- 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  .  355 

ties  of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  in  wbicli  Glover's  regiment 
bore  so  distinguished  a  share.  He  was  particularly  patron- 
ized by  Gen.  Charles  Lee,  and  acted  as  his  temporary  aid- 
de-carap.  General  Lee  had  made  arrangements  for  his  per- 
manent establishment  in  that  office,  and  he  served  in  that 
capacity  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  But  upon  the  suspen- 
sion of  General  Lee,  his  hopes  of  immediate  promotion 
being  checked,  he  relinquished  the  army,  and  engaged  in 
commerce.  His  activity  and  industry  were  prospered.  He 
married  in  1779,  and  established  himself  at  Marblehead.  In 
1790  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Marble- 
head  regiment,  and  in  about  three  years  after  rds  was 
Lieutenant-colonel  Commandant.  In  1794,  when  eighty 
thousand  of  the  militia  of  the  United  States  were  provision- 
ally detached  under  the  apprehension  of  a  rupture  with 
Great  Britain,  Colonel  Watson  was  selected  to  command  a 
regiment  detached  from  the  division  to  which  he  belonged."  ^ 
In  1797,  he  removed  from  Marblehead  to  Boston,  where  he 
died  August  7,  1800. 

Another  house  of  great  historic  interest  is  that  formerly 
known  as  the  Prentiss  House,  situated  on  Mugford  Street, 
near  the  corner  of  Back  Street.  It  was  built  by  Peter 
Jayne,  who  for  many  years  was  a  noted  school-master  in  the 
town.  During  the  years  immediately  preceding  the  Revo- 
lution, the  "  Committee  of  Safety  "  held  its  meetings  in  a 
hall  in  the  upper  part  of  this  house.  The  "  Tuesday  Even- 
ing Club,"  of  which  General  Glover,  Elbridge  Gerry,  Dr. 
Story,  Colonel  Lee,  and  other  well-known  citizens  were 
members,  also  held  its  meetings  there.  After  the  death  of 
Mr.  Jayne,  his  wife  married  Joshua  Prentiss,  Esq.,  who  for 
many  years  held  the  office  of  town  clerk.  During  the 
time  of  his  residence  there,  in  the  year  1791,  the  Methodist 
Church  was  oi'ganized  in  the  old  hall  ;  and  for  several  years 
after  the  unmarried  ministers  of  that  denomination  boarded 
in  his  family.     In  later  years  the  house  became  the  home 

1  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections. 


356  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

of  Gen.  Samuel  Avery,  a  Brigadier-general  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts militia. 

The  house  on  the  corner  of  Mugford  and  Back  Streets  is 
distinguished  as  the  place  where  James  Mugford  and  his 
wife  went  to  "housekeeping"  shortly  after  their  marriage. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  near  the  Unitarian 
Church,  stands  the  house  where  the  dead  hero  was  carried 
to  his  sorrowing  young  bride,  and  from  whence  he  was 
borne  to  the  grave.  This  house  was  the  residence  of  Mr. 
John  Griste,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Mugford,  and  has  always  re- 
mained in  the  possession  of  the  family. 

The  small  shop  on  Back  Street,  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Wormstead,  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  in  town. 
It  was  formerly  a  dwelling-house,  and  there  is  an  interest- 
ing tradition  concerning  it.  One  night  in  the  early  days  of 
the  settlement,  it  is  said,  this  house  was  attacked  by  several 
Indians  who  clamored  for  admittance.  The  male  members 
of  the  family  were  away  at  the  time,  and  the  only  occupants 
of  the  house  were  three  unprotected  women.  Finding  that 
their  assailants  were  likely  to  gain  an  entrance,  one  of  the 
women  opened  a  window,  and  seizing  a  pot  of  boiling  por- 
ridge which  was  cooking  over  the  fire,  scattered  it  about  in 
all  directions.  The  Indians  were  not  prepared  for  such  a 
warm  reception,  and  as  they  were  all  badly  scalded,  departed 
in  great  haste. 

The  house  on  High  Street,  formerly  the  residence  of  the 
Cressy  family,  though  not  so  old  as  those  already  men- 
tioned, is  worthy  of  a  place  in  this  chapter.  It  was  the 
birthplace  of  Capt.  Josiah  Perkins  Cressy,  who  was  widely 
known  among  merchants,  through  a  long  career,  as  a  success- 
ful shipmaster  and  famous  navigator.  He  was  commander 
of  the  ship  "  Flying  Cloud,"  in  which  he  made  a  series  of 
rapid  voyages  to  China  and  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  two 
quickest  passages  on  record  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  most  noted  of  these  was  in  the  year  1851,  when 
the  passage  was  made  in  eighty-nine  days  and  twenty-one 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  357 

hours.  The  event  attracted  great  attention,  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe,  and  it  was  entered  in  the  archives  at 
Washington  that  "  Captain  Cressy  can  challenge  the  annala 
of  navigation,  past  and  present,  for  an  equal  to  the  speed 
made  in  his  quick  passages." 


358  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FIKST  CONGREGATIONAL  CHUBCH. 

The  history  of  this,  the  first  church  gathered  in  Marble- 
head,  properly  begins  in  the  year  1684,  though  a  public 
preacher,  or  religious  teacher,  had  been  supported  in  the 
town  for  many  years  previous  to  that  time. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1684,  as  we  are  informed  by  the  rec- 
ords, the  people  of  Marblehead  voted  to  invite  Mr.  Samuel 
Cheever,  "who  had  been  their  minister  for  fifteen  years  and 
a  half,  to  take  the  office  of  a  pastor ;  "  and  to  organize 
themselves  into  a  "particular  society  for  the  enjoyment  of 
all  the  ordinances  in  this  place  as  in  other  towns  and  places 
in  this  country." 

The  church  was  organized  on  the  13th  of  August,  1684, 
with  fifty-four  members,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  dismissed 
from  the  First  Church  in  Salem  for  the  purpose.  The  or- 
dination of  Mr.  Cheever  took  place  on  the  same  day,  with 
impressive  ceremonies,  "  the  whole  work  "  being  "  counte- 
nanced with  the  presence  of  the  deputy-governor,  five  of  the 
assistants,  and  twenty  elders  with  many  ministers  and  young 
scholars,  and  many  others." 

The  Lord's  Supper  was  administered  for  the  first  time  on 
Sunday,  October  5,  of  the  same  year. 

There  is  little  information  to  be  obtained  from  the  records 
concerning  the  church  and  its  pastor  until  the  year  1714, 
when,  in  consequence  of  the  advanced  age  and  declining 
health  of  Mr.  Cheever,  it  was  voted  to  call  an  assistant. 
The  concurrence  of  the  town  was  obtained  in  the  matter, 
and  Messrs.  John  Barnard  and  Edward  Holyoke,  of  Boston, 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  359 

and  Amos  Cheever,  a  son  of  the  minister,  were  named  as 
candidates.  .Mr.  Barnard  received  the  vote  of  the  church 
and  the  town  for  the  position,  but  as  the  friends  of  Mr.  Hol- 
yoke  were  unwilling  to  yield,  the  result  was  an  exciting  and 
bitter  controversy.  Finally,  after  several  church  meetings 
had  been  held  in  the  vain  attempt  to  settle  the  matter  satis- 
factorily, the  friends  of  Mr.  Holyoke  withdrew,  and  organ- 
ized the  Second  Congregational  Church,  calling  Mr.  Holyoke 
as  their  pastor.  The  First  Church  refused  to  send  delegates 
to  the  council  called  to  organize  the  new  church,  and  sent 
an  earnest  protest  to  the  legislature  when  a  charter  was 
applied  for. 

Mr.  Barnard  took  up  his  residence  in  Marblehead  in  the 
autumn  of  1815,  and  was  ordained  on  the  18th  of  July  of 
the  following  year.  "As  the  smiles  of  Providence  were  seen 
in  the  temperateness  of  the  day,"  says  the  record,  "  so  the 
solemnity  was  countenanced  with  the  presence  of  several 
councillors,  many  ministers,  and  a  vast  assembly  of  people 
from  all  parts." 

The  records  of  this  church  afford  an  evidence  of  the 
prosperity  enjoyed  by  the  people  of  Marblehead  for  many 
years  previous  to  the  Revolution.  Many  of  the  wealthiest 
citizens  of  the  town  were  among  its  communicants,  and  large 
amounts  of  money  were  frequently  contributed  for  chari- 
table purposes.  On  the  occasion  of  a  public  fast,  held  July 
2,  1752,  the  sum  of  X166  was  collected  for  the  relief  of  the 
poor  in  Boston.  Eight  years  later,  another  collection  was 
taken  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  by  a  great  fire  in  Bos- 
ton, when  the  congregation  responded  in  a  manner  equally 
as  liberal  and  generous. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1762,  the  Rev.  William  Whitwell 
was  ordained  as  assistant,  and  eight  years  later,  upon  the 
death  of  Mr.  Barnard,  he  assumed  the  entire  pastoral  charge 
of  the  church.  Mr.  Whitwell  remained  with  his  people 
until  removed  by  death,  November  8,  1781. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1783,  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Hubbard 


360  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

was  ordained.  His  ministry  covered  a  period  of  nearly  eigh- 
teen years  in  duration,  and  ended  at  his  death  in  the  year 
1800. 

The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dana,  who  was  or- 
dained October  7,  1801.  During  the  thirty-six  years  of  his 
labor,  four  hundred  and  eighty  members  were  added  to  the 
church.  In  the  year  1817,  a  Sunday-school  was  established, 
and  during  the  same  year  a  new  bell  was  procured  for  the 
meeting-house  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the  people. 

During  the  following  year  (1818)  the  chapel  on  Pearl 
Street  was  erected. 

In  the  year  1823,  the  old  meeting-house  having  become 
unserviceable  from  its  dilapidated  condition,  the  proprietors 
voted  to  tear  it  down  and  to  build  a  new  edifice.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  year  1824  the  stone  church  on  Washington 
Street  was  erected.  It  was  finished,  and  the  services  of  ded- 
ication took  place  July  21,  1825. 

In  1832,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Cozzens  was  ordained  as  col- 
league to  Mr.  Dana,  and  remained  five  years,  when  both 
gentlemen  resigned,  and  were  dismissed  by  council  at  their 
own  request. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1837,  the  Rev.  Mark  Haskell 
Niles  was  installed  as  pastor,  and  remained  until  November 
27, 1844.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Edward  A.  Lawrence, 
who  was  installed  April  25,  1845.  He  resigned  July  12, 
1854,  to  accept  a  professorship  in  the  East  Windsor  Theo- 
logical Seminary. 

Shortly  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  a  call  was 
extended  to  the  Rev.  Benjamin  R.  Allen,  of  South  Berwick, 
Me.,  who  accepted  the  pastorate,  and  was  installed  Novem- 
ber 8  of  the  same  year.  During  his  ministry,  in  the  year 
1859,  the  church  was  divided  by  a  serious  controversy,  which 
resulted  in  the  withdrawal  of  about  forty  members,  and  the 
organization  of  the  Third  Congregational  Church. 

In  the  year  1868,  a  "  meadow  lot "  and  two  cow  leases, 
belonging  to  the  church,  were  sold,  and  the  proceeds,  together 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  361 

with  donations  from  the  Ladies  Parish  Society  and  others, 
amounting  to  about  four  thousand  dollars,  were  applied  to 
the  purchase  of  a  lot  of  land  on  High  Street,  and  the  erec- 
tion of  a  parsonage. 

Mr.  Allen  died  suddenly  June  2,  1872,  and  on  the  3d  of 
September,  1873,  the  Rev.  John  H.  Williams  was  ordained 
as  pastor. 

The  Third  Congregational  Church,  of  which  mention  has 
been  made,  was  organized  September  28,  1858.  Public  ser- 
vices were  held  at  Lyceum  Hall  every  Sabbath,  until  Octo- 
ber 9,  1860,  when  a  new  house  of  worship,  which  had  been 
erected  on  the  corner  of  School  and  Essex  Streets,  was  ded- 
icated with  appropriate  exercises. 

The  pulpit  was  filled  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Homes  from 
April  22,  1860,  to  November  9,  1862,  and  by  several  other 
clergymen  as  supplies,  until  August  31, 1864,  when  the  Rev. 
Theodore  D.  P.  Stone  was  installed  as  the  first  pastor.  Mr. 
Stone  resigned  September  25, 1867,  and  a  call  was  extended 
to  the  Rev.  Edward  A.  Lawrence,  who  was  installed  Novem- 
ber 19,  1868.  He  remained  five  years,  and  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  Frank  D.  Kelsey,  who  was  ordained  July  7, 
1874,  and  resigned  early  in  the  year  1877. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1877,  during  the  great  conflagration 
which  devastated  a  large  portion  of  the  town,  the  house  of 
worship  was  destroyed.  While  the  church  was  thus  without 
a  pastor  and  a  church  edifice,  it  was  decided  to  disband  the 
organization,  and  to  accept  an  invitation  from  the  members 
of  the  First  Congregational  Church  to  consolidate  and  unite 
with  them. 

The  First  Church  having  increased  largely  in  numbers  by 
this  accession  of  members,  the  chapel  on  Pearl  Street  was 
found  too  small  for  the  accommodation  of  all  who  attended 
the  prayer-meetings,  and  during  the  year  1878  a  suitable 
building  was  erected  on  Washington  Street,  near  the  church. 
It  was  dedicated  on  Wednesday  evening,  March  12,  1879. 


362  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ST.  Michael's  chuech. 

[The  following  sketch  was  written  by  the  author  for  the 
columns  of  the  "  Boston  Post,"  and  is  inserted  in  this  work, 
substantially  as  it  was  published  in  that  journal,  July  1, 
1878.] 

From  the  earliest  records,  it  appears  that  the  church  edi- 
fice used  by  the  communicants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  Marblehead  was  erected  in  the  year  1714,  though 
the  parish  must  have  been  gathered  some  years  previous. 
The  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  building  were  subscribed 
by  thirty-three  gentlemen,  called  in  the  records,  "  Bene- 
factors," who  pledged  themselves  in  various  sums  to  the 
amount  of  £175.  The  list  was  headed  by  Col.  Francis 
Nicholson,  who  subscribed  ,£25,  and  the  remainder  was 
made  up  by  various  captains  of  vessels  in  sums  varying  from 
£12  to  X2  each.  The  fund  was  afterward  increased  to 
£416,  by  the  subscriptions  of  forty-five  other  persons,  when 
a  petition  was  sent  to  the  "Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,"  then  under 'the  direction  of 
the  Bishop  of  London,  asking  that  a  minister  might  be  sent 
"  with  all  convenient  speed,  with  the  usual  salary  allowed 
their  missionaries." 

The  petition  was  forwarded  at  the  hands  of  Col.  Nichol- 
son, who  was  about  to  sail  for  England,  and  a  letter  was 
addressed  to  him  in  behalf  of  the  society,  signed  by  George 
Jackson,  John  Calley,  and  James  Calley.  The  letter  is 
dated  November  27,  1714,  and  from  it  the  most  authentic 
information  is  obtained  respecting  the  erection  of  the  church. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  363 

The  letter  attests  the  deep  love  and  veneration  felt  for  Colo- 
nel Nicholson  by  the  people,  as  is  shown  by  the  following 
extract :  "  Returning  our  Father  and  founder  of  the  church  . 
among  us  humble  and  hearty  thanks  for  your  generous  be- 
nevolence towards  erecting  of  said  church."  By  this  letter 
we  learn  that  a  meeting  was  held  July  20,  1714,  when 
choice  was  made  of  "  Mr.  George  Jackson,  Mr.  John  Olton, 
Capt.  John  Galley,  and  Gapt.  James  Galley,  to  be  a  Stand- 
ing Gommittee  for  the  carrying  on  that  affair  in  building  a 
Handsome  Ghurch."  The  subscribers  obliged  themselves 
to  pay  one  third  of  their  subscriptions  when  the  timber  and 
other  utensils  were  on  the  spot,  one  third  more  when  cov- 
ered, and  the  other  third  when  the  church  was  finished. 
Colonel  Nicholson  is  informed  in  tjie  letter  that  "  the  Gom- 
mittee erected  and  raised  a  church  Sept.  2d,  of  the  dimen- 
sions following,  viz.,  48  foot  square,  23  foot  had  the  Tower, 
being  50  foot  from  the  Ground  and  17  foot  square,  and  we 
design  the  spire  53  foot  above  the  Tower.  October  16, 
the  Ghurch  being  now  enclosed  and  followed  and  the  most 
part  shingled  and  shut  up  we  have  agreed  for  finishing  the 
whole,  having  all  things  in  place.  But  the  weather  proving 
extreme  hard  has  put  us  by  at  present,  but  hope  by  the 
blessing  of  God  to  compleat  and  finish  the  whole  by  the  last 
of  June  ensuing  at  the  furthest."  The  letter  concludes  by 
requesting  the  assistance,  of  Colonel  Nicholson  in  procuring 
"  an  able  Orthodox  minister."  The  frame  and  all  the  ma- 
terials used  in  the  construction  of  the  building  were  brought 
from  England,  the  reredos  being  brought  entire  in  readiness 
to  be  placed  in  position.  When  completed  it  must  indeed 
have  been  a  beautiful  little  edifice  for  those  times.  The 
tower  and  main  entrance  were  on  the  west  side,  and  there 
was  also  an  entrance  on  the  south  side.  The  building  was 
covered  by  a  roof  of  seven  gables,  supported  by  four  large 
pillars  of  solid  oak,  rising  from  the  ground.  The  pulpit 
was  in  the  centre  of  the  northern  side.  It  was  of  the  high, 
wine-glass  pattern,  with  a  sounding-board,  and  had  a  read- 


864  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

ing  desk  just  in  front  of  it.  The  chancel  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  eastern  side,  and  behind  the  altar  the  reredos  was 
placed,  surmounted  by  the  royal  monogram  or  coat-of-arms 
of  King  George.  The  pews  were  of  course  of  the  pattern 
common  to  that  time,  square,  with  high  backs.  The  ceiling 
was  in  the  form  of  a  St.  Andrew's  cross,  corresponding  to 
the  form  of  the  aisles.  The  original  form  of  the  roof  can 
still  be  seen  under  the  present  peculiar  shaped  roof,  which 
was  made  thus  simply  to  cover  the  other  when  an  addition 
was  made  in  1728. 

This  rather  minute  description  of  the  edifice  as  it  ap- 
peared originally  is  given  because,  though  it  still  retains 
many  of  its  original  features,  the  interior  has  been  some- 
what changed  in  consequence  of  various  repairs  made  from 
'  time  to  time. 

The  earnest  efforts  of  Colonel  Nicholson  in  behalf  of  the 
petitioners  were  not  without  avail,  and  on  the  20th  of  July 
following,  1715,  the  Rev.  William  Shaw  arrived  in  Marble- 
head  with  full  credentials  from  the  Bishop  of  London  as 
the  rector  of  the  "  Episcopal  Church  of  England  in  Marble- 
head."  The  new  rector  had  hardly  time  to  settle  down  to 
his  labors  before  a  controversy  arose  in  the  town  as  to  the 
right  of  the  selectmen  and  assessors  to  tax  the  people  of 
the  Church  of  England  for  the  support  of  the  ministers  of 
the  Congregational  churches.  The  officials  claimed  that  ac- 
cording to  the  laws  of  the  province  the  people  were  obliged 
to  pay  this  tax,  and  they  were  determined  to  collect  it.  The 
churchmen  were  as  strenuously  determined  not  to  "  pay 
tribute  to  dissenters,"  and  the  result  was  an  open  and  bitter 
quarrel,  which  at  one  time  seemed  fraught  with  disaster 
to  the  infant  parish. 

At  about  this  time  the  Second  Congregational  Society 
was  organized.  This  new  society  seems  to  have  been  an- 
other source  of  trouble  •  to  the  struggling  parish  of  the 
Church  of  England,  for  in  a  letter  written  to  the  secretary 
of  the  society  which  sent  him  to  Marblehead,  the  Rev.  Mr. 


OF  MAEBLEHEAD.  365 

Sliaw  accuses  them  of  building  a  meeting-house  "  in  damna- 
ble spite  and  malice  against  our  church,"  as  "  some  of  their 
chief  members  have  openly  declared."  Mr.  Shaw  also  de- 
clares that  "  the  persons  thereto  belonging  are  so  inveter- 
ate against  us  that  they  omit  no  abuses  nor  indirect  practices 
to  seduce  my  people."  It  would  seem,  too,  by  the  same 
letter,  that  every  effort  was  made  to  suppress  the  growth  of 
the  church  in  Marblehead,  not  only  by  abusive  language, 
but  in  some  instances  by  downright  persecution. 

The  people  of  the  little  parish  were,  generally  sj)eaking, 
poor,  and  consequently  the  repeated  taxes  levied  upon  them 
for  the  support  of  preachers  not  of  their  own  communion 
was  felt  to  be  a  great  imposition,  especially  as  in  some  in- 
stances estates  were  confiscated  and  held  for  the  amount  of 
the  taxes.  According  tp  the  testimony  of  the  rector  and 
the  church  wardens  and  vestry,  not  only  were  parishioners 
of  the  church  taxed  for  the  support  of  the  dissenting  minis- 
ters, but  even  upon  the  first  notice  of  their  design  to  attend 
the  church  they  were  loaded  down  with  heavy  taxes.  An 
appeal  was  made  to  Governor  Shute  for  relief  from  this 
burden,  and  an  order  was  issued  from  that  official  restrain- 
ing the  selectmen  and  assessors  from  levying  the  tax,  but 
to  no  avail.  The  order  was  contemptuously  set  aside  and 
disobeyed  by  the  town  officials,  and  the  tax  was  levied  in 
defiance  of  the  governor  until  some  time  after  the  close  of 
Mr.  Shaw's  rectorship.  Mr.  Shaw  closed  his  rectorship  late 
in  the  year  1717,  or  early  in  the  year  1718,  the  reason  for 
which  ajDpears  in  his  memorial  to  the  society,  written  in 
March,  1718.  He  says :  "  Having  by  the  blessing  of  God 
and  the  kind  assistance  of  our  present  Governor,  Colonel 
Shute,  obtained  an  exemption  from  the  oppressions  of  the 
Natives,  and  all  things  seeming  to  favor  our  pious  inten- 
tions, one  Charles  Johnson,  Clerk  of  the  said  Church,  con- 
trary to  the  canons  thereof,  sets  up  for  an  expounder  and 
preacher  of  the  Gospel.  My  hearers,  generally  speaking, 
being  new  converts,  and  having  too  many  of  them  itching 


366  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

ears,  are  too  subject  to  be  led  out  of  the  way  by  bis  seducing 
doctrine.  This  man's  method  did  not  only  cause  divisions 
and  create  great  animosities  among  the  members  of  the 
Church,  inhabitants  of  the  aforesaid  town,  but  caused  sev- 
eral to  abstain  from  the  communion  and  for  some  time  re- 
frain the  Church."  After  vainly  endeavoring  to  dissuade 
the  clerk  from  his  proceedings,  Mr.  Shaw,  after  consulta- 
tions with  the  masters  of  sTaips  and  prominent  men  of  the 
parish,  decided  to  return  to  England  and  submit  the  matter 
to  the  society  for  decision,  requesting  that  the  "  danger- 
ous seducer "  might  be  "suppressed."  What  might  have 
been  the  character  of  the  doctrine  preached  by  Mr.  Johnson 
there  is  no  means  of  knowing,  nor  is  there  any  mention 
made  in  the  records  of  such  a  difficulty  with  the  parish  clerk. 
No  reference  whatever  is  made  in  the  records  to  the  rec- 
torship of  Mr.  Shaw,  except  in  one  instance  where  his  name 
appears  as  signing  the  records  of  a  vestry  meeting  in  1717, 
though  it  is  probable  that  the  sixty-four  baptisms  and  ten 
burials  recorded  in  1716  are  his  official  acts. 

Mr.  Shaw  did  not  return  from  England,  though  it  seems 
that  it  was  not  his  intention  to  leave  the  parish  destitute  of 
a  supply  ;  but  the  clergyman  applied  to  evidently  did  not 
come  to  Marblehead  for  some  time  after  the  departure  of 
the  rector,  if  at  all,  for  a  letter  written  by  the  wardens  and 
vestry  some  time  after,  states  that  they  were  expecting  "  a 
gentleman  of  this  country."  Probably  the  Rev.  Christopher 
Bridges,  to  whom  a  call  had  been  given,  but  who  did  not 
accept. 

The  second  rector  was  the  Rev.  David  Mossom,  who  ar- 
rived, according  to  the  records,  in  the  "Ded  of  Winter," 
1718,  the  wardens  and  vestrymen  being  assessed  twenty 
shillings  apiece  to  defray  his  expenses.  Mr.  Mossom  was 
the  first  person  ordained  presbyter  for  the  American  Colo- 
nies, and  appears  to  have  been  eminently  successful  in  his 
ministry  at  Marblehead.  A  short  time  after  his  settlement 
he  reports  that  the  church  has  considerably  increased,  the 


OF   MAKBLEHEAD.  367 

number  of  commimicants  being  near  double,  "  besides  tbose 
brought  in  from  the  neighboring  towns,  and  many  more  who 
would  come  were  they  not  deterred  by  this  effectual  bar  to 
the  growth  of  the  church,  their  being  obliged  to  pay  to  the 
dissenting  minister. 

The  people  being  still  taxed  in  defiance  of  the  orders  of 
the  governor,  Mr.  Mossom  made  another  appeal  to  His  Ex- 
cellency, and  also  to  the  justices  at  Salem,  to  restrain  the 
town  officials.  The  churchmen  were  determined  to  resist 
the  outrage,  and  the  wardens  and  vestry  voted  that  "  if  any 
person  belonging  to  this  church  shall  be  destrained  upon, 
either  in  body  or  goods,  for  the  payment  of  the  rate  made 
for  the  support  of  Mr.  Cheever,  the  dissenting  minister, 
....  the  vestry  and  all  belonging  to  this  church  shall  join 
together  and  pay  whatever  charge  shall  arise  upon  such  dis- 
tress, and  make  all  possible  application  for  the  relief  of  the 
person  so  destrained  upon."  The  petition  of  Mr.  Mossom 
had  the  desired  effect,  and  another  order  was  issued  by  the 
governor,  which  resulted  in  the  exemption  of  churchmen 
from  the  tax  by  a  vote  of  a  town  meeting  convened  for  that 
purpose. 

In  1724  there  were,  according  to  the  report  of  the  rector, 
between  seventy  and  eighty  families  in  the  parish,  besides 
several  negro  slaves,  who  generally  attended  service  with 
their  masters.  During  Mr.  Mossom's  rectorship  tv/o  hun- 
dred and  twenty-four  persons  were  taxed  for  pews,  the  ma- 
jority of  whom  were  fishermen.  Services  were  held  on 
nearly  every  fast  day  of  the  church,  which  were  well  at- 
tended, and  the  children  were  catechised  every  Friday  and 
Sunday  in  Lent.  The  communion  was  administered  every 
month,  though  perhaps  not  very  conveniently,  as  the  rector 
complains  that  the  church  has  "neither  communion  table 
cloth  nor  pulpit  cloth,  and  only  one  small  cup  for  distribut- 
ing the  wine,  though  the  number  of  communicants  was  more 
than  fifty." 

The  records  of  the  entire  period  of  his  rectorship  are  in 


868  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

Mr.  Mossom  s  handwriting,  and  are  attested  by  bis  name 
after  every  entry.  The  first  mention  of  a  name  for  tbe 
cburcb  is  made  about  this  time  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Nichol- 
son, then  governor  of  South  Carolina,  informing  him  that 
the  church  waits  for  him  to  name  it.  And  the  first  mention 
of  the  church-yard  as  a  burial-place  is  made  in  the  last  vote 
attested  by  Mr.  Mossom,  in  which  it  is  ordered  that  none 
save  constant  hearers  shall  be  buried  there,  under  a  fine  of 
five  pounds.  Mr.  Mossom  closed  his  rectorship  in  1727, 
and  went  to  New  Kent,  Va.,  and  while  there  ofiiciated  at 
the  marriage  of  George  Washington  to  the  widow  Custis. 
He  died  in  1767,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

The  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Mos- 
som was  filled  temporarily  by  a  clergyman  from  Boston,  and 
in  1728  the  Rev.  George  Pigot  was  settled,  for  whom  exten- 
sive preparations  were  Tnade.  The  sum  of  <£150  was  raised 
for  his  salary,  and  the  church  building  was  enlarged  by  an 
addition  of  fifteen  feet  on  the  northern  side,  the  land  hav- 
ing been  purchased  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Brown  and  Mrs. 
Hannah  Le  Gallais  for  that  purpose.  Mr.  Pigot  came  to 
Marblehead  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  in  addition  to  his 
parochial  duties,  officiated  every  month  at  Salem,  where  in 
a  short  time  he  gathered  a  congregation  of  between  two  and 
three  hundred  persons.  Finding  it  inconvenient  to  attend 
service  at  Marblehead,  and  Mr.  Pigot's  parishioners  being 
unwilling  for  him  to  leave  them  on  Sunday  to  preach  at 
Salem,  an  earnest  appeal  was  made  to  the  Bishop  of  London 
for  the  establishment  of  a  mission  at  that  place,  which, 
after  being  several  times  denied,  was  finally  successful. 

In  1730,  Mr.  Pigot  made  what  proved  to  be  an  unsuccess- 
ful attempt  to  regain  a  right  to  the  Baronies  of  Morley.  and 
Monteagle,  to  which  he  was  an  heir,  and  requested  permis- 
sion to  return  to  England  to  attend  to  the  matter,  which 
was  evidently  not  granted.  The  records  show  that  he  re- 
ceived for  his  salary  X125  per  year,  with  whatever  gold  and 
silver  is  put  in  the  contribution.     During  his  rectorship, 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  369 

which  ended  in  1786,  there  are  recorded  454  baptisms, 
among  them  four  of  his  own  slaves,  95  marriages,  145 
burials,  and  a  list  of  75  communicants.  In  going  from  the 
house  of  a  poor  and  sick  parishioner  whom  he  had  been 
visiting  in  the  winter  of  1736,  Mr.  Pigot  fell  on  the  ice  and 
broke  his  left  arm,  which  he  refractured  in  the  following 
summer.  His  health  consequently  became  broken  and  he 
obtained  leave  to  visit  England,  and  died  there,  or  on  the 
passage.  His  wife  probably  never  left  Marblehead,  as  she 
was  buried  in  the  church-yard  fifteen  years  after. 

During  Mr.  Pigot's  rectorship  in  the  year  1732,  the  hearts 
of  his  parishioners  were  made  glad  by  the  reception  of  a 
brass  chandelier  for  the  church,  the  gift  of  John  Elbridge, 
Esq.,  collector  of  the  port  of  Bristol,  Eng.,  who  also  pre- 
sented an  oil  portrait  of  himself.  The  chandelier  still  hangs 
in  its  place,  and  is  used  on  the  evenings  of  festival  days  in 
illuminating  the  church. 

The  Rev.  Alexander  Malcom  was  the  next  rector ;  but,  as 
there  are  no  vestry  records  at  all  during  his  rectorship,  little 
can  be  ascertained  regarding  him.  He  took  charge  of  the 
parish  in  1740  and  remained  nine  years,  when  he  resigned 
and  went  to  Maryland.  In  1745,  a  communion  service  of 
solid  silver  was  presented  to  the  church  by  Mr.  David  Le 
Gallais,  as  recorded  on  the  flagon  in  Latin.  This  flagon 
weighs  four  pounds,  and  is  still  used.  The  paten  has  a 
later  date,  1764,  engraved  on  the  under  side.  In  a  letter, 
dated  July  30,  1745,  Mr.  Malcom  reports  that  his  people 
have  kept  clear  of  the  disorders  sown  here  by  the  enthusiast 
Whitefield  who  visited  the  town.  The  church,  he  says,  "  is 
composed  of  families  from  Great  Britain  and  the  Island  of 
Jersey,  brought  up  originally  in  the  communion  of  the 
church.  He  speaks  encouragingly  of  the  fact  that  "  several 
of  the  dissenters  come  now  and  then  to  church,  who  never 
were  there  before,  and  in  great  multitudes  when  I  take  any 
occasional  sermons,  which  I  hope  will  by  degrees  lessen  their 
bigotry.     Even  their  teachers  come  to  church  on  these  occa- 

2i 


370  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

sions."  Mr.  Malcom  lived  in  peace  and  friendliness  with  all 
while  in  town,  and  in  1748  was  married  to  Mary  Reed, 
though  the  fact  only  is  recorded,  and  the  officiating  clergy- 
man's name  is  not  given.  Mr.  Malcom's  official  record  is 
headed  by  the  name  "  St.  Michael's  Church,"  the  first  time 
the  name  appears,  though  it  had  probably  been  given  by 
Governor  Nicholson  some  time  before. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  INIalcom,  the  services  of  the 
church  were  conducted  by  the  neighboring  clergymen  in 
Salem  and  Boston  until  the  year  1753,  when  the  Rev.  Peter 
Bours  was  settled  as  rector.  Mr.  Bours  was  the  son  of 
Peter  Bours,  Esq.,  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the  Province 
of  Rhode  Island.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in 
1747.  His  ministry  in  Marblehead  was  eminently  success- 
ful, and  he  endeared  himself  to  all  who  knew  him,  both 
churchmen  and  dissenters.  He  died  suddenly  February  24, 
1762,  and  was  buried  in  the  church-yard,  where  his  tomb 
may  still  be  seen.  The  first  mention  of  a  glebe  or  rectory 
as  being  owned  by  the  parish,  is  made  in  the  records  during 
his  rectorship,  though  there  is  no  indication  of  the  time  that 
it  was  erected.  The  first  mention  of  an  organ  is  also  made 
in  the  records  of  this  time,  though  there  is  nothing  to  show 
when  it  was  purchased. 

For  a  year  and  a  half  the  parish  was  without  a  rector, 
when  the  Rev.  Joshua  Wingate  Weeks,  who  had  been  to 
London  for  ordination  at  the  expense  of  the  parish,  assumed 
the  rectorship.  For  some  years  the  parish  flourished  under 
his  care.  A  new  gallery  was  built  for  the  organ  at  the  ex- 
pense of  several  energetic  communicants,  the  parish  was  or- 
ganized into  a  corporation,  a  charter  was  obtained,  and  all 
things  seemed  to  promise  well  for  a  prosperous  future.  But 
revolution  was  in  the  air,  and  for  several  years  the  constant 
excitement  to  which  the  sturdy  men  of  Marblehead  were 
subject  began  to  have  its  effect  upon  the  little  parish.  In 
1766,  Mr.  Weeks  congratulates  the  Society  at  London  upon 
the  fact  that  Marblehead  has  elected  the  only  churchman 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  371 

who  sits  in  the  General  Assembly.  But  three  years  later 
there  is  a  slight  tinge  of  anxiety  in  his  report,  in  regard  to 
political  matters  which  "  embitter  the  minds  of  the  people." 
He,  however,  reports  the  church  as  growing  and  on  a  better 
footing  than  ever.  The  spirit  of  liberty  never  animated  a 
people  more  thoroughly  than  it  did  the  people  of  Marblehead 
during  the  exciting  times  preceding  and  following  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Stamp  Act  by  the  Parhament  of  Great  Britain. 
The  utmost  resistance  was  determined  upon ;  and  while  the 
churchmen  themselves  were  hesitating  between  their  love  of 
the  church  and  their  hatred  of  tyranny,  the  overzealous 
Marbleheaders  omitted  no  opportunity  to  denounce  the 
Church  of  England  as  "  nursing  her  children  with  milk  un- 
friendly to  the  sons  of  liberty."  Affairs  went  on  in  very 
much  the  same  order  until  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1770, 
when  the  celebrated  Whitefield  again  appeared  in  Marble- 
head  and  fiercely  attacked  in  "  the  most  abusive  language 
the  church,  the  rector,  and  all  belonging  to  it."  This  had 
the  effect  only  to  endear  the  church  the  more  to  its  ever- 
faithful  children ;  but  among  its  enemies  who  believed  all 
that  had  been  said,  it  created  the  most  bitter  hatred  of  its 
ordinances.  Whitefield  was  followed  by  several  others  of  the 
same  class  of  enthusiasts,  as  we  are  informed  by  Mr.  Weeks 
in  another  letter,  and  finally  one  Jayne,  a  communicant 
of  the  church,  became  a  convert  to  their  teachings.  His 
enthusiasm  in  the  new  cause  did  not  deter  him  from  attend- 
ing the  services  of  church,  and  it  seems  he  disturbed  the 
congregation  while  receiving  the  communion,  because  of 
some  difference  he  had  had  with  the  clerk.  For  this  reason 
he  was  forbidden  by  the  rector  to  appear  at  the  altar 
"  unless  he  reformed  and  gave  evidence  of  a  better  spirit  and 
behaviour."  This  appears  to  be  the  only  instance  of  any 
conversions  among  churchmen  to  the  teachings  of  White- 
field  and  his  followers,  and  in  spite  of  the  opposition  it  met 
with,  the  church  held  its  own  and  seemed  likely  soon  to  be 
the  richest  congregation  in  town.     In  1771,  the  door  at  the 


i 

372  THE   HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS 

"west  side  of  the  church  was  closed  and  a  porch  was  built 
over  the  south  door,  which  has  been  the  only  door  used  since. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  a  door  was  cut  in  the  side  of  the- 
church  to  accommodate  a  stout  gentleman  who  was  too  large 
to  enter  an  ordinary  pew-door,  and  this  would  seem  to  be 
substantiated  by  a  vote  of  the  parish  recorded  at  this  time : 
"  That  at  present  it  is  convenient  to  keep  open  the  door 
leading  into  the  garden  belonging  to  the  estate  of  the  late 
William  Bourne,  Esq." 

The  events  of  the  few  years  following  the  breaking  out  of 
the  American  Revolution  were  of  the  greatest  import  to  the 
congregation  of  St.  Michael's  Church.  The  rector  of  the 
neighboring  church  at  Salem  wrote  home  to  the  society  : 
"  Mr.  Weeks  is  popular  and  has  the  esteem  of  all  parties, 
and  his  diligence  and  prudent  behaviour  deserve  it."  But 
neither  popularity  nor  prudence  were  sufficient  to  stem  the 
tide  of  public  opinion  which  was  daily  increasing  against 
the  British  government,  and  consequently  the  prejudice 
against  the  church  grew  the  more  bitter  and  intense.  Many 
of  its  members  were  strong  in  their  opposition  to  the  meas- 
ures of  the  government,  but  were  equally  as  strong  in  their 
determination  that  the  services  of  their  mother  church 
should  be  maintained.  Every  effort  was  made  to  allay  the 
feeling  of  distrust,  and  the  wardens  and  vestry  directed  that 
the  church  should  be  opened  and  services  held  on  several 
occasions,  appointed  by  the  town  authorities  as  days  of  fast- 
ing and  prayei',  but  to  no  avail.  There  was  not  a  town  in 
the  country  where  citizens  were  more  patriotic  than  the 
men  of  Marblehead,  and  when,  in  1775,  the  controversy  be- 
tween the  mother  countr}'-  and  the  colonies  developed  into  a 
declaration  of  war,  none  sprang  to  arms  more  readily,  or 
gave  their  lives  more  willingly  in  defense  of  their  rights  and 
liberties.  Then,  when  the  rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church 
avowed  himself  as  a  Loyalist,  and  openly  advised  his  people 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  "  rebellion,"  the  indignation 
of  the  people  knew  no  bounds.     Several  of  the  most  trusted 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  373 

leaders  of  the  people  were  communicants  of  tlie  church,  and 
the  result  was  a  hopelessly  divided  parish.  Capt.  William 
R.  Lee,  one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  town,  was  a 
staunch  churchman  and  as  staunch  a  patriot.  Captain  Tre- 
vett,  who  commanded  a  company  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  was  also  a  churchman.  These  men  and  their  asso- 
ciates counseled  moderation,  and  endeavored  to  induce  the 
rector  to  adopt  a  different  course  to  preserve  harmony  in  the 
parish.  For  a  year  or  more  after  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence the  services  of  the  church  were  regularly  held  ; 
but  finally  a  law  was  passed  by  the  Provincial  Congress 
forbidding  the  use  of  the  liturgy,  and  the  rector,  with  the 
advice  of  the  wardens  and  vestry,  reluctantly  closed  the 
church. 

When  the  news  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
received  in  Marblehead,  the  joy  of  the  people  knew  no 
bounds.  Every  demonstration  of  gladness  was  made,  and  in 
the  height  of  the  excitement  a  body  of  men  broke  open  St. 
Michael's  Church,  pulled  the  coat-of-arms  of  King  George 
from  its  place  above  the  chancel,  and  rang  the  bell  till  it 
cracked.  There  was  no  mistaking  the  meaning  of  these 
demonstrations,  and  about  a  year  after  it  was  deemed  the 
part  of  prudence  to  discontinue  pubhc  services  till  the 
troublesome  times  were  over.  Services  were,  however,  con- 
tinued at  private  houses  for  some  time,  till  the  rector  could 
no  longer  remain  in  town  and  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in 
Nova  Scotia.  The  church  remained  closed  for  several  years 
after  the  departure  of  Mr.  Weeks,  and  was  not  again  opened 
till  February  6,  1780,  when  Mr.  Woodward  Abraham  read 
prayers  and  a  sermon.  Mr.  Abraham  conducted  the  ser- 
vices for  six  years,  receiving  the  contribution  money  for  his 
services,  and  in  1786  the  Rev.  Thomas  Fitch  Oliver  was 
settled  as  rector  till  1791.  Notwithstanding  the  troubles 
through  which  the  church  had  passed,  on  the  first  visit  of 
Bishop  Seabury,  in  1787,  Mr.  Oliver  was  enabled  to  present 
one  hundred  and  twenty  candidates  for  confirmation. 


874  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

Mr.  Oliver  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  Harris, 
who  had  for  several  years  been  teaching  at  the  Marblehead 
Academy,  and  for  some  time  officiated  in  the  church  as  lay 
reader.  He  was  ordained  at  the  request  of  the  wardens 
and  vestry  in  1791.  Mr.  Harris  remained  in  Marblehead 
eleven  years,  and  his  ministry  was  eminently  successful.  He 
resigned  in  1802,  and  went  to  New  York,  and  afterwards 
became  president  of  Columbia  College. 

The  next  rector  was  the  Rev.  James  Bowers,  who  re- 
mained nine  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  P.  K. 
Henshaw,  who  remained  one  year.  He  was  afterward 
Bishop  of  Rhode  Island,  being  consecratd  August  11,  1843: 
For  four  j^ears  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Henshaw,  there 
was  no  rector  save  the  Rev.  Joseph  Andrews,  who  officiated 
for  four  months,  and  then  resigned  to  become  a  missionary 
in  a  foreign  field. 

In  1818  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Bosworth  Smith  became  rec- 
tor, but  so  reduced  had  the  parish  become  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  him  to  remain,  and  he  resigned  the  following 
year.  Dr.  Smith  was  afterward  consecrated  Bishop  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  is  now  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  United  States, 
being  the  oldest  in  the  country.  St.  Michael's  was  his  first 
parish,  and  he  has  always  entertained  a  warm  affection  for 
it,  and  his  name  is  held  in  veneration  by  the  parish.  For 
several  years  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Smith  the  old 
church  was  closed  and  the  communicants  despaired  of  its 
ever  being  opened  for  liturgic  services  again.  In  1821,  the 
glebe,  which  had  for  many  years  been  owned  by  the  parish 
as  a  home  for  its  rectors,  became  hopelessly  involved  and 
was  sold  to  pay  off  the  parish  debts.  At  about  this  time 
the  Channing  movement  was  at  its  height  in  the  Congre- 
gational churches  of  New  England.  The  pastor  of  the 
Second  Congregational  Society  became  a  convert  to  the 
new  doctrine,  and  many  of  his  people  who  were  firm  in 
their  love  of  the  faith  as  taught  by  the  Puritan  fathers,  left 
the   society.     Among   the   more   influential   of   those  who 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  375 

withdrew  was  the  Hon.  William  Reed,  who  looked  with 
covetous  eyes  on  the  old  church  of  St.  Michael's.  Mr.  Reed 
bought  pews,  became  a  proprietor  and  vestryman  of  the 
church,  and  finally  induced  a  sufficient  number  of  proprie- 
tors to  join  with  him  in  a  petition  to  the  Massachusetts 
Legislature  for  a  repeal  of  the  old  charter,  and  to  re-char- 
ter the  church  as  a  "  Congregational  Meeting-house."  But 
several  of  the  old  proprietors  did  not  consent  to  this  pro- 
ceeding, among  them  Dr.  Drury,  an  old  and  influential  ves- 
tryman, and  Captain  Trevett,  an  old  sea-captain.  These 
men  were  determined  that  the  church  should  not  be  taken 
from  its  ancient  parish  without  a  stubborn  fight  to  prevent 
it.  The  aid  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Carlisle,  of  Salem,  was  obtained, 
and  he,  with  the  bishop  of  the  diocese,  went  before  the 
legislature  and  protested  against  the  proposed  change,  and 
through  their  efforts  the  petition  was  denied.  Thus  the  old 
church  was  preserved  for  the  use  of  coming  generations 
who  desire  to  worship  according  to  its  ancient  and  time- 
honored  liturgy. 

This  attempt  to  alienate  the  church  from  its  ancient 
usage  infused  new  life  into  the  communicants.  Their  slum- 
bering energies  were  now  fully  aroused,  and  with  the  kind 
assistance  of  Rev.  Mr.  Carhsle,  of  Salem,  services  were  once 
more  held  in  the  church.  The  records  contain  little  infor- 
mation as  to  the  years  following  for  some  time,  other  than 
the  occasional  records  of  vestry  meetings.  The  Rev.  Lot 
Johns  officiated  as  rector  for  a  short  time  in  1823,  the  Rev. 
Thomas  S.  W.  Mott  from  1825  to  1827,  and  from  that  time 
till  1831  the  church  was  again  closed.  The  Rev.  Joseph  H. 
Price  became  rector  in  1831  and  remained  over  a  year  and 
a  half,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  George  V.  C.  East- 
man, who  was  settled  in  July,  1832,  and  remained  till  Sep- 
tember, 1833.  During  his  rectorship  the  services  were  held 
for  some  months  in  Academy  Hall,  while  extensive  repairs 
and  alterations  were  made  in  the  church.  The  old  square 
pews  were  removed  and  slip  pews  were  put  in,  the  chancel 


376  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

was  removed  to  the  nortliern  end,  witli  the  pulpit  and  read- 
ing desk  on  either  side,  —  the  pulpit  on  the  west  and  the 
readmg  desk  on  the  east  side  of  the  church.  Since  that 
time  the  interior  of  the  edifice  has  not  been  altered,  except 
that  it  has  several  times  been  painted  and  frescoed.  The 
succeeding  rector  was  the  Rev.  William  H.  Lewis,  who 
assumed  the  rectorship  in  1833  and  remained  seven  years. 
Under  his  charge  the  church  attained  a  degree  of  prosperity 
such  as  it  had  not  known  for  years,  and  Mr.  Lewis  endeared 
himself  personally  to  a  large  number  of  friends.  There  are 
hundreds  living  to-day  in  Marblehead  who  dwell  fondly  on 
the  memory  of  his  rectorship.  Perhaps  no  better  evidence 
can  be  given  of  his  work  than  the  fact  that  during  his  min- 
istry eighty-five  persons  were  confirmed,  the  largest  number 
known  since  1787.  Mr.  Lewis  was  followed  by  the  Rev. 
John  P.  Robinson,  who  was  rector  from  1840  to  1842,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Moses  P.  Stickney,  who  was  or- 
dained priest  in  the  church  September  14,  1842.  During 
Mr.  Stickney's  rectorship  the  chapel,  which  stands  at  the 
western  side  of  the  church,  was  erected,  at  the  expense  of 
the  ladies  of  the  Parish  Aid  Society. 

In  July,  1847,  the  Rev.  N.  P.  Tillinghast  took  charge  of 
the  parish,  but  resigned  on  the  1st  of  November  following. 
His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Edward  Ballard,  who  was  called 
in  1848,  and  remained  three  years,  giving  place  to  the  Rev. 
John  B.  Richmond,  in  1851.  Mr.  Richmond  was  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  popular  rectors  the  parish  ever  had. 
Under  his  charge  the  parish  increased  in  numbers,  and  the 
church  was  in  a  most  prosperous  condition.  He  closed  his 
rectorship  in  1859,  and  in  1860  the  Rev.  Edwin  B.  Chase 
became  rector.  Of  all  the  rectors  the  old  parish  has  had 
the  memory  of  none  is  cherished  with  more  sincere  affection 
than  that  of  this  saintly  clergyman.  He  remained  six 
yeai's,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  R.  Wood- 
bridge,  a  native  of  Marblehead,  who  for  four  years  labored 
zealously  and  resigned  from  ill  health  in  1871.     For  a  year 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  377 

or  more  the  parish  was  again  without  a  rector,  when  a 
unanimous  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev.  John  Wickliffe 
Leek,  who  accepted  the  rectorship.  Without  exception  Mr. 
Leek  was,  undoubtedly,  the  most  influential  rector  the 
parish  has  ever  had.  When  he  took  charge  of  the  parish,  in 
1872,  the  church  stood  on  no  street,  and  could  only  be 
reached  by  an  alley-way  twelve  feet  wide,  running  up  from 
Washington  Street,  by  the  side  of  the  back  yards  of  private 
residences,  one  of  which  was  a  large  tenement  house,  which 
almost  entirely  shut  the  church  from  view.  The  back  yard 
and  out-houses  of  this  house  were  directly  in  front  of  the 
church  door,  and  were  a  constant  source  of  annoyance  to  the 
worshipers.  During  the  very  first  year  of  his  rectorship 
Mr.  Leek  worked  earnestly  to  secure  the  removal  of  the 
building,  and  his  efforts  being  seconded  by  an  influential 
and  zealous  layman  of  the  parish,  who  freely  gave  his  time 
and  money  in  aid  of  the  project,  the  requisite  amount  of 
money  was  soon  raised,  and  the  estate  was  purchased  in 
January,  1873.  The  following  summer  the  house  was  re- 
moved, the  ledge  of  rocks  on  which  it  stood  was  blasted 
away,  and  a  fine  lawn  and  driveway  were  laid  out.  During 
the  same  year  two  ladies  of  the  parish,  who  had  ever  mani- 
fested their  devotion  to  the  church  in  good  works,  purchased 
an  estate  adjoining,  and  erected  an  excellent  rectory,  which 
they  presented  to  the  parish  as  a  memorial  of  their  mother, 
Mrs.  Eunice  Hooper.  Mr.  Leek  remained  with  the  parish 
but  a  few  months  after  the  rectory  was  finished,  being 
obliged  to  close  a  pastorate  so  fruitful  in  good  works  on 
account  of  his  rapidly  failing  health. 

In  the  spring  of  1875  the  Rev.  Julius  H.  Ward  became 
rector.  During  the  great  conflagration  in  Marblehead,  June 
25,  1877,  the  roof  of  the  church  caught  fire,  and  the  build- 
ing seemed  doomed  to  destruction.  A  young  man,  named 
Thomas  Gorman,  succeeded  in  gaining  a  foothold  upon  it 
from  a  house  adjoining,  however,  and  while  Mr.  Ward  held 


378  THE   mSTORY.AND   TRADITIONS 

Lim  by  a  rope,  secured  in  the  belfry,  lie  reached  a  point 
where  he  was  able  to  extinguish  the  flames. 

Mr.  Ward  resigned  in  January,  1878,  and  at  Easter  of  the 
same  year  the  Rev.  William  R.  Harris,  the  present  incum- 
bent, was  elected  rector. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  •  379 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

SECOND   CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH    (UNITARIAN). 

The  organization  of  this  church  was  occasioned  by  a  con- 
troversy in  the  First  Congregational  Church  concerning  the 
settlement  of  a  colleague  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Cheever.  In 
December,  1714,  the  First  Church,  with  the  concurrence  of 
the  town,  voted  to  call  the  Rev.  John  Barnard,  and  on  the 
5th  of  February,  1715,  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  per- 
sons, who  favored  the  settlement  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Hol- 
yoke,  withdrew  from  the  society,  and  pledged  themselves  in 
an  agreement  to  contribute  the  necessary  funds  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  "  New  Meeting  House." 

The  edifice  was  completed  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
year,  and  on  the  25th  of  April,  1716,  the  Second  Congrega- 
tional Church  was  organized,  with  twenty-seven  members, 
who  were  dismissed  by  council  from  the  First  Church. 

The  ordination  of  Mr.  Holyoke  took  place  on  the  same 
day.  On  the  25th  of  July,  1737,  after  a  pastorate  of  twenty- 
one  years,  he  resigned,  and  accepted  the  position  of  presi- 
dent of  Harvard  College,  to  which  he  had  been  elected. 

The  second  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Simon  Bradstreet,  who 
was  ordained  January  4,  1738.  He  continued  his  ministe- 
rial labors  until  May  1,  1771,  when  the  Rev.  Isaac  Story 
was  ordained  as  colleague.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Brad- 
street,  which  occurred  October  5  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Story 
assumed  full  pastoral  charge  of  the  church,  and  continued 
in  that  position  until  February  4,  1802. 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1803,  the  Rev.  Hezekiah  May  was 
ordained  as  pastor.     He  remained  five  years,  and  then  re- 


380  l^HE   HISTORY    AND   TRADITIONS 

signed  "  on  account  of  an  unhappy  difficulty  between  him- 
self and  the  society." 

The  succeeding  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John  Bartlett,  who 
■was  ordained  May  22,  1811.  The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Bartlett 
was  probably  the  most  eventful  of  any  iu  the  entire  history 
of  this  church.  During  the  great  religious  excitement  caused 
by  the  Clumning  movement  in  the  Congregational  churches 
of  New  England,  Mr.  Bartlett  announced  his  belief  in  the 
doctrines  of  Unitarianism  as  preached  by  Mr.  Channing  and 
his  followers.  The  result  was  a  serious  controversy,  during 
which  many  of  those  who  differed  with  the  pastor  withdrew 
from  the  church  and  society.  A  majority  of  the  communi- 
cants supported  Mr.  Bartlett  in  his  teachings,  however,  and 
the  churcli  has  ever  since  been  Unitarian. 

During  the  year  1832,  the  old  house  of  worship  was  torn 
down  and  a  new  church  edifice  was  erected.  It  was  dedi- 
cated with  appropriate  exercises,  January  2,  1833. 

Mr.  Bartlett  died  in  February,  1849,  and  in  October  of 
the  same  year  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Huntoon  became  pastor. 
Mr.  Huntoon  resigned  July  15,  1855,  and  from  that  time  to 
the  year  1860  the  church  was  without  a  pastor,  the  services 
being  conducted  by  clergymen  who  were  engaged  tempo- 
rarily. 

On  Tuesday,  June  5,  1860,  the  Rev.  Samuel  R.  Calthrop 
was  ordained,  the  sermon  being  delivered  by  the  Rev.  James 
Freeman  Clarke,  of  Boston.  Mr.  Calthrop  resigned  June 
1,  1864,  and  in  February,  1866,  the  Rev.  James  Henry  Wig- 
gin  became  pastor.  He  remained  about  eighteen  months, 
and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  B.  Buxton,  who  was 
installed  August  9,  1868.  During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Bux- 
ton, the  church  edifice  was  extensively  repaired,  several  im- 
portant alterations  being  made  in  the  interior. 

Mr.  Buxton  resigned  February  1,  1872,  and  on  the  1st  of 
January,  1873,  the  Rev.  Benjamin  H.  Bailey  was  installed. 
During  the  year  1875,  the  parsonage  on  Elm  Street  was 
erected. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  381 

On  the  night  of  June  25,  1877,  during  the  great  confla- 
gration, the  roof  of  this  church  caught  fire  from  falling 
cinders.  The  flames  were  extinguished,  however,  by  Mr. 
Thomas  J.  Lecraw,  who,  being  unable  to  force  an  entrance 
to  the  church,  with  great  presence  of  mind  climbed  to  the 
roof  on  a  lightning  rod.  The  noble  act  was  appreciated  by 
the  members  of  the  society,  and  they  subsequently  presented 
him  with  a  gold  watch  in  grateful  recognition  of  his  valu- 
able services. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL    CHUECH. 

Jesse  Lee,  the  pioneer  of  Methodism  in  New  England, 
preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in  Marblehead  during 
the  month  of  Ju'y,  1790,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year 
took  the  town  in  his  circuit.  He  was  evidently  tendered 
the  use  of  the  Second  Congregational  Church  for  his  ser- 
vices, as  on  the  28th  of  June,  1791,  it  is  recorded,  that  the 
Methodist  bishop  preached  at  the  "New  Meeting  House." 

The  exact  date  of  the  organization  of  the  church  cannot 
be  ascertained,  but  it  is  said  to  have  been  during  the  year 
1791  or  1792,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Joshua  Prentiss,  on  Mug- 
ford  Street.  Preaching  services  were  held  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  William  Martin,  on  Darling  Street,  and  on  the  30th  of 
April,  1793,  the  Rev.  Jesse  Lee  opened  a  room  in  the  house 
of  Mr.  James  Bowler,  on  Lee  Street,  for  public  services.  On 
Thanksgiving  day  (November  8)  of  the  same  year,  the  Rev. 
Ezekiel  Cooper  held  a  ser\'ice  in  this  room  in  the  Bowler 
house,  and  baptized  a  child,  who  was  given  the  name  of 
Ezekiel  Cooper. 

In  the  year  1801,  the  first  chapel  was  erected  on  the 
rocks  at  the  head  of  Rockaway  Street,  and  was  used  as  a 
place  of  worship  until  the  erection  of  the  present  church  edi- 
fice in  1833.  The  chapel  was  then  converted  into  a  dwell- 
ing-house, one-half  of  which  has  since  been  used  as  a  parson- 
age. 

In  the  year  1859,  during  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  A.  M. 


382 


THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 


Osgood,  several  important  alterations  were  made  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  church.  In  the  autumn  of  1879,  a  new  en- 
trance was  made  at  the  front  of  church,  the  vestry-room  was 
thoroughly  refitted,  and  several  other  improvements  were 
made. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  pastors  :  — 


1794,  Jonathan  Rexford. 

1795,  .James  Coval. 

1796,  George  Cannon. 

1797,  John  Broadhead. 

1798,  Supplied. 

1799,  Andrew  Nichols. 

1800,  Joshua  Wells. 

1801,  George  Pickering, 
Thomas  F.  Sargent. 

1802,  Epaphras  Kibby. 

1803,  Dauiel  Webb. 

1804,  Reuben  Hubbard, 

1805,  Dauiel  Batchelder. 

1806,  Alfred  Metcalf. 

1807,  Philip  Muuger. 

1808,  David  Batchelder. 

1809,  William  Hunt. 

1810,  Thomas  Asbury, 
Alex  McClain, 

1811,  Erastus  Otis. 

1812,  Nathan  B.  Asbcraft, 
Stephen  Bailey. 

1813,  William  Hinman. 

1814,  Benjamin  Hazleton. 

1815,  Benjamin  F.  Lambord. 

1816,  Solomon  Sias. 

1817,  W.  Marsh,  O.  Hines. 
1818-19,  Jesse  Filmore. 

1820,  Zalmon  Stuart. 

1821,  Jotham  Horton. 


1822,  Henry  Bulfinch. 

1823,  James  P.  Harvey. 

1824,  Jesse  Filmore, 
T.  W.  Tucker. 

1825,  Benjamin  Jones.    • 

1826,  Henry  Mayo. 

1827,  Nathan  B.  Spaulding. 

1828,  Selah  S.  Stocking. 

1829,  Nathan  Paine. 

1830,  Darius  Barker. 

1831,  George  Sutherland. 

1832,  Newell  S.  Spaulding. 
1833-4,  Epaphras  Kibby. 

1835,  George  Pickering. 

1836,  Hector  Brownson. 

1837,  Charles  Noble. 

1838,  Abraham  D.  Merrill. 
1839-40,  Edward  Otheman. 
1841-2,  James  Mudge. 

1843,  Stephen  G.  Hiler. 

1844,  J.  S.  J.  Gridley. 
1844-6,  William  Rice. 
1847-8,  William  Smith. 
1849-50,  George  Dunbar, 

Leonard  Austin. 
1851-52,  F.  I.  Barrows. 
1853-54,  Ichabod  Marcy. 
1855-56,  Augustus  F.  Bailey. 
1857-58,  Moseley  Dwight. 
1859-60,  A.  BI.  Osgood. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  383 

1861-62,  W.  A.  Braman.  1873-74-75,  Linus  Fish. 

1863-64,  C.  L.  McCurdy.  1876-77,  J.  A.  Bartlett. 

1865-66-67,  Barthemew  Othe-  1877  to  AprU,  1878, 

man.  W.  E.  Dwight. 

1868-69-70,  Z.  A.  Mudge.  1878,  J.  W.  Dearborn. 
1871-72,  W.  D.  Bridge. 


384  THE    HISTORY   AND    TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

BAPTIST   CHTIRCH. 

This  church  was  organized  February  28,  1810,  with 
twenty-one  members,  who  were  regularly  dismissed  from  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Salem  for  the  purpose.  The  first 
church  edifice  purchased  for  the  society  was  a  house  of  wor- 
ship on  Watson  Street,  known  as  the  "  Rock  Meeting-house," 
which  had  formerly  been  used  by  a  society  of  Hopkinso- 
nians. 

On  the  15th  of  July,  1811,  the  Rev.  Ferdinand  Ellis,  who 
had  supplied  the  pulpit  for  about  fifteen  months,  was  installed 
as  the  first  pastor.  In  September,  1817,  INIr.  Ellis  resigned, 
and  in  April,  1818,  the  Rev.  Herbert  Marshall  was  installed. 
He  resigned  September  30  of  the  same  year,  and  shortly 
after  took  orders  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Isaac  Kimball,  who  was  or- 
dained March  10,  1819.  He  resigned  September  20,  1820. 
After  the  resignation  of  ]\Ir.  Kimball,  the  church  was  with- 
out a  pastor  about  two  years,  during  which  time  services 
were  conducted  by  Mr.  Isaac  Story,  Jr.,  a  licensed  preacher. 

In  November,  1822,  the  Rev.  INIatthew  Bolles  became  pas- 
tor, and  continued  until  July  3,  1825.  His  successor  was 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Adlam,  who  was  settled  August  10,  1827, 
and  remained  four  years. 

On  the  26th  of  April,  1831,  the  Rev.  Bela  Wilcox  was 
installed.  During  the  brief  period  of  his  ministry,  a  new 
church  edifice  was  erected  on  Pleasant  Street.  It  was  dedi- 
cated during  the  month  of  February,  1832.  On  the  12th 
of  April,  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Wilcox  resigned. 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  385 

The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Avery  Briggs,  who  was  set- 
tled September  14,  1832,  and  resigned  May  16,  1834.  His 
sviccessor  was  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hervey,  who  was  installed 
October  17,  1834,  and  remained  nearly  two  years. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1837,  the  Rev.  Dudley  C. 
Haynes  was  ordained.  He  resigned  in  March,  1839,  giving 
place  to  the  Rev.  Hervey  Fitz,  who  was  settled  July  5,  of 
the  same  year.  After  a  pastorate  of  two  years,  Mr.  Fitz 
resigned,  and  in  March,  1841,  the  Rev.  M.  M.  Dean  was  in- 
stalled. The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Dean  covered  a  period  of 
more  than  four  years,  ending  in  December,  1845.  The  next 
pastor  was  the  Rev.  Zenas  P.  Wild,  who  was  settled  in 
June,  1846,  and  resigned  in  March,  1848. 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1848,  the  Rev.  George  W.  Patch 
was  settled.  His  ministry  was  eminently  successful,  and  for 
twenty-six  years  he  continued  as  a  faithful  shepherd  among 
this  people. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1867,  the  church  edifice  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  During  the  same  year,  another  house  of 
worship  was  erected  on  the  same  site,  which  was  dedicated 
December  28,  1868. 

In  September,  1874,  Mr.  Patch  resigned,  and  on  the  first 
day  of  September,  1875,  the  Rev.  John  Harris  Barrows  was 
ordained.  He  remained  three  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  George  W.  Gardner,  D.  D.,  who  was  installed 
April  29,  1879. 

UNTVEESALIST  CHURCH. 

Early  in  the  month  of  January,  1886,  several  gentlemen, 
who  were  believers  in  the  doctrines  of  Universalism,  sub- 
scribed a  small  amount  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  procur- 
ing the  services  of  a  preacher  of  that  denomination.  The 
first  service  was  held  at  Franklin  Hall  on  the  31st  of  the 
same  month,  when  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Whittemore  officiated. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1836,  a  society  was  organized, 
and  measures  were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a  house  of  wor- 

25 


386  THE   HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 

ship.  Services  were  regularly  held  on  the  Sabbath  at 
Fraiikliu  Hall  until  March  1,  1837,  when  the  church  edifice, 
which  had  been  erected  on  the  corner  of  Pleasant  and  Wat- 
son streets,  was  dedicated. 

On  the  18th  of  October,  of  the  same  year,  the  Rev.  Abra- 
ham Norwood,  who  had  been  preaching  for  the  society  about 
three  months,  was  ordained  as  the  first  pastor.  During  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Norwood,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1839,  a 
church  was  organized,  by  the  adoption  of  a  "  confession  of 
faith  and  form  of  church  government." 

The  history  of  this  church  for  many  years  was  simply  a 
record  of  severe  struggles  for  existence.  The  pastorates  of 
its  ministers  were  very  short,  and  the  society  found  it  a  hard 
matter  to  raise  an  amount  of  money  sufficient  to  pay  the 
annual  expenses.  But  with  brave  hearts  the  members  bore 
up  under  every  difficulty,  confident  that  their  efforts  would 
at  length  be  crowned  with  success. 

In  January,  1862,  in  consequence  of  the  civil  war  then  in 
progress,  the  church  edifice  was  closed,  and  was  not  again 
opened  for  services  until  May,  1863. 

In  1870,  important  alterations  were  made  in  the  house  of 
worship,  and  a  commodious  vestry-room  was  made  in  the 
basement. 

In  August,  1871,  the  Rev.  Harrison  Closson  became  pas- 
tor. During  his  pastorate,  which  has  been  the  longest  of 
any  in  the  entire  history  of  the  society,  450  persons  have 
been  baptized,  and  150  members  have  been  added  to  the 
church. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  pastors  of  this 
church :  — 

Rev.  Abraham  Norwood.  Ordained  October  18,  1837. 
Resigned  September  22,  1839. 

Rev.  Henry  Bacon.  Settled  January  27, 1840.  Resigned 
February  5,  1842. 

Rev.  Joseph  P.  Atkinson.  Settled  April,  1842.  Resigned 
August  3,  1845. 


OF   MARBLEHEAD.  387 

Rev.  Alfred  Peck.  Settled  June  9,  1844.  Resigned  Au- 
gust 3,  1845. 

Rev.  Robinson  Breare.  Settled  August  31,  1845.  Re- 
signed January,  1849. 

Rev.  E.  Case,  Jr.  Settled  June  10, 1849.  Resigned  Au- 
gust 24,  1851. 

Rev.  Z.  Cook.  Settled  October  19,  1851.  Resigned, 
1853. 

Rev.  E.  P.  Button.  Settled  May  14,  1854.  Resigned 
June,  1856. 

Rev.  Stillman  Barden.  Settled  June  22,  1856.  Resigned 
June,  1861. 

Rev.  E.  B.  Bruce.  Settled  August  2,  1863.  Resigned 
May,  1865. 

Rev.  F.  D.  Kitteridge.  Ordained  September  24,  1865. 
Resigned  April  1,  1867. 

Rev.  William  G.  Haskell.  Ordained  September,  1868. 
Resigned  October,  1868. 

Rev.  C.  G.  Tucker.  Settled  August  1,  1869.  Resigned 
1871. 

Rev.  Harrison  Closson.     Settled  August,  1871. 


388  THE  HISTORY   AND   TRADITIONS 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

CHUECH  STAR    OF   THE   SEA. 

Though  there  had  been  Roman  Catholics  in  Marblehead 
for  many  years,  there  was  no  attempt  to  have  a  celebration 
of  the  mass  in  town  until  the  year  1851.  During'that  year, 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Shehan,  pastor  of  St.  James  Chm'ch,  Sa- 
lem, visited  the  town,  and  celebrated  mass  in  the  house  of 
Mr.  Dennis  Donovan,  on  the  corner  of  Prospect  and  Com- 
mercial streets.  Father  Shehan  afterwards  came  to  Marble- 
head  twice  a  year  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  confessions  and 
administering  the  Holy  Communion,  the  services  being  held 
alternately  at  the  house  of  INIr.  Donovan  and  that  of  Mr. 
John  Mahoney,  on  Glover  Square. 

With  the  exception  of  these  visits  of  Father  Shehan, 
there  were  no  services  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in 
Marblehead  until  the  year  1854,  when  Anderson's  Hall,  on 
Pleasant  Street,  was  engaged,  and  mass  was  celebrated  there 
on  the  second  and  third  Sundays  of  every  month.  In  1857, 
services  were  held  at  the  town  hall,  and  during  that  year 
about  one  thousand  dollars  were  raised  by  subscription  for 
the  erection  of  a  church  edifice.  A  lot  of  land  on  Prospect 
Street  was  bought  as  a  site  for  the  building,  and  the  balance 
of  the  money  was  loaned  to  the  Roman  Catholics  of  Glouces- 
ter, who  were  about  to  build  a  church. 

In  1859,  a  small  church  was  built,  and  services  were  reg- 
ularly maintained  under  the  superintendence  of  Father  She- 
han, who  officiated  himself,  or  procured  the  services  of  other 
priests. 

In  November,  1865,  Father  Shehan  gave  notice  that  he 


OF  MARBLEHEAD.  389 

had  been  appointed  to  the  charge  of  another  parish,  and  re- 
quested the  people  to  make  an  effort,  before  he  left  them,  to 
pay  an  indebtedness  of  $800  which  they  owed  on  the  church 
building.  On  the  day  appointed  for  receiving  contributions, 
every  man  in  the  congregation  left  his  seat,  as  his  name  was 
called,  and  placed  his  offering  upon  the  altar.  When  the 
offerings  were  counted,  they  were  found  to  amount  to  $820. 
more  than  enough  to  cancel  the  entire  debt.i 

The  parish  was  afterwards  placed  in  charge  of  the  Rev. 
Charles  Rainoni,  who  officiated  several  years  at  Peabody,  and 
celebrated  one  mass  every  Sabbath  at  Marblehead.  In  1872, 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Marblehead,  and  became  the  first 
regular  parish  priest  in  charge  of  this  church. 

In  1868,  the  parish  bought  a  lot  of  land  on  the  road  be- 
tween Marblehead  and  Salem,  which  was  consecrated  for  use 
as  a  cemetery. 

Early  in  the  year  1872,  a  new  church  edifice  was  erected 
on  Gregory  Street,  and  on  the  8th  of  July  of  the  same  year 
it  was  burned  to  the  ground.  Fortunately  the  old  church 
building  had  not  been  removed,  and  services  were  held  there 
as  usual. 

A  short  time  after  the  destruction  of  the  new  church,  a 
house  was  erected  on  the  same  site  for  the  use  of  the  pastor. 

Father  Rainoni  died  in  1875,  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Daniel  S.  Healey.  During  the  pastorate  of  Father 
Healey,  the  church  edifice  has  been  entirely  remodeled,  and 
is  now  the  handsomest  to  be  found  in  the  town. 

ADVENT   CHUECH. 

During  the  year  1840,  Elder  J.  Litch  officiated  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  which  was  the  first  time  the  doctrine 
of  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  as  taught  by  the  Advent 
Church,  was  preached  in  Marblehead.  Elders  Edwin  Burn- 
ham  and  Elam  Burnham  afterwards  held  services  at  the 

1  For  much  of  the  information  contained  in  this  sketch,  the  author  would 
respectfully  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to  Mr.  Edmund  O'Keeffe. 


390  THE  HISTORY  AND   TRADITIONS  OF  MARBLEHEAD. 

house  of  Mr.  John  Reynolds,  on  Darling  Street.  Social 
prayer-meetings  were  regularly  held  by  a  few  believers  until 
the  year  1854,  when  Elder  John  Hook  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  Lyceum  Hall.  As  a  result  of  his  labors,  eight  per- 
sons were  converted  and  baptized. 

The  first  Advent  Church  in  Marblehead  was  organized  in 
January,  1872.  It  was  composed  of  eight  members,  and  for 
two  years  and  three  months  worshiped  at  Rechabite  Hall. 
During  this  time  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  ministers  chiefly 
of  the  Massachusetts  Advent  Christian  Conference,  and  so- 
cial prayer-meetings  were  held  from  house  to  house  on  sev- 
eral evenings  of  each  week.  In  1874,  the  church  decided 
to  change  its  place  of  worship,  and  a  hall  was  procured  near 
the  centre  of  the  town,  on  Pleasant  Street,  in  which  services 
have  since  been  regularly  held. 

The  first  pastor,  Elder  John  F.  Clothey,  was  settled  in 
April,  1874,  after  having  been  ordained  to  the  ministry  by 
the  Massachusetts  Advent  Christian  Conference. 


ADDENDA. 

The  following  items  of  interest  were  copied  from  a  journal  kept 
by  Mr.  Edward  Bowen,  and  were  obtained  after  this  work  was  in 
press,  when  too  late  for  insertion  in  the  proper  place. 

1779,  September  30.  At  about  half-past  seven  this  evening,  a  sad 
accident  happened.  The  armed  brig  Freemason  being  all 
fitted  for  a  cruise,  took  fire,  and  about  eight  she  blew  up,  and 
did  a  vast  deal  of  damage  to  the  houses.  Several  more  pri- 
vateers were  dismantled. 

1780,  January  8.  Blew  very  hard  last  night,  and  as  cold  as  I  ever 
knew  it.  Harbor  froze  over  as  far  down  as  Skinner's  Head, 
last  night,  and  this  forenoon  it  froze  from  Skinner's  Head  to 
Nick's  Cove. 

9th,     This  morning  froze  as  far  as  the  point  of  the  Neck. 

16th.     Ice  gone  out  of  the  harbor  as  far  as  Skinner's  Head. 

23d.     The  harbor  frozen  over,  and  the  upper  part  has  been  so  for 

three  weeks.     All  the  vessels  frozen  in. 
28th.     Harbor  frozen  over  so  that  people  pass  and  re-pass  to  the 

Neck. 
1780,  February  1.     Harbor  all  frozen  over  as  far  as  the  fort,  and 

passable  for  cart  and  oxen.     I  measured  the  ice  from  the  head 

to  the  New  Wharf,  eight  inches  thick  on  an  average,  as  far 

over  as  the  Neck. 
6th.     This  day  the  church  was  opened  by  the  proprietors,  and  Mr. 

Abraham  read  prayers  and  a  sermon,  which  was  generally  liked 

by  all. 
9th.     Ice  on  this  side  the  harbor  gone  from  Skinner's  Head  quite 

down  the  harbor. 
11th.     Ice  all  out  of  the  harbor. 
18th.     Last  night  the  Thorn,  Captain  Waters,  arrived  from  a  cruise, 

having  had  a  smart  engagement,  in  which  five  men  were  killed 

belonging  to  this   town,   namely,  Samuel  Blackler,  Benjamin 

Stacey, Ramsdell,  William  Green,  and  Joseph  Cross. 


APPENDIX. 


GLOVER'S   MARBLEHEAD   REGIMENT. 

A  ROLL  of  the  field,  staflf,  aud  company  officers,  non-commis- 
sioned officers  and  soldiers  in  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Foot, 
in  the  service  of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  commanded 
by  Col.  John  Glover. 

FIELD  AND  STAFF  OFFICERS. 

Colonel,  John  Glover. 

Lieutenant-colonel,  Gabriel  Johonet. 

Major,  William  Lee. 

Adjutant,  Caleb  Gibbs. 

Surgeon,  Nathaniel  Bond. 

Surffeo7i's  Mate,  Nathaniel  Harrington. 

Quartermaster,  Joseph  Stacy. 

Company  One. 

Captain,  Joel  Smith. 
Lieutenant,  John  Bray. 
Ensign,  Joshua  Orne. 
Ensign,  Thomas  Fosdick. 

Sergeants. 

Ebenezer  Griffin,  Thomas  "Wilkston, 

John  Lewis,  Thomas  Elkins. 

Corporals. 

Robert  Barnes,  Robert  Girdler, 

Benjamin  Thompson,  Drummer, 
John  Griste,  Fifer. 


APPENDIX. 


393 


Privates. 


William  Thompson, 
John  Sweetlaud, 
Wm.  Brimblecome, 
John  Dove, 
William  Sedgebard, 
John  Legrow, 
Thomas  Allen,  Jr., 
John  Iladler, 
William  Dixey, 
Richard  Gear, 
Peter  Daniels, 
John  Green, 
Edward  Casey, 
Thomas  Laskey, 
Anthony  Ferdinand, 
John  Horn  an, 
John  Lovis, 
Joshna  Orne, 
John  Davis, 
Cornelius  Thompson, 


Joseph  Wadden, 
Jona.  Thompson, 
Abram.  Sothard, 
Joseph  Paine, 
William  Perry, 
Benjamin  Dennis, 
George  Watson, 
William  Nutting, 
William  Dimond, 
Robert  Newhall, 
Robert  Bray, 
Thomas  Allen, 
Richard  Pedrick, 
Robert  Hooper, 
Joseph  Curtis, 
Robert  Curtis, 
Richard  Craft, 
Ely  Turner, 
John  High, 
Christopher  Oaks. 


Company  Two. 

Captain,  William  Blackler. 
Lieutenant,  Nathaniel  Clark. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Nathaniel  Pearce. 


Sergeants. 


John  Day, 
Nathaniel  Hartshorn, 


Thomas  Barker, 
John  Melvell. 


Corporals. 

James  Eberns,  Andrevp-  Lacky. 

John  Thompson,  Drummer. 
Benjamin  Gardner,  Fifer. 


394 


APPENDIX. 


Privates. 


David  Emery, 
John  Strokes, 
Francis  Kennel, 
Joseph  Prockter, 
George  Standley, 
Nathaniel  Story, 
Joseph  Pearce, 
John  Freeto, 
William  Millett, 
James  Quilby, 
Nathaniel  Dodd, 
Philip  Greely, 
Benjamin  Johnson, 
Amos  Damon, 
Benjamin  Brown, 
David  Osborn, 
Samuel  Snow, 
Samuel  Thompson, 
Nicholas  Gifford, 
"William  Quiner, 
Stephen  Morse, 
John  Gallison, 
Nathaniel  Ramsdell, 
Benjamin  Boden, 
John  Widger, 


Philip  Cram, 
Benjamin  Marston, 
Richard  Brimblecome, 
John  Clathing, 
Thomas  Mann, 
William  Smith, 
Richard  Teller, 
William  Dane, 
William  Mathews, 
John  Cartright, 
Thomas  Oliver, 
Samuel  Stearns, 
Samuel  Bridgeo, 
James  Wood, 
Nathaniel  Soto, 
Joseph  Tucker, 
Jacob  Oliver, 
Joseph  Widger, 
John  Kelly, 
Manuel  Seward, 
John  Richardson, 
William  Brown, 
Benjamin  Lindsey, 
John  Quiner. 


Company  Three. 

Captain,  John  Merritt. 
Lieutenant,  Joshua  Prentiss. 
Ensign,  Robert  Nimblett. 


Sergeants. 


George  Wells, 
John  Clark, 


William  Bartlett, 
Nathaniel  Fowler. 


APPENDIX. 


395 


Corporals. 
John  Roach,  Peter  Harman. 

Moses  Picket,  Dnimmer, 
John  Wells,  Fifer. 


Privates. 


John  Ball, 
George  Murry, 
Edward  Renouf, 
Edward  Dorr, 
Peter  Melzen, 
Peter  Sine, 
Samuel  Goes, 
Thomas  Laskey, 
John  Murry, 
John  Malcolm, 
Daniel  Mervy, 
John  Savage, 
Ebenezer  Burrell, 
James  Trefry, 
William  Pedrick, 
George  Cash, 
Nathaniel  Renouf, 
Thomas  Woodbridge, 
Lewis  Gruff, 
Thomas  Doliber, 
Thomas  Davis, 
Joseph  Wiggin, 
Peter  Doliber, 
Joseph  Hovey, 


Allen  Hubbard, 
Nicholas  Grater, 
William  Shirley, 
Thomas  Dennis, 
Benteman  Reed, 
John  Wooldridge, 
Elias  Grant, 
James  Andrews, 
William  M.  Ilasett, 
Henry  White, 
Samuel  Lewis, 
Thomas  Taut, 
Richard  Brown, 
John  Foot, 
John  Nimblett, 
James  White, 
John  White, 
William  Richards, 
James  Topham, 
Thomas  Lake, 
Hamlet  Merritt, 
John  Murry, 
William  Laskey, 
John  Baker, 


John  Brown. 

Company  Four. 

Captain,  J.  Selman. 
Lieutenant,  J.  Collier. 
Ensign,  Edward  Homan. 


396 


APPENDIX. 


Sergeants. 
Ambrose  Homan,  Ebenezer  Legro, 

Benjamin  Doak,  Philip  Carroll. 

Corporals. 

Richard  Marstin,  Edward  Scows. 

Drummer,  John  Scott. 


Privates. 


John  Bowden, 
Thomas  Lefavour, 
Jacob  Waitt, 
Joseph  Batcheler, 
Thomas  Salkins, 
John  Savage, 
Thomas  Mase, 
John  Felton, 
Ephraim  Chambers, 
John  Doliber, 
Elias  Bowden, 
John  White, 
James  Cash, 
John  Cash, 
Thomas  Samson, 
William  Richards, 
Hugh  Ellis, 
Benjamin  White, 
Samuel  Ashton, 
William  Curtis, 
William  Woodbridge, 
Thomas  Bridgeo, 
Samuel  Humphrey, 
Amasa  Hubbard, 


Nathaniel  Doliber, 
John  Russell, 
Jonatiian  Deacons, 
James  Trefry, 
John  Lacy, 
William  Bean, 
John  Pousland, 
Samuel  Felton, 
Michael  Doake, 
Thomas  Doliber,  - 
Richard  Ireson, 
Samuel  Thompson, 
John  Forrester, 
James  Tooly, 
John  Stacy,  Jr. 
Richard  Curtis, 
Noah  Bray, 
David  Mason, 
John  Harris, 
John  Laskey, 
John  Ashton, 
John  Thompson, 
Thomas  Brimblecom, 
James  Antone. 


Company  Five. 

Captain,  Thomas  Simonds. 

First  Lieutenant,  William  Russell. 

Second  Lieutenant,  George  Sinecross. 


APPENDIX. 


397 


George  "Wendell, 
William  Hawks, 


Sergeants. 


Corporals. 


John  Goss, 


Nathaniel  Brown, 
Samuel  Getchel. 


William  Chaple. 


Drummer,  William  Blackler. 


Privates. 


Peter  Severy, 
Joseph  Buttis, 
Francis  Hipenstall, 
William  Daniels,  Jr., 
William  Chaple, 
Jonathan  Davis, 
Isaac  Wadden, 
Joseph  Griffin, 
Charles  Goodwin, 
Elias  Brian, 
John  Green,  Jr., 
William  Thomas, 
William  Parsons, 
Eobert  Wall, 
Peter  Fundy, 
S.  Symons, 
George  Tishue, 
Samuel  Beal, 
Samuel  Grant, 
Francis  Grater, 
Richard  Lapthorn, 
William  James, 
John  Lank, 
Benjamin  Andrews, 

Thomas 


John  Green, 
Richard  Wall, 
Nicholas  Picket, 
William  Davis, 
Thomas  Ilorton, 
Benjamin  Shaw, 
Edward  Pepper, 
John  Symonds, 
Michael  Oglebe, 
John  Bath, 
Edward  Bowden, 
John  Dipper, 
Jona.  Howard, 
Micah  Breed, 
Enoch  Jarvis, 
Henry  Harrison, 
William  Daniel, 
John  Posey, 
Benjamin  Dennis, 
John  Foster, 
Joshua  Getchell, 
William  Thorner, 
Nicholas  Girdler, 
Jacob  Yelton, 
Mullet. 


398 


APPENDIX. 


CoMPANT  Six. 
Captain,  Nicholas  Brougliton. 
First  Lieutenant,  John  Stacey. 
Second  Lieutenant,  John  Devereux. 


Matthew  Chambers, 
Daniel  Mears, 


Sergeants. 


Corporals. 


John  Huston, 
James  Dulap, 


W.  H.  Reynolds, 
Samuel  Coffran. 


Hector  McNeal, 
Nehemiah  Brooks. 


Drummer,  Hugh  Raynor. 


Privates. 


Squire  Baker, 
J.  Blair, 
Thomas  Burn, 
George  Bruce, 
Samuel  Boden, 
Thomas  Brown, 
Edward  Brooks, 
J.  Bryan, 
Ebenezer  Allen, 
J.  Carter, 
Samuel  Chapman, 
Benjamin  Childs, 
"William  Johnson, 
Francis  Jones, 
J.  Laskey, 
J.  Laptham, 
Ebenezer  Lathe, 
Francis  Lyons, 
Benjamin  Lovis, 
Thomas  Mebrand, 
William  Mercer, 
William  Prosser, 


William  Childs, 
Simon  Caswell, 
Jeremiah  Duly, 
Mich.  Joseph  Dyer, 
Joseph  Tassington, 
Thomas  Tallett, 
James  Girdler, 
William  Green, 
Charles  Holbrain, 
Philip  High, 
Philip  Hooker, 
James  Gifford, 
Joseph  Searle, 
J.  Sharp, 
J.  Tucker, 
James  Tucksbury, 
Joshua  Widger, 
J.  Williams, 
Thomas  Jones, 
Thomas  Waddicks, 
J.  Ramsdell, 
William  Widger, 


APPENDIX. 


399 


Charles  Pearce, 
Thomas  Proctor, 


J.  Bennet, 
Richard  Moncrief. 


Company  Seven. 

Captain,  William  Courtis. 
Lieutenant,  Robert  Harris. 
Ensign,  Thomas  Courtis. 


Sergeants. 


Samuel  Clemens, 
James  Foster, 


Mason  Harris, 
Ezekiel  Chever. 


Cwporals. 

Henry  Gibbs,  Josiah  Goodrich. 

Drummer,  Samuel  Bowden. 


Privates. 


Asa  Mclnth-e, 
David  Marston, 
John  Peach, 
George  Wippen, 
James  Lap  thorn, 
John  Gibbons, 
Elkanah  Hitchings, 
James  Ball, 
Samuel  Peach, 
Michael  Gurney, 
Andrew  Richards, 
Samuel  "Webber, 
Josiah  Chase, 
Emanuel  Perrygreed, 
Ambrose  Grandy, 
Thomas  Ratford, 
Alexander  Lang, 
William  Burrows, 
William  Cathson, 
John  Poor, 
John  Gillard, 


James  Welch, 
John  Chapman,  Jr., 
Thomas  Jones, 
George  Clark, 
Alexander  Buckingham, 
Stephen  Gott, 
John  Woodbridge, 
Benjamin  Girdler, 
Michalar  Melzard, 
Thomas  Drew, 
Joseph  Widger, 
John  Caswell, 
Francis  Cavendish. 
Daniel  Maley, 
William  Orne, 
Robert  Spitlea, 
John  Chapman, 
Lewis  Gray, 
Ebenezer  Hanover, 
Richard  Curtis, 
Samuel  Parsons, 


400 


APPENDIX. 


John  Frost, 
John  Chaple, 
Thomas  Gould, 
Thomas  Ellis, 


John  Chambers, 
John  Laffin, 
Lawrence  Blake, 
Thomas  Hooper. 


Company  Eight, 


Captain,  "William  Bacon. 
First  Lieutenant,  William  Mills. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Seward  Lee. 

Sergeants. 

Winthrop  Sargent,  Nathaniel  Hitchings, 

James  Hitchings,  John  Owens. 

Corporals. 

John  Jackson,  Robert  Smith. 

Drummer,  John  Anthoine. 


Privates. 


James  Wilson, 
Philip  Meservy, 
Samuel  Le  Groe, 
Thomas  Gail, 
Robert  Laskey, 
David  Florance, 
Thomas  Fuller, 
William  Dixey, 
James  Valentine, 
George  Phillips, 
George  Rush, 
Amos  Bennet, 
Jacob  Selman, 
Jonas  Newall, 
John  Hammett, 
Benjamin  Mountforth, 
Sylvester  Davis, 
Peter  Lo^is, 
John  Traill, 


William  Caswell, 
Christopher  Bubier, 
Andrew  Smith, 
John  Stej^hens, 
Benjamin  Deveraux, 
Wm.  Messervy  Phillips, 
William  Stone, 
Joseph  Pope, 
Amos  Hitchings, 
John  Bezune, 
F'rancis  Goss, 
Manuel  Seward, 
Thomas  Garuey, 
Thomas  Lewis, 
Richard  Nick, 
John  Gilbert, 
Wm.  Worster,  ' 
John  Curtis, 
Samuel  Gutridge, 


APPENDIX. 


401 


"William  Caswell,  Jr. 
David  Stephenson, 
Thomas  Neal, 
Peter  Newall, 
William  Mason, 


Thomas  Birdway, 
Samuel  Caswell, 
Clement  Newall, 
John  McColly, 
Thomas  Cloan, 


William  Calb. 

Company  Nine. 

Captain  and  Colonel,  John  Glover. 
First  Lieutenant,  Joshua  Orne,  Jr. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Edward  Archibald. 


Sergeants. 


John  Bowden, 
Moses  Lefavour, 


John  Allen, 
Nicholaa  Newbury. 


Corporals. 

George  Breed,  Thomas  Savage. 

Drummer,  Thomas  Trefry. 
Fifer,  Thomas  Fosdick. 


J^rivates. 


James  Hall, 
Moses  Stacey, 
John  Landy, 
Richard  Strikes, 
Richard  Webber, 
Thomas  Burch, 
Philip  Grush, 
Graves  Standley, 
John  Tishew, 
John  Lawrence, 
David  Cross, 
John  Roads, 
John  Bridles, 
William  Crowell, 
Roger  Vickery, 
Stephen  Raglan, 

26 


James  Dennis, 
John  Howard, 
James  Lyons, 
Jolm  Murry, 
Manuel  Sanders, 
Samuel  Glover, 
Emanuel  Doliber, 
David  Poor, 
Peter  Martin, 
Wadden  William, 
John  Moore, 
Thomas  Nichols, 
Thomas  Dimond, 
Samuel  Ashton, 
John  Trush, 
Joseph  M.  Lavasue, 


402 


APPENDIX. 


Thomas  Husen, 
John  Brock, 
George  St.  Barbe, 
Nathaniel  Stacey, 
Moses  Murry, 
Jonathan  Glover, 
William  Nicholson, 


Benjamin  Trefry, 
Richard  Proctor, 
John  Chapman, 
Anthony  Lewis, 
James  Williams, 
Romeo,  a  negro, 
Edward  Glover. 


Company  Ten. 

Captain,  Thomas  Grant. 
First  Lieutenant,  William  Bubier. 
Second  Lieutenant,  Ebenezer  Graves. 

Sergeants. 

Jonathan  Bartlett,  Stanford  Flack, 

John  Lefavour,  Richard  Goss. 

Corporals. 

John  Bubier,  Benjamin  Gardner. 

Drummer,  Philip  Fallett. 


Privates.. 


Josiah  Nichols, 
Alexander  Green, 
William  Wiley, 
Joseph  Candish, 
John  Dimond, 
Thomas  Pons, 
Benjamin  Bradford, 
Benjamin  Bartholomew, 
William  Hay, 
William  Howard, 
Philip  Florance, 
John  Cakes, 
Jacob  Smallwood, 
Samuel  Hawley, 
Henry  Paine, 
Samuel  Persons, 


William  Bartlett, 
John  Orne, 
John  Petron, 
John  Besom, 
Merritt  Brimblecom, 
Joseph  Mason, 
J.  Smith  Bullett, 
John  Bishop, 
Samuel  Beal, 
Bartholomew  Lynch, 
James  Nowland, 
Richard  Thompson, 
John  Pickett, 
Lawrence  Bartlett, 
Richard  Tutt, 
John  Grant, 


APPENDIX. 


403 


Thomas  Taggett, 
John  Liorne, 
John  Conway, 
Michael  Trefry, 
Robert  Swan, 
Samuel  Turner, 
Thomas  Felton, 


John  Patten, 
Samuel  Vickery, 
Samuel  Cox, 
Peter  Knaps, 
John  Fowler, 
Thomas  Fallett. 


The  whole  number  of  men  in  the  regiment  was  584,  all  of  whom 
were  from  Marblehead  except  Captain  Symons,  Nathaniel  Brown, 
Benjamin  Shaw,  Edward  Pepper,  John  Symons,  and  Jonathan 
Howard,  who  were  of  Danvers,  and  Enoch  Jarvis,  of  Lynn,  in  the 
Fifth  Company.  The  regiment  was  called*  in  the  army  the  "  Ma- 
rine Regiment,"  and  "  Glover's  Marblehead  Regiment." 


REVOLUTIONARY   PRISONERS    OF   WAR. 

The  following  list  of  Marblehead  sailors  confined  in  Old  Mill 
Prison,  England,  during  the  Revolution  was  copied  by  permission 
from  a  manuscript  journal  kept  by  William  Russell,  of  Boston,  who 
was  private  secret  xry  to  Commodore  Manly  on  board  the  ship  Jason. 

Taken  on  board  ship   Sturdy  Beggar's  Prize,  of   Salem. 
Philip  Messervey,  committed  1777,  ran  away.       * 

On  board  brig  Freedom's  Prize.     Taken  April  29,  1777. 


Thomas  Brown,  ran  away. 
Jacob  Sayer,  ran  away. 
Josejih  Striker,  exchanged. 
Nathaliiel  Stacey,  exchanged. 
Joseph  Majory,  exchanged. 
William  Brown,  exchanged. 


James  Lyons,  exchanged. 
John  Dimond,  exchanged. 
Stephen  Dennis,  exchanged. 
Christopher  Codner,  exchanged. 
Eli  Vickery,  died  in  prison. 


On  board  brig  Fancy,  of  Newbury.     Taken  August,  1777. 
John  Lee,  Captain,  ran  away.  Joseph  Barker,  ran  away. 


Robert  Stephenson,  Lieutenant, 
ran  away. 


Thomas  Barker,  ran  away. 
John  Lio,  ran  away. 


404 


APPENDIX. 


Thomas  Meek,  ran  away. 

Francis  Salter,  ran  away. 

Andrew  Slyfield,  ran  away. 

Robert  Swan,  ran  away. 

John  Swan,  ran  away. 

James  Valentine,  died  in  prison. 

Elias  Hart,  died  in  prison. 

William  Laskey, 

William  Pickett, 

John  Lecraw, 

Samuel  Whitrong, 

William  Cole, 

Joseph  Cox, 

Samuel  Cox, 

Michael  Trefrie, 


Jacob  Vickory, 
Samuel  Hawley, 
Samuel  Beal, 
Thomas  Horton, 
Jonathan  Bartlett, 
Edmund  Bowden, 
John  Adams, 
Robert  Brown, 
Nicholas  Thom, 
Robert  Peirce, 
Benjamin  Marston, 
Skillings  Brooks, 
Nicholas  Girdler, 
Richard  Goss, 
Caeser  Bartlett  (colored). 


On  board  schooner  Hawk's  Prize,  of  Newbury,  1777. 


Benjamin  Leach, 
Abiel  Lee, 

Moses  Stacey, 


Thomas  Widger, 
Thomas  Knowson. 


On  board  sloop  Black  Snak^. 
Capt.  William  Lecraw,  commander.    Taken  August,  1777,  ran  away. 

On  board   schooner  True  Blue,  of  Marblehead. 
Capt.  Peter  Faneuil  Jones,  ran  away. 

On  board  prize  of  brig  America.    Taken  November  19, 1778. 


Richard  Neagles, 
George  Pike, 
Philip  Trasher, 
John  Lapthorn,    J       ^ 


Entered  on 
)■  board  British 

s. 


Francis  Messervey,  ran  away. 
Thomas  CoUyer,  exchanged. 


On  board  ship  Oliver  Cromwell's  Prize.    Retaken 
June,  1779. 

William  Chadwell. 

On  board  ship  Pilgrim's  Prize. 
Edward  Jeboe. 


APPENDIX.  405 

On  board    ship  Jason.    Taken   September  30,  1779. 
Capt.  John  Manly. 

On  board  brig  Monmouth,  op  Salem.    Taken  October  2, 1779. 

John  Stacey,        ")  Shipped  on  board  a 
Nathaniel  Dodd,  )  British  man-of-war. 

On  board  brig  Rambler,  of  Salem.    Taken  October  21,  1779. 

Abram  Quiner,  Edward  Hiller, 

John  Green,  Edward  Hiller,  Jr., 

Samuel  Gale,  Henry  Johnson. 

On  board  brig  Terrible,  of  Marlehead.    Taken 
September  1,  1780. 

Capt.  John  Conway,  Commander.       William  Bladder, 
John  Roundey,  John  Down. 

John  Lewis, 

On  board  ship  Hannibal,  September  18,  1780. 
John  Fisher,  John  Coventry, 

Thomas  Martin,  died  in  prison. 

On  board  ship  Roebuck,  of  Salem,  October  16,  1780. 
William  James. 

On  board  brig  Hackett  and  John,  of  Salem, 
November,  1781. 

Joseph  Pedrick. 

On  board  ship  Franklin's  Prize,  May  1,  1781. 

Thomas  Low,  Jotn  Orrock. 

On  board   brig  Eagle,  February  7,  1782. 

Thomas  Dennis. 

On  board  brig  Black  Prince.    Taken  October  11,  1781. 

Richard  Girdler,  ^ohn  Smith. 


406 


APPENDIX. 


On  board  prize  to  ship  Detain.    Taken  December  7,  1781. 
Lewis  Girdler. 

On  board  ship  Grand  Turk's  prize.    Taken 
November,  24,  1781. 

Frank  Barker,  John  Garcy, 

William  Arbuckle,  William  Seal, 

Thomas  Clark,  John  Lefford, 

Henry  Neal,  George  Read, 

John  Frenday,  John  Semmons. 

On  board  snow  Diana,  of  Beverly.     Taken  June  15,  1781. 
Francis  Ellis,         ,  Benjamin  Crafts. 

On  board  ship  Hercules,  op  Boston.    Taken  October  9, 1781. 
Capt.  Thomas  Dizmore.  Thomas  Wooldredge. 

On  board  ship  Jason,  of  Salem.     Taken  October  10,  1781. 
William  Tucker,  William  Vickery. 


THE  MARBLEHEAD  ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

The  following  list  of  the  citizens  of  Marblehead  who  lost  their  lives  in  defense  of 
the  Union  during  the  Civil  War,  we  are  permitted  to  use  by  the  courtesy  of  the 
compiler,  Mr.  William  H.  Wormstead. 


First  Heavy  Artillery. 

PLACE   OF  DKATH. 

William  Hunt Co.  A,  Petersburg . 

Francis  Freto Co.  A,  Petersburg. 

Francis  Joseph Co.  A,  New  York  . 

Nath.  R.  Blaney,  Lieut .     .     .  Co.  F,  Washington 

George  B.  Bartlett,  1st  Sergt.,  Co.  G,  Petersburg  . 

Peter  Crowley,  1st  Sergt   .     .  Co.  G,  Philadelphia 

William  P.  Lecraw,  Sergt .     .  Co.  G,  Andersonville 

Thomas  Cox,  Sergt       .     .     .  Co.  G,  Andersonville 

William  S.  King,  Corp .     .     .  Co.  G,  Savannah  , 

Charles  E.  Roache,  Corp.  .     .  Co.  G,  Annapolis  . 

Edwin  S.  Rundlett,  Corp.  .     .  Co.  G,  Cold  Harbor 

Andrew  Colford Co.  G,  Fort  Albany 

Eben  Colyer Co.  G,  Andersonville 

Moses  P.  Graves Co.  G,  Andersonville 


DATE  OF  DEATH. 


10th  .June, 
17th  June, 
31st  Aug., 
9th  Julj', 
22d  June, 
12th  July, 
28th  Aug., 
20th  Oct., 
4th  Oct., 
9th  Dec, 
2d  June, 
'15th  Jan., 
16th  Sept., 
22d  June, 


1864. 
1864. 
1804. 
1864. 
1804. 
1864. 
1804. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 
1864. 


APrENDlX. 


407 


Richard  Prior  .     .    . 
John  Sandwich    .     . 
Nicholas  Twisden 
Samuel  H.  Doliber    . 
Samuel  J.  Goodwin  . 
William  H.  Johnson 
Robert  McCiilly    .     . 
William  Tiudley  .     . 
Andrew  Maddison     . 
Arehelaus  S.  Ross    . 
Benjamin  F.  Roundey 
Wilson  H.  Russell,  3d 
John  H.  Savory   .     . 
Archibald  Sinclair    . 
David  Steele    .     .     . 
Benjamin  B.  Swasey 
Philip  A.  Sweet,  Jr. 
William  B.  Sweet    . 
Burrill  Witham     .     . 
Charles  E.  Lyon  .     . 
Michael  B.  Graves    . 
John  Ragan,  Jr.  .     . 


Co.  G, 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G, 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G, 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G 
Co.  G, 
Co.  G: 
Co.  M, 
Co.  M 


Andersonville . 
Andersonville . 
Andersonville . 
Florence,  S.  C 
Fort  Albany  . 
Spottsylvania . 
Spottsylvania . 
Spottsylvania . 
Petersburg .  . 
Petersburg .  . 
Beverly,  N.  J. 
Florence,  S.  C. 
Fort  Albany  . 
Sumpter  .  . 
Florence,  S.  C. 
Marblehead 
Washington  . 
Charlestown  . 
Florence,  S.  C 
Petersburg .  . 
Marblehead 
Washington    . 


William  Bessom  , 
Nicholas  Bessom 


Second  Heavy  Artillery. 
.     .    Co.  H,     Andersonville . 
.     .    Co.  H,     Andersonville . 


Third  Heavy  Artillery. 
William  F.  Doliber  ....    Co.  C,     Washington     .     .     . 
William  Brown Co.  H,     Andersonville .     .     . 

Fourth  Heavy  Artillery. 

George  W.  Ramsdell    .     .     .     Co.  A,     Fort  Williams .     .     . 

Bartholomew  Cahill ....    Co.  A,    Fort  Barnard  .    .    . 

• 

First  Massachusetts  Cavalry. 

Alexander  S.  Standley,  Jr Washington    .     .     . 

Fifth  Massachusetts  Battery. 
Thomas  P.  Atkins Portsmouth  Grove    . 

Twenty-fifth  Michigan  Regiment. 
Oliver  Chinn Co.  G,     Bowling  Green,  Ky. 

Sixty-third  New  York  Regiment. 
Peter  Welsh Co.  E,     Gettysburg      .     .     . 

Nineteenth  Indiana  Regiment. 
Samuel  M.  Goodwin,  Sergt.   .    Co.  I,    Portsmouth  Grove    . 


18th  Sept. 

1864. 

8th  Oct., 

1864. 

2Gth  Sept., 

1864. 

12th  Nov., 

1864. 

14th  Sept., 

1861. 

19th  May, 

1864. 

19th  May, 

1864. 

19th  May, 

1864. 

22d  June, 

1864. 

16th  June, 

1804. 

31st  Oct., 

1864. 

8th  Dec, 

1864. 

31st  Oct., 

1862. 

18th  Aug,, 

1864. 

4th  May, 

1864. 

IGth  July, 

1804. 

12th  Nov., 

1804. 

3d  Oct., 

1864. 

5th  Feb., 

1864. 

22d  June, 

]864. 

31st  Dec, 

1864. 

5th  July, 

1864. 

26th  Sept., 

1864. 

3d  Sept., 

1864. 

10th  Sept., 

1864. 

26th  Aug., 

1864. 

21st  Feb., 

1865. 

22d  Jan., 

1865 

29th  Sept., 

1862 

25th  Aug., 

1864. 

30th  March 

1863. 

3d  July, 

1863. 

4th  Nov., 

1864. 

408  APPENDIX. 

First  California  Regiment. 
Daniel  B.  Haskell,  Capt.   .     .    Co.  K,    Fort  Craig,  New  Mexico,  8th  May,      18G5. 

First  Massachusetts  Regiment. 
William  A.  McCormick     .     .     Co.  G,     Washington    .     . 

Second  Regiment. 

Robert  C.  Cahill Co.  C,     Cedar  Mountain  . 

John  Hines Co.  C,     Cedar  Mountain  . 

William  Donovan     ....     Co.  C,     Washington    .     . 
Thomas  Brown Co.  H,     Antietam    .     .     . 


Eighth  Regiment,  M.  V.  M. 

William  E.  Philips,  Corp.      .  Co.  C,  Boston    .... 

James  Keith Co.  C,  Baltimore   .     .     . 

Nicholas  Bartlett,  Jr.    ...  Co.  C,  Baltimore   .     .     . 

John  Grant Co.  C,  Boston    .... 

Edward  Smethurst    ....  Co.  B,  Baltimore   .     .     . 

Michael  Hennessy     ....  Co.  B,  jrarblehead     .     . 

John  H.  Butmuu Co.  C,  Marblehead     .     . 

Ninth  Regiment. 

William  Peachy Co.  H,     Wilderness      .     . 

John  R.  Goss Co.  G,    Laurel  Hill     .    . 

Eleventh  Regiment. 

John  Ingalls Co.  K,     Falmouth,  Va.     . 

Daniel  S.  Millett Co,  E,    near  Gettysburg  . 

Twelfth  Regiment. 
William  H.  Bartoll,  2d      .     .     Co.  K,     Washington    .     . 

Fifteenth  Regiment. 
John  Sullivan Co.   I,     Washington    ....   «16th  Dec,     1803. 

Sixteenth  Regiment. 

John  H.  Woodfin,  1st  Lieut.  .     Co.  F,     Wilderness      ....  6th  May,  1864. 

Nathaniel  S.  Gilley  ....     Co.  B,     Beverly  Ford,  Va.    .     .  16th  Sept.,  180.3. 

George  Jon«te Co.  C,     Richmond 27th  Dec,  1864. 

Richard  W.  Chapman   ...     Co.  F,     Chancellorsville   ...  3d  May,  1803. 

Seventeenth  Regiment. 

Francis  H.  Rathburne  ...     Co.  D,     New  York 12th  April,  1865. 

Charles  H.  Flint Co.  G,     Newbern 10th  Nov.,  1862. 

Michael  Casey Co.  H,    Andersonville ....  2d  Aug.,  1864. 

Nineteenth  Regiment. 
Peter  Collins Co.  G,    Antietam 17th  Sept.,   1862. 


2d  Dec, 

1862. 

9th  Aug., 

1862. 

9th  Aug., 

1862. 

28th  Aug., 

1862. 

17th  Sept., 

1862. 

10th  July, 

1863. 

2d  Nov., 

1864. 

17th  July, 

1863. 

22d  July, 

1863. 

10th  July, 

1803. 

31st  Aug., 

1801. 

21st  Nov., 

1864. 

4th  Blay, 

1864. 

12th  May, 

1864. 

17th  Feb., 

1863. 

11th  July, 

1863. 

1st  July, 

1864. 

APPENDIX. 


409 


Twentieth  Eegiment. 


Michael  McCoy  . 
Jacob  H.  Alley  . 
Joseph  H.  Collyer 
Gardner  Goodwin 
Richard  S.  Gardner 
Robert  Grieve .  . 
Thomas  Oliver  . 
Thomas  Kelley    . 


Co. 

G, 

Washington     . 

Co. 

H, 

Washington    . 

Co. 

H, 

Poolesville,  Md. 

Co. 

H, 

Georgetown,  Va 

Co. 

H, 

Alexandria      ; 

Co. 

H, 

Savage  Station 

Co. 

H, 

Andersonville . 

Co. 

A, 

Gettysburg 

26th  Aug., 

1862. 

12th  March 

1862. 

15th  Nov., 

1861. 

6th  Jan., 

1863. 

9th  Oct., 

1863. 

Gth  July, 

18631 

21st  Oct., 

1864. 

3d  July, 

1863. 

John  Donovan 


Twenty-first  Regiment. 
.     Co.  D,     Cedar  Mountain 


9th  Aug.,      1862. 


John  Flynn 
Ambrose  Goss 


Twenty-second  Regiment. 
.     .     Co.  A,     Fredericksburg    . 
.     Co.  K,     Harrison's  Landing 


Co.  B, 
Co.  B, 
Co.  B, 


Thomas  Russell,  Capt.  .     . 
John  Goodwin,  Jr.,  1st  Lieut 
Gamaliel  H.  Morse,  Sergt. 
William  Terhune,  Sergt.    .     , 

John  Shaw Co.  B, 

Thomas  J.  Peach,  Jr.    .     .     .     Co.  B, 

Richard  Caswell Co.  B, 

John  C.  Crommett    ....     Co.  B, 
Theodore  Worms^ad     .     .     .     Co.  B, 


Twenty-third  Regiment. 

.    Co.   I,     Newbern 

Roanoke  Island  .  .  . 
Roanoke  Island  .  .  . 
Hampton,  Va.  .  .  . 
Roanoke  Islaiul  .  .  . 
Drowned  off  Ft.  JMonroe, 

Newbern 

Hampton,  Va.  .  .  . 
Drury's  Bluff.     .     .     . 


Francis  E.  Ireson . 
Richard  H.  Martin 


William  J.  Bartlett  .     , 
William  O'Neill,  Corp. 

Henry  T.  Eennard    .     . 


Twe(Hty-foukth  Regiment. 
.     .     Co.  B,     Bermuda  Hundred 
.     .     Co.  B,     Hampton    .     .     . 


Gth  IMay, 

1864. 

28th  July, 

1862. 

8th  Dec, 

1862. 

8th  Feb., 

1862. 

10th  Feb., 

1862. 

16th  Dec, 

1862. 

8th  Feb., 

1862. 

7th  Sept., 

1864. 

4th  Sept., 

1863. 

23d  May, 

1864. 

16  th  May, 

1864. 

21st  Aug., 

1864. 

30th  June, 

1864. 

Twenty- eighth  Regiment. 
.     .     Co.  F,     Marblehead     . 
,     .     Co.  C,     Bull  Run     .     . 


Thirtieth  Regiment. 
.     Co.  A,     Winchester 


Thirty-second  Regiment. 
William  P.  Brown,  2d  Sergt.  .     Co.  E,     Fairfax  Seminary 
Richard  8.  T.  Laskey    ...     Co.  C,     Laurel  Hill      .     . 
Samuel  S.  Martin      ....     Co.  E,     Falmouth,  Va.     . 

Daniel  J.  Ragan Co.  E,     Laurel  Hill .     .     . 

Christian  Dorien Co.  G,     Petersburg.     .     . 


John  F.  Green 


Thirty-ninth  Regiment. 
.     Co.  D,     Salisbury,  N.  C 


11th  Aug.,    1864. 
30th  Aug.,    1862. 


19th  Sept.,    1864. 


loth  Sept.,  1862. 

f2th  May,  1864. 

10th  Dec,  1862. 

12th  May,  1864. 

18th  June,  1864. 


15th  Dec,  1864. 


410 


APPENDIX. 


John  M.  Brown,  Sergt. . 
William  Brown,  Sergt. 
William  H.  Garney  . 


•William  Wooldredge 


Fortieth  Eegiment. 

Co.  K,    Hampton,  Va.      ...  3d  Nov.,       1864. 

Co.  K,     Baltimore 11th  March,  1865. 

,    Co.  B,    Folley  Island,  S.  C  .    .  19th  Sept.,   1863. 


Fifty-third  Regoient. 
.    Co.  A,    Port  Hudson  . 


14th  June,    1863. 


Thomas  W.  Stevens,  Ensign 
William  T.  Adams    . 
William  B.  Hubbard 
Jonathan  S.  Blaney  . 
Benjamin  L.  Cloutman 
John  Curtis     .    .    . 


United  States  Navy. 

Ship  Pontiac,  Port  Royal      .     .  19th  Jan.,  1865. 

Ship  Huron,  Marblehead .     .     .  20th  Oct.,  1863. 

Ship  Cumberland 8th  March,  1862. 

Ship  Saratoga,  Doeboy  Sd,  Ga.,  31st  Jan.,  1865. 

Ship  Ino,  at  sea 18th  Dec,  1861. 

Ship  Western  World,  New  York,  July,  1862. 


INDEX. 


Abbot,  Benjamin,  319. 
Abbot,  Francis,  347. 
Abbott,  Hon.  Josiah  G.,  331. 
Abraham,  Woodward,  125,  373,  391. 
Academy,  Marblehead,  206,  212,  215,  219, 

235,  374. 
Active,  Schooner,  232,  233,  234. 
Adams,  John,  73, 120, 180,  205,  206,  221, 

247. 
Adams,  Samuel,  87,  90,  113. 
Adams,  Capt.  William  B.,  258,  266. 
Adlam,  Rev.  Samuel,  384. 
Advent  Christian  Conference,  Mass.,  390. 
Advocate,  People's,  262. 
Ahawayet,  4. 
Ajax,  Sloop-of-war,  250. 
Akes,  Edward,  66. 

Albatross,  United  States  Steamer,  303. 
Allen,  Timothy,  18,  19. 
Allen,  Ambrose,  269. 
Allen,  Rev.  Benjamin  E.,  273,  274,  360, 

361. 
Alley,  Miss  Mary  A.,  289. 
Allerton,  Isaac,  8,  9,  19. 
America,  Privateer,  242. 
Ames,  Justice,  320. 
Anderson,  Capt.  John  M.,  272. 
Anderson,  Gen.  Robert,  284. 
Andr(?,  Major,  171,  172. 
Andrew,  Gov.  John  A.,  287,  295,  296. 
Andrews,  John,  62,  335. 
Andrews,  Captain,  243. 
Andrews,  Rev.  Joseph,  374. 
Ann,  Bri^,  246. 
Annibel,  The,  175. 
Appleton,  Thomas,  320,  325,  330. 
Appleton,  Daniel,  324. 
Appletan,  Hon.  William,  352. 
Argus,  Brigantine,  215. 
Arnold,  Miijor-general,  160. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  172. 
Arts  and  Sciences,  American  Academy 

of,  349,  350. 
Asbury,  Rev.  Thomas,  382. 
Ashcraft,  Rev.  Nathan  B.,  382 
Ashton,  79. 

Ashton,  Benjamin,  243. 
Ashton,  Philip,  Jr.,  45,  46,  47. 
Association,  Young  Men's  Christian,  274. 


Association,    Marblehead    Monumental, 

323. 
Association,  Marblehead  Free  School,  351. 
Associates,  Independent,  321. 
Atkins,  Isaac,  325. 
Atkinson,  Rev.  Joseph  P.,  386. 
Aubury,  Lieutenant,  165. 
Austin,  Mr.,  179. 
Austin,  Rev.  Leonard,  382. 
Averill,  J.  K.,  262. 
Avenue,  Atlantic,  5,  363. 
Avery,  Rev.  John,  9. 
Avery,  Gen.  Samuel,  266,  356. 
Avery,  Hon.  Edward,  330. 
Ayres,  Captain,  174. 

Bacon,  Rev.  Henry,  386. 

Bailey,  Rev.  Augustus  F.,  382. 

Bailey,  Rev.  Benjamin  H.,  323,  380. 

Bailev,  Rev.  Stephen,  382. 

Bailey,  Capt.  John,  249. 

Bainbridge,  Captain,  247. 

Baldwin,  Colonel,  152. 

Balfour,  Frigate,  198. 

Ballard,  Rev.  Edward,  376. 

Bancroft,  Capt.  Norman,  195. 

Band,  Marblehead,  293,  297,  317,  320. 

Bank,  Grand,  262,  350. 

Bank,  Marblehead,  223,  3-52. 

Barber,  William,  14,  19. 

Barden,  Rev.  Stillman,  387. 

Barker,  Capt.  Joseph,  198.  223 

Barker,  Capt.  Thomas,  198. 

Barker,  John,  157. 

Barker,  Rev.  Darius,  382. 

Barnard,  Rev.  John,  41,  42,  43,  47,  51, 

243,  358,  359,  379. 
Barrows,  Rev.  I.  F.,  382. 
Barrows,  Rev.  John  Harris,  385. 
Barry,  Captain,  120. 
Bartiiolomew,  William,  26. 
Bartlett,  Eli  V.  &  Co.,  326. 
Bartlett,  Captain,  197,  286. 
Bartlett,  John,  27. 
Bartlett,  Rev.  John,  380. 
Bartlett,  Rev.  J.  A.,  383. 
Bartlett,  Robert,  26.  66. 
Bartol,  John,  17,  19,  22. 
Bartol,  Widow,  26. 


412 


INDEX. 


Bartoll,  Samuel,  206. 

Bassett,   Joseph  K.,  276,  277,  278,  279, 

282. 
Bassett,  William,  62. 
Batchelder,  Ilev.  Daniel,  382. 
Batclieller,  Kev.  David,  382. 
Bateman,  John,  68. 
Bav,  Oakum,  3.5.  * 

Beal,  William,  26,  30. 
Beals,  Martha,  33. 
Bean,  William,  19.5. 
Beare,  Philip,  12,  13. 
Beaurej^ard,  (ieneral,  284. 
Beekford  &  Coflin,  262. 
Belcher,  Governor,  57. 
Belvidera,  United  States  Ship,  243. 
Bennett,  John,  8,  13,  19. 
Bennett,  Widow,  26. 
Bernard,  Governor,  79,  89. 
Bessom,  Nicholas,  198. 
Bessom  Pasture,  5. 
Betsev,  Brig,  244. 
Betsv,  Schooner,  231. 
Bettis,  Quinn.  322. 
Betty,  Schooner,  232,  233,  234. 
Bigelow,  Colonel,  168. 
Bishop,  Captain,  114. 
Blackler,  Samuel,  391. 
Blackler,  "William,  108,  155,  344. 
Blancher,  Widow,  14. 
Blanchard,  Jesse,  336. 
Blanev,  Captain,  215. 
Blaney,  David,  262. 
Blanev,  Henrv,  262 
Blanev,  Stephen,  1^. '37.- 
Block^  Allerton,  326,  .327. 
Block,  Po].e's,  325 
Blunt,  John.  337. 
Boardman,  Capt.  Francis,  284,  285,  287, 

290,  296. 
Boatson,  Widow,  27. 
Boden,  Benjamin,  50,  124,  18-5,  186. 
Bohio,  United  States  Ship,  305,  306,  307. 
Bolles,  Kev.  Matthew,  384. 
Bonaparte,  Napoleon,  217. 
Bond,  Nathaniel,  117. 
Boobv,  Christopher,  333. 
Booth,  Eliza,  32. 
Boston,  Frigate,  177,  178,  179,  180,  184, 

185,  186. 
Bouden,  Francis,  333. 
Bourne,  Thomas,  26. 
Bourne,  William,  75,  372. 
Bours,  Rev.  Peter,  78,  370. 
Bowdeu,  John,  02. 
Bowden,  Joshua  0.,  239,  249,  288. 
Bowden,  IMichael,  352. 
Bowden,  Samuel,  342. 
Bowden,  William.  62. 
Bowdoin,  James,  133. 
Boweu,  Ashley,  65,  67,  68,  127. 
Bowen,  Edward,  391. 
Bowen,  Nathan,  51,  59,  61,  74,  221,  257, 

346,  347. 


Bowers,  Rev.  James,  242,  374. 

Bowinge,  Thomas,  19. 

Bowler,  Mr.,  213. 

Bowler,  James,  381. 

Bradtield,  George,  26, 

Bradstreet,  Rev.  Simon,  345,  379. 

Braman,  Rev.  W.  A.,  383. 

Brattle,  Edward,  37,  39. 

Brav,  Edmund,  263. 

Breare,  Robinson,  262,  387. 

Breck,  Samuel,  200. 

Brewer,  David,  116. 

Bridge,  Rev.  William  D.,  383. 

Bridges,  Rev.  Christopher,  366. 

Briggs,  Dr.  Calvin,  257. 

Briggs,  Doctor,  302. 

Briggs,  Rev.  Avery,  385. 

Brimlilecome,  John,  26,  28. 

Brimhlecome,  Nathaniel,  330. 

Brimblecome,  Philip,  243. 

Brimhlecome,  Samuel,  243. 

Brimblecome,  Seward,  Jr.,  135. 

Broadhead,  Rev.  John,  382. 

Broke,  Captain,  248. 

Brooks,  General,  203. 

Brooks,  Mr..  22. 

Broughton,  Nicholas,  108,  118,  140,  174. 

Broughton,  Capt.  Glover,  288. 

Brown,  Benjamin  F.,  270. 

Brown,  Captain,  197. 

Brown,  Ephraim,  336,  338. 

Brown,  Increase  H.,  267,  312,  314. 

Brown,  I.  H.  &  Co.,  267. 

Brown,  John  H.,  326. 

Brown,  Jonathan,  326. 

Brown,  Mary  G.,  330. 

Brown,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  368. 

Brown,  Nathan,  127. 

Brown,  Thomas,  197. 

Brown,  William  B.,  291,  292,  293,  315, 

317,  319,  324. 
Browne,  John,  37,  39. 
Browne,  William,  26,  27. 
Brownson,  Rev.  Hector,  382. 
Bruce,  David,  295. 
Bruce,  Rev.  E.  B.,  387. 
Brutus,  The,  197. 
Brvant,  John,  347. 
Bubier,  John,  33. 
Bubier,  Joseph,  62. 
Bubier's  Plain,  134; 
Buckamoor,  Ship,  198. 
Building,  Columbian,  318. 
Building,  Rechabite,  326. 
Bultinch,  Rev.  Henrv,  382. 
Bunker  Hill,  The,  196. 
Burgovne,   General,  159,  161,   163,  165, 

183,"19.5. 
Burke,  Captain,  174. 
Burnham,  Elder  Edwin,  389. 
Burnham,  Elder  Elam,  389. 
Burnside,< General,  294. 
Butler,  Gen.  Benjamin  F.,  331. 


INDEX. 


413 


Butman,  Joseph,  249. 
Buxton,  Eev.  William  B.,  380. 

Calley,  James,  362,  363.  • 

Galley,  John,  33,  333,  362,  363. 

Calthrop,  Rev.  Samuel  R.,  2'J5,  380. 

Campbell,  Col.  Archibald,  175. 

Cannon,  Rev.  George,  382. 

Carwithin,  David,  18.  26. 

Carwithin,  Samuel,  18,  26. 

Carlisle,  Rev.  Mr.,  375. 

Carroll,  Capt.  John.  Jr.,  272. 

Case,  Rev.  E.,  Jr.,  387. 

Cash,  George,  194. 

Cass,  Jonathan,  267. 

Castle  William,  197. 

Caswell,  Captain,  196. 

Cemetery,  Waterside,  274. 

Center,  Captain,  286. 

Chadwick,  Rev.  John  W.,  320,  323. 

Chamberlain,  William  Martin,  262. 

Chapman,  Mrs.  Leonora,  326. 

Charles  II.,  20,  21. 

Charles,  William,  12,  13,  19,  22. 

Charley  Black,  228,  249. 

Chase,  Rev.  Edwin  B.,  292,  376. 

Chatham  Prison,  253. 

Chaugulon,  Mynheer,  251. 

Cheever,  Amos,  38,  359. 

Cheever,  Rev.  Samuel,  23,  26,  29,  30,  36, 

37,  41,  333,  343,  358,  367,  379. 
Cheever,  Sons  of  Widow,  247. 
Cherub,  Sloop-of-war,  251. 
Chesapeake,  Frigate,  230,  247. 
Chichester,  William,  18,  26. 
Ching,  George,  14,  19. 
Chinn,  John,  33. 
Chipman,  John,  74. 
Church,  St.  Michael's,  124, 125,  218,  291, 

342,  362,  391. 
Church,  First  Congregational,  254,  273, 

323,  343,  354,  358,  379. 
Church,  Second  Congregational  (Unita- 
rian), 295,  323,  349,  359,  364,  374,  379, 

381. 
Church,  Methodist  Episcopal,   213,   355, 

381,  389. 
Church,  Baptist,  240,  302,  314,  327,  384. 
Church,  Universalist,  265,  385. 
Church,  Third  Congregational,  273,  323, 

300,  361. 
Church,  Star  of  the  Sea,  274,  316,  327, 

388. 
Church,  Advent,  389. 
Clark,  94. 
Clark,  John,  157. 
Clarke,  liev.  James  Freeman,  380. 
Clarke,  Matthew,  26. 
Clemment,  John,  20. 
Clifton,  331. 
Clifford,  Governor,  272. 
Clinton,  General,  146,  147. 
Closson,  Rev.  Harrison,  386,  387.  « 

Clothey,  Elder  John  F.,  390.  ' 


Clothey,  Thomas,  270. 

Club,  Tuesday  Evening,  355. 

Club,  Reform,  321. 

Codner,  Christopher,  20. 

Codner,  John,  22,  26,  340. 

Codner,  Josiah,  27. 

Coite,  John,  13. 

Colbeek,  Judge,  119. 

Cole,  Captain,  194,  195. 

Cole,  Richard.  206. 

College,  Columbia,  374. 

College,  Harvard,  11,  23,  37,  50,  343,  349, 

370,  379. 
Collier,  Sir  George,  178. 
Collings,  Francis,  24. 
Collyr,  Captain  T.,  197. 
Commission,  United  States  Sanitary,  300. 
Company,  Marblehead  Great  Neck  Land, 

338. 
Conant,  John,  333. 
Conant,  Lot,  26. 
Conant,  Roger,  26. 
Confederacy,  Frigate,  185. 
Confederate    Schooner    Eugenie    Smith, 

305. 
Congress.  Frigate,  294,  295. 
Constitution,  Frigate,  242,  246,  247,  248, 

250,  289,  290. 
Conwav,  Capt.  John,  179. 
Cook,  Rev.  Z.,  387. 
Coombes,  Joshua,  335. 
Coombes,  Michael,  335- 
Cooper,  Ezekiel,  381. 
Cooper,  Rev.  Ezekiel,  381. 
Corbitt,  Michael,  80. 
Corkering,  William,  68. 
Coronet,  The,  194. 
Cornwallis,  Lord,  135,  196. 
Corwinge,  Captain,  20. 
Cotton,  John,  37,  38. 
Cotton,  Josiah,  37. 
Courtis,  A.  S.,  268. 
Courtis,  William,  108.  151,  288. 
Coval,  Rev.  James.  382. 
Cowell,  Capt.  Richard,  187, 188. 189, 194, 

251. 
Cowell,  Lieut.  John  G.,  251,  252. 
Cowley,  Thomas,  20. 
Cozzens,  Rev.  Samuel,  360. 
Craddock,  Mr.,  8. 

Cressy,  Captain  Josiah  P.,  304,  356,  357. 
Crocker,  Richard,  26. 
Cromwell,  Oliver,  20,  21. 
Cross,  John,  270. 
Cross,  Captain,  195- 
Cross,  Joseph,  391. 
Cross,  IMiss  Lizzie,  289. 
Cross,  Miss  Mary  A.,  289. 
Crowinshield,  George,  65,  221. 
Crowninshiehl,  Rev.  Edward,  330. 
Cumberland,  Frigate,.  294.  295. 
Cumberland,  Privateer,  184. 
Cundy,  Samuel,  26. 
Currituck,  United  States  Steamer,  311. 


414 


INDEX. 


Curtis,  Francis,  270. 
Curtis,  Ricliard,  19. 
Curtis,  Tliomas,  243. 
Curwin,  Jonathan,  .31. 
Curwithin,  David,  16. 
Cuslaing,  Gen.  Caleb,  270. 
Custis,  Widow,  308. 

Dacres,  Captain,  244,  245. 

Dalton,  Tristram,  133. 

Damon,  Edward,  26. 

Dana,  Francis,  204. 

Dana,  Rev.  Samuel,  242,  360. 

Darling,  ISenjamin,  62. 

Darling,  Ezekiel,  263. 

Darling,  George,  27. 

Dartmoor  Prison,  252,  253. 

Davis,  Jefferson,  283,  310. 

Day,  Capt.  Benjamin,  291,  293. 

Day,  Lulce,  203. 

Dean,  Rev.  M.  M.,  385. 

Deane,  Frigate,  184,  185. 

Dearborn,  Rev.  J.  AV.,  383, 

Dennis,  Siiipper,  224. 

Dennis,  Daniel,  307. 

Dennis,  John,  269. 

D'Estaing,  Count,  167. 

Devereux,  21,  331. 

Devereux.  Burrill,  206,  210. 

Devereiux,  John.  12,  13,  17,  19,  25,  26, 
30. 

Devereux,  Humphrey,  267. 

Devoricks,  John,  33-3". 

Dickens,  Charles,  227. 

Dimon,  Edward,  40. 

Dinsraore,  William  P.,  307. 

Division,  Washington,  Sons  of  Temper- 
ance, 273. 

Dixie,  John,  206. 

Dixie,  Peter,  Jr.,  262. 

Dixie,  Thomas,  20,  26. 

Doak,  Michael  J.,  326. 

Doak,  ftlrs.  Hannah  D.,  289. 

Dodd,  Ambrose,  243. 

Dodd,  Sarah,  34. 

Dodd,  Thomas,  26,  28,  33. 

Dodge,  Simeon,  320,  329. 

Doe,  Benjamin,  62. 

Doliber,  Samuel,  17,  18. 

Dolliber,  Dea.  William,  89,  97,  104. 
.X    Dolliber,  Joseph,  17,  19,  22,  26 

Doliver,  Thomas,  86. 

Dollon,  Miles,  67. 

Dolphin,  Schooner,  243. 

Don,  Steamer,  311. 

Donovan,  Dennis,  388. 

Dove,  Captain,  46. 

Dove,  John,  -322. 

Dove,  Thomas,  68,  322. 

Drew,  John,  57. 

Drury,  Doctor,  375. 

Dunbar,  Rev.  George,  382. 

Duncan,  George  W.,  216. 

Dunlap,  A.  H.,  337. 


Dupont,  Admiral,  310. 
Durrell,  Admiral,'  66. 
Dutton,  Rev.  E.  P.,  -387. 
Dwight.  Rev.  Moselev,  382. 
Dwight,  Rev.  W.  E.,"383. 
Dyers,  Captain,  174. 

Eagle,  The,  196. 
Earl  of  Moria,  Brig,  246. 
Eastman,  Rev.  George  V.  C,  375. 
Eaton,  Israel,  243. 
Eaton,  William,  243. 
Edgcomb,  John,  333. 
Edwards,  Jonathan,  57. 
Elbridge,  John,  369. 
Ellis,  Rev.  Ferdinand,  242,  384. 
Ellis,  Thomas,  26,  33. 
Elizabeth,  The,  184. 
Encampment,  Ozias,  315. 
Endeavour,  The,  264. 
Endicott,  W.  C,  273. 
Endymion,  Frigate,  250. 
Enterprise,  Privateer,  184. 
Essex,  Frigate,  243,  251. 
Essex  Junior,  Frigate,  2.51. 
Essex,  The,  265. 

Fabens,  William,  312. 

Fairchild,  William,  50. 

Farlow,  Seth,  192. 

Farragut,  Admiral,  303. 

Farrell,  Garrett,  08. 

Fettyplace,  Captain,  195,  198. 

Fettyplace,  Edward,  97. 

Filmore,  Rev.  .Jesse,  382. 

Fish,  Rev.  Linus,  382. 

Fitz,  Rev.  Hervey,  385. 

Flemming,  John,  295. 

Flint,  George  F.,  338. 

Flora,  The,  178. 

Florence,  Captain,  195. 

Flying  Cloud,  The,  356. 

Folsom,  General    140. 

Forbes,  Ship  R.  B.,  304. 

Forest  River,  2,  10,  11. 

Forest  Side,  14. 

Forrester,  Captain,  194. 

Forsyth,  G.  W.,  326. 

Fort  Darby,  12. 

Fort  Glover,  299. 

Fort  Johnson,  .301. 

Fort  Miller,  299. 

Fort  Sewal!,  52,  249.  256,  264,  294,  299. 

Fort  Warren,  300,  -304. 

Forton  Prison,  177,  181,  183. 

Fortune,  Elias,  26. 

Foster,  Captain,  142. 

Foster,  Capt.  Daniel,  198. 

Foster,  Capt.  Israel,  108. 

Foster,  Ebenezer,  97. 

Fountain  Inn,  52. 

Fowle,  Col.  Jacob,  03,  04,  75,  140. 

Fowle,  John,  99. 

Fox,  Nicholas,  26. 


INDEX. 


415 


Fox,  The,  178. 

Frankland,  Sir  Harrj',  52-57. 

Franklin,  The,  175,  177,  321,  322. 

Freedom,  Privateer,  246. 

Freeman,  Isaac,  63. 

Freeman,  James,  65. 

Freemason,  The,  185,  195,  198,  391. 

Freemasons,  Philanthropic  Lodge  of,  351. 

Friend,  The,  264. 

Friends,  The,  181. 

Furness,  Joseph,  243. 

Gage,  Thomas,  97,  105,  106. 

Gale,  Ambrose,  26,  34. 

Gale,  Benjamin,  33. 

Gale,  Hannah,  140. 

Gallison,  Henrv,  223. 

Gallison,  John,"  80.  83,  99. 

Gallison,  Mary,  348. 

Gardner,  Abel,  262. 

Gardner,  Rev.  George  "W.,  D.  D.,  385. 

Garney,  Thomas,  261. 

Gatchell,  Jeremiah,  26,  333. 

Gatchell,  John,  12,  13,  14,  18,  26. 

Gatchell,  Josiah,  27. 

Gatchell,  Samuel,  13,  14,  26,  157. 

Gates,  General,  158,  161,  162,  165,  166. 

George,  King,  82. 

George,  The,  175. 

General  Glover,  The,  196. 

General  Glover  Fire  Association,  274,  316. 

Gerry,  Elbridge,  89,  92, 103-105, 110, 113, 
114,  116,  119,  121,  123,  133,  204,  216, 
221,  222,  240,  246,  344,  346,  355. 

Gerry  Fire  Association,  269,  274,  300. 

Gerry,  John,  17. 

Gerry,  Samuel  R.,  207,  347. 

Gerry,  Thomas,  51,  88,  89,  110,  121,  125, 
130,  344. 

Gerry,  Thomas,  Jr.,  89. 

Gibbons,  Captain,  232. 

Gibbs,  William,  117. 

Gilbert,  Moses,  320,  329. 

Giles,  Ebenezer,  335. 

Giles,  John  H.,  307. 

Giles,  Samuel,  197,  198. 

Giles,  Mr.,  237, 

Gilley,  Miss  Alicia,  289. 

Gilligan,  Alexander,  26. 

Girdler,  Kichard,  266. 

Glencairn,  Earl  of,  185. 

Glover,  Edmund,  270,  326. 

Glover,  Gen.  John,  89,  92,  115,  116,  117, 
118,  134,  140,  142,  143,  144,  145,  146, 
147,  148,  149,  150,  151,  153,  154,  155, 
158,  159,  160,  161,  162,  163,  164,  165, 
166,  167,  168,  169,  170,  171,  172,  204, 
210,  258,  271,  341,  354,  355. 

Glover,  Jonathan,  92,  93,  108,  114,  116, 
121,  129,  130,  135,  204,  210,  341,  342. 

Glover,  Mrs.  Mary,  289. 

Glover,  Nathaniel,  326. 

Glynn,  John,  307. 

Godfrey,  George,  26. 


Godler,  Francis,  26. 

Goldsmith,  John,  68.  '       ■' 

Goldthwaite,  Joel,  330. 

Gooden,  Samuel,  86. 

Gooden,  William,  Sr.,  86. 

Good  Intent,  Schooner,  233. 

Good  Templars,  Washington  Lodge  of, 
274,  300. 

Goodwin,  Hooper  R.,  325. 

Goodvin,  John,  206. 

Goodwin,  John,  Jr.,  Post  82,  G.  A.  R.. 
315. 

Goodwin,  Lieut.  John,  Jr.,  294,  295. 

Goodwin,  Samuel,  269. 

Goodwin,  T  lonias  M.,  269. 

Gorham,  Nathaniel,  204. 

Gorman,  Thomas,  378. 

Goss,  William,  301. 

Goyt,  John,  19. 

Granaway,  Richard,  12. 

Grandchamps,  Chevalier,  200. 

Grandy,  Amos,  68. 

Grant,"  Thomas,  3d,  108. 

Graves,  Captain,  196,  199. 

Graves,  Capt.  Samuel  C,  296,  297,  300. 

Graves,  Ebenezer,  206,  228. 

Graves,  James  C.,  303. 

Graves,  Miss  Mary  E.,  289. 

Graves,  Samuel,  59. 

Gray,  Thomas,  8,  13,  19. 

Gregory,  Capt.  John,  257. 

Gregory,  Capt.  Michael  B.,  304. 

Gregory,  Capt.  Samuel  B.,  271,  304,  305, 

307,  309,  310,  311. 
Gregory,  Capt.  William  D.,  305,  306,  307. 
Gregory,  James  J.  H.,  288,  318,  320,  324, 

330. 
Gregory,  John  H.,  337. 
Gregory,  Mrs.  Sarah,  330. 
Green,  Joseph  W.,  259,  262,  263,  350. 
Green,  Samuel,  250. 
Green,  Samuel  H.,  322. 
Green,  Skipper,  224. 
Green,  William,  391. 
Greene,  General,  154. 
Greyson,  Colonel,  144. 
Gridlev,  Colonel,  117. 
Gridle>,  Rev.  J.  S.  J.,  382. 
Griggs,  S.,  26. 
Grover,  Samuel,  198. 
Growler,  Privateer,  242,  246. 
Grush,  John,  108. 
Guards,  Home,  293. 

Guards,  Glover  Light,  271,  272,  284,  297. 
Guards,  Lafayette,  258,  264,  272,  284,  297, 

300. 
Guards,  Mugford,  291. 
Guerriere,  Frigate,  244,  245,  246. 
Guernsey  Island,  7. 
Gulliard,  John,  94. 
Gun  House,  231. 

Hague,  The,  193. 

Hale,  E.  B.,  Gunboat,  305,  308. 


416 


INDEX. 


Hale,  Mr.,  30. 

Halifax  Prison,  253. 

Hall,  Abbot,  319.  320.  329. 

Hall,  Allerton,  317,  324. 

Hall,  Anderson'!",  388. 

Hall,  Franklin,  385,  386. 

Hall,  Lyceum,  269,  302,  305,  319,  321, 

361,  390. 
Hall,  Rechabite,  390. 
Hall,  Shawmut,  271. 
Hallowell,  Edward,  68. 
Ham,  Martin,  336. 
Hamden,  The,  195,  197. 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  221. 
Hamilton,  Captain,  195. 
Hammond,  William,  86. 
Hamson,  John  C,  288,  298. 
Hancock   Frigate,  175, 177,  178, 195. 197. 
Hancock',  John,  87,  90.  113,  133,  171. 
Hands,  William,  333. 
Hannover,  William,  68. 
Harbor,  Little,  24,  40. 
Harding,  Fhilip,  27. 
Hardy,  Captain,  232. 
Harrington,  Nathaniel,  117. 
Harris  Farm,  5. 
Harris,  Capt.  John,  179. 
Harris,  John,  26. 
Harris,  John  F.,  313. 
Harris,  Joseph,  280,  354. 
Harris,  Joseph  &  Sons,  279,  280,  314. 
Harris,  Mason,  194. 
Harris,  Mrs.  John  F.,  289. 
Harris,  Rev.  William,  206,  374. 
Harris,  Rev.  William  R.,  378. 
Harris,  Richard,  110,  207,  210. 
Harris,  Robert,  59,  62. 
Harris,  William,  194. 
Harrison,  William  Henrv,  268. 
Hart,  John,  12,  13,  17,  19. 
Hart  &  Trask,  262. 

Harvard,  Rev.  John,  11. 

Harvest  Moon,  Bark,  304. 

Harvev,  Rev.  James  P.,  382. 

Haskell,  Rev.  William  G.,  315,  387. 

Haskell,  William  T.,  280. 

Haskell,  William  T.  &  Co.,  279. 

Hatch,  George,  316. 

Hathaway,  Benjamin  G.,  326. 

Hathawav,  Jeremiah,  266. 

Hathawav,  Mrs.  Hannah  J.,  289. 

Hathawav,  Stephen,  Jr.,  288. 

Hathaway,  Stephen  P.,  267. 

Hathorne",  John,  31. 

Hathorne,  Maj.  William,  21,  23,  33. 

Hawk,  The,  194,  196. 

Hawkes,  Benjamin,  261. 

Hawkes,  Ebenezer,  333. 

Hawkes,  William,  157. 

Haynes,  Rev.  Dudley  C,  385. 

Hazard.  Sloop-of-war,  243. 

Hazel,  John,  295. 

Hazleton,  Rev.  Benjamin,  382. 

Head,  Bartol's,  130. 


Head,  Goodwin's,  248. 

Head,  Hewitt's,  248. 

Head,  Naugus,  12,  14,  299. 

Healv,  Rev.  Daniel  S.,  385. 

Heath,  Major-general,  163,  164,  172. 

Hemeford,  Richard,  26. 

Henley,  Colonel,  164. 

Henley,  Elias,  26. 

Henlev,  Elias,  Jr.,  33. 

Henrv,  198. 

Henshaw,  Rev.  John  P.  K.,  374. 

Hervey,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  385. 

Hibard,  Jeremiah,  322. 

Hidden,  Mrs.  Hannah,  289. 

Higginson,  Rev.  John,  3,  7. 

Hiler,  Rev.  Stephen  G-,  382. 

Hill,  Gallows,  .34. 

Hill,  Lodge,  261. 

Hill,  Nickerson's,  .327. 

Hill,  Reed's,  277.  279,  318. 

Hill,  Trainingtield,  351,  352. 

Hill,  Twisden's,  130,  248. 
Hillsborough,  Lord,  77,  89. 

Hind,  The,  190. 

Hines,  Rev.  0.,  382. 

Hinks,  Gen.  E.  W.,  285,  286. 

Hinman,  Kev.  William,  382. 

Hitchcock,  Colonel,  194. 

Hoar,  Hon.  Ebenezer  R.,  320. 

Holden,  John,  243. 

Holgrave,  Mr.,  10. 

Holton,  Samuel,  133. 

Holvoke,  Dr.  Edward  Augustus,  349. 

Holvoke,  Rev.  Edward,  41,  42,  50,  51, 
345,  349,  358,  359,  379. 

Homan,  Edward.  26,  61. 

Homan,  Miss  Mary  E.,  289. 

Homan,  Richard,  206. 

Homan,  Samuel,  317. 

Homan,  William,  243. 

Homes,  Rev.  Francis,  361 

Hook,  Elder  John,  -390. 

Hooper,  Captain,  199. 

Hooper,  John,  26,  266,  200,  352. 

Hooper,  John,  4th,  223. 

Hooper,  Joseph,  353. 

Hooper,  Mrs.  Eunice,  377. 

Hooper,  Mrs.  Mary  Glover,  258. 

Hooper,  Nathaniel,  223,  257. 

Hooper,  Robert,  26,  62,  63,  65,  136,  206, 
258,  3.50,  351,  353,  354. 

Hooper,  Robert,  Jr.,  59. 

Hooper,  Robert,  Ship,  270. 

Hooper,  Samuel,  107,  206,  210,  212,  352. 

Hooper,  William,  223,  243, 

Hooper,  William,  Jr.,  199. 

Hooper,  William  H.,  271. 

Horton,  Rev.  Jotham,  382. 

Hose  Company,  Liberty,  315,  318. 

Hotel,  Marblehead,  325. 

House,  Atlantic,  3.36. 

House,  Bowler,  381. 
House,  Eagle,  341. 
House,  Hooper,  352. 


INDEX. 


417 


House,  Lee,  352. 

House,  Manataus:,  317. 

House,  Old  Custom,  342. 

House,  Prentiss,  355. 

House,  Reynolds,  261. 

House,  Samoset,  336. 

House,  Tucker,  340. 

House,  Watson,  354. 

Howe,  The,  190. 

Howe,  General,  142,  146,  149. 

Hoyle,  John,  26. 

Hubbard,  Amos,  86. 

Hubbard,  Eliza,  .32. 

Hubbard,  John,  254. 

Hubbard,  Rev.  Ebenezer,  217,  341,  342, 

359. 
Hubbard,  Rev.  Reuben,  382. 
Hubbard,  William  B.,  295. 
Humphrey,  John,  10,  11,  12,  17. 
Humphrey,  William,  326. 
Humphreys,  .John,  206. 
Humphries,  Edward,  28. 
Hunt,  Rev.  William,  382. 
Huntoon,  Rev.  Benjamin,  .380. 
Hutchinson,  Thomas,  72,  73,  74,  86,  97, 

98,  108,  126,  345. 
Hutchinson,  T.  J.,  262. 
Hutchinson  &  Skinner,  262. 
Hyde,  Lord,  188. 

Indian,  John,  32. 

Industry,  Privateer,  242,  246. 

Ingalls,"  Ebenezer,  3-33. 

Ingalls,  Thomas,  319. 

IngersoIJ,  Lieut.  Nathaniel,  31. 

Ingersoll,  Nathaniel,  334. 

Ino,  United  States  Ship,  .30-3,  .304. 

Ireson,  Skipper  Benjamin,  232,  233,  234. 

Island,  Baker's,  3-39. 

Island,  Cat,  94. 

Island,  Charles,  40. 

Island,  Lowell,  339. 

Island,  Ram,  339. 

Island,  Thacher's,  331,  339. 

Island,  Tinker's.  3-39. 

Ives,  S.  B.,  Jr.,  320. 

Jack,  The,  197. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  263,  264,  265,  351. 
Jackson,  Dr.  Hall,  93,  128. 
Jackson,  George,  362,  363. 
Jackson,  Jonathan.  133. 
Jackson,  Major,  208. 
Jacobs,  Charles,  68. 
James,  Capt.  Ambrose,  19.3,  194. 
James,  Capt.  Benjamin,  333. 
James,  Capt.  Richard,  333. 
James,  Erasmus,  12,  13,  19,  26. 
James,  Rosamond,  14. 
Jarvis,  Admiral.  176. 
Jason,  Privateer,  184,  195,  197. 
Java,  Frigate,  247. 
Jay,  John,  221. 

Jayne,  Peter,  79,  134,  355,  371. 
27 


Jefferson,  Thomas,  221,  222,  230. 

Jenner,  Doctor,  220. 
Jersey  Island,  7. 
Johns,  Rev.  Lot,  375. 
Johnson,  Charles,  365,  366. 
Johnson,  Daniel  H.,  298. 
Johnson,  Fort,  186. 
Johnson,  Francis,  17,  26. 
Johnson,  Hannah,  278. 
Johnson,  Robert,  27. 
Johonnet,  Gabriel,  117,  151. 
Jones,  Paul,  120. 
Jones,  Rev.  Benjamin,  382. 
Jov,  William  F.,  330. 
Jupiter,  The,  192. 

Keene,  Will,  1-3. 

Kelsey,  Rev.  Frank  D.,  361. 

Kendeley,  Edward,  67. 

Kibby,  Rev.  Epaphras,  382. 

Kilpatrick,  General,  .302. 

Kimball,  Edmund,  262,  270,  271. 

Kimball,  Rev.  Isaac,  384. 

King,  Mr.,  221. 

King,  Rufus,  204. 

Kitteridge,  Rev.  F.  D.,  387. 

Knight,  Benjamin,  257. 

Knight,  Frank,  264. 

Knight,  Franklin,  273. 

Knight,  Robert,  19,  22,  24,  26,  28,  29. 

Knight,  William,  12. 

Knott,  Richard,  26. 

Knox,  General,  156. 

Lackey,  Andrew,  266. 

Lafayette,  Marquis,  166,  200,   201,  202, 

257,  258. 
Lafayette,  George  Washington,  258. 
Lambord,  Rev.  Benjamin  F.,  382. 
Lane,  Thomas,  19. 
Laskey,  William,  196. 
Lattimore,  Christopher,  20,  22,  26. 
Lawrence,  Captain,  248. 
Lawrence.Rev.  Edward  A., D.  D.,  360,  .361. 
League,  Soldier's  and  Sailor's  Union,  315. 
Lear,  Mr.,  208. 
Lecraw,  Thomas  J.,  381. 
Lee,  Capt.  John,  176,  177,  181,  182. 
Lee,  Gen.  Robert  E.,  301. 
Lee,  Col.  William  R.,  130,  1.32,  135,  146, 

150,  151,  1.56,  157,  162,  163,  164,  165, 

166, 182, 190,  206,  212,  216,  219,  -352, 373. 
Lee,  Jeremiah,  61,  63,  64,  78,  10-3,  104, 

105,  108,  110,  113,  114,  346,  351,  354, 

355. 
Lee,  Major-general,   149,  150,  151,   152, 

160,  .355. 
Lee  Mansion,  351. 
Lee,  Rear-admiral,  310. 
Lee,  Rev.  Jesse,  381. 
Lee,  Schooner,  193. 
Leek,  Frederick  W.,  262. 
Leek,  Rev.  John  Wickliffe,  378. 
Lefavour,  John,  271. 


418 


INDEX. 


Lefavour,  Joshua  0.,  32(5. 

Lefavour,  William  C,  326,  327. 

Le  Gailais,  David,  369. 

Le  Gailais,  Mrs.  Hannah,  .368. 

Leg-g,  John,  18,  19,  20,  26,  333. 

Lesj,^  John,  Jr.,  20,  39. 

Leopard,  Ship,  230. 

Leslie,  Colonel,  111,  112. 

Lewis,  Alonzo,  3. 

Lewis,  Marcy,  31,  32. 

Lewis,  Philip,  65. 

Lewis,  Rev.  William  H.,  376. 

Lewis,  Thomas,  206,  21.5. 

Library,  Abbot,  325,  330. 

Liberty,  The,  264. 

Liffhtfoot,  William,  27. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  283,  284,  296,  298,  302. 

Lincoln,  Benjamin,  133. 

Lincoln,  (ieneral,  149,  172,  186,  203. 

Lindsev,  Nathaniel,  210,  242,  246. 

Lindsev,  N.  Allen,  262. 

Lindsev,  N.  AJIen  &  Co.,  328. 

Lindzee,  Captain,  120. 

Liner,  Samuel,  68. 

Linsford,  Francis,  24. 

Linsteed,  Roper,  68. 

Lion,  Privateer,  242,  243,  246. 

Listen,  Nicholas,  12,  13. 

Litch,  Elder  J.,  389. 

Litchman,  Charles  H.,  324. 

Litchman,  William,  288. 

Little,  Colonel,  349. 

Little,  Woodbridge,  116. 

Lively,  Brig,  177,  192,  341. 

Lloyd,  Arthur,  68. 

Lodge,  Masonic,  351. 

Look,  Samuel,  68,  348. 

Loring,  Hon.  George  B.,  323. 

Lovis,  Samuel,  68,  348. 

Low,  Edward,  46. 

Lowrie,  Captain,  224. 

Lye,  Joseph,  68,  74. 

Lynch,  Privateer,  118. 

Lyon,  John,  13,  14,  19. 

Lyon,  John  J.,  288. 

Madison, James,  221,  235,  246. 

Magan,  Luke,  243. 

Magee,  Lieutenant,  179. 

Mahonv,  John,  388. 

Main,  The,  14. 

Main,  Thomas,  288. 

Makepeace,  Mr.,  221. 

Malcom,  Rev.  Alexander,  58,  369,  370. 

Manly,  Commodore  John,  119,  120,  140, 

141,  174,  175,  177,  178,  181,  193. 
Manning,  Samuel,  270. 
Mansfield,  Isaac,  204,  210. 
Mansion,  Sewall,  353. 
Marblehead  Gazette,  262. 
Marblehead  Ledger,  262. 
Marblehead  Light  Infantry,  239,  242,248, 

254,  255,  264,  272. 
Marblehead  Messenger,  262,  316,  328. 


Marblehead  Neck,  1,  10,   14,  247,   248, 

249,  299,  331,  333,  334,  335,  337,  338, 

339. 
ISlarblfhead  Register,  262. 
MarbU-lirad  Rock,  339. 
]\rarl>klR;ul  Steam  Fire  Association,  316. 
Marblehead,  The,  265. 
Marchant,  Capt.  John,  218,  219. 
Marcy,  Rev.  Ichabod,  382. 
Mariott,  Nicholas,  10,  13,  26. 
Marquis,  The,  189,  194,  198. 
IMarriatt,  John,  27. 
Marr,  John,  291. 
Marsh,  Rev.  W.,  382. 
Marshall,  Rev.  Herbert,  384. 
Marshall,  John,  216. 
Marston,  Benjamin,  126,  354. 
Martin,  Capt.   Knott  V.,  272,  284,   285, 

286,  287,  291,  294,  329. 
Martin,  Ebunezer,  261. 
Martin,  John,  26. 
Martin,  John  H.,  268. 
Martin,  Knott,  262. 
Martin,  Nathan  B.,  235,  257. 
Martin,  Richard,  195. 
Martin,  William,  .38L 
Mason,  James,  86. 
Massabequash,  3. 
Massachusetts,  Brig,  197. 
Mather,  Cotton,  37. 
Mather,  Increase,  28. 
Mather,  Mr.,  9. 
Matthews,  William,  68,  91. 
Maverick,  Moses,  4,  8,  9,  13,  14,  17,  19, 

20,  21,  25,  26,  30,  36. 
May,  Rev.  Hezekiah,  379. 
Mayo,  Rev.  Henry,  382. 
McClain,  Rev.  Alex.,  382. 
McClester,  John,  56. 
McCurdv,  Rev.  C.  L.  383. 
McDougal,  General,  144,  145,  146,  152, 

153. 
McGrath,  Major,  335. 
Mc:Masters,  John.  337. 
McNeil,  Capt.  Hector,  177,  179. 
Meek,  Capt.  Thomas,  223. 
Melzard,  John.  68. 
Mercer,  General,  154. 
Mermaid,  The,  185. 
Merrill,  Rev.  Abraham  D.,  382. 
Merritt,  17,  19,  25,  47. 
Merritt,  Captain,  105,  194. 
Messer,  Mary,  347. 
Messervey,  Captain,  231. 
Messervey,  William,  335. 
Metcalf,  Rev.  Alfred,  382. 
Mills,  Lead,  14. 
Minerva,  Schooner,  231. 
Misalt,  Francis,  08. 
Mitchell,  Thomas,  243. 
Mitchell,  William,  243. 
Monroe,  James,  256,  351. 
Montgomery,  Brig,  198. 
Montowampate,  3. 


INDEX. 


419 


Monument,  Mugford,  326. 

Morgan,  Samuel,  26. 

Morse,  Gamaliel  H.,  294,  295. 

Moss,  Abram,  195. 

Mossom,  Rev.  David,  366,  367,  368. 

Mott,  Rev.  Thomas  S.  W.,  375. 

Mudge,  Rev.  James,  382. 

Mudge,  Rev.  Z.  A.,  383. 

Mugford,  James,  108,  110,  122,  174,  321 
322.  '        '        >        )        J  "^i, 

Mugford  Fire  Association,  274,  202  3'>3 
Mullett,  Abraham,  86.  '        '        • 

Munger,  Rev.  Philip,  382. 
Musical  Association,  273,  323,  324,  330. 

Nancy,  Privateer,  176. 

Nanepashemet,  2. 

Naumkeag,  4. 

Naumkeags,  2. 

Neal,  Captain,  195. 

Neal,  Jeremiah,  24. 

Neal,  John,  62. 

Neck,  John  Peach's,  13. 

Newhall,  Joel,  262. 

Newhall,  Miss  Harriet,  289. 

Newhall,  Mrs.  Margaret,  289. 

Newhall,  Paul,  243. 

Nichols,  Benjamin,  67. 

Nichols,  Rev.  Andrew.  382. 

Nicholson,  Captain,  184. 

Nicholson,  Col.  Francis,  362,    363,    364 
368.  ' 

Nicholson,  Edmund,  19. 

Nicholson,  Francis,  41. 

Nicholson,  John,  243. 
Nicholson,  Samuel,  27. 
Nicholson,  Thomas,  228. 
Nick,  William,  20,  26,  333. 
Niles,  Rev.  Mark  Haskell,  .360. 
Nixon,  General,  158,  161,  171. 
Noble,  Rev.  Charles,  382. 
Norden,  Nathan,  •i.33. 
Norman,  Ensign,  28. 
Norman,  John,  19,  20. 
Norman,  Richard,  19,  20,  25,  26. 
Northend,  Hon.  William  I).,  338. 
Northey,  John,  19,  22,  26. 
Norwood,  Rev.  Abraham,  386. 
Nutt,  Capt.  John,  89,  97,  137. 
Nutting,  John,  266. 
Nutting,  William,  117. 

Observer,  The,  190. 

Odd  Fellows,  Atlantic  Lodge  of,  269. 

Odiorne,  Charles,  338. 

O'Keeffe,  Edmund,  389. 

Old  Jersey,  196. 

Oliver,  Andrew.  73,  74. 

Oliver,  James,  262. 

Oliver,  Mrs.  Mary  M.,  289. 

Oliver,  Rev.  Thomas  Fitch,  373,  374. 

Oliver  Cromwell,  The,  195,  197. 

Olton,  John,  363. 

Orange,  Prince  of,  251. 


Orient,  Ship,  243. 

Orne,  Adoniram  C,  261,  276,  288   325. 

Orne,  Capt.  W  illiam  B..  244,  245.' 

Orne,  Col.  Azor,  89,  92,  103,  104,  105. 
110,  113,  116,  121,  130,  133,  140  204 
217,  343,  346.  '         '         .         > 

Orne,  Jonathan  H.,  294,  313,  320. 
Orne,  Joshua,  74,  80,  89,  97,    104    110 

116,  121,  130,  135,  155,  157,  206. 
Orne,  William,  66. 
Osgood,  Hooker,  267. 
Osgood,  Rev.  A.  M.,  382. 
Oiheman,  Rev.  Bartholomew,  383. 
Otheman,  Rev.  Edward,  382. 
Otis,  James,  73,  87,  90. 
Otis,  Rev.  Erastus,  382. 

Paine,  Miss  Carrie,  289. 

Paine,    Rev.  Nathan,  382. 

Paine,  Thomas  T.,  317,  326. 

Paine,  Zacharv,  68. 

Parker,  Capt.  "Charles,  215. 

Parker,  Isaac,  218. 

Parmeter,  Benjamin,  26. 

Parsons.  General,  171. 

Patch,  kev.  George  W.,  295,  385. 

Pautumskey,  United  States  Steamer,  311. 

Peach,  Col.  Benjamin  P.,  Jr.,  299,  302. 

Peach,  John,  10,  13,  17,  19,  22,  25,  254. 

Peach,  John,  Jr.,  19,  26. 

Peach,  Mrs.  Emma,  333. 

Peach,  Thomas,  68. 

Peach,  William,  86,  347. 

Peach's  Point,  7,  14,  331,  340. 

Peacock,  Brig,  196,  215. 

Pearce,  John,  62. 

Pearce,  Richard,  243. 

Peck,  Rev.  Alfred,  387. 

Pedrick,  Andrew,  333. 

Pedrick,  George,  269. 

Pedrick,  John,  26,  3.3.3,  334. 

Pedrick,  John,  Jr.,  26. 

Pedrick,  John,  3d,  223. 

Pedrick,  Joseph,  235. 

Pedrick,  Knott,  200. 

Pedrick,  Major  John,  111,  344,  345. 

Pedrick,  Richard,  206. 

Pedrick,  Thomas,  108,  200. 

Peggy,  Ship,  177. 

Pembroke,  Frigate,  65,  66,  67,  68. 

Penet,  Brigantine,  179. 

Penballow,  Samuel,  38. 

Pepperill,  Sir  William,  58. 

Perkins,  Enoch,  326. 

Perseverance,  Schooner,  231. 

Perry,  United  States  Steamer,  311. 

Peters,  Rev.  Hugh,  11,  20. 

Peters,  Samuel,  196. 

Petro,  Elizabeth,  348. 

Pettengill,  Mr.,  309,  310. 

Phillip,  King,  27,  28. 

Phillips,   Capt.  Richard,   284,  285,   287, 

296,  297. 
Phillips,  Dea.  Stephen,  96,  97. 


420 


INDEX. 


Phillips,  Eben  B.,  312. 

Pliillips,  Major-general,  163. 

Phillips,  William  S.,  Jr.,  262. 

Phippen,  79. 

Phoebe,  Frigate,  251. 

Picke,  George,  26. 

Pickett,  Ann,  59. 

Pickett,  John,  59. 

Pickett,  Moses  A.,  271,  272,  343. 

Pickett,  M.  A.,  Engine,  314. 

Pickering,  Colonel,  157. 

Pickering,  John,  133. 

Pickering,  Rev.  George,  382. 

Pierce,  Rev.  George,  .Jr.,  330. 

Pierson,  Thomas,  337. 

Pigot,  Rev.  George,  368,  369. 

Pincknev,  C.  C.,  216. 

Pitford,  "Peter,  19. 

Pittsford,  Edward,  19. 

Pitman,  Charity,  33. 

Pitman,  Henry  F.,  319,  320,  326,  327,  330. 

Pitman,  Mark,  26. 

Pitman,  Miss  Mary  L.,  289. 

Pitman,  Thomas,  19,  20,  26,  30. 

Pitt  Pacett,  Brig,  80. 

Poat,  William,  27. 

Pole,  The,  183. 

Pomena,  Frigate,  184. 

Pond,  Brick,  276. 

Pond,  Red's,  325. 

Poor,  Captain,  231. 

Poquanum,  4. 

Porter,  Benjamin,  262,  350. 

Porter,  Capt.  David,  251,  252. 

Porter,  Thomas,  243. 

Porter  &  Green,  350. 

Post,  Boston,  3G2. 

Potter,  Henry  A.,  319. 

Pousland,  Thomas,  26. 

Pousland,  William,  243. 

Pow,  William,  20. 

Powers,  Capt.  John,  224,  322. 

Powers,  Capt.  Thomas,  80. 

Powers,  Capt.  William,  224. 

Preble,  United  States  Sloop-of-war,  307. 

Prentiss,  Benjamin  K.,  315. 

Prentiss,  Caleb,  Jr.,  325. 

Prentiss,  Commander,  308. 

Prentiss,  John,  99. 

Prentiss,  John,  Jr.,  257. 

Prentiss,  Joshua,  355,  381. 

Prentiss,  Miss  Amy  K.,  289. 

Prentiss,  Mr.,  213. 

Prescott,  Colonel,  140. 

Price,  Rev.  Joseph  H.,  375. 

Prichard,  Asa,  243. 

Prince,  John,  108,  192. 

Prince  of  Orange,  Ship,  251. 

Providence,  The,  180,  186. 

Putnam,  Ann,  32. 

Putnam,  Ann,  Jr.,  32. 

Putnam,  General,  141,  148. 

Putnam,  Israel,  267. 

Putnam,  Samuel,  235. 


Putnam's  Tavern,  223. 
Pythias,  Knights  of,  315- 

Queen  of  France,  186. 
Quilty,  James,  322. 

Raddin,.John,  3-33. 

Railroad,    Marblehead   and    Lynn,    312, 

317. 
Rainbow,  The,  178. 
Rainoni,  Rev.  Charles,  389. 
Ranger,  The,  186. 
Read,  Edward,  126. 
Rebekah,  Daughters  of,  315. 
Rechabites,  Samaritan  Tent  of,  269. 
Red,  Samuel,  31,  32. 
Red,  Wilmot,  31,  32,  33,  34. 
Red  Men,  Manataug  Tribe  of,  316. 
Redden,  Thaddeus,  26,  30. 
Reed,  Captain,  194,  198. 
Reed,  Hon.  William,  257,  333,  353,  354, 

375. 
Reed,  Jeremiah,  157. 
Reed,  Mary,  370. 

Reed,  Richard,  26,  29,  30,  61,  64,  71, 140. 
Reed,  Samuel,  26. 
Reed,  Thomas,  26. 
Reidesel,  Major-general,  163. 
Reith,  Richard,  26,  333. 
Relief,  The,  264. 
Relief  Association,  Citizens,  317. 
Reservoir,  Brick  Pond,  325. 
Revenge,  The,  195. 
Rexford,  Rev.  Jordan,  382. 
Reynolds,  Dr.  H.  A.,  321. 
Reynolds,  Franklin,  327. 
ReVnolds,  John,  390. 
Rhode  Island,   United    States  Steamer, 

305. 
Rice,  Rev.  William,  382. 
Richard,  Brig,  246. 
Richmond,  Rev.  John  B.,  376. 
Richmond,  United   States   Sloop-of-war, 

303. 
River  Head  Beach,  48,  299. 
Rix,  Asa  W.  S.,  307. 
Roads,  Henry,  335. 
Roads,  John,  20,  333,  334. 
Roads,  John,  .Jr.,  27. 
Roads,  Samuel,  296. 
Roads,  Samuel,  Jr.,  262. 
Robie,  Thomas,  126,  137,  3.50. 
Robinson,  Frederick,  263,  266,  271,  283. 
Robinson,  Rev.  John  P.,  376. 
Rock,  Half-way,  338. 
Rodolph,  United  States  Steamer,  303. 
Roff,  Samuel,  322. 
Rogers,  Samuel,  86. 
Rose,  Thomas,  26. 
Roundy,  Nathaniel,  270,  295. 
Rover,  Sloop,  194. 
Rowden,  Benjamin,  148. 
Rowland,  Richard,  20,  26. 
Russell,  Capt.  William,  262. 


INfiEX. 


421 


Kussell,  Henn',  2f5. 
Russell,  John,"  1:5,  108. 
Russell,  John,  317. 
Russell,  John  Cloon,  270. 
Russell,  Lewis,  l'J2. 
Russell,  Mary,  317. 
Russell,  Koger,  26. 
Russell,  Samuel,  333. 

Sabbath-school  Union,  257,  354. 

Salmon  Chi,  19. 

Sally,  Brig,  181.  , 

Sams,  Thomas,  14. 

Sanden,  Arthur,  14,  19. 

Sanden,  Thomas,  26. 

San  Domingo,  Ship,  243. 

Sanding,  Samuel,  26. 

Sargent,  Rev.  Thomas  F.,  382. 

Saverin,  Edward,  G8. 

Savings  Bank,  Marblehead,  316. 

Schools,  Grammar,  255. 

School,  High,  265. 

Schouler,  Gen.  William,  285,  295. 

Schuyler,  General,  157. 

Seaburv,  Bishop,  373. 

Searle,' William,  335. 

Seers,  Richard,  13. 

Selman,  Captain,  194,  195. 

Selman,  Capt.  John,  118,  140,  174,  223, 

342. 
Selman,  Miss  Marcia  M.,  323,  3-30. 
Sewall,  Joseph,  206,  212. 
Sewall,  Samuel,  52,  135,  206,  210,  212, 

214,  218,  219,  223,  235. 
Sewall,  Stephen,  207. 
Shannon,  Frigate,  248. 
Shaplev,  David,  33. 
Shaw,  John,  294.  295. 
Shaw,  Rev.  William,  364,  365. 
Shaw,  William,  41. 
Shavs,  Daniel.  203. 
Shehan,  Rev.  Thomas,  388. 
Shepard,  Colonel,  151. 
Shepard,  General,  303. 
Shute,  Governor,  365. 
Sias,  Rev.  Solomon,  382. 
Simpson,  Captain,  180. 
Skinner,  Captain,  177.    • 
Skinner,  Richard,  333. 
Slater,  John,  22. 
Smethurst,  Gamaliel,  68. 
Smith,  James,  17,  18,  26. 
Smith,  Joel,  108. 
Smith,  John,  243. 
Smith,  Rev.  William,  .382. 
Smith,  Right  Rev.  Benjamin  Bosworth, 

374. 
Smyth,  Thomas,  10,  26. 
Snow,  Adventure,  181. 
Snowbird,  Privateer,  242,  243. 
Society,  American  Tract,  354. 
Society,  Columbian,  260. 
Society,  Female  Humane,  263. 
Society,  Hibernian  Friendly,  273,  323. 


Society,  Massachusetts  Medical,  349. 

Society,  Seamen's  Charitable,  263,  270. 

Society,  Soldiers'  Aid,  289,  291,  300. 

Society,  Spiritualist,  271. 

Society,  Unitarian,  300. 

Society,  Women's  Centennial  Aid,  329. 

Sparhawk,  Miss  Sarah  E.,  289. 

Sparhawk,  John,  134,  338,  348. 

Sparhawk,  John,  Jr.,  263. 

Sparhawk,  Peter,  261. 

Sparhawk,  Samuel,  261,  319. 

Spaiilding,  Rev.  Newell  S.,  382. 

Spaulding,  Rev.  Nathan  B.,  382. 

Springbird,  The,  195,  196. 

Squirrel,  Frigate,  65,  66,  67,  68. 

Stacey,  Benjamin,  391. 

Stacev,  Ebenezer,  63. 

StaceV,  Henrv,  18,  26. 

Stacey,  John,'  19,  22,  26,  59,  333. 

Stacey,  Joseph,  118,  156. 

Stacey,  Widow,  27. 

Stanhope,  Capt.  Michael,  192. 

Stateman,  John,  68. 

St.  David,  The,  187. 

Stephens,  Alexander  H.,  283. 

Stephens,  General,  154. 

Stephens,  William,  13. 

Stevens,  John,  270. 

Stevens,  Robert  P.,  269. 

Stevens,  William,  326. 

Stevers,  Walter,  08. 

Stewart,  Amy,  818. 

Stewart,  John,  318. 

St.  Helena,  Ship,  191,  192. 

Sticknev,  Rev.  Moses  P.,  376. 

Stiles,  Captain,  196,  197. 

Stillwell,  Capt.  John,  191. 

Stilson,  Dinson,  26. 

Stirling,  Lord,  154. 

Stocking,  Rev.  Selah  S.,  382. 

Stone,  Benjamin,  266. 

Stone,  Rev.  Theodore  D.  P.,  36L 

Storv,  Bradstreet,  221. 

StorV,  Dr.  Elisha,  206,  219,  220,  235,  348, 

349,  355. 
Story,  Isaac,  Jr.,  384. 
Storv,  Joseph,  44,  45,  214,  215,  219,  235, 

236,  237,  248,  348. 
Story,  Rev.  Isaac,  123, 133,  135,  342,  345, 

379. 
Story,  William,  221,  235,  237,  345. 
Strong,  Caleb,  204. 
Strong,  Governor,  222. 
Stuart,  Rev.  Zalmon,  382. 
Sullivan,  General,  143,  154, 155, 166, 167, 

168,  170. 
Sumpter,  Confederate  Steamer,  304. 
Surriage,  Agnes,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57. 
Surriage,  Edward,  53. 
Surriage,  Isaac,  56. 
Sutherland,  Rov.  George,  382. 
Sutton,  Gen.  William,  272.  296. 
Sutton  Light  Infantry,  272,  284,  294,  297, 

299,  300,  346. 


422 


INDEX. 


Swaburgs,  Frederick,  68. 
Swain,  Mrs.,  57. 
Swallow,  Sloop,  233. 
Swan,  197. 
Swan,  J.,  335. 
Swasey,  Joseph,  156. 
Swasey,  Thomas,  298. 
Sweet,  Mason  H.,  307. 
Swett,  Joseph,  43,  51. 
Symes,  Captain,  181. 
Svmonds,  Henrv  0.,  326. 
Syms,  Mrs.,  33,' 34. 

Talbot,  Thomas,  331. 

Tanors,  Thomas,  26. 

Tarrantines,  2. 

Tasker,  330. 

Tatnall,  Commodore,  308. 

Temperance  Union,  Christian,  321. 

Tindley,  Thomas,  254. 

Tenedos,  Frigate,  250. 

Thacher,  Anthony,  9,  13. 

Thacher,  Oxenbridge,  73. 

Thomas,  David,  19,  26. 

Thomas,  William,  322. 

Thompson,  Benjamin,  267. 

Thompson,  Robert,  67. 

Thorn,  The,  183,  187,  188,  189,  190,  197, 

242,  246. 
Thorndike,  197. 
Tiberden,  Captain,  196. 
Tisjer,  The,  195,  197. 
Tiilinghast,  Rev.  N.  P.,  376. 
Times,  Essex  County,  262. 
Tomson,  Archibald, 13. 
Tomson,  Widow,  14. 
Topham,  James,  322. 
Torrent,  The,  264. 
Town  Pump,  71. 
Traill,  Horace,  262. 
Traill,  Major,  259. 
Trask,  Edward  1.,  262. 
Traveller,  The,  196. 
Travers,  Confederate  Schooner,  306. 
Trefry,  Henry  G.,  270. 
Trefrv,  Michael,  44. 
Trefry,  Miss  Tabitha,  289. 
Trefry,  Thomas,  68. 
Trefrv,  Wormsted,  148. 
Trevett,  Henry,  26,  62. 
Trevett,  John,  3.33. 
Trevett,  Richard,  333. 
Trevett,  Samuel  R.,  108,  111,  115,  117 

194,  198,  206,  273,  375. 
Trevv,  Thomas,  26. 
Tribbj',  John,  26. 
Tucker,  Andrew,  26. 
Tucker,   Commodore   Samuel,   130,  174, 

175,  177,  179,  180,  181,  184,  185,  186, 

187,  188,  189,  190,  191,  195. 
Tucker,  George,  195. 
Tucker,  John,  3.35. 
Tucker,  Rev.  C.  G.,  387. 
Tucker,  Rev.  T.  W.,  382. 


Turner,  Joseph  P.,  273,  319. 
Tutt,  Richard,  288. 
Tyranicide,  Ship,  197,  199. 

Uncals,  William,  68. 
Union,  The,  264. 
Upham,  Charles  W.,  272. 
Upham,  William  P.,  171. 

Vallison,  Captain,  194,  196. 
Valpej',  Thomas,  68. 
Van  Buren,  Martin,  268. 
Varnum,  General,  166. 
Venture,  Brig,  185. 
Vickarj',  George,  13. 
Victor,  The,  178. 
Vigilant,  The,  185. 
Ville  de  Milan,  Frigate,  224. 
Viper,  Ship,  195. 

Wadden,  Jacob,  243. 

Wadsworth,  President,  51. 

Waitt,  Aaron,  240. 

Wakefield.  John,  13   14. 

Walcot,  Mary,  31,  32. 

Waldron,  John,  22,  26,  333. 

Wales,  Sergt.  H.  F.,  287. 

Walpee,  Benjamin,  86. 

Walsingham,  Francis  Johnson,  19. 

Walton,  Samuel,  27. 

Walton,  William,  13,  14,  18,  19,  23,  26. 

Waltown,  Nathaniel,  30. 

Ward,  Captain,  180. 

Ward,  General,  117,  121,  1.39. 

Ward,  Rev.  Julius  H.,  324,  377,  378. 

Ward,  Samuel,  23,  26,  30. 

Warren,  Captain,  195. 

Warren,  Doctor,  90. 

Warren,  Isaac,  68. 

Warren,  Ralph,  14. 

Warren,  The,  197. 

Washington,  George,  118,  119,  120,  140, 

141,  142,  144,  145,  146,  147,  148,  150, 

154,  155,  156,  157,  172,  174,  205,  208, 

210,  211,  219,  342,  344,  351,  .368. 

Washington  Hook  and  Ladder  Company, 

271,  318. 
Waters,  Captain,  174,  391. 
Waters,  Hannah,  49. 
Waters,  William,  26. 
Watson,  215. 
Watson,  John  Lee,  127. 
Watson,  Marston,  206,  212,  354,  355. 
Watts,  James,  27. 
Watts,  John,  94. 
Webb,  Rev.  Daniel,  382. 
Webster,  Daniel,  270. 
Weeks,  Rev.  Joshua  Wingate,  125,  370, 

371,  372,  373. 
Welch,  Jonathan,  66. 
Well,  Stratton's  Spring,  334. 
Wells,  Rev.  Joshua,  382. 
Western  World,  United  States  Steamer 
305,  307,  308,  309,  310,  311. 


INDEX. 


423 


Wheelock,  Captain,  66. 

Whipple,  Commodore,  180,  186. 

Whipple,  Major-general,  163. 

White,  Capt.  John,  195. 

White,  James,  8. 

White,  Thomas,  26. 

Whitefield,   Rev.   Charles,   57,   58,   369, 
371. 

Whitehaire,  Abraham,  13,  19. 

Whittemore,  Dr.  H.  H.  F.,  326. 

A^hittemore,  Rev.  Benjamin,  385. 
Whittier,  John  G.,  336. 

Whitwell,  Rev.  William,  96,  97, 115,  135, 

198,  359. 
Wiggiu,  Rev.  James  Henry,  380. 
Wilcox,  Rev.  Bela,  384. 
Wild,  Edward,  108. 
Wild,  Rev.  Zenas  P.,  385. 
Wilkins,  John  H.,  327. 
Willard,  Jacob,  2-42. 
Williams,  Abigail,  32. 
Williams,  D.  R.,  236. 
Williams,  John,  27,  223. 


Williams,  Mrs.  Maria  L.,  273,  289. 
Williams,  Rev.  John  H.,  361. 
Winepoj'kin,  3,  4. 
Wiiinopeweekin,  .3,  4. 
Winslow,  Blr.,  2. 
Wiuthrop,  Governor,  8, 
Wise,  335. 
Witham,  John,  -322. 
Wolfe,  General,  66, 
Wonohaquahani,  3. 
Wood,  Richard,  62. 
Woodbridge,  Rev.  William  R.,  376. 
Woodtin,  Miss  Hannah  J.,  289. 
"Woodfin,  Thomas,  66. 
Woods,  William,  26. 
Wooldredge,  Thomas,  261. 
Wormwood,  Jacob,  33. 
Wormstead,  Joseph,  356- 
Wormstead,  Robert,  112,  117,  185,  186. 
191.  .        .        ,        . 

Wormstead  &  Woodfin,  326. 
Wright,  Governor,  119. 
Wyman,  Isaac  C,  338. 


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