pHBHBlllllIiUllUlMUUUIMm! Yale Universi

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Purchased from the income
of the bequest of
WILLIAM ROBERTSON COE
Honorary M.A. 1949, for
material in the field
of American Studies.

HOWARD KENDALL SANDERSON

Lynn in the Revolution

COMPILED FROM NOTES

GATHERED BY
HOWARD KENDALL SANDERSON

IN TWO PARTS
PART I

W. B. CLARKE COMPANY
26 and 28 Tremont Street
BOSTON
1909

Copyright, 1909
By CARRIE MAY SANDERSON

" Happy, thrice happy, shall they be pronounced hereafter who have con
tributed anything, who have performed the meanest office in erecting this
stupendous fabric of Freedom and Empire on the broad basis of indepen
dency, who have assisted in protecting the rights of human nature, and estab
lishing an asylum for the poor and oppressed of all nations and religions." —
Washington's Address to the Army, April 18, 1783.

Preface
OUR country is still young. Its story may yet be
told from the beginning, and may hold for its
children of to-day the freshness and reality of a
few yesterdays ago. It is not difficult for the mind to
compass the whole history of our wonderful nation and
to bring distinctly and vividly to view the small be
ginnings, the sure growth, the gathering tide of events
which made of the American Colonies one of the great
world powers. Yet the onward march has been so
swift, the planting and rearing and maintaining has
been so earnest and so eager, great men and brilliant
leaders have come so swiftly upon the scene, that we have
often been in danger of letting slip into forgetfulness the
quieter work and the humbler lives, without which the
solid foundations could never have been laid. It is only
as we feel ourselves a part of a great and noble whole
that its purposes and fortunes become more precious to
us; and if our own fathers wrought, however obscurely,
in the building of a noble structure, it becomes an es
pecial delight to preserve the record and to hand it on
to those who may come after us.
When we find that we are able to weave into the his
tory of our great country — that history which has been
written and rewritten until it has become a familiar
household story — the little family traditions, the hopes,
the fears, the struggles of the locality in which we live
and in which our ancestors played their part, there is
wakened in us a new interest, if not a new patriotism,
[v]

Preface
and we are eager to share with others our pleasure and
our enthusiasm. Such, at least, was the experience of
him who gathered the material for the local story of the
Revolution, which is told in the pages of this book.
The discovery that in the hands of a descendant of
the Revolutionary soldier, Henry Hallowell, of Lynn,
there was a complete narrative of the experiences of that
patriotic townsman as a soldier, written by himself, —
a narrative which had never been published, — suggested
to Mr. Sanderson the idea that there might be enough of
interest in it to warrant its publication. That alone was
the extent of the plan which at first presented itself to
his mind. But a careful reading of the manuscript re
vealed the fact that names and events were mentioned
which were not commonly known, and which led to in
quiries and the gleaning of additional facts, until paths
for investigation seemed to open in all directions and it
became an absorbing interest to follow them. As new
facts came to light, the conviction grew that these, added
to the Hallowell narrative, would make a story of unusual
interest to the descendants of old Lynn. For three years
Mr. Sanderson employed the leisure snatched from a
multitude of cares in gathering the material for this story,
and it was with untiring interest that he searched the
records of the nation, the state, and the neighboring
towns for the names of Lynn soldiers. Many of the
descendants of the soldiers themselves were able to give
him much desirable information regarding them, and a
few individuals aided him constantly in his work, — not
ably Miss Harriet L. Matthews, the city librarian, who
with unfailing courtesy and sympathy not only placed
at his disposal the valuable historical i'ecords of the Lynn
[vi]

Preface
Public Library, but also often added data which she her
self had gathered. Mr. Frank E. Swain frequently ac
companied him on his pilgrimages, and by his work with
the camera made it possible to obtain the hitherto unpub
lished portraits and the facsimiles of documents which are
now presented for the first time.
When the autumn day came, in 1904, when he who
had planned so much must lay down his pen for the
last time, the work which had become so dear was un
finished, the purpose which had grown so full and clear
was unfulfilled, and had to be laid aside with all the plans
and purposes of a strong and active life. The abundant
sheets were put away for many days, but, when at length
they were again gathered together, it was found that,
incomplete though the work must now be, it was not im
possible that something of the original plan might still
be carried out. The first draft of the Lexington Chap
ter and the Captain John Mansfield Chapter had been
made, many of the biographical sketches had been writ
ten, the Lexington companies had been completed, and
multitudes of notes were ready for arrangement and for
verification, together with a clearly indicated outline for
the completion of the work. That outline has been as
closely followed as possible, and the story has been woven
together as connectedly as might be in the book which
is now given to the public. It is inevitable that some in
accuracies should creep into a work of this kind. A few
dates may be found which are incorrect, but they are
such as could not be corrected until their publication dis
covered the few persons who might be able to make them
right. If in the reading of the book there is awakened some
[vii]

Preface
slight degree of the interest and pleasure which were
its inspiration, the reward will be sufficient for thus put
ting into enduring form the result of many days of patient
research and labor given by one who loved Lynn, the
city of his adoption, and who died here on the fourteenth
of December, 1904.

[ viii ]

PART I

Contents

¦CHAPTEB PAGE
INTRODUCTION xv
I. EARLY FAMILIES AND EARLY WARS 1
II. BEGINNINGS OF THE REVOLUTION— EARLY PATRIOTIC
VOTES OF THE TOWN AND MEASURES TAKEN 7
III. THE LEXINGTON ALARM IN LYNN 25
IV. THE GATHERING OF THE ARMY AT CAMBRIDGE AND
THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL 51
V. COLONEL JOHN MANSFIELD 62
VI. LYNN MEN UNDER CAPTAIN NEWHALL AND CAPTAIN
KING— THE SIEGE OF BOSTON 76
VII. THE MARCH TO NEW YORK AND ACROSS THE
JERSEYS WITH WASHINGTON 84
VIII. LYNN'S PART IN THE BURGOYNE CAMPAIGN 95
IX. THE RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE
AT SEA Hi
X. AT WEST POINT 130
XL THE END OF THE STORY 142
XII. THE HALLOWELL JOURNAL 149
SUPPLEMENT 179
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 185

[Xi]

List of Illustrations

1775

Portrait op Howard Kendall Sanderson
Map of Lynn in ye Olden Time . .
Pages from Lynn Records ...
Map of Ancient Lynn .
Jededlah Newhall House .
Old Boston Street and Vicinity
Frederick Breed House ....
Increase Newhall Tavern . .
Gowing Tavern 
The Reynolds House .
Willow Castle 
A Revolutionary Record .... ...
Home of Colonel Ezra Newhall 
Commission of John Upton 
Gravestones of Colonel Mansfield and Colonel Flagg .
Commission of Harris Chad well 
Silhouette of Colonel John Flagg 
Commission of Theophilus Bacheller ...
Commission of Jonathan Brown . . 
Portrait of Zachariah Attwill 
Home of Charles Florence . .  .
Fac-similes of Soldiers' Passes ...
The Isaac Organ House 
Fac-similes of Soldiers' Discharges . 
Group in Old Western Burial Ground ....
Memorial to Revolutionary Soldiers ....
Cover' of Hallowell Journal  
Commission of Frederick Breed  . . . .
Pages from the Hallowell Journal 
Discharge op Henry Hallowell .  .
The Henfield House  
The Nathan Attwill House 
•Commission of Theophilus Bacheller 

Facing page
Frontispiece . . xvi
7, 8, 16, 17, 52

page

page

pagepage

page page

293031333440 4346495675
80 98
107111 117
125
135 141 143
145147 149150 169 177
187 192196

[ xiii ]

List of Illustrations
Facing page
Commission of Captain Nathaniel Bancroft . 201
The Nathaniel Bancroft House 202
Home of John Batts . 205
The Abijah Boardman House 210"
The Ivory Boardman House 212
The Samuel Boardman House 214
The Ephraim Breed House . 219
Gravestones of Ebenezer Burrill and Isaac Organ 238
Commission op Lieutenant Harris Chadwell . . 246
Portrait of Dr. Abijah Cheever . 252
Do'ctor Abijah Cheever House . 254
Portrait of Dr. James Gardner 274
Old Church, Lynnfield Centre 285
Old Hallowell House . . . 289
Gravestones op Harris Chadwell and Captain Ebenezer
Hart 293
The Hitchings-Draper-Hawkes House 298-
Nathan Hawkes House 301
John Ireson's List of Cartridges 317
The Tarbell House 320
Discharge of John Larrabee . 329
Thomas Mansfield House 347
Application for Pension for Ebenezer Parsons 405
Discharge of Ebenezer Parsons 406
Certificate of James Robinson 427
Portrait of Captain James Robinson 428
Roby House . . . 429
Home of David Tufts 448
Old Tunnel Meeting-house 466-

[xiv]

INTRODUCTION

Introduction
STANDING to-day upon one of the pleasant hill
sides of Lynn and looking out over the busy and
populous city, we realize how great have been the
changes since the first five families came from the
mother country and took up their abode on the "faire
level plain" before us. Our city lies close to the sea,
facing the waters of Massachusetts Bay, and stretches
back to a range of heavily wooded hills, covered now,
as in the days of the first settlers, with a growth of oak,
pine, and maple. From these hills, the highest in Essex
County, the eye reaches westward to Mount Wachusett,
south to the Blue Hills of Milton, and northeast to the
headlands of Cape Ann. In front the winding shore
reveals Hull, Scituate, and Hingham. Boston, to the
southwest, is distinctly located by the glittering dome of
the State House; and the islands which dot its harbor,
even to Minot's Ledge, are within view, their numer
ous lights at night gleaming with kindly beacons to the
ships coming in from the sea. It is only as we look out
over the unchanging waters of the Atlantic that we can
think of the scene as the same which met the eyes of
our Puritan ancestors. There Nahant, with the same
long sandy beach which New England's first historian,
William Wood, mentions as sheltering the little harbor
of Lynn, and old Egg Rock, lie as peacefully before us
as when Nahant was only used by the white settlers for
the "pasturage of young cattle, goats, and swine."
Turning from the sea and glancing landward, to the
[xv]

Introduction
right, the winding Saugus River still follows its ancient
course and, bordered by hill and valley, flows down to the
bay. At the back of the city, nestled among the wooded
hills, are its series of pleasant ponds and lakes.
It is not the purpose of this book to enter into a de
scription of the early settlement of Lynn in detail, but,
that there may be a background for the narrative which
is to follow, it may be well to sketch briefly a few out
lines. We may take it for granted, perhaps, that while
various motives may have led our forefathers to cross
the Atlantic and risk life and fortune in a new and un
tried country, the one which stood before all others was
the desire to found an asylum where religious liberty
might be enjoyed. Why this should have seemed to
them necessary, why it was not possible for them to re
main in old England, dear to them through every asso
ciation, is a story which has been often told, and would
take us back through a hundred years and more of the
history of Europe. It is enough that through many
troubled years a readjustment of religious thinking had
been taking place in England, together with the advance
in science and art and letters. The number had been
growing constantly larger of those who felt that they could
no longer conscientiously conform to the usages of the
Church. Non-conformists they became, perforce, and
the most radical among them chose exile rather than sub
mission to requirements which savored to them of popery
and idolatry. Thus some of these people, at the begin
ning of the seventeenth century, were to be found in
Holland, and a little later, braving the hardships of win
ter, on the shores of America, encompassed about by
famine, disease, and a savage foe. They were separa-
[xvi]

r ^rM, ft !l^-!iM e

V' *>'•:>;-¦#/

Introduction
tists in thought and reality from the Church of their native
land. Fanatics, persistent and disloyal, they were con
sidered, although some of them were among the most
learned and heretofore most honored among their coun
trymen. Only a few, however, were in that brave little
band at Plymouth. The great majority of friends and
sympathizers to some extent in the new movement re
mained in England, not yet ready to separate from the
mother Church. It is plain, however, that for long there
was in the minds of these earnest men the purpose to
some day plant in America another colony where they
themselves might put into practice, unmolested, their
religious views. Not that none came to these shores
with the idea of settling. From the time of the planting
of the Plymouth Colony until the foundation of the one
which most nearly interests us, — quoting from Mather's
"Magnalia," — "There were more than a few attempts of
the English to people and improve the parts of New Eng
land which were to the northward of New Plymouth.
But the designs of these attempts being aimed no higher
than the advancement of some worldly interests, a con
stant series of disasters confounded them, until there
was a plantation erected upon the nobler designs of
Christianity." He refers, no doubt, to those settlements
which were made to further the fishing interests of the
London merchants, the chief of which, probably, being
the one at Cape Ann, and which lasted for a year or more.
A few of the more industrious and honest of the men of
that plantation did, indeed, remain and become per
manent settlers, although not at Cape Ann, but "some
four or five leagues further south to Nahum-Keike," —
a quaint rendering of our familiar "Naumkeag."
[ xvii ]

Introduction
The little company of men who established themselves
at Nahum-Keike laid the foundation on which the next
colonies were built; yet because they came unofficially
as it were, and were overshadowed by the superior con
dition of those who soon followed them, it is not the name
of their governor, Roger Conant, which stands out most
prominently in the records, but that of "Master Endicot
a man well known to divers persons of good note," ap
pointed and sent over a little later by the Massachusetts
Bay Company, in England. Master Endicott with his
men arrived at Naumkeag in September, 1628, and, unit
ing with the planters already there under Roger Conant,
made a company of "not above fifty or sixty persons,"
who were the pioneers of the Massachusetts Bay Col
ony. The next year, 1629, a much larger company came
with their minister, Francis Higginson, and a colony of
some three hundred persons began taking up land and
making homes. It was from this band that the first five
families came who are recorded as being in that year at
"Saugust, now Linne." Their names are given by the
historian Alonzo Lewis as Edmund Ingalls, Francis
Ingalls, William Dixey, William Wood, and John Wood.
Of these, William Dixey, who came from England in the
employ of Mr. Isaac Johnson, gives us, according to Mr.
Lewis, the authentic statement in regard to their settle
ment at Lynn. In a deposition in Essex Court, in 1657,
he says that upon his arrival at Salem "application was
made by him and others 'for a place to set down in; upon
which Mr. Endicott did give me and the rest leave to
go where we would; upon which we went to Saugust,
now Linne and there we met Sagamore James and som
other Indians, who did give me and the rest leave to
[ xviii ]

Introduction
dwell there or thereabouts; whereupon I and the rest
of my master's company did cutt grass for our cattell,
and kept them upon Nahant for som space of time ; for
the Indian, James Sagamore and the rest did give me
and the rest in behalf of my master Johnson, what land
we would; whereupon we set down in Saugust, and had
quiet possession of it by the abovesaid Indians, and kept
our cattell in Nahant the sumer following.'"
Our imagination lingers over those earliest comers
longer, perhaps, than over any others who in later days
walked the familiar streets of our home town. They
came, indeed, to an unknown wilderness, yet we can but
think that there was happy expectation along with the
undaunted courage which has always been ascribed to
them. The company which came with Francis Hig
ginson, viewing the shore from Cape Ann to Salem,
must have felt quite differently from that other company
which landed at Plymouth on a bleak December day a
few years before. This was June, — a New England
June, — and in the interesting account which Higginson
has left us we read that the little fleet sailed along the
coast and saw every hill and dale and every island full
of gay woods and high trees. He says: "The nearer
we came to the shore, the more flowers in abundance,
sometimes scattered abroad, sometimes joined in sheets
nine or ten yards long, which we supposed to be brought
from the meadows by the tide. Now what with fair
woods and green trees by land and these yellow flowers
painting the sea, made us all desirous to see our new para
dise of New England, whence we saw such forerunner
signals afar off."
Thus, in a word, was the first colony established, — two
[ xix ]

Introduction
hundred at Salem and the rest disposed about the bay.
Those settled at Salem made haste to build houses, and
within a short time they had, indeed, "a fair town."
Very quickly they formed their church under the good
offices of their pastor, Higginson, who says that their
greatest comfort and means of defence was that " they
could have the true religion, and holy ordinances of
Almighty God, with plenty of preaching, diligent cate
chising, with strict and careful exercise."
The same year of the coming of Higginson and the
beginning of Lynn, it was voted by the Massachu
setts Bay Company, in England, to transfer the chief
government of the colony from England to New England,
and preparations were begun for so doing. In another
year Governor Winthrop came with his great fleet, — fif
teen ships, and not far from fifteen hundred persons,
Yery many of whom were "people of rank and good cir
cumstance." Many of these, we know, went to make up
the first settlements, in Charlestown, Dorchester, and
Watertown, but some tarried at Lynn; and we find for
the first time, in 1630, some of the names familiar in the
old-time records and no less familiar in our annals to-day.
Inasmuch as some of these family names will appear
frequently in the succeeding pages, it will be of interest
to note here these emigrant ancestors. Edmund and
Francis Ingalls, the first settlers, came in 1629. Allen
Breed, William Ballard, George Burrill, Edward Baker,
John Bancroft, Nicholas Brown, Thomas Chadwell,
William Edmunds, John Hall, Adam and John Hawkes,
Thomas Hudson, Christopher Lindsey, Thomas Newhall,
Robert Potter, John Ramsdell, Edward Richards, and
Thomas Willis came in 1630. There arrived in the early
[xx]

Introduction
succeeding years Edmund Farrington, Abraham Bel
knap, John Pool, Thomas Townsend, Richard Johnson,
Samuel Aborn, Hugh and John Alley, Lieutenant Thomas
Bancroft, and Andrew Mansfield.
While plantations sprang up around the bay and grew
apace, Lynn remained a little community of farmers, and
grew but slowly, possibly because there were few "of
rank and good circumstance" who made their homes here.
Indeed, we know that the men of large estates and those
holding office settled elsewhere, — in Salem, Charlestown,
Dorchester, and Watertown. William Wood, referring
to Boston, in 1632, says that "this town although it be
neither the greatest nor the richest, yet it is the most
noted and frequented, being the center of the planta
tions where the monthly courts are kept. Here likewise
dwells the governor." Johnson, in his History of New
England, published in London in 1654, speaks of the
imposing edifices of the "city-like town of Boston" and
of the orderly and comely streets "whose continued en
largement presageth some sumptuous city," while of
Lynn he says, at the same time, "Their streets are straight
and comely but yet thin of houses." He tells us, in fact,
that there were only about a hundred houses for dwelling
which were "built remote."
For one hundred and fifty years Lynn continued to
be a village of yeomen, who feared God, tilled the soil,
and were content with the returns yielded from their
labors.

[xxi]

Chapter I
EARLY FAMILIES AND EARLY WARS
When the first settlers came from Salem and decided
to "set down" in "Saugust now Linne," a much larger
territory was included in the early town than now belongs
to our modern city. Reading, Lynnfield, Saugus, Swamp-
scott, and Nahant, together with what is now Lynn,
made up the "Saugust" of the early settlers, Reading
only being set off as a separate town before the Revolu
tionary War. Nor did the first comers find themselves
in undisputed possession of this large territory, for there
can be no doubt that the Indians were numerous through
all the region, many evidences still remaining of their
presence here, while tradition and history have preserved
their memory through nearly three hundred years. One
of their encampments was on land west of Walnut Street
and directly beside what is now called Birch Brook.
Here, surrounded by hill and valley, on land fertile and
productive, by clear springs of water which have re
mained to this day, they built their wigwams. Mr. Lewis,
in his History of Lynn, notices also those in the neigh
borhood of Sagamore Hill and High Rock and at Swamp-
scott and Nahant. These were all a part of the power
ful Pawtucket tribe, of which Nanapashemet, who some
times lived in Lynn, was chief. The Indian name of
Saugus was retained by the settlers for eight years until
the General Court at Boston, in 1637, changed the name
to Lynn in honor of Lynn Regis, or King's Lynn, in old
England. That part which the Indians called "Swamp-
[1]

Lynn in the Revolution
scott" still bears its ancient name, while Nahant and
Saugus and many of the chieftains' names preserve for
us the pleasant sounds of the Indian language. As
years went by, other names were applied to different
localities within the borders of Lynn, and from those
names we are able to trace the homes of a few of the
early families, although at this late day it would be a
difficult matter to locate them all. Such names, how
ever, as Breed's End, Mansfield's End, Gravesend, and
Woodend indicate clearly enough the part of the town
in which some of them lived, while out of the network of
streets which cross and recross our city to-day we are able
to trace, from the few ancient and weather-beaten houses
which remain, the long roads which in time connected
our forefathers with their neighboring towns and with
one another. From such ancient landmarks it would
seem that the Boston Street of to-day, the old County
Road of the fathers, was among the earliest to be laid
out. This was the only avenue from Boston to Salem,
Newburyport, and Portsmouth. Over it came the rum
bling stage-coach, and to and fro went the commerce
of the colony. Entering Lynn from Rumney Marsh,
or Chelsea, it ran along under the hills of Saugus, crossed
the river by the ford and later by the bridge at the mill,
ascended over Willis's Hill, now Tower Hill, continued
on up the course of Strawberry Brook to Flax Pond, then
turned sharply to the left by the base of Mansfield's Hill,
and went on to Salem by way of the present Peabody.
Along this road were the homes of many of the first fam
ilies. A road connecting Lynn with Marblehead ran from
what is now Ocean Street along King's Beach, and so on
[2]

Lynn in the Revolution
to the ancient seaport. Later a new road was laid out
to connect with the same point, now known as Essex
Street. For the interesting story of the development of the
little town up to the time of the Revolution, we have but
to look in the annals of Lynn as gathered by her loyal
sons, Alonzo Lewis and Judge James R. Newhall. In
teresting though it would be to review again the princi
pal points in her early history, it seems scarcely necessary
to more than touch upon them in a work designed to
tell another tale.
We note, in passing, the establishment of laws for the
social well-being of the community, for its protection, and
for the advancement of its people. We are curiously
interested in the peculiar customs and quaint manners
which prevailed. We smile at some of the odd charac
ters who played their part on that early stage, and note the
large place which the church and school held in the af
fections of the inhabitants. We find that there were
some lapses in morals and violations of the law, which
met with quick rebuke and sure punishment. Yet, with
it all, the steady march was onward. Hardships there
were in a land all new, — hardships which developed all
the courage of the founders of Lynn, and made of their
sons good soldiers. Troubles with the Indians very soon
made it necessary to establish some sort of military rule,
and a company was organized in 1630, the officers being
appointed by the governor. From this time the town
steadily maintained its militia. In the first war with the
Pequots, in 1636, Lynn supplied one company, under
command of Captain Nathaniel Turner, which did ac
tive duty. Upon the breaking out of hostilities in the
[3]

Lynn in the Revolution
year following, 175 men were raised for a second ex
pedition against the Pequots, of whom Lynn furnished
twenty-one. In 1638 the Ancient and Honorable Ar
tillery Company was formed, Daniel Howe, of Lynn
being chosen first lieutenant, and Edward Tomlins and
Nathaniel Turner members. In 1642, during the ex
citement prevailing at the announcement of an out
break among the Indians, a blockhouse was built, to the
west of Birch Brook, the cellar of which may still be
located. In 1644 the General Court made provision for
the two great guns in town, of which Captain Bridges
had the care. In 1645 the General Court ordered that
youth, from ten to sixteen years of age, should be ex
ercised on training days in the use of small guns, half
pikes, bows and arrows. That military service was com
pulsory in the early days is shown by the complaint to
the Court of Daniel King, in 1637, that his goods had
been taken to the amount of fifty shillings by "the
captain of ye trayned band of Lynn, for supposed
neglect of trayning, he being lame, and willing to find
a sufficient man." The Court ordered him to pay fifty
shillings for the past and ten shillings annually for the
future. In 1658 Lynn, Reading, and Chelsea were au
thorized to raise a troop of horse and choose their own
officers, "provided they be not ferry free, nor have five
shillings yearly allowed them from the country, as other
troopers have." This was the famous "Three County
Troop," so called from the fact that the membership was
from towns in Suffolk, Middlesex, and Essex Counties.
In 1675 occurred the famous King Philip's War. The
military company in Lynn was commanded by Captain
Thomas Marshall, Lieutenant Oliver Purchis, and Ensign
[¦*]

Lynn in the Revolution
John Fuller. Fifteen men were impressed from Lynn
by order of the General Court, in addition to those who
had been previously detached. Their names were
Thomas Baker, Robert Driver, Job Farrington, Samuel
Graves, Isaac Hart, Nicholas Hitchins, Daniel Hitchins,
John Lindsey, Jonathan Locke, Charles Phillips, Sam
uel Rhodes, Henry Stacy, Samuel Tarbox, Andrew Tar-
box, and Isaac Wellman. This company was in the
expedition against the Narragansetts and probably in the
great Swamp Fight at South Kingston, R.I., Ephraim
Newhall being killed there and Andrew Townsend
wounded. Lynn was represented in Queen Anne's War by a con
siderable number of men. During the French and Ind
ian War she sent a large number to fight for the king.
They were in nearly every engagement in the contest,
served at Crown Point, at Ticonderoga, were on the
Plains of Abraham and on the frontiers. Many of them
died, several attained to military rank.
We thus briefly note conditions in the town up to the
close of the French and Indian War. The results of
that war could scarcely have been of greater importance,
and they were felt in the little world around Massachu
setts Bay no less than in that larger world outside where
the leading nations of Europe were affected by the hard-
won victory to the English arms. To quote a recent
authority, "The Seven Years' War furnished the oppor
tunity and prepared the way for the American Revolu
tion." The colonies no longer feared their old enemy,
the French, on their northern border, and consequently
felt less dependent upon the mother country in case of
need; their martial training had helped to foster a spirit
[5]

Lynn in the Revolution
of independence; they felt themselves Englishmen, able
now, in peace or war, to take care of themselves.
There have been various opinions in regard to the place
where American Independence began, and John Adams is
credited with saying that it was in silently listening to the
tavern talks among the farmers that he first came to real
ize that American Independence was inevitable and close
at hand. In the traditions of the town meetings of Lynn,
in the anecdotes handed down from old stage-coach days,
in the numberless writings of old-time inhabitants whose
recollections of the little shoemakers' shops have been
preserved for us, we have found again and again the
breathings of independence. It is these whisperings of
independence which it will be our interest to follow until
they are lost in the mighty voice gathered from all the
colonies ; and we shall trace, in so far as may be, the fort
unes of the men of Lynn who were led by that voice
through the long struggle for liberty.

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Chapter II
BEGINNINGS OF THE REVOLUTION -EARLY
PATRIOTIC VOTES OF THE TOWN AND
MEASURES TAKEN
In the autumn of 1768 the first British soldiers arrived
in the town of Boston. They were sent by vote of the Par
liament of Great Britain in order that the king's rebellious
subjects might be overawed. Word reached Boston in
September that they were on their way, and the news was
not long in travelling over the road to Lynn, for we find
that almost immediately the following notification ap
peared in conspicuous places in the town: —
"Notification For Town meeting Sept. 16th— 1768
" The Inhabitants of this Town are hereby Notified, to attend
a town meeting at the Old meeting house in sd town on Mun-
day ye 19th Instant at 3 of the Clock after noon To Se if
the Town will chuse a person or such Persons as they may
think fitt to attend a convention to be held at Boston at
Funels hall on Thursday the 22d Instant. To Consult Just
Reasonable & Proper Measures to be Taken For the Secur
ing the Crown and Government & also the Constitutional
Rights & Privileges of the Inhabitants which they ought to
Enjoy by Charter — By order of the Selectmen
"Ebenezer Burrill Town Clerk''
The meeting was held in due time, with Deacon Daniel
Mansfield as moderator, and chose Ebenezer Burrill by
a great majority as the delegate.
We are accustomed to the thought that all New England
[7]

Lynn in the Revolution
was more or less excited by the intelligence of an armed
force having arrived on her shores, and every school -boy
has studied the history of the stirring times which followed.
The names of Boston, Charlestown, Cambridge, Salem,
Concord, and Lexington are inseparably linked in the
thought of those times, but we look in vain for the name of
"Lynn," the pleasant town lying close to the shore of the
bay and in the thoroughfare between Boston and Salem,
Marblehead, and Portsmouth. Certain it is that no not
able event took place within her borders, and no name
of national importance can be credited to her records,
yet we need nothing more than the fact of this meeting to
realize that she was keenly alive to the welfare of the col
ony and stood ready to do her share in maintaining it.
We are not able to tell specifically what was done in
the little town during the seventeen months that the
two obnoxious regiments were quartered in the neigh
boring town of Boston. We can only imagine that the
prevailing topics of conversation by the fireside, on the
farm, and in the shop were the all-absorbing ones of the
acts of the British ministry, of taxation, of charter rights,
of the arrogance of Governor Bernard and the toryism of
Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson. We have no further
record, however, until after the Boston Massacre, when
we find, under date of May 24, 1770, the following: —
"1. Voted we will Do our Endevor to Discountenance the use
of foreign tea.
"2. Voted no person to Sustain any office of profit that will not
Comply with the above vote.
"3ly. Voted no Taverner or Retaler Shall be Returned to Ses
sions that will not assist in Discountenancing the use of sd tea & ve
Selectmen to give it as Reasons to ve Sessions.

s>

[8]

C-1 A- ri. c «»/<>-«- " Lq i.,7~ rJ^/r / Mf./

PAGE FROM TOWN RECORDS
Lynn in the Revolution
"4ly. Voted unanmously that we will use our Endevor to pro
mote our own manufacturing among us.
"Lastly voted a committee Be chose to Inspect the Conduct of
all Buyers & Sellers of tea in this town and take Subscriptions —
accordingly ye following Gentmen wee chose. Zacheus Collins,
Salvenas Husey, John Mansfield, Increase Newhall & Joseph New
hall. Committee to report to ye Selectmen ye first Monday in July
next." This interesting record is found written in the hand
writing of the town clerk, Ebenezer Burrill, but unsigned.
The hated Stamp Act was indeed a thing of the past, and
the two British regiments were withdrawn from Boston,
yet there still remained heavy grievances against the gov
ernment. The fact that a promise had been made that
there should be a repeal of all duties except that of the
tax on tea was a long way from satisfying the hard-
headed and far-seeing colonists, who were contending
for a principle. It would seem that in the little com
munity at Lynn there must have been discussed at this
time the possibility of armed resistance, for the people
were looking to their arms and ammunition, voting in
town meeting on the very day of the Boston Massacre
that "The Town Stock of Ammunition be moved from
ye meeting house. Voted ye Selectmen should have ye
care of it and provide some place to Secure ye same as
soon as may be."
We wonder to-day at the short-sightedness and obsti
nacy of the British ministry during these years of contro
versy and disagreement between Englishmen on either
side of the Atlantic. The inevitable result of its policy,
which appears so plain to us to-day, seemed to be at that
time discerned only by a Pitt or a Burke. Again and
[»]

Lynn in the Revolution
again did Lord Chatham come from his retirement back
to the House of Lords, and with all the strength of his
great mind plead for the colonies, urging that milder
measures be taken and greater wisdom and understand
ing be shown in dealing with Englishmen across the sea.
It was only he and a very few others in Parliament who
could comprehend the spirit which breathed in every
town and hamlet in the thirteen colonies, and could say,
"I rejoice that America has resisted." In spite of the
debates which took place in Parliament at this time,
its policy became more and more vexatious. Nearly
every colony suffered in some way. The promise of
the repeal of all importation tax, except that on tea, was,
indeed, kept in the April following the Boston Massa
cre, yet on the last day of the spring session of the General
Court of Massachusetts the following resolve passed,
namely : —
"Whereas by the act of Parliament a duty is levied upon foreign
teas imported into this Province, with the express purpose of raising
a revenue upon his Majesty's subjects here Mithout their consent,
upon which account the use and consumption of foreign teas is pred-
judicial to the true interest of the Province, Resolved, that the mem
bers of this House will use their utmost endeavors to prevent the
use and consumption thereof in the several towns to which they be-

This grievance of taxation was one which affected all
the colonies, and, while they were perfectlv willing to
aid in support of the government, they wished to con
tribute to its support, and not to be taxed by a govern
ment in which they were not represented.
In 1772, according to Fiske, "black thunder clouds
[10]

Lynn in the Revolution
of war gathered." On the Records of Lynn at this time
the following entry was made : —
"At a Town Meeting Leagely assembled Jany. 6th 1772, Dean.
Danil Mansfield chosen Moderator, the Question being put after
the papers was Red, Relating to Publick Greaveances the prvince
Labours under in Regard to their Rights and Privileges,
"Voted unanimously that this Town will concur in centiments
with the towns of Boston & the Neighboring towns of the Province
with regard to our Constitutional and Charter Rights and Privi
leges. "Voted to instruct the Representative to stand firm for our Char
ter wrights and Priviledges.
"Voted to chuse a comittee of Seven men to corespond with
comittees of other Towns Respecting the Greavences we do labour
under "Voted Capt. John Mansfield, Majr. Abner Cheever, Deacn.
Abijah Cheever, Doer. John Flagg, Dean. Nathanel Bancroft, Sal-
venas Hussey & Josiah Martain. (Deacn. Danil Mansfield added
in martain's rume.) "
The choosing of this committee indicates how closely
in touch were the inhabitants of Lynn with their neigh
bors in Boston, and how strong was the sympathy between
them. The year 1772 marked the formation of the Com
mittees of Correspondence throughout the colonies, the
work of which was to draw together by a bond never to
be broken people who heretofore had understood little
of one another, and had been content to know little of
one another.
When in November, 1773, the Committees of Corre
spondence from the towns of Cambridge, Brookline,
Roxbury, Dorchester, and Boston met together in Fan-
[H]

Lynn in the Revolution
euil Hall to discuss the landing of tea in Boston, they
sent out letters to all the other towns in the colony, con
taining these words: —
"Brethren, we are reduced to this dilemma: either to sit down
quiet under this and every other burden that our enemies shall see
fit to lay upon us, or to rise up and resist this and every plan laid for
our destruction, as becomes wise freemen. In this extremity we
earnestly request your advice."
It was a call which brought the following response from
the patriotic townsmen of Lynn: —
"At a meeting of the Freeholders & other Inhabitants (qualified
by law to vote) of the town of Lynn, Duly and Legaly assembled
on the 16th day of Deer, ano Dom 1773, the following resolves were
unanimously past
"That the people on the British American colonies by their con
stitution of Government have a Right to freedom & an Exemption
from Every Degree of oppression & slavery.
"2ly That it is an Essential Right of Freemen to have the Dis
posal of their own property & not to be taxed by any power over
which they have no control.
"3ly that the parlimentary Duty Laid upon Tea Landed in
America is in Effect a tax upon the americans without their Con
sent. " 4ly That the late act of parlement allowing the East India com
pany to land their Tea to America on their own account, was art
fully framed for the purpose of Enforceing & carrying into Effect
the Oppressive act of Parliment Impousing a Duty upon Teas Im
ported into America & is a fresh proof of the settled and deter
mined Designs of the ministry to Deprive us of freedom & Reduce
us to Slavery.
"5ly Resolved that we highly Disaprove of the Landing & Selling
[12]

Lynn in the Revolution
of Such Teas in America & will not suffer any Teas Subjected to
a parhmentary Duty to be Landed or sold in this town & that we
stand Redy to assist our Brathren at Boston or Elsewhere when
ever our aid shall be Required in Repelling all attempts to Land or
Sell any Teas poisoned with a Duty.
"And whereas the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston have regerly
applyed to the persons appointed there by the East India Company
to Receive and vent off their Teas Delivered them to Resign their
trust but have obestanatly Repeatedly & Daringly Refused
"6ly Resolved that those Consignees have Shown a Ready Dis
position to become the tules of a vile & corrupt ministry, Supported
by a venal & Tiranical Parlement to oppress & Enslave their Native
Country & come under the Same Class of infamous Creatures with
the Governors, the Commissioners and their Dependents those of
enemies & traitors to their Countrey, have manifested the Stubid-
ity to Sacrifice Liberty to averise, & the wickedness when occasion
Shall Serve to Riot on the Spoils of their Brathren & have forfeited
their Right to personal protection & Security
"7ly That a tribute of Gratitude from us to the patriotic town of
Boston, for the Public Virtue which they have Shown in the oppo
sition which they have made to the ministerial plan for Deluding the
americans into a compliance with the Detestable Tea act.
" Votd that the foregoing Resolves Be Entred of the town Records
& a Coppy thereof be Delivered to Comittee of Coraspondence to
Be Sent to the Comitte of Corespondance at Boston."
This meeting, recorded in the handwriting of Ebenezer
Burrill, was held on the very date of the famous one in
the Old South Meeting-House in Boston, which was fol
lowed by the throwing of three hundred and forty-two
chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
An account of the feeling which prevailed in Lynn at
this time would not be complete without repeating the
following incident which has come down to us in the
[13 1

Lynn in the Revolution
"Annals of Lynn," gathered by Mr. Lewis. To use his
own words: —
"A report having been put in circulation through the town, that
Mr. James Bowler, who had a bake-house and a little shop, on Water-
hill, had a quantity of tea in store, a company of women went to his
house, demanded the tea, and destroyed it. This exploit was cer
tainly as great a piece of patriotism on their part, as that performed
in Boston Harbor the same year, and deserves to be sung in strains
of immortality. Slander, however, who is always busy in detract
ing from real merit, asserted that the women put on extra pockets
on that memorable night, which they filled with the fragrant leaf,
for their own private consumption."
A tradition is also preserved of at least two Lynn pa
triots who figured in the famous Boston tea-party. One
was Joseph Roby, son of the Rev. Joseph Roby, of the
Second Parish. He was the eldest son, twenty years
old at the time, and is given in the list published by
Francis S. Drake as "active in the destruction of the tea."
This Joseph was living, some time after the Revolution,
in Prince Street, Boston, and in 1819 in Hanover, N.H.
The other man, Mr. Francis Moore, though not living in
Lynn at the time of the famous tea-party, came here
soon after the Revolution, and spent the remainder of his
long life here. The Lynn Record of August fourteenth,
1833, in a notice of his death gives a short account of
the part which he took in the Revolutionary struggle,
and speaks of him as one of the few daring individuals
who participated in the celebrated act of throwing over
the tea in Boston Harbor, giving the interesting infor
mation that he appeared on that occasion openlv and
without disguise, while most of his comrades were dis-
[14 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
guised as Indians. He was a baker, and in Cambridge
while the army was stationed in that town, and supplied
it with bread, selling it at a moderate price, on credit,
when it was doubtful whether he would ever receive
anything in return. This was particularly noteworthy
from the fact that, in consequence of the occupation of
Boston by the British, there was a scarcity of bread.
His zeal and generous patriotism attracted the special
notice of Washington, and at the time of his death, which
occurred when he was ninety-three years of age, special
mention was made of the fact that his life had been marked
throughout by generosity and personal sacrifice.
The Boston Port Bill was passed on the tenth of May,
1774. Governor Gage, arriving in Boston a few days
later, wrote home to the Earl of Dartmouth that he found
upon his arrival that a "town-meeting was holding to
consider of it," and that the act had staggered the most
presumptuous, adding that he did not propose to lay any
thing new before the Assembly, inasmuch as he deemed
it better to give the shock they had received time to
operate, doubtless believing that it would operate in
subduing the rebellious subjects of the king and in caus
ing them to make good to the East India Company the
loss of their tea. How mistaken he was, the sequel was
to show.
From every colony came letters of sympathy and en
couragement to the Correspondence Committee of Boston,
while in the neighboring towns indignation knew no
bounds. Many a wagon-load of supplies was trundled
over the road from Lynn, and many an anxious and
indignant meeting was held in the old meeting-house
to discuss the situation and to prepare for the contest
[15]

Lynn in the Revolution
which seemed inevitable. The selectmen were asked
to prepare a place or build a house for the town stock
of ammunition, and to furnish a suflicient stock as soon
as it could be obtained.
One entry which stands out with especial clearness in
the old records will illustrate the prevailing sentiment
regarding the Boston Port Bill, and may well be given
in this place:
"The Freeholders & other Inhabitants of This Town are hereby
Notified to attend a town meeting at the old meeting House in sd
town on Tuesday, the 28th. of June, 1774, at two of the clock after
noon, "To Consult upon Proper measures to be Taken by the Town for
the Recovery & Restoration of the Rights & Liberties of America
Ravished from them by the oppression of the British Parliment and
Especialy for the Relief of our Metroplas whose trade & Commerce,
upon which they Solely Depend for Subsistance is anniolated by the
Rigras Execution of the Boston port Bill, the Cruelty & Injustice of
which cannot but excit a just Indignation in the Breast of every
American. "Also to see whether the town will Bear their proportionable part
of the Sum of money allowed by the House of Representatives for
this province to Defray the Expence of the Committee appointed by
Them to meet upon a Congress of the Collonies and Determin upon
a proper method for Dowing the Same.
"By Order of the Selectmen, "Ebenezer Burrill, Town Clerk."
A little later the accumulation of grievances resulted
in a legal town meeting held on the twenty-second of
August, in which the inhabitants expressed themselves in
the following words : —
[16]

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PAGE FROM TOWN RECORDS

Lynn in the Revolution
"Being deeply sensible of the Dangerous State of the Liberties of
this Province from the Violent attacks of the British ministry &
Parliament who seem Determined in Violation of the Laws of Jus
tice and humanity to make us Subservient to their own Wicked
ambitious & Mercenary views, We cannot but be Especially alarmed
from the Two Last acts of parlament Whereby our Charter is in
part Vacated & the Vitals of our Constitution to be Destroyed —
tending to Establish arbitrary Government — and Secure the most
atrocious offenders from the Hands of Justice, We cannot but think
ourselves warranted by the Laws of Nature which are the Laws of
God & by the princeples of the Constitution, (which is not to be altred
or chainged without the Consent of the people) To Secure our Selves
against the operation of such Oppressive measures by the Exertion
of all the Powers with Which we are Invested, — And it can Never
be Consistant with our Duty to Resign ourselves to Sullen Silence
or Contented Slavery — and the motion made by the Town of Marble-
head, that there be a meeting of the Several Towns of the County
By their Respective Delegates to consult upon the present Exegences
of our publick affairs therefore we Apprehend to be seasonable &
that such a meeting will Probably be attended with many salutary &
Happy Consequences Thereof
"Voted that Capt. John Mansfield, Doer. John Flagg & Deac.
Daniel Mansfield be Delegates for this town to attend a meeting of
the County for the purposes aforsd. that may be held at Ispwich on
the 6th day of Sept. next or at any other Place or on any other Day
or Days as shall be thought most convenient & Suitable by the other
towns of the County.
" Voted that the Thanks of the town be given to the Patriotic town
of Marblehead for the Zeal & attention which they have shewn for
the support of our most Important Rights and Liberties."
So far as we know, there was no special excitement at
tending the appointment of the above committee, as
there had been in Salem, two days earlier, when notices
[17]

Lynn in the Revolution
were posted in the town "desiring the merchants, free
holders and other inhabitants to meet at the town house
chamber ... to appoint deputies to meet at Ipswich."
It appears that Governor Gage had heard that it was
the desire of the Committee of Correspondence that the
inhabitants of Salem should thus assemble, and, declar
ing it to be an unlawful and seditious meeting, ordered
that the inhabitants be dispersed. In order to enforce
his command, he further ordered troops to be in readiness.
To quote from the Salem Gazette of the twenty-sixth of
August, 1774: —
"They prepared accordingly, as if for battle, left their encampment,
and marched to the entrance of the town, there halted and loaded,
and then about eighty advanced to within an eighth of a mile from
the Town House : But before this movement of the troops was known
to the inhabitants, and while the Committee were in conference with
the Governor, the whole business of the meeting was transacted,
being merely to choose delegates to the county meeting. After the
meeting was over, news came that the troops were on the march, but
they were now ordered to return to the camp."
The convention of delegates of counties around Boston
met at Ipswich, as planned, and, among other things,
boldly declared that the acts of Parliament were not
entitled to obedience. A month later the first Provin
cial Congress was convened at Salem, the representa
tives having been called together by the Governor for a
meeting of the General Assembly. The delegates waited
at the appointed time for the arrival of the Governor, but
he failed to appear. They then resolved themselves into
a Provincial Congress. At this Congress we find Ebene-
[18]

Lynn in the Revolution
zer Burrill and Captain John Mansfield representing the
town of Lynn.
This first Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, organ
ized at Salem October seventh, adjourning on the eleventh
to Concord, and on the fourteenth to Cambridge, contin
ued in session three weeks, and in the record of its delib
erations, in its appointment of a Committee of Safety,
its provision for the assembling and support of the mili
tia, and its thorough review of the burdens under which
the colonies were laboring, we see how well its members
realized that they were on the eve of revolution. A Con
vention of Committees for the County of Worcester,
which had been held on the twenty-first of September,
had given the first suggestion for minute companies, and
the Provincial Congress seems to have extended the idea,
for we find it recommending that the companies of mili
tia meet and appoint officers, and, where the regiments
were deemed too large, that they be divided, the field
officers forming at least one-quarter of the number in the
respective companies, into companies of fifty privates, who
were to equip and hold themselves in readiness to march
at the shortest notice from the Committee of Safety.
Only two records have been preserved affecting the
Lynn minute-men, and these, on file in the archives at
the State House, are of much interest. The language
used in the second vote is a good indication of the con
tempt with which the Patriots viewed the Tories.
Lynn, Nov. 15, 1774.
"Pursuant to an act of the Provincial Congress, for new regulating
the militia, was called a meeting of the first training band in Lynn,
the 2d company, 1st regiment in Essex, formerly commanded by Col.
[19]

Lynn in the Revolution
Wm. Brown, of Salem, having chosen Maj. Abner Cheever, as Chair
man, the following votes were passed:
Voted, David Parker as captain.
Voted, John Batts, 1st Lieutenant.
At an adjourned meeting, Jan. 5, 1775,
Voted, John Pool, 2d Lieutenant. Benj. Putnam, Clerk."
"Agreeably to the advice of the respectable Provincial Congress,
the training band company in Lynn, north parish, being a part of
the first regiment in the county of Essex, formerly commanded by
William Brown, politically deceased of a pestilent and mortal dis
order, and now buried in the ignominious ruins at Boston, met on
Monday, 15th inst. (Nov. 1774) and after choosing Dea. Nathaniel
Bancroft for their chairman, elected Mr. Joseph Gowen, Capt., Mr.
Nathaneil Sherman, 1st Lieutenant, and Mr. John Perkins, Ensign."
After this time we find in the provincial records fre
quent mention of the minute-men. During the second
session of the Congress, in December, 1774, in an ad
dress to the inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay, — a calm,
dignified, carefully prepared document, — we find the
following : —
"The improvement of the Militia in general in the Art Militarv
has been therefore thought necessary, and strongly recommended by
Congress. We now think that particular care should be taken by
the Towns and Districts in this Colony, that each of the Minute-
Men, not already provided therewith, should be immediately equipped
with an effective Firearm, Bayonet, Pouch, Knapsack, thirty rounds
of Cartridges and Balls and that they be disciplined three times a
week, and often er, as opportunity may offer."
On the fifth of January, 1775, the town of Lynn voted
[20]

Lynn in the Revolution
that Captain John Mansfield be a delegate to the Pro
vincial Congress to be held at Cambridge, February
first. It also voted to approve of the Articles of Associ
ation of the Continental Congress, and chose the follow
ing committee to carry into execution the resolves of the
association: Captain John Mansfield, Dr. John Flagg,
Deacon Daniel Mansfield, Benjamin Newhall, Deacon
Nathaniel Bancroft, Abner Cheever, and Deacon Abijah
Cheever. On the article to see if the town would raise,
assist, and encourage the minute-men, agreeable to the
advice of Congress, it was voted to postpone the matter
until the March meeting. Lynn should here be given
the credit of having participated in the first armed resist
ance to the crown. The story is that on the afternoon
of Sunday, February twenty-sixth, Colonel Leslie, with
three hundred men, suddenly appeared off Marblehead
in a transport. He quietly landed, and took up his
march for Salem, where Colonel David Mason had been
at work mounting some old cannon taken from the
French. The alarm went ahead of the British, however,
and, when he arrived, the cannon had been taken across
the North River and the draw had been raised. Colonel
Leslie demanded that the bridge be swung back, but
the inhabitants refused. He then tried to impress some
scows which were near by, but the owners scuttled them,
and they sank. It is claimed that in the melee which
followed the first blood of the Revolution was shed.
Parson Barnard appeared upon the scene, however, and
finally succeeded in inducing Colonel Leslie to withdraw.
By the time he began to retreat, reinforcements were
arriving on the patriot side, the Danvers company com
ing upon the run as he turned back. The alarm had
[21 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
also reached Lynnfield, where Captain Bancroft had mus
tered his men, and was hastening to Salem. Before his
arrival at the North Bridge, the British had disappeared,
and, as he returned home with his men, he intercepted
the Reading company, which was on the way. Had a
gun been fired at Salem, it might have become the Lex
ington of the Revolution. As it was, Captain Bancroft
lost one man, the first to give his life in the cause of lib
erty. The following entry appears in the Lynnfield
church records : —
"March 9, 1775. Died, Joseph Newhall, by a violent seizure
after a few Days Illness suppos'd to be occasioned by a cold taken
when he went out upon an alarm, in the 52d year of his age."
On the sixth of March the town of Lynn voted that —
"When the minit men are Raised, Listed & aquipt they Shall
have one shilling for each half Day to Encourage them to meet two
half days in a week to Exercise till ye town order otherwise.
"Voted to have three officers a captain and first and second Lieu
tenants for each company. Each captain shall have 6/ for each
two half Days; First and Second Lieuts. 4/ Each for Each two
half Days.
"Voted they Be under armes three hours each half day."
Provision was thus made for the training of men in
various companies, but it is doubtful if any degree of
proficiency was attained or attempted.
Many of the letters which have been preserved in the
old records give such clear utterance to the spirit and tem
per of the times that one or two quotations may be here
given with the assurance that the same electric fire glow
ing in them charged the air in our small communitv at
Lynn. [ 22 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
From Thomas Cushing, of Boston, to Arthur Lee, of
London: "Our people are prompt and forward in their
military exercises. There never was, since we have been
a people, such military spirit prevailing as at present."
A letter from another gentleman in Boston contains
this : —
" So generally are the principles of liberty disseminated and so
deeply fixed, that nothing but arms, that supreme lex of tyrants,
will be able to suppress the generous ardor which now stimulates
our countrymen to defend, at all hazards, the freedom handed down
to them by their ancestors ; nor will they be slaves without the most
obstinate and bloody contest."
This was at a time when the people of Boston were
suffering greatly, not only on account of the effects of the
Boston Port Bill, but also from disease which had crept
into their midst. This is shown by the following ex
tract from a letter: —
"The small-pox is lurking about in different parts of the town,
and it is apprehended will spread. A pestilential fever prevails in
the army, which is even more dreaded than the small-pox. How
distressful is the state of Boston! Surrounded and insulted by a
numerous fleet and army; shut out from trade; and deprived of all
advantages of law process ! "
Meantime, both in Parliament and in Boston more
decisive measures were being taken to force the colo
nists into submission. Parliament was planning to send
Generals Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne to America with
six thousand troops. Governor Gage was acquainting
himself more and more with conditions throughout the
colony. In February he sent two men through the coun-
[23 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
ties of Suffolk and Worcester, with instructions to note
the condition of roads and passes, to mark distances from
town to town, to report the situation of rivers, mountains,
and woods, and advantageous spots to take post in, as
well as what supplies could be obtained in the several
townships. What wonder that the Committee of Safety
and Supplies held frequent meetings, and was actively
engaged in gathering arms and ammunition, and stor
ing it in places of safety, ready for use when needed!
On the first of April the colonists knew that a large
reinforcement of troops was expected in Boston, and the
third Provincial Congress, then in session in Concord,
perfected its "Rules for the Army," — a lengthy docu
ment, containing fifty-three articles. Before the nine
teenth of April two delegates had been sent to each of
the New England colonies, carrying the following re
solve : —
" That the present dangerous and alarming situation of our publick
affairs, renders it necessary for this Colony to make preparations for
their security and defence by raising and establishing an Army, and
that delegates be appointed forthwith to repair to Connecticut, to
Rhode Island and New Hampshire, informing them that we are
contemplating upon and are determined to take effectual measures
for that purpose, and for the more effectual security of the New
England Colonies and the Continent, to request them to co-operate
with us, by furnishing their respective quotas for general defence."
How quick and general was the response was shown
not many days after, when from all over New England
men gathered and marched on the Lexington alarm.

[24]

Chapter III
THE LEXINGTON ALARM IN LYNN
The town of Lynn, together with every village and
hamlet in New England, was prepared for the opening
scenes of the Revolutionary War. It is true that the
militia was untrained and poorly equipped, yet it was
not wholly so, and it is certain that the conviction was as
strong here as elsewhere that the cause of the colonies
was a righteous one, and the inhabitants were as deter
mined to resist to the last the unjust measures of the
British ministry. Aside from the Quaker families, who
refused steadfastly to fight or pay the attendant expenses
incurred by the town, it may safely be said that nearly
every home in Lynn sheltered a militia or minute man,
and in many cases every male member of the family of
sufficient age to shoulder a musket was ready for action..
If we cannot now point to the patriotic utterances of
Rev. John Tread well, the pastor of the old First Church,
or of Deacon Daniel Mansfield, the sturdy moderator
of the town meeting, the ringing resolutions transcribed
by the pen of Ebenezer Burrill, the town clerk, we are
assured voiced the sentiments of them all.
Let us look over the little town as it appeared on the
eve of the conflict.
It should be remembered that Lynnfield, Saugus,
Swampscott, and Nahant were parts of Lynn in 1775,
the two former being separate parishes only. Three
years before the population had been set down as 2,100,
including 465 polls. Valuation of property was under
[25]

Lynn in the Revolution
.£30,000, and there were less than 150 dwellings.
Lynn Common was an unfenced field, little better than
an open pasture, over which teams crossed at will. Farm
houses were scattered along its sides, and the " Old Meet-
ing-House," as it was invariably called in the records,
stood in the middle, opposite and facing Petticoat Lane,
now Shepard Street. A brook crossed at the point where
Harwood Street now turns off, and near it was the home
of Nathan Attwill, in a house which is still standing
and now numbered 35 Whiting Street. Mall Street was
Lucy Newhall's Lane, and a cart-road ran from what is
now Park Street to Mill Street, now Strawberry Avenue.
Franklin Street was then called the Townway, and lead
ing from it was Grass Lane, now Leighton Street. At
the lower end of the Common, Market Street turned to
the right, and Marblehead Lane, now Essex Street, to
the left. A little further on was Black Marsh Lane, now
lower Union Street. Broad and Lewis Streets of to-day
made then scarcely more than a rambling cart-path, con
nected with the County Road, the present Boston Street,
by Fresh Marsh Lane, now Chestnut Street. Woodend,
like the western section of the town, consisted of scattered
farms, with a rough path through the fields where we now
have Fayette Street. The old County Road, however,
was the main thoroughfare of the town, and boasted
the chief residences. It was connected with the farms
at Breed's End by Rhodes's Lane, the Federal Street
of to-day. The turnpike, or Western Avenue, had not
been laid out. It is probable that Lynn proper had at
that time eighty or ninety homes, and Lynnfield and Sau
gus about twenty-five each. Nahant had but one or
two habitations, and Swampscott was included in Lynn
[26]

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Lynn in the Revolution
proper. There were no school-houses, and one or two
stores sufficed for the needs of all. The Old Tunnel
Meeting-House was the forum, and contained the only
pulpit. The products of the farm supplied most of the
needs of the people, and the little shoemakers' shops
gave the simple cordwainers a chance to procure enough
ready money to buy what the farm could not produce.
There were probably four hundred and seventy-five
men of all ages in the town. Deducting from this num
ber the old and disabled, together with those whose relig
ious scruples would not allow them to participate, there
could not have been over three hundred and fifty men
ready for service when the War for Independence opened.
It will be shown, however, that before the war closed
nearly five hundred men had enlisted and fought, to the
credit of the town of Lynn. This resulted because the
boys, as soon as they became old enough, went into the
service. By reference to the personal sketches which
will follow, it may be noticed that Daniel Watts enlisted,
and was actually borne on the rolls of Washington's
army at the age of twelve, while scores of Lynn boys
were seasoned Continentals at fifteen. This fact alone
speaks well for the patriotism and courage of the inhabi
tants. Situated in close proximity to Salem, where there were
so many Tory merchants and sympathizers, it is also a
fact well worth noting that not a single instance has
been found recorded of a Tory in Lynn, and no case
where an unpatriotic "towny" was made to swear alle
giance to his country.
It may not be out of place to allude to the business of
shoemaking as it was carried on in the town in 177.5.
[27]

Lynn in the Revolution
The industry had been introduced in a small way by
Philip Kertland, who came to Lynn in 1638, but it had
gained little headway until 1750, when John Adam
Dagyr, a Welshman and a practical shoemaker, made
his appearance. His skill and energy gave such an im
petus to the business of manufacturing ladies' shoes that
they undoubtedly laid the foundation of the great and
thriving business which has ever since characterized
Lynn. Indeed, he secured such a reputation during his
lifetime that the Boston Gazette in 1764 alluded to him
as "the celebrated shoemaker of Essex." His patriotic
service in the Revolution and his death in poverty will
be spoken of later. Under the stimulating influence of
Dagyr nearly every male inhabitant of the town began
to turn his hand, in a greater or less degree, to the man
ufacture of shoes. The little square shoe-shop sprang
up by many a farm-house, and, while the plough and
scythe were kept busy in the field in summer, the pound
ing of the lap-stone and the drawing of the wax thread
kept the men-folk equally busy in the shop in winter.
Their quaint wills, on file at the Court House in Salem,
invariably indicate that they were "yeomen and cord
wainers." Their shoes were sold in Boston and Salem,
whither they were carried on horseback at the end of the
week. It may be safely said that in 1775 Lynn had
already a reputation as a shoe manufacturing town not
exceeded by any in the colonies.
Let us, at this point, note the location of a few of the
patriotic homes from which many young men were soon
to go forth in their country's defence.
The houses of the Revolutionary period were of plain
and dignified architecture, varying somewhat in style,
[28]

IBIlilfflH

JEDEDIAH NEWHALL HOUSE, BOSTON STREET

Lynn in the Revolution
but always showing the simple lines which are becoming
so universally recognized as good. Many of the Lynn
houses were small, seldom were they referred to in the
wills as "my mansion house," yet all, whether large or
small, were comfortable and homelike. In one of these,
on the northerly side of Boston Street, opposite the pres
ent Hudson Square, lived James Newhall, or "Squire
Jim," as he was called in later years. Beyond, on the
same side, lived Benjamin Hudson, from whom the
square was named. On the top of Tower Hill, on the op
posite side, stood the Burrill house, demolished twenty-
five years ago, the home at the time of John Burrill,
later familiarly known as "Colonel John," to distinguish
him from three others of the same name. Near Cottage
Street, on the same side, an ancient house, still stand
ing, marks the one-time home of Calley Newhall, who
made powder for General Washington. On the corner of
Wyman Street was the home, demolished in 1902, of Cap
tain Ezra Newhall. Beyond, on the same side, was that
of the Burchsteads, ancestors of Benjamin Burchstead
Johnson. Between Flint and Childs Streets lived Allen
Newhall and his two sons, Daniel Allen Breed and
Charles. In the quaint, little, gambrel-roofed house,
between Kirtland Street and Sargent's Court, lived Jed-
ediah Newhall. In the old house on the corner of North
Federal Street, or Hart's Lane, lived Lieutenant Joseph
Hart. On the opposite corner lived Ebenezer Burrill,
the patriotic town clerk. John Adam Dagyr's home was
just beyond, presumably in the so-called "Carnes house,"
which stood across the entrance of the present Carnes
Street. Rufus Mansfield, captain of the fourth company
of militia, lived on Waterhill, as did Lieutenant Thomas
[29 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Cox, Nathaniel Tarbox, and his son Nathaniel, Jr.
William Tarbox lived in a small house where Bridge
Street now crosses Strawberry Brook. Further along,
at the corner of the present Federal and Marion
Streets, was the tavern of Increase Newhall, still
standing, and at the further end of Marion Street
back from the old Boston Road, was the residence of
Dr. John Flagg, in a narrow, gambrel-roofed house,
known as the Billy Gray House, still standing. On the
corner of the present Cedar Street was the home of Lieu
tenant Frederick Breed, known later as " Colonel Freder
ick." On the other side of the same street lived Deacon
Jesse Rhodes, in an ancient house pulled down some
twenty years ago. At the foot of Mall Street, or Lucy
Newhall's Lane, lived Joel Newhall. Between the pres
ent Rhodes Avenue and Bulfinch Street was the home
of Lieutenant Edward Johnson, in a house much altered,
but still extant. In Strawberry Lane, or Colonel John
Mansfield's Lane, was the home of John Mansfield.
He was at that time the most important man in the little
community, perhaps the wealthiest, and certainly the
most influential, being at that time, with Ebenezer Bur
rill, Esq., a delegate to the Provincial Congress. He
had also been a member of the General Court which
General Gage ordered dispersed at Salem. In the old
Hathorne house, which stood on the ground of the pres
ent Lynn Hospital, lived Deacon William Farrington,
captain of the second company of Lynn militia, a promi
nent man and deacon of the old First Church. In Bow
Bend, or North Bend Street, lived John Willis and his
brother-in-law, Thomas Hall. Just where Fresh Marsh
Lane, or Chestnut Street, joined the Boston Road, lived
[30]

MAP OF
LYNN~1775 Showing OldBostonSt
andViclnlty

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Lynn in the Revolution
Robert Mansfield. The old house, still standing, known
as the "Wyoma House," was the home of Ebenezer
Richardson. On the present estate of John L. Shorey
lived Daniel Galeucia, afterwards a captain in the army
of Washington.
Turning back now to the western part of the town, an
ancient house, still in a good state of preservation, marks
the dwelling of Ephraim Breed, great-grandson of the
first Allen Breed; and near it was the home of his friend,
Harris Chadwell. Over in the fields, near the Saugus
line, back of the present City Farm, lived Ezekiel Moul-
ton. Around the Common were the homes of Aaron
Breed, Henry and Theophilus Hallowell, Micajah New
hall, Richard Pappoon, Thomas Cheever, James Bachel
ler, Daniel and Ralph Lindsey. On Market Street lived
the Alleys and Benjamin Johnson. On the present
Fayette Street, opposite Ireson Avenue, lived Edward
and John Ireson, and near them Jacob Ingalls. Eleazer
Collins Ingalls resided on Essex Street, near Alice; and
the home of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego Rams-
dell was at the curve of the road where it now enters
Swampscott. Near the present Swampscott railroad
station lived Theophilus Burrill, in a house still standing;
and his nearest neighbors were the Richards family, five
of whom were in the war.
The homes in Saugus and Lynnfield were widely scat
tered, although in that part of Saugus known as Oak-
landvale four houses are still standing which sheltered
four families of Boardmans.
Thus were located some of the scattered homes of the
Lynn patriots. Without doubt, there were many others
long ago crowded out by the growing city, and even their
[31 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
sites forgotten. These we are glad to remember, together
with the men who went forth from their shelter to the
War for Independence.
We now turn our thoughts for a moment to the com
panies which had been forming during the memorable
winter of 1775, for the men who went out on the April
alarm went for the most part regularly and under com
mand, and not independently in a mad run for the scene
of conflict. This statement is made after careful inves
tigation and a consultation of every bit of available evi
dence, and in spite of the published statement that, "on
receiving the intelligence that the troops had left Boston,
many of the inhabitants of Lynn immediately set out,
without waiting to be organized, and with such weapons
as they could most readily procure. The people from
Lynn met them at Lexington on their return, and joined
in firing at them from the walls and fences." A few
men undoubtedly failed to leave the town with their
companies, and later hurried after them in their own
way. Some of these men may have reached Lexington,
although even this is doubtful. It is certain that no
company went as far as Lexington.
Two hundred and forty-seven men had been duly or
ganized in five companies, and were ready for the open
ing of hostilities. Each man had furnished his own
musket or firearm, and no one had reached the dignitv
of a uniform. The men were, indeed, but slightly trained,
yet they were courageous and full of devotion to their
country. The first company was exclusively from the Third
Parish, Saugus, and was commanded by Captain David
Parker. It consisted of sixty-three men, and was the
[32]

^¦¦»'

INCREASE NEWHALL TAVERN, CORNER OF FEDERAL AND MARION STREETS

Lynn in the Revolution
largest in town. It met for drill at the Jacob Newhall
tavern, which stood across the present Lincoln Avenue,
East Saugus.
The Second Company of Foot, as it was called, was
commanded by Captain William Farrington, and con
sisted of fifty-two men. Its membership was largely
from the central and easterly sections of the town, and
its place of meeting was at the foot of the present
Franklin Street, near where the Lynn Hospital now
stands. The third company in point of numbers was com
manded by Captain Ezra Newhall, and was composed of
men from every portion of Lynn, including Lynnfield
and Saugus. This company, as will be seen by the roll
appended, was called a "Minit Company," and was
undoubtedly formed to comply with the recent vote of
the Provincial Congress. It had its headquarters on
the Common, and, although no record of its organiza
tion has been found, it numbered forty-nine men. From
its widely scattered membership the evidence appears
that it was hastily formed of men and boys who had
not previously been enrolled in the regular militia com
panies. Its captain had seen service in the French and
Indian War.
The next company was called the Fourth Company of
Foot, and was commanded by Captain Rufus Mans
field, who lived on Waterhill. It consisted of forty-four
men, most of whom were from the immediate neighbor
hood, and the greater part of whom were bound together
by the ties of blood or marriage. Nearly one-third of
its membership bore the name of Newhall. Its rendez
vous was at the Increase Newhall Tavern, in later years
[33]

Lynn in the Revolution
known as the "Orcutt House," still standing on Federal
Street. The fifth, last, and smallest company was commanded
by Captain Nathaniel Bancroft, of the North Parish, or
Lynnfield. By the record of its organization, Joseph
Gowing had been made captain, but, before the arrival
of the nineteenth of April, Deacon Bancroft had been
substituted, and Gowing had been dropped to first-lieu
tenant. On the pay-roll appended it will be noticed that
it is called simply "Capt. Bancroft's Company." It
numbered thirty-eight men, and was perhaps the most
interesting of all from the fact that it saw hard fighting,
lost three of its number killed, had several wounded,
and probably made several prisoners. Like the fourth
company, it was also bound together, in large part, by
the ties of relationship. The meeting-place was the
Joseph Gowing Tavern at Lynnfield Centre, an inter
esting old house, which was burned, probably by an
incendiary, at midnight, June eighteenth, 1896.
The nineteenth of April, 1775, fell on Wednesdav.
The spring of that year had been a very remarkable one.
The season was far advanced, apple-trees were in bloom,
and farmers were preparing the fields for planting. Gen
eral Gage's troops had been restless during the winter
months, and hailed with delight an excursion into the
country, even though it must be a stealthy one. Paul
Revere, a coppersmith and engraver, living on Hanover
Street in Boston, had been particularly zealous in watch
ing the movements of the king's troops, and in this work
he had been assisted by many of his business associates,
most of whom were members of the Masonic fraternity.
They had quietly kept one another informed of everv-
[34]

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CiOWING TAVERN

Lynn in the Revolution
thing transpiring, and the decision of the British to march
into the country on the night of the eighteenth was quickly
known among them. Dr. Joseph Warren at once ar
ranged with Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride by
different routes to Lexington, for the purpose of alarming
the country and placing Hancock and Adams, who were
there, on guard. Revere had arranged with a friend to
have signals displayed in the steeple of Christ Church,
one lantern, if it was found that they were to go by way
of Roxbury Neck, and two, if they were to cross the river
to Cambridge. He found at ten o'clock that the expe
dition was to cross the river, and then his night ride began.
It was probably between eleven and twelve o'clock when
he reached Medford, the nearest point to Lynn, distant
about eight miles. There was little difficulty in arous
ing alert and patriotic Medford, and little time was lost
before her messengers were hurrying the news to Maiden,
and from thence on to Saugus and Lynn, which were
reached before sunrise. Confirming this, a grandson
of one of the Saugus minute-men, contributing a series
of sketches to the Lynn Reporter in 1860, and being then
contemporary with many of the survivors of the Saugus
company, wrote as follows: —
" Captain Parker mustered his company at an early hour of the
day of the Concord fight and marched with them with all speed to
the scene of the conflict. He reached the highway in West Cam
bridge before the return of the regulars and arranged his company
in order to give them a warm reception. While thus arranged and
prepared, some officer of higher rank informed Capt. Parker that
the orders were, not to give the enemy pitched battle, but to let the
soldiers disperse themselves through the fields and harass the enemy
as much as possible by random firing. Capt. Parker's company
[35]

Lynn in the Revolution
was then dismissed and performed signal service in that memorable
fight." Thus it will be seen that this company, at least, mus
tered, marched, and, by orders, dispersed. The pay
roll of the company shows, too, that the men were paid
for their service.
Again, the Lynn Record of September, 1837, contains
the following notice of the death of Abner Cheever, one
of the corporals of Captain Parker's company : —
"In Lynn, Sept. 13, 1837, Col. Abner Cheever, aged 82. Col.
Cheever was in the battle of Lexington, in 1775. He was of the
corps of minute-men of that day and received the alarm of the British
marching to Concord that morning at three o'clock. He marched
with his company before sunrise, notwithstanding some of them had
to make wooden ramrods to their guns, taking their powder in horns,
and balls and wadding in their pockets."
Here also appears direct evidence that the alarm reached
Lynn before daylight, and that Captain Parker' s com
pany marched in order.
Mr. Isaiah Graves, whose ancestry on both sides took
part in the events of the day, recently, at the age of
seventy-seven years, gave the following very direct ac
count as it had come down to him: —
"Mv grandfather was Samuel Ireson. He was onlv five vears of
age at the time, but remembered distinctly being awakened that
morning by the sudden firing of a musket under his window, at his
home in the old Ireson house, on Fayette street. He soon heard
the neighbors' boys calling for his brothers, Edward and John, aged
nineteen and seventeen. They said that the regulars were out and
that the minute-men wvrv gathering. His brothers quickly went
[36]

Lynn in the Revolution
down, and, taking their muskets, went away with the others. I have
heard this story many times from my grandfather and have always
understood that his brothers were in the battle."
Another interesting narrative is that of Mr. Andrew
Mansfield, of South Lynnfield, and is as follows: —
"I am of the ninth generation to live on this tract of land and to
bear the name of "Andrew Mansfield." My great-grandfather,
Andrew Mansfield, was living in the old homestead on the Danvers
road on the morning of the battle. Although the Danvers line ran
through the yard and placed him in that town, yet his interests were
all with the Lynnfield parish of which he was a member. He was
thirty-five years of age and was enrolled in Captain Bancroft's com
pany of minute-men. His son, Andrew Mansfield, was my grand
father. The latter has often told me that the alarm of the regulars
reached Lynnfield early in the morning. He was eleven years of
age and upon the receipt of the alarm, he harnessed the horse and
carried his father to the meeting place of the minute-men, at the
Joseph Gowing Tavern at the centre of the village. From thence, he
marched away with his company. The Andrew who was eleven at
the time of the battle, died in 1851, at the age of 86, and his father,
the minute-man, died in 1831, aged ninety-two."
Many years ago Mr. George W. Rogers, of Lynn,
published a series of personal reminiscences of Lynn's
earlier citizens. In one of these he has this to say of
Harris Chadwell, one of the veterans of the Revolution: —
"At the first dawn of the Revolution, on the 19th of April, 1775,
Mr. Chadwell started with other patriotic men for Concord, among
them Ephraim Breed, his inseparable companion. They met the
British on their retreat, somewhere between Lexington and Boston,
followed and harassed them, firing from behind stone walls and
bushes."
[37]

Lynn in the Revolution
These veterans both appear in Captain Rufus Mans
field's company. Fragmentary as this evidence is, it
would seem to prove that Lynn's companies went forth
in order.
The pay-rolls of the five Lexington alarm companies
were made up about the first of the year following the
alarm. They were sworn to by the respective captains
and presented to the General Court for payment. Later
they were examined by the Council and ordered paid.
On each roll the item of travel is included, although the
distances named are somewhat confusing. The men of
Captain Parker's company, which surely went no farther
than West Cambridge, were paid for forty-six miles of
travel, while those of Captain Farrington's company,
known to have reached a point two miles farther on, re
ceived the same amount. Captain Bancroft's company,
which marched an equal distance, received allowance for
but thirty miles, Captain Mansfield's company received pay
for forty-six miles, and Captain Ezra Newhall's company
is credited with forty miles. The distance is possibly
reckoned to Concord and return, but it is certain that
none of the men arrived there. On Captain Bancroft's
roll six men were not paid for mileage, yet received full
pay for two days' service. This may be accounted for
by the supposition that these particular men did not
hear of the alarm in time to march with their companies,
but, having reported later, were paid for service, and not
for travel. If the various companies had not marched
as companies, it is doubtful whether the state would have
approved a bill for mileage.
A discrepancy may be noted on the pay-roll of Cap
tain Parker's company. The names of Thomas Hadley
[ ™ ]

Lynn in the Revolution
and William Flint appear with a note that they were killed.
It is certain that they should have been placed in Cap
tain Bancroft's Lynnfield company.
The entire sum paid by the state for the service of these
five companies in the battle of Lexington was £123
16s. 5d.
Having found that Lynn was regularly represented,
let us turn and follow the alarm as it rang out on that
beautiful April morning. From Saugus the news came
down over the old Boston Road into Lynn, and from farm
to farm it spread with amazing rapidity. The sun was
hardly above the horizon before William Newhall and
Samuel Berry, drummer and fifer in Captain Ezra New-
hall's company, were sounding the long roll on the Com
mon, and the farmers were coming on the run from all
directions. The hurriedly fired minute-guns left no
home unaware that the British were on the march, and
the gathering of the companies was a matter of only a
short time. As the first rays of the morning sun lit up the
vane on the old meeting-house, we may imagine a motley
array, indeed, gathered before the historic edifice.
Father, son, and grandson were there, — the seasoned
veteran and the inexperienced boy, all eager to make
the first stand in their country's defence. Many of the
older men, like Captain John Mansfield, Captain Ezra
Newhall, Isaac Meachem, and Allen Newhall, had seen
service in the old French War, but to most of those who
met in the gathering light war was unfamiliar. Hardly
a home in Lynn that day contained a male over fifteen
years of age, with the exception of the sick and religious
non-combatants. Before eight o'clock Captain Ezra
Newhall and his company had disappeared down New-
[39]

Lynn in the Revolution
hall's Lane, and were on the way over Tower Hill to the
scene of conflict.
That morning a house, which is still standing oppo
site the Lynn Hospital, was framed and ready for an
old-fashioned raising. According to custom many were
to assemble to assist in the work, but the Lexington alarm
postponed the ceremony indefinitely. All the men
marched away in their companies, some never to return.
Mr. William Hudson, now a venerable man of eighty-
seven, whose grandfathers were in the battle, is authority
for the statement that not a carpenter was left to work
upon the building.
The route taken by all the companies was undoubtedly
over the County Road to Saugus, thence through Clifton-
dale, by "Black Ann's Corner" into Maiden, thence
through Medford to Menotomy, or West Cambridge,
now Arlington. By this route the distance traversed
must have been at least twelve miles, and the time con
sumed three hours. The main body of the British troops
had passed through Menotomy before daybreak, and was
in Lexington at sunrise. The daybreak conflict on Lex
ington Common had caused the British to hastily send
back to Boston for reinforcements. It is probable that
these extra troops had passed through Menotomy before
the arrival of the Lynn men. With this large force up
the road it would have been folly for the scattered com
panies of minute-men to march up to meet Earl Percy
and his two thousand picked men of the British army. Ac
cording to General Gage's report to the king, made
directly after the battle, the first body sent out on the
night of the eighteenth consisted of the grenadiers of his
army and at least ten companies of light infantrv, eight
[40 ]

X

Lynn in the Revolution
hundred men in all, under the command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Smith of the Tenth Regiment and Major Pitcairn
of the Marines. These men were in part from the Fifth,
Tenth, Thirty-eight, Forty-third, Forty-seventh, Fifty-
second, and Fifty-ninth Regiments. The next morning
General Gage hurried off eight companies of the Fourth,
or King's Own, Regiment, an equal number of the
Twenty-third Regiment of Royal Welsh Fusileers and
the Forty-ninth Regiment, together with the First Battal
ion of Marines, in all twelve hundred men, under com
mand of Earl Percy. Thus a force of two thousand
men, or nearly two-thirds of the British army in Boston,
were on the road between Boston and Concord. It is
no wonder that some officer was wise enough to tell Cap
tain Parker to disperse his men, and let them fight in
their own way. When the red-coats, under Lieutenant-
Colonel Smith, reached the Munroe tavern in Lexing
ton on the retreat down the Boston Road, all agree that
it was between one and two o'clock in the afternoon.
At that point Earl Percy met them with his fresh troops.
This is an additional proof that his troops had passed
through Menotomy before noon, and therefore before
the arrival of many of the Lynn men. It is probable that
the latter reached the Boston Road to Lexington soon
after Earl Percy had passed with his reinforcements.
Captain Bancroft's company came over through South
Reading, forming a junction with the other Lynn men,
also at about this time. These were soon followed by the
seven companies from Danvers and by many others from
Essex County towns, nearly all of whom came through
Lyrin over the present Boston Street. Mr. Samuel M.
Bubier, one of Lynn's former mayors, used often to re-
[41]

Lynn in the Revolution
late that his grandmother, Joanna Mansfield, daughter
of Ebenezer Mansfield, a young girl at the time of the
battle, living in the old house afterwards known as the
Bubier house, on Boston Street, near Park, watched with
great interest the Danvers men as they passed the house,
noting particularly their homespun gray stockings. Many
times she drew water from the well for the thirsty minute-
men as they hurried along the road. The next day she
saw, carried by in a cart, seven of the same men who had
been killed in the battle, and whom she knew by their
gray stockings.
When the British column finally appeared on the out
skirts of Menotomy, on its way back, it was nearly five
o'clock. At this point an immense number of minute-
men had collected, and the first determined stand of the
day was taken by the provincials. Every minute had
made the position of the British worse, for the farmers
were appearing in numbers to appall the stoutest hearts.
Enraged by the burning and plundering of their homes,
they were harassing the regulars at every turn.
This was the condition of affairs when Captain Ban
croft looked up the road and saw the advance-guard of
the enemy. Although he was fifty years of age and had
been commissioned in the king's militia since 1767, he
had never been in actual warfare. On the way over he
had asked Zerubbabel Hart, a private in his company
who had been in the French and Indian War, if he was
afraid to go into the fight, and Hart had replied, "No,
but I tell you to look out for the flank-guard!" It will
be no disparagement to the old captain to say that un
doubtedly he felt no resentment at the well-meant advice
of his neighbor, who was only a private. As the British
[42]

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Lynn in the Revolution
advanced in regular order, Captain Bancroft observed
that the main body was marching in the road, but that
on both sides were long lines of flankers marching in the
fields. Zerubbabel Hart's warning might have come to
him with force at that moment, but it was too late to act,
for, before he knew it, his company, with others, was
between the main line and the flank-guard. At this time
they were near the home of Jason Russell, and were using
it as a shield. The Danvers men had improvised a de
fence from a huge pile of shingles, and were busily firing
at the troops in the road. Before they could escape,
seven of their number were killed, — caught in a trap.
Dr. Joseph Warren was near by, and barely escaped with
his life. Seeing the fate of the Danvers minute-men,
many of the Lynn boys rushed into the house, and there
Abednego Ramsdell, Daniel Townsend, William Flint,
and Thomas Hadley were killed, and Timothy Munroe,
Joshua Felt, and others wounded. This part of the
tragic story is told in part by Alonzo Lewis in the His
tory of Lynn : —
"Timothy Munroe was standing behind a house with Daniel
Townsend, firing at the British troops as they were coming down
the road in their retreat to Boston. Townsend had just fired and
exclaimed, ' There is another red-coat down," when Munroe, looking
around, saw, to his astonishment, that they were completely hemmed
in by the flank guard of the British army, which was coming down
through the fields behind them. They immediately ran into the
house and sought for the cellar, but no cellar was there. They looked
for a closet, but there was none. All this time, which indeed was but
a moment, the balls were pouring through the back windows, making
havoc of the glass. Townsend leaped through the end window and
immediately fell dead. Munroe followed and ran for his life. He
[43]

Lynn in the Revolution
passed for a long distance between both parties, many of whom dis
charged their guns at him. As he passed the last soldier, who stopped
to fire, he heard the red-coat exclaim, 'Damn the Yankee! He is
bullet proof. Let him go.' Mr. Munroe had one ball through his
leg, and thirty-two bullet holes through his clothes and hat. Even
the metal buttons of his waistcoat were shot off."
Jason Russell, closely pursued, sought refuge in his
own house, but was shot dead at his door and afterwards
stabbed eleven times by bayonets, so great was the fury
of the British. Tarrying but a few minutes, however,
to plunder the house, the regulars swept on towards
Boston, leaving twelve patriots dead in the wayside farm
house. After the savage fight at the Russell homestead, the
Lynn men scattered in every direction, and followed the
British in a running fight to Charlestown. Timothy
Munroe, although wounded, still continued the pursuit.
During the latter part of the retreat he found a British
soldier badly wounded, who begged him to stop and
dress his wound, which was bleeding freely. Munroe
stopped the flow of blood with his handkerchief, but the
man finally died in his arms. Before his death, however,
he gave his silver knee-buckles to Mr. Munroe, and they
are still preserved in the Munroe family.
Josiah Breed, a private in Captain Rufus Mansfield's
company, was eagerly pursuing the British as they re
treated toward Boston, when he was suddenly surrounded
and made prisoner. His arms and accoutrements were
taken away, and he was forced along with the British
column. Arriving at Charlestown, he was sent on board
the frigate Lively with several other American pris
oners. There he was confined until the sixth of June,
[ 44 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
when he was exchanged for Lieutenant Gould of the
British army, who was wounded and captured by the
patriots at Concord bridge.
Reference has been made elsewhere to Harris Chad-
well and Ephraim Breed. Both were near the Russell
house when their comrades were killed, but escaped,
and followed the British on their retreat. Mr. Chad-
well used often to relate their experience. He said that
they were on a hill when the flank-guard of the enemy
tried to surround them. Seeing the soldiers coming,
he jumped over a stone wall, but, striking his knee on
a rock, nearly disabled himself. As the red-coats would
be obliged to pass that way, he resolved to throw his
gun and equipments into a small pond close by in order
that, should he be discovered, he need not be taken under
arms. The British, however, too eager to get back to
Boston to look behind stone walls, pushed rapidly on.
After Chadwell had seen them pass, he raised himself to
fire upon them, but refrained from doing so, since they
were still near. Determined, however, not to let such
a good opportunity pass without apprising them of his
presence, he waited until the distance between them had
widened somewhat, and then raised himself again and
fired. Immediately the compliment was returned with
a shower of bullets which knocked the stones from the
wall, but did no further damage. After the skirmish,
while passing over the ground with Mr. Breed, the two
men saw a British soldier wounded in the abdomen, who
begged them to shoot him that he might be out of his
misery. Mr. Breed raised his gun to do so, but Mr.
Chadwell struck it from his hands, saying: "Don't fire!
He is our prisoner!" [45]

Lynn in the Revolution
During the day Thomas Newhall, who was in Cap
tain Rufus Mansfield's company, fell and broke his leg
in his haste to follow up the British.
Abednego Ramsdell and Joseph Richards were neigh
bors living on Marblehead Lane, now Essex Street, at
the point where it enters Swampscott. It is related that

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that morning, just as he was starting for the fight, Rams
dell was warned by a woman that he would not come back
alive. He is said to have replied that it might be so, but
that he was going in a good cause, and, if he fell, he would
take a red-coat with him. He was twenty-four years of
age, and his neighbor, Joseph Richards, was twenty-one.
Both were in Captain William Farrington's company.
After Mr. Ramsdell was killed, Richards had a hand-
to-hand contest with a British soldier, who attacked him
[ -to ]

Lynn in the Revolution
with a bayonet. He defended himself stoutly, and suc
ceeded in striking the soldier a heavy blow which felled
him to the ground. Richards did not wait to see what
the result might be, but joined his companions in their
pursuit of the king's troops.
The running fight continued until dark, when the
British escaped into Charlestown, the Lynn men having
followed them to the end. The patriot loss was forty-
nine killed, thirty-nine wounded, and five missing. Of
the twenty-three towns represented in this number, Lynn
stood fourth in number killed. The British loss, accord
ing to General Gage, was one lieutenant-colonel killed and
two wounded ; two captains and nine lieutenants wounded,
one lieutenant missing; two ensigns wounded; one ser
geant killed, four wounded, and two missing; one drum
mer killed and one wounded; sixty- two rank and file
killed and one hundred and fifty-seven wounded, to
gether with twenty-four missing.
Thus ended the battle of Lexington. The morning
alarm, however, seemingly had no end. It sped on with
irresistible force until it had thoroughly awakened the
colonies from Massachusetts in Maine to the wilds of
the southern swamps. Before night the fords of the
Merrimac were choked with men responding to the call
to arms. Twenty-four hours had not elapsed till Israel
Putnam and a body of Connecticut men were on the way
to Cambridge. Springfield sent her minute-men forty-
eight hours after the battle had ceased. The Pittsfield
company started the twenty-third of April to participate
in a contest which had been concluded nearly two weeks
when it arrived at Cambridge. Over two hundred towns
and plantations in Massachusetts alone had joined in
[47]

Lynn in the Revolution
responding to the alarm, and at least twenty thousand
men had answered to the midnight call of Revere and
Dawes. Let us now turn back to the Russell house, where in the
stillness of the evening three of our Lynn men lay. In
the south room of the old farm-house they had been left,
side by side, — Abednego Ramsdell, William Flint, and
Thomas Hadley, who, full of life, had come over from Lynn
that morning. There were also Jason Russell, of Me
notomy, the owner of the house; Benjamin Pierce, of
Salem; Lieutenant John Bacon, Nathaniel Chamber
lain, and Amos Mills, of Needham; Elias Haven and
Jonathan Parker, of Dedham; and Jabez Wyman and
Jason Winship, of Menotomy. The body of Daniel
Townsend had already been taken away by his brother,
who was lieutenant of the Lynnfield company, and the
seven Danvers men were also borne away that night by
their comrades. Twelve, however, were left where they
fell. Two days after, all but three of these were buried
in a common grave in the rear of the Russell house.
There they remained until April twenty-second, 1848,
when their remains were transferred to the cemetery at
Arlington, and a monument erected by the town. The
three men from Menotomy were buried in separate
graves. We now return to the Lynn men who had become scat
tered as the fight progressed. Many of them came back
to Lynn during the night, and a portion of them, at least,
found lodging at Medford. Nearly all, however, reached
home the next day. With the return of Captains Parker,
Farrington, Bancroft, and Mansfield to Lynn, their com
panies ceased to exist, for the work of the minute-men
[48]

HOME OF COLONEL EZKA NEWHALL, OLD BOSTON STREET

Lynn in the Revolution
was over, and the Continental Army was soon to be
organized. With the exception of Captain Newhall,
none of these captains saw further service in the war.
It is interesting to read a note following the name of
James Gowing on the pay-roll of Captain Bancroft's
company. Instead of receiving pay for thirty miles of
travel and two days' service, he is accredited with sixty-
seven miles of travel and three days' service from the fact
that he was ordered to go to Ipswich jail with a number
of prisoners. It would thus appear that Captain Bancroft's
company, in addition to sustaining the heaviest loss,
succeeded in taking some British prisoners.
Captain Newhall and his company returned to Lynn,
and proceeded to do guard duty. Later, as may be seen
by an examination of a pay-roll of his company, most
of his men began to enlist in the new army. In fact,
before May fifteenth of that year nearly all of them
had enrolled themselves as Continentals, and later were
in the service during the siege of Boston.
Glancing over the rolls of the companies once more
before we leave the interesting record of the part which
our Lynn men took at the very beginning of the Revolu
tion, we note several additional facts which it may be
well to mention in this connection. While the Lewis
history credits the little town with only 168 men who
served during the whole war, we find that the alarm of
April nineteenth, 1775, alone, brought out 247 men,
and the subsequent years of the war increased the num
ber to nearly five hundred. Where previously twenty-
one officers have been noted as coming from the town,
Captain Rufus Mansfield, David Parker, Nathaniel Ban
croft, and William Farrington not being mentioned, we
[49 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
find that in the five companies which went out on this
first alarm there were forty-four officers, besides the two
fifers and three drummers.
Of Captain Ezra Newhall's company, which consisted
of forty-nine men, only fourteen are to be found in Mr.
Lewis's list; of Captain Bancroft's company of fifty-
eight men, only five are mentioned; of Captain William
Farrington's company of fifty -three men, only nineteen;
of Captain Parker's company of sixty- three, only seven;
and of Captain Mansfield's company of forty-four, only
twelve. The family names which are most prominent in these
companies are "Newhall," represented by forty-two
men; "Mansfield," by seventeen; "Bancroft," by seven;
"Boardman," by six; "Burrill," by fifteen; "Breed,"
by seven; "Brown," by ten; "Hitchings," by nine;
"Johnson," by ten; "Ingalls," by eight.
Thus did Lynn respond nobly to the midnight alarm.
Four of her sons were slain by the soldiers of the king,
and others were wounded or suffered loss. The last
Lynn survivor of the famous battle passed away over
sixty years ago, but the grandchildren of these brave
men still relate the story of their sires.

[50]

Chapter IV
THE GATHERING OF THE ARMY AT CAM
BRIDGE AND THE BATTLE OF BUNKER
HILL
After the battle of Lexington a meeting of the Pro
vincial Congress was at once called, and the Committee
of Safety sent word to the Governors of New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as follows : —
As the troops have now commenced hostilities, we think it our
duty to exert our utmost strength to save our country from absolute
slavery. We pray your honors would afford us all the assistance in
your power.
The provincials were gathering in the neighborhood
of Boston, and Congress, realizing the necessity of bring
ing an army under organization, had sent out its call
for thirty thousand men to be raised in the New England
colonies, thirteen thousand five hundred of whom were
to be raised in Massachusetts. Upon the day when this
resolve was passed in the Provincial Congress a town
meeting was held in Lynn, and the quaint language of
the old record will give the best possible idea of the vigi
lance and caution which were exercised by the inhabi
tants for the safety of the town. We can seem to read
between the lines all the excitement and anxiety which
must have been felt after the battle which had just been
fought so near at hand, and at a time when the future
[51 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
could but hold unknown trouble and hardship. The
record is as follows: —
"At a town meeting held the 23rd. of April, 1775, in the old meet
ing house, Dea. Danl. Mansfield was chosen moderator. It was
"Voted to chuse a Commite Consisting of three men to Joyne with
the other Committes to Consult sum mesures to Defend the Sea
Ports. "Voted that Dec. Daniel Mansfield, the Reverend Mr. Joseph
Roby and the Reverend John Treadwell serve on sd. commite.
"Voted that Larrim men meet togeather and Chuse offisers for
sd. Compeny and view arms.
"Voted that all the men that are aBliged to Bair arms in Either
of the Lists that they meet and view their arms all in one day viz.
that the two East Compeneys with the Larrim men in sd. Compenie
meet at the old meeting house; the West Compeney with the Larrim
men in sd. compeney to meet at Mr. Jacob Newhalls' Inholder; and
the Compeney in the North Parrish at Mr. Ezekiel Gowings Inholder;
all the aBove Compenies to meet on thursday the 27th Instant at 3
of the clock afternoon.
"Voted that the minnit men Receive Billiting in Proportion to
the Rest of the armey.
"Voted that their be a watch kept in the Town to Consist of
twelve men Each and Every Night.
"Voted that Benja. Newhall serve as a head to sett sd. watch and
that the Selectmen assist in seting sd. watch if required."
Captain Ezra Newhall's minute company had not yet
been disbanded, a fact which is shown by the record of
April twenty-seventh, when it was "Voted that the
minit Compeney be kept Imbodied and be supplied bv
the Town till further orders." Only a few days later,
however, it would seem that the men had nearly all en
listed in Colonel John Mansfield's new regiment which
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PAGE FROM TOWN RECORDS

Lynn in the Revolution
was to become a part of the army gathering at Cam
bridge, for the records show that on "May 2, 1775, it
was voted that the minit compeney Receive no more pay
from the Town." It was desired, however, that the
selectmen send a request to the Committee of Safety
for "Part of the Troops to be stationed in Lynn for our
Safety and to a sist in keeping watches." Accordingly,
on the eighteenth and twenty-third, watches were again
established as follows: —
"Voted that there be a Watch kept at the Lower Landing so cald
and also voted that Capt. David Parker be Capt. of sd. watch and
that the Rest of the watches be continued or Dismist at the Pleasure
of the Selectmen.
"Voted that Capt. Rufus Mansfield and Capt. William Farrington
serve as captains of the watches for the Bodey of the Town.
"Voted that the Captains of the Watches Notifye Each Person
three Days Before the Time of Watching, and those Persons that
Shall Refuse (Being Duly Notifyed) then shall forfyt the sum of two
shillings for Every time it shall come to their turn to watch and the
Captains of sd. watches shall keep a list of those Persons so Neglect
ing to watch and Return it to the Assesors of this town for them to
Put it into their Next Town Rait."
The above watches formed a part of the coast-guard
which was stationed along the seaboard for the remainder
of the year or until the army moved southward.
On the twenty-seventh of May, Colonel John Mans
field reported his new regiment as ready for service, and
it accordingly joined the other forces at Cambridge under
General Artemas Ward, who was for the time in command,
he having received his appointment about a week earlier.
The Lynn soldiers no doubt took the same oath as
that administered to the other Continentals, namely: —
[53]

Lynn in the Revolution
"I do hereby solemnly engage and enlist myself as a soldier in the
Massachusetts service, from the day of my enlistment to the last day
of December next, unless the service should admit of a discharge of
a part or the whole sooner, which will be at the discretion of the
Committee of Safety; and I hereby promise to submit myself to the
orders and regulations of the Army, and faithfully to observe and
obey all such orders as I shall receive from any superior officer."
Many descriptions have been given of the appearance
of these private soldiers who furnished their own clothing,
and had not yet reached the dignity of a uniform. Cer
tain it is that there was little attractiveness in the simple
costume of the countryside. The quiet colors were most
in evidence, the dull browns and greens, and the style
and cut of the motley attire was often the subject of ridi
cule by the British. It was only later that they learned
to fear and respect the wearers of the rifleman's dress
which was suggested by Washington, and came to be
to some extent adopted. Our New England men never
wore the buff and blue which we like to associate with
Washington, and was really the prescribed uniform of
only the New Jersey and New York Continentals. In
the records of our Lynn soldiers we notice the fact of
a bounty coat being allowed them for service during the
first months of the war. In this connection we find that
two days after Washington took command of the army, the
Provincial Congress of Massachusetts passed a resolve
to provide thirteen thousand coats for use of the army of
Massachusetts. Not all of our men accepted this aid,
"being sufficiently provided in that respect," but at the
end of their enlistment took instead the equivalent in
money. We give here the resolve, which has been called
The Coat Roll Resolve:—
[54]

Lynn in the Revolution
"Resolved that 13000 coats be provided, as soon as may be, and
one thereof be given to each non-commissioned officer and soldier
in the Massachusetts forces, agreeably to resolve of 23d. of April
last, and in order to facilitate their being prepared,
" Resolved, that the said 13000 overcoats be proportioned immedi
ately on all the towns and districts of this colony, except the towns of
Boston and Charlestown, in proportion as they paid the last pro
vincial tax, which towns and districts are desired to cause them to
be made of good cloth, preferences to be given to the manufacturers
of this country, and to be delivered to the committee of supplies,
without buttons, on or before the first day of October next. That
for every yard of such cloth of £ of a yard wide, they shall be allowed
and paid the sum of 5s. 4d. and in that proportion for cloth of greater
or less width; and the sum of is. for making each and every coat
and the selectmen of each town and district respectively are directed
to lay their accounts before the committee of supplies, who are
ordered to draw on the Receiver General for the payment thereof.
"That the coat be faced with the same kind of cloth of which it
is made, that the coats be made in the common plain way, without
lappels, short and with small folds, and that the selectmen cause a
certificate to be sewn on the inside of each coat purporting from what
town it -came, and by whom the coat was made, and if the cloth was
manufactured in this country and by whom it was manufactured.
"That the committees of supplies be and are hereby directed to
provide all the coats proportioned on such towns and districts as
give information to them as aforesaid that they cannot supply them,
and they are to cause all the coats to be buttoned with pewter but
tons, and that the coats for each regiment, respectively, have buttons
of the same number stamped upon them."
Apportionments were made as follows: —
Salem, 350. Andover, 189.
Danvers, 116. Haverhill, 113.
Newburyport, 184. Lynn, 93.
Marblehead, 265.
[55 }

Lynn in the Revolution
In all about two thousand three hundred in Essex
County. Not only was the personal appearance of the soldiers
at Cambridge peculiar, but the camps themselves were
equally varied and curious. Rev. William Emerson
writes of them: —
"It is very diverting to walk among the different camps. They
are as different in their forms as the owners are in their dress; and
every tent is a portraiture of the temper and tastes of the persons
who encamp in it. Some are made of boards, and some are made
of sail cloth ; some are partly of one and partly of the other. Again
others are made of stone and turf, brick and brush. Some are thrown
up in a hurry, others curiously wrought with wreaths and withes."
In such a company do we now find the men who had
enlisted in Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, under
the old captain of the minute company, Ezra Newhall.
Many of the men had marched with him on the Lexing
ton alarm. Some had taken part in that memorable
running fight under the other Lynn captains, and still
others were new recruits.
The following roll of sixty-three men was made up
August first, 1775, the term of enlistment expiring
on the first of the next January, and four hundred and
twenty-two pounds, eleven shillings, and sixpence being
paid for the service thus rendered. These were the Lynn
men who were nearest the scene of conflict when the
first great battle, that of Bunker Hill, was fought, — a
battle which, though it resulted in a divided victory, was
truly great in its moral effect.

[56]

N

CONGRESS.

tbt Delegates of the Uni tzo Colonics «/ New-Hampfliire, Maffathufetts-Bay, Rhock-Iflami, Con
necticut, New- York, New-Jerfey, Pennfylvania, the Counties of New-Caftle, Kent, and Suflix t*i
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, and South-Carolina, to .yZrA^, '%%£&, *y'^.-r~

E repofing efpecial Truft and Confidence in your Patriotifm, Valour, Conduft and Fidelity, .
D O by thefe Prefents, conftitute and appoint you to be A^j6^ *^cf o^A^^A^A^ ^U^aC^H

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in the Army of the United Colonies, raifed for the Defence of American Liberty, and for repelliti.i- every
hoftile Inrafion thereof. You are therefore carefully and diligently to difcharge the Duty of  -
¦AciczO^.n^^.f by- doing and performing all Manner of Things thcreunto4>elonging. And we do ftridly
charge and require all Officers and Soldiers under your Command, to be obedient to your Orders as
/SZA4>tx6L^£^,^f- ---  And you are to obferve and follow fuch Orders and Dircfiions from
Time to Time, as you fhall receire from this or a future Congrefs of the United Colonies, or Committee
of Congrefs, for that Purpofe appointed, or Commander in Chief for the Time being of the Army of
the United Colonies, or any other your fuperior Officer, according to the Rules and Difcipline of War,
in Purfuance of the Truft repofed in^you. This Commiffion to continue in Force until revoked by this
or a future Gonarefs.

A.. A /. Ajy

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Autjl. *$*& Wuw ' *<*¦ **y&*jr

By Order of the Congrtfs,
AAfyfa^£%&^^yZyyV9,i.i\vtm

COMMISSION OF JOHN UPTON

Lynn in the Revolution
Captain Ezra Newhall's Company in August, 1775.
Ezra Newhall, Captain,
John Upton, Lieut.,
Grimes Tufts, Ensign,
Increase Newhall, Sergt.,
John Watts, Sergt.,
James Edmunds, Sergt.,
Joseph Stocker, Sergt.,
Rufus Brown, Corp.,
Ebenezer Mansfield, Corp.,
John Cutler, Corp.,
Ebenezer Stocker, Corp.,
Ezra Brown, Drummer,
Samuel Berry, Fifer,
William Hill, Fifer,
Joseph Alley, Private,
Jonathan Briant, Private,
Timothy Burnham, Private,
Joshua Burnham, Private,
Stephen Coats, Private,
William Coats, Private,
Israel Cheever, Private,
Joshua Danforth, Private,
Joseph Farrington, Private,
Thomas Florence, Private,
Thomas Hall (Hill?), Private,
Timothy Johnson, Private,
Daniel Lindsey, Private,
David Lewis, Private,
Benjamin Meeds, Private,
Jonathan Newhall, Private,
Ebenezer Stocker, Jr., Private,
Abel Belknap, Private,
Potter Fuller, Private,
[57]

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Lynn in the Revolution
Thomas Hutchinson, Private, May 4.
Henry Young, Private, " 4.
Silas Ramsdell, Private, " 6.
Richard Hill, Private, 5.
Israel Burrill, Bourrall, Private, " 6.
Benjamin Tarbox, Private, " 6.
Onesimus Newhall, Private, " 4.
Ebenezer Porter, Private, " 4.
Francis Cowin, Private, " 6.
Charles Florence, Private, " 6.
Garland Chamberlain, Private, " 5.
John Baker, Private, " 6.
Francis Bowden, Private, 3.
James Marvel, Private, 6.
Ebenezer Brown (Reading), Private, 6.
John Danforth, Private, 6.
William Pell Pratt, Private, " 4.
David Newman, Private, " .5.
Samuel Wheeler, Private, " 6.
John Bancroft, Private, " 4.
Jesse Whitman, Private, " 6.
Benjamin Twist, Private, 8.
Jonathan Fuller, Private, June 4.
John Blanchard, Private, ' 20.
William Trench, Private, May 1.
Nathan Ramsdell, Private, " 5.
Ezra Waitt, Private, " 6.
 Newhall, Private, " 4.
Nathaniel Tarbox, Private, " 3.
Meanwhile many of the inhabitants of Boston and
Charlestown had moved out into the country, and the
patriot army, though composed of loosely organized and
untrained provincials had taken its station just outside
[58]

Lynn in the Revolution
of Boston, and was keeping close watch of the well-
equipped British soldiery which was quartered in the
town, and numbered between five and six thousand men.
The patriot commanders took pains in various manoeu
vres within sight of the enemy to make the number of
their men appear larger than it was. Some skirmishes
took place in the harbor, and the provincials had begun,
here and there, to throw up breastworks. When the
news came to them that reinforcements were expected
in Boston, they felt more and more the need of efficient
organization. The Massachusetts Congress looked for
aid to the Continental Congress, then in session in Phila
delphia, and, more than a month before the final appoint
ment of Washington as Commander-in-Chief, word
was sent to the Massachusetts delegates in that body
that it would be most acceptable if "the beloved
Col. Washington was placed at the head of the Amer
ican forces."
General Ward was too inactive to suit the enthusiasm
of the men who were under him, — the men who, at the
beginning of the war, at least, were filled with patriotic
fervor and the spirit of adventure. It was fortunate
that they had at this time little realization of what the
war was to be, with its long wilderness marches, its more
tedious waitings in camp through cold and hunger and
uncertainty, and its long periods of discouragement and
disaster. The British, on their part, would scarcely admit them
selves in a state of siege in Boston. They were still
confident, even after their experience at Concord and
Lexington, that they had but to sally forth to easily put
to flight in the open field the body of raw provincials
[59]

Lynn in the Revolution
with which they were surrounded. Nevertheless, they
waited until the arrival of reinforcements under Generals
Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton before they began to move.
How the Americans prepared themselves for the ex
pected attack from the enemy has been well and variously
told. The Committee of Safety held many meetings,
and thoroughly discussed plans of operation. Some de
fences were constructed, and the question of fortifying
Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights was debated. There
was, however, such lack of organization and powder
that many felt that the army was not strong enough to
defend such exposed positions, and counselled waiting.
It is possible that such counsel would have prevailed,
had it not become known that the British were to take
possession of Dorchester Heights on the night of the
eighteenth of June. The information, which was not
to be doubted, seemed to make it necessary that immedi
ate action be taken. The Committee of Safety passed
its recommendation to occupy and defend Bunker Hill as
well as to secure one or more hills on Dorchester Neck, —
a recommendation which was accepted by the council
of war held on the sixteenth. That very night the army
began its quiet march toward Bunker Hill, and at mid
night the men took their spades and began throwing up
the fortifications marked out by Colonel Gridley. Col
onel Prescott was there, and himself went twice down to
the riverside to satisfy himself that they were not dis
covered, and to listen for the "All's well!" of the watch
on the men-of-war moored opposite. Morning found
them with intrenchments six feet high, intrenchments
which had been thrown up so swiftly and silently by
twelve hundred patriots that no sound had betrayed them,
[60]

Lynn in the Revolution
and only the dawn revealed their work to the ships in
the river and the batteries on Copp's Hill.
The story of that famous seventeenth of June scarcely
belongs here, except as it touches our men of Lynn.
Colonel Mansfield's regiment had marched out from
Cambridge, eager to get into the fray, but was only per
mitted to watch it from a distance. The day was fraught
with disappointment and chagrin to both British and
provincial, though both fought bravely and well. Only
time could give to this first great battle its rightful esti
mate. By the American to-day it is regarded as "a
victory, with all the moral effect of victory," although
our soldiers were obliged to retreat from the redoubt, to
leave the gallant Warren on the hill, and to see it occu
pied by the king's troops. The quality of the American
soldier was forever proved on that day, and Frothing-
ham says that "their bravery was so resolute and their
self-devotion was so lofty as to at once elicit from all
quarters the most glowing commendation."
The account of the part taken by the different regi
ments engaged was for a long time meagre and uncertain.
There was much confusion at the time of the battle in
regard to orders, and even brave and patriotic officers
blundered through misunderstanding and inexperience.
To-day, even with all the wealth of material from which
to draw information, it is not an easy matter to bring
forward with absolute certainty the true story of a regi
ment or its commander. Yet our Lynn story would not
be complete, did we not try to present as clearly and accu
rately as possible the connection of Colonel John Mans
field's regiment with the battle of Bunker Hill.
[61]

Chapter V
COLONEL JOHN MANSFIELD
The most prominent man in the town of Lynn at the
time of the breaking out of the Revolutionary War was
Captain John Mansfield. Born in Lynn during the
reign of King George I., he lived to see Thomas Jeffer
son made President of the United States. His career
was a notable one, full of adventure, success, and defeat.
His public services were many and varied, and his devo
tion to duty was sincere and marked. Yet, if we were
to accept as final the report found in the provincial rec
ords of the Revolutionary period, we might feel that a
shadow rested upon his memory. Generations have
long since gone of the men who knew and remembered
him, and nearly two hundred years have passed since
his birth, yet even at this late day we are able to glean
some facts which would seem to clear away the misun
derstanding caused by the reading of that early record, —
a record which, however true it may be, we can but feel
resulted from a judgment severe to injustice on the man
upon whom it was passed.
John Mansfield was born February nineteenth, 1721,
in that part of Lynn called "Mansfield's End." This
section comprised the land now lying between Pine Grove
Cemetery and Federal Square, and stretched northward to
the hills. His line of descent, traced back to the emigrant
ancestor, would be John5, Jonathan4, Joseph3, Joseph2,
Robert1. Robert, the emigrant, who with his wife,
Elizabeth, was in Lynn in 1640, lived on Boston Street,
[62 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
near Moulton, in a house which he built and a portion of
which is said to be still standing. His death occurred
December 16, 1666. His son Joseph was in the Narra-
gansett War, married Elizabeth Needham, and died in
Lynn, April 22, 1694. Joseph, of the third generation
from Robert, was born in Lynn, January 1, 1660,
married Elizabeth Williams, and died June 2, 1739.
His gravestone is still to be seen in the Old Western
Burial Ground. This Joseph's son, Jonathan, was born
in Lynn, February 26, 1690, married Martha Stocker,
and died March 1, 1728-29, when his son John was
seven years old.
Of the earlier years of John Mansfield nothing is known
up to the time of his marriage with Sarah Cheever, of
Saugus, niece of Rev. Edward Cheever, who performed
the marriage ceremony. Sarah Cheever was of the fifth
generation from Ezekiel Cheever, the famous master of
the Boston Latin School, and by the marriage of John
Mansfield with her there were united two of the oldest
families in Massachusetts and certainly two of the most
prominent in Lynn. The home was established on what "
is now Strawberry Avenue, formerly called " Gen. Mans
field's Lane." The ancient building, torn down in 1885,
stood directly opposite the Orgin house, and was mod
elled after the style of houses built about 1740, the roof
sloping nearly to the ground, the windows small, and the
chimney immense. In this house were born his thir
teen children: John, June 29, 1750, died young; Isaac,
September 22, 1753; Cheever, December 25, 1755;
Sarah, September 12, 1757, died August 27, 1763; Lucy,
August 27, 1759, married Joel Newhall, December 24,
1778; William (Colonel), July 1, 1761; Martha, July 6,
[63]

Lynn in the Revolution
1763; James, May 6, 1765; Sarah, April 16, 1767, mar
ried Daniel Allen Breed Newhall; Mary, January 5,
1770, married Samuel Brimblecom, afterward lieuten
ant-colonel in the War of 1812; Jonathan, May 1, 1772;
John, December 9, 1774; Elizabeth, June 21, 1777.
During the French and Indian War, Captain Mans
field became actively engaged in the service of the king,
enlisting December 13, 1754, in a company in His Maj
esty's service raised for the defence of the eastern frontier,
under Captain John Lane. He was at Albany in 1756,
under Captain Samuel Flint, of Danvers. He was a
corporal in Captain William Angier's company at Fort
Cumberland from April second, 1759, to January twenty-
sixth, 1760; a private in Captain Moses Parker's com
pany from June eighth, 1761, to January second, 1762;
and a sergeant in Captain Hart's company from March
twelfth to November twenty-fifth, 1763. In January,
1766, he was made lieutenant of Captain Samuel Johnson's
second company of militia in the town of Lynn, Colonel
Pickman's regiment, being promoted to captain in 1771.
This latter company was attached to the first regiment
of Essex County, commanded by Colonel William Brown.
During the exciting days preceding the Revolution, Cap
tain Mansfield assumed a prominent part in the debates
which took place in the old meeting-house on the Com
mon. He early began to serve as moderator of the town
meeting, a position which he filled many times during
his life. His advice was often sought, his judgment was
highly respected, and he was assigned a place on nearly
every committee of importance having to do with public
affairs. He gave hearty support to the resolutions con
demning the Stamp Act and the Boston Port Bill, and
[64]

Lynn in the Revolution
was outspoken in his defence of the rights of the col
onies. On Wednesday, October fifth, 1774, the General As
sembly had been called by Governor Gage to meet at
Salem, but had been ordered dispersed before the time
of meeting, the Governor having become alarmed at the
belligerent state of the province. Notwithstanding the
objections of His Excellency, the members, to the num
ber of eighty, met at the Court House, and waited all
day for the Governor to appear and administer to them
the oath of office. The next day there followed what has
been referred to before, the choice of John Hancock as
their chairman, with Benjamin Lincoln, of Hingham,
as clerk, the adoption of resolutions of protest at the ac
tion of the Governor, and the resolving themselves into a
"Provincial Congress, to be joined by such other persons as have
been or shall be chosen for that purpose, to take into consideration
the dangerous and alarming situation of publick affairs in this Prov
ince, and to consult and determine on such measures as they shall
judge will tend to promote the true interest of his Majesty, in the
peace, welfare, and prosperity of the Province."
The next day the list of members legally elected was
brought forward, and Mr. Hancock and Mr. Lincoln
were elected president and secretary of the Provincial
Congress. Captain John Mansfield was a delegate to
the General Assembly from Lynn, together with his
friend and neighbor, Ebenezer Burrill, Esq., the town
clerk. These two men were present at the Court House
in Salem, and later joined their fortunes with the new
Provincial Congress, following it to Concord when it
adjourned to that place. Captain Mansfield's asso-
[65]

Lynn in the Revolution
ciates are worthy of mention. Besides John Hancock,
whose name was soon to head the most important docu
ment ever written in the New World, there was Samuel
Adams, upon whose head, with that of Hancock, the king
was soon to set a price; John Adams, statesman and fut
ure President; Dr. Joseph Warren, whose life was to
be given for his country at Bunker Hill ; Elbridge Gerry,
who was to sign the Declaration of Independence; Will
iam Prescott a Pepperell farmer, whose name was to be
come immortalized in a few months; Artemas Ward of
Shrewsbury, who was to assume the first command of the
new army; Seth Pomeroy of Northampton, Ebenezer
Learned of Oxford, and Benjamin Lincoln of Hingham,
who were soon to be appointed to high office in the army
of George Washington. With many of these men Captain
Mansfield had a personal acquaintance. His attention
to business made him valued by his associates, and his
firm stand against the king marked him as a pronounced
"rebel." On December the seventh John Adams, Samuel Adams,
and Colonel Danielson were appointed a committee to
bring in a resolve relative to taking the number of inhab
itants and the quantity of exports and imports, of mer
chandise, and of the manufactures of all kinds in the
colony, the information being for the benefit of the Mas
sachusetts delegates in the Continental Congress. The
resolve was passed, and a committee consisting of one
from each county was appointed, Captain Mansfield
being named as the member from Essex Countv. He
was also chosen by Lynn as her delegate to the next
session of the Provincial Congress, to be held in Feb
ruary. [66]

Lynn in the Revolution
When the Provincial Congress practically disbanded
the militia and ordered the formation of minute com
panies, Captain Mansfield met with forty-nine officers
of the First Essex County Regiment, February thirteenth,
1775, at the house of Mr. Francis Symonds at Danvers,
where the following officers were chosen: Captain Timo
thy Pickering, Jr., colonel; Captain John Mansfield,
first lieutenant-colonel; Captain Henry Herrick, of Bev
erly, second lieutenant-colonel; Dr. Samuel Hoi ton, of
Danvers, first major; Captain Archealus Fuller, of Mid-
dleton, second major. This record was attested by
Ebenezer Francis as clerk. The distinguished honor
paid the Lynn captain can better be appreciated when
we consider a little further the men who were his asso
ciate officers. Colonel Timothy Pickering, one of the
most noted men in Salem at that time, became a mem
ber of the cabinet of George Washington; Dr. Samuel
Holton, of Danvers, the close friend of Adams, Hancock,
and Washington, became for five years a member of the
Continental Congress, and as judge and patriot held
positions of high honor and trust; Ebenezer Francis,
afterward colonel, fell at the head of his regiment in the
impetuous fight at Hubbardton, while resisting the ad
vance of Burgoyne. In the company of these men, it
can hardly be supposed that Colonel Mansfield lost any
of his martial spirit, fostered by his long experience in
the old French War and association with the militia.
After his election as lieutenant-colonel he still contin
ued to divide his time between his regiment and
Congress, being present at the last session of the latter
memorable body before the battle of Lexington. Colonel
Mansfield was in Lynn on the morning of the nineteenth
[67]

Lynn in the Revolution
of April, and early received news of the march of the Brit
ish to Concord. Possibly from the very fact that the
object of the regulars was in part to capture the presi
dent of the Congress in which he had sat within five
days, Colonel Mansfield used every effort to bring out
the minute-men. After seeing his neighbor, Captain
William Farrington, safely off with his company, he has
tened to Salem to help to arouse the officers of his regi
ment. Having performed this duty, he hurried on to
Menotomy, arriving just in time to see the last of the
British retreating towards Boston. He followed them
down to Cambridge, where he spent the night. The
next day the first council of war in the Revolution was
called, and Colonel Mansfield had the honor to be in
vited to sit in it, which he did in company with Generals
Ward, Heath, and Whetcomb, and Colonels Frye, James
Prescott, William Prescott, Bullard, Spaulding, Bridge,
Barrett, Nixon, Whitney, Wheelock, and Mann. This
body recommended to the Provincial Congress the for
mation of an army, and on the first of May Colonel Tim
othy Pickering wrote the Committee of Safety, recom
mending Lieutenant-Colonel Mansfield as colonel in a regi
ment to be raised in Salem and vicinity. His standing
was excellent. He was at once engaged, and, returning
home, set about raising a regiment in compliance with
the terms of his appointment. He first turned his atten
tion to the company then in service in Lynn commanded
by his friend, Captain Ezra Newhall. He soon secured
the enlistment of not only the captain, but nearly all of
the members of the company. In Salem he organized
companies under the command of Captains Thomas
Barnes, Addison Richardson, and Nathan Brown; in
[68]

Lynn in the Revolution

Danvers under Captains Enoch Putnam and Asa Prince;
in Beverly under command of Captains Ebenezer Francis
and John Low; and in Manchester under command of
Captain Benjamin Kimball. Having thus mustered ten
full companies, he reported to the Provincial Congress,
May twenty-seventh, that his regiment was in "good
forwardness," and a recommendation was adopted that
the regiment be commissioned accordingly. The regi
ment was made up as follows: —

Israel Hutchinson, Lieutenant-Colonel.
Ezra Putnam, Major.
Captains.
Ezra Newhall,
Enoch Putnam,
Ebenezer Francis,
Asa Prince,
Benjamin Kimball,
Thomas Barnes,
Addison Richardson,
John Low,
Gideon Foster,
Nathan Brown.

Lieutenants.
Zadock Buffington,
John Dodge,
James Bancroft,
John Upton,
Job Whipple,
Nathaniel Cleaves,
Francis Cox,
Stephen Wilkins,
Bill. Porter,
Ephraim Emerson.

Ensigns.
John Pierce,
Benjamin Crat,
James Matthews,
Grimes Tufts,
Benjamin Gardner,
Joseph Herrick,
Frederick Breed,
Archealus Bachelor,
Harfail White,"
Thomas Downing.

On the twenty-seventh of May it was "Ordered, that
Commissions be delivered to the officers, Lieutenants
and Ensigns of Colonel Mansfield's regiment, agreeable
to the above list."
The regiment at this time was in camp at Cambridge.
On May the twenty-fifth Colonel Mansfield was the officer
of the day in the American camp. On June the third he
was again officer of the day, when the parole was " Mar
blehead" and the countersign "Lynn." On the eleventh
[69]

Lynn in the Revolution
of June, six days before the battle of Bunker Hill, he was
for the third time officer of the day. Not to give the
story of the battle, it is sufficient to say that it was an un
expected engagement, and that little preparation had
been made for a contest. General Ward, when informed
early in the morning that the new fortifications were
under fire, refused to weaken his army by sending re-
enforcements. As the day progressed, however, he was
brought to a realizing sense of the situation, and sent
men to the scene, but too late. At about three o'clock
in the afternoon General Ward despatched the Nine
teenth Regiment, commanded by Colonel Mansfield, to
reinforce General Israel Putnam and Colonel Prescott.
At this time everything was in an uproar, and the utmost
confusion prevailed. The terrific fire from the British
men-of-war swept Charlestown Neck, a hand-to-hand
fight was in progress on Breed's Hill, and Charlestown
was in flames. Some regiments were advancing, others
halting, others retreating. Major Scarborough Gridley
had been ordered with his artillery to advance, but,
after reaching Cobble Hill, he decided to halt and cover
the retreat which he thought to be inevitable. Colonel
Mansfield at this time came up with his regiment, and
was ordered by Major Gridley to halt and support him.
Here was made the fatal mistake of Colonel Mansfield,
for he disobeyed the orders previously given him, took
those of an inferior officer, and halted his regiment.
Thus, in sight of the battle, the Lynn men under Cap
tain Ezra Newhall stood still until about five o'clock,
when the conflict ended.
That night Colonel Mansfield's regiment lay upon its
arms at Winter Hill, expecting a continuance of the at-
[70]

Lynn in the Revolution
tack on Sunday morning, but the British had met with
such severe losses that they did not care to renew the
battle. Colonel Mansfield was field officer of the day
on the eighteenth, and on the twenty-third his regiment
was ordered to encamp on Prospect Hill. On the thir
tieth of June the Provincial Congress ordered the com
mission as colonel to be delivered to Colonel John Mans
field, to date from May nineteenth. On the fourth of
July he was present in Cambridge, and met General
Washington, who on the day before had taken command
of the army, and who on the next day detailed him as
officer of the day. Soon after, Colonel Mansfield was
ordered to make a return of his regiment, which he did,
showing 399 officers and men effective, twenty-six sick
present, twenty-three sick absent, twenty-one on furlough,
and one on command, 470 in all. On July the eighth he
was again officer of the day, and on July the twenty-sec
ond General Washington ordered the army formed into
brigades, and Colonel Mansfield's regiment, together
with that of John Stark, was placed under the command
of General John Sullivan, and posted on Winter Hill.
During this time a part of his regiment was employed
in making bricks for the army.
In the early part of August, jealousy and bad feeling
developed among his men, gradually increasing until
three of his officers went to General Washington and
accused Colonel Mansfield of cowardice in the engage
ment of June seventeenth. Two months after the battle,
therefore, on the thirteenth of August, 1775, the follow
ing entry appears in the orderly book of the Commander-
in-Chief : — [71]

Lynn in the Revolution
"A general court martial to sit to-morrow to try Col. John Mans
field, of the Massachusetts forces, accused by three of his officers of
high crimes and misdemeanors. One Brig. Genl. and twelve field
officers to compose the court."
The following members were appointed: president,
Brigadier-General Nathanael Greene; members, Colonel
James Reed, Colonel Varnum, Colonel Patterson, Colo
nel Woodbridge, Lieutenant- Colonel Wyman, Lieuten
ant-Colonel Marsh, Lieutenant- Colonel Miller, Major
Cudworth, Major Buttrick, Major Sawyer, and Major
Angell. It is unfortunate for history and justice that no record
of the trial has been preserved. The only light bearing
upon it appears in a diary kept by Benjamin Crafts,
second lieutenant of Captain Kimball's company. The
observations made by him appear prejudiced, and his
own action at the time does not heighten respect for him,
inasmuch as he made a request soon after to General
Washington to be allowed to resign his commission. He
gave as an excuse that the seacoast was unprotected, and
that he had a family in Manchester. General Washington
granted his request, and the brave lieutenant returned
to his home. His diary reads as follows: —
"Sunday, August 13, 1775. This day our Col. Mansfield was
confined & a court martial ordered of twelve officers, Gen. Greene
being Prest.
"Wednesday, Sept. 6. It is said that Col. Mansfield is to have his
trial to-day. Col. Mansfield not tried.
"Thursday, Sept. 7. This morning was notified to attend a court
martial as evidence in the case of Col. Mansfield.
"Friday, Sept. 8. All the officers went to Cambridge as witnesses
[72]

Lynn in the Revolution
in the case of Col. Mansfield. The court was opened, the officers
sworn, & the Lieut. Col. (Israel Hutchinson) and all the captains
examined and gave in their evidence and the court adjourned until
Wednesday next. Col. Mansfield had a trying time and I also
believe he will find it a breaking time. We returned from court just
before night.
"Wednesday, Sept. 13. After breakfast went to see the end of
Col. Mansfield's court martial. All the lieutenants gave in their
evidence much alike, with the exception of Lieut. Breed [Frederick
Breed, of Lynn], his evidence being nothing more nor less than Col.
Mansfield's own story, which he had learnt from him I suppose, one
of the colonel's own scholars. To me this was surprising strange.
But I suppose neither master or scholar had any foundation for their
support, and believe what they both said will fail and they meet the
contempt they justly deserve."
On September fifteenth the court-martial handed in
its findings, and the following appears in the orders of
the day: —
" Col. John Mansfield, of the nineteenth regiment of foot, tried at
a general court martial, whereof Brig. Gen. Greene was president,
for remissness and backwardness in the execution of his duty at the
late engagement on Bunker's Hill. The court found the prisoner
guilty of the forty-ninth article of the Rules and Regulations of the
Massachusetts army, and therefore sentence him to be cashiered,
and rendered unfit to serve in the Continental army. The General
[George Washington] approves the sentence and directs it to take
effect immediately."
At about this time Colonels James Scamman, Ebe
nezer Bridge, and Samuel Gerrish, together with Major
Scarborough Gridley, were tried for similar offences.
Colonel Scamman was acquitted, although he had halted
[73]

Lynn in the Revolution
his regiment near that of Colonel Mansfield. His plea
was that he had misunderstood orders. Colonel Bridge
pleaded sickness, and was acquitted. Colonel Gerrish
was found guilty, as was also Major Gridley. The latter
was the young artillery officer who gave the order to
Colonel Mansfield to halt, and for which offence he was
so severely dealt with. Major Gridley was the son of
Colonel Richard Gridley, however, and parental influ
ence soon placed him back in the army again.
Pending the result of his trial, Colonel Mansfield was
detailed on the main and picket guard August twenty-
fourth, thirtieth, and September fifth. Upon his dis
missal from the army he returned to Lynn, bowed
down by the sentence and feeling that he had been used
unfairly. The townspeople evidently did not believe
the stories of cowardice which had been advanced, for
they proceeded to honor him in every possible way. In
March, 1776, he was chosen a member of the Commit
tee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety, which
important position he filled in 1778, 1780, 1781, 1782,
and 1783, until the treaty of peace. He served as mod
erator of the town meetings during almost the entire
period of the war, and was active in raising the various
quotas of men sent into the Continental Army. He at
tended to providing for the families of soldiers away in
the army, and in many other ways exhibited his devo
tion to the patriot cause. In 1785 he was elected town
treasurer, but declined to accept. His last public ap
pearance was on the fourteenth of May, 1792, when at
the age of seventy-one he acted as moderator of the town
meeting. Colonel Mansfield was a courtly gentleman of the old
[74 ]

GRAVESTONE OF COLONEL JOHN MANSFIELD

GRAVESTONE OF ('OU)XKl. JOHN FLAGG

Lynn in the Revolution
school, tall and dignified in appearance, and with a gait
and manner so noticeable as to be called the "Mansfield
swing." Always a stanch supporter and constant at
tendant of the old First Church, he remained steadfast
to the faith when most of the members, including Deacons
Theophilus Hallowell and William Farrington, joined
the new society of Methodists, which made its ap
pearance in Lynn in 1791. He, however, was one of
the five male members who refused to join the new
movement. The last days of the old colonel were spent quietly
in the midst of his large family, yet during the remainder
of his long life he felt severely the disgrace of his dismissal
from the army, even though popular sentiment had as
cribed his course to an error of judgment only. Swett,
the historian of Bunker Hill, says plainly that this was
the fact, and with such authority bearing upon his con
duct we may well give to him the just respect which his
long life of public service commands.
The death of Colonel Mansfield occurred April twenty-
fourth^ 1809, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife
had died many years before, and their graves, near the
centre of the Old Western Burial-ground, are marked with
slate stones which simply note their deaths. There he
rests, surrounded by his kin, his neighbors, and his
fellow-soldiers. Who can truthfully say that the Ameri
can flag should not float above his grave, as it does
over those of a hundred other soldiers of the Revolu
tion who lie buried near him ?

[75]

Chapter VI
LYNN MEN UNDER CAPTAIN NEWHALL AND
CAPTAIN KING— THE SIEGE OF BOSTON
When Colonel Mansfield left his regiment and returned
to his home in Lynn, the command fell upon Lieutenant-
Colonel Israel Hutchinson, of Danvers, who as captain
had served through three campaigns, and who had been
recommended by Timothy Pickering, Jr., to the Com
mittee of Safety as a man suitable and well qualified
to take second command in the regiment forming in
Salem and vicinity. Our Lynn men, then, in the com
pany of Captain Ezra Newhall, still remained in the neigh
borhood of the gathering army at Cambridge. They
had perhaps been present when Washington arrived to
take command, and had heard the shouts of the multi
tude and the thundering of the artillery which announced
his coming. Doubtless they had watched him as he
rode through the camp in the midst of his officers, and had
felt the thrill of admiration which his commanding pres
ence awakened in all who saw him for the first time.
There during that first summer and autumn, inactive
though they were for the most part, they came in contact
with some of the men whose names were to become great
in the annals of their country. Closely associated with
Washington, they constantly saw his officers, Greene,
Sullivan, Stark, Arnold, Knox, Heath, Thomas, AVard,
Wooster, and Putnam, New England men who became
[76]

Lynn in the Revolution
leaders in the army. Besides these there was Daniel
Morgan, of Virginia, whose exciting career has been com
pared with that of Stark, of New Hampshire. The men
of Lynn were also, perhaps, brought under the spell
which the traitorous Charles Lee seemed to weave about
the soldiers at the beginning, for he was often seen in the
encampments with his dogs, and, fascinating because of
his eccentricities and his experience in foreign warfare,
was the subject of much speculation and talk in the camp.
Horatio Gates, too, was there, not yet entered upon the
career which was to add so greatly to the worry and care
of the great Commander-in-Chief.
Benedict Arnold, made colonel that summer, began
in September his brave and perilous expedition to Quebec,
with the object of forming a junction with Schuyler and
Montgomery, and of winning for the American cause
the sympathy and help of the Canadians. It was an
expedition which suited his impetuous, adventurous
spirit, and how bravely he carried it through and how
nearly successful was the attempt to capture Quebec,
the great stronghold of the North, is a matter of history.
It was on the fourteenth of September that this brave
and enthusiastic band passed through Lynn on its way
to Newburyport, the point of embarkation for the Kenne
bec, whence they were to proceed through the northern
wilderness. Those living on old Boston Street at that
time were treated to a rare and interesting spectacle, for
it has been truly said that the flower of the colonial youth
was in the detachment which marched over the County
Road. Every man was a volunteer, and had enlisted
eagerly in the enterprise. Arnold himself, detained by
Washington in Cambridge until the next day, was not
[ 77 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
at the head of the column, as might have been expected,
but Lieutenant- Colonel Roger Enos, of Vermont, and
Major Jonathan Meigs led one battalion, while Lieu
tenant-Colonel Christopher Greene and Major Timothy
Bigelow commanded the other. Morgan was there, and
several young captains, who in spite of their youth had
seen some service, marched with their companies, as did
also a few commissioned volunteers, mere striplings,
among whom was Aaron Burr, then only nineteen years
of age. Some eleven hundred men in all, they passed
through the town, and camped that night at Beverly,
Danvers, and Salem. We look in vain for the names
of Lynn men among their rolls, and must conclude that
Captain Newhall's company, with possibly that of Daniel
Galeucia and the seacoast guards, contained all of the
Lynn men then in service for America.
Soon after the battle of Bunker Hill, it was thought
advisable to guard the seacoast of Essex County, inas
much as it was feared that the British might devastate it.
Accordingly, a resolve was passed by the Provincial Con
gress on the twenty-eighth of June, providing that the
companies be immediately raised in such manner and
proportions as should be agreed upon by a joint com
mittee to be appointed by Congress, consisting of one
member from each of the towns of Lynn, Manchester,
Gloucester, Marblehead, Salem, Beverly, Ipswich, New
bury, Newburyport, and Salisbury. Mr. Edward John
son was appointed the member of the committee from
Lynn, and, the companies being duly organized, one was
stationed at Salem and Lynn, and placed in command
of Captain Samuel King, of Salem. This companv con
tinued in service for six months, or until the war moved
[78]

Lynn in the Revolution
southward. In the roll of the company there are some
twenty-five names which belong with little doubt to men
from Lynn.
The story is told of one alarm which reached the town
during the time when this company was on guard, which
threw the inhabitants into the greatest excitement, and
well illustrates the need which was felt of continuous
defence. Although Mr. Lewis, in relating this inci
dent, places it in the year 1776, it is probable that it
occurred in the summer of 1775, since Mr. Hallowell
in his journal mentions it as taking place during the six
months that he was guarding the seacoast and before he
had joined the Continental Army. The story, as told
by Mr. Lewis, is interesting, and seems well worth re
peating. Told in his own words, it is as follows: —
"An alarm was made at midnight, that some of the English troops
had landed on King's beach. In a short time the town was all in
commotion. Many persons left their houses and fled to the woods.
Some families threw their plate into the wells, and several sick per
sons were removed. Some self-possession, however, was manifested.
Mr. Frederick Breed, for his exertions in rallying the soldiers and
marching them to Woodend, where he found the alarm to be false,
received a commission in the army, and afterward rose to the rank
of colonel." Judge James R. Newhall adds this to the story: —
"There was a tavern kept in the old house now standing on Fed
eral street, corner of Marion, by Increase Newhall. It was an alarm
station; that is, a place to which, when an alarm occurred, the en
rolled men in the district instantly repaired for duty. At this King's
beach alarm, it is said that the officer whose duty it was to take com
mand, did not appear, and after the soldiers returned, all safe, he
[79]

Lynn in the Revolution
emerged from the oven, in which, panic-stricken, he had concealed
himself."

Mr. Hallowell, referring to his connection with the
affair, says: —
"Myself and many others, under the command of Fredk. Breed
all under arms, set off to meet them But proved a false report and
said Breed was so active got recommended and was commissioned
as 2nd Lieut, and was in the campaign of 1776."
The roll of Captain King's men is as follows : —
"Captain Samuel King's company, stationed at Salem and Lynn
for defence of seacoast from July 11, 1775 to June 1776, 6 months,
five days.

' Samuel King, Captain
Harris Chadwell, Lieut. 1st.
Edward Johnson, 2nd. Lieut.
John Worden, Sergt.
Daniel Cheever, Sergt.
Henry Roby, Sergt.
John Burrill, Sergt.
Benj. Cox, Jr. Corporal
Nathl. Knight, Corporal
Ralph Lindsey, Corporal
Wm. Johnson, Corporal
Wm. Mansfield, Fifer
Nicholas Lampress, Drummer
Benj. Cook, Jr.
John Meek
John Horton
Benj. Larrabee
George West, Jr.

Joshua Pierce
David Garrett, Jr.
Jos. Mackintire
Jona. Felt
Thos. Chittenden
John Farrington
Henry Hallowell
John Hunt
Samuel Hallowell
Henry Lankaster
Samuel Mansfield
Ralph Merry
Solomon Newhall
Nathaniel Newhall
Daniel A. B. Newhall
Robert Felt
Richard Pappoon
Marstin Parrot t

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COUNCIL COMMISSION OF HARRIS CHADWELL

Lynn in the Revolution
Jacob Caldwell John Proctor
Jos. Birnett Thomas Roby
Nathl. Brookhouse William Tarbox
John Osgood James Tilton
Benj. Putnam, Jr. Benj. Cox, 3rd
John Garrett Henry Cutler"
Jona. Harlow

Meantime the main body, with its line of encamp
ments surrounding Boston, was being strengthened as
much as possible by Washington, who was not able as
yet, to do more than keep the British imprisoned in the
town. He had men enough, perhaps, to make an attack,
but the woeful lack of arms and powder, and, as winter
came on, of even clothing, were wants which it seemed
absolutely necessary to supply before he could hope to
accomplish much with his undisciplined and sometimes
unruly troops. The lack of powder even his own troops
scarcely realized, and Congress, with its as yet limited
powers, seemed helpless to supply what he so insistently
urged. Thus the summer wore on. October found
General Gage recalled to England and General Howe
in command at Boston. Washington with his little
navy would have gladly imprisoned the British ships in
the harbor, as Josiah Quincy wished him to do, if some
one could have furnished him with the cannon and
powder, but he was obliged to wait. The end of the year
saw many of the enlistments run out. Indeed, the
Rhode Island and Connecticut troops refused to prolong
theirs, and, but for the prompt coming forward of men
from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to make up
the loss, the army must have been greatly weakened.
[81 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
At this time, too, it seemed necessary that many of the
men be allowed to go home on furlough in order that
they might make arrangements for their families during
the winter. The Lynn company on the first of January,
1776, almost to a man, re-enlisted in Captain Newhall's
company, now under Colonel Israel Hutchinson. Our
men had occupied successively positions on Winter Hill,
Powder Hill, Prospect Hill, and now, with the left wing
of the army pushed forward to Cobble Hill in Somerville,
they were watching the enemy at close range. Within
a short time, the cannon and munitions of war, which had
been captured by Allen and Arnold at Ticonderoga in
the summer, arrived at Cambridge, brought in by General
Knox, who had been sent for them, and, though small
arms were still greatly needed, the train of fifty large
pieces which came in greatly encouraged the army.
The situation of the enemy in Boston, reduced to actual
suffering through lack of provisions, besides being men
aced by the dread small-pox which had broken out in
the town, made it appear that the prudent ones were
right in their opinion that eventually the British would
be obliged to evacuate Boston, without its being neces
sary to either attack the town or destroy it, as Congress
had authorized Washington to do, if necessary. On the
first of March, to the joy of all, powder arrived, and,
three days later Washington began his bombardment.
The Lynn company had by this time been stationed at
Roxbury under General Thomas, and was with him when
he quietly moved forward under cover of Washington's
bombardment toward Dorchester Heights. There on
the night of the fourth and fifth of March, 1776, with
spades and crowbars, with timbers and bales of hay,
[82 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
they helped to throw up the fortifications which met the
eyes of General Howe on the morning of the fifth. Both
the armies then laid their plans for battle, but no battle
was needed. A long storm hindered the movements of
the British, while the Americans worked on strengthening
their defences. The light of another day showed to the
British commander a position too strong for him to at
tack, and there only remained for him — evacuation. On
the morning of the seventeenth all preliminaries had been
made, and by nine o'clock the last of his boats had sailed
out of the harbor. Ten days they lay in Nantasket
Roads, and then set sail for Halifax.
Captain Newhall's company continued in the service
to the end of this siege, which is set down in our histories
as the Siege of Boston.

[ 83

Chapter VII
THE MARCH TO NEW YORK AND ACROSS
THE JERSEYS WITH WASHINGTON
American troops had at last succeeded in recovering
what was their own. Boston was once more occupied by
New Englanders, though it was a depleted and bedraggled
town of which they had come into possession. Our Essex
County regiment, with Colonel Hutchinson command
ing, had taken up quarters in barracks lately occupied
by British soldiers, and our men of Captain Newhall's
company remained in and about Boston for many weeks.
Some arms and small articles had been left by the British
in their haste in embarking, and it was a common thing
for our farmer soldiers to search for keepsakes and small
treasures among the debris. Mr. Hallowell makes men
tion of this in his journal, saying, "One time I made a
search in their cabins to see what I could find and found
one silver dollar and two others were found by my mate."
He speaks also of the ruin which had been wrought at
the old State House and of the fact that the pews in one
meeting-house had been taken up and the place used to
train horses in, — a fact which is familiar enough to us,
perhaps, having been often repeated in connection with
the history of the Old South Church, but which comes
with a new sense of reality as we read it in the faded
handwriting of one of the sons of old Lynn. We are
enabled, too, to realize a little more fully the feeling of
vengeance which the presence of the few lingering British
[84]

Lynn in the Revolution
ships, lying in Nantasket Roads, awakened in the breasts
of the men who were now on the lookout from the harbor,
when he tells us in his journal that their general sent
hundreds of men in the night, in flat-bottomed boats, to
drive the intruders off, and that they lay in readiness until
daybreak, and then fired upon the British ships, cutting
their rigging and finally obliging them to move away.
He ends the quaint account with the words, "This I
saw." The triumph in coming once more into possession of
Boston was the last which the Continental Army was to
experience for a long time. Arnold's expedition, under
taken with such courage and determination, had failed,
and the long months in the bitter cold of a Canadian
winter had brought terrible hardships not only to Arnold's
men, but to those of Schuyler and Montgomery. The
small-pox, which in those days wrought such havoc, had
caused the loss of many men, and the death of General
Montgomery at Quebec, in battle, and of General
Thomas in the early summer, from the prevailing disease,
were alone sufficient to dishearten the stoutest hearts.
Thus the northern army had been gradually pushed back
to the head of Lake Champlain, and both the British and
the American army seemed to look toward the Hudson
as the next coveted possession. Indeed, Washington,
leaving General Ward in command at Boston, with
Colonel Gridley to look out for the coast defences, had
marched soon after its evacuation, with the main body of
his army, for New York. But it was not until the first
of August, probably, that Colonel Hutchinson's regiment
followed, for Mr. William Tarbox, who was in Captain
Newhall's Lynn company, tells us that his regiment
[85 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
marched on that date to reinforce Washington. Before
it reached its destination, however, the battle of Long
Island had been fought and Washington's army had
moved up the Hudson. Mr. Hallowell adds another
fact which helps us to trace the footsteps of the Lynn men,
namely, that they marched to Norwich and then proceeded
by water to New York, where they stayed one night, going
on from thence to Fort Independence, and from that
place to Fort Washington. They had reached Harlem
Heights just too late to take part in the battle, and not
until they reached Fort Washington were they destined
to meet their first encounter with the enemy. To gain
any clear idea of the battle which took place at this point,
we must look in the carefully compiled accounts which
have been given. There are, however, for us one or
two interesting incidents related by our own men, not
found in the written records. We are told that, while
the regiment lay at Fort Washington, the plans of the fort
were lost, and that a black waiter to the engineer was
suspected of having stolen them. This man was put
under guard and sentenced to be whipped every day until
he confessed. But the man never confessed, although the
grass was wet with his blood as he lay stretched upon it
during his punishment. Whether he had anything to do
with the theft is not known. The man who conveyed
the plans to the enemy, however, was later found to be
William Demont, the adjutant of Colonel Magaw who
commanded at Fort Washington. To this act of treason,
perhaps, more than to anything else, was due the success
which General Howe had in taking the fort. The man
boasted of what he had done years after, in a letter dated
at London, in which he said that he had sacrificed all
[86]

Lynn in the Revolution
that he was worth in the world to the service of his king
and country, and that by the plans of Fort Washington
which he was enabled to bring to Lord Percy the fortress
was taken.
It was a most disastrous battle for the American army,
already discouraged by continued reverses, and the loss
of twenty-seven hundred of its best men, taken prisoners,
made its cause appear to many already lost. Fortunately
for Captain Newhall's company, a part of it, perhaps the
larger part, was stationed across the river, at Fort Lee,
when the engagement at Fort Washington took place,
and consequently only thirteen of its men fell into the
hands of the British. The whole company, however, was
in a position to witness not only what Fiske calls "the
woeful surrender" of the fort, but the cruelties of the
Hessian troops, who would have turned their victory into
a wholesale massacre of the prisoners, had they not been
prevented by their more humane general.
In Colonel Hutchinson's orderly book are given the
names of the Lynn men who were taken. The entry is
as follows: —
"foahte Lee November 16, 1776.
a List of Prisoners taken at foarte Washington that Belong to
my Rigiment, Capt. Newhale's (Ezra) Compiney."
Abel Belknap Joseph Lyndsy, Jr.
Edwin Bowin Brinsly Pebody, Jr.
Garlan Chamberland John Proctor
Theophilous Farrinton Solorman Ritchardson
Joseph Felte Shadrick Ramsdill
Peter Harris Benjamin tarbox in all 13."
Joseph Lye
From Mr. Hallowell we learn that these men were
[87]

Lynn in the Revolution
taken to New York and kept there six months, and then
were sent home on parole.
Following quickly upon the defeat at Fort Washington
was the abandonment of Fort Lee, and again we turn to
the narrative of Mr. Hallowell to depict for us the move
ments of Colonel Hutchinson's regiment. The men seem
to have kept together only until after the main body of
the army had crossed the Hackensack River. Then
some thirty of them were sent back to bring over the
guards who had been left. Here it will be interesting
to follow the story as it is given in Mr. Hallowell's own
words : —
"Then we at fort Lee had in great haste to flee and left cannon,
some clothes and some money, etc. and there being a small river
northwest of the North river and a bridge over it, before we past
sd bridge we made a stand to engage them. Myself with others put
on a second shirt, not knowing But we must throw off our packs in
an engagement, but they would not advance towards us. Then we
took up the sd. bridge and went on but our case looked dismul and
then about thirty of us was sent back in order to save some guards
if possible that was left some way off when we left the fort. Accord
ingly we went down some miles and then with a boat got a part of
sd. guards across sd. river. I had spoak for a meal of victuls of the
Inhabitants, being very much wore out, but before I got it we was
directed by one of our light horse men to flee or we would be cutt
off. Accordingly about thirtj' in all took to a swamp and could not
get through by reason of a running crick. We found a dead man in
sd. swamp & James Ramsdell, of Lynn, we lost in the swamp.
But we got to camp again finally. We had to finally come out
by the place we went in by — then it was candle light and that pes
tered us. The enemy was in a large gully and their lights was burn
ing. We consulted each the other but verv still. Some moved to
go to them But others said No, But on the whole we movd on and
[88]

Lynn in the Revolution
soon came to a town where part of the British was but very luckily
we saw a man who was a friend tould what street to take to clear
them & soon got through the town not taken, and travild on to about
midnight and Being much Exuasted myself and one more so failed
we took to a stack of fodder. The others movd on, But the Main
body was miles ahead and while we lay in sd. stack the enemy light
horse men as we concluded passing by and a great fright it was to
us for we thought we were gone. But it turned we got to the main
body that Day, they being halted. Washington and we saw a trying
scene thus for us all. We soldiers had but little time to eat or sleep.
One time we borrowed a large iron kittle & put in it about a quarter
of beef for our camp, while I stood over it. We were soon obliged
to leave it and it seemed to me as if I for one must starve."
The retreat of Washington across New Jersey was
thus fairly begun. The first halt, as we know, was at
Newark, thence Washington pushed on to New Bruns
wick, thence to Princeton, and finally to the further side
of the Delaware.
Through all the disheartening days when the poor
remnant of an army was retreating before the closely
pursuing enemy, Captain Newhall's company remained
near Washington, and was with him when he made his
daring attack upon Trenton on Christmas Eve.
The time of enlistment for most of the company was
out with the end of the year, and but for the brilliant
victory at Trenton it is probable that all the men in this
company, as well as many others whose term was now
closed, would have returned to their homes. As it was,
however, some re-enlisted at once, remaining at Morris-
town through the winter. Most of them, however, went
home in January, and enlisted again in the following
March. A few — those who had fallen sick — were obliged
[89]

Lynn in the Revolution
to remain for a time in Philadelphia, until they were
sufficiently recovered to begin the long journey home.
Thus the year 1776 had ended with a little cheer for
the cause of liberty. It was a year which was to be
marked for all time in the annals of America, although
in its passing it had been filled with so much of anxiety
and suffering. While Washington had been using every
means to increase his army, — for he had realized very
soon that the war was to be a long and tedious one, — the
Continental Congress had been grappling with the great
question of independence. The famous body of men, who
had met in Independence Hall over and over again during
the year, had debated the question in all its phases, and
now, at the end of the year, the colonies were no longer
colonies of Great Britain, but free and independent states.
The last man who was to affix his name to the immortal
document declaring this to the world had done so, and
it only remained to prove that the American people were
able to maintain the independence which they had so
boldly declared. It would be of great interest to us if
we could find, preserved in letter or document of our
townsmen of Lynn, some writing which would reveal to us
the sentiment which prevailed among them during this
memorable time, but letters passed but rarely from hands
more used to the plough and the sword than the pen,
and even the town records furnish little more than a hint
of the stand which was taken by the people as a whole.
One fact, however, we are able to unmistakably gather
from the few entries which we find, and that is that the
town never abated its care for the men whom it was
sending out to fight in this unequal contest, nor its en
deavors to furnish more men when they were needed.
[!)0 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
On the twenty-fifth of June of that year the Provincial
Congress had passed a resolve, in response to a call for
troops by the Continental Congress, directing that the
necessary number of five thousand men (three thousand
for Canada and two thousand for New York) be imme
diately raised from the training band and alarm lists, to
serve until the first of December, 1776; the forces raised
in Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Hampshire, York, and
Cumberland Counties to be destined for Canada, and to
be formed into four battalions of seven hundred and fifty
men each. At the same time the Continental Congress
sent out another call for an addition to the forces des
tined for Canada, or the Northern Department, Massa
chusetts being requested to furnish at once two regiments
of fifteen hundred men. The General Court upon this
resolved further, upon the eleventh of July, to raise two
regiments by the draft of every twenty-fifth man in the
training band and alarm lists, exclusive of those already
raised or to be raised. This was the first draft actually
made for troops, and the call when it reached Lynn was
met by the following vote: —
"July 15, 1776: — Voted that ye town will give Ninety one Pounds
to those ten men Now to be Raised for the Expedition aGainst
Caneday, the one half to be drawn out of the Treasury of sd. Town
and the other half the Town is to be assissed for in the next Town
Rate. "Voted that the Selectmen and Commissioned officers Procure
guns for those men going to Canaday that Cant Provide for them
selves they Giving Secuerty to sd. Selectmen & officers for sd. guns."
On the twenty-second of July, probably following the
second call, we find that the amount which the inhabitants
[91 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
were willing to give was increased somewhat, the vote
taken being as follows: "Voted that the town will pay
to Each Soldier going to ye service to Canaday the sum
of ten pounds to be raised as indicated." And, later still,
the sum was again increased by a vote" to
"allow five pounds to each of those ten soldiers now to be raised as
a further addition to what was voted at the last meeting and also
voted if it be thought best by the selectmen and field officers to raise
a eleventh man that there be a further addition of five pounds for
sd. man and also voted the money to be drawn out of the treasury."
One entry only have we been able to find which seems
to conclusively refer to the subject of independence.
This was recorded on May the twenty-first, 1776, when it
was "Voted that this town will agree to Abide By any
Mesurs that the Continental Congress Shall think Best
to Imbrace for the good of the Continant."
Thus far, as will be seen, we have only attempted to
follow the movements of one company, — the one which
we know to have been made up entirely of Lynn men.
It has been impossible to find the roll of this company,
but from pension claims and individual records we are
enabled to give the following incomplete list of its mem
bership : —
Ezra Newhall, Captain *Solomon Richardson
Frederick Breed, Lieutenant *Joseph Lye
*Abel Belknap William Tarbox
*Edward Bowen f Ephraim Twist
fBenjamin Bowden * Joseph Felt
Francis Bowden * Joseph Lindsey, Jr.
*Garland Chamberlain *Brinsley Peabody, Jr.
* Captured. | Died.
[92]

Lynn in the Revolution
Stephen Coates *John Proctor
William Coates *Benjamin Tarbox
Joshua Danforth John Swain
*Theophilus Farrington fDavid Newman
Charles Florence John Baker
Thomas Florence Israel Cheever
*Peter Harris Nathaniel Tarbox, Jr.
tRalph Lindsey David Lewis
James Ramsdell Daniel Lindsey
*Shadrach Ramsdell Joseph Richards
James Robinson Ezekiel Howard
Ebenezer Richardson
Besides the above, who were in the New York campaign
and the retreat across the Jerseys, it is certain that other
men from Lynn were performing active service in the
army during the year, notably in the struggle for the
control of the important posts on the upper waters of
the Hudson, to which reference has been made, — a strug
gle which was renewed during the summer, but which
resulted in little that year.
The names of a few Lynn men have been found who
were in Colonel Henry Knox's regiment of artillery at
White Plains. A few marched under Captain John
Pool, of Saugus, in Colonel Coggswell's Ipswich regi
ment, to a place called the '"Saw Pitts," near the city
of New York, there being engaged in scouring the woods.
These men finally arrived at White Plains on the thir
tieth of October, just after the battle had closed, and
from thence took up their march to North Castle, where
they joined Washington. The regiment, however, did
not go down to Fort Washington with the Commander-
* Captured. fDied.
[93]

Lynn in the Revolution
in-Chief, but remained at North Castle until the end of
the year, consequently being under General Charles
Lee during all the time that he was in command at that
place and plotting to supplant Washington. During a
part of this time, also, Colonel John Glover's brigade
was at North Castle, and in at least one of his companies,
that of Captain Pollard, there were Lynn men who,
under Glover, joined in the retreat of Washington and
crossed the Delaware with him in the raging storm on the
night before the victory at Trenton.
In other regiments, no doubt, Lynn was represented by
a few scattering men, while at home the coast-guard,
during all this time, contained men from this town. We
may well notice here, too, that while there were a few
men in the colonies who, like Robert Morris, were giv
ing large fortunes to the support of the American army,
there were many thousands who were contributing their
little with the same patriotic enthusiasm, not knowing
whether it would ever be returned to them again.
One vote which has been recorded in Lynn indicates
that in this respect, also, the little town was not remiss
in her duty : —
"Oct. 1, 177C. It was voted that those men who had advanced
the money to the soldiers that are gone in the army agreeable to the
foregoing notification that they be paid their money again by the
town. And also those men that are gone on their own account in
the same company receive on an average with the rest from the
town."

[94]

Chapter VIII
LYNN'S PART IN THE BURGOYNE CAMPAIGN
A few words . are necessary to describe the state of
affairs in the early part of 1777, before any attempt is
made to connect our Lynn men with the great events
which took place that year. At that time it would have
been impossible to predict with any degree of certainty
the outcome of the struggle upon which the American
people had entered. The probability of success, looking
back from our own day, we might be strongly inclined
to place with the British side. Two years had very nearly
passed since the opening of active hostilities, and to many
the end of the contest seemed as far away as ever. It is
true that the attitude of Great Britain was still one of
full confidence in her ability to strike a crushing blow
which should conquer the stubborn rebels who had dared
to question her power, but thus far the blow had not
been struck, although the two years had witnessed a
series of bloody battles in which the British had gener
ally been the victors. The object of the contending armies
continued to be the possession of the Hudson as the strong
central point from which, on the one hand, to securely
hold the colonies together or, on the other, to effectu
ally rend them apart. The two years had at least
taught the British government that the Americans were
not to be conquered by a handful of British soldiers,
however brilliantly commanded or thoroughly trained;
and therefore, when General John Burgoyne laid before
[95]

Lynn in the Revolution
Parliament his plan of sending a new army of fresh troops,
composed in part of soldiers hired from Germany, to
combine with those already in America, in one great
campaign for the possession of the Hudson, it was ac
cepted as a wise and brilliant suggestion.
The plan, in a few words, was to send the new army
up the St. Lawrence River, through the Sorel, to Lake
Champlain, and from thence, through the lake, to Albany.
At the same time Colonel St. Leger with a force of
British and Indians was to go up the St. Lawrence as far
as Oswego, and take possession of the forts in the Mo
hawk Valley, and then join the army at Albany; while
Sir William Howe, with his troops from New York,
should move up the Hudson and form a junction with
the other two. Before such a combination of forces
it was thought that no army which America could sum
mon would be able to stand. The plan seemed good,
and on paper, no doubt, looked well, but there proved
to be serious drawbacks to its fulfillment. In the first
place, distances in America are long, and there lay be
tween Howe's army and the army which was to pro
ceed from the north four hundred miles of unfamiliar
country, which was occupied for the most part not, as
was supposed, by Tories, who were in sympathy with
the invaders, but by a sturdy population of intensely
patriotic yeomen. The Indians, whom it was proposed
to employ, were cruel, unreliable, and quarrelsome, and
were destined to give, wherever they served, no end of
trouble. Besides, Lord George Germain, the secre
tary of state for the colonies, who gave explicit directions
for the movements of the army of the North, went awav
on a holiday, and forgot to send similarly explicit instruc-
[96]

Lynn in the Revolution
tions to General Howe in New York. Consequently,
the plan of combining the British forces was not one to
be easily carried out.
In America, before the beginning of this year, Wash
ington's plea for longer enlistments had been heeded,
and Congress had sent out its call for troops which should
serve for three years or to the close of the war. The
quota which Massachusetts was asked to furnish was
fifteen battalions, and the General Court offered a bounty
of twenty pounds to every soldier and non-commissioned
officer who should enlist. It was, indeed, long before
the whole number was furnished, and special drafts had
to be made in order to complete the lists, yet by spring
there was a goodly number of regiments ready to march
toward the Hudson.
Washington still held his strong position at Morris-
town, General Gates, who had succeeded Sullivan, was
in command at Ticonderoga, while General Schuyler,
who was the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army,
was stationed at Albany. We might expect to find Ar
nold near the centre of operations at this time, but he
was smarting under the ingratitude which Congress had
shown him, and was in retirement in Connecticut. It
had been a winter of petty jealousies and intrigues among
the leaders in the army and in Congress, and, had it not
been that the bravest and wisest of the leaders were great
enough and unselfish enough during the summer which
followed to place their country's need before their own
ambitions, the outcome of the campaign upon which
they were entering must have been far other than it
was. We could pause here to admire the wisdom and
nobility of Washington during this trying time, the gen-
[97]

Lynn in the Revolution
erous spirit and true courtliness of Schuyler, and the
intrepid daring and great ability of Arnold, were not
our task to follow the path of a few well-nigh forgotten
men who were under their leadership. Among several of the
Massachusetts rolls for
1777 we find the names of
Lynn men. In the early
part of the year, Lieuten
ant-Colonel John Flagg,
the first military officer for
the town of Lynn, together
with other muster-masters,
had been inducing men to
join the service for three
years, and for the first time
we find our men enlist
ing for this long period, —
some in Colonel Rufus Put
nam's Fifth Massachusetts
Regiment, which marched to
Peekskill, New York, in the
early spring, and was sent
north to Fort Edward in
June to re-inforce General
Schuyler; some in Captain Nathaniel Cushing's com
pany, Colonel Joseph Vose's First Massachusetts Regi
ment of Infantry, which, reorganized and recruited be
tween March and May, proceeded to join the main
army under Washington, halting at Peekskill, where
Major-General Israel Putnam was in command of the
Middle Department. General Putnam assigned this
[98]

COLONEL JOHN FLAGG

Lynn in the Revolution
regiment on the fifteenth of June to Brigadier-General
Jedediah Huntington's brigade, and in July transferred
it to the brigade of Brigadier-General John Glover.
Others in March enlisted in Captain Noah Nichols's
company of artificers, who under Major Ebenezer Ste
vens, in General Knox's artillery brigade, marched to
Ticonderoga. Others still joined Colonel John Crane's
regiment in June, while Captain Joshua Brown's com
pany, Colonel Timothy Bigelow's regiment, also num
bered Lynn men on its roll.
Other regiments, which were mustered in later in the
year, contained men from Lynn, but those which have
been mentioned consisted of three years' men, and were
probably all stationed along the Hudson when General
Burgoyne began his spectacular movement down Lake
Champlain in June.
It is to be regretted that the list of our own men who
served in this famous campaign cannot now be given
in its completeness. From the available sources of
information, however, it has been possible to gather the
following names of men who went into the service of the
Continental Army from the town of Lynn during the
early part of the year 1777. All enlisted for three years,
and went to the northward. Most of them took part in
the famous battles of that year, and some at least were
among those who guarded Burgoyne and his army on
their way to Cambridge.
Moses Aborn Ebenezer Burrill
Samuel Brown Thomas Berry
James Bancroft Samuel Copp
Alden Burrill Jerahmiel Daniels
[99]

Lynn in the Revolution

John Adam Dagyr
John Flinn
Charles Florence
Fortune, a negro
Nathaniel Hitchins
Jacob Hart
Ebenezer Hart
John Hunt
Henry Hallowell
James Hall
Richard Hill
John Jacobs
James Larrabee
Calvin Newhall
Aaron Nourse
James Nourse

Elisha Nichols
Ezra Newhall (not Col.)
William Paul
James Ramsdell
James Ramsdell, Jr.
Hartharn Ramsdell
Ebenezer Stacey
Enoch Stocker
James Stocker or Steele
Benj. Tarbox
John Tuttle
Samuel Vial
Jesse Whitman
John Wait
Henry Young

Besides the above, the following list is given of men
not residents of Lynn who enlisted for this town. This
may have been due to the zeal of the recruiting officer
to make up his quota, for, as the war progressed, it be
came harder to find men who were willing to go far away
from home on a long term of service. However patriotic
the people might be at heart, there were the crops to plant
and harvest, and the going away meant not only danger
and hardship on the march, but much suffering for the
families at home.

Anthony Costekin, for Lynn
Wm. Cox, Sheepscot, for Lynn
Thomas Gould, Roxbury, for Lynn
Peter Sprague, Boston, for Lynn
Ebenezer McMorfitt, Penobscot, for Lvnn
[100]

Lynn in the Revolution
Robert Stewart, New Salem, for Lynn
Nathan Farr, Penobscot, for Lynn
Samuel Flagg, Boston, for Lynn
Charles, a negro, Kittery, for Lynn
John Hall, Kittery, for Lynn
Abra. Wellman, Falmouth, for Lynn
William Wilks, Boston, for Lynn

While we try to picture to ourselves the departure from
our little community of these men who felt but dimly,
perhaps, the importance and significance of the great
contest in which they were engaged, we remember that
the whole world was looking on that contest with varied
interest. Just at this time France, with ever-growing
sympathy for the Americans, was entertaining Franklin
as her most distinguished guest, and, from being a secret
ally, was rapidly advancing to the point of openly espous
ing the American cause. Already she had lent some aid,
but now, under the influence of Franklin, she was con
templating the money assistance which was so much
needed by the new states in order to carry on their war
for independence. It was just at this time, too, that
the young Lafayette determined to go to America to meet
Washington, whom he so much admired, and to offer,
in his enthusiasm, his services and fortune, if necessary.
Thus it was to become, in some respects, the greatest
year of the war, and, although our Lynn men went out
during this spring, two years after the hurried response to
the Lexington alarm, with the full expectation of remain
ing in the army for three years, it would doubtless have
lent them an added courage, could they have known that
the work of that summer was to bring to the high-water
[101]

Lynn in the Revolution
mark the tide of the Revolution, and that, before the year
should close, its ebb would be surely, if slowly, begun.
To run rapidly over the events as they succeeded each
other, and to call to mind how far Burgoyne's plan suc
ceeded and where it failed, will bring us in touch with
the work which the Bancrofts, the Burrills, the Newhalls,
and the Ramsdells were doing after the appearance of
Burgoyne's magnificently arrayed army on the waters
of Lake Champlain.
Burgoyne announced the campaign as begun on the
thirteenth of June, and a week after that he was on the
lake. He had with him an army of splendidly trained and
equipped British and German soldiers besides Canadians
and Indians. His officers were distinguished men of well-
known experience, and numbered among them Major-
General Phillips, Major-General Riedesel, and Brig
adier-General Fraser, men who were unexcelled in bra
very and devotion to duty. He himself was brilliant,
courageous, and full of dignity. When on the twenty-
seventh of June he arrived at Crown Point, he proudly
announced to his men, "This army must not retreat."
Ticonderoga, a few miles below, was considered the
stronghold of the Americans, and against this Burgoyne
made his first move. At this time General Gates was
in Philadelphia, in a storm of indignation at having been
denied the command of the Northern Army, and by in
sinuation and intrigue was endeavoring to gain the ap
pointment over General Schuyler. General St. Clair,
therefore, was in command at the fort. The garrison
was not very strongly manned, yet it is doubtful if it
could have been easily taken, had it not been that two
overlooking eminences were left unfortified by the Ameri-
[102 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
cans. These were seized by the British, and from their
heights the enemies' guns were trained down upon the
fort. General St. Clair, realizing that he was caught
in a trap, tried to slip away quietly with his little army
at night, but an accident revealed his troops to the enemy
as they were wending their way through the woods.
They were immediately pursued, and there followed the
loss of the American flotilla at Skenesborough and the
sharp fight at Hubbard ton, where Colonel Ebenezer
Francis was killed. The result was the occupation of
Ticonderoga by the British and the retreat of the patriot
army to Fort Edward, where it joined Schuyler. This
first victory caused much boasting in the British camp
and corresponding chagrin on the American side. Blame
was hurled from all quarters at Schuyler and St. Clair,
and — although, if any one was to be blamed, it should have
been Gates, since St. Clair had been in command at
Ticonderoga scarcely three weeks, — Congress was in
clined to believe that, if Gates had been on the spot, the
result would have been otherwise, and consequently
gave him the appointment over Schuyler, which he so
much desired. Schuyler, meantime, believing Fort Ed
ward to be untenable, fell back with the army under his
command toward Albany. He had succeeded in reach
ing Stillwater when Burgoyne reached Fort Edward.
The two main armies were now only a few miles apart.
But Washington, who in New Jersey was quietly wait
ing for any movement which Sir William Howe might
make, was no less steadily watching events at the North.
He now ordered General Lincoln to gather as large a
force as possible in Vermont, and come down upon the
rear of the invaders. The Green Mountain boys were
[103 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
a force to be reckoned with. Unlettered, shrewd, with
a Yankee twang peculiar to themselves, big, hardy fel
lows who knew no fear, they flocked to the rescue. The
Vermont side became full of scouts, and never until the
soldiers of Burgoyne had been driven from their borders
did they cease to harass and annoy them, and this in spite
of the fact that there were many Tories in the district.
The situation of Burgoyne's army was now becoming
dangerous. He was far from his base of supplies, and
little help came from the Tory sympathizers upon whom
dependence had been made. Consequently there was
planned a raid upon Bennington, where the British knew
that there were stores and supplies of food. The result
of the great battle which was fought there was a magnifi
cent victory for the Americans, and the utter rout of the
enemy was accomplished by the bravery of Stark and
Warner at the head of their Green Mountain boys. The
heavy loss of Burgoyne not only in men killed and taken
prisoners, but in arms, made it imperative that speedy
help should be received from General Howe if the cam
paign was to be for the British the success that had been
anticipated. In the meantime, in the same way that Stark had for
gotten his personal grievances and rushed to the aid of
his countrymen at the time when he was most needed,
Arnold had hurried from Connecticut to the camp of
General Schuyler, and there heard of the critical situa
tion of Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk. The service which
he there so generously rendered completed the victorv
over St. Leger and the failure of that part of Burgoyne's
plan. The news of this disaster reached General Bur
goyne just after the battle of Bennington, and for three
[ 104 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
weeks he waited for some word from General Howe.
During this time the two armies were encamped on oppo
site banks of the Hudson, Burgoyne's lines extending from
Fort Edward down to Battenkill on the east side, and
Gates's from Stillwater to Albany, some miles further
south on the west side. At length, with no re-enforce
ments from Howe and with men on half-rations, some
movement by the invading army became absolutely neces
sary. The movement was across the river with the idea
of attacking the strong position of the American army at
Bemis's Heights. A few days later the two armies met,
and fought the desperate battle at Freeman's farm, called
Stillwater, or the first battle of Bemis's Heights, which
fell just short of a complete defeat of the British arms.
To effect this, one more battle was necessary, that of
October the seventh, when the enemy retreated with ter
rible loss only to find all avenues of escape effectually
closed. Ten days more, and Burgoyne had signed his
articles of convention, known as the "Convention of
Saratoga," and it only remained for the men of his con
quered army to lay down their arms at old Fort Hardy,
and submit themselves as prisoners of war, from thence,
under guard, to begin their long march to Cambridge.
In this bare outline of the Burgoyne campaign we
will endeavor to place the Massachusetts regiments in
which might have been found the three years' men from
Lynn. Those in Colonel Rufus Putnam's Fifth Regiment
belonged to General Nixon's brigade, and, as has been
stated, went first to Peekskill, New York, where General
Israel Putnam was in command. When this regiment
started out, our old Lynn captain, Ezra Newhall, marched
with it, having by that time reached the rank of major.
[105]

Lynn in the Revolution
When it reached Worcester, the lieutenant-colonel of
the regiment, Thomas Farrington, an old soldier of the
French and Indian War, was cashiered, and Ezra Newhall
was given his command as lieutenant-colonel. The regi
ment, upon reaching Peekskill, was almost immediately
sent north to reinforce Schuyler at Fort Edward. Mr.
Hallowell, who tells us that he "waited on Colonel New
hall rising two year," gives many interesting incidents
of his experiences at the North in this regiment, and has
much to say regarding the cruelty of the Indians. It
was while the regiment was stationed at Fort Edward
that the murder of Jennie McCrea took place, and Mr.
Hallowell says that he witnessed the funeral which was
held for her and an officer who had also been killed by
the Indians. This regiment went through the entire
campaign, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne,
accompanying the British prisoners on the afternoon of
October the seventeenth to Albany. At that place it went
into winter quarters, General Glover's brigade having
been appointed to guard the prisoners on the way to
Boston. Colonel Vose's First Massachusetts Regiment, which
also marched to Peekskill, we find on the fifteenth of
August at Van Schaick's Island, in the brigade of Brig
adier-General Glover. This island, at the mouth of
the Mohawk River, was not far from the scene of the
battle of Bennington, which occurred on the sixteenth,
but we are not sure that our men of this regiment got
into that famous engagement. Later, however, it is
certain that they took part in the battles of Stillwater
and Saratoga. At the latter place the regiment formed
a part of the right wing of the army, and was stationed
[106]

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Lynn in the Revolution
on the hills back of the river. When Arnold made his
brilliant charge at Freeman's farm, a part of it was
with him, and consequently could not have been far
away when he fell wounded at the close of the battle.
Later the regiment witnessed the surrender, and also
marched with Glover's brigade to Albany, at which place
the lot fell to the latter to guard Burgoyne and his
army to Boston. General Glover in his letters says that
he sent one division of prisoners, consisting of British
troops, by way of Northampton, and the other, consisting
of foreign troops, by way of Springfield, while he him
self, accompanying Burgoyne, started the next day. He
speaks of the great difficulty which he had in getting pro
visions and forage for this large army, and says that they
were obliged to take hay and burn fences on the way.
Burgoyne, however, by the terms of the convention was
obliged to pay for the subsistence of his army in hard
money, and the towns which were damaged on the march
were later reimbursed. A few words from the British
side relative to this march under guard may be of inter
est here. In Anbury's diary of the march of Burgoyne
to Cambridge he gives this: —
"Two days in crossing the Green Mountains. When half over a
heavy fall of snow came, carts broke down, others stuck and over
turned. After passing mountains first came to Williamstown. Gold
became in great demand and we often got from 18 to 20 paper dollars
for a guinea. Went through Worcester and Weston. Rained inces
santly from Weston to Prospect Hill. Officers in Mystic, Cambridge
and Watertown. You will see an old man of 60 and a boy of 16,
a black and an old decrepit man limping by his side; most of them
wear great bushy wigs; in short they would be a subject for the
pencil of Hogarth, but, egad, they are ready enough in presenting
[107]

Lynn in the Revolution
their pieces, and if a soldier comes the least near them they level at
him." The arrival of the captured army in the vicinity of
Boston was about the sixth of November. General
Heath, in command of the Eastern Department, was at
his wits' end to find shelter for this great body of men,
whose presence could be looked upon by the inhabi
tants as nothing short of a distinct hardship. It was
hoped that they could be very soon sent back to Eng
land, but in the meantime some provision had to be
made for them. Besides this there was the necessity of
additional regiments to guard this large force, and again
we begin to find against the names of Lynn men the
words, "Doing guard duty."
Realizing how impossible it is to do credit to every
man who served in the above capacity, as it is in any case
to complete lists of our soldiers, we give as many as we
are able from the records at hand. The Essex County
regiment, in which we find most of our men who were
on duty during the month which followed the arrival of
the prisoners, was that of Colonel Jacob Gerrish, of New
bury, and in a roll made up on the second of February,
1778, we find in the company of Captain Miles Green
wood, of Cambridge, the following men, who were prob
ably the first to go into this service: —
Captain Miles Greenwood's Company, Colonel Jacob Ger-
rish's Regiment, from November 11, 1777, to February l2.
1778. Joseph Stocker Ebenezer Brown
Theophilus Bacheller Abraham Upton
Jos. Richards James Nichols
[108]

Lynn in the Revolution
Benjamin Boardman * Joseph Graves
Edward Lee (Salem) Epes Mansfield
*Wm. Cresey *Isaac Patch
Thomas Newman John Baker
John Ireson Benj. Boardman
Nathan Walton Ezra Newhall
Richard Pappoon Burrill Potter (Marblehead)
Josiah Rhodes Jos. Felt
Blaney Lindsey Andrew Newhall
*Ebenezer Pope Caleb Downing
Benjamin Mead Mitchell Nourse (Danvers)
Theophilus Burrill Thomas Cheever
John Collins Timothy Hutchinson
The roll of the above, dated "Camp at Winter Hill,"
bears out the statement of many of the men who said
that they guarded the "Hessians," the German troops
being camped on Winter Hill, while the British were at
Prospect Hill. Their service lasted two months and
twenty-two days.
In Captain Simeon Brown's company, in the same regi
ment, we find enlisting on the third of February,
Job Bancroft William Attwill
Under the date of April the second, 1778, for three
months and two days' service, there are the following in
the same company and regiment: —
Jos. Lindsey Jona. Newhall
Nathan Mudge Ebenezer Richardson
Jos. Newhall (Jas. ?) Jesse Rhodes
Jos. Newhall, Jr. Samuel Sweetser
Amos Newhall Jona. Bacheller
?Probably not Lynn men.
[109]

Lynn in the Revolution

John Ireson
Wm. Attwill
Moses Hadley
Epes Mansfield
Isaac Meachem
Burrill Potter
Rufus Brown
Andrew Newhall
Timothy Newhall
John Rhodes
Daniel Watts

Samuel Hallowell
David Dimond
Wm. Skinner
Nathl. Stacey
Thos. Cheever
Micajah Newhall
Theophilus Bacheller
Joseph Stocker
Abraham Smith
Joshua Danforth
Benjamin Bowen (Bowden ?)

In a company of ten days' guard duty, also under Cap
tain Simeon Brown, from July the second to July the
twelfth, we find: —

Theophilus Bacheller
John Ireson
Ebenezer Richardson
Epes Mansfield
Robert Stone
Moses Hood
Benj. Massey
Wm. Case
Jonathan Bacheller
Joshua Howard
John Anabell
John Rhodes
Aaron Boardman
Daniel Watts

Nathan Mudge
Robert Felt
Samuel Hallowell
Wm. Skinner
Jona. Newhall
Thomas Cheever
Moses Hadley
Samuel Sweetser
Jos. Newhall (Jas ?)
Timothy Tarbox
Isaac meecham
Wm. Attwill
Wm. Whittemore
Samuel Boardman

In July also, in Captain Samuel Huse's company of
guards, we find the following: —
Abram Pewson or Person Theop. Bacheller
[110]

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Lynn in the Revolution
John Ireson Jas. Newhall
Thomas Mansfield John Rhodes
Daniel Watts Jona. Brown
John Tuck Thomas Hudson
Jona. Bacheller John Sweetser
Isaac Meachem Thomas Florence
Wm. Skinner Elijah Stocker
Samuel Sweetser Caleb Harrington
We have spoken of several of the Massachusetts regi
ments in which our Lynn men enlisted for service at the
North during the early part of the year 1777, but after
the loss of Ticonderoga more troops were sent to rein
force the army under Gates, in accordance with a resolve
passed by the General Court on the ninth of August, 1777,
' ' directing that one-sixth part of the able-bodied men of the training
band and alarm lists, not engaged in the service, be at once drafted
by the brigadiers of the several counties mentioned in the resolve,
and marched without delay to reinforce the army at the northward
and that they be continued in the service until Nov. 30, 1777, unless
sooner discharged. "
The following list of men taken from the pay-roll of
Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel
Johnson's regiment, will show those who went from Lynn
at this time: —
Thomas Cox William Newhall
Thomas Cheever Elisha Newhall
Ebenezer Tuttle Thomas Tuttle
Benjamin Tarbox Richard Tuttle
Benjamin Hudson Joshua Danforth
Israel Burrill John Upton
[111 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Jonathan Newhall Rufus Brown
Thomas Wellman Joseph Lindsey
Andrew Newhall John Proctor
Elijah Stocker Aaron Breed
James Marble Thomas Hall
Joshua Howard John Willis
Samuel Breeding Garland Chamberlain
Joseph Williams Samuel Sweetser
Benjamin Brown Philip Coats
All of the above men, engaged about the middle of
August, took active part in the events toward the close
of the Burgoyne campaign, and, as they were discharged
at Cambridge on the thirtieth of November, they doubt
less accompanied the prisoners on their march. The
captain of the company, Zadock Buffinton, was of Salem,
and the colonel, Samuel Johnson, of Andover.
Through all this stirring year the town held frequent
meetings in which the subject of the war held a large place
in the discussions. Before the first companies started
out for service at the north, we find on the records the
following vote: —
"March 3, 1777. Voted that the town will give each man that
shall enlist in the service of this state for this town for three years
or during the war, the sum of fourteen pounds to be paid by the
selectmen. "Voted that if any man has already enlisted into said service and
have received any sum of money short of the above bounty, that he
be made up that sum and the person to be reimbursed that sum be
made up by the town."
When the call for additional troops was made by the
[112]

Lynn in the Revolution
General Court on the ninth of August, the following
action was taken: —
"August 13, 1777. Voted that each man that shall go in the
service of the state for this town to the last day of November shall
receive a bounty of ten pounds.
"Voted that the selectmen apply for fire arms to supply said town."
On the twenty-seventh of the same month, to fill up
the town's quota, the following vote was passed: —
" Voted to choose a committee to procure men to fill up the town
quota in the Continental army. Mr. James Newhall, Captain Holton
Johnson and Joseph Ballard were appointed the committee.
"Voted the said committee procure nine men at the lowest they
can to enlist in the service and go for this town for the term of three
years or during the war and the town to pay the bounty."
During all this time, too, there remained the duty of
providing for the families at home. Touching this, we
find the following: —
"Dec. 13, 1777, Voted to choose a committee agreeable to the war
rant to supply the families of those gone in the Continental service
for this town. Samuel Burrill, Theop. Breed, and Col. John Mans
field committee to supply the aforesaid families. March 16, 1778
Dea. Daniel Mansfield and Abner Cheever added to the committee
to supply the families."
Thus we record, in just so far as it is possible to ob
tain any definite information, the movements of our sol
diers in this campaign and the provisions made for them.
It must be understood, however, that other men without
doubt served in other companies and regiments than have
here been indicated.
[113]

Chapter IX
THE RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN AND
SERVICE AT SEA
Before leaving the events of the year 1777, one other
service should be mentioned in which our Lynn men
were from time to time engaged, that being what was
commonly known as the Rhode Island service. The
position of Rhode Island, half-way between the extreme
northern coasts and the stronghold of the British at New
York, was one which was particularly exposed and which
the enemy regarded as a special point of advantage. As
early as 1776 the Americans had taken pains to fortify
the entrance to Narragansett Bay; but one passage, that
between Conanicut Island and the western shore, had
been left open, and this had been entered in December
of that year by a fleet of British vessels under Sir Peter
Parker, and the island of Rhode Island seized. This
point, the only one with the exception of the lodgment
which they gained at the mouth of the Penobscot more
than two years later, was also the only one which the
British ever held on the coast of New England after the
evacuation of Boston. The occupation of Newport was
one which caused much uneasiness in the vicinity of
Boston, for there was always the fear of an overland
attack from the enemy, and men were frequently called
to be in readiness to march on an alarm from Rhode
[114]

Lynn in the Revolution
Island. In the early summer of 1777, in response to one
of these alarms, a considerable number of troops were
raised in Massachusetts, and among them nearly an
entire company made up of men from Salem, Marble
head, and Lynn. This company was under Colonel
Jonathan Titcomb and Captain Joseph Hiller, and left
Lynn in the early part of June, arriving at Providence
on the eleventh, where it remained until the eleventh of
August, when it was discharged. On the pay-roll of the
company there are some twenty names which undoubtedly
belong to men who were residents of Lynn who are cred
ited to the town of Marblehead. It is very probable that
they may have enlisted in the latter town, but from the
frequent appearance of their names in the Lynn com
panies, and in the annals of Lynn, it is quite certain that
their homes were here.
It was while this company was stationed at Providence
that a small body of Americans proceeded from the main
land and surprised and took prisoner the commander on
the island, Major-General Richard Prescott, who was
asleep at a country house a few miles out of Newport.
He had tyrannized over the inhabitants for many months,
and his capture was hailed with delight by those who had
suffered from his acts of brutality.
This excursion to Rhode Island, however, was of purely
local interest and effected nothing, the British retaining
their hold at Newport for more than two years thereafter.
The following is a list of the men who were on the
pay-roll of Captain Hiller's company, dated Camp at
Providence, July six, 1777: —
Joseph Hiller, Captain Thomas Roberts, Private
[115]

Lynn in the Revolution

Harris Chadwell, First Lieutenant
John Watts, Second Lieutenant
Retire Whittemore, Sergeant
Edward Brown, Sergeant
Edm. Whittemore, Sergeant
Israel Cheever, Sergeant
Joseph English, Corporal
Amos Heard, Corporal
Stephen Caldwell, Corporal
Jos. Farrington, Corporal
Edward Stone, F. Major
James Cook, Drummer
John Ward, Private
John Wyburd, Private
Benjamin Clough, Private
Joshua Pitman, Private
Joseph Stone, Private
Henry Skerry, Private
Aaron Wait, Private
Joseph Millet, Private
Isaac Caldwell, Private
Benjamin Shaw, Private
Peter Harris, Private
William Luscomb, Private
Daniel Rogers, Private
Daniel Dutch, Private
Nathanl. Mansfield, Private
Nathaniel Estes, Private
Stephen Brown, Private
Moses Lufkin, Private
Joseph Patch, Private
David Roberts, Private
John Boardman, Private
Joseph King, Private

Abner Pollard, Private
Hugh Malacky, Private
John Ramsdell, Private
James Alley, Private
Joseph Breed, Private
Philip Coats, Private
Joshua Danforth, Private
John Danforth, Private
Jonathan Dunnell, Private
Benjamin Hudson, Private
Elisha Newhall, Private
Andrew Newhall, Private
Nathan Ramsdell, Private
William Watts, Private
Benjamin Tarbox, Private
Nehemiah Ramsdell, Private
James Fearn, Private
Samuel Mudge, Private
John Ireson, Private
Jacob Newhall, Private
William Newhall, Private
William Newhall, Jr., Private
Micajah Newhall, Private
Jonathan Newhall, Private
Nehemiah Newhall, Private
Onesimus Newhall, Private
Amos Newhall, Private
William Tarbox, Private
Thomas Nichols, Private
Ebenezer Lathe, Private
Burrill Potter, Private
Thomas Hudson, Private
Nathaniel Tarbox, Private
Nathaniel Tarbox, Jr., Private

[116]

ZACHARIAH ATTWILL

ZACHARIAH ATTWILL

Lynn in the Revolution
John Bozune ( ?), Private Edward Thompson, Private
Ebenr. Nutting, Private William Johnson, Private
John Bickford, Private David Lewis, Private
Theoph. Bacheller, Private Zachariah Attwill, Private

Let us turn back for a moment to the army of Wash
ington. After the fall of Ticonderoga in July, 1777,
Washington remained for a time watching the two armies
under Howe and Burgoyne from his strong position at
Morristown. His own movements during that memorable
summer were a series of marches and counter-marches
made necessary by the weakness of his army and his
absolute inability to meet the enemy with anything ap
proaching an equal force. A few battles which were
fought were conducted in a masterly manner under his
direction, and yet he was obliged to suffer defeat at
Brandywine and Germantown, to lose the important
Forts Mercer and Mifflin on the Delaware, and to see
General Howe's army march into Philadelphia. In spite
of his brilliant generalship and the fearful disadvantage
under which he was obliged to work, Congress was in
clined to criticise his conduct of the war, and there were
those who expressed openly their dissatisfaction, and
plotted secretly to supplant him. Abroad, however, his
magnificent handling of his meagre troops roused the
admiration which he merited, and in France and Ger
many, at least, the fact was recognized that a great
general was at the head of the American forces. There
followed the dreary winter at Valley Forge, enlivened
somewhat by the new system of drill which Baron Steuben
introduced in the camp and which helped to place in the
field in the following year a better army than had yet
[117]

Lynn in the Revolution
faced the enemy. The next summer opened with the
battle of Monmouth, so admirably planned by Wash
ington, so miserably lost through the traitor, Charles Lee.
But by this time the British army was somewhat weak
ened in America, for Great Britain was now embroiled in
war with France, and found it difficult to keep her army
here supplied with troops. Only two places were securely
held by her, and one of these it was now proposed by the
Americans to seize, if possible.
Newport, now under the command of the British Major-
General Pigott, was held by a force of six thousand men.
Count D'Estaing, whom the French had sent with a fleet
to aid the Americans, appearing off Staten Island, was
requested by Washington to proceed with his ships to
Newport to co-operate with General Sullivan in an attack
on that place. General Sullivan was in command at
Providence, and was to direct the movements of the land
forces. It was an enterprise which met with immediate
favor in New England, and men responded readily to the
Massachusetts call for troops. A resolve passed in the
council chamber on the thirtieth of July is of interest, and
is as follows: —
"Whereas an immediate attack is intended to be made upon the
island of Rhode Island, and that it is of the utmost importance that
sundry articles be immediately transported from said place to Provi
dence for the supply of the army therefore
" Ordered, that the Selectmen of Lynn, in the Countv of Essex, be
and they are hereby empowered to procure by impress or otherwise
two teams in said town for Col. Thos. Chase, Dep. Q. Master
General for the purpose of conveying from the town of Marblehead
two loads of lead for the use of said army, the deputy quartermaster
general paying the owners a valuable consideration for said teams
[118]

Lynn in the Revolution
as shall be so impressed in consequence of this order, and all Jus
tices of the Peace are required to afford all necessary aid to enable
them to carry the foregoing order into execution."
On the second of August the following petition was
presented at a town meeting held in Lynn: —
"The subscriber earnestly requests that the inhabitants of the
town of Lynn would assemble at the meeting house of the Rev.
Mr. Roby at five o'clock afternoon in order to determine upon the
best method for raising men for Providence, as I yesterday received
order by express from the Brigadier to have the men in readiness
without a moments delay. John Flagg."
This was met by a resolve passed in the town meeting
as follows: —
"Agreeable to the above request the town met at the above said
time and place and passed the following: To give each man that
enlists or is drafted for the term of six weeks to march to Providence
thirty pounds per month, including what the Court is pleased to
give in said thirty pounds.
"Voted to give said men thirty pounds before they march."
The company was accordingly raised, and one of our
own men, in speaking of the expedition, says that they
proceeded to Providence by way of Taunton, and soon
after went to Tiverton. This latter town was directly
opposite Butt's Hill on the island of Rhode Island where
the hard fighting later occurred, and where the retreat
across Howland's Ferry was made. Generals Greene and
Lafayette each commanded divisions under Sullivan, and
were stationed at the head of the bay. General Glover
with his brigade was there, having been called from his
[119 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
station on the Hudson to march with Varnum's brigade
under Lafayette for Rhode Island. Upon his arrival in
the East he had gathered many recruits in the vicinity of
his home, in Essex County, and now stood in readiness
to man the boats which were to convey the troops from
the mainland to the island. Our own men were again
under Jonathan Titcomb, who had led them on the occa
sion of the Rhode Island alarm the year before, but now
he was brigadier-general, having been promoted to that
rank in the previous October. His brigade consisted of
Essex County militia numbering nine hundred and fifty-
seven men, and in it was the regiment commanded by
Colonel Wadsworth, consisting of three hundred and
ninety-nine rank and file, among whom were the Lynn
men. At Providence the regiment was divided, the Lynn
soldiers being placed under Captain Thomas Cox and
Lieutenant Harris Chadwell. Not only were the men in
Glover's brigade competent to handle the boats, but the
Lynn soldiers had also been chosen with this work in
view, and were accordingly ordered to help in transport
ing the army and baggage from the mainland to the
island. On the tenth of August the landing was made
without opposition, and the march begun toward Newport.
At about the same time the French fleet, under Count
D'Estaing, arrived off Point Judith.
There was intense excitement through all the country
side. The roads toward Tiverton were reported to be
filled with men going there, and the shores for miles were
lined with anxious watchers. A cannonade was begun
between the French fleet and the British batteries at
Newport, filling the inhabitants of the city with terror.
General Heath, in his memoirs, mentions an amusing
[ 120 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
incident in which one family, in passing from room to
room of their house, not knowing where to find a safe
place, discovered the black servant sitting with his back
at a shot-hole in a door. Upon his master's asking him
why he sat there, he answered, "Massa, you never know
two shot to go in the same place!" Sullivan's advancing
army found that the British had spoiled the wells along
their route, and had driven all the cattle from the northern
end of the island. Yet, with nothing further to hinder
their progress, they had advanced on the fifteenth to
within two miles of the enemy. On the nineteenth they
took up a position still nearer, and began to feel the effects
of the enemy's guns. Meantime the British squadron,
under Lord Howe, had appeared in the sound, and it
seemed that an engagement must take place between the
hostile fleets which were now facing each other. A storm,
however, so severe that for more than fifty years it was
referred to as "The Great Storm," came on, and both
commanders had much to do to look after the safety of
their ships, with little thought of attacking each other.
The French fleet drew out to sea, and for days no sign of
it appeared again. When, at length, it came in sight off
Newport, battered by the storm, its commander informed
General Sullivan that before he could co-operate in any
attack upon the enemy it would be necessary to go to
Boston for repairs. No argument could persuade him to
have these attended to in Narragansett Bay, and he sailed
away, leaving General Sullivan to advance or retreat as
best he could. Many of the volunteers, disgusted, re
turned home. On the twenty-eighth of August a gentle
man, writing in Boston of the events as they were daily
transpiring, reported that the French fleet was to be seen
[121 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
at Nantasket, and that General Lafayette also had come
into Boston, having ridden on horseback all the way from
Rhode Island in order to meet Count D'Estaing, and to
beg him to return and give his much-needed aid to Gen
eral Sullivan. The appeal, however, availed nothing, as
the count declared his ships unfit for service, and that it
would take many days to repair them. Roused, however,
by the earnestness of his countryman, he promised to
march his troops overland to Rhode Island. With that
Lafayette galloped back to the army, arriving just at the
close of a hard-fought battle at the northern end of the
island. General Sullivan had been obliged to withdraw
his forces to this point, as it would have been foolhardy
to attempt an attack at Newport with the harbors all open
to the approach of the British fleet under Lord Howe, but
in the battle which took place at Butt's Hill the result
was wholly in favor of the American side, and in the final
retreat from the island the troops were able to proceed so
quietly and safely that they lost neither men nor baggage
in the transit. Our Lynn men remained after this for
a short time at Tiverton, and then went around to Paw-
tuxet, and stayed until their term of service had expired.
The British, therefore, were still left in possession of
Rhode Island.
But now danger seemed to threaten Boston. With the
French fleet anchored in the harbor, it was feared that
Lord Howe would come up and attack it there, — an event
which even Washington regarded as more than likely, for
we find him writing General Heath in a letter which
reached Boston on the tenth of September, that, while it
was his opinion that the enemy would not attack Boston
by land, he thought they might endeavor to attack the
[ 122 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
French fleet in the harbor, and advised him to fortify
against it.
Already the British had burned the shipping at New
Bedford and Fairhaven. At different times fleets were
reported off Buzzard's Bay, Barnstable, Plymouth, and
Marblehead, and consequently the French fleet, "mak
ing a formidable appearance," was so arranged as to
protect Boston from an attack. Then it was that the
General Court passed a resolve,
" directing that a number of men, equal to one-third part of the train
band and alarm lists, should be detached from the militia of certain
of the counties to serve at and about Boston or elsewhere, as directed,
until January 1, 1779."
Lynn, with its long line of seacoast so near to Boston,
might well feel somewhat alarmed at these threatening
rumors, and it is not to be wondered at that she began to
look to her own defence. Early in October, 1778, a peti
tion, drawn up by her representative, Holton Johnson,
was presented to the General Court, to this effect: —
"That the town of Lynn has a seacoast of nearly seven miles in
extent and some parts of it very convenient for the landing of troops
and any kind of necessaries for our army, and it is the opinion of
many people acquainted with those affairs, that if the enemy should
make any attempt this way, while the French fleet is in this harbor,
that Nahant beach, within the town of Lynn, is the most likely place
for them to land, and General Washington while in these parts always
kept a guard at said Nahant and the neighborhood thereof. Your
petitioner therefore prays that the Honorable Council may be im-
powered to order the men raised in the town of Lynn to be retained
in said town unless necessarily called to some of the neighboring
[ 123 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
towns on an alarm; and your petitioner as in duty bound will ever
pray." The request was granted, and is recorded in the follow
ing resolve: — "In the House of Representatives, Oct. 7, 1778.
"Whereas, it has been represented to this Court that the town of
Lynn is in an exposed position, if the enemy shall make any attempt
in those parts, therefore
"Resolved that the Hon. the major part of the Council be desired
to give orders that the men which the town of Lynn has raised, as
their proportion of the 1200 men, be discharged.
"In Council, Oct. 8, 1778, concurred."
All the alarm which was felt for the safety of Boston at
this time proved unnecessary, although there is no doubt
that Sir Henry Clinton may have taken pains to allow
it to become as wide-spread as possible in order to draw
attention from his own movements at New York. There
were no further operations at the North this year, al
though the war still dragged on at the South and on the
frontiers. The French fleet remained at Boston until the
third of November, when a part of it sailed away for the
West Indies, the remainder following the next day. In
November, also, the convention troops took their de
parture for Virginia, having been quartered in the vicin
ity of Boston for a year. Many of the regiments which
had been doing guard duty in the Eastern Department
now went home, and General Heath, who had long been
in command here, was succeeded by Gates.
Referring now to the individual records of our Lynn
soldiers, those of the three years' men still in the service
[ 1*4 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
were in winter quarters on or near the Hudson. They
were in no active engagement again until that of Stony
Point in the following July. Indeed, the work which our
men did in the army from this time until the close of the
war was confined practically to the holding of the posts on
the Hudson. This most important section needed to be
jealously guarded against any sudden move of the enemy,

Home of Charles Florence, Revolutionary Soldier
Lincoln Avenue, East Saugus
for it still remained the strategical centre which would
have been eagerly grasped, had the [least opportunity
offered. The great Southern campaigns, with their fa
mous victories and defeats, were far removed from our
New England men, and there were certainly few New
England yeomen who followed the fortunes of the army
in the South. One Lynn man has been found who must
have been with the Southern army for a time, at least,
but why or with whom can only be conjectured from the
single letter known to be in existence which was penned
[125]

Lynn in the Revolution
by him. We give the letter as it was written, undated,
and with little connection perhaps with our story, yet of
sufficient interest, it may be, to warrant placing it here : —
' ' Williamsburg, Virginia, May 10th.
"Dear Brother
"Tho I have been long Silent yet it has Not proseded from any Dis
Respect to you Nor any Neglect towards you. But my curstanses
have been so unsettled that indead I knew not what to Write there
has not pased A Day When I have not thought of you And all the
Rest of my famely but My afairs have been so unsettled that I put it
off from post from another In hopes to inform you where I Expet
to go And I now Belive it is pretty Sertin That I Shall go to frans and
Expet to Imbark in about 15 Days at the furthest. And if Should
Live and Do well I hope to be home in the fall. If there is any thing
Coming to me from the State pray inform yourself in the mater as
well as you Can And inform Connell Newhall that I have got my
Discharge when my time was out and beg the favour of him to be
so kind as to See that I do not lose what Litell I have So Dearly
Earned in The Servis. I have hard their was some money made a
present by the State to the Soldiers in Considration of the under
Valuing the paper Curency. I have now two years pay Dew in the
Regement And Clothing. My Duty to my father and sister and all
asking frinds. your Loving Brother
"Charles Florence."
While the service of our men in the army during the
later years of the war probably brought few of them into
the great military operations of the time, there was a
goodly number, belonging to the navy, who were seeing
plenty of active service. At the beginning of the war
there was no navy, and that which was gradually gathered
together could never have been considered a strong one,
yet, such as it was, with the aid of the privateers which
[ 126 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
plied the ocean throughout the war, it succeeded in bring
ing in many valuable prizes, representing many thousands
and even millions of dollars in value. The man most
active perhaps, at the beginning of the war, in fitting out
the vessels which sailed from Marblehead, Beverly, and
Salem was Colonel John Glover, later as general so famil
iar to our Lynn soldiers. One statement showing the
earnestness with which the business of privateering was
carried on gives the fact that "in a single season there
was despatched from Salem and Beverly fifty-two pri
vateers, chiefly owned in Salem and Beverly, which
mounted about seven hundred and fifty guns, and car
ried crews of nearly four thousand men." It is not
strange, then, to find among these crews names of men
belonging to the neighboring town of Lynn. The rec
ords of the Lynn sailors are very incomplete, and it is
only now and then possible to even indicate the service
which they performed.
In the summer of 1779 a famous expedition was under
taken against the British post which had just been es
tablished at the mouth of the Penobscot River for the
purpose of keeping that region free from Boston and
Salem cruisers which preyed upon British supply ships as
they came into the country. The council of the state
directed the Board of War to engage as many private
armed vessels as were suitable to combine with the state
and Continental armed vessels in an attempt to dislodge
the enemy from this point, the owners of private ves
sels to be reimbursed by the state for any damage or
loss sustained by them in the enterprise. Land forces
were also gathered from York and Cumberland Coun
ties to co-operate with this fleet. The people in New
[ 127 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
England were again roused to do their utmost in what
promised to be an important undertaking. Nineteen
armed vessels, carrying three hundred and twenty-four
guns, with more than two thousand men, and twenty
transports, with nearly four thousand troops, sailed for
the coast of Maine, where a landing was made on the
twenty-sixth of July. Commodore Dudley Salstonstall,
of the ship "Warren," was in charge of the fleet, while
General Solomon Lovell commanded the land forces,
and Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Revere had charge of the
artillery. It was found upon arrival that the British
under Colonel Maclean had not completed their forti
fications, and that there were but three armed vessels
in the harbor, and yet General Lovell hesitated to attack,
not being sufficiently supported, as he thought, by the fleet.
He therefore proceeded to erect works for himself, and
began a desultory firing upon the enemy's fort. This
he continued for two weeks, while he sent to Boston for
reinforcements. While waiting thus practically inac
tive, Admiral Sir George Collier at New York heard
of the expedition, and sailed for the scene of action with
five English vessels and an armament greatly superior
to that of the Americans. The entire American fleet
was captured or destroyed, and the land forces, retreat
ing through the wilderness, after weeks of wandering,
made their way home. The "Warren," a new ship of
thirty guns, had on board at least one Lynn man,
Onesimus Newhall, of the North Parish. During the
engagement with the British Mr. Newhall was obliged
to jump overboard and swim ashore to escape capture.
This he was enabled to do, however, and lived to go
through many other exciting experiences as a privateer.
[ 128 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
The unfortunate result of the expedition was said to have
involved Massachusetts in a debt of seven million dollars,
"not so distressing," according to General Sullivan, "as
the disgrace."
Some of the vessels which became very well known dur
ing the war, and which from time fo time numbered Lynn
men in their crews, were the frigate "Boston," ship
"Protector," brig "Hazard," brigantine "Freedom," brig-
antine "Ranger," ship "Junius Brutus," ship "Thomas,"
ship "Pilgrim," ship "Tartar," ship "Rhodes," brigan
tine " Tyrannicide," brigantine "Rover," brig "Ann,"
and bark "Gen. Gates." The brigantine "Tyranni
cide" is one which is frequently mentioned in the re
cords of the Lynn sailors, and among those who sailed
in her at various times were Surgeon Dr. Martin Her-
rick, Timothy Newhall, John Proctor, and James Rich.
Joseph Proctor, Jr., was reported as on the "Boston"
in December, 1778. This frigate, under the command
of the somewhat famous Captain Samuel Tucker, of
Marblehead, was the one chosen to convey John Adams
on his mission to France in February of that year.
The "Warren" was burned by her commander at Pe
nobscot, and the "Tyrannicide" and "Hazard" were
also in the unfortunate Penobscot expedition.
With this very brief mention of the fact that Lynn
had her part in the naval service of the Revolution, — that
service which was so filled with excitement, adventure,
and even profit to those who engaged in it, — we pass on
to the closing scenes of the war in so far as her men were
concerned in them.

[ 129

Chapter X
AT WEST POINT
On the seventh of October, 1777, the second battle
of Bemis's Heights was fought, and on the seventeenth
of October, when Burgoyne signed the articles of con
vention drawn up by the still unconquered foe, the Brit
ish gave up their hold on the Hudson River. Neverthe
less there remained the hope, if not the expectation, that
by some turn in the fortunes of war they might yet seize
this centre, and effect that division of the colonies which
had at first been planned. Well realizing this fact, no
amount of vigilance was spared by the Commander-in-
Chief of the American forces to keep this region well
fortified, for even the moving of active hostilities toward
the South did not remove the danger which might at any
time threaten the posts on the Hudson. The summer
of 1780 came near furnishing the opportunity for that
turn of affairs which would have thrown this region
into the hands of the enemy and changed perhaps the
whole course of the war. It was the period which has
often been referred to as the darkest, and even the soul
of Washington was ready to succumb under the weight
of discouragements which he had been obliged to meet.
In New York, since 1776, the British had ruled with
a high hand. Few inhabitants were there save Royal
ist sympathizers, the Loyalist merchants, and the great
army which was in possession, and the city showed
the effects of its alien population. Twice it had been
swept by fire, and for nearly three years some of its
[130]

Lynn in the Revolution
churches and largest buildings had been used to house
the unhappy prisoners which the British had taken. In
the harbor had been anchored not only the British ships-
of-war, but the terrible prison-ships upon which the
starved and miserable patriot soldiers perished by hun
dreds. Impossible as it may be to fully picture to our
selves the misery to our farmer soldiers of confinement
in these infamous pens, something of their horror we feel
as we read the descriptions which have come down to
us, and we scan the records of our own men to see if any
perchance suffered this special torture. We find not infre
quently the words "taken prisoner" beside their names,
and know that in most cases this meant taken to the
prisons in New York. More than one died on the most
notorious of all the prison-ships, the " Jersey," which
was anchored in New York Harbor during the latter
years of the war. In view of the fact that it was not
always easy to keep their own army supplied with pro
visions, it is scarcely to be wondered at, perhaps, that
prisoners taken by the British should have died of star
vation as well as disease, but the cruelty and inhumanity
of the treatment which they otherwise received can only
be explained by the barbarism of war.
The winter of 1779 and 1780 had been an especially
hard one for both armies, marked as it was by such severe
cold that for weeks the harbor and rivers were frozen
solid enough for teams to drive across. The snow along
the Hudson, where the Americans were encamped, was
said to have been four feet deep on a level, and it was
with great difficulty that communication could be kept
open between the posts. Many soldiers that winter suf
fered from frost-bites, and one man was frozen to death
[131 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
on his way from New Windsor to the garrison at West
Point. Yet New York streets were brilliant with red
coats and gay uniforms, and balls and dinners beguiled
the time for the foreign soldiers, and kept up the courage
of the merchant and small trader. There were no mili
tary operations at the North during this time, and the
spring saw the departure for the South of a portion of
the main body of the British army under Sir Henry Clin
ton and Lord Cornwallis. Clinton did not remain long
at the South, but his army during its short stay effected
a notable victory at Charleston, where it captured Gen
eral Lincoln and his whole army. Leaving Lord Corn
wallis in command there, Sir Henry returned to New
York just in time to prevent a combined attack against
the city by the American and French armies. The
arrival of reinforcements from France, under Count
Rochambeau, had suggested to Washington the possi
bility of wresting from the enemy the city which was
now the only point held by them in the North with the
exception of the post at the mouth of the Penobscot.
The plan had to be given up, however, when Clinton
appeared with the strong naval force which he was able
to gather. There arrived with him from the South at
this time, as his adjutant, the young Major John Andre,
and at about the same time General Arnold, who had
been in command at Philadelphia, was appointed by
Washington commander at West Point. Then were
brought into close proximity the two men whose names
were henceforth to be inseparably united. General Ar
nold, who had been conspicuous for his bravery in Canada,
at Fort Stanwix, in the vicinity of his home in Connecti
cut, and at Saratoga, admired and eagerly followed by
[ 132 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
the men whom he had commanded, trusted of Wash
ington, now came to West Point, resentful and revenge
ful, with the deliberate plan of betraying into the hands
of the enemy the forts on the Hudson. In an old colo
nial mansion at the lower end of Broadway Sir Henry
Clinton and his adjutant, Andre, discussed the plot and
perfected their plans. In another colonial mansion on
the east bank of the Hudson River, a little below West
Point, General Arnold made his headquarters, and there
brought his beautiful young wife and infant son. There
too, he continued his secret and anonymous correspond
ence which he had already begun with Sir Henry Clinton
through Andre. His own identity, however, was now
revealed to his correspondent, since he wrote from the
house which was known to be the headquarters of the
commander of the Northern Army.
Most of the men whose duty it was to hold the posts
upon the Hudson were from New England, and some of
our Lynn men, whose term of service had not run out,
had been for some time in the neighborhood, serving
under Colonel Rufus Putnam and Colonel Greaton.
Now, however, in response to the call of the state for
additional troops for the service on the Hudson, and
later to the request of Washington for a reinforcement
of militia in addition to the state's regular quota, more
than fifty men marched from Lynn to West Point. Under
the first resolve, dated June the fifth, 1780, the state had
called for men to serve for six months, and the selectmen
of Lynn had met accordingly and provided for raising
her quota. This body of men under Captains George
Webb and Thomas Pritchard arrived at Springfield on
the eleventh of July, where they joined General Glover's
[133 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
brigade, and proceeded to their destination. In response
to the second resolve of June the twenty-second, whereby
nearly five thousand men were to be raised, our own men
were enlisted in Captain Addison Richardson's company
in the Essex County regiment, which was placed under
the command of Colonel Nathaniel Wade, and were to
serve three months. These men, therefore, together with
the six months' men previously enlisted, were in the
neighborhood of West Point when General Arnold
arrived to take command. Whatever experiences they
had during this short service, — and to a few probably
it was their first service, since there were some whose
ages ranged from sixteen to nineteen years, — all sank
into insignificance beside the development and discovery
of what General Glover described as that "most infernal
plot," the frustration of which, he said, "must be imputed
to the interposition of Divine Providence." At the risk
of repeating an oft-told tale, it seems necessary to out
line the main features of this mournful affair in order
to bring before us the event which cast a gloom over the
whole army, and caused Washington to exclaim sadly,
"Whom can we trust now!"
Benedict Arnold came early upon the stage of Ameri
can military affairs, having, as a boy of fifteen, run away
to serve in the old French War, not, however, with any
distinction, but bearing out the estimate of his Con
necticut neighbors, who described him as "an uncom
monly active, prompt, saucy, roguish, and impetuous
lad," — "rash, headstrong, and regardless alike of friends
and foes." As a man, at the beginning of the Revo
lution, those who knew him best considered him a man
"of sensitive pride and temper," yet "generous and
[ 134 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
thoughtful of others." Such a man he had shown him
self during the early years of the war, and, had he received
on the battlefield of Saratoga a mortal wound instead of
the severe one which only for long prevented his actively

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Facsimiles of Soldiers' Passes given to Daniel Allen Breed Newhall
engaging in military service, his name would have been
among those most honored in the annals of the war.
Long before that battle of Saratoga, however, he had been
greatly aggrieved by the slights which he felt had been
put upon him by Congress, and he had written to Wash-
[135]

Lynn in the Revolution
ington in complaint and sworn to Gates, "By heavens!
I am a villain if I seek not a brave revenge for injured
honor!" In June, 1778, after the departure of the Brit
ish from Philadelphia, he had been placed in command
there, and for two years lived in a style scarcely less gay
and extravagant than had his British predecessor, Sir
William Howe. Attractive in appearance and manner,
he became a favorite among the moderate Tories of the
city, and in the spring of 1779 married the beautiful
daughter of one of them. His manner of living was bit
terly criticised by the pronounced patriots, who remon
strated with him not only for his expenditures, but also
for his apparent friendliness with the Loyalist party.
With the accumulation of debts, suspicion became aroused
against him, and, finally, charges preferred by the coun
cil of Pennsylvania were referred by Congress to a court-
martial. The many months which were allowed to
elapse before he was brought to trial served to embitter
him the more, and, although he was finally exonerated
from the charges which involved his honor, and received
only a mild reprimand from the Commander-in-Chief for
the acts which were deemed irregular, his decision had
already been formed to go over to the British side. For
months he had been corresponding with Sir Henry Clin
ton under an assumed name, representing himself as an
American officer, high in rank, who for sufficient con
siderations would throw in his lot with that of the in
vading army. In order to carry out his design, he ap
plied to Washington for the command of the post at
West Point. Washington would have preferred to give
him a command on the right wing of the army, but upon
his still pleading disability on account of his wound the
[ 136 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Commander-in-Chief, with perfect confidence still in his
integrity, granted his request. Thus during the first
week of August, Arnold established himself on the Hudson.
The correspondence with Clinton now reached a point
where only a personal interview was needed to perfect
the plan of betraying into British hands the posts which
Arnold commanded. The time chosen for such an inter
view was when Washington, whose headquarters were at
Tappan, only a few miles below West Point, was absent
in Connecticut in conference with the French Count
Rochambeau. At night, on the twenty-first of September, Major John
Andre, wearing the gold-laced uniform of a British officer,
covered by a long blue coat, was rowed to the western
shore of the Hudson River, and landed at a lonely place
a few miles below Stony Point. There he was met by
Arnold, and a conference between the two men lasted
until nearly dawn, when Arnold proposed that Andre
should remain on shore until the next night. Proceeding
to the house of Joshua H. Smith, the man who had rowed
Andre ashore, their plans were soon completed. Draw
ings of the fort and an account of its defences were given
to Andre, and the following night, clothed in the dress of
a citizen, he was conducted by his host across King's
Ferry to the eastern side of the river, where the two men
spent the night. On the morning of the twenty-third,
Smith accompanied Andre to the neutral ground beyond
the American lines, and then left him with the assurance
that the road to the British lines was plain and safe,
although advising him to keep to the left-hand inland route.
Andre, however, disregarded this latter advice, and soon
after parting with Smith turned off to the right, taking
[137]

• Lynn in the Revolution
the river road. Before noon he was taken, just as he was
emerging from Sleepy Hollow, above Tarrytown. The
three men who stepped out upon the road to bar his
progress, he at first supposed to belong to that class of
men called cow-boys — marauders and plunderers — who yet
belonged to the British side, and with whom he would be
safe. Quickly discovering his mistake, he showed them
his pass from Arnold, but too late to allay their suspicions,
and he was accordingly searched. The incriminating
papers were found in the soles of his stockings. No
arguments or offers of money would induce the men to
let him go, — "Not for ten thousand guineas," declared
the leader, would they release him, — and his horse was
accordingly turned about, and he was led to North Castle,
where the men delivered their prisoner into the hands of
Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson, who commanded there. The
next morning Colonel Jameson ordered Andre to be taken
to Arnold's headquarters, the papers being sent to the
Commander-in-Chief at Tappan. Had Andre succeeded
in reaching Arnold, his own escape, as well as that of
Arnold, would have been assured. As it was, he had
scarcely set out when Major Tallmadge, next in rank to
Colonel Jameson, arrived at North Castle, and, learning
what had occurred, immediately suspected Arnold's
treachery. By his earnest advice an officer was sent to
overtake Andre and return him to North Castle. A letter,
however, had been sent to Arnold, apprising him of the
capture of "one John Anderson," which was allowed to
proceed on its way. This, reaching Arnold just before
the return of Washington from his mission at Hartford,
enabled the traitor to make good his escape, although
too late for any assistance to be given to Andre. The
[138]

Lynn in the Revolution
latter was taken to Salem and then to headquarters at
Tappan. The immediate works at West Point were now, in the
absence of their commander, Colonel Lamb, in the tem
porary command of our Massachusetts colonel, Nathaniel
Wade, and under the latter were more than half of the
Lynn men who had left home that summer. The letter
which Washington immediately sent to Colonel Wade
contained the following: —
"General Arnold is gone to the enemy. I have just now received
a line from him enclosing one to Mrs. Arnold, dated on board the
Vulture. I request that you will be as vigilent as possible, and as
the enemy may have it in contemplation to attempt some enterprise,
even to-night, against these posts, I wish you to make, immediately
after the receipt of this, the best disposition you can of your force,
so as to have a proportion of men in each work on the west side of
the river."
This gives us a hint regarding the position which a part
of our men occupied at this time.
At Tappan a court-martial, ordered by Washington,
was held, in which sat some of the ablest generals of the
war, among them General Glover, of Marblehead. The
unanimous report was that Andre, as a spy from the
enemy, should suffer death. Yet his interesting person
ality and manly bearing had drawn to himself the sym
pathy of both armies, and the sad ending of his career
was one which was felt with deep regret by friend and
foe. On Monday, October the second, 1780, Major Andre
was led to the gallows, his request to be shot having been
refused. General Glover, in whose brigade were the six
[ 139 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
months' men from Lynn, was officer of the day, and there
is little doubt that these Lynn men were present at the
execution. One of the men chosen to beat taps with
muffled drums was Isaac Organ, of Lynn, a drum-major
in Colonel John Greaton's regiment and famous in his
day as a drummer. Thus was closed one of the most
pathetic incidents of the war, and one which was told
beside Lynn firesides for many years by men who were
eye-witnesses of the event.
The following lists will give, so far as is known, the
men who went from Lynn to West Point that summer: —
Six Months' Men drafted for Service in July, 1780, from
the Town of Lynn.
John Mead Oliver Walton
Ebenezer Parsons James Newhall
Joshua Danforth Noah Newhall
Andrew Mansfield Allen Newhall
Joseph Burrill Blaney Newhall
Ezra Moulton Joseph Lindsey
Philip Coats Theophilus Farrington
John Brown Benjamin Jacobs
John Flynn Daniel Parrott
Andrew Newhall Thos. Hitchings
Benjamin Newhall Ebenezer Ramsdell
Samuel Bates Richard Pappoon
Three Months' Men in Captain Richardson's Company,
Colonel Nathaniel Wade's Essex County Regiment,
enlisted in July, 1780, for Service at West Point.
Jos. Stocker, 1st Lieut. Joseph Lewis
Josiah Martin, 2nd Lieut. Benjamin Massey
[ 140 ]

,'"lS3*.3rIKI

d3 o

Lynn in the Revolution

John Ireson, Sergt.
Nathl. Tarbox, Sergt.
Micajah Newhall, Corporal
Thos. Cheever, Corporal
Wm. Mansfield, Corporal
Thos. Attwill, Fifer
John Cheever
Robert Felt
John Hallowell
Joshua Howard
Rufus Johnson
Isaac Lewis
Caleb Lewis

Thomas Newman
Solomon Newhall
David Newhall
Josiah Rhodes
Joseph Rhodes
John Symons (may be " Simms ")
John Smith
Wm. Tarbox
James Thompson
Nathaniel Viall
Thos. White
Caleb Wellman
Micajah Burrill

[ 141

Chapter XI
THE END OF THE STORY
There is little more to record regarding the movements
of the soldiers of Lynn. Only once after this are we able
to discover that recruits were sent to the army. This
was in response to a patriotic appeal to the people for
long-term enlistments, embodied in a resolve in the council
of Massachusetts on the second of December, 1780. It
was at a time when the army was in the greatest desti
tution, and enlistments were hard to obtain. Washington
expressed the need in a private letter, in which he said: —
"We are without money; without provision and forage except
what is taken by impress; without clothing; and shall shortly be,
in a manner, without men. In a word we have lived by expedients
till we can live no longer."
General Glover wrote to the council of Massachusetts
on the eleventh of December: —
"It is now four days since your line of the army has eaten one
mouthful of bread. We have no money, nor will anybody trust us.
The best of wheat is at this moment selling in the state of New York
for three fourths of a dollar per bushel and your army is starving
for want. On the first of January something will turn up, if not
speedily prevented, which your officers cannot be accountable for."
The prospect of three years in the army under such
conditions was not bright, to say the least, and drafts had
to be made in order to comply with the request. We find
[ 142 ]

B v the Hon crv n a
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Lynn in the Revolution
that it was not until the fourth of the following January
that a vote was taken in Lynn, at a town meeting held at
Jacob Newhall's tavern, to raise twenty-seven men for
the Continental Army. At the same time it was voted to
grant as much money as would purchase twenty-seven
hundred silver dollars, or the value thereof in gold, to
pay the men. The committee chosen to have the whole
matter in charge consisted of Jacob Newhall, Joseph
Ballard, and John Upton. Some days, later there were
added to the committee the captains of each company and
Nathan Hawkes, Captain Thomas Cox, Benjamin John
son, Lieutenant Thomas Townsend, and Colonel John
Mansfield. Even with such effort it was months before
the full number was obtained, yet, when it is seen that
some of the men engaged dated back their enlistments to
the year 1777, it is realized how great was their contri
bution to the cause of independence.
The twenty-seven men finally sent were recruited for
various regiments, and were as follows: —
Samuel Vial Charles Hopkins
James Ramsdell John Rhodes
Samuel Brown Nathaniel Gushing
John Jacobs Noah Parker
Jacob Hart, Sergt. Benj. — ridge
Ebenezer Hart, Corporal John Flinn
Richard Hill, Corporal Jos. Williams
Aaron Nourse John Brown
William Paul John Marden
Calvin Newhall James Welman
Charles Watts Michael Fleming
Nathan Hitchings John Swain
John Mead Cuff Gott fCa-sar)

Jos. Adams

[ 143 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
From a careful study of the individual records of the
Lynn soldiers it will be seen that little, if any, part was
taken by them in the remaining hostilities of the war.
These being from this time on confined to the South, the
duties of most of the New England men were the no less
important ones of holding the posts at the North already
belonging to the Americans. Even after the surrender of
Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington considered it of
the utmost importance to keep the ranks of the army
supplied and the posts defended until an actual declara
tion of peace should remove the possibility of some new
hostile movement. Consequently, the series of canton
ments established in the region of the Hudson, forming
a wide half-circle around the British base at New York
City, were kept fully manned, and in these our men were
quartered until furlough or discharge enabled them to
turn homeward. No doubt they shared to the full the
discontent and discouragement which prevailed in the
Northern Army during the later years of the war, yet,
although desertions were frequent, examples are scarcely
to be found of our own men thus leaving the army.
When, to the great joy of all, formal announcement of
the cessation of hostilities was made on the nineteenth
of April, 1783, the anniversary of their beginning at
Lexington, many men, including some from Lynn, were
allowed to go home on furlough, taking their weapons
with them. These will be noted in the biographical
sketches which follow. They were, of course, never
called upon to rejoin the army, and the remainder of
the soldiers whose three years' term was not over when
the final peace was declared were honorably discharged.
We may well imagine that the journey home on foot was
[ 144 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
joyfully undertaken, and that at the farm-houses, where
the soldiers were kindly entertained, the rehearsal of
their experiences was eagerly listened to.
On their arrival home, work on the farm and at the
shoemaker's bench was again taken up, and their part
as citizens once more assumed. Again they were heard
in the deliberations of the town meeting, and very soon
they began to share in the interests and anxieties which
resulted from the newly gained independence.

Group in Old Western Burial Ground,
June 17, 1904
Many of these men spent the rest of their lives in the
little town from whence they had marched away to the
war; and in the old-time burial-places they lie surrounded
by their families and neighbors. Many of their long-
forgotten resting-places are now suitably marked by the
bronze marker of the Sons of the American Revolution,
and where for years no stone was raised in their mem
ory a recent provision of the government of the United
[ 145 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
States has made it possible to place at the head of every
known grave of a Revolutionary soldier, the marble stone
which records his name and the fact of his honorable
service. It may be well in this connection to refer to the com
memorative services which were held on the seventeenth
of June, 1904, in honor of the Revolutionary soldiers of
Lynn. In the year 1903 and the spring of 1904 stones and
markers had been placed at the graves of all the known
Revolutionary soldiers in the various burial-grounds of
what constituted the old town of Lynn. The seven
teenth of June of the latter year was chosen as a day of
dedication of such of these memorials as had been placed
within the precincts of the present city. On the morn
ing of that day, flags were placed in the bronze markers
at the graves, and in the afternoon, on the invitation of
the Old Essex Chapter, Sons of the American Revolu
tion, and the Lynn Historical Society, there gathered at
the old Western Burial Ground, and later at the First
Congregational Church, children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren of Revolutionary sires. These were
not necessarily members of patriotic societies, although
many, no doubt, were such, but they came together simply
as those who would do honor to the memory of men whom
the world had forgotten, but who had been identified
with the best and noblest work that Lynn had ever
helped to accomplish. It was a unique gathering, com
posed as it was, to so large an extent, of representatives
of old Lynn families, and it was marked by a dignitv
and absence of noise and parade which would have well
suited the simple taste and manner of the earlier day
[ 146 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
which the meeting recalled. It seemed fitting, too, that
such memorial services should be held in the church whose
traditions were those of the old "Meeting-House," where
our men of the Revolution had so often gathered.
The exercises, which served to review something of
the history of the Lynn soldiers, were also the occasion
of formally dedicating and turning over to the city the
care and preservation of the memorials which had been

Group of School-children at the Dedication of
Memorials to Revolutionary Soldiers
erected in their honor. And it was felt to be a matter of
some pride and satisfaction that the patient work of years
had resulted in the placing of more flags in markers
of the Sons of the American Revolution than could be
found in any other city of the United States. One hun
dred and ninety-six graves had thus been marked, — one
hundred and four in the old Western Ground, twelve
in the Eastern Ground, eleven in Pine Grove Cemetery,
thirty-five in Saugus, and thirty-four in Lynnfield. In
[147 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
the second part of this volume will be found the record
of the burial-places of as many of the Revolutionary
soldiers of Lynn as are to-day known. In many cases
where the men died in service, it has been only possible
to give that fact, the exact place of burial being unknown.
In the following chapter will be given the journal of
Henry Hallowell, a Revolutionary soldier of Lynn, who
thought it worth while to write out his experiences for the
benefit of those who should come after him. His inter
esting account gives many side-lights upon what has been
here related, and its addition will finish the story of Lynn's
part in the great Revolution. It was not a brilliant part,
not full of striking incident and distinguished valor, per
haps, but it was the part of a simple, true-hearted,
patriotic community which gave of its best and remained
steadfast through "the times which tried men's souls."

[ 148 ]

v, ¦,.

'"'—

*st

COVER OF HALLOWELL JOURNAL

Chapter XII
THE HALLOWELL JOURNAL
"The following account is not
Written But little grammatical
but simple and plain, not git-
ting much learning in former
Days as children do now.
H. h."
A Narrative of Henry Hallowell, of Lynn, re
specting the Revolution in 1775, 1776, 1777,
1778, 1779, to January 17, 1780.
Previous to going into the Continental Army I was
six months in 1775 under the command of Harris Chad-
well, of Breed's End, Lynn, guarding our sea coasts.
The British Army being in Boston We kept a watch at
the gate leading to Nahant and at the marsh below
Shepard street and at Newhall's Landing, so called. On
Sundays people carried there guns to meeting and Lodged
them in the porch in service.
In the course of 1775, A Distressing Night we saw by
a report that the enemy was landed at the king's beach,
so called which put the people in great consternation in
the Body of the town, so that the sick was removd and
Whole families fled. Myself and many others, under
the command of Fredk. Breed all under arms set off
to meet them But proved a false report and sd. Breed
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was so active got recommended and was commissioned
as 2d. Lieut, and was in the campaign of 1776.
In 1775 Col. Mansfield and Col. Gerish was broach
for laying with their regiment at Cable hill while the
people were suffering at Bunker hill the day it was taken,
June 17, 1775. The same summer Capt. Lindsey, of
Lynn was broke for misconduct — him that was called
money maker Lindsey — and Daniel Galeucia his Lieut.
took the command as Captain.
About the time of my six months was out in guarding
the seacoast I inlisted for one year and joined Col. Hut-
chingson Regt. the first day of January 1776 at Winter
Hill, so called, west of Bunker hill, and in Capt. Ezra
Newhall's company and Did Duty in the Ranks that
year. Our Army lay at Winter Hill, plowed hill, Pros
pect hill, Cable hill, Cambridge and Roxbury, and soon
got to Dochester hills. On the last named hills we
placed hogsheds of stone and other stuff if in case of an
attack to let them Down in order to Brake the British
ranks but had no occasion.
Some of our men made a fire in the night on the side
of Dochester hill and while by the fire they threw a ball
from Boston and killed some of the men, the effects I
saw next morning.
A party of our men went in the Night to the foot of
Bunker hill and set fire to some houses and Brought off
some prisoners, part of them I saw; among them was a
woman and husband.
A part of our regiment was some time in the colleges
at Cambridge. The enemy would throw shot and shell
both day and night. We built a fort at Lechmere point
in the winter of 1775 and very cold winter it was. Old
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COMMISSION OF FREDERICK BREED

Lynn in the Revolution
general Putnam commanded the army for Genl. Wash
ington had not got here, and General Putnam gave out
word that when Charles river was so strong as to bear
him and men across he ment to pay the enemy a visit,
which was in Boston. One day when we were forti
fying I left the fort and when I had got to the edge of
the river I got in company with two men, tho strangers.
We soon agreed to try the river. The method we took
was a rock which we would throw before us and so would
follow it and when we had got near to the channel to try
it, there appeared about fifty British and begun to fire
at us and their balls fell by our heads and legs. The
river being ruff I got twenty-four in all and we got about
eighty and carried them on shore and were all called
Brave fellows. And not long after I went home and was
reprimanded by my friends for my conduct but kept
eight balls for years.
And as our army had got almost around Boston they
left it in the night of the 17th of March 1776 and not
Long after got to New York and joyned genl. Clinton.
But left some ships and small craft in Nantasket road.
Next day the 18th of March our regiment went into
Boston and made up of their barracks stoves and beer
they left. One time I made a search in their cabins to
see what I could find and found one silver dollar and
two others was found by my mate. Next day another
search was made I found a raiser and one man found a
gun or small arm.
When we lay at Winter hill there was a house which
stood Between Winter hill and Bunker hill; in order to
save the house for our guards our folks almost did cover
sd. house with turf and gravil so that the enemy could
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not Beat it Down with their Balls. Before the British
left Boston they threw a shot and took an Adjts. head of
as I am informed.
While they lay in Boston a man of theirs came so
near our lines got shot by our folks and Burried in such
a manner as to see his red coat. Another time while in
Boston they threw a shell and Broak on the ground and
made a large hole. Before it reached our Works myself
alone got over the Breastwork and went some rods to
the hole. Just as I had got there they threw a cannon
ball and just cleared me and went over the Brestwork
and took a man's both legs off as I understood. We
often threw our balls into Boston. Another time I was
centinel over our grounded arms. While the party was
fortifying they threw a cannon ball and struck the ground
Near me and I got sd. ball and sold it for a shilling.
Another time they threw a Shell into one of our forts
and ript up the platform where a Cannon stood. A
sentinel was on sd. platform and not killed. While the
British was in Boston they Deprived the inhabitants of
all their guns the ruins I saw in the old State House and
likewise took up the pews in one meeting house to train
their horses in.
There ships lay in Nantaskett road and our general
not being satisfied to see them there sent hundreds of us
in the Night in flat bottom boats to Drive them off accord
ingly we went our oars all muffeled and landed on Nan
tasket hill. Previous to this Capt. Manley, or Mugford,
sent in a prize through the gut so called at plesent point
with a large quantity of powder, etc. Sd. ship got
aground and for fear of their barges myself and hundreds
saved the ship and cargo and a Very great prize for us.
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But respecting their ships in Nantasket road, we lay in
readiness untill Day brake and then begun to throw our
cannon ball and cut away their rigin. The ships very
quick got under way but set fire to some of their small
craft, but we soon cleared the road. But they sent a
Boat after they got out and Blew up the lighthouse this
I saw. Not long after the ship Capt. Mugford took was fixed
under British colors and placed in sd. Nantasket rd. and
a Number of their transports that was coming to Boston
was made prizes to our people a number of British men
was taken prisoners. We staid in Boston and round
there and repaired the craft but found the cannon dis
armed 42 pounds and a number of smaller ones their
arms off.
In the summer of 1776 our troops left Boston and round
there and set out for New York and went to Norwich
then went on by water through hell's gate and our regi
ment stayd. in New York one night and went on to fort
Independence and soon got to fort Washington. A battle
was fought between fort Washington and New York and
our regt. went to reinforce and just as we got to the
Battle ground it ended. One man by the name of Bowden
was killed. A Lynn man as I was informed — he be
longed to another regiment. While we lay there our
folks sent a fire ship towards New York to set fire to their
shipping the men on board to swim on shore & have a
bounty but did them no damage.
One time I went on the outer guard towards York and
we Sentanals was placed considerable Distance from each
other and about mid Night I heard a party coming which
I thought was the enemy. Being very much exposd I got
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Lynn in the Revolution
very much surprised But it turned out was our men in
order to Duble the guard the Like I never knew before
or since. The British ships would pass by fort Washing
ton up the North river and although we sunk vessels
and shevorde freses so called could not stop them.
Our gallies and general Washington's barge had to flee
from the wharf up before these ships to prevent Being
taken and run the galleys on shore. But one day we saw
the barge coming back supposed her to be a British barge
I was ordered with a party to place ourselves near the
shore all loded to stop said barge and just about to fire
Capt. Knox's Artilery threw a shot from the fort and
killed several of our own men them I saw which was a
sorrowful sight.
While we lay at Fort Washington the plan of the fort
was missing and conveyd to the enemy as was thought
by the waiter a Black man to the Ingenear of the fort.
Sd. black man was put under guard and was sentenced to
rec. 10 lashes a Day untill he owned were it was. He
was placed on his belly stretched out to four stakes his
hands and feet on the ground. I have stood by and see
the Blood run on the grass he had not been punished I
suppose more than a week before the fort was taken
But he pled not guilty. I never saw more of him. On
the eastern part of sd. fort was a great gully and at the
head of sd. gully we had large cannon. This part of sd
fort was called the weakest part and as there troops come
up this Narrow place our men with those heavy cannon
cut as I was informed Lains through their ranks, but it
was said the men at the cannon got all killed. The loss
of our men there 2448. But before the fort got taken
most of our regiment got sent over the river to fort Lee
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Lynn in the Revolution
and to releave those at fort Washington once a week
and when the week ended myself and others was pre
pared to go over to releave about sunset, But was ordered
to the tents to be ready at a minutes warning. What
hindered us from going I never knew. Next morning the
fort was taken and some of our Lynn men got taken and
carried to York as prisoners and stayd there about six
months and sent home on parole. The same day the
British took the fort they moved up the river to cut gen
eral Washington and his men off. Then we at fort Lee
had in great haste to flee and left cannon, a mortar, some
clothes and some money, etc. and there being a small
river northwest of the North River and a bridge over it,
before we passed sd. bridge we made a stand to engage
them. Myself with others put on a second shirt, not
knowing but we must throw off our packs in an engage
ment, but they would not advance towards us. Then we
took up the sd. bridge and went on but our case looked
dismul and then about thirty of us was sent back in order
to save some guards if possible that was left some way
off when we left the fort. Accordingly we went down
some miles and then with a boat got a part of sd. guards
across sd. river. I had spoak for a meal of victuls of the
Inhabitants, being very much wore out, But before I got
it we was directed by one of our light horse men to flee
or we should be cut off. Accordingly about thirty in all
took to a swamp & could not get through by reason of
a running crick. We found a dead man in sd. swamp
and James Ramsdell of Lynn we lost in the swamp.
But he got to camp again finally. We had to finally
come out by the place we went in by — then it was candle
light and that pestered us. The enemy was in a large
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Lynn in the Revolution
gully and their lights was burning. We consulted each
other But very still. Some moved to go to them But
others said No, But on the whole we movd. on and soon
came to a town where part of the British was but very
luckily we saw a man who was a friend tould what street
to take to clear them & soon got through the town not
taken, and travild on to about midnight and Being much
Exuasted myself and one more so failed we took to a
stack of fodder. The others movd. on, But the Main
body was miles ahead and while we lay in sd stack the
enemy light horse men as we concluded passing by and
a great fright it was to us for we thought we were gone.
But it turned out we got to the main Body that Day,
they being halted. Washington and we saw a trying
scene thus for us all. We soldiers had but little time to
eat or sleep. One time we borrowd a large iron kittle &
put in it about a quarter of beef for our camp, while I
stood over it. We were soon obliged to leave it and it
seemed to me as if I for one must starve.
Soon after fifty of us under the command of a captain
was called for by Washington to scuttle all the botes &
Vessels in a river near where we lay. According we took
axes and performed sd. duty except one which was sunk.
Notwithstanding they drove us all to the town of Tren
ton in great haste and there I got sick with a fever and in
a house lay on the floor were all the company was and
after that I got into the garret, where I lay until two men
by order of general Putnam took me down to a sloop
that was taking in sick and put me in the hole which was
full, and one Died that lay by me and was burried.
Scores of us were sent to Philadelphia & six men of
Lynn was put into ;i bouse that a tory had left and three
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Lynn in the Revolution
of sd. men died in that city, Ralph Lindsey, David
Newman and Ephraim Twist. But myself, Stephen
Coats and Chas. Florence was raised up again, although
myself was so low the Doctor gave me a dose to kill or
help me in two hours I was informed after I got to walk
the room. I heard an officer say that twenty-five from
the general ospittle was burried in a Day.
While I was in Phila. Washington took near a thousand
of germans holding Christmas eve at Trenton. But re
specting my sickness twas in November and December
and my Lodging a hard floor and long nights & no
Nurse at first and nothing more than the continental
allowance for We went so sudden to that city small prep
aration was made for sick. But providential two women
called at the door and found us in poor condition that
they went home and sent us sugar & tea and a long
narrer bed to rest our heads and shoulders on. My
being sick a long time and no clothes to shift for we found
our Clothes that year ourselves I got very lowsy and
flesh much gone. But soon after my time was out which
ended Deer. 31, 1776, myself, Charles Florence and Stephen
Coats left me, so all was parted. But in a short time I
moved on as strength was given me and passing a house
a woman spoke to me to help Lay out a soldier that had
died there. But I passed along not being acquainted
with such things, & Begd on my way home people gen-
eraly was very kind But some was afraid of me. The
people was willing to let me lay by the fire or on wheat
straw; on my way I would have gone into a house but
they refused my going in But brought me to the Barn
some broth thicknd with cabbage. One day I got lost
in the jersevs the road being poor and wandering about
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Lynn in the Revolution
I at last came to a house and opened the door without
knocking and there Lay a woman sick with the small
pox. They earnestly requested me to go on and soon
found the road the red flag flying. My not having that
disorder I was careful what I eat for 14 days, But altho
many died on their way home I by the providence of god
was preserved and when I got so near home as Chelsea
there came a rain from south east and as I had no hat
but an old military cap the rain run down my body and
I was very sore by reason of Lice. I stopd at Decon
Sargent's Barn and formed me a collar of dry seaweed
& put it round my neck to keep me more comfortable.
Altho I frightened horses that I met that evening after
twenty-seven days got home and my friends put my old
clothes in a swamp at Wood end & I got through many
trying scenes that year 1776.
Notwithstanding my sufferings was so great and at
times at home very hard I by my captain and others was
persuaded to inlist again Which I did on the 10th of
March, 1777, which was for three years and soon went
to Sewell's point not far from Boston. I had small pox
by inoculation & paid the cost rather than to go to camp
and have it there, free from Expence. Soon after I got
well set off as a waiter to Major Newhall who had been
my captain in 1776. When I got to Worcester the Lieut.
Col was arrested for making paper money as I was
informed and Major Newhall took his place & Capt.
Allen was appointed major. By accident Major Allen
got killed at Northampton While at home on furlough
as I was informed by hunting, with his neighbors. I
left Worcester and went to the Northward and there
found the regt having the small pox by inoculation and
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Lynn in the Revolution
one John Hunt a Lynn man died by it although sd Hunt
had been a nurse before. Soon after that the regt went
on to Albany — half moon so called — and to Stillwater
and fort Edward & fort Milton so called and there we
found some men who had fled from Ticontiroga. They
brought word that the British Army was coming and it
soon prov true and they soon appeared and soon genl.
Gates and all of us had to flee and the Inhabitants also.
The British had with them many wild savige Indins
who killed a Number of our men they keep in there front
and Did us great damage.
While we lay near West Point general Wain took Stoney
point in the Night on surprise and found some of the
American deserters and without Judge or Jury hung them
up on trees as we were informed. A small part of our
regt was there. A man of ours was walking with an
Ax on his shoulder and fell and cut a cord in his Neck
& Bled to Death. I was with him one night.
While at the Northward in 1777 Near fort Edward
my colonels horse was put out between our lines and there
lines and I was ordered to git him to camp and on my
way to the field he had got out, had I gone to the field
I might have lost my life for their Indins killed a Number
on guard near sd field.
Soon after that our army had to retreat for that Army
Drove not only us But the Inhabitants who left horses
cows hogs Pol try & c. and our officers gave us liberty
to take what we could keep. The Colonels mess had
a good cow for some days and then Indans came on us
and killed some men of ours and had to retreat again.
While we had the Cow we made her fast at night to
the tail of our Waggon she fell on the Way and got spoilt
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& lost sd cow. Some one killed a hog which I see and
sd hog I judged would have weighed 300 But lay spoil
ing I also saw 13 quarters of beef spoilt By the heat and
carelessness. While in the service I waited on Col Newhall rising
two year then did duty as privet as corporl & Orderly
Sargent and last of Duty as steward of a Company. The
colonl offered me warrant as sargent if I would reinlist
during the war But refusd.
Lieutenant Corey of our Brigade while on his way as
a Deserter to the Enemy got stopt by our men and Brought
Back and put under guard but what became of him I
dont remember, and a brother of his an Ensign, a free
Mason, he conducted so bad that he was disowned by
the Lodge as we were informd. After fort Stanox was
taken by the Americans three hundred of Indins that
had been fighting against us come and joyned our gen
eral Gates. Myself alone Being out of camp in the
Country came across them. I had my fears of being
killed or taken not knowing anything of it, But when
I spoke to them in there language I soon found them
friendly. My fears then left me and after they got to
our camp there was great sculping on the side of the
British and ours. I was at the house where Jennv
McCrea Livd and Saw at home an old Lady. Twas
near fort Edward were our army lay But she and the old
Lady past through our lines to go to the British and on
there way Burgoynes Indins killd her and not hurt the
old lady as we were informed and sculpt Jenny and killed
one of our Lieuts and some soldiers. The soldiers were
burried in the woods and our folks got her body and the
Officer and brought into camp and both Burried accord-
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ing to the honors of war. Myself and many hundred
attended the funeral and a solemn time it was.
There Indins killd some of our solders When on Sentry
and killd some of our bakers while making bread. They
fired into camp and we had to retreat again and Retreated
to Saratoga and after more force came in we made a
Stand, But the Indins on both sides Dayly was sculp
ing. I saw many sculps they brought in on our side for
the Indins would call at Col Morgans for rum and I by
the Cols orders would deal it out to them for their Bounty
was Rum.
Burgoynes Indins killed a woman and five children
But there father got out of his Window and made his
escape. He died since as I read in the Newspapers ris
ing a hundred and the case of his family was mentioned
in the newspaper.
We had in a house up chamber a Small guard. An
Indin of theres got within gunshot and fird into the Win
dow it being open and killed one of the guard But before
he got far the guard fired and killd him. His body was
given to our Indins and they took of his sculp and Drest
it with the hair still on and hung it up on a pole in gen
eral Larneds Brigade, on a pole about 20 feet for a flag
But would strike the flag at Night this they Did for Days.
An Indin of Ours Drew provision with us in the Morn
ing But was so unfaithful was caught Before night in
firing against us on the British side. There Indins
killd Col Alden of our Brigade at Cherry Valley so called
and a number of his guard that was with him and carred
of his major as we were informed. The Indins killd
Col Nixons horse When on sd horse sd Nixon was also
of our Brigade.

'bl

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Lynn in the Revolution
Our Indins took a man alive and While passing me
they were Stabing the poor man in the face Which caused
me to feel for him But had to say Nothing, But I see the
blood running But what became of him I cannot tell.
Our Indians brought in two men at another time and
gave out Word that they would Burn them to Death.
I got up in the Night with others to see the sight. We
placed ourselves so as the Indins could not see us But
saw a great fire and the prisoners But the general caused
them to be taken from them altho they suffered much.
Those Indins killed an officer while at a spring and Shot
a solder through his neck, him I see but I think he dyed
Aaron Nurse of Lynnfield was one of the three, sd Aaron
made his escape by giting into a large hollow Log the
sd Indins went over the Log as I hear him say.
Another time the Indans killd a number of men one
morning so that We had to flee. While at the North
a man had by the Indans a Ball lodgd in his pack but
hurt not the man. Another time the Indans shot a
solders great toe off Which caused him to make a great
Adeu But the solders black garded hirn for such a trifle.
The Indins proved the worst of men.
One time while our Army was on the move myself
with about six others were passing a house. The man
stood on the step of his door who Spoke to us saying the
men Ahead had carried off all his pigs. On that we told
him we saw the sow and part of pigs go behind his house.
on that he left the door and very soon we heard guns
& some of the men went to see What happnd & soon
found the man shot through and Being on the Bank of •
a small River We took the man and family down stream
But he Dyed next morning. He said torvs shot him, he
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Lynn in the Revolution
But after great Destruction by the Indans the British
general and genl Gates agreed to put a stop to all sculp
ing for great havock was made on both sides that both
armys grew more less. Another time our folks thought
fit to give the Enemy a few shot and myself was looking
on. They returned the fire and took one of our mens
head off and then both stopt firing, the mans brains I
saw. While there four of us were ordered to go Back
towards there lines to get grass for our horses with knives,
in a place that was Dangerous & While there a part of
us placd ourselves on stumps of trees while the others
were cuting, But succeeded to get Back safe.
Respecting being lowsey Colo. Newhall observed one
time it was Difficult for him to keep clear of them for
they likt clean clothes. Six of our regt lived together
called the Lowsey Mess. One day there tent took fire
and it was Judgd the aforesaid lost there Lives at that
time. I heard of an officer dining with genl Washington.
While siting at the generals table a Lous appeared on
one of sd officers ruffels, on that the officer put it back
in his bosom with orders not to leave head quarters again.
One Night in winter time lodging was so poor that in
the morning was all snow by reason of a Driving snow
storm. A singular case took place by a man by the name of
Barker. He was a tory and left his family with his neigh
bors and went to New York. Not long after the Enemy
Drove us from a town calld Coldbrook and Barker
came home and was Determined to have revenge on one
of his Neighbors. This Neighbor got some notice of
it and he and his wife fled about half a mile to a poor
place by reason of Poverty. He and his wife while lay-
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ing by the fire Barker with a gang surrounded sd house
and swore he would have the husbands heart blood, on
that the man took to the Chamber for fear But Barker
followed him and killed him dead, and after the Enemy
& Barker returned to York. I thought I would go and
see where he was killed and got from the man of the
house the Information what distress they saw. Re
specting soldiers too generally they Would for choice
reather go to Battle than to here preaching, and but few
religious men in camp. Some would lye, some would
steal, git drunk, break open around, steal money from
a man's desk and fether bed. And as to women would
live with a man as Long as Both could agree and then
would soon find another mate.
Respecting battles at the North the first was fought
on the 19th of Sept. 1777 and a bloody time it was and
our regt broke their ranks and went to Plundering the
Dead, and after it was over our head Colnl Rufus Put
nam who was of Brookfield gave strict orders that in
case of another battle he would take the life of anyone
of his regt if he found them to do the like again. A great
number of our wounded lay by fires on the cold ground
all night. Reuben Dunnell, a Lynn man, I saw the next
morning wounded with a Large Number but never
saw him afterwards. I saw a young man who was shot
through both nose and eyes, he was then alive. The
enemy took a captain of ours who was mortaly wounded
and put him in a barn between the Lines. We could
hear him cry bitterly but what became of him I never
knew. Twas thought the enemy ment to take our men,
Whoever came to take the Captain away.
The 2d battle was on the 7th. Oct. same year and
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Many lost their Lives there and I heard an officer say
his Company left 17 men in one of these Battles. Our
folks took some heavy cannon from them and the Enemy
retook them again and our men took them Back and I
found in the mouth of one of them Live powder about
one pound and took it to my Quarters — it seems the Last
Cartridge got broke. But after the Battle We put there
Army to flight and entering there works there stood a
german on his post as a sentnal. Our Adgt called on
one of his men to shute him down. Accordingly the
poor man lost his life and the officers reprimanded him
for such conduct. But sd Adgt made light of it. Then
We as a flying camp pressed them and they being in
great haste Left behind there sick in there hospitals to
our mercy and some of them I saw and we followed
hard after them and took a Capt. and fifty men, a bag
gage guard and in that plunder we took Burgoynes
Marquee and I with the officers Livd in it for some time.
I got for myself a great coat Which did me much good
of the plunder. The road being poor their horses failed
and Died on the road and they left on sd road a Waggon
of small arm cartridges and Wheels of a cannon, the
cannon was found afterwards as I understand and when
they had got to a Village they set it on fire and we found
it burning. And they got across Scylers Mills creek and got on a
hill which proved their last stand, and while they lay on
sd hill our general reinforced from many quarters and
almost surrounded them, and there being high moun
tains round them We threw our shot into there camp,
so that there general requested a cessation of arms for
three days and it was granted. We sent in three flags
[ 165 ]

/

Lynn in the Revolution
of truce so called, But yet they would not give up, the
mean while we heard that Genl Clinton at New York
Dispached a Large Body of men that was coming up the
North river to place us between two fires. On that
our general got determined to put them all to the sword.
On one morning our army was ordered to go on and our
Brigade marched to, the fore mentioned creek. Before
we entered the water my conl Dismounted his horse and
ordered me on the bank to take care of his horse untill
further orders. Then our folks entered the water and
while crossing sd creek the enemy on their hill kept
firing and they only wounded two of our folks for they
overshot our people and the Balls flew by me in such
a manner While I stood on the bank every minute ex
pected to be killd. While standing there an officer
ordered me with the horse from that spot, But before
I left a Doctor of theres, a deserter calld on me to know
where headquarters of ours were. I soon on that showed
him and he left me. But the orders of taking them was
countermanded and the Brigade crossed back. Both
my colonels observed that one Ball likt to struck his leg
in the water.
By some means we lost Sargent Colson by Being taken
that time But got him back after they Surrendered.
To say something of there giving up, Burgoyne agreed
to lay down his arms in good order but provd otherwise.
But when they came out it was to us a splendid sight.
First Burgoyne and his generals, Next graneders, Light
Infintry, Artilery, common battelons and last of all the
germans and a glad day for them for they was pleased
But the British seemed quite cross. But Birgoyne and
his generals Dind together with genl gates on a small
[166]

Lynn in the Revolution
hill, there being awning taken from vessels placed some
like a marquee.
In the afternoon same day our army marched with them
sd afternoon and all that night down towards Albany.
Then by lot general Glover of Marblehead with his
Brigade guarded that army Down to Cambridge and
soon our regt went to Albany for winter quarters and in
that city was three hundred prisoners of war taken before
there army gave up. In the city great Mischief was
done. One circumstance was one Capt. Twogood com
manded the Main guard and it being a Very Cold Day
he found one solder to have his Mittens on. On that
he ordered them off of one Thomas Taylor and he not
willing to obey sd captain began to ratin him. On that
sd Taylor clubbed his peace and sunk the stock in the
captains head and he fell. Sd. Capt. was carried out
of the city I think he died, and the solder was confined
and by the Court Marshell sentcd to receive five hundred
Lashes one hundred a morning till it was through. I
saw Tailor after that and he appeared on the Decline But
finaly got better and run away and left them. Another
solder of our regt Shot a Black woman in such a manner
that her life was in Despair But think she lived. A
Black girl stole her Masters Bridies for one of those three
hundred prisoners above mentioned, a white man, and
her Master causd her to be whipt at the Public whiping
Post and I see the stripes Laid on.
Towards spring of 1778 we left Albany and Went more
toward New York on the North River. One time my
self and five others with a Corpral had the care of a black
smiths traviling forge on wheels, taken from the British
at Saratoga and we could get no provisions for Near a
[ 167 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
week, the mean time I was almost starvd tho I got a
meal out of a barrel of hogs swill of one of the inhabi
tants. At length sd corporal got a Due Bill and sould
it for money unbenown to us and got a furlough home
to old Derry and never saw him afterwards.
One of our men was killd by Lightning and about
twenty wounded Near West point. After that we moved
more towards New York to a town calld Coldbrook.
While there some British light horse came to us, the men
I saw & also the horses. But soon the enemy drove us
from there and killd Barretts cows and Distroyed his
f ether beds Where we had lived as I was informed.
One morning our folks took an old man prisoner who
was once a Lord in England and gave him some break
fast. One of there Barges in the Night Near a town
called Sing Sing was Landing were we had a guard unbe
nown to them, the guard took part of them that had
landed but the Barge got away, part of them I saw. On
one of our movements Mrs. Brunson who had a hus
band and children in camp with us Was on a march
there came a heavy rain and this family got into a Very
leaky Barn and in the Night was taken ill and sent for
our Doctor. According he went and in the Barn another
child was Born. But what was singular she sent to the
Colnl for a glass of Rum for a Morning Dram Which I
deliverd. The Doctor observd she had suffered much.
One time I was at a house and saw a man with an un
common Beard. In asking why he wore so long a Beard
his answer was Because the solders had stole his rasor
and seemed much put out. A man of ours for breaking
the Marshall law had to ride a sharp rail and two men
carrying him one at each end of sd rail and two men
[168 ]

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Lynn in the Revolution
carrying him one at each side of sd rail and many other
ways Disobedient men was punishd. The poor fellow
rode very uneasy. A waiter one time that livd in the
tent with me Went out into the Bushes and found a dead
British solder and took off his red coat and Brought it
to Camp and Wore sd coat when in camp. A man of
ours while going to cut timber having on his sholder an
ax fell and cut the cord of his Neck. I myself with others
set with him in the Night But the poor man Bled to Death.
In our company was four Negros Namd Jeptha Ward,
Job Upton, Duglass Middleton and Pomp Simmons and
part of them calld on me after there time was out they
had been good solders.
The Adjutant of our Regt. one time on our march
jumpt over into a mans garden to steal fruits & c. the
men followed him like Sheap, the Colonel found it out
and put sd officer under an Arrest and not Blamd the
men that followed him. One time the sd Adjutant was
floging a solder in such a manner my fears was he would
kill the man, on that I Begd heartily for him and by that
means the officer f orb air floging him. My living in the
same mess with the officer think it had some good effect.
To accommodate us they would have one man to Preach
in English they themselves was Duch tho not constant
and when a note was to be read the Decon with a small
pole with a spear on one end would hand it up to the
minister. And when a collection was made would reach
a file with a silk small bag on one end from Seat to seat
and at a Funeral would ring a bell. A curious house I
saw there with winding stairs which a man might safely
go up But verv great Difficulty could get Down. These
I tryd. [ 169 ] .

Lynn in the Revolution
In the city a german officer was Burried and at the
grave the minister while performing the service had in
his hand a very little spade and while praying or reading
he kept the gravel going slowly on the coffin, the like I
never saw before. While in Albany the major tould the
colonel he ment to kill a deer altho the colonel doubted
it. One morning about Sunrise the major called to me
to go to the door and Bring in from the horse one.
Though I doubted it I went and found one and we had
Venison. While in that city two Indian chiefs Lodgd
where we livd over Night Bound to headquarters, they
appeared very friendly. While in that city I made some
shoes with two British prisoners, they thretened to fight
me again after they got exchangd but observed to them
I hoped war would soon end. I saw in Albany a black
man and woman fighting, the man with an ax the woman
with a broom and we had some trouble to part them &
also saw two women fighting and they fit like hearty
fellows. One time in returning from the country I fell in with
five young women Bound to camp. She that led of was
riding a horse as men ride But still kept her sitting &: 4
following after, but soon left them and saw part of them
next day in our Brigade.
The Enemy one time sent a Sloop up the North River
a flag and we put on Board three men to see that good
order was there. They waid ancor and carried the men
to York and our general demanded them again.
Jacob Davis, who once lived in Lynn, lost his life
while standing by the Armours vice. In the vice was a
gun the armour was filling and being loded She took fire
and shot him through the body. I was with him all
[170]

Lynn in the Revolution
night before he died, he stated he had been shot through
before at Bunker Hill in 1775. Ebenezer Williams that
once lived at Woodend with Joshua Collins was under
the sentence of death for Deserting and Never saw them
since. One time while in the country I put up at a house
over Night and the man of the house was sick, about
mid Night I was calld on to go in a heavy snow storm
for a mid wife for his wife, according I went about half
a mile & got the Womanhelp, they thankd me and gave
me lodging supper and breakfast and then was informed
that a child was born.
By general Washington's or,der I was with a party of
200 men in Building a Bridge. The head officers was
Colol Carlton and Colol Newhall of Lynn and some of
the party was whipt for stealing and after that the party
was ordered to fire there volleys of powder on the 17th of
Oct. 1778, it being the Day of the month the Northern
army gave up, and while Adjnt Tucker of Gloucester
was giving the word to fire one of the fellows twas thought
that had been whipt tho not known, fird a ball and
insted of killing Tucker the Dog was killed that stood by
him. It was judgd he ment Tucker for sd Tucker was
the man to see the stripes laid on.
While in camp my Pocket Book was stole and papers
and my hard money about $1.50 which I set much by
and never got it again, it seamd the soldiers thought But
little of a Future state altho much exposd.
While in camp I was directed to go to Eest point before
general Washington and git of him an order to Draw
some money at the office there, accordingly I went and
got the order and money. An other time and others was
ordered to go and take a stack of wheat from an inhabi-
[171 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
tant for our horses. The man was angry and threatened
to have us before a justice observing his family was in
want of it, altho it hurt my feelings We had to take it.
One time my self and hundreds left our tents as a flying
camp before the Northern army Was taken and had to
lay five Nights successively on the ground in the month
of October. But had a large tree standing over our
heads. We have had several times to march all Night.
Another time the Enemy threw a Cannon Ball and took
a mans head off; the Body our folks took away But the
brains was left on the spot, myself and two others took
into our hands sd Brains to have that sayd. Another
time I saw a man hung for a crime in the fore part of
the Day and he hung untill Near Sun set in order twas
said to strike a Dread to Bad men. Another time I went
to see a Number of poor men in prison and some confind
to the flore condmd to Die, they appeard as sollem as
the grave. I think they was reading the Bible & other
good books, it was to me a sollem sean.
While I have Been Traviling I have left Blood on the
snow by reason of poor Shoes and stockings.
I saw twenty four germans and one British officer all
Dead laying in a spot that our folks took off the Battle
ground at Saratoga. The wounded we took of theres was
sent by our general out to the Country and a British
Doctor was permitted to pass through our Camp to those
wounded men, him I saw on a horse Blind folded a man
leading the horse.
Another time the Enemy from their Vessels Landed
near Things ferry on the jersey side Where hundreds of
us lay. We all formed a line for a Battle But standing
there for them to advance some time there Came a Very
[172 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
heavy showr of Rain and put it Back. The Damage
they Did was Burning some Building and carried off a
quantity of Shad and took to there vessels.
Colonel Newhall of Lynn and a Colol from Salem by
order of general Washington with two hundred of us
Built a Bridge across a river in Connecticut. The Salem
Colol Lost his fether bed by the British at the Northward
and in order to spite them as I heard him say he Never
would sleep again in a fether bed while in the Army But
Slept in a Bunk and Colol Newhall slept in a Live fether
Bed in the same room that I often made, he was a singu
lar man. While we lay in Albany I have seen some of
the British White men Who was taken prisoners before
there Army gave up Bound out of the city in a Double
Slay load with all Black girls as a party of pleasure.
One time at the Northward our men took a Bear from
the Enemy altho the Bear was not willing to yield.
Another time I saw a young man hung where hundreds
had to be present and among the rest a Brother of his
had to be their Which to me Seemed hard and altho
Wicked as the men Were I found a great many was
effected. Another circumstance was two of the Serjents
of our Regt was caught in Dressing a calf that they stole
from an inhabitant, they Both were confind under guard
and tryd by a court Marshall and sentencd and each of
them reed, fifty stripes and placd in the ranks to remain
soldiers. I have seen pretty young men Whipt a Number of
times for Breaking the Marshall law they being ignorant
of its strickness and being out for a Short time in Camp
and Set on by the old Continentals. Two men stole a
sheep, before they got her skin off they had to carry sd
[ 173 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Sheep through the camp made fast to a long pole, the
Drums Beating the rogues March and scores of men
looking on.
A soldier of our Regt By the name of Joplin met in
the Street in Albany two British Sargents and the sd
joplin being a nasty small hump Back fellow, these Brit
ish Sargents look very Neat and Clean & to take him
off Calld on joplin to know how many regulars he had
killd, his answer to them was many Better looking fel
lows than they, on that they left him, he was counted
a good soldier. A man Who had Just shavd an officer
went on guard and soon was killd by Indins. In trav-
iling I went to a house with soar feet and Stopt a Day
or two and made the woman of the house a pair of shoes
& made welcome. A man at West point got Bit by a
rattlesnake Which put him in great Distress But cannot
tell whether he livd. Respecting Religion It was at a
Very low Ebb in our Land and also in camp much Lower.
In the years service a religious man offerd to pray Dayly
in our company and accordingly Did for a short time
But was put by officers and soldiers not willing to At
tend. But in the three years service one Mr Smith acted
a chaplain for our Brigade and a good Preacher. One
sermon was from St. Luke, 3 chap 14 verse, that soldiers do
violence to no man Nor accuse any falsely But be Content
with there Wages, altho he held to the idea of Wages
being made Better many was angry at what he said on
that point. I took with me a Bible in the three vears
service But by some means it got over board in the North
river altho it was in the colonels Chest and this gave

py

to some soldiers But I got it again

b"1 iu "to1

Colonel Cam mentioned before Was a very profain
[174]

Lynn in the Revolution
Laim old man Near 60 years. His feet that he first had
he stated he turned into the continentle store and made
a Bad Bargain by giting them. He had them and was
determined not to change them more, But make them
last. I livd in a house with him, he had one Nathaniel
Needham his waiter, But a near sighted man, faithful
tho slow. The old man often calld on me to Wait on
him. One time he ordered me to git his horse and go
and git a quantity of Eggs into the country and reather
than to fail to go to heavens gates and tell st Peter it was
his orders that he send him some. I set off and calld
at many houses and got some and returned and brought
home to the old man, it was Late in the Season But I
returned that Day.
While at the Northward among many that was there
We saw a soldier who twas thought to be a Woman by
the Speach and looks But I never knew what the soldier
was. One time I called at a house to git supper, the
family had hastipuden we call it. But in some places
I have been they calls it mush, others supon. I was asked
which I choose sweet milk or sower. I answered sweet
and among the family one woman for choice chose hogs
fat this I saw and she ate it with a relish.
Another time I saw in a house a child in the cradle
its eyes filld with snuff in great Distress. While in the
army I have been a number of times out into the country
for officers Who furnish me with a horse for cartin
things and had an opportunity to see the Ways and man
ners of the people.
One time it happened our officers Was gone, some on
Duty and some on furlow. An inspection of the com
pany and regt was to be made and I was Directed to
[ 175 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
make out the rool. Accordingly I stated that such of
the officers as Were absent, where they was and as to
the men on guard, Some on furlows, some sick & c.
and made out our number and placd myself on the right
of the company and handed to the inspector sd return
an it readly past tho I was only a soldier, But acted as
orderly sergent.
I have lain all Night in the Low Bushes and made a
Booth of them over my head by Drawing them together
to keep off the Dampness of the Night, where many
rattle Snakes livd and not got bit.
A head Colol and his Lieut. Colol was Confederate in
sending home to there familys a Continental Waggin
load of provisions in the time of great want in camp and
other places. They Both got Arrested and the head
Colol being an Arch fellow got clear, the other broke and
sent home. Not long after the Lt. Colol came to camp
and those both got into a dispute and the Colol had him
that was sent home put under guard which was thought
was much Mortifying to him that was Broke. One of
our Captains a Drinking man, at a grog shop wounded
a soldier in Such a manner with his cut lash, was Broke
and sent home to Salem, Massachusetts.
One time a Soldier made fast to the tail of a Waggon
he being Detirmined not to go to camp But the poor fel
low had to follow on. One time a soldier went to sleep
in his Blanket and a ratle snake took a place with him
& the Soldier killd sd snake before they awoke the
man. Another soldier got asleep below high water mark and
while there the Tide came and awoke him. That was
in Trenton. One time while sailing up the North river
[ 176 ]

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Lynn in the Revolution
we Lost a soldier over Board in the Night, no Doubt
drowned. The time general Sullivan went back to the Indian
settlements with a large Body of men they Destroyed
all & drove them back Except an aged Indian, with him
they left beef and flower to live on thinking he Could
Do no hurt as they Brought Word.
One time in traviling in the Country I put up at Night
not knowing that they were Torys and in the morning
offerd them my paper Money, But reather than take it
I was made Welcome for they then observed that they
had nothing to do with such as that. Another time a
Soldier caught a Live snake and put it in anothers Bosom,
the Snake run round his Back in such a manner that it
put the soldier almost Distracted. Capt Shays who rose
against our state government Belong to our Regt and a
good officer counted.
On the first Day of January 1780 in the morning about
Day, being entering on the last year with the three year men
they agreed to turn out to fire three volleys on the occa
sion and for that conduct my Colol had some of them
Whipt by tying them up to Trees, altho many in the
same Brigade did the like, But there officers being more
human took no Notice of it and the fears in our Regt
was that there would be a meeting But it past off. I
have been ordered to load my peace Scores of times
for guarding and for Battle but Never fired on the enemy
which seems remarkable. My gun I allowed 13 dollars
for out of my Bounty was witheld by the officers and
nothing allowed me for it when discharged.
Previous to the British Army being taken they come
with such power and we had to retreat. The inhabi-
[ 177 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
tants was put in great Distress & fled before us leaving
there all Except a few things behind. We had liberty
to take Horses, cows hogs sheap and all sorts of poltry
&c. and anything out of there houses that we could
keep. One man left behind a Hogshed of Moll asses and
the men took all that into camp kittles & other things,
myself got out of a house some shoemaker tools. I lost
my Dayley Jornal on the retreat & Never got it. This
was at the Northward.
I saw a Large number of Torys that was taken at
Bennington Battle under the care of a Large guard.
While standing by them, when halted, a Woman stood
by and Chargd one of them saying he was the scoundrel
that killd her husband But had no answer from him,
she appeard Very Angreay.
In 1777 our Regt. quartered in Albany that winter.
In 1778 the Regt. Lay in tents all winter at a Place
calld Soldiers fortune, Named by my Colol who saw a
hard Winter there. In 1779 Lay at the same place in
huts of our own Building so open that snow has cov
ered me on a stormy night, But after all my suffering on
the 17th of Jany 1780 got a Discharge by changing places
with a man who was to serve up to the 10th of March
following by the Colol consent. Thus ended the three
last years service and got away from the war Which
provd a sore calamity. Many other strange things I
Could mention But finily forbeir.

[178]

Supplement
Our Indians took two men which had Done some
ingery to our Countrys Cause & brought them to camp
alive, gave out word that they would Burn them on a
Certain Night, myself and many others went about
midnight to see the Dreadful sean. They built a large
fire for that purpose, But after those men was brought
& tormented by them near sd fire our general causd them
to be taken away tho it was said they was almost Dead.
They was so unfaithfull to our Camp that one of them
Drew provisions in the morning with us & that same
Day was taken fighting against us & Committed to the
main Guard which Colol Newhall commanded at that
time. A Dreadful havock they made But I forbair.
Some singular circumstances turned up; one Circum
stance was by lightning which was singular. One flash
Come & kill one man who had been home and just
got back to camp while he was in his tent with others & the
same flash wounded between twenty & thirty of our
Brigade. We lay there Near west point after this We
movd down the North river. Near King ferry in a town
calld Colobarock While laying there some of the enemys
light horse Came to us by Desarting which I saw them
coming out. Our Colol major Adjent & Doctor quar
tered at Mr. Barretts myself & two others. While lay
ing there the Enemy rushd on us in such a manner we
with the regiment had to flee, Mr. Barrett having no
protection under general Clinton at New York these
[179 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Britans took his fether Beds and Distroyed them out
at his door and killd his Cows Near a dozen. One
Barker a tory who come with those men, killd one of
his Near Neighbors in Coul Blood, altho the man
cryd for quarter. This miscreant man lived very Near
Barker before said Barker went to New York. The Brit
ish had often been up the river Near this town, one time
sent up a barge to steal provisions but in landing we
happened to have a guard close by, before the Guard
fired on them one man had Got on shore & hid himself
in a fox Burrow which we took after he Lay there all
that Night. It was thought our Guard killd near all in
sd Barge but she got away.
Not far from this time General Wain of ours beseagd
Stony point fort in the Night, part of our regt was with
him. We took them upon Surprise being in the Night
they had but little time to fight the general took many
of them not dressd he also took some who had Desertd
from us and hung them up on trees without judge or
jury as I was in formd.
Capt. Shays who rose against our state government
Belong in our regt in the three years service and respected
as a very good officer, was very good to his men. Lieut
Cory of sd regt was going to Desert to the Northern Army
But was Detected & put under Guard. Ensign Cory,
a brother of his belong to the Lodge of Masons he got
very Drunk at one of there meetings & Distroyd much
glass Wair at the Inn & was turnd out of the Lodge
as we were informd.
One time myself and two others was passing in a field
& saw a shell Coming in the air straight for us the two
who were with me Dropt themselves in a Ditch & I run
[180]

Lynn in the Revolution
out sideways the shell Broak in the air & we got part
of it which fell about were we was walking. It was
calld a 13 Inch shell. At another time I was ordered
to go to a field & Bring out the Colols horse before I
had got to sd field I found sd horse in the bushes, had I
a gone to the field no Doubt the Indins would have had
me for they killd five men on Centry near sd field. Our
folks took a field peice to Drive the Indians Back & they
shot Colol Nixon's horse through his head.
At these times cows was free for us the Inhabitants
being gone. We had a very Nice Cow for some Days
would tye over Night at the Colols Waggon, one morn
ing the enemy ralied on us & killd a number of our men
& put our camp very suddenly to flight, so sudden that
the Waggon was got under way before the Cow was cast
off, it being a very Narrow road many Waggons was
following ours. The Cow fell on hur side & she was
held in that manner a Considerable Distance before we
could cut her away. At Night myself and one more
went Back to find the cow & found her laying on the
ground, like stupid mortals exposd our lives for such a
trifel But it happened we met with no harm. At another
time we Lay on a hill Drew our water at the foot of sd
hill, the Colol observd to me not to go any more there
for water as the Colol knew the enemy movements bet
ter than myself. I left Drawing Water there the Indians
very soon after that time killd one of our officers near
this sd spring & we soon left this hill. O how many ways
I was exposd.
A number of times while Waiting on Colol Newhall
he has gave me his pocket book & the effects and Charge
of other things with a request to see that his children
[181 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
have if ever I should have an opportunity, he being more
exposd at these times then myself.
One morning about Brake of Day Ezra Moulton Being
as Centnal at Colol Newhalls door fell on his post to the
ground which was Very uncommon. The Colol being
a Very human man orderd me to git the man a Dram
and he recovered from the ground and Drank the same
Which seemed to him very agreeable.
One day While cooking I took out my pocket Book
to git a neidle to mend my puden bag & just turnd my
Back & lost it with my hard money & all my papers,
the money I set by not knowing but I might be taken
Prisoner. The Colol advisd me to Advertise and ofer
a reward which I did to no purpose.
Part of these years I had a Watch which had no
Cristle finely sould it to Colol Breed for he Delt in
Watches. On the first day of Jany 1776 I Joind the Army as a
Soldier at Winter hill Near Boston, was Discharged in
Philadelphia on the 31st December following. Dii duty
in the ranks that year and on the 10th of March 1777
I again inlisted for three year and Waited on Colo Newhall
rising two year and after that was Steward to a Com
pany untill my Discharge in 1780, Jany the 17th.
Winter quarters in 1777 was in Albany.
Winter quarters in 1778 was Near West point calld
Soldiers fortune. Lay in tents all winter.
In 1779 quartered at Soldiers fortune again. Lived
in huts of our own Building and discharged on the 17th
of Jany 1780.
The three years Service I was of John Nixon's Brig
ade, Rufus Putnam's regt Capt. Williams Compy — the
[ 182 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
other three regts was Graton's, Thos. Nixons & Aldens
and he was killd by Indins at Cherry Vally, so calld.
I sold 1780 Dollars in two notes of paper money to
Benja. Johnson for 30 Dolls, in silver which I had for
serving in the Revolution about the close of the War.
The names of those who obtained a pension under the
act of 1831.
Harris Chadwell Theop. Bacheller
Calley Newhall John Willis
Josiah Rhodes Saml. Mansfield
James Newhall D. Watts
Timothy Newhall.
The names of those of Lynn Who has and do draw a
pension. Fredk. Breed Ebenzr Richardson
James Nourse Ephrm Bailey
Isaac Organ Lewis Bruce
William Tarbox David Tufts
Amos Blanchard Henry Hallowell
All of us begun under the act of 1818.

[ 183 ]

Biographical Sketches

Aborn, Aaron, — private, son of Ebenezer and Mary (Goodale) Aborn,
was born in Lynnfield, October 1, 1757; married in Danvers, December
31, 1779, by Rev. Benjamin Wadsworth, to Phcebe Pope, of Danvers;
died about 1788. Phcebe Pope married, second, Francis Sheldon, of
Salem, September 20, 1788. Aaron Aborn's name appears on the
muster-roll of Captain Nathaniel Bancroft's minute company which
marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, but he is credited with but
twenty-four miles of travel, which would indicate that he did not reach
the scene of the conflict, probably receiving the alarm too late. He en
listed May 11, 1775, in Captain Gideon Foster's company, Colonel
John Mansfield's regiment, and served two months and twenty-five days.
He again enlisted in Captain John Baker's company in the same regi
ment, and served until January 1, 1776, performing duty during the
siege of Boston. His service being for eight months, he was given a
bounty coat at Winter Hill, October 27, 1775.
Aborn, Ebenezer, — private, son of Ebenezer, was baptized in Lynnfield,
March 22, 1724; married Mary Goodale, of Danvers, November 9, 1752;
died in Lynnfield, March 8, 1792. The wife, Mary, died December
9, 1773, aged forty-four, and he married, second, Catherine Jennessey
(in Lynn records, Katherine Jemmeny), of Salem, December 18, 1777.
He joined the Lynnfield church, of which he became warden in 1772,
on the 20th of July, 1760, being then known as Ebenezer, Jr. His chil
dren were Ebenezer, Aaron, James, and Patty, of which Ebenezer and
Aaron were in the war. He is buried in the old cemetery in Lynnfield
Centre, and a marker and stone were placed at his grave in 1904. Rev
olutionary record: Private, Captain Gideon Foster's company. Colonel
John Mansfield's regiment; enlisted July 22, 1775, and served to Janu
ary 1, 1776; order for a bounty coat at Winter Hill, October 27, 1775;
advance pay at Prospect Hill, Captain John Baker's company, Colonel
John Mansfield's regiment, August 10, 1775.
Aborn, Ebenezer, Jr., — private, son of Ebenezer and Mary Goodale, was
born in Lynnfield, April 16, 1756; married Mehitable Larrabee, born
[185]

Lynn in the Revolution
January 15, 1758, daughter of Ephraim Larrabee, of Danvers, January
3, 1784. The Lynnfield church records give the latter date as Febru
ary 5, 1784. His children were Margaret, Elias, Fanny, Mehitable,
and Ebenezer. At the death of his father, which occurred March 8,
1792, he inherited by will one-half of the homestead, which was situated
on the old road which ran between the railroad and Pilling's Pond, then
called "Stony Brook." He continued to live on this farm until Decem
ber, 1806, when he sold it to Thomas Bancroft and moved to Salem,
March 18, 1807. He purchased property of Samuel Taylor in Salem,
and lived there until July, 1813, when he went to live with his daughter,
Mehitable Aborn Batchelder, at Loudon, X.H. In 1816 they moved
back to Salem and lived on Mill Street until the spring of 1820, when
they moved to a farm at Pickering's Point, nearly opposite the State
Normal School. There he died, July 23, 1837, of apoplexy. He is
buried in the old King Burial Ground, at South Peabody. His wife
died before 1813.
His pension claim states that he enlisted December, 1775, for one
year as a private in Captain Moses Whiting's company, Colonel Grea-
ton's regiment; also as private in Captain Silas Adams's company,
Colonel Titcomb's regiment; service, two months, and 140 miles' travel
allowed to and from place of rendezvous; credited to Danvers; roll
dated June 29, 1777, and endorsed "2 mos. service at R.I."
His name also appears on a descriptive list of the officers and crew
of the ship "Junius Brutus" of Salem, commanded by Captain John
Leach, dated Salem, June 15, 1780; age, twenty-two years; stature
5 ft. 7 in.; complexion, dark.
He was pensioned at the rate of eight dollars per month under the
act of 1818, and was then living in Salem.
Aborn, Moses, — parentage not known, may have been the son of Moses.
of Danvers, and Mary Tarbox, of Lynn, who were published March
7, 1752.
Revolutionary record: Report of men enlisted into the Continental
Army from the 1st Essex County regiment, dated February 16, 1778;
enlistment three years, or during the war; joined Captain Bancroft's
company, Colonel Michael Jackson's regiment; Continental Army pay
accounts for service from May 14, 1777, to August 17, 1777; reported
died August 17, 1777. — Mass. Archives.
[186]

jfefllM^-' "A$SiZ&..r!lx&

THE HENFIELD HOUSE, LYNNFIELD

Lynn in the Revolution
Adams, Benjamin, — the drummer-boy of Captain Nathaniel Bancroft's
Lynnfield company, was the son of Rev. Benjamin and Rebecca (Nich
ols) Adams, and was born in Lynnfield, September 7, 1758. His father
was born in Newbury, Mass., May 8, 1719, graduated at Harvard Col
lege in 1728, and was ordained pastor of the Second Parish Church in
Lynnfield, November 5, 1755. Rev.
*tfl pis e^A Benjamin was the son of Captain Abra-
£? *^^/****^*^*v ham, who was the son of Sergeant
Abraham, who was the son of Robert
and Anne (Longfellow). Benjamin, the drummer-boy of Captain Ban
croft's company, was the second child of Rev. Benjamin, and was only
sixteen years of age when the alarm reached Lynnfield on the morning of
April 19, 1775. Living a short distance from the Ezekiel Gowing Tavern,
from whence the company marched, he was early on the spot after the
exciting news reached the village, and it is said that he beat the long
roll so vigorously that it could be heard a mile, and greatly aided in bring
ing in the members of the little company. It is not known how the
father regarded the action of his patriotic son, but tradition has sug
gested that Parson Adams was not over-friendly to the cause of the
provincials. It is a significant fact that, while Parson Treadwell and
Parson Roby were conspicuous throughout the Revolution, no record
has connected Parson Adams's name with the patriot cause. The
drummer-boy, however, beat the step for his comrades on the way to
the skirmish and returned home with them that night. He lived in
after-years in the old Henfield, or Adams, house, on the road from
Lynnfield Centre to Wakefield. His half-brother, Jonathan, born Feb
ruary 12, 1749, was a soldier from Newbury. Benjamin's mother died
on the 22d of August, 1776, and his father died suddenly in the pulpit
on the 4th of May, 1777. Their graves may still be seen in the old
cemetery at the Centre village.
Benjamin was married March 9, 1788, by Rev. Joseph Mottey, of
Salem, to Lois Orne, and had children, Edward Augustus, Lois Orne,
Delia Augusta, and Benjamin Perkins, all of whom died young. He
began the practice of medicine first at Amherst, N.H., and then re
turned to Lynnfield. He served the town of Lynnfield as clerk of the
parish from 1793 to 1804 and as selectman from 1790 to 1804. Dr.
Adams died in Lynnfield, January 16, 1811, and is buried in the old
[ 187 ]

dwrf^ s4$£+o

Lynn in the Revolution
cemetery at Lynnfield Centre, where a slate stone marks his grave, as
do others those of his children. No record of the death of his wife has
been found.
Adams, Joseph, — parentage unknown, may have been the son of Captain
Nathan and Mary (Trumbull) Adams, born in Charlestown, Octo
ber 2, 1762.
Revolutionary record: Appears on a descriptive list of men in 1780;
age, eighteen; dark complexion; dark hair; dark eyes. Appears on a
return of men raised agreeable to resolve of December 2, 1780; enlisted
July 21, 1781.
Allen, Lemuel, — was a sergeant of the Saugus company. No record has
been found of his birth or parents. He was, however, born prior to
1755. Inasmuch as Allen was not a Lynn name, it is probable that he
was born outside of Lynn and moved here before the Revolution. He
owned and occupied a large farm northwest of the present Cliftondale
station of the Saugus Branch Railroad,
on Essex Street, known in late years
as the George N. Miller place. The
house was burned some years ago.
Lemuel Allen was first married, by Rev. Joseph Roby, to Mrs. Sarah
Viall on November 29, 1771. He married, second, January 30, 1778,
Mary, daughter of Rev. Joseph Roby. Mary Roby was born December
20, 1755. Their only daughter, Rachel, became the wife of Daniel
Hawkes. Mr. Allen, who was called a tanner in 1785, was not prominent
in town affairs, his only service being that of hog reeve in 1766 and 1769
and warden in 1781. Of his Revolutionary service, in addition to that
of April 19, 1775, he was commissioned as lieutenant in Captain John
Poole's 2d company, 1st Essex County regiment, April 26, 1776. It
is doubtful whether he saw active service after the 19th of April.
1775. His will was admitted to probate October 13, 1806, and he is buried
in the old Saugus cemetery, where a marble gravestone and a bronze
marker of the S. A. R. were erected at his grave in 1903.
Alley, Abner, — private, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Newhall) Alley,
was born in Lynn, February 18, 1741. The Alley family, one which
was early allied with the Quaker denomination, was also one of the
earliest upon the town records, and the name is distinctly a Lynn name,
[188]

Lynn in the Revolution
even to-day. Abner Alley was a grandson of Hugh Alley, and great-
grandson of Hugh Alley, the emigrant, who was born in England in
1608, and came to America in 1635 in the "Abigail," and died in Lynn,
November 25, 1673. The emigrant, Hugh, was an extensive land
owner in Lynn and Nahant, and a part of his estate embraced the ter
ritory near the present Market Street, and remained in the family for
at least two hundred years. Solomon Alley, great-uncle of Abner, was
one of Captain Lothrop's company, the flower of Essex, and was
killed in the fight at Bloody Brook, September 18, 1675.
Abner Alley was married May 25, 1762, by Rev. Nathaniel Hench
man, to Sarah Webber, who was probably the daughter of Richard and
Sarah Webber. She was baptized in Marblehead, November 14, 1742.
Like that of many of his townsmen, the only service of Abner Alley
in the Revolution was that of the 19th of April, 1775, when he went with
his company to Menotomy. Although he was a cordwainer, he went to
sea in 1778, and was probably lost in that year, as would appear from a
certificate on file in the probate records at Salem. His estate was ap
praised by Colonel John Flagg and Ephraim Breed, who set off the
widow's dower, according to the custom of the times. In this quaint
document she was given "the two lower rooms in the dwelling house
and half the cellar under said house, with the use of the oven in the
south room for baking, and liberty to pass and repass through the front
door and entry to and from the chambers and cellar, as occasion may
require." She was married, however, on the 29th of November, 1784,
to Jonathan Burt, of Wilmington. Nothing further is known of her.
Abner Alley was cousin to Ephraim, Nathan, and Joseph, who were
also in the Revolution.
Alley, Ephraim, — son of Joseph and Rebecca (Hall) Alley, was born
in 1754 and died May 2, 1821. He married, first, Mehitable Hallowell,
July 23, 1778, and, the latter dying December 10, 1782, he married,
second, Hepzibah Lewis, June 17, 1783. A child by the first wife
was John, and by the second he had Benjamin, Lewis, Nathaniel, Mehit
able, Hepzibah, and Lydia.
Ephraim Alley, brother of Nathan and Joseph, was a cordwainer, and
lived and died in Lynn. He is probably buried in the old Western
Burial Ground, together with at least Hepzibah and Lewis, whose
graves are marked.
[189 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
His name does not appear on the rolls of the companies which went
out on the Lexington alarm, but the Massachusetts Archives give the
following service: —
List of men, who served as privates at Concord battle and elsewhere,
belonging to Lynn, now called Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus; also
matross, Captain Jonathan W. Edes's (4th) company, Colonel Thomas
Craft's (artillery) regiment; enlisted May 20, 1776; discharged August
1, 1776; service, two months, sixteen days.
iEY, James, — son of Solomon4, Benjamin3, Hugh2, Hugh1, who came to
Lynn in 1635, was born in Lynn, May 14, 1745. He was a cordwainer,
lived in Lynn on Market Street, and married Lois Breed, April 25,
1769. His children were Moses Breed, Rebecca, James, and Miriam.
He died October 17, 1823.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Joseph Hiller's company,
Colonel Jonathan Titcomb's regiment; enlisted May 5, 1777; dis
charged July 5, 1777; service, two months, six days, on an alarm at
Rhode Island; roll dated Providence, Rhode Island. — Mass. Ar
chives.
jEY, Joseph, — son of Joseph and Rebecca (Hall) Alley, was born in Lynn
in 1757, and died in Lynn, February 10, 1832, aged seventy-five. He was
brother of Nathan and Ephraim Alley and cousin of James and Abner.
He was of the fourth generation from
Hugh Alley who came to Lynn in the
ship "Abigail" in 1635. Both Joseph
and his brother Nathan were soldiers
of the Revolution. They died within three days of each other,
Joseph's death occurring on the 10th and Nathan's on the 7th of
February, 1832. Both are buried in the old Eastern Ground.
Joseph Alley was married by Rev. John Treadwell, December 13,
1781, to Hannah Batchelder, born September 17, 1759, daughter of
Henry and Jerusha (Breed) Batchelder. Their children were Sally,
Hepzibah, Joseph, Henry, George, and Hannah. He was a stable-
keeper and lived on Market Street, between Liberty and Essex.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Ezra Newhall's company,
which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service seventeen days;
also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment;
order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also muster-
[190 ]

y^/W^

Lynn in the Revolution
roll dated August 1, 1775, enlisted May 3, 1775, service three months,
five days; also company return dated October 6, 1775; also order for
bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Camp at Winter Hill,
November 4, 1775; also matross, Captain John W. Edes's (4th) com
pany, Colonel Thomas Craft's (artillery) regiment; enlisted May 20,
1776; roll made up November 1, 1776.
Sailor, brigantine "Rover," commanded by Captain Adams Well-
man; descriptive list of officers and crew dated June 30, 1780; age,
twenty-two years; stature, 5 ft. 6 in. ; complexion, dark; residence, Lynn.
— Mass. Archives.
Alley, Nathan, — son of Joseph and Rebecca (Hall) Alley, was born
February 29, 1752. He was brother of Joseph and Ephraim Alley,
cousin of James and Abner, and descended from the emigrant ancestor,
Hugh. He married Mary Alley, December 1, 1777, and lived on the
easterly side of Estes Lane, now Union Street. The house, which
was torn down many years ago, was situated between Exchange and
Union Streets, on a hillside which has since been cleared away. His
land extended to and embraced the site of at least a portion of the pres
ent property of the Boston & Maine Railroad. Although he was born
on Market Street, the greater part of his life was spent at the above
place, and it was with the greatest indignation that he heard of the pro
jected railroad. He is said to have shaken his fist and to have de
clared that it should never go through his land, or, if it did, that he
hoped that he should never see the day. It was not, indeed, until
after his death that the land was taken for the new enterprise.
In his early life Mr. Alley was connected with the old First Church,
but when the Methodist preacher, Jesse Lee, came to town, in 1791,
he was one of the first to join the new church, and with his wife re
mained a member for the rest of his life.
A frequent visitor and intimate friend of Mary Alley, his wife, was
Moll Pitcher, and Mrs. Alley related to her grandchildren many tales
of the famous fortune-teller. She always claimed that General Wash
ington came to Lynn to consult '' Aunt Polly, " as she called her, and
even said that at one time a British officer also came and tried to gain
some idea of Washington's intentions, and that the crafty old lady threw
him off the trail. She said that Moll's son was often stationed in the
attic with a heavy chain, which he rattled at intervals, thus producing
[191 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
an excellent effect upon those in the house seeking advice. A sister
of Mary Alley lived on Hanover Street in Boston, and during the siege
furnished the British soldiery with milk.
The children of Nathan and Mary Alley were Nathan, Joseph,
Huldy, Jacob, William, Micajah, Jacob, Timothy, Mary, Solomon,
and Peter. One daughter, Mary, married William Brown, who was a
drummer in the War of 1812, and belonged to a Lynn company who
styled themselves the "Black Ducks."
In personal appearance Nathan Alley was short, somewhat stout,
with face smooth-shaven. In manner and dress he was rather old-
fashioned. On the Friday evening on which he died, his son had ac
companied him to Market Street to the home of his brother Joseph,
who was seriously ill. The son went to church, but called for his father
on his way home. Before Nathan reached home, however, he was
stricken with apoplexy on Union Street. Although he was assisted into
Mr. Johnson's shoe-shop and old Dr. John Lummus called to attend
him, he died almost immediately. The date of his death was February
7, 1832, and that of his brother Joseph three days later. He was
buried in the old Eastern Ground on Union Street, at the top of the
hill, beside his wife who had died six years before.
The Lexington alarm rolls fail to show his name, but a record in the
state archives gives the following: List of men, who served as privates
at Concord battle and elsewhere, belonging to Lynn, Lynnfield, and
Saugus; also matross, Captain Jonathan Edes's company, Colonel
Thomas Craft's (artillery) regiment; abstract for advance pay dated
July 23, 1776; also gunner, Captain Edes's (4th) company, Colonel
Craft's regiment; enlisted May 20, 1776; roll made up November 1,
1776.
Attwill, Nathan, — son of Nathan and Anna (Ramsdell) Attwill, was born
in Lynn, October 16, 1744; married, by Rev. John Treadwell, to Mary
Stone, November 24, 1768. His chil-
A/ A/ A^/A~j ffl ^ren were ^lan", Elizabeth, Anna.
c/y ay/Sktisrt smtnciA* JameS) Nathan, and Charles ffis will;
which was dated May 15, 1804, was
proved October 10, 1804. He was a cordwainer, and brother to "Wil
liam, who was also a cordwainer and a Revolutionary soldier.
Revolutionary record: Sergeant, Captain Rufus Mansfield's com-
[ 192 ]

hi.. .,n|

j
1 1 1 1 1 > 1 1 : . < <

nm

 ii  iii iiiii

THE NATHAN ATTWILL HOUSE, WHITING
STREET, LYNN

Lynn in the Revolution
pany (4th), which marched on the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775;
service, two days. — Mass. Archives.
Attwill, Thomas Hicks, — son of William and Lydia (Hicks) Attwill,
was baptized April 20, 1766; married, by Rev. Obadiah Parsons, Janu-
uary 22, 1788, to Joanna Mansfield, and lived at one time in the old
Johnson house, which stood where the First Methodist Church now
stands. They had one daughter, Joanna, who became the wife of
Christopher Bubier and mother of Samuel M. and Edward T. Bubier.
Samuel M. Bubier became mayor of Lynn. After the Revolution
Thomas Hicks Attwill taught music and travelled through Vermont and
New York. Although he was in Lynn as late as 1798, as would appear
from the ledger of Dr. James Gardner, it is probable that his later years
were not spent here, inasmuch as his relatives lost track of him. His
wife, Joanna, died here, February 24, 1817, at the age of fifty-two years,
and is buried in the old Western Burial Ground.
The Revolutionary rolls give the service of Thomas Hicks Attwill
as fifer in Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel Wade's
Essex County regiment, showing that he enlisted July 12, 1780, when
he was but fourteen years of age. He was discharged October 10,
1780, making his service three months and eleven days.
Attwill, William, — son of Nathan and Anna (Ramsdell) Attwill, was
born in 1730; married Lydia Hicks, of Boston, to whom he was pub
lished April 22, 1753. His wife, who was daughter of Zachariah and
Lydia (Dagget) Hicks, was born in Boston, October 31, 1732, and died
January 8, 1812. Their home was in the oldAttwill house, which stood
upon the Common and which was moved to Whiting Street, where it
still remains. Their children were Lydia, Zachariah, Anna, Mary,
Hannah Hicks, Thomas Hicks, William, Salley, John Dagget, and
Betsey. William Attwill, the father, died November 5, 1806.
Revolutionary record: Private in Captain Daniel Galeucia's com
pany, Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment, and in Cap
tain Eleazer Lindsey's company of the same regiment; enlisted in the
latter company May 20, 1775, service two months and thirteen days;
also in Captain Brown and Devereux's companies, Colonel Jacob
Gerrish's regiment of guards, at Cambridge, enlisted February 3,
1778, service five months, three days; on muster-roll for January,
1778, dated Camp at Winter Hill. — Mass. Archives.
[193]

Lynn in the Revolution
Attwill, Zachariah, — son of William and Lydia (Hicks) Attwill, was
born October 9, 1755; married on the 16th of July, 1778, by Rev. John
Treadwell, to Elizabeth Breed, who was born June 7, 1758, daughter
of Amos and Ruth (Newhall) Breed. Their children were Zachariah,
Amos, Mitcheson, Ruth, George, Betsey, Jesse Lee, Polly, Thomas
Hicks, William Burres, and Lydia.
ff^C 7 ' / /?/'• j They lived "in a certain dwelling with
&S UCTcfi /(CtAc- /%££i--££rj barn and ten poles of land, situate in
Lynn, nigh ye meeting-house, and lately
enjoyed by Edward Howard, the land bounded in every part by ye town
common." This land was deeded to Zachariah May 24, 1784, and he
lived there until appointed keeper of the almshouse in the early part of the
last century. The dwelling was the old house which now stands on Whiting
Street, numbered 35. There is a tradition in the family that in the days
when the king needed more fighting men, and was obliged to resort to
impressment to increase his army, Nathan Attwill, the grandfather of
Zachariah, was washing his hands in the brook which ran past the
above-mentioned house on the Common, when the press-gang came
along. In the fight which followed his arm was broken, but he was
told that, being a strong man, they had rather have him with one good
arm than many another man having two. He was taken away sub
sequently, and never returned. The tradition has come down through
four generations of the family.
The almshouse which Zachariah kept was at the corner of Fayette
and Chestnut Streets, where the East Lynn Odd Fellows' Building now
stands. This he kept for a number of years until the almshouse on
Tower Hill was opened, when he also continued for a time as keeper
there. He died in Lynn, November 6, 1836, at the age of eighty-one
years, in the home of Amos Attwill, a house which was torn down to
make way for the St. Mary's parochial residence. He was buried on
the south side of the old Western Burial Ground, where his grave is
marked by a white stone bearing the inscription, " Mark the perfect man.
and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." His wife.
who is also buried in the old Western Ground, died July 1, 1827.
The Revolutionary record of Zachariah Attwill is as follows: Private,
Captain Rufus Mansfield's (4th) company, which marched on the
alarm of April 19, 1775, service two days; private, Captain Joseph
[194 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Hiller's company, Colonel Jonathan Titcomb's regiment, enlisted July
11, 1777, discharged August 11, 1777, service two months, six days,
on an alarm at Rhode Island; roll dated Camp at Providence.
Reported remained in camp under Lieutenant John Watts.
Bacheller, James, — private, son of Samuel and Hannah (Breed) Bacheller,
was born in Lynn, February 26, 1756. His father was an older brother
of Rupee, Theophilus, and Jonathan Bacheller, all of whom were in
the Revolution. Like most of the young men and boys of the town,
he was enrolled as a minute-man, and went with his company on the
19th of April. He saw no further service. He was married in Lynn,
August 26, 1784, by Rev. Obadiah Parsons, to Elizabeth Perkins, born
November 8, 1761. His home was in a small, two-story house which
stood on the Common, on the site of the David S. Boynton es
tate, at the corner of Hanover Street. In a little shop near by he
carried on the business of shoemaking. He had a class of customers
among the wealthy people of Salem, and made frequent trips there,
accompanied by his apprentice boy, John Lewis Loring, who is still
living (in 1902). Mr. Loring says that the shop of Mr. Bacheller was
the rendezvous of the old veterans who came in to fight their battles
over to the accompaniment of the busy click of the hammer.
The children of James Bacheller were Aaron Newhall, Polly, Samuel,
Betsey, Nathaniel, James, and Sally. Mr. Bacheller took little part
in the affairs of the town, being of a quiet and retiring nature. He
was pensioned under the first act giving pensions to Revolutionary
soldiers at the rate of $1.25 per month. The records of the pension
office were unfortunately burned, and no data of early cases have been
preserved. He died August 31, 1837, and his wife died December 13,
1845. They are interred in the old Western Burial Ground, where a
marble stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed at his
grave in 1904.
Bacheller, Jonathan, — son of Henry and Sarah (Stocker) Bacheller,
was born in Lynn, August 20, 1758. No other record except that of
his Revolutionary service has been found.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Samuel Huse's company.
Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards, enlisted July 13, 1778,
discharged December 14, 1778, service five months, three days; pri
vate, Captain Simeon Brown's company. Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regi-
[195]

Lynn in the Revolution
ment of guards, service from April 2, 1778, to July 3, 1778, three months
and two days; roll dated Camp at Winter Hill; also same company
and regiment, a service from July 2 to July 12, 1778, ten days.
Bacheller, Theophilus, — son of Henry and Sarah (Stocker) Bacheller,
was born June 11, 1751; married, by Rev. Joseph Roby, to Mehitable
Breed, daughter of Josiah and Mary Breed, November ,28, 1781; chil
dren, Josiah, Mehitable, Sarah, Samuel, James, and Samuel. He
was married, second, by Justice Dorman, of Andover, to Zerviah Cornish.
His home was at the corner of South
. , „ j - Street and Market Square, in a house
G&A+.erpfsJTuS' <A5a<AlJuAtrr' which he built and which remained on
the same spot until April, 1903, when
it was moved to the rear of the lot and converted into a tenement house.
The venerable Mr. Benjamin S. Skinner, who remembers Theophilus
Bacheller well, describes him as a small man of very pleasant coun
tenance, whose occupation was that of a cabinet-maker. He was
one of the five remaining members of the old First Church in 1791,
when the Methodists formed the new society. His death occurred in
October, 1833; that of his wife, Mehitable, February 29, 1804, at the
age of forty-seven, and of his second wife, Zerviah, April 11, 1821, at
the age of sixty-three.
Revolutionary record : In his deposition for a pension he says that he
enlisted, February 5, 1776, as private in Captain Edes's company, and
served two months at Prospect Hill and was then discharged. In the
summer of 1776 he served several weeks in Captain Bullard's com
pany, and was serving in Boston under General Ward when he heard the
Declaration of Independence read from the balcony of the Old State
House. On May 6, 1777, he again enlisted as a volunteer in Captain
Joseph Hiller's company, Colonel Jonathan Titcomb's regiment, and
served until July 6 on a campaign to Rhode Island, and was discharged
there. On November 1, 1777, he enlisted as a substitute for one
Breedeen, and was soon appointed as a sergeant-major in Captain Huse's
company, both in Colonel Gerrish's regiment, and served therein at
Cambridge fourteen months till December 28, 1778. He was appointed
lieutenant, November 6, 1778, and during all of said time of sendee he
was employed in guarding the Hessians and British prisoners at Cam
bridge, and remained there for a month after they had gone. Sta-
[196]

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COMMISSION OF THEOPHILUS BACHELLER

Lynn in the Revolution
tioned at Winter Hill, he says that he kept an orderly-book as sergeant-
major, and this was in his possession in 1832. The name of Rufus
Choate appears as a witness for his character in the application made
August 16, 1833. Three commissions are filed, one as second lieuten
ant, from the Council, and two from Colonel Jacob Gerrish, as ser
geant and sergeant-major, dated May 1, 1778, and July 14, 1778.
He was pensioned at $92.25 per year from March 4, 1831. A certi
ficate was issued September 21, 1833, one month before his death.
Bailey, Aaron, — was a tailor, who lived on Boston Street and worked in
the shop owned by Jedediah Newhall. Little is known of him. An
Aaron was married May 26, 1814, to Lucy Barron, and died April 8,
1834. His name appears on a list of men, who served at Concord battle
and elsewhere, belonging to Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus; service,
two days.
Baker, John, — private, thirteenth child of Thomas and Rebecca (Kellse)
Baker, was born in Lynn, May 16, 1753. He was descended from
John Baker, who was in Lynn as early as 1642. After the 19th of April,
1775, he returned to Lynn, and enlisted on the 6th of May in the
company of Captain Ezra Newhall, then forming for service in the new
army. He was present at the evacuation of Boston, and later marched
with his regiment to New York, where he participated in the battles
of Fort Washington and Fort Lee. His regiment afterward retreated
across New Jersey with Washington, and was in the battle of Trenton.
All trace of Private Baker is lost at this point, and it is possible that he
died in the service.
Ballard, Joseph, — son of Ebenezer Ballard, of Lynn, was born in 1746;
married November 27, 1767, to Mary Norwood; probably had no chil
dren. He died May 31, 1796, and is buried in the old Western Burial
e-s^- Ground beside his wife, who died Au-
/fiy^vfl^^^dh** gUst ~5' 1801' The followinS inscrip
tion is on his gravestone: "Who in
the meridian of his years endeared him
self to society by that general deportment which characterize the
good citizen." He was on the Committee of Correspondence, Inspec
tion, and Safety in 1778, and the Massachusetts Archives also give the
following service : First lieutenant, Captain Rufus Mansfield's 4th com
pany, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, two days.
[197 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Bancroft, Esau, — seaman, ship " Pilgrim," commanded by Captain Joseph
Robinson; descriptive list of officers and crew dated August 2, 1780;
age, twelve years ; stature, 4 ft. 6 in. ; complexion, black; residence, Lynn.
Bancroft, James, — son of John and Ruth (Newhall) Bancroft, was born
in Lynnfield, March 21, 1732; was grandson of Thomas Bancroft, the
emigrant ancestor, and nephew of Captain Nathaniel Bancroft. He
was married in Reading, November 25, 1755, to Esther Smith, of
Reading, and lived in Lynnfield Centre, in the house known as the
" Bancroft House." He was a tithing-man in 1757 and a warden in
1774, also serving as clerk of the parish in 1779-80. He was at the
time of the Revolution a slaveholder, for on August 23, 1772, he, as
master, offered for baptism " Essex," a negro.
The Revolutionary record is given as follows : Private, Captain Na
thaniel Bancroft's company, which marched on the alarm of April 19,
1775; service, two days.
The following service also probably belongs to this man: Lieuten
ant in Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, commissioned June 7,
1775; also Captain Gideon Foster's company, Colonel Mansfield's
regiment; receipt for wages dated Cambridge, June 26, 1775; also
receipt for advance pay dated Cambridge, July 4, 1775; also muster-
roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 6, 1775; service, three months,
two days; also Captain John Baker's company, Colonel Mansfield's
regiment; company return (probably October, 1775); also Captain
Baker's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment; order for
bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Camp at Winter Hill,
December 25, 1775; return of men enlisted in Continental Army
from 1st Essex County regiment dated February 16, 1778; joined
Captain James Bancroft's company, Colonel Michael Jackson's regi
ment; enlistment three years or during the war; also ensign, Colonel
Jackson's regiment; list of officers dated West Point, November 8, 1779;
also list of officers promoted in the Continental Army; commissioned
July 4, 1780, also Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan
uary, 1, 1780, to December 31, 1780; reported served four months,
twenty days as ensign, seven months, ten days as lieutenant; also re
ported as agent of the 8th regiment; also lieutenant in Colonel Ezra
Bedlam's (8th) regiment; list of officers dated Phillipsburgh, July 18,
1782; enlisted May 12, 1780.— Mass. Archives.
[198]

Lynn in the Revolution
The death of Lieutenant James Bancroft occurred August 22, 1814,
and that of his wife on March 25, 1814. Both are buried in the old
ground at Lynnfield Centre, and a bronze marker of the S. A. R. was
placed at his grave in 1904.
Bancroft, James. — There is some doubt in regard to the identity of the
James Bancroft who was a member of Captain Ezra Newhall's com
pany on the 19th of April. As nearly as can be ascertained, he was
a son of James and Esther (Smith)
0 //ty ^?D^Stf* Bancroft, and was baptized in Lynn

field, January 2, 1757. He was married

to Sarah Parsons, of Leicester, Mass.
Served through the war, being discharged in 1783. At the time of
his death in April, 1803, he was an inspector in the Boston Custom
House. The military record of James Bancroft, as it appears on the
Massachusetts rolls, is as follows : —
Private, Captain Ezra Newhall's company, which marched on the
alarm of April 19, 1775; service, fifteen days.
Sergeant, Colonel Michael Jackson's regiment; Continental pay
accounts for service from March 21, 1777, to October 6, 1777; reported
promoted to ensign; also ensign; Continental pay accounts for service
from October 7, 1777, to December 31, 1779; also sergeant, Captain
James Bancroft's company, Colonel Jackson's regiment; return dated
April 9, 1779.
Bancroft, Job, — son of John and Eve Bancroft, brother of John and half-
brother of Lieutenant James, was born in Lynnfield, April 7, 1754;
married Sarah Upton, of North Reading, January 10, 1782, and lived
in 1789 and 1797 in Salem. He died, July 7, 1802, at the age of forty-
eight. He is buried in the old Hill Cemetery, near the old State Normal
School, in Salem. By occupation he was a housewright.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Miles Greenwood's com
pany, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards, enlisted November
11, 1777; roll made up to February 2, 1778; service, two months, twenty-
two days; also pay-roll for service from February 3, 1778, to April 3,
1778, two months, one day; roll dated Camp at Winter Hill; also pri
vate, Captain John Flint's company. Colonel David Green's regiment,
which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service two days; also
Captain Asa Prince's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment;
[199]

Lynn in the Revolution
order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also muster-
roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 8, 1775; service, three months;
reported enlisted from the Second Parish in Reading; also company
return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain Prince's company, Lieu
tenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson's (19th) regiment; order for bounty
coat or its equivalent in money dated December 21, 1775. — Mass. Rolls.
Bancroft, John, — son of John and Eve Bancroft, was born in Lynn, October
21, 1749. He was a housewright, and lived in Reading and Lynnfield.
He was married by Rev. Benjamin Adams, October 24, 1768, to Mary
Walton, daughter of Jacob and Eunice (Hawkes) Walton, of Reading;
children, John, Mary, Eunice, Nathaniel, Betty, Jacob, and Rhoda.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Enoch Putnam's company,
Colonel John Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated
Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also private, muster-roll dated August 1, 1775;
enlisted May 12, 1775; service, two months, fifteen days; also company
return dated October 6, 1775; reported enlisted in the train July 19,
1775; also Captain Putnam's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's
regiment; order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter
Hill, October 27, 1775; also matross, Lieutenant William Perkins's
company, Colonel Richard Gridley's (artillery) regiment; company
returns (probably October, 1775) ; also order for bounty coat or its
equivalent in money dated November 6, 1775.
Bancroft, John. — Little has been found concerning this man except that
he was born in Lunenberg, Mass., November 14, 1753, and came to
Lynnfield in 1756, and lived with his uncle, to whom he was later bound
out. He was married June 20, 1776, to Mrs. Mary Newhall. He was
a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company, which marched on the
/alarm of April 19, 1775, service fifteen
days; also in Captain Ezra Newhall's
company, Colonel John Mansfield's
regiment; order for advance pay dated
Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also private, muster-roll dated August 1, 1775;
enlisted May 4, 1775, service three months, four days; also private and
corporal; company returns dated October 6, 1775; also Captain New
hall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment (19th); order for
bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, November 4.
1775. — Mass. Archives.
[ 200 ]

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COMMISSION OF CAPTAIN NATHANIEL BANCEOFT

Lynn in the Revolution

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Bancroft, Nathaniel, — captain of the Lynnfield company, April 19, 1775,
was the son of Deacon John and Mary (Mansfield) Bancroft, and was
born in Lynnfield, October 22, 1725.
was grandson of Ensign John and
Elizabeth (Eaton) Bancroft, and great-
grandson of Lieutenant Thomas Ban
croft, who came to Dedham, Mass., in 1647. In 1655 Lieutenant
Thomas hired a part of Samuel Bennett's five-hundred-acre lot at Saugus,
and in 1670 bought sixty acres at Beaver Dam, Lynnfield.
Inasmuch as the name Bancroft is one of the most prominent in
the Lynnfield records, it may not be out of place here to enter into a
description of the home of Thomas, the ancestor of Captain Nathaniel.
Mrs. Mary A. Parsons, of Lynnfield, whose knowledge of the old Sec
ond Parish is very valuable, says: "In 1678 Elizur Holyoke sold James
Russell, of Charlestown, a farm near 'Reding,' of some 550 acres, 'which
lands were partly granted and partly purchased by my honored grand
father, Mr. Edward Holyoke, of Lynn.' The land had been im
proved by Thomas Bancroft, and in the deed of sale exception is made
of a small piece 'about an acre and a half which the sd. Bancroft hath
built upon and fenced in from sd. farm.' It is further described in a
document conveying it to Thomas Bancroft as a 'parcell of land in
Linn, neare Beaver dam at ye east corner of my farme lately sold James
Russell of Charlestown.' The boundaries of the Holyoke land can
be so traced as to leave no doubt that the east corner of the farm
corresponds with the site of the ancient Bancroft house in Lynnfield,
illustrated herewith. In this connection it is interesting to add that
in one of the old genealogies of the Bancroft family it is stated that
Thomas Bancroft settled in Lynnfield (so called) near where the meet
ing-house now stands." This of course refers to the old church erected
in 1714. August 19, 1691, the immigrant, Thomas Bancroft, then
styled Lieutenant, died, and in the following autumn his estate was
divided. The homestead, including house and land, fell to the youngest
son, Ebenezer. The property remained in this line until the spring of
1895, when the house and three acres of land were sold. In the year
following the house was torn down. Mr. Ebenezer Parsons, of Lynn
field, the last occupant, is of the seventh generation from Lieutenant
Thomas, the line being, Lieutenant Thomas1, Captain Ebenezer2, Cap-
[201 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
tain Ebenezer3, Lois (Bancroft) Parsons4, Ebenezer Parsons0, Ebenezer
Parsons6, Ebenezer Parsons7. Mr. Parsons easily remembers his grand
father, -the Revolutionary soldier whose maternal grandfather, Captain
Ebenezer Bancroft, was grandson of Lieutenant Thomas. The occu
pancy of the premises for generations by descendants of Lieutenant
Thomas explains the present possession of many relics of the past by
the living representatives of the family.
As to the house itself, it was originally built with a simple gambrel
roof, the extension shown in the illustration being probably less than
one hundred years old. Though there are traditions relative to in
ternal changes, such as of certain rooms having been finished off later
than others and of the big fireplaces giving way to smaller ones, there
is yet not the faintest suggestion that the owner sought to improve
away the house in favor of a new one. As to the style of architecture,
in determining the age of the building, it may be said that the gambrel
roof is likely to be of a date ranging from about 1692 to 1745, although
a tradition says that the gambrel roof on the "Witch House" at Salem
was put on before 1668.
The first entry in the Lynn Precinct Book mentions a meeting in the
old house, as follows : — "Lyn, Janewary 16 1711.
then ye inhabitens of Lyn farms so calld on ye north sid of ye heyway yt leads
from Reding to Salem having had information yt part of our inhabitans are by
part of Reding drawn in a petision with them for the binding of a meeting
hous we then met together at ye house of capt. bancroft and agreed on a plas
for seting a meeting hous."
The captain mentioned was Captain Ebenezer, son of Lieutenant
Thomas, the immigrant. Another entry reads: —
"Lyn, Jne 8, 1713 then the Inhabitants of Lynn on the north side of Salem
road met at the hous of capt. Bancroft and Agreed by vote to petition the
generall Cort forapresenct."
Thus it will be seen that the house began early to be connected with
the theological and political history of the "farms." At a later dav,
when it was the " Sun Tavern," its walls echoed with the deliberations
of the town fathers, and there was an apartment in it known as the
"Selectmen's room," which contained a mahogany table from which
they dined on election day.
[ 202 ]

THE NATHANIEL BANCROFT HOUSE, LYNNFIELD

Lynn in the Revolution
Although the first Ebenezer Parsons was only fourteen years and
four months old when independence was declared, he went forth again
and again to fight for his country. Of his grandmother, "relict" of
the second Captain Ebenezer Bancroft, the quaint church record made
by her minister, Rev. Mr. Adams, reads : " Thus died that Godly
woman." Long after the Revolution, during the war of the sects, Mr. Parsons
gave land for a Methodist church building, and many an argument
on free grace versus predestination was heard in the Bancroft house,
and there was bitter grief when the little church, after a few prosperous
years, went down. Few other houses in Lynn farms or even Lynn
could tell so much, if spoken words could be reflected from their ancient
walls. Yet the time came in the course of the march of progress when
this house was felt to be in the way, for it came so close to the road,
when the latter was straightened, that it seemed out of gear with its
surroundings, and, since it had not been kept in good repair for some
time, it was better perhaps that it should be taken down and allowed
to sleep with its fathers of the wilderness, from whence came its big
oak beams and rafters.
It is not certain whether or not Captain Nathaniel Bancroft was
born in the old Bancroft house. His first dwelling of which we have
knowledge was the old house in which he lived after his marriage on
the 18th of May, 1749, to Mary Taylor, of Sudbury, Mass. This house
stood near the one now occupied by Mr. John M. Danforth. It was
demolished years ago, and he later built the large house now occupied
by Mr. Danforth, who is his great-grandson. The children of Nathaniel
Bancroft were Nathaniel, Thayer, Hannah, Nathaniel, Bridget, Mary.
and Thomas. He early became prominent in military and town affairs.
On February 7, 1767, he was commissioned captain of the military
company of foot, of Lynn, in the regiment of militia in the county of
Essex, Benjamin Pickman colonel. The commission issued by the
royal governor, Francis Bernard, and countersigned by Andrew Oliver,
of Stamp Act notoriety, is a venerable relic, which through the cour
tesy of his great-grandson, John M. Danforth, of Lynnfield, is repro
duced herewith. The town records show the fact that he was tithing-
man in 1757, 1758, 1762, 1764, 1771, and 1773; warden in 1763; se
lectman 1769, 1770; treasurer of the parish 1765, 1774, 1776 to 1781,
[ 203 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
1783, 1785, 1786, and 1787. He was chosen a deacon of the Second
Parish Church, May 31, 1763, which office he held until his death.
During the fall preceding the Revolution he again became interested
in military affairs, and was made lieutenant of the Lynnfield company of
minute-men. Soon after he was given his old position as captain.
On the morning of the 19th of April he mustered his company, and,
although fifty years of age, marched with his men to Menotomy, the
circumstances of which are related in the Lexington chapter of this
book. On May 8, 1775, he was elected a delegate to the Provincial
Congress, but declined to accept. In 1781 and 1782 he was a member
of the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety for the
town, and did patriotic service in that connection. He was at all times
prominent in the consideration of town and religious matters, and was
highly esteemed for his integrity and steadfastness of character. Deacon
Nathaniel Bancroft died June 26, 1810, at the age of eighty-five. His
wife, Mary, died October 5, 1815, at the age of ninety. Both are buried
in the old cemetery at Lynnfield Centre, just opposite the church where
for fifty years he was an honored figure. Their graves are suitably
marked, and his stone bears the inscription: "He served his generation
by the will of God and was laid with his fathers." The Essex Gazette,
of contemporary date, in commenting upon his death, said, " He was a
gentleman who in private and public life sustained a character of dis
tinguished excellence."
Bassett, William, — not strictly a Lynn man.
Revolutionary record: Return of men enlisted into the Continental
Army from 1st Essex County regiment dated February 16, 1778; resi
dence, Boston; enlisted for town of Lynn; joined Captain Allen's
company, Colonel Crane's regiment; enlistment for three years or for
the war. — Mass. Archives.
Bates, Samuel. — Descriptive list of men raised to reinforce the Continental
Army for the term of six months, agreeable to resolve of June 5, 1780;
age, twenty-four years; stature, 5 ft. 6 in.; complexion, ruddy; resi
dence, Lynn; arrived at Springfield July 17, 1780, under command of
Captain Abner Howard; also pay-roll for six months' men raised by
town of Lynn for service in the Continental Army during 1780; marched
June 27, 1780; discharged January 13, 1781; service, six months,
twenty-nine days. [ 204 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Batts, John, — sergeant in Captain Ezra Newhall's company on April 19,
1775, came to Lynnfield from Maiden. He was warned out of Lynn,
December 18, 1765, with his wife, Hannah, and children, John and Ruth,
they having come in October of that year. The wife Hannah, who is
mentioned in the old record, was Hannah Brown, to whom he was mar
ried in Maiden, published August 30,
l? / ^2 j/f  1761, by Rev. J. Emerson. She died in
^(J AlTl' SD&SlstA, 1777j and he married; second) Rebecca
Lock, of Cambridge, May 10, 1778,
Rev. Mr. Roby performing the ceremony. John Batts had a large
family of children, and occupied during the later years of his life the
house on Lincoln Street in Saugus, known during the Revolution as

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the Thomas Stocker place. His son William became somewhat noted
in the privateering business during the War of 1812, and, being under
age at the time, the prize money which was his portion came to
the father. The daughter Hannah married Lewis Bruce, a soldier
of the Revolution. The date of the death of John Batts is unknown.
The pension records give the fact of a pension having been granted
his widow, Rebecca, August 28, 1832, at which time she was eighty-two
years of age. The amount which she received was $87.66 a year up
to the time of her death, March 4, 1841.
Besides acting as sergeant in Captain Ezra Newhall's company of
minute-men, serving twenty-one days, John Batts enlisted in Captain
[ 205 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Joseph Stocker's company, Colonel Wade's regiment, and went to
Ticonderoga as a lieutenant, serving three months. He returned home
by way of Worcester with the invalids. November 11, 1777, he en
listed in Captain Miles Greenwood's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's
regiment of guards at Winter Hill, and served there until February 2,
1778. It is said that while at Ticonderoga he took the place for some
time of one of the engineers who was sick. He was also at West
Point at the time of Arnold's treason, and may have seen other service.
Belknap, Abel, — son of William and Hannah (Flagg) Belknap, was born
in Woburn, May 24, 1754; married September 27, 1774, by Rev. John
Treadwell, to Bethia Newhall, daughter of Andrew and Susanna (Brown)
Newhall, born in Lynn, August 8, 1755. Her sisters married Theoph
ilus Farrington and Isaac Organ, Revolutionary soldiers. June 11,
1796, Abel and Bethia Belknap conveyed land in Lynn, they being
then of "Germaine Flats." It is probable that he removed to Cana-
joharie township, Montgomery County, N.Y., about 1790, inasmuch
as his name is given among heads of families of that place in that
year. From thence he removed to Germaine Flats in the neighboring
Herkimer County, and from thence, about the year 1812, to Chili or
Rega, now known as Chili Station, nine miles from Rochester. At
the latter place he seems to have been the prime mover in organizing
a Presbyterian church, and the session records show that he and his
wife and two children became identified with that church by letter.
The names of his children are given in the following order: Abel,
Hannah, Susannah, Polly, Sally, Elizabeth, Clarinda, and a son John,
mentioned at the conclusion of his will as having had his share.
Abel Belknap and his wife, Bethia, died at Chili Station, where both
are buried. Abel's death occurred April 3, 1838, and Bethia's October
26, 1833. Through the courtesy of Mr. H. E. V. Porter, of Jamestown,
N.Y., a descendant of Abel Belknap, we are able to give some facts
concerning his death. Mr. Porter recently visited Mrs. George Bald
win, an old lady of some eighty years of age, still living at Chili Station,
whose husband was the grandson of Abel Belknap. She remembers
the latter well, having known him when she was a child, and she dis
tinctly remembers having heard him many times speak of his experi
ences as a soldier. Of his death, which was the result of an accident,
she went on to say that he was very hard of hearing as a result of his
[ 206 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
service in the Revolution, and on account of this he stepped in front
of a horse driven by a reckless rider, and thus received injuries which
caused his death.
The following is his Revolutionary record : Private, list of men, who
served at Concord battle and elsewhere, belonging to Lynn, Lynnfield,
and Saugus; also Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel John
Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June
8, 1775; also company return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain
Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment; order for
bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, Novem
ber 4, 1775; list of men taken from the orderly-book of Colonel Israel
Hutchinson of the 27th regiment, dated Fort Lee, November 16,
1776; reported taken prisoner at Fort Washington; served in Captain
Newhall's company. — Mass. Rolls.
Bent, Timothy, — son of Hopestill and Beulah (Rice) Bent, was born in
Sudbury, Mass., March 24, 1747.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain John Williams's company,
Colonel Rufus Putnam's (4th) regiment; muster return dated Albany,
February 9, 1778; residence, Lynn; enlisted from the town of Lynn;
mustered by John Cushing, Esq., reported deceased. — Mass. Rolls.
Berry, James, — supposed to be the James who was married to Mary
Stocker, November 29, 1764, by Rev. Joseph Roby.
Revolutionary record: Second lieutenant, Captain Zadock Buffinton's
company, Colonel Johnson's regiment; enlisted August 12, 1777; dis
charged November 30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, three months,
nineteen days. — Mass. Roll.
Berry, John, — was probably born about 1742. He married Rachel,
daughter of John and Ruth (Bancroft) Berry, about 1770. His chil
dren were Sarah, Rachel, Joseph, Lucy, and John. He and his wife
(who was a sister of James, Job, and John, and niece of Captain Na
thaniel Bancroft) owned the covenant at Lynnfield, December 22,
1771. That he was a blacksmith is proved by an order given by the
parish, November 23, 1770, for hinges for the church, and later for re
pairs. He was paid for "mending the parsonage fences" in 1770,
and for "taking care of the meeting-house" in 1774. Little is known
of him, except that he was with his company on the 19th of April, and
was one of those who that night helped to bring home the body of his
[ 207 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
neighbor, Daniel Townsend. He died soon after the war, and was buried
in the old ground at Lynnfield Centre. A marble stone and bronze
marker of the S. A. R. were placed at his grave in 1904.
Berry, Samuel, — a Samuel and wife, Mary, with children, Thomas,
Hannah, and Mary, were warned out of town in 1771. They were
from Woburn, and he is probably the Samuel whose Revolutionary rec
ord was as follows: Fifer, Captain Ezra Newhall's company, which
marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, fourteen days; also
Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's regiment; order
for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also muster-roll
dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 2, 1775; service, three months
six days; also company return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain
Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's (19th) regiment;
order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Camp at Winter
Hill, November 4, 1775. — Mass. Archives.
Berry, Thomas, — son of Thomas and Rebecca (Ballard) Berry, was born
in Saugus, May 30, 1734, and probably descended from Thaddeus,
who came from Ireland and was in Lynn in 1665. It is also probable
that he is identical with the Thomas Berry who appears on the rolls as
drummer, and also with the Thomas Barry who was the drummer in
Captain David Parker's Saugus company, on the 19th of April, 1775.
The name "Barry" does not appear on the Saugus church records, but
"Berry" does, and it is safe to assume that the names are one. After
the engagement of April 19, Thomas Berry enlisted in Captain Ezra
Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment, and received
advance pay at Cambridge, June 8, 1775. He was within sight of the
battle of Bunker Hill with his company on the 17th of June, 1775, and
on the 4th of November he received an order for a bounty coat or its
equivalent in money, and was in camp at Winter Hill during the fol
lowing winter. In the spring of 1777 the advance of General Bur
goyne occasioned a demand for men, and the town voted to give each
man who should enlist for three years the sum of £14, and an additional
bounty of £10 if he should serve until the end of the following Novem
ber. Mr. Berry enlisted March 9, 1777, as a drummer, and marched
with a considerable number of men to Peekskill, N.Y., where he was
assigned to Captain John Williams's company, Colonel Rufus Putnam's
5th Massachusetts regiment. Here he served in the Burgoyne cam-
[208]

Lynn in the Revolution
paign, and was in the engagements at Stillwater and Saratoga. At the
surrender of the British general his drum was one of those which beat
the march while the lines of the enemy filed by to stack their arms.
His name appears on the Continental Army pay accounts for service
to December 31, 1779, and on various muster-rolls, dated at Albany, as
late as March 11, 1780, at which time his enlistment expired. He was
then honorably discharged.
The will of a Thomas Berry is on file at the Probate Court at Salem,
and was placed there May 2, 1781. It is not unlikely that it belonged
to this man. In it his wife Mary was made executrix, and his son
James is mentioned. He describes himself as a cordwainer. The in
ventory is interesting as showing the great depreciation of the Conti
nental currency at that time. The estate was appraised at £3,115.
This sum was reduced by the scale of depreciation to silver money to
the amount of £4 5s. 2d. Among other things mentioned are "one
pair silk hose, £60, one beaver hat, £150, two coats and one jacket,
£250, two gallons of rum, £40."
Thomas Berry is undoubtedly buried in the old Western Burial
Ground in an unmarked grave, possibly near that of his son James,
which is at the left of the entrance.
Beetle, Edward, — pay-roll for six months' men raised by the town of
Lynn for service in the Continental Army in 1780 (service not given).
Reported deserted. — Mass. Archives.
Blanchard, Amos, — was not accredited to the town of Lynn during the war,
but lived here at its close. He was a pensioner in 1840, and died May
25, 1842, aged seventy-six. He was
one of the very last of the old Revolu-
^fWh^ iyffte(AUrt7/?i'l7(/Wtls>/ tionary heroes to die, and was buried in
an unmarked grave in the old West
ern Burial Ground. He was one of the four prominent survivors of
the war who took part in the celebration of the 4th of July, 1825.
The old "Merry House," so called, was on the northerly side of
Boston Street, near Grove. Master Amos Blanchard lived there, and
taught the little school at the western end of the Common. He was
a musician in the Revolutionary War. From 1811 to 1824 he led the
singing in the Old Tunnel Meeting-House, and played the bass-viol
in the church for many years.
[209 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Blanchard, John, — son of Ebenezer and Mary (Ramsdell) Blanchard,
was born October 25, 1753.
Revolutionary record : In Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel
Asa Whetcomb's regiment; order for pay for service for one month
dated Cambridge, June 10, 1775; also private, Captain Newhall's
company, Colonel Mansfield's regiment; muster-roll dated August 1,
1775; enlisted June 20, 1775; service, one month, fourteen days;
also company return dated October 6, 1775; also Captain Newhall's
company, Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment; order for bounty coat
or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. —
Mass. Archives.
Boardman, Aaron, — son of William and Abiah Boardman, was born in
Saugus, March 14, 1724; married September 26, 1754, to Mary, daughter
of Thomas and Eunice (Ivory) Cheever,
/ yn ( f born May 4, 1732. His children were
rApVfAK UdtfiyrVrtUll Aaron, Mary, Rhoda, Lydia, and Hul-
dah, and possibly others. His Revolu
tionary service was confined to that in Captain David Parker's com
pany, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775. He died Novem
ber 11, 1799, and is buried in the old burial-ground at Saugus Centre.
His grave is marked by a tall slate stone and a bronze marker of the
S. A. R. which was placed there in 1903.
Boardman, Amos, — lieutenant, son of Amos and Elizabeth (Smith) Board-
man, was born in the Abijah Boardman house in Chelsea, now in Saugus,
May 15, 1755. He was fourth in descent from Amos Boardman, of
Cambridge, who settled there in 1636, and who died there in 1685, aged
seventy-one, the ancestor of all of his name in Saugus. Lieutenant Amos
Boardman responded to the Lexington
f y^trjrZM /ytyfTuAy/Liyyt- alarm as a private in the company of
^ — - " Captain David Parker, of Saugus.
At this time he was living with Adam
Hawkes. Ten days after the battle of Lexington, with his brother
Benjamin, he enlisted as a private in Captain John Bacheller's com
pany, Colonel Ebenezer Bridge's regiment, and received advance
pay for his services at Cambridge, June 6. His company was in
the battle of Bunker Hill during the latter part of the contest. At
the conclusion of the battle he went into camp at Cambridge, where he
[210 ]

THE abijah boardman housu, saugus

Lynn in the Revolution

did duty until he was discharged, January 1, 1776. He at once re-
enlisted as a private in Captain Edward Burbeck's company, in Colonel
Henry Knox's regiment of artillery, and was made lieutenant. In
April, his captain being absent, the company was placed under his com
mand, and he marched with it to New York, and was at White Plains
and other places in the vicinity during the year. On the expiration of
his service, January 1, 1777, General Washington personally requested
him to remain six weeks longer, which he did, and was then discharged.
He again enlisted, August 20, 1777, as a private in Captain Joseph
Fuller's company, Colonel Samuel Bullard's regiment, and marched to
intercept Burgoyne. He was in the battles of September 19 and Octo
ber 7, preceding the surrender of the British army, and was present at
the capitulation. Afterward he was detailed to assist in guarding the
captured army on its march to Cambridge, where he wTas discharged,
November 29, 1777, after a service of three months and twenty-two
days. December 1, 1777, he again enlisted for three months in Captain
James Furnevall's company, Major Stevens's battalion of artillery.
His next enlistment was February 12, 1779, as sergeant in Captain
Nathan Sargent's company of guards, and he did duty in and about
Boston under Major-General Gates until May 12, 1779, when he was
finally discharged from the Continental service.
After the outbreak of the war he removed to South Reading, now
Wakefield. He was married November 30, 1779, by Rev. Mr. Cummings,
to Mary Lewis, of Billerica, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Brown)
Lewis, born January 19, 1755. For the remainder of his life he lived
in South Reading, and there his children, Amos, Mary, Sarah, and
Rebecca, were born. During his latter years he was severely afflicted
with rheumatism, and, being in need, he was granted a pension of eight
dollars a month under the act of 1818, the same taking effect July 10,
1819. This small stipend he enjoyed for only nine months, when his
name was stricken from the rolls. This was occasioned by the rapidly
growing list of pensioners and the fear that the country would become
financially embarrassed. The name of every man who had the slightest
visible means of support was taken from the pension list, and Mr. Board-
man was among that number. He died in Wakefield, August 12, 1823,
aged sixty-eight years. In 1843 his widow was granted a pension, under
the act of 1838, of $66.67 per year. She lived but a short time, however,
[211 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
for her death occurred in Wakefield, September 3, 1844, at the age
of eighty-nine. Both are buried in the old burial-ground at Wakefield,
where slate stones mark their graves. From the History of Reading
the following notice is taken : —
" Col. Amos Boardman (he having attained that title in the militia
after the war), was a notable man of commanding and portly personal
appearance. Active, energetic, public-spirited, and patriotic, he exercised
much influence in his day and generation. He was full of military
ardor, and never felt better than when at the head of his regiment. He
was a warm and zealous friend of education and the common schools,
over which he long had official supervision. His earnest and stirring
addresses to the scholars, when he made official visits, will be long re
membered. He was profuse in his commendations and inspiring in
his portrayal of what the pupils might become by good behavior and
faithful study. 'In fact,' he would say, 'by so doing you may be sure
to rise in the world; true you may not all become colonel, as I am, though
some of you may, and generals, governors, presidents, too, but you may
all get to be somebodies, captains, sergeants, corporals, at least.'
"He changed his religious sentiments in later life from strict orthodox
to Universalist, and was one of the founders of the society in South
Reading."
Boardman, Ivory, — the "Iveny" Boardman of the muster-roll of Captain
Parker's company, — was son of John and Eunice (Cheever) Boardman,
and born in Saugus, August 5, 1749. He lived in Boardman's End,
or the Oaklandvale of to-day, in an old house still standing and known
as the "Ivory Boardman place," and later as the "Joseph Cheever
place." He was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, January 30, 1774, to Mary
Jenks, daughter of Nathan and Abigail (Wait) Jenks, born August
18, 1746. His sister, Lois, married Benjamin Goldthwaite who served
in the same company. Mr. Boardman was with his neighbors when
they marched to meet the British on April 19, 1775, but saw no further
service. He returned home to cultivate his farm on the borders of
Lynn. His children were Ivory, born just after the battle of Bunker
Hill, Abijah, Sarah, Nathan Jenks, John, Joseph and Benjamin, the
two latter being twins. His will was probated October 21, 1807, in
which he designated himself as a cordwainer and yeoman. His brother-
in-law, Benjamin Goldthwaite, was called upon to settle his estate, which
[ 212 ]

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the ivory boardman house, saugus

Lynn in the Revolution
had dwindled greatly. He is buried in the old ground at Saugus Centre,
where a marble gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were
placed at his grave in 1903.
Boardman, John, — probably Jonathan, eldest son of Samuel Boardman,
was born about 1753 in Saugus. He was with his father on the 19th
of April, and his name follows that of his father on the muster-roll of
Captain Parker's company. Tradition says that later, while ploughing
in the field one day, he was impressed into the Continental Army. It
was at a time when men were scarce and the need great, and he had
barely time to tell his brother William to bid his mother good-bye,
when he was hurried off. He entered the service in some unknown
company, was captured by the British and taken on board the infa
mous Jersey prison-ship. Here he suffered all the horrors of that ter
rible place, and was finally poisoned by means of liquor given to him
under the pretence of kindness. A letter from him, written to his
parents in 1783, will prove of great interest. The original is carefully
preserved in the family of his descendants. "November 15, 1783.
Jersey Prison Ship New Yorke
Dear Father and Mother This Being the Ferst Oppertunity I have hade to
Lett you know That I unfortunly was Taken and Brought Into New York
whear I am Now Remaining And Just Come out of the Small Pox Butt have
gott Hartey and well of them And Hoping that you all Injoy the Blesing of
Helth. I wolde Be Glad if You wold Try and gett Man for to Be Exchangd for
me or I Shall Suffer hear This Winter For the yousidg is verey Hard And
Wolde Be Glad if you wold do all Lays in your Powr as Quick as Posable.
Pleas to Lett John Cheavers Parance Know That he Died with the Small Pox
the 11 Day of November No More At Presant But Remain your Loving son
Jonathan Borman
Remember me to all Enquiring Frends."
Addressed, "Mr. Samuel Borman,
Living In Linn,
Newels Tavern."
His grave is probably on the shores of Long Island, where so many
Revolutionary soldiers were buried who were taken from the floating
hulks in New York Harbor.
[213 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Boardman, Samuel, — son of William and Abiah, was born in Saugus,
July 27, 1731. His home was in the ancient house opposite the fork
of the Wakefield and Melrose roads. This house, one of the oldest
in Essex County, was built two years after the Abijah Boardman house,
and is still doing good service. It is surrounded by good intervale lands
and is in a pleasant location. At the time of the Revolution the road
swept around to the south and was narrow and inconvenient. This was
remedied in 1818 by the construction of a new road across the meadow.
Samuel Boardman was married in Maiden, December 5, 1760, by
Rev. J. Emerson, to Abigail Grover, daughter of John and Abigail
(Taylor) Grover, born September 4, 1739. He served with credit in
the French and Indian War, and was with General Wolfe on the Plains
of Abraham. In 1768 he was chosen warden of the town, and served
as tithing-man in 1776 and 1778, that office then being an elective one.
He was with his company on the 19th of April, together with his
brother Aaron, but no record is given of further service. It must be
remembered, however, that the muster and pay rolls on file in Massa
chusetts are incomplete, and it is certain that many Lynn men served
beyond the time that is found recorded.
His will was offered for probate July 22, 1805, and his neighbor,
Lieutenant Nathan Hawkes, was an appraiser of the estate, which
amounted to $5,680. He is buried in the old Saugus cemetery, near
the centre of the yard. The grave was pointed out in 1903 by Miss
Ellen Boardman, of Saugus, the great-grand-daughter of Samuel, and
a marble gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed
there in that year.
Boardman, William, — son of Amos and Elizabeth (Smith) Boardman, was
born January 15, 1736, in that part of Saugus now known as Oakland-
vale, but in the time of the Revolution known as Boardman's End. Six
of the name of Boardman are borne on the muster-roll of Captain
David Parker, and each carried his musket over the forty rough miles
of road traversed in response to the
^fr/faf JrO r ~\ Lexington alarm- Their families oc-
Jfr S J <*t-*-TV-Jx»7 ^T^ cupied four houses, which, strange to
say, are all standing. The William
Boardman house is the first of the four which is to be seen on entering
Oaklandvale. Across the meadows, forty rods to the north where the
[ 214 ]

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Lynn in the Revolution
roads fork, one going north to Wakefield, the other to Mehose, stands
an old two-story house which was occupied by Samuel Boardman. To
the older people of to-day it may be remembered as the " Joe Rowe
Place." Perhaps the best-known old mansion of Saugus, if not of this
part of Essex County, on account of its projecting upper story, its well-
sweep, and its conspicuous position, is west of the last-named, where
the road branches toward Mehose, and known as the " Abijah Board-
man House." It was built in 1635 or 1636, and was constructed for
defence against the Indians. The house has a history full of litigation
between towns and counties, between Chelsea and Lynn, Suffolk and
Essex, as to the taxation of its owner, caused by the fact that the divi
sion fine was formerly through the middle of the house. The little
wedge of land that ran up to the " three county bound " has been an
nexed to Saugus, which town alone now has power to vex the owner
with taxes. Three-quarters of a mile up the " Straight's " road, towards
Wakefield and Castle Hill, stands what used to be known as the " Joseph
Cheever House." This was the Ivory Boardman house of the Revolu
tionary period.
William Boardman was a soldier in the French and Indian Wrar, and
was in the expedition to Canada in 1758 under Captain Simon Slocomb.
His only service in the Revolution which can be proved was at the Lex
ington alarm, although he undoubtedly saw more of the war. The
records of several of this name appear in our state archives, but lack
the place of residence. The Pension Office records show that he was
granted one hundred acres of land May 1, 1792.
His marriage was on February 22, 1759, to Zebiah Livingstone, who
was born July 9, 1730, daughter of Robert and Zebiah. No record of
the death of William Boardman has been found.
Bowen, Edward. — This is a name which was prominent in Marblehead
and it is probable that the Edward Bowen here given was from that
town. The orderly-book of Colonel Israel Hutchinson gives the name
of Edward Bowen among the list of prisoners taken at Fort Washing
ton, under date of November 16, 1776. This Edward, who was in
Captain Ezra Newhall's company, may have been the one who died
"Coming from New York," January 13, 1777. If so, he was the son
of Captain Edward and Elizabeth (Boden) Bowen, born in Marble
head, August 17, 1755.
[ 215 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
A further record which appears under this name in the state archives
is that he was in Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel
John Mansfield's regiment, through June and July of 1775, and in
Colonel Israel Hutchinson's regiment, same company, until October
27 of that year.
Bowdoin, Benjamin, — This name, like that of "Bowen," was one which
was common in Marblehead, the names "Francis" and "Benjamin"
appearing frequently in different families of that town. There were
Bowdens in Lynn before and during the Revolution, but thus far it has
been impossible to connect them with any certainty with the Marble
head " Bowdens " from which they evidently came.
Mr. Hallowell mentions in his narrative the death of a Lynn soldier
named Bowdoin in the battle at Fort Washington. He says that the
man belonged to another regiment. On a return of killed and missing
in Glover's regiment, November 19, 1776, Benjamin Bowden was re
ported missing since September 16, 1776. He was probably the same
man mentioned by Hallowell.
Further service of Benjamin Bowden noted in the state archives
is as follows: Certificate stating that said Bowden took the oath re
quired by Congress to be taken by the army dated Middlesex County,
July 24, 1775; also private, Captain Lindsey's company, commanded
by Lieutenant Daniel Galeucia, Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Wood-
bridge's regiment; muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted July
28, 1775; service, three days; also Captain Eleazer Lindsey's com
pany, Colonel Samuel Gerrish's regiment; order for advance pay dated
Maiden, August 3, 1775; also Captain Daniel Gallusha's company,
Colonel Woodbridge's regiment; order for bounty coat or its equiva
lent in money dated Maiden, December 22, 1775.
Also list of men, who served at Concord battle and elsewhere, be
longing to Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus.
Bowdoin, Francis, — Concerning the Bowden family, see Benjamin Bowden
above. Revolutionary service: Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel
Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June
8, 1775; also private, muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May
3, 1775; service, three months, five days; also company return dated
October 6, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company. Colonel Israel
[216 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Hutchinson's regiment (19th) ; order for bounty coat or its equivalent
in money dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. — Mass. Muster Rolls.
List of men, who served as privates at Concord battle and elsewhere,
belonging to Lynn, Lynnfield, and Saugus. — Mass. Muster Rolls.
Boynton, Nathaniel, — was probably not born in Lynn, for the name
is not local. A Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel, of Rowley, was born
there, July 27, 1750, and this may have been the member of the Saugus
company whose name is given on the muster-roll as "Nathaniel Byan-
ton." His only service in the war was at the beginning, when he
marched with his neighbors to Menotomy. Mr. Benjamin F. Newhall
has left an interesting sketch of him, in which he says: —
"The farm of Nathaniel Boynton was south of Cliftondale. It was
a famous farm in olden times, and was situated partly in Lynn and
partly in Chelsea. The old farm-house and barn were standing as
late as 1860, being a little remote from the travelled highway to Boston,
the highway having been changed. Formerly the road ran between
the house and the barn. The situation of the old house was quite
romantic, being on the north side of the road and south of a rocky
ledge. It was also at the foot of the hill called for many years 'Boyn-
ton's Hill.' This was the steepest hill between Boston and Salem,
and was much dreaded by the drivers of heavy teams. Mr. Boynton
was often called upon for an extra lift to encounter it, and Landlord
Newhall often sent extra horses or oxen at the hour of the return of
teams which were to stop at his house. Mr. Boynton was a good, in
dustrious farmer, but rather noted for a fault-finding disposition, hardly
ever being satisfied with what Providence bestowed. After his death
the farm passed into the hands of his son, Ellis Boynton. Bride's
Brook passes through the farm, and here George Washington was met
on his way to the east in 1789."
Mr. Boynton was married by Rev. Mr. Roby, April 6, 1779, to Mary
Viall, of Saugus, and had the following children: Sally, Polly, Na
thaniel, Nathaniel, Lucy, Samuel, Ellis, and Elizabeth. He was sur
veyor of highways in 1781 and constable in 1785.
Letters of administration were granted on his estate to his wife, Mary,
April 7, 1821. The estate was appraised at $3,670. Mr. Boynton is
buried in the old Saugus Centre ground, where a marble stone and
bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected in 1903.
[217 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Bragg, Josiah, — private (the Josiah Brage of the muster-roll), was
probably born in Reading and came to Lynnfield from that place in
May, 1759, with wife, Rebecca, and children, Rebecca, Mercey, Mary,
and Sarah. He first appears on the assessed list of the parish Decem
ber 16, 1760. No mention is again made of him in the records of the
town or parish, except the death of several young children, the last
being Jacob, who died August 21, 1775, aged nine.
He served as a private at the Lexington alarm in Captain Bancroft's
company. He enlisted, June 1, 1775, in Captain Eleazer Lindsey's
company, Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment, serving
two months on guard duty at Maiden. He again enlisted, August 3,
in Captain Lindsey's company, which had been transferred to Colonel
Samuel Gerrish's regiment, and received advance pay at Maiden on
that date. Having enlisted for eight months, he received an order
for a bounty coat at Maiden, October 25, 1775. Private Bragg re
mained on duty until January 1, 1776, when his term of enlistment ex
pired. It is not known whether he continued in the Continental
service. He was living in Lynnfield as late as 1800. In September,
1821, the Lynnfield church records note the death of "Widow Bragg,
over eighty years."
Breed, Amos, — private, was perhaps son of Ebenezer and Rebecca (Phil
lips) Breed, born in Lynn, November 4, 1739. The only service found
is that of the 19th of April, 1775. He died August 19, 1821. It is well
to note that this case is similar to many others which have been
found, in that there were several of the same name in Lynn, and no
record to show which one was entitled to the honor of being included
in the Revolutionary rolls. The only one of likely age has here been
mentioned.
Breed, Aaron, — son of Amos and Ruth (Newhall) Breed, was born in Lynn,
March 7, 1761, and died in Lynn, December 24, 1817. He was buried
in the old tomb in the Western Burial Ground, but his remains were
removed to Pine Grove Cemetery,
,j4 .*•*»«*» /^? y*f where a stone and marker were erected
in 1903. He was married by Rev. Mr.
Treadwell, October 2, 1781, to Sarah
Attwill, who was born in Lynn, June 24, 1764. She died December
26, 1804. Their children were Anna, Anna, Ruth, Sally, Aaron,
[ 218 ]

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Lynn in the Revolution
Lydia, Warner, Harriet, Abigail Burrill, Fullerton, Isaac, Isaac. He
married, second, November 10, 1805, at Groton, Mrs. Mary (Kemp)
Filebrown, born at Shelburne, March 17, 1776, Rev. Daniel Chaplin
performing the ceremony. Children, Horace Anson, James Edwin,
Harriet Almira, Hermione, and Lydia Maria. His widow, Mary, died
April 30, 1841. The daughter Hermione became the wife of George
Hood, the first mayor of Lynn. Aaron Breed lived near the corner
of Pleasant and South Common Streets, and was a Quaker who fought
in the Revolution.
The Revolutionary record taken from the state archives is as follows :
Private in Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel
Johnson's regiment; enlisted August 21, 1777; discharged November
30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, three months, ten days at the north
ward; also private, Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel
Nathaniel Wade's regiment; enlisted July 21, 1778; service, five months,
fifteen days; discharged at East Greenwich, R.I. ; enlistment to expire
January 1, 1779; company raised in Essex and York Counties.
Breed, Ephraim, — son of Joseph and Susannah (Newhall) Breed, was of
the fourth generation from Allen Breed, the emigrant ancestor of the
Breed family. Mr. George W. Rogers, in one of his interesting remi
niscences published many years ago, gives the following sketch of Mr.
Breed : —
"Ephraim Breed, a lineal descendant of Allen Breed, who lived
in what is now called Breed's End, was born in the year 1736 [May
26], and died in Lynn, April 3, 1812,
O ^ jS J?^ I aged seventy-six years. He was a re-
y/^rr^c^ty'/D}^iSeZ7 , . , I , • „ ,
^y markably strong man physically, and
scarcely ever had a sick day in his life,
up to the age of seventy. In person he was of medium height, but
somewhat thick-set, and would weigh perhaps two hundred pounds.
He was a smart man for any kind of work, and was always active. He
did much town business, being town clerk from 1786 to 1804. He was
often called upon to settle estates, to act as guardian for minor children,
and to adjust difficulties among neighbors, where conflicting interests
were at stake. He was also at that time the only surveyor in Lynn,
except Henry Oliver, and, if any land in Breed's End was sold or ex
changed, he did the writing and made the deed.
[ 219 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
" Mr. Breed was a soldier of the Revolution, and was one of the gallant
men who defended Lexington. In company with Harris Chadwell, a
near neighbor, he started on the memorable 19th of April for the scene
of action, and met the enemy on their return to Boston. Here from
behind walls and fences he fired upon the British as they passed along,
following them in their retreat. Mr. Chadwell was with him while the
skirmish lasted. They remained until the enemy had left and then
surveyed the field of battle. [Here they found the wounded soldier of
whom mention is made under the sketch of Mr. Chadwell.]
"A genial companion was Ephraim Breed. He loved a story and a
joke, and was a good story-teller himself. Many were the quips he in
dulged in at the expense of his associates, but he was so good-natured
about it that he seldom gave offence."
The late Cyrus Houghton, who remembered Mr. Breed well, gave the
following estimate of his character: "Although rather rough in his ex
terior, he had one of the kindest of hearts. He kept men about him
and at work for him that nobody else would have or could get along with.
But he knew well how to manage them. He would humor their pecu
liarities and control them without their knowing it, or, if necessary, by
a stern command. In this way, by unbending himself at times and
asserting his authority at others, he was not only master of his men, but
popular with them."
Ephraim Breed was married November 14, 1762, by Rev. Joseph
Roby, to Susannah, daughter of Robert and Mary Mansfield, born
October 15, 1735. Susanah died September 22, 1806, at the age of
seventy-one. He married, second, her sister Martha, widow of William
Newhall, born March 27, 1753. She died April 10, 1822. He was
a large land-owner and a rich man for those days. The old Breed house
on South Street, which was his home, still stands on land which was
deeded to Joseph and Samuel Breed in 1694. The house was built
soon after that date, and was inherited by Ephraim. The inventory
of his estate shows " a mansion house with about three acres of land under
and adjoining, lying on the north side the way leading through the cow-
yard by the barn; also a pasture called Pine Hill, containing 100 acres;
Dungeon Pasture, Fresh Marsh, over 400 acres."
Breed, Frederic, — son of Allen and Huldah (Newhall) Breed, was born
in Lynn, August 20, 1755. He was descended from Allen Breed and
[ 220 ]

Lynn in the Revolution

7C ^rec/ J

Thomas Newhall, two of the earliest settlers of Lynn. On the receipt
of the news of the march of the British to Concord, although but a
boy of nineteen, he went with Captain
Farrington's company, and did duty
vith his neighbors.
He was married May 25, 1775, by
Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to Hepzibah Cox, daughter of Thomas and
Abigail Cox, born May 10, 1755. He enlisted May 9, 1775, in
Captain Addison Richardson's company, Colonel John Mansfield's
regiment, and was commissioned ensign on June 7 following. His
regiment was in camp at Winter Hill and vicinity until the battle
of Bunker Hill, when it was ordered into action. Owing to a misun
derstanding, it did not participate in the conflict. Ensign Breed
remained with his regiment during the fall and early winter, after
it had passed from the command of Colonel Mansfield to that
of Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson. His term of enlistment ex
piring January 1, 1776, he again enlisted, and was promptly com
missioned as second-lieutenant by the Continental Congress. His
commission, produced herewith, is on file at the Pension Office, Wash
ington, where he placed it in his later years as evidence of his service.
The bold handwriting of John Hancock is as bright upon it to-day
as it was when it was affixed one hundred and twenty-six years ago.
Lieutenant Breed was assigned to the company of Captain Ezra New
hall, of Lynn, and was present during the siege of Boston, entering
the town upon its evacuation by the British. During the following
summer Captain Newhall's company marched to New York, arriving
in time to participate in the engagements around that city. After the
battles of Fort Washington and Fort Lee he retreated across the Hud
son with the army of Washington, and continued in the march across
New Jersey. He was present and took part in the battle of Trenton,
December 25 and 26, after wdiich he marched to Philadelphia. There
he was discharged on January 1, 1777, and made his way home to
Lynn, after a campaign full of privation and suffering.
His wife Hepzibah died May 25, 1779, leaving one daughter, Betsey.
He was married, second, April 13, 1780, by Rev. Mr. Treadwell, to
Sarah Mansfield, daughter of Robert and Mary (Rann) Mansfield,
born June 25, 1746. Their children were Joseph, Frederick, William,
[ 221 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Mary, Sally, and Allen. Some time after the war he acquired the
estate located at the corner of Cedar and Boston Streets, and in the
house still standing his children by his second wife were born. He
was a constable in 1782, and served as moderator in 1796. Although
not a lawyer, Lieutenant Breed undertook a great deal of the legal
work for his neighbors, and his name appears with great frequency in
the settlement of estates, transfers of property, and making of wills.
He was commissioned justice of the peace by Governor Caleb Strong,
August 13, 1802, and again by Governor Christopher Gore, July 5,
1809. For a considerable time he was trial justice for the town, and
held court in one of the upper chambers of his residence. His wife,
Sarah, died August 23, 1803, and he married, third, January 10, 1805,
Mary Richardson, daughter of William and Martha (Townsend) Rich
ardson, born February 18, 1762. During his latter days Lieutenant
Breed became somewhat reduced in circumstances, and applied to the
government for the small pension then being granted to the survivors
of the Revolution. His claim, under the act of 1818, was allowed on
April 11 of that year, at the rate of twenty dollars per month. On May
1, 1820, his name was stricken from the pension rolls, together with
the names of many others who were thought to be not entirely without
means of support. His health, however, had been rapidly failing,
and he died June 17, 1820, at the age of sixty-five. His wife, Mary,
died October 19, 1820, and they were interred in one of the private
tombs formerly situated along the easterly side of the old Western
Burial Ground. In 1895 these tombs were removed, and the remains
transferred to Pine Grove Cemetery. Here in a common lot, surrounded
by six of his comrades in arms, he now rests. In 1904 a marble
gravestone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were placed at his grave.
Breed, Joel, — son of Theophilus and Mary (Newhall) Breed, was born
January 28, 1755, and died January 12, 1825. No marriage is found
recorded. The probate records give the fact that he was a yeoman
and that his estate was left to his sister
Martha. Revolutionary record: Private, Cap
tain Rufus Mansfield's (4th) company,
which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, toward Concord; service,
two days; also Captain Nathan Sargent's company of guards; enlisted
[222 ]

Joffdhud

Lynn in the Revolution
February 12, 1779; discharged May 12, 1779; service, three months at
and about Boston, under General Gates. — Mass. Rolls.
Breed, Joseph, — This name is common in the Lynn records, and there are
two Joseph Breeds, either one of whom might have been the Joseph
who responded to the Rhode Island alarm in 1777. It would seem that
the less likely of the two was the son of Joseph and Susannah (Newhall)
Breed, born January 1, 1731-32, and who would have been forty-five
x>r six years of age at that time, had he

/j-rejL*' I

s y y0 JL y^^ lived. This Joseph was married to
yfrt-Jr7'?* fJT&**+/ i^ cousin; Ruth Breed; daughter of
* Matthew and Mary, January 26, 1758.
It is possible, however, if not entirely probable, that this was the " Joseph,
son of Joseph," whose burial is recorded in the Lynn records as taking
place July 29, 1762. This seems plausible from the fact that the births
of only three children are recorded.
The other Joseph was the son of Theophilus and Mary (Newhall)
Breed, and was born April 30, 1763. He was a brother of Joel, above
noted. This Joseph was only fourteen years old at the time of the
Rhode Island alarm, yet it was not unusual for boys of that age to go
into the war. He died in Lynn, August 4, 1816, at the age of fifty-
three years, and, like his brother Joel, unmarried, as it would appear,
since the probate records give the fact that all his property was left to
his brother Joel.
The Revolutionary record as given in the Massachusetts Rolls is as fol
lows: Private, Captain Joseph Hiller's company, Colonel Jonathan Tit
comb's regiment; arrived at camp May 5, 1777; discharged July 5, 1777;
service, two months, five days at Rhode Island; roll dated Providence.
Breed, Josiah, — son of John and Lydia (Gott) Breed, was born December
16, 1731. He was a cordwainer and lived in Lynn. He married, first,
Mary Breed, December 18, 1755; and she died May 7, 1767, aged
thirty-three. He married, second, Hannah Batchelder, June 30, 1768.
His death occurred December 12, 1790, at the age of fifty-eight. His
wife, Hannah, survived him, '" and was distracted in her mind from the
time of his death to her own decease which occurred August 16, 1805,
at the age of seventy-six." He had the following children, born in
Lynn: Mehitable, Allen, Nathaniel, Charles, Joseph, and Mary. He
is buried in a marked grave in the old Western Burial Ground.
[ 223 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Rufus Putnam's (4th)
company, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, to Concord,
service two days; reported taken prisoner and confined thirty-three
days; lost his arms and equipments; also list of men who received
money from public treasury for losses at battles of Lexington and
Bunker Hill; allowed in Council, June 13, 1776. — Mass. Rolls.
In the orderly-book of headquarters, Cambridge, April 23, 1775,
we find this entry: "Reported that Josiah Breed is a prisoner at Boston
and desired that if there could be an exchange of prisoners, he may be
remembered." Frothingham, in his Siege of Boston, after recounting the loss of
the British, says : " Lieutenant Hall, wounded at Concord Bridge, was
taken prisoner on retreat and died the next day. Lieutenant Gould
was wounded at the Bridge and taken prisoner, and exchanged May
28, for Josiah Breed, of Lynn." In all the published accounts of the
battle of Lexington five men are reported missing, four besides Mr.
Breed. On the 6th of June an exchange of prisoners took place in
Charlestown, between twelve and one o'clock, according to the Essex
Gazette. Dr. Joseph Warren and General Israel Putnam represented
in part the Americans, and Major Moncrief the British. The prisoners
were sent ashore from the Lively, and among the nine who were
presented were Samuel Frost and Seth Russell, of Cambridge; Joseph
Bell, of Danvers; Elijah Seaver, of Roxbury; and Josiah Breed, of
Lynn, — making the five on the American side. It will thus be seen
that Mr. Breed was one of the first prisoners taken in the Revolution,
was confined on one of the principal British ships, and was exchanged
for an officer of the British army.
Bredeen, Samuel, — son of Samuel and Sarah (Narremore) Bredeen, was
born in Maiden, January 19, 1744, came to Lynn in October, 1765,
and was warned out December 18,
jp^wuJ- ^<w, 17f ¦ He di!d M?rch I' .1810/ ag:d
A] ^ sixty-five, and is buried in the old
Saugus Centre ground. The only Rev
olutionary service found is that given in the state archives, as follows: —
Private, Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel
Johnson's regiment; enlisted August 19, 1777, discharged November
30, 1777, at Cambridge; service, 3 months, 12 days, at the northward.
[224 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Brown, Benjamin, — son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown and brother
of Ephraim, Rufus, Ezra, and Jonathan, all soldiers, was born Novem
ber 17, 1757; died in Maiden, March 15, 1833, at the age of seventy-
five. Revolutionary service: In Captain Ezra Newhall's company,
Colonel John Mansfield's regiment (19th); order for advance pay
dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also private, company return dated
October 6, 1775; also Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel
Israel Hutchinson's regiment (19th); order for bounty coat or its
equivalent in money, dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775; also return
of men mustered by John Cushing, muster-master for Essex County,
to join Continental Army for the term of nine months, dated Boxford,
December 8, 1779.— Mass. Muster Rolls.
Brown, Ebenezer, — born in Reading, Mass., February 12, 1757, and mar
ried probably Ruth Boden, of Marblehead, February 21, 1782. Little
is known of him except his service as
f ^x*"" a soldier, which he made oath to at the
' '/(jyV'Ins time of his applying for a pension, July
4, 1833. This is here given very nearly
in the words found in the Pension Office records: —
" On April 18, 1775, I belonged to a company of militia and minute-
men commanded by John Brooks, of Reading, and in the evening of
said day his company with other companies was ordered to march
to Concord, and on the next morning, being the 19th of April, in their
march for Concord, they being then in Menotomy we took a number
of wagons belonging to the British forces, laden with stores and muni
tions of war to supply British forces on their retreat back to Boston.
We captured the wagons and made prisoners of the men who drove
them. I was appointed one of the guards to march with the prisoners
to Medford, and they were delivered to the lawful authority to secure
them, after which we again returned to Menotomy and assisted in
taking care of the dead, slain by the British forces on their retreat to
Boston. We then with the other guards and a promiscuous company
of Americans pursued after the British forces until they reached Charles
town, after which a part of the company marched to Medford and
there encamped for the night. The next morning the company com
manded by Capt. Brooks, to which I belonged, marched to Cam
bridge, and there continued doing duty until about the first of May,
[225 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
and was then discharged. On the 2d of May enlisted in Capt. Ezra
Newhall's company, in Col. John Mansfield's regiment then at Cam
bridge, and there did duty under command of General Ward, until
some time in June following, when General Washington came to take
command of the American Army. We continued to do duty from
time to time at Cambridge until December 31, 1775, when I was dis
charged. On July 1, 1777, I enlisted as drummer in a company com
manded by Capt. Thomas Townsend, of Lynn, for a term of four
months, and the company marched to Boston, and was quartered on
Fort Hill, doing duty in guarding stores placed on Boston Common,
until Nov. 1, 1777, when discharged. Nov. 3, 1777, again enlisted,
this time as substitute for Vivian Bly, of Salem, as drummer, for
three months in Capt. Miles Greenwood's company, Col. Jacob
Gerrish's regiment of guards. We were stationed at Winter Hill
over the Hessian troops, part of the army commanded by General
Burgoyne, and served until time expired, On Feb. 3, 1778, again
enlisted in same company and did duty as drummer until April 3,
1778." Jonathan Upton made oath that he was with Brown, and Bowman
Viles, of Lynnfield, confirmed the same. This affidavit was sworn to
July 4, 1833, and pension was allowed from March 4, 1831, at the rate
of $62.40 per year, with $156 back pay.
Brown, Ephraim, — son of Ephraim and Anna (Twist or Twiss) Brown.
was born in Saugus, June 19, 1743, and with his brothers Jonathan and
Ezra served at the Lexington alarm. His brother Rufus was also a
private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company at the same time. Ephraim
and his father had both been in the service of the king in the French and
Indian War. Ephraim, Sr., appears
0 / /Ijyu f/X YQhA*^" on a billeting roll of Captain Parker's
(/ ' company, Colonel Nicholl's regiment,
in 1758. Ephraim, Jr., enlisted in His
Majesty's service February 19, 1760, for the total reduction of Canada.
His father at this time was in Captain Thomas Cheever's company.
Colonel Fry's regiment, and served to November 2, 1760; service in
Nova Scotia. Ephraim, Jr., was enlisted by Samuel Berry, and mus
tered at Salem, May 19, 1760, by Ichabod Plaisted, commissary of
muster. He served until December 7, when he was allowed one hundred
[ 226 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
and five miles of travel and discharged. He enlisted again April 27, 1762,
as a private in the company of Captain Jonathan Carver, and con
tinued in service at Crown Point during most of the time until the
close of the war, in 1763. He was therefore well prepared to meet
the British with Captain David Parker's company, which went out on
the morning of April 19, 1775. Although later service in the Revolu
tion does not appear on the records, it is not improbable that he took
some further part.
He married Mrs. Sally Inguls May 23, 1790, and they had children,
Sarah, John, and Lydia. His home, at one time at least, was the
house now occupied by William H. Penney, and known as the " Stephen
Hall Farm." The house is at the junction of Essex Street and the
Newburyport turnpike, Saugus. It has been supplied with a new roof
and windows, and other modern improvements, which have com
pletely disguised the home of the Revolutionary period. The date and
place of his death is unknown.
Brown, Ezra, — son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss or Twist) Brown, was
born in Saugus in the old Stephen Hall house, November 2, 1750, and
was a brother of Benjamin, Rufus, Ephraim, and Jonathan, all of
whom were in the Revolutionary War. It was long before the Revo
lution that his father bought the old farm in Saugus later known as the
Stephen Hall place, where he and his
£* ^^ , children lived during the war, and
^-^5 S^-fAVlAJ rl^~ where Ezra afterward lived and reared
a large family. It was Mr. Hall, the
occupant of 1860, who modernized the house in every way.
Ezra Brown was married by Rev. Mr. Roby November 2.5, 1779, to
Jane Stocker, daughter of John and Ruth (Breed) Stocker, born May
14, 1758, and had children, Martha, Ruth, Sarah, Ezra, Marshall,
Theodate, Ebenezer, James, Rebecca, and Rachel. All of these chil
dren were born before 1800. Marshall and Theodate were twins.
Martha married Nathan Mudge; Ruth married Benjamin Williams;
Sarah, John Mudge, who changed his name to Parker Mudge; Rebecca,
Jacob Ingalls; Rachel, James Parrott; Theodate, Micajah C. Pratt;
Ebenezer, Eliza Ireson; James, Rebecca Stone. The mother, Jane
Stocker, died March 25, 1805. He was married, second, October 8,
1807, by Rev. Mr. Frothingham, to Mary Mansfield, daughter of Thomas.
[ 227 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
and Mary (Hawkes) Mansfield, born June 4, 1763, and who died his
widow September 6, 1849, aged eighty-six.
Ezra Brown responded quickly to the morning call of the 19th of
April, and with his brothers, Ephraim and Jonathan, went with Cap
tain Parker's company to Menotomy. On May 4, 1775, he enlisted
as a drummer in Captain Ezra Newhall's company, Colonel John
Mansfield's regiment (the 19th), receiving advance pay at Cambridge,
June 8. He was present at Cobble Hill during the battle of Bunker
Hill, but the company did not go into action. He went into camp at
Winter Hill during the fall, and on November 4 received the customary
order for a bounty coat or its equivalent in money for having enlisted
for eight months' service. He served through the siege of Boston,
suffering much hardship during the bleak winter in camp. His service
through the Revolution beyond this point is not recorded. He was a
farmer, and an honest, upright, and industrious citizen. The sons and
daughters of his large family were drawn by marriage from the western
borders of the town to the eastern section where their descendants still
remain prominent in many walks of life. After the war he was com
missioned quartermaster of the 5th regiment, 1st brigade, 2d division,
Massachusetts militia, and the commission, signed by John Hancock,
November 10, 1788, is in possession of his .grandson, Mr. Charles A.
Brown, of Lynn. He died in Saugus, February 19, 1829, aged seventy-
eight, greatly esteemed for his honesty and integrity. His will on file
in the probate records indicates that he was one of the well-to-do men
of those times. He is buried in the old ground at Saugus Centre
beside his wife, Mary. The inscription on his gravestone is a worthy
tribute : —
"This monument is inscribed to the memory of a beloved father.
He proved what virtue was and now his Lord
Has shown to him how well he can reward."
The graves are marked by slate stones, and were restored by his
grandson in 1903. A marker of the S. A. R. was placed on the spot,
also in 1903.
Brown, James, — private, son of Jonathan and Mehitable, was born in Read
ing, January 28, 1743. His only service appears to have been with
Captain Bancroft's company, April 19, 1775.
[228 ]

Lynn in the Revolution

cX^i feW^-^

He first married Lydia Nichols, of Reading, born 1748, died in Lynn
field, October 2, 1786. He was married, second, by Rev. Joseph
Mottey, July 12, 1787, to Susannah
Wellman, daughter of Stephen and
Susannah Wellman, sister of Jesse and
Thomas Wellman. He died in Lynn
field, January 5, 1815, and is buried in the old cemetery at Lynnfield
Centre. His grave and that of his wife Lydia are marked by grave
stones. A bronze marker of the S. A. R. was placed there in 1904.
Brown, John, — was probably the son of Nathaniel and Ginger Brown,
of Danvers, born April 16, 1758. Descriptive list of men raised to
reinforce the Continental Army, resolve June 5, 1780; age, twenty-
three; height, 5 ft., 9 in.; complexion, fresh; arrived at Springfield July
13, 1780; also list of men raised for the six months' service and re
turned as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway,
October 25, 1780; also list of men raised, resolve December 2, 1780;
enlisted April 5, 1781; three years; residence, Lynn; also private,
Captain John Pray's company, Colonel Joseph Vose's 1st regiment;
muster-roll for May, 1781, dated West Point; also rolls for June and
July, 1781, dated Phillipsburgh ; also rolls for August and September,
1781, October and November, 1781, January and February, 1782,
dated York Hutts. — Mass. Rolls.
Letters of administration were filed May 15, 1815, on the estate of
John Brown, of Lynnfield. Notice of the same was to be posted at
Ebenezer Parsons's Tavern. This is the only John Brown shown
on the probate records.
Brown, Jonathan, — private, son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown,
was born in Saugus, September 22, 1755. With his brothers, Ephraim
and Ezra, he marched with Captain David Parker's company to Menot
omy, and was in the " Runaway fight with the Regulars." In 1776
he removed to Salem, where he soon after married. He enlisted in
February, 1776, in Captain Benjamin
Epes's company, Colonel Smith's regi-
''"OrlA/yT— ment, and served until Boston was
evacuated by the British, entering the
town with his company. In the fall of that year he served as sergeant
in Captain John Pool's company, Colonel Cogswell's regiment. In the
[ 229 ]

c/crn£~%far-0

Lynn in the Revolution
summer of 1778 he enlisted as a sergeant in Captain Nathan Sargent's
company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards. Upon the
arrival at Cambridge of General Burgoyne with his army of prisoners,
his company, did guard duty over them for six months. He again en
tered the service January 26, 1779, as second lieutenant of the same
company, and served until May 7, doing duty under Major-General
Gates around Boston. In 1780 he enlisted in Captain Stephen Webb's
company, and served eighteen months in a fort near Salem. His name
was borne on the rolls of the Continental Army as late as October 28,
1783, when he appears on a pay warrant of Captain Webb's company.
On August 2, 1832, he appeared and made a deposition in regard
to his service, in order that a small pension might be granted him. His
old comrades, Abner Cheever, Thomas Florence, Micajah Newhall,
Harris Chadwell, and Amos Boardman, had previously made oath
that they had served with him in the war. As further evidence of his
service, he filed his commission as second lieutenant in Captain Nathan
Sargent's company, issued to him January 26, 1779, by the council.
This commission and the depositions are on file in the archives of the
Pension Office at Washington. Before his claim was acted upon,
however, he died, August 29, 1832, at the age of seventy-six. After
his death his widow, Sarah, was pensioned at the rate of $123.33 per
year, and received $617.81 back pay. She died July 27, 1845, in Salem,
leaving two children, Ephraim and Jonathan, to whom the accrued
pension was paid. Jonathan Brown, Sr., was probably buried in
Salem, but the spot is unknown.
Brown, Joshua, — was a private in Captain Bancroft's Lynnfield com
pany, but nothing whatever is known of him.
Brown, Rufus, — was son of Ephraim and Anna (Twiss) Brown, born Sep
tember 5, 1744, and brother to Ephraim, Ezra, Jonathan, and Benja
min. He was published to Lydia,
I ..a 7]QyfSfi/l>lJfl daughter of Ezra Burrill, September 9,
A^IMjHa (P V 1764, married January 19, 1765. He
/ ' was a cordwainer, and, according to
a deed given in 1784, was at that time " of Boston."
His Revolutionary record is as follows: Private, Captain Ezra New
hall's company of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April
19, 1775; service, fourteen days; also Captain Newhall's company,.
[ 230 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Colonel John Mansfield's regiment; order for advance pay dated
Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also muster-roll dated August 1, 1775;
enlisted May 3, 1775; sendee, three months, five days; also private,
Captain Zadock Buffinton's company, Colonel Samuel Johnson's regi
ment; enlisted August 14, 1777; discharged November 30, 1777, at
Cambridge; service, three months, seventeen days, at the northward;
also Captain Simeon Brown's company, Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regi
ment of guards; service from April 2, 1778, to July 3, 1778; roll dated
Camp at Winter Hill; also Captain Samuel Huse's company, Colonel
Gerrish's regiment of guards; enlisted July 19, 1778, discharged
December 14, 1778; service, four months, twenty-seven days; also
Captain Jeremiah Putnam's company, Colonel Nathan Tyler's regi
ment, enlisted July 15, 1779; service to December 1, 1779, four months
and sixteen days, at Rhode Island; also same company and regiment,
pay-roll for December, 1779; service, one month five days at Rhode
Island. — Mass. Rolls.
Brown, Samuel. — A Samuel, son of Joseph and Easter, born July 13,
1752, may have been this man, but it is not certain. He was paid a
bounty of $24 by Lynn, June 26, 1777. The Revolutionary service
as given is as follows: Return of men enlisted into the Continental
Army from the 1st Essex County regiment dated February 16, 1778;
residence, Lynn ; enlisted for the town of Lynn ; joined Captain Joseph
Williams's company, Colonel John Greaton's regiment (2d), enlistment
three years; reported mustered by Nathaniel Barber, muster-master;
also private Captain Williams's company, Colonel Greaton's regi
ment (3d); Continental Army pay accounts for service from June
26, 1777, to December 31, 1780; also descriptive list of enlisted men
dated West Point, January 25, 1781; Colonel Greaton's (3d) regi
ment; age, twenty-four years; stature, 5 ft. 6 in.; complexion, dark;
eyes, brown; residence, Lynn; enlisted January 1, 1777, by Lieutenant
Tuttle; enlistment during the war. — Mass. Rolls.
Bruce, Lewis, — not accredited to Lynn, but was a resident of Lynn after
the war. He lived after the death of Jedediah Newhall in the latter's
house on Boston Street, and ran the mill on Waterhill Street for a time.
He was born in 1762, and died in Lynn, July 2, 1828, at the age of sixty-
six years. The Lynn Mirror at that time stated that he was one of the
six Revolutionary pensioners of Lynn. He is buried in the old Eastern
[231 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Ground, beside his wife, Hannah, who died March 10, 1836. The
graves are marked.
Bryant, Jonathan, — was probably of Saugus, born September 22, 1755,
and died August 29, 1832. Nothing is known of him.
Revolutionary record: Private, Captain Ezra Newhall's company,
Colonel John Mansfield's regiment (19th), company dated October
6, 1775; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel Israel Hutchin
son's regiment (19th), order for bounty coat or its equivalent in money
dated Winter Hill, November 4, 1775. — Mass. Rolls.
Burchsted, Benjamin Brame, — private, son of Dr. Henry and Mrs. Anna
(Brame) Alden Burchsted, was born in Lynn, March 6, 1733-34. His
father, Dr. Henry Burchsted, born 1690, was well known as a physician,
and his grandfather, Dr. John Henry Burchsted, of Silesia, born
1657, was one of the famous men of his day. The latter died Septem
ber 20, 1721, and his conspicuous gravestone in the old Western Burial
Ground, with its quaint and lengthy inscription, has attracted the atten
tion of the curious for nearly two hundred years. The mother of Ben
jamin Brame Burchsted was the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth
(Clemy) Brame, born in Boston. Her first husband was John Alden,
great-grandson of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, of Plymouth.
Like his ancestors for two generations, Benjamin Brame Burchsted
studied medicine. He entered upon its practice in Lynn, making his
home on Boston Street between the present Wyman and Flint Streets.
The house, one of the most ancient in Lynn, was demolished in 1857.
He was married April 3, 1760, by Rev. Andrew Elliott, of Boston, to
Elizabeth Skilling, of that place, daughter of Simeon and Ruth (Phil
lips) Skilling, born January 27, 1739. His children were Elizabeth.
Anna, Henry, James Tyler, Ruth, Sarah, Sarah, Mary, Lucy, Benjamin
Brame, Joanna, and Hepzibah. Although one of the dignitaries of the
little town, he was enrolled as a member of Captain Farrington's com
pany of minute-men, and marched with his neighbors on the morning
of April 19, 1775, drawing two days' pay therefor. He saw no further
military service, but continued the practice of his profession during
the war. At that time the small-pox was very prevalent in Lynn and
Boston, and small companies often retired to convenient places, that
they might undergo the disease in a light form. In 1777 a company
of nineteen men of Lynn went to Marblehead for that purpose, and
[ 232 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
Dr. Burchsted acted as their physician. A note in Richard Pratt's
"Commonplace-Book" indicates that they all came home well, each
bearing the following certificate: "M'head, June 4th, 1777. By
virtue of this certificate, permit the within mention'd person, after being
smok'd, to pass ye guards. John Gerry."
Dr. Burchsted's farm comprised all the land now occupied by Flint
and Wyman Streets, and extended back to Walnut Street, in all about
twenty acres. His grandson was Benjamin Burchsted Johnson, father
of Edwin H. Johnson, so well remembered by the present generation.
Dr. Burchsted lived but a short time after the Revolution, his death
occurring in the summer of 1785. His will was filed for probate Septem
ber 6, 1785, at which time his wife, Elizabeth, appears to have been in
capacitated from serving as administratrix. Colonel John Mansfield,
Colonel John Flagg, and Samuel Burrill were appointed appraisers,
and according to the custom of the day made an exact minute of every
thing found in the estate. Thus they listed among other things " 2
cupping glasses, 1 shilling; 4 dozen bottles, 8 shillings; lj dozen vials,
1 shilling 8 pence; mortar and pestle 3 shillings." He is buried among
his ancestors in the old Western Burial Ground, where a marble grave
stone and bronze marker of the S. A. R. were erected to his memory in
1904.
Burchstead, Henry', — son of Dr. Henry and Anna Potter, was born Feb
ruary 23, 1742; married by Rev. John Treadwell, May 8, 1766, to
Elizabeth Newhall, who was born December 22, 1741. The estate
on Boston Street, known as the "Busted Johnson" place, from its
owner Benjamin Burchstead Johnson, was formerly owned and occu
pied by Henry Burchstead, a shoe-
-^" ^, -y—s maker, who bought it in 1770 from the
yz^^y <72t*~*4?2%: last of the 1>otters who had held it
since 1630. In 1819 he settled the
place upon his nephew, Benjamin Burchstead Johnson, who was to
care for him while he lived. The old house was one of the most ancient
in Lynn, a lean-to, which was torn down in 1857. Henry Burchstead
died Thursday, November 20, 1823, at the age of eighty-one years and
eight months. His wife Elizabeth died Saturday, September 18, 1819,
aged seventy-seven years and nine months. Their children were Fred
erick, Henry, and Anna.
[233 ]

Lynn in the Revolution
The only Revolutionary service known of Henry Burchstead is that
which he gave on the 19th of April, 1775, when he marched on the
alarm to Concord in Captain Rufus Mansfield's (4th) Lynn company.
Burnham, Joshua, — son of Dr. Joshua and Anna (Poole) Burnham, was
born April 29, 1757, and died at his daughter's in Wakefield, February
11, 1840. He is buried in an unmarked grave in the old burying-ground
of that place. His wife was Lois
fl^JP Ahuwiy, a Bryant, and he lived at one time upon
«^7 ' the place afterward owned and occu
pied by Thomas E. Cox, who was his
son-in-law. His wife died February 21, 1824. at the age of eighty-
five. They had seven children.
Joshua Burnham was a private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company
which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service, seventeen days;
also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's regiment,
order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775; also Captain
Newhall's company, Colonel Mansfield's (19th) regiment, commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson; muster-roll dated August 1,
1775, enlisted May 6, 1775; service, three months and two days; also
company return dated October 6, 1775.
Burnham, Timothy', — son of Dr. Joshua and Susannah (Poole) Burnham,
was born in 1755. He was married by Rev. Joseph Roby to Kate Sher
man, daughter of Nathaniel and Susannah Sherman, February 27, 1762.
Nothing further is known of him.
Revolutionary record: Private in Captain Ezra Newhall's company
of minute-men which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service,
fifteen days; also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mans
field's regiment, order for advance pay dated Cambridge, June 8, 1775;
also Captain Newhall's company, Colonel John Mansfield's (19th)
regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson;
muster-roll dated August 1, 1775; enlisted May 4, 1775; service, three
months, four days; also company return dated October 6, 1775; order
for bounty coat or its equivalent in money dated Winter Hill, Nov
ember 4, 1775. — Mass. Rolls.

[234 ]

INDEX

Index
The following index includes the names of persons and places
mentioned in this book, with the exception of names of officers com
manding the various companies and regiments, together with the
names of places, which are to be found in the Biographical Sketches
under the service of each Lynn soldier. Inasmuch as these names are
repeatedly mentioned in the records of service, it has seemed unnec
essary to further repeat them in an index. A reference to the Revolu
tionary record of any soldier will give the officers under whom he
served and the places at which he was stationed.
Pages 1 to 234 are in Part I. Pages 235 to 504 are in Part II.

Aborn, Aaron, 135, 431.
Aborn, Ebenezer, 185.
Aborn, Ebenezer, Jr., 185.
Aborn, Moses, 99, 185.
Aborn, Samuel, xxi.
Adams, Benjamin, 187, 445.
Adams, John, 66, 129.
Adams, Joseph, 143, 188.
Adams, Samuel, 66.
Albany, 96, 103.
Alden, Anna, 243, 296.
Alden, Anna (Brame), 232.
Alden, Col., 161.
Alden, John, 232.
Alden, Priscilla, 232.
Allen, Ethan, 82.
Allen, Lemuel, 188, 428.
Allen, Ruth L., 237.
Alley, Elizabeth, 422.
Alley, Ephraim, 189.
Alley, Hugh, xxi, 189.
Alley, Huldah (Newhall), 425.
Alley, Jacob, 425.
Alley, James, 116, 190.
Alley, Jerusha, 425.
Alley, John, xxi, 301.
Alley, Joseph, 57, 190.
Alley, Mary, 191.

Alley, Micajah, 301.
Alley, Nathan, 191.
Anabell, John, 110.
Anbury's Journal, 107.
Ancient and Honorable Artillery
Company, 4.
Anderson, John, 138.
Andre, Major John, 132, 133, 137,
138, 139.
Angell, Major, 72.
Angier, Capt. William, 64.
Arlington, 40, 48.
Arnold, Benedict, 76, 77, 82, 85, 98,
132, 133, 134, 137, 138, 139.
Ashton, Rebecca, 398.
Atkinson, Mrs. Eliza M., 446.
Attwill, Amos, 194, 416.
Attwill, Lydia, 443.
Attwill, 27,-192.
Attwill, Sarah, 218.
Attwill, Thomas, 141.
Attwill, Thomas Hicks, 193.
Attwill, William, 109, 110, 193.
Attwill, Zachariah, 117, 194, 254.
Bacheller, Archealus, 69.
Bacheller, James, 31, 195.
Bacheller, Jonathan, 110, 111, 195.

[i]

Index

Bacheller, Judith, 453.
Bacheller, Lois, 426.
Bacheller, Sarah, 372.
Bacheller, Theophilus, 108, 110, 117,
183, 196, 271.
Bacon, Lieut. John, 48.
Bailey, Aaron, 197.
Bailey, Ephraim, 183.
Baker, Edward, xx.
Baker, John, 58, 93, 109, 197, 442.
Baker, Thomas, 5.
Baldwin, Mrs. George, 206.
Ballard, Ebenezer, 197.
Ballard, Joseph, 113, 143, 197, 442.
Ballard, Rebecca, 208.
Ballard, William, xx.
Bancroft, Ebenezer, 405.
Bancroft, Capt. Ebenezer, 201, 202,
203.
Bancroft, Esau, 198.
Bancroft, Eve, 199.
Bancroft, Hannah, 261.
Bancroft, Lieut. James, 69, 198.
Bancroft, James, 99, 199.
Bancroft, Job, 109, 199.
Bancroft, John, xx, 58, 200, 343.
Bancroft, Mary (Newhall-Mansfield),
300.
Bancroft, Mary (Taylor), 261.
Bancroft, Capt. Nathaniel, 11, 22,
23, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 48,
49, 50, 201, 203.
Bancroft, Rachel, 300.
Bancroft, Ruth, 207.
Bancroft, Ruth (Newhall), 343.
Bancroft, Timothy, 300.
Bancroft, Thomas, xxi, 186, 201.
Barnard, Parson, 21.
Barnes, Capt. Thomas, 68, 69.
Barnstable, 123.
Barrett, Col., 68.
Barrett, Elizabeth (Wadsworth), 283.
Barrett, Joseph, 283.
Barrett, Ruth (Smallidge), 28.'!.

Barron, Lucy, 197.
Bassett, Isaac, 302.
Basse tt, William, 204.
Batchelder, Hannah, 190, 223.
Batchelder, Mehitable (Aborn), 186.
Batchelder, Samuel, 301.
Bates, Samuel, 140, 204.
Bates, Sarah, 462.
Batts, John, 20, 205.
Baxter, Abigail, 440.
Beens, Hannah, 303.
Beetle, Edward, 209.
Belknap, Abel, 57, 92, 206, 442.
Belknap, Abraham, xxi.
Bell, Joseph, 224.
Bemis Heights, 105.
Bennett, Mrs. Mary Caroline Phil
lips, 274.
Bennett, Samuel, 201.
Bennington, 106.
Bent, Timothy, 207.
Bernard, Governor, 8.
Berry, Abigail, 320.
Berry, Hannah, 436.
Berry, James, 207.
Berry, John, 207.
Berry, Mary, 381, 387.
Berry, Samuel, 39, 57, 208.
Berry, Sarah, 381.
Berry, Thomas, 100, 208.
Beverly, 78, 127.
Bickford, John, 116.
Bigelow, Col. Timothy, 99.
Birch, Brook, 1, 4.
Bird, C. S., 354.
Birnett, Joseph, 81.
Black Ann's Corner, 42.
Black Marsh Lane, 27.
Blanchard, Amos, 183, 209.
Blanchard, John, 58, 210.
Blue Hills, xv.
Boardman, Aaron, 110, 210.
Boardman, Abiah, 210, 433.
Boardman, Amos, 210, 230, 433.

["

Index

Boardman, Benjamin, 109.
Boardman, Eunice (Cheever), 282.
Boardman, Iveny, 212.
Boardman, Ivory, 212.
Boardman, John, 116, 213, 282.
Boardman, Lois, 282.
Boardman, Samuel, 110, 214.
Boardman, Sarah, 433.
Boardman, William, 214, 433.
Boden, Ruth, 225.
Boston, xv, xxi, 12, 24.
Boston Massacre, 8.
"Boston," Ship, 129.
Boston Street, 2, 29, 30.
Bow Bend, 32.
Bowrden, or Bowdoin, Benjamin, 92,
110, 216.
Bowden, Susannah, 302.
Bowdoin, or Bowden, Francis, 58,
92, 216.
Bowen, Edward, 92, 215.
Bowers, Mercy or Martha, 283.
Bowler, James, 14.
Boynton, David S., 195.
Boynton, Nathaniel, 217.
Bozune, John, 117.
Brage, Josiah, 218.
Bragg, Josiah, 218.
Brame, Benjamin, 232.
Brame, Elizabeth (Clemy), 232.
Brandywine, 117.
Breed, Aaron, 31, 112, 218, 442.
Breed, Abigail, 255.
Breed, Abraham, 301.
Breed, Allen, xx, 31, 219, 220.
Breed, Amos, 218.
Breed, Benjamin, 301.
Breed, Elizabeth, 195.
Breed's End, 2, 27, 149.
Breed, Ephraim, 31, 37, 45, 189, 219,
246, 292, 319.
Breed, Col. Frederick, 30, 69, 79, 92.
149, 183, 220, 386.
Breed, Hepzibah, 313.

Breed, Mrs. Henry II., 446.
Breed, Jane, 341, 343.
Breed, Jerusha, 190.
Breed, Joel, 222, 442.
Breed, Joseph, 116, 220, 223.
Breed, Josiah, 44, 223, 224. 284, 442.
Breed, Lois, 190, 371.
Breed, Love, 363, 371.
Breed, Lydia, 320.
Breed, Lydia (Gott), 223.
Breed, Martha. (Mansfield), 292.
Breed, Martha (Newhall), 321.
Breed, Mary, 223, 335, 363, 374.
Breed, Mary (Newhall), 222.
Breed, Mehitable, 196.
Breed, Nathan, 374.
Breed, Ruth, 223, 227, 246.
Breed, Samuel, 220.
Breed, Susanna, 292.
Breed, Susannah (Newhall), 223.
Breed, Theophilus, 113, 321.
Breedeen, or Bredeen, Samuel, 224.
Bredeen, Sarah (Narramore), 224.
Breeding, Samuel, 111,
Briant, Jonathan, 57.
Bridges, Captain, 4.
Bridge, Col. Ebenezer, 68, 73.
Bridge Street, 30.
Brimblecom, Samuel, 64.
Broad Street, 27.
Brookline, 11 .
Brown, Anna (Twiss or Twist), 225.
Brown, Benjamin, 1 11, 225.
Brown, Charles A., 228.
Brown, Easter, 231.
Brown, Ebenezer, 58, 109, 225.
Brown, Edward, 116.
Brown, Ephraim, 226, 350, 456.
Brown, Esther (Merriam), 287.
Brown, Ezra, 57, 227.
Brown, Ginger, 229.
Brown, Hannah. 205, 295, 350, 411.
Brown, James, 228.
Brown, Jerusha, 287.

[iii

Ind

ex

Brown, John, 140, 143, 229.
Brown, Jonathan, 229.
Brown, Joseph, 231, 287.
Brown, Joshua, 99, 220.
Brown, Mary, 211, 287, 465.
Brown, Mehitable, 228.
Brown, Capt. Nathan, 68, 69.
Brown, Nathaniel, 229.
Brown, Nicholas, xx.
Brown, Rufus, 57, 109, 112, 230.
Brown, Samuel, 99, 143, 231.
Brown, Capt. Simeon, 109, 110.
Brown, Stephen, 116.
Brown, Susanna, 206, 268, 365, 366.
Brown, Col. William, 20, 21, 64.
Bruce, Lewis, 183, 231, 205.
Bryant, Jonathan, 232.
Bryant, Lois, 234.
Bryant, Sarah, 433.
Bubier, Christopher, 193.
Bubier, Edward, 193.
Bubier, Samuel M., 41, 197.
Buffington, or Buffinton, Zadock, 69,
111, 112.
Bulfinch Street, 30.
Bullard, Col. Samuel, 68.
Burchstead, Mrs. Anna, 232, 337.
Burchstead, Benjamin Brame, 30,
232, 308.
Burchstead, Henry, 233, 243.
Burchstead, Dr. Henry, 232, 233.
Burchstead, Dr. John Henry, 232.
Burchstead, Ruth, 308.
Burgoyne, Gen. John, 23, 95, 99,
102, 104, 105, 117.
Burke, Edmund, 10.
Burnham, Joshua, 57, 234.
Burnham, Susannah (Poole), 234.
Burnham, Timothy, 234.
Burr, Aaron, 78.
Burrage, John, 234.
Burrage or Burriage, Mehitable
(Sargent), 234.
Burriage, Deacon John, 270.

Burrill, Alden, 99, 235.
Burrill, Anna (Alden), 235, 239, 296.
Burrill, Ann, 465.
Burrill, Anne (Thompson), 239, 240.
Burrill, Benjamin, 236.
Burrill, Ebenezer, 7, 9, 16, 19, 26, 29,
30, 65, 100, 236, 237, 240, 383.
Burrill, Ebenezer, Esq., 237, 450.
Burrill, Ellen Mudge, 271.
Burrill, Elizabeth, 360.
Burrill, Ezra, 230.
Burrill, Eunice, 296, 340, 450.
Burrill, George, xx, 240.
Burrill, Israel, 58, 111, 238.
Burrill, John, 80, 238, 240, 271.
Burrill, John (Col. John), 29, 239.
Burrill, Joseph, 140, 240.
Burrill, Lois, 371, 383.
Burrill, Lydia, 230.
Burrill, Martha, 424.
Burrill, Martha (Farrington), 237,
243.
Burrill, Martha (Newhall), 312.
Burrill, Mary, 450.
Burrill, Mary (Hills), 236, 243, 424.
Burrill, Mary (Mansfield), 238, 383.
Burrill, Micajah, 141, 243, 255, 341.
Burrill, Samuel, 113, 233, 235, 239,
243, 296.
Burrill, Susannah, 312.
Burrill, Theophilus, 31, 108, 236, 243,
255, 312, 412, 424.
Burt, John, 189.
Butler, Hannah, 283.
Butterick, Major, 72.
Butt's Hill, 119.
Buxton, Abigail, 427.
Buxton, Stephen, 244.
Buzzard's Bay, 123.
Caldwell, Isaac, 116.
Caldwell, Jacob, 81.
Caldwell, Stephen, 116.
Calhoun, John C, 250.

[iv]

Index

Caley, Lydia, 258.
Cambridge, 11, 15, 35, 47, 82, 107.
Canada, 9.
Cape Ann, xv, xvii, xix.
Carleton, Samuel, 244.
Carlton, Col., 171.
Cam, Col, 174, 244.
Carnes, Rev. John, 244, 271.
Carnes Street, 29.
Carter, Susannah, 426.
Case, William, 110.
Cedar Street, 30.
Chadwell, Harris, 31, 38, 45, 80, 116,
120, 149, 183, 230, 245, 254, 349,
442.
Chadwell, Mary (Deylee), 245.
Chadwell, Thomas, xx.
Chamberlain, Garland, 58, 92, 112,
248,
Chamberlain, Mary (Phillips), 248.
Chamberlain, Nathaniel, 48.
Chamberlain, William, 248.
Champlain, Lake, 85.
Charlestown, xx, xxi, 44, 47, 58.
Charlestown Neck, 70.
Cheever, Abijah, 11, 21, 249.
Cheever, Major Abner, 11, 20, 36,
113,249,251,252.
Cheever, Abner, Jr., 230, 252.
Cheever, Elizabeth (Newhall), 249.
Cheever, Eunice, 212.
Cheever, Eunice (Ivory), 253.
Cheever, Ezekiel, 63.
Cheever, Israel, 57, 93, 116,253,442.
Cheever, Mary (Baker), 251.
Cheever, Mary (Emerson), 253.
Cheever, Mehitable (Newhall), 253.
Cheever, John, 141, 253.
Cheever, Rachel, 252.
Cheever, Sarah, 63.
Cheever, Thomas, 110, 141, 253, 254.
Cheever, Capt. Thomas, 31, 246,
251, 253.
Cheever, Thomas, Jr., 109, 111, 255.

Cheever, William, 253.
Chelsea, 2, 4.
Chestnut Street, 27, 30.
Childs, Amariah, 419.
Childs, Rebecca, 436.
Childs Street, 29.
Chili Station, 206.
Chittenden, Thomas, 80, 255.
Choate, Betsey, 443.
Clark, Betsey, 455.
Clark, Edmund, 255.
Clarke, Rev. John, 249.
Cliftondale, 40.
Clinton, Gen., 23, 132, 133, 136, 137.
Clough, Benjamin, 116.
Coat Roll Resolve, 54.
Coates, Stephen, 57, 93, 157, 256,
338.
Coats, John, 256.
Coats, Phillip, 112, 116, 140.
Coats, Ruth, 256, 333.
Coats, William, 57, 93, 257.
Cobble Hill, 70, 82, 150.
Coggswell, Col., 93.
Collier, Admiral Sir George, 128.
Collins, Bethia, 463.
Collins, Elizabeth, 414.
Collins, John, 108, 257.
Collins, Joseph, 171.
Collins, Rebecca, 313.
Collins, Tabitha, 297.
Collyer, John, 257.
Colson, Sergeant, 166.
Conanicut Island, 114.
Conant, Roger, xviii.
Concord, 25.
Cook, Benjamin, Jr., 80.
Cook, James, 116.
Copp, Samuel, 100, 257.
Copp's Hill, 61.
Corey, Lieutenant, 161.
Cornish, Zerviah, 161.
Cornwallis, Lord, 132, 144.
Costekin, Anthony, 100, 258.

[V]

Index

Cottage Street, 29.
County Road, 2, 27, 42.
Cowin, Francis, 58, 258.
Cox, Abigail, 442.
Cox, Benjamin, Jr., 80.
Cox, Benjamin, 3rd., 81.
Cox, Francis, 69.
Cox, Hannah, 295.
Cox, Hepzibah, 221.
Cox, Mary, 286.
Cox, Thomas, 29, 111, 120, 143, 258,
404, 442.
Cox, Thomas E., 234.
Cox, William, 100.
Crafts, Benjamin, 72.
Crane, Col. John, 99.
Crat, Benjamin, 69.
Cressey, William, 109.
Croel, Sarah, 365.
Crown Point, 5, 102.
Curtain, John, 302, 392.
Curtain, Martha, 392.
Curtis, Lydia, 293, 295, 296.
Curtis, Relief, 430.
Curtis, True B., 246.
Gushing, Nathaniel, 98, 143, 259.
Cushing, Thomas, 23.
Cutler, Henry, 81.
Cutler, John,' 57, 259.
Daggett, Susanna, 453.
Dagyr, John Adam, 28, 29, 100, 260,
456.
Danforth, Elizabeth (Wilson), 261.
Danforth, Henry, 294.
Danforth, John, 58, 112, 116, 203,
261.
Danforth, Joshua, 57, 93, 110, 116,
140, 261.
Danforth, Keziah (Reed), 261.
Danforth, Nicholas, 261.
Daniels, Jeremiah, or Jerahmeel,
100, 263.
Danielson, Col., 66.

Danvers, 22, 41, 42, 43. 48, 51, 74,
78.
Dartmouth, Earl of, 15.
Davis, Jacob, 170, 263.
Davis, John, 263.
Dawes, William, 35, 50.
Day, Jemima, 466.
Dedham, 48.
Dennis, Rebecca, 324.
D'Estaing, Count, 118, 120, 122.
Delaware River, 89, 94.
Demont, William, 86.
Devereux, Samuel, 366
Deylee, Mary, 245.
Dexter, Mrs. Mehitable, 447.
Dimond, David, 110.
Dixey, William, xviii.
Dodge, John, 69.
Dodge, Joanna, 453.
Dorchester, xx, xxi, 11, 60, 82.
Downing, Anna, 309.
Downing, Caleb, 109.
Downing, Elijah, 369.
Downing, Joanna, 415.
Downing, Michal, 384.
Downing, Thomas, 69.
Doyl, Matthew, 263.
Drake, Francis S. 14.
Drake, Michael, 263.
Driver, Robert, 5.
Dunnell, David, 354.
Dunnell, Jonathan, 116, 263.
Dunnell, Keziali (Ramsdell), 263,
354.
Dunnell, Oliver, 264.
Dunnell, Reuben, 164, 264.
Dunnell, Ruth, 333, 354.
Dutch, Daniel, 116.
East India Company, 16.
Eaton, Anna (Hutchinson), 265.
Eaton, Elizabeth, 201.
Eaton, Joseph, 265.
Edes, Samuel, 264.

[Vi]

Index

Edmunds, James, 57, 265.
Edmunds, Joseph, 265, 456.
Edmunds, Mary (Fry), 265.
Edmunds, William, xx.
Edward, Fort, 98, 103, 106.
Egg Rock, xv.
Eliot, Prudence, 312.
Emerson, Dr., of Salem, 322.
Emerson, Rev. J., 205.
Emerson, Ephraim, 69.
Emerson, Mrs. Mary, 254.
Emerson, Rev. William, 56.
Emmerton, James H., 368.
Endicott, John, xviii, xix, 297.
Endicott, Mehitable, 297.
English, Joseph, 116.
Enos, Lieut.-Col. Roger, 78.
Essex County, xv, 5, 41, 78, 91, 120.
Essex Street, 3, 27, 31, 46.
Estes, Nathaniel, 116.
Fairhaven, 123.
Farington, Ezra, 266.
Farington, Joanna, 388.
Farington, John, 80, 266, 335.
Farington, Sarah (Breed), 266.
Farley, Jonathan, 266.
Farr, Nathan, 101.
Farrington, Abigail (Fuller), 268,
335.
Farrington, Edmund, xxi, 268.
Farrington, Elizabeth (Smith), 267.
Farrington, John, 267.
Farrington, John, Jr., 267.
Farrington, Job, 5.
Farrington, Joseph, 57, 116, 267.
Farrington, Lydia, 335.
Farrington, Theophilus, 93, 140,
206, 267.
Farrington, Thomas, 106.
Farrington, Capt. Wilham, 30, 33, 38,
40, 46, 48, 49, 50, 53, 68, 75, 268,
388.
Fayette Street, 27, 31.

Fearn, James, 116, 272.
Federal Street, 27, 30.
Felt, Mrs. Abigail, 460.
Felt, Eunice, 431.
Felt, Aaron, 272.
Felt, Jonathan, 80, 272.
Felt, Joseph, 92, 109, 272.
Felt, Joshua, 43, 272.
Felt, Mary (Waitt), 272.
Felt, Robert, 80, 110, 141.
Felton, Mary, 457.
Fiske, Dudley B., 438.
Fiske, Eunice, 344.
Flagg, Rev. Ebenezer, 273.
Flagg, Gershom, 273.
Flagg, Hannah, 205.
Flagg, Dr. John, 11, 18, 21, 30, 98,
119, 189, 233, 273.
Flagg, Samuel, 101.
Flagg, Thomas, 273.
Flax Pond, 2.
Fleming, Michael, 143, 276.
Flinn, John, 100, 143.
Flint, Ede, 362.
Flint, Ede (Upton), 362.
Flint, or Flin, Mary, 328.
Flint, Capt. Samuel, 64, 362.
Flint, Sarah, 464.
Flint Street, 29.
Flint, William, 39, 43, 48, 276.
Florence, Charles, 58, 93, 100, 125,
126,157,276,338.
Florence, Mary (Kilby), 276.
Florence, Thomas, 57, 93, 111, 230.
Flynn, John, 140, 279.
Follett, Abiah (Hodges), 462.
Follett, Jonathan, 462.
Follett, Martha, 462.
Folsom, Peter, 279.
Fortune, A negro, 100, 280.
Foster, Andrew, 280.
Foster, Gideon, 69.
Fourth Company of Foot, 35.
Fowle, Susanna, 273.

[Vii]

Index

Francis, Capt. Ebenezer, 67, 69, 103.
Franklin, Benjamin, 101.
Franklin Street, 27.
Fraser, Brig. -Gen., 102.
Freedom, Brigantine, 129.
Freeman's Farm, 104.
French and Indian War, 5.
Fresh Marsh Lane, 30.
Frost, Samuel, 224.
Fuller, Anna, 239.
Fuller, Archealus, 67.
Fuller, David, 280.
Fuller, Ensign John, 5.
Fuller, Eunice (Potter), 374.
Fuller, Jonathan, 58, 280.
Fuller, Joseph, 374.
Fuller, Peter, 280.
Fuller, Potter, 57, 280.
Fuller, Sarah, 374.
Gage, Gen., 15, 18, 23, 40, 42, 43,
47.
Gaines, Mrs. Anna, 463.
Galeucia, Capt. Daniel, 31, 78, 150,
281, 336.
Galeucia, Martha Norton, 281.
Galeucia, Warren A., 281.
Gardner, Benjamin, 69.
Gardner, Dr. James, 274, 386, 439.
Garey, Rebecca, 373.
" General Gates," Bark, 129.
Gates, Major-Gen. Horatio, 77, 97,
102, 103, 124, 136.
Germain, Lord George, 96.
Garrett, David, Jr., 80.
Garrett, John, 81.
Germaine Flats, 206.
Gerrish, Col. Jacob, 108.
Gerrish, Col. Samuel, 73, 74, 150.
Gerry, Elbridge, 66.
Gloucester, 78.
Glover, Brig.-Gen. John, 94, 99,
106, 107, 119, 127, 133, 139, 142,
167.

Goldthwaite, Benjamin, 212, 282.
Goldthwaite, Charity (Edwards-
Crafts), 282.
Goldthwaite, Sarah, 370.
Goldthwaite, Ebenezer, 370.
Goldthwaite, Sarah (Newman), 370.
Goodale, Mary, 185.
Goodridge, Jane, 346.
Goodwin, Rebecca, 338.
Goold, Lieut, 284.
Gordon, Frederick A., 426.
Gott, Cuff (Csesar), 143, 283.
Gott, Lydia, 223.
Gould, Lieut., 45, 224.
Gould, Thomas, 100.
Gowing, Mrs. Deliverance, 285.
Gowing, Daniel, 283.
Gowing, Ezekiel, 52.
Gowing, James, 49, 284.
Gowing, John, 284.
Gowing, Joseph, 21, 34, 36, 39, 284,
406.
Gowing, Samuel, 284.
Gowing, Sarah (Hawkes), 284.
Gowing, Thomas, 284.
Grass Lane, 27.
Gravesend, 2.
Graves, Isaiah, 36.
Graves, Jacob C, 285.
Graves, Joseph, 109.
Graves, Mrs. Sarah, 285.
Graves, Samuel, 5.
Gray, Alice, 374.
Gray, Mary, 258.
Gray, William, 260, 274.
Greaton, Col., 133, 140.
Green, Lieut.-Col. Christopher, 78.
Green, Deacon Daniel, 409.
Green, James, 286.
Green, Martha, 371.
Green Mountains, 107.
Greene, Nathanael, 72, 76, 119.
Green, Rhoda, 409.
Green, Susanna, 446.

[ viii ]

Index

Green, William, 446.
Greenwood, Capt. Miles, 108.
Gridley, Col. Richard, 74, 85.
Gridley, Major Scarborough, 70, 73,
74.
Gross, Susannah, 416.
Grover, Abigail, 214.
Hackensack River, 88.
Hadley, Abigail, 286.
Hadley, Anthony, 286.
Hadley, Moses, 110.
Hadley, Thomas, 38, 43, 48, 276,
286!
Hall, Dorcas, 287, 465.
Hall, Ephraim, 287, 465.
Hall, James, 100, 287.
Hall, John, xv, 101, 287.
Hall, Lieut., 224.
Hall, Mary (Brown), 287, 465.
Hall, Rebecca, 189.
Hall, Thomas, 30, 57, 112, 287.
Hallowell, Chary ty (Mansfield), 288.
Hallowell, Edward, 288.
Hallowell, Elizabeth, 401.
Hallowell, Henry, 31, 79, 80, 84,
86, 88, 100, 106, 183, 288, 338,
349, 369.
Hallowell, John, 141.
Hallowell, Mehitable (Breed), 189,
288.
Hallowell, Samuel, 80, 110, 288, 291.
Hallowell, Theophilus, 31, 75, 292.
Hampshire County, 91.
Hancock, John, 66.
Harlem Heights, 86.
Harlow, Jonathan, 81.
Harrington, Abigail (Dunster), 368.
Harrington, Anna, 367.
Harrington, Caleb, 111.
Harrington, Jonathan, 368.
Harris, Peter, 93, 116, 293.
Hart, Aaron, 297.
Hart, Abagail, 432.

Hart, Anna, 340.
Hart, Deborah, 266.
Hart, Ebenezer, 100, 143, 293, 295.
Hart, Eunice, 448.
Hart, Eunice (Burrill), 340, 448.
Hart, Isaac, 5, 293.
Hart, Jacob, 100, 143, 295.
Hart, John, 295, 296, 297.
Hart, Jonathan, 432.
Hart, Joseph, 29, 296, 340, 448.
Hart's Lane, 29.
Hart, Lydia (Curtis), 295.
Hart, Mrs. Mary, 383.
Hart, Mehitable (Endicott), 297.
Hart, Mercy (Hawkes), 432.
Hart, Moses, 297.
Hart, Phoebe (Ivory), 296.
Hart, Ruth, 255.
Hart, Samuel, 296. •
Hart, Sarah, 353.
Hart, Tabitha (Collins), 297.
Hart, Zerubbabel, 42, 43, 297.
Harwood Street, 27.
Haven, Elias, 48.
Hawkes, Adam, xx, 298, 299, 300.
Hawkes, Alehony, 299.
Hawkes, Elbridge Gerry, 438.
Hawkes, Elkanah, 299, 302.
Hawkes, Eunice, 200, 306, 438.
Hawkes, Eunice (Newhall), 302.
Hawkes, George, 300.
Hawkes, Hannah, 298, 302.
Hawkes, Hannah (Priest), 298. »
Hawkes, Huldah (Brown), 300, 306.
Hawkes, John, xx, 298, 300.
Hawkes, Lydia, 306.
Hawkes, Mary B., 300.
Hawkes, Mercy, 405, 432.
Hawkes, Moses, 300.
Hawkes, Nathan, 143, 240, 300, 301,
302.
Hawkes, Nathan Mortimer, 301, 430.
Hawkes, Rachel, 300.
Hawkes, Sarah, 260, 284, 324, 456.

[ix]

Ind

ex

Hawkes, Susannah (Hitchings), 300.
Hawkes, Thomas, 302.
" Hazard," Brig, 129.
Hazeltine, or Hazleton, Rebecca, 414.
Heard, Amos, 116.
Heard, Mary, 311.
Heath, Gen. William, 68, 76, 120,
124.
Henchman, Rev. Nathaniel, 189, 244.
Herkimer County, New York, 206.
Herrick, Benjamin, 302.
Herrick, Henry, 67.
Herrick, Joseph, 69.
Herrick, Dr. Martin, 129, 298, 302.
Herrick, Sarah (Potter), 302.
Hicks, Lydia, 193.
Hicks, William, 303.
Higginson, Francis, xviii, xix, xx.
High Rock, 1.
Hill, Hannah (Beens), 303, 304,
305.
Hill, John, 303, 304, 305.
Hills, Mary, 236.
Hill, Richard, 58, 100, 143, 303.
Hill, Robert, 304.
Hill, William, 57, 305.
Hiller, Capt. Joseph, 115.
Hingham, xv.
Hinkson, Elizabeth (Jeffords), 286.
Hinkson, Peter, 286.
Hinkson, Rebecca, 286.
Hitchings, Abijah, 305.
Hitchings, Daniel, 240, 300, 305,
306, 307.
Hitchings, Elkanah, 309.
Hitchings, Eunice (Newhall), 309.
Hitchings, Ezra, 301, 308.
Hitchings, Hannah, 300.
Hitchings, Hannah (Ingalls), 305,
306, 307.
Hitchings, John, 306.
Hitchings, Keturah (Newhall), 308,
367.
Hitchings, Nathan, 143, 306.

Hitchings, Nathaniel, 100, 307.
Hitchings, Sarah, 300.
Hitchings, Susannah, 300.
Hitchings, Thomas, 140, 308.
Hitchings, William, 309.
Hitchins, Daniel, 5.
Hodgkins, Elizabeth, 380.
Holloway, Joseph, 288, 292.
Holmes, George, 309.
Holt, Mary, 329.
Holton, Ruth, 324.
Holton, Dr. Samuel, 67.
Holyoke, Edward, 201, 450.
Holyoke, Mary, 449.
Hood, Moses, 110.
Hooper, Rebecca, 324.
Hopkins, Charles, 143, 309.
Houghton, Cyrus W., 220.
Howard, Mrs. Eunice, 466.
Howard, Ezekiel, 93, 309, 310.
Howard, Joshua, 110, 111, 141, 310.
Howard, Lois, 392.
Howard, Margaret (Newman), 309,
310.
Howard, Phcebe, 453.
Howe, Daniel, 4.
Howe, Gen., 23, 83, 86, 96, 97, 103,
104, 105, 117, 136.
Howe, Lord, 121, 122.
Howland's Ferry, 119.
Hubbardton, 103.
Hudson, Anna, 255.
Hudson, Benjamin, 29, 111, 116,
310, 394.
Hudson, Catherine, 356.
Hudson, Catherine (Kilby), 277, 311.
Hudson, Elizabeth (Moulton), 394.
Hudson, Jonathan, 310.
Hudson, Marv. 277, 310,
Hudson, Moses, 277, 311.
Hudson River, 86, 96.
Hudson, Sally, 394.
Hudson Square, 29, 30.
Hudson, Thomas, xx. Ill, 116.

[x]

Index

Hudson, Thomas Kilbv, 311.
Hudson, William, 40, 281, 349, 401,
402.
Hudson, William E., 311.
Hull, xv.
Hunnewell, Mary, 404.
Hunnewell, Richard, 404.
Hunt, John, 80, 100, 159, 311.
Hunting, Ruth, 344.
Hunting, Sarah B., 237.
Huntington, Gen. Jedediah, 99.
Hussey, Salvenas, 11.
Hutchinson, Catherine (Bryant), 311.
Hutchinson, Eunice, 421.
Hutchinson, Gov., 8.
Hutchinson, Col. Israel, 69, 76, 88.
Hutchinson, Nathaniel, 311, 312.
Hutchinson, Sarah, 456.
Hutchinson, Timothy, 109, 312.
Hutchinson, Thomas, 58, 312.
Increase Newhall Tavern, 35.
Independence, Fort, 86.
Ingalls, Abigail (Stocker), 312, 358.
Ingalls, Anne, 314, 325.
Ingalls, Benjamin, 312.
Ingalls, Daniel, 302, 313.
Ingalls, Deborah, 334.
Ingalls, Edmund, xviii, xxi, 314, 315,
358.
Ingalls, Eleazer Collins, 31, 313.
Ingalls, Elizabeth, 406, 458, 460.
Ingalls, Francis, xviii, xxi.
Ingalls, Hannah, 305, 306, 307, 360.
Ingalls, Jacob, 31, 227, 301, 314, 315,
325, 334.
Ingalls, Jacob, Jr., 315.
Ingalls, John, 312, 358, 360.
Ingalls, Joseph, 313, 315.
Ingalls, Lydia, 358.
Ingalls, Lydia (Lewis), 406.
Ingalls, Mary (Lane), 315.
Ingalls, Mary (Tucker), 314, 334.
Ingalls, Nathaniel, 314, 315, 407.

Ingalls, Rebecca, 325, 407.
Ingalls, Rebecca (Collins), 313.
Ingalls, Samuel, 316, 406.
Ingalls, Sarah, 316.
Ingalls, Sarah (Fletcher), 313.
Ingalls, Sarah (Ingalls), 316.
Ingalls, Tabitha (Lewis), 315, 407.
Ingalls, William, 315.
Inguls, Sally, 227.
Ipswich, 19, 78.
Ireson, Anna, 420.
Ireson Avenue, 31.
Ireson, Azuba, 420.
Ireson, Edward, 31, 301, 317, 406.
Ireson, Eliza, 227. 316.
Ireson, Hepzibah (Ingalls), 316, 317,
406.
Ireson, John, 31, 109, 110, 111, 116,
141, 302, 317, 420.
Ireson, Samuel, 36.
Ireson, Samuel S., 317, 460.
Ivory, Phcebe, 296.
Ivory, Elizabeth, 402.
Jacobs, Benjamin, 140, 318.
Jacobs, John, 100, 143, 319.
James, Benjamin, 319.
James, Sagamore, xix.
Jameson, Lieut.-Col., 138.
Jarvis, Enoch, 320.
Jeffrey, Joseph, Jr., 320.
Jenks, Abigail (Wait).
Jenks, Mary, 212.
Jenks, Sarah, 318.
Jennesey, Catherine, 185.
Jersey Prison Ship, 131.
Johnson, Benjamin, 31, 143, 270,
320, 422.
Johnson, Benjamin B., 29.
Johnson, Bethia (Newhall), 323, 325,
440.
Johnson, Deborah, 357.
Johnson, Edward, 30, 78, 80, 322,
323, 325, 440, 442.

[Xi]

Index

Johnson, Edward, Jr., 323.
Johnson, Elizabeth, 440.
Johnson, George, 324.
Johnson, Holton, 113, 123, 324.
Johnson, Isaac, xviii, xix.
Johnson, James, 324.
Johnson, John, 324.
Johnson, Jonathan, 322.
Johnson, Joseph, 324.
Johnson, Lydia (Newhall), 325.
Johnson, Nehemiah, 325.
Johnson, Pharaoh, 325.
Johnson, Rebecca (Dennis), 324.
Johnson, Richard, xxi.
Johnson, Rufus, 141.
Johnson, Ruth (Holton), 324.
Johnson, Samuel, 64, 111, 112, 324.
Johnson, Sarah (Mansfield), 322.
Johnson, Timothy, 57, 325.
Johnson, William, 80, 117, 325.
" Junius Brutus," Ship, 129.
Keff, Probably Keefe, Michael, 326.
Kellse, Rebecca, 197.
Kertland, Philip, 28.
Kilby, Mary, 276.
Kimball, Capt. Benjamin, 69, 72.
King, Abigail, 258.
King's Beach, 3.
King, Daniel, 4.
King's Ferry, 137.
King, Joseph, 116.
King Philip's War, 5.
King, Capt. Samuel, 76, 78, 80.
Kirtland Street, 29.
Knight, Hannah, 273.
Knight, Nathaniel, 80.
Knowlton, Bethia, 280.
Knox, Gen. Henry, 76, 82, 99.
Lacey, Samuel, 326.
Lafayette, 101, 119, 120, 122.
Laighton Street, 27.

Laith, or Lathe, Ebenezer, 116, 326.
Lamb, Col., 139.
Lampress, Nicholas, 80.
Lankaster, Henry, 80.
Lane, Capt. John, 64.
Lane, Mary, 315.
Larrabee, Abigail, 306.
Larrabee, Benjamin, 80, 327.
Larrabee, David, 327.
Larrabee, Elizabeth, 326.
Larrabee, Elizabeth (Trask), 327.
Larrabee, Ephraim, 186.
Larrabee, Hannah, 373.
Larrabee, Isaac, 328.
Larrabee, James, 99, 329.
Larrabee, John, 329.
Larrabee, Joseph, 327, 330.
Larrabee, Martha (Towne), 328.
Larrabee, Mehitable, 185.
Larrabee, Sarah, 276.
Larrabee, Stephen, 330.
Laskey, William, 330.
Lawrence, Dolly, 389.
Learned, Ebenezer, 66.
Lee, Arthur, 23.
Lee, Gen. Charles, 77, 94, 118.
Lee, Edward, 109.
Lee, Fort, 88.
Lee, Rev. Jesse, 321.
Lee, John Charles, 331.
Leeds, Amos, 331.
Lelax, James, 331.
Leslie, Col. 21.
Lewis, Abigail, 394.
Lewis, Mrs. Abigail (Brooks), 333.
Lewis, Alonzo, xviii, 3, 43, 79.
Lewis, Benjamin, 331.
Lewis, Caleb, 141, 332.
Lewis, David, 57, 93, 117, 301, 331.
Lewis, Edmund, 313, 316, 386.
Lewis, Edmund, Jr., 332.
Lewis, Elizabeth, 313.
Lewis, Elizabeth (Newhall), 313, 315.
Lewis, Hannah (Fuller), 332.

[xii]

Index

Lewis, Hepzibah (Breed), 189, 313,
316, 386.
Lewis, Isaac, 141, 332.
Lewis, John, 301, 313, 315, 333, 394.
Lewis, John, Jr., 333.
Lewis, Joseph, 140,
Lewis, Lydia, 316, 406.
Lewis, Martha, 315.
Lewis, Mary, 211, 244.
Lewis, Mary (Burrill), 244.
Lewis, Mary (Newhall), 331, 333.
Lewis, Nathan, 331, 333.
Lewis, Sally, 394. •
Lewis, Samuel, 333.
Lewis, Sarah, 386.
Lewis Street, 27.
Lewis, Tabitha, 315, 407.
Lincoln, Gen. Benjamin, 66, 103.
Lindsey, Abigail (Blaney), 337.
Lindsey, Anna (Breed), 337, 338.
Lindsey, Benjamin, 333.
Lindsey, Blaney, 109, 333.
Lindsey, Christopher, xx, 334.
Lindsey, Daniel, 31, 57, 93, 334, 442.
Lindsey, Capt. Eleazer, 150, 281,
343, 335.
Lindsey, Elizabeth, 281.
Lindsey, Hannah, 281.
Lindsey, John, 5, 334.
Lindsey, John D., 399.
Lindsey, Joseph, 109, 112, 140, 336.
Lindsey, Joseph, Jr., 92, 337.
Lindsey, Lydia (Farington), 334.
Lindsey, Mary (Breed), 335.
Lindsey, Martha, 337, 338.
Lindsey, Phcebe, 386.
Lindsey, Ralph, 31, 80, 93, 157, 335,
337, 396, 453.
Lindsey, Ralph, Jr., 338.
Lindsey, Ruth, 324.
Lish, George, 339.
Livingstone, Zebiah, 215.
"Lively," Frigate, 44.
Lock, Rebecca, 205.

Locke, Jonathan, 5.
Locke, Persis, 463.
Long Island, 86.
Longfellow, Anne, 187.
Loring, John Lewis, 195.
Lovell, Gen. Solomon, 128.
Lothrop, Eaton W., 427.
Low, Capt. John, 69.
Lucomb, Alexander, 339.
Lucy Newhall's Lane, 27, 30.
Lufkin, Moses, 116.
Lummus, Dr. John, 192.
Luscomb, William, 116.
Luzgridge, Wilham, 339.
Lye, Elizabeth, 340.
Lye, Joseph, 92, 301, 339, 340.
Lye, Joseph, Jr., 340.
Lynde, Lydia, 411.
Lynnfield, 1, 22, 25, 26, 28, 36.
Lynn, Regis, 1.
Mackintire, Joseph, 80.
Maclean, Col., 128.
Maiden, John, 341.
Makepeace, Jonathan, 240.
Malacky, Hugh, 116.
Maiden, 35, 40.
Mall Street, 27, 30.
Manchester, 78.
Mann, Col., 68.
Mansfield, Andrew, xxi, 37, 39, 140,
269, 341, 343, 458.
Mansfield, Anna, 418.
Mansfield, Benjamin, 343.
Mansfield, Charles D., 248.
Mansfield, Daniel, 344.
Mansfield, Deacon Daniel, 7, 18, 21,
26, 52, 113, 269, 341, 343, 344,
350, 374.
Mansfield, Ebenezer, 42, 57, 344, 348.
Mansfield, Elizabeth, 399, 448.
Mansfield, Mrs. Elizabeth, 346.
Mansfield, Elizabeth (Benjamin),
348.

[ xiii ]

Index

Mansfield, Elizabeth (Whittemore),
448.
Mansfield's End, 2.
Mansfield, Epes, 109, 110, 344.
Mansfield's Hill, 2.
Mansfield, Joanna, 42, 193.
Mansfield, John, 260, 345, 353.
Mansfield, Col. John, 11, 19, 21,
30, 39, 40, 41, 48, 50, 52, 53, 56,
61, 62, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,
81, 82, 113, 143, 150, 233, 271,
371, 385.
Mansfield, Jonathan, 344.
Mansfield, Joseph, 345, 346.
Mansfield, Love, 374.
Mansfield, Lucy, 385.
Mansfield, Lydia (Newhall), 341,
344, 350, 374.
Mansfield, Martha, 292.
Mansfield, Martha (Stocker), 344.
Mansfield, Mary, 227, 239, 383.
Mansfield, Mary (Hart), 237.
Mansfield, Mary (Hawkes), 343, 349.
Mansfield, Mary (Newhall), 344,
345.
Mansfield, Mary (Rann), 345, 418.
Mansfield, Nathaniel, 116.
Mansfield, Richard, 240, 345, 448.
Mansfield, Robert, 30, 220, 342, 344,
345, 397, 418.
Mansfield, Rufus, 29, 33, 38, 46, 49,
52, 53, 301, 346.
Mansfield, Samuel, 80, 183, 397.
Mansfield, Sarah, 221, 322, 371.
Mansfield, Sarah (Breed), 343.
Mansfield, Sarah (Stocker), 345, 346.
Mansfield, Susanna, 220.
Mansfield, Thomas, 111, 343, 349.
Mansfield, William, 80, 141, 342,
350, 401.
Marble, Abigail (Hart), 378.
Marble, Ede, 378.
Marble, James, 111, 351.
Marble, Samuel, 378.

Marblehead, 3, 22, 78, 123, 127, 129.
Marblehead Lane, 27, 46.
Marden, John, 143.
Marion Street, 30.
Market Street, 27, 31.
Marsh, Lieut-Col., 72.
Marshall, Benjamin, 352.
Marshall, Capt. Thomas, 4.
Marston, Mrs. Elizabeth, 431.
Marston, Capt. Manassah, 429.
Marston, Mrs. Zerviah, 429.
Martin, Domingo, 352.
Martin, Jesse, 352.
Martin, Josiah, 11, 140, 352, 379.
Marvel, James, 58.
Mason, Col. David, 22.
Massey, Benjamin, 110, 140, 353,
448.
Massey. Jane, 448.
Massey, Sarah (Hart), 353, 448.
Mather's Magnalia, xvii.
Matthews, James, 69.
McDonald, Donald. 354.
McNuff, Mary, 432.
McRea, Jennie, 106, 160.
Meacham, Isaac, 39, 110, 111, 333,
354.
Meacham, Ruth (Dunnell), 333.
Meacham, Susannah, 333.
Meachem, Lydia (Lay ton), 354.
Mead, Benjamin, 108, 259, 355.
Mead, John, 140. 143, 3o.~>.
Mead, Susannah (Thompson), 355.
Meeds, Benjamin, 57.
Medford, 35, 40, 48.
Meek, John, 80.
Meigs, Major Jonathan, 78.
Mclzard, Capt. John, 356.
Menotomy, 40, 41, 42, 48.
Mercer, Fort, 117.
Merriam, Esther, 287.
Merritt, Lydia, 346.
Merry House, 209.
Middlesex County, 5. 91.

[xiv]

Index

Middleton, Douglass, 169.
Mifflin, Fort, 117.
Miller, Lieut-Col., 72.
Millet, Joseph, 116.
Mills, Amos, 48.
Mill Street, 27.
" Minit Company," 34.
Mohawk, 96, 106.
Monmouth, 119.
Montgomery, 77, 85.
Moore, Francis, 15.
Morgan, Daniel, 77, 78.
Morris, Robert, 94.
Morristown, 89, 97, 117.
Mottey, Rev. Joseph, 187.
Moulton, Ezekiel, 31, 286, 356.
Moulton, Ezra, 140, 182, 286, 356.
Moulton, John T., 245.
Moulton, Joseph, 356.
Moulton, Robert, 356.
Moulton, Sarah, 286, 356.
Mount Wrachusett, xv.
Mudge, Enoch, 313, 357.
Mudge, Ezra, 360, 369.
Mudge, James, 358.
Mudge, John, 342, 357, 359, 360.
Mudge, Mrs. Mary, 342.
Mudge, Mary (Waite), 342, 357, 359,
360.
Mudge, Nathan, 109, 110, 227, 359.
Mudge, Parker, 227.
Mudge, Samuel, 116, 360.
Mudge, Thomas, 357.
Mullen, James, 360.
Mulliken, Lydia, 241.
Mulliken, Susannah, 241.
Munroe, George, Jr., 361.
Munroe, Timothy, 43, 44, 361.
Munroe, Timothy, Jr., 362.
Mystic River, 107.
Nahant, xv, xix, 25, 26, 28.
Nahum-Keike, xvii, xviii.
Nanapashemet, 1.

Nantasket Roads, 83, 85.
Narragansetts, 5.
Narremore, Sarah, 224.
Naumkeag, xvii.
Needham, 48.
Needham, Daniel, 362.
Needham, Elizabeth, 63.
Needham, Elizabeth (Moulton), 362.
Needham, Mary, 453.
Needham, Nathaniel, 175.
Needham, Stephen, 362.
New Bedford, 123.
Newbury, 78.
Newburyport, 2, 78.
Newhall, Aaron, 301, 363.
Newhall, Abigail, 434.
Newhall, Abigail (Hansin), 373.
Newhall, Abigail (Locker), 388.
Newhall, Abigail (Norwood), 377,
381.
Newhall, Allen, 29, 39, 140, 248, 363,
371, 418.
Newhall, Amos, 116, 364, 395.
Newhall, Andrew, 109, 112, 116, 140,
206, 365.
Newhall, Andrew, Jr., 366.
Newhall, Asa, 366.
Newhall, Asa Tarbell, 367.
Newhall, Dr. Asa T., 424.
Newhall, Benjamin, 21, 52, 140, 260,
363, 367, 382.
Newhall, Benjamin, F., 278, 318,
379, 419, 434.
Newhall, Bethia, 206, 322, 323, 440.
Newhall, Blaney, 140.
Newhall, Bridget, 292.
Newhall, Calley, 29, 183, 367.
Newhall, Calvin, 99, 143, 370.
Newhall, Mrs. Catherine, 426.
Newhall, Charles, 29, 248, 364, 371,
418, 442.
Newhall, Charles Henry, 27.
Newhall, Daniel, 363.
Newhall, Daniel, Jr., 372.

[XV]

Index

Newhall, Daniel Allen Breed, 29, 64,
80, 248, 371, 418, 442.
Newhall, David, 141.
Newhall, Ebenezer, 251, 299, 301,
373, 390.
Newhall, Elisha, 112, 116, 343, 373.
Newhall, Elizabeth, 188, 233, 395.
Newhall, Ehzabeth (Bancroft), 366.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Breed), 251.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Fowle), 363, 382.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Hodgman), 384,
387, 394, 395.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Johnson), 386.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Pecks), 392.
Newhall, Elizabeth (Potter), 322,
365.
Newhall, Ephraim, 5.
Newhall, Esther, 302, 461.
Newhall, Eunice, 299, 302.
Newhall, Ezekiel, 374.
Newhall, Ezra, 100, 109, 375, 392.
Newhall, Col. Ezra, 30, 33, 38, 39,
40, 41, 49, 50, 52, 56, 57, 68, 69,
70, 76, 82, 83, 84, 88, 89, 92, 93,
94, 105, 106, 126, 143, 171, 173,
374.
Newhall, Fales, 382.
Newhall, Fales Henry, 382.
Newhall, Hannah, 298, 383, 385,
395, 462.
Newhall, Hannah (Newhall), 372,
379, 388, 395.
Newhall, Hanson, 364.
Newhall, Huldah, 220.
Newhall, Increase, 31, 33, 57, 79,
269, 367, 376, 383, 394.
Newhall, Isaac, 372, 385.
Newhall, Jabez, 377, 387.
Newhall, Jacob, 33, 52, 116, 143,
370, 378, 379, 380, 381, 389.
Newhall, James (Squire Jim), 29,
111, 113, 140, 183, 371, 382, 427.
Newhall, Dr. Jim, 371.
Newhall, James, 383.

Newhall, Judge James R., 3, 79, 413.
Newhall, Jane (Breed), 343.
Newhall, Jedediah, 29, 197, 231, 366.
384.
Newhall, Jeremiah, 374, 462.
Newhall, Joel, 30, 63, 385.
Newhall, John, 376, 386, 388.
Newhall, Jonathan, 57, 110, 112, 116,
377, 381, 386.
Newhall, Jonathan, Jr., 386.
Newhall, Joseph, 23, 109, 110, 322,
343, 363, 366, 372, 384, 387, 394,
395.
Newhall, Joseph, Jr., 387.
Newhall, Josiah, 372, 379, 383, 385,
388, 395, 462.
Newhall, Katherine (Stone), 392.
Newhall, Locker, 370, 379.
Newhall, Lois (Burrill), 371.
Newhall, Lois (Howard), 386.
Newhall, Love, 248, 418.
Newhall, Love (Breed), 371.
Newhall, Lucretia, 289.
Newhall, Lydia, 272, 325, 343, 427.
Newhall, Lydia (Scarlet), 376, 386.
Newhall, Martha, 220, 289, 374.
Newhall, Margaret (Southwick), 364,
394.
Newhall, Mary, 200, 222, 248, 344,
402, 411.
Newhall, Mary (Breed), 363.
Newhall, Mary (Johnson), 375.
Newhall, Mary (Wright), 373, 389.
Newhall, Matthew, 373, 389.
Newhall, Mary (Newhall-Cheever),
390.
Newhall, Mercy, 252.
Newhall, Micajah, 31, 110, 116, 141,
230, 388.
Newhall, Moses, 298, 302, 437.
Newhall, Nathan, 388, 389, 442.
Newhall, Nathaniel, 80, 389.
Newhall, Nehemiah, 116, 367, 389.
Newhall, Noah, 140, 389.

[xvi ]

Index

Newhall, Onesimus, 58, 116, 128,
390.
Newhall, Rufus, 30.
Newhall, Ruth, 198, 218, 343.
Newhall, Mrs. Ruth (Bancroft), 343.
Newhall, Samuel, 374, 392.
Newhall, Sarah, 372, 417, 462.
Newhall, Sarah (Bates), 374, 462.
Newhall, Sarah (Lewis), 388.
Newhall, Sarah (Sargent), 374.
Newhall, Solomon, 80, 141, 375, 386,
392.
Newhall, Susanna, 219, 223, 260,
267, 437, 462.
Newhall, Susannah (Brown), 268,
366.
Newhall, Susannah (Bowden), 298,
302, 437.
Newhall, Susannah (Souden), 367,
376, 383, 394.
Newhall, Tabitha (Brown), 367, 389.
Newhall, Thomas, xx, 46, 311, 363,
366, 381, 394.
Newhall, Timothy, 109, 129, 183,
392, 412, 421.
Newhall, William, 39, 112, 116, 220.
Newhall, William R., D.D., 381.
Newhall, William Jr., 116, 394, 395.
New Jersey, 89, 103.
Newman, David, 93, 157, 332, 338,
396, 450.
Newman, Elizabeth, 396, 450.
Newman, John, 396.
Newman, Hannah, 332.
Newman, Margaret, 309, 310.
Newman, Sarah, 396.
Newman, Thomas, 109, 141, 396.
Newman, William, 397.
New Plymouth, xvii.
New York, 86, 88, 93.
Nichols, Elisha, 100, 397.
Nichols, Hannah, 454.
Nichols, James, 109.
Nichols, Lydia, 229.

Nichols, Capt. Noah, 99.
Nichols, Rebecca, 187.
Nichols, Thomas, 116.
Nixon, Col. John, 68, 105, 161, 181.
North Bend Street, 30.
North Bridge, Salem, 22.
North Castle, 94, 138.
North Federal Street, 29.
Norwich, 86.
Norwood, Abigail, 387.
Norwood, David, 297.
Norwood, Mary, 197, 344.
Norwood, Mehitable, 437.
Norwood, Sarah, 332.
Norwood, Thomas, Jr., 397, 398.
Norwood, William, 398.
Norwood, Zaccheus, 352, 379.
Nourse, Aaron, 99, 143, 162, 398.
Nourse, Elizabeth, 346.
Nourse, George, 387.
Nourse, Hannah, 387.
Nourse, James, 99, 183, 346, 398,
399.
Nourse, Mitchell, 109.
Nourse, Sylvester H., 399.
Nurse, Rebecca, 399.
Nutting, Ebenezer, 117.
Nye, Joseph, 258.
Old South Meeting-House, 13, 84.
Old Tunnel Meeting-House, 28.
Oliver, Henry, 219.
Organ, Isaac, 140, 183, 206, 401.
Orne, Lois, 187.
Orne, Samuel, 445.
Osgood, John, 81.
Oswego, 96.
Pappoon, Elizabeth, 402.
Pappoon, Richard, 31, 80, 109, 140,
402.
Parker, Capt. David, 20, 32, 35, 36,
38, 40. 41, 48, 49, 53, 403.
Parker, John H., 315.

[ xvii ]

Index

Parker, Jonathan, 48.
Parker, Capt. Moses, 64.
Parker, Noah, 143, 404.
Parker, Sir Peter, 114.
Park Street, 27.
Parrott, Benjamin, 301, 406.
Parrott, Daniel, 140, 406.
Parrott, James, 227.
Parrott, John, 407.
Parrott, Marstin, 80, 406, 407.
Parrott, Sally, 461.
Parsons, Ebenezer, 140, 201, 203,
294, 405.
Parsons, Mrs. Mary A., 201.
Parsons, Rev. Obadiah, 193, 248.
Parsons, Sarah, 199.
Patch, Isaac, 109.
Patch, Joseph, 116.
Patterson, Col., 72.
Paul, William, 100, 143, 408.
Payson, Rev. Phillips, 240.
Peabody, Brinsley, Jr., 92.
Peabody, Hannah, 386.
Peabody, Ruth (Storer), 386.
Peabody, Stephen, 386.
Pecks, Elizabeth, 375, 392.
Peck, Hannah, 417.
Pearce, Rebecca, 441.
Pedrick, Susanna, 461, 462.
Peekskill, 98, 105, 106.
Pelsue, John, 408.
Pelsue, William, 408.
Penny, William H, 227.
Pequots, 4.
Percy, Earl, 40, 87.
Perkins, Elizabeth, 195.
Perkins, John, 21, 406, 408.
Perkins, Mary, 432.
Perkins, Mrs." Mary, 363.
Perkins, Sarah, 408.
Perkins, William, 408.
Person, Abram, 110.
Perry, John, 409.
Perry, Sarah (Price), 409.

Perry, Thaddeus, 409.
Petticoat Lane, 27.
Philadelphia, 90, 102.
Phillips, Charles, 5.
Phillips, Lydia, 320, 422.
Phillips, Mary, 248.
Phillips, Major-Gen., 102.
Phillips, Rebecca, 218.
Phipps, Sarah, 361.
Pickering, Col. Timothy, 68, 76.
Pickman, Col. Benjamin, 203
Pigott, Major-Gen., 118.
Pierce, Benjamin, 48.
Pierce, John, 69.
Pierce, Joshua, 80.
Pitcairn, Major, 41.
"Pilgrim," Ship, 129.
Pitman, Joshua, 116.
Pitt, William, 10.
Pittsfield, 47.
Plains of Abraham, 5.
Pitcher, Moll, 191.
Plymouth, xvii, xix, 123.
Pollard, Capt , 94.
Pollard, Abner, 116.
Pomeroy, Seth, 66.
Pool, Capt. John, 20, 93, 409.
Poole, Elizabeth, 410.
Poole, John, xxi, 409.
Poole, Timothy, 410.
Pope, Ebenezer, 109.
Pope, Plncbe, 185.
Porter, Amos, 410.
Porter, Bill, 69.
Porter, Ebenezer, 58, 410.
Porter, H. E. V., 206.
Portsmouth, 2.
Potter, Anna, 233.
Potter, Benjamin, 411.
Potter, Benjamin Burrill, 411.
Potter, Burrill, 109, 110, 116.
Potter, Elizabeth, 365.
Potter, Eunice, 374.
Potter, Hannah (Brown), 411.

[ xviii ]

Index

Potter, Mary, 434.
Potter, Robert, xx.
Potter, Sarah, 302.
Powder Hill, 82.
Pratt, Amos, 411.
Pratt, David, 316.
Pratt, Lydia (Lynde), 411.
Pratt, Mercy, 316.
Pratt, Mercy (Upham), 316.
Pratt, Micajah C, 227.
Pratt, Richard, 325, 364.
Pratt, Thomas, 411.
Pratt, William Pell, 58.
Prescott, Col. James, 68.
Prescott, Col. William, 66, 68, 70.
Price, Sarah, 409.
Prince, Capt. Asa, 69.
Prince Street, Boston, 15.
Princeton, 89.
Pritchard, Thomas, 133.
Proctor, Annis, 412.
Proctor, Elizabeth (Ricker), 411.
Proctor, John, Jr., 412.
Proctor, John, 81, 93, 112, 129, 411.
Proctor, Joseph, 412.
Proctor, Joseph, Jr., 129.
Proctor, Mrs. Rachel, 428.
Proctor, William, 411.
Prospect Hill, 71, 82, 107.
"Protector," Ship, 129.
Purchis, Lieut. Oliver, 4.
Putnam, Benjamin, 20.
Putnam, Benjamin, Jr., 81.
Putnam, Capt. Enoch, 69, 406.
Putnam, Ezra, 69.
Putnam, Gen. Israel, 47, 70, 76, 98,
105.
Putnam, Col. Rufus, 98, 105, 133,
164.
Quebec, 77.
Queen Anne's War, 5.
Quincy, Josiah, 81.
Quiner, John, 353.

Quiner, Susannah (Williams), 353.
Quiner, Susannah, 353.
Ramsdell, Abednego, 31, 43, 46, 48,
50, 270, 276, 412, 422.
Ramsdell, Anna, 192.
Ramsdell, Deliverance (Smith), 311.
Ramsdell, Dorcas, 266.
Ramsdell, Ebenezer, 140, 413, 415,
417.
Ramsdell, Harthan, 100.
Ramsdell, Jacob, 414.
Ramsdell, James, 88, 93, 100, 143,
155, 414.
Ramsdell, James, Jr., 100, 414.
Ramsdell, Joanna (Downing), 415.
Ramsdell, John, xx, 116, 414.
Ramsdell, Joseph, 415.
Ramsdell, Keziali, 354.
Ramsdell, Kimball, or Kymball, 415.
Ramsdell, Love, 255.
Ramsdell, Lydia, 286, 310.
Ramsdell, Margerity, 414.
Ramsdell, Mary, 210, 333, 415.
Ramsdell, Mary (Batten) 415, 417.
Ramsdell, Mescheh, 31.
Ramsdell, Nathan, 58, 116, 415.
Ramsdell, Nathaniel, 415.
Ramsdell, Nehemiah, 116, 311, 410.
Ramsdell, Nehemiah, Jr., 416.
Ramsdell, Noah, 255, 412, 415, 417.
Ramsdell, Rachel, 415.
Ramsdell, Rebecca, 414.
Ramsdell, Rhoda, 311.
Ramsdell, Shadrach, 31, 93, 417.
Ramsdell, Silas, 58, 417.
Ramsdell, Susannah (Gross), 416.
Ramsdell, Tabitha, 415, 417.
Ramsdell, Timothy, 414, 417.
Ramsdell, Wilham, 417.
Ranger, Brigantine, 129.
Rann, Mary, 221.
Reading, 1, 4.
Reddin, Benjamin B., 417.

[xix ]

Ind

ex

Reddin, Jerusha, 417.
Reed, Col. James, 72.
Reed, Keziali, 261.
Rega, 206.
Revere, Paul, 34, 128.
Rhodes, Abigail, 418.
Rhodes, Amos, 442.
Rhodes Avenue, 30.
Rhodes, Ezra, 464.
Rhodes, Eunice, 258.
Rhodes, Hannah, 419.
Rhodes, Hezekiah, 418.
Rhodes, Hannah (Rhodes), 420.
Rhodes, Ignatius, 348, 418, 420, 421.
Rhodes, Jesse, 30, 110, 372, 386, 418.
Rhodes, John, 109, 110, 111, 143,
418, 419, 420.
Rhodes, Joseph, 141.
Rhodes, Josiah, 141, 183, 419.
Rhodes's, Lane, 27.
Rhodes, Mary, 348, 464.
Rhodes, Samuel, 5, 420.
Rhodes, Sarah (Merriam), 348, 418,
420, 421.
Rhodes, Thomas, 420.
Rhodes, William, 421.
"Rhodes," Ship, 129.
Rice, Beulah, 207.
Rich, Mrs. Daniel, 446.
Rich, James, 129, 392, 421.
Richards, Edward, xx, 422.
Richards, James, 421.
Richards, John, 320, 422, 425.
Richards, Joseph, 46, 93, 108, 270,
412, 422.
Richards, Lydia, 320.
Richards, Lydia (Phillips), 320, 422,
425.
Richards, Tabitha (Williams), 421.
Richards, William, 421, 425.
Richards, William, Jr., 425.
Richardson, Abigail (Buxton), 427.
Richardson, Capt. Addison, 68, 69,
134.

Richardson, Ebenezer, 31, 93, 110,
183, 426.
Richardson, Eleazer, 426.
Richardson, Mary, 222.
Richardson, Rebecca, 257, 426.
Richardson, Ruth, 458.
Richardson, Solomon (Solormon Rit-
chardson), 72, 426.
Richardson, Susannah (Carter), 426.
Riedesel, Major-Gen., 102.
Roberts, David, 116.
Roberts, Rachel, 321.
Roberts, Thomas, 115.
Robinson, James, 93, 427, 442.
Robinson, Capt. Joseph, 198.
Roby, Henry, 80, 428.
Roby, Joseph, Jr., 14, 430.
Roby, Rev. Joseph, 14, 52, 119, 428.
Roby, Mary, 188.
Roby, Rachel, 347.
Roby, Priscilla, 428.
Roby, Thomas, 430.
Rochester, 206.
Rogers, Daniel, 116.
Rogers, George W., 37, 219.
Rover, Brigantine, 129.
Roxbury, 11, .82.
Roxbury Neck, 35.
Rumney Marsh, 2.
Russell, Hannah, 356.
Russell, Jason, 43, 44, 48.
Russell, Seth, 224.
Russell, Sally, 320.
Sagamore Hill, 1.
Sagamore James, xviii.
Salem, xix, xx, xxi, 2, 19, 22, 27,
28, 48, 78, 127.
Salisbury, 78.
Saltonstall, Commodore Dudley, 128.
Saratoga, 105.
Sargent's Court, 29.
Sargent, Jenks, 368.
Sargent, Nathaniel, 158, 271.

[XX]

Index

Sargent, Sarah, 318.
Sargent, Sarah (Jenks), 318.
Saugus, xviii, 1, 2, 25, 26, 35, 39, 40,
42.
Saw Pitts, 93.
Sawtelle, Mrs. Sarah (Burrill), 242.
Sawyer, Dorcas, 431.
Sawyer, Lydia, 325, 444.
Sawyer, Major, 72.
Scammon, Col. James, 73.
Schuyler, Gen., 77, 85, 97, 98, 102,
103, 104, 105, 106.
Scituate, xv.
Scott, Daniel, 249.
Scott, Elizabeth, 249.
Seaver, Elijah, 224.
Second Company of Foot, 34.
Shaw, Benjamin, 116.
Shays, Capt., 180.
Sheldon, Ephraim, 431.
Sheldon, Francis, 185, 431.
Sheldon, Lydia, 431.
Shepard Street, 27.
Sherman, Dorcas (Sawyer), 431.
Sherman, Kate, 234.
Sherman, Nathaniel, 21, 234, 355,
431.
Sherman, Rebecca, 355.
Sherman, Susannah, 234.
Shorey, John L., 31.
Simmons, Pomp, 169.
Skenesborough, 103.
Skerry, Henry, 116.
Skilling, Elizabeth, 232.
Skilling, Ruth (Phillips), 232.
Skinner, Benjamin S., 196, 288, 368.
Skinner, William, 110, 111.
Sloan, Sarah, 428.
Smith, Abigail, 293, 405.
Smith, Abraham, 110.
Smith, Amos, 293, 432.
Smith, Elizabeth, 210, 214, 267.
Smith, Elizabeth (Lynde), 433.
Smith, Esther, 198.

Smith, Francis, Jr., 433.
Smith, Francis, 299, 433.
Smith, Henry E., 294.
Smith, John, 141, 433.
Smith, Jonathan, 344, 405.
Smith, Joshua H., 137.
Smith, Lieut-Col., 41.
Smith, Polly, 293.
Smith, Mary (Perkins), 432.
Smith, Mercy (Hawkes), 405.
Smith, Mrs. Mary (Sarah?), 457.
Smith, Ruth (Hunting), 344.
Smith, Sally, 344.
Smith, Mrs. Susanna, 410.
Smith, Susannah (Souden), 383.
South Kingston, R.L., 5.
South Reading, 41.
Southwick, Margaret, 395.
Sorel River, 96.
Spaulding, Col., 68.
Spofford, David, Jr., 273.
Spofford, Elizabeth, 272.
Spofford, Elizabeth (Griffin), 273.
Sprague, Peter, 100.
Springfield, 47, 107.
Stacy, Ambrose, 433.
Stacey, Ebenezer, 100, 433.
Stacey, Henry, 5.
Stacey, Nathaniel, 110.
Stanwix, Fort, 104, 132.
Stark, Gen. John, 71, 76, 77, 104.
Steuben, Baron, 117.
Stevens, Major Ebenezer, 99.
Stephen Hall Farm, 227.
Stewart, Robert, 101.
Stickney, J. C, 369.
Stillwater, 103, 105, 106.
Stocker, Abigail, 312.
Stocker, Ebenezer, 57, 434.
Stocker, Ebenezer, Jr., 57, 435.
Stocker, Elijah, 111, 268, 436.
Stocker, Elizabeth, 394.
Stocker, Mrs. Elizabeth, 343.
Stocker, Elizabeth (Griffin), 437.

[xxi]

Index

Stacker, Elizabeth Mansfield, 394,
436, 437.
Stocker, Enoch, 100, 436.
Stocker, Ephraim, 272, 435, 436.
Stocker, Hannah, 272.
Stocker, James, 100.
Stocker, Jane, 227.
Stocker, John, 434, 436.
Stocker, Joseph, 57, 108, 110, 140.
Stocker, Capt. Joseph, 437.
Stocker, Lydia, 435.
Stocker, Lydia (Newhall), 272.
Stocker, Martha, 344.
Stocker, Mary, 207.
Stocker, Ruth (Breed), 227, 434, 436.
Stocker, Samuel, 437.
Stocker, Sarah, 195, 268.
Stocker, Susanna, 455.
Stocker, Thomas, 268, 277, 394,
436, 437.
Stocker, Thomas T., 276.
Stone, Edward, 116.
Stone, Elizabeth, 377.
Stone, Joseph, 116.
Stone, Katherine, 392.
Stone, Mary, 192.
Stone, Rebecca, 227.
Stone, Robert, 110.
Stone, Sarah, 257.
Storer, Ruth, 386.
Strawberry Avenue, 27, 63.
Strawberry Lane, 30.
Strawberry Brook, 2, 30.
St. Clair, Gen., 102, 103.
St. Andrew's Lodge, 248.
St. Lawrence River, 96.
St. Leger, Col., 96, 104.
Suffolk County, 5, 24, 91.
Sullivan, Gen. John, 71, 76, 97, 118,
121, 122, 129.
Swain, John, 93, 143, 438.
Swain, Sarah, 438.
Swamp Fight, 5.
Swampscott, 1, 25, 26, 46.

Sweet, or Swett, Anna, 310.
Sweetser, Major Benjamin, 262.
Sweetser, Lydia, 262.
Sweetser, Lydia (Hawkes), 439.
Sweetser, Mary (Rhodes), 439.
Sweetser, Nancy, 258.
Sweetser, Phineas, 439.
Sweetser, Samuel, 110, 112,307,439.
Sweetser, William, 258, 262.
Symonds, Francis, 67.
Swift, Patience, 372.
Symons, or Simms, John, 141, 439.
Talbot, Ambrose, 440.
Tallmadge, Major, 138.
Tappan, 137, 138, 139.
Tarbell, Jonathan, 366, 457.
Tarbell, Mary, 366.
Tarbell, Sarah, 366.
Tarbell, Mary (Felton), 457.
Tarbell, Rebecca, 457.
Tarbox, Abigail (Baxter), 440, 44.
Tarbox, Andrew, 5.
Tarbox, Anna, 440.
Tarbox, Baxter, 440.
Tarbox, Benjamin, 58, 93, 100, 111,
116, 440.
Tarbox, Daniel, 441.
Tarbox, Jacob, 440, 441.
Tarbox, Joanna, 412.
Tarbox, Mary, 441.
Tarbox, Nathaniel, 30, 49, 58, 116,
141, 441, 442.
Tarbox, Nathaniel, Jr., 30, 93, 116,
442.
Tarbox, Rebecca, 419.
Tarbox, Rebecca (Pearce), 442.
Tarbox, Samuel, 5.
Tarbox, Timothy, 110.
Tarbox, William, 30, 81, 85, 92,
116, 141, 183, 301, 443.
Tarrytown, 139.
"Tartar," Ship, 129.
Taunton, 119.

[ xxii ]

Index

Taylor, Abigail, 214.
Taylor, Father, Edward T., 301.
Taylor, Mary, 203, 261.
Taylor, Samuel, 186.
Taylor, Thomas, 107.
Thissel, Sarah, 280.
Thomas, Eliza, 281.
Thomas, Mrs. Elizabeth (Tarbox),
281.
Thomas, Gen., 76, 82, 85.
"Thomas," Ship, 129.
Thompson, Anne, 238.
Thompson, Edward, 117, 444.
Thompson, James, 141.
Thompson, Susannah, 355.
Three County Troop, 5.
Ticonderoga, 5, 82, 97, 102, 103,
117.
Titcomb, Col. Jonathan, 115, 120.
Tiverton, 119, 120, 122.
Tomlins, Edward, 4.
Tower Hill, 2, 29, 40.
Towne, Martha, 328.
Townsend, Andrew, 5.
Townsend, Betty, 350.
Townsend, Daniel, 43, 48, 208, 259.
276, 342, 350, 444, 461.
Townsend, Lydia (Sawyer), 444,
446.
Townsend, Sarah, 410.
Townsend, Thomas, xxi, 143, 350,
406, 446.
Townsend, William H., 446.
" Towny," 27.
Tracey, Cyrus M., 245.
Trask, Elizabeth, 330.
Treadwell, Rev. John, 25, 52, 190,
447.
Trench, William, 58, 448.
Trenton, 89, 94.
Trumbull, Mary, 188.
Tuck, John, 111.
Tucker, Adjutant, 171.
Tucker, Ehzabeth, 314.

Tucker, John, 314.
Tucker, Mary, 314.
Tufts, David, 183, 448.
Tufts, Grimes, 57, 69, 449.
Turner, Edward, 449.
Turner, Capt. Nathaniel, 3.
Tuttle, Anne, 240.
Tuttle, Ebenezer, 111, 449.
Tuttle, Edward, 449.
Tuttle, Joanna, 452.
Tuttle, John, 100, 449, 450, 451.
Tuttle, John, Jr., 450.
Tuttle, Mary (Burrill), 450, 451.
Tuttle, Richard, 112, 449, 450.
Tuttle, Samuel, 451.
Tuttle, Mrs. Susanna (Florence),
278.
Tuttle, Thomas, 112.
Tuttle, William, 452.
Twiss, or Twist, Anna, 225.
Twist, Benjamin, 58, 450.
Twist, Ephraim, 92, 338, 396, 453.
Twist, Mary, 457.
Twogood, Capt, 167.
" Tyrannicide," Brigantine, 129.
Upham, Mary, 403.
Up ham, Sarah, 411.
Upton, Abraham, 109, 453.
Upton, Job, 169.
Upton, John, 57, 69, 112, 143, 226,
445. 453.
Upton, Sarah, 199.
Upton, Susannah, 386, 453.
Upton, Susannah (Daggett), 453.
Upton, Tabitha, 453.
Upton, Zerviah, 445.
Van Schaick's Island, 106.
Varnum, Col. and Gen., 72, 120.
Viall, Boynton, 455.
Viall, John, 455.
Viall, Marv, 217.
Viall, Mary (Tuttle), 455.

[ xxiii ]

Ind

ex

Viall, Nathaniel, 141, 455.
Viall, Samuel, 100, 143, 455, 456.
Viall, Sarah, 188.
Viles, Bowman, 226.
Vose, Col. Joseph, 98, 106.
Wait, Aaron, 116.
Wait, Abigail, 212.
Wait, Mary, 448.
Wait, Mrs. Sarah (Hawkes), 260,
456.
Waite, Dorcas, 433.
Waitt, Ezra, 456.
Waitt, Isaac, 401 .
Waitt, John, 100, 456.
Waitt, Mary, 272.
Walden, Isaiah, 246.
Walker, Joshua, 426.
Walker, Mary, 426.
Wallis, Jemima, 397.
Walton, Eunice (Hawkes), 438.
Walton, Ehzabeth (Green), 457.
Walton, Jacob, 438.
Walton, Josiah, 457, 458.
Walton, Lois, 438.
Walton, Jonathan, 457.
Walton, Nathan, 109, 457.
Walton, Oliver, 140, 457.
Walton, Mary, 200.
Walton, Ruth (Richardson), 457,
458.
Walton, Timothy, 458.
Ward, Gen. Artemas, 53, 59, 66,
68, 70, 76, 85.
Ward, John, 116.
Warren, Dr. John, 250.
Warren, Gen. Joseph, 35, 45, 66,
250.
"Warren," Ship, 128.
Washington, Fort, 86, 87, 88, 93.
Washington, Gen. George, 30, 59,
66, 71, 77, 85, 86, 89, 90, 97,
103, 117, 118, 122, 123, 134, 136,
138, 139, 142, 144.

Water Hill, 14, 29, 35.
Watertown, xx, xxi, 107.
Waters, Eunice, 408.
Watts, Charles, 143.
Watts, Daniel, 28, 109, 110, 111,
183, 341, 458.
Watts, Elizabeth (Ingalls), 458.
Watts, John, 57, 116, 301, 458, 460.
Watts, Stephen R., 461.
Watts, William, 116, 460, 461.
Webb, Capt. George, 133.
Webber, Sarah, 189.
Wellman, Abraham, 101, 461.
Wellman, Caleb, 141.
Wellman, Esther (Newhall), 461.
Wellman, Isaac, 5.
Wellman, James, 461.
Wellman, Jesse, 461.
Wellman, Jonathan, 461.
Wellman, Stephen, 461, 462.
Wellman, Susanna, 229.
Wellman, Susanna (Pedrick), 461,
462.
Wellman, Thomas, 112, 229, 462.
Welman, James, 143.
West Point, 136, 140.
West, George, Jr., 80.
Western Avenue, 27.
Weston, 107.
Wheeler, Samuel, 58, 463.
Wheelock, Col, 68.
Whetcomb, Gen., 68.
Whipple, Capt. Job, 69.
White, Harfail, 69.
White Plains, 93.
White, Thomas, 141.
Whiting Street, 27.
Whitman, Jesse, 58, 100, 463.
Whitman, Matthew, 463.
Whitman, Martha (Humphrey),
463.
Whitney, Stephen, 463.
Whittemore, Edm., 116.
Whittemore, Edward, 345.

[ xxiv ]

Index

Whittemore, Elizabeth, 345, 448.
Whittemore, Retire, 116.
Whittemore, William, 463.
Wilkins, Stephen, 69.
Wilson, Benjamin, 240.
Wilks, William, 101.
Wilhams, Daniel, 464.
Williams, Ebenezer, 171, 464.
Wilhams, Elizabeth, 63.
Williams, Hepzibah, 348
Williams, Joseph, 111, 143, 464.
Williams, Susannah, 353.
Williams, Tabitha, 348, 421, 425.
Williams, Thomas, 464.
Williams, William, 348.
Willis's Hill, 2.
Willis, John, 30, 112, 183, 287, 464.
Willis, Thomas, xx.
Wilson, Benjamin, 465.
Wilson, Elizabeth, 261.
Wilson, Jemima (Day), 466.
Wilson, Samuel, 299, 466.
Wilson, Samuel, Jr., 466.
Wing, Israel, 466.
Winn, John, 454.
Winship, Jason, 48.
Winter Hill, 70, 71, 82.

Winthrop, Gov. John, xx.
Witt, Benjamin.
Witt, Lydia, 424.
Witt, Ruth, 246.
Witt, Ruth (Breed), 246.
Witt, Mary, 449.
Wood, John, xviii.
Wood, William, xv, xviii, xvi.
Wroodbridge, Col., 72.
Woodbury, Hannah, 412.
Woodend, 2, 27.
Wooster, Gen., 76.
Worcester, 106, 107.
Worcester County, 20, 24.
Wright, Sarah, 313.
Wyatt, Mary, 237.
Wyburd, John, 116.
Wyman, Jabez, 48.
Wyman, Lieut-Col., 72.
Wyman Street, 29.
Wyman, Susannah, 273.
York County, 91.
Young, Henry, 58, 100, 466.
Young, Martha, 415.
Young, Sarah, 415.
Young, Thomas, 466.

[ XXV ]

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