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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Gift of
Edith and Maude Wetmore
in memory of their father
George Peabody Wetmore
b.a. 1867

RHODE ISLAND

Historical Tracts

~NO. 1.

PROVIDENCE :
SIDNEY S. RIDEK.
1877.

THE CAPTURE OP GENERAL RICHARD PRESCOTT
BY LT.-COL. WILLIAM BARTON.

AN

ADDRESS

DELIVERED AT THE

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE EXPLOIT

PORTSMOUTH, R. I., JULY 10, 1877,

J. LEWIS DIMAN.

PROVIDENCE :
SIDNEY S. RIDER.
1877.

Copyright by
SIDNEY S. RIDER,
1878.

.y MAP or r^T of RHOBE ISLAXB
Shewmp thePn.sithiiix if' tin- American mnt British Annie,* ,//
the Ai'er/e rf'SfEWPOWT . unit the .<>ihir,/nftit Action on ttie
'.!//''<>/' .Iiiqmt 1770.

l,r<riiii'ir

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Portrait of Lieutenant - Colonel William Barton
Map of Rhode Island and Route of the Expedition.
Fac Simile of the Order to Barton.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE.

The object of this series is to preserve in a neat and inex
pensive form some of the labors of our citizens in matters of
historical enquiry. It frequently happens that laborious research
has been made, and much thought bestowed upon these sub
jects. Having served the purpose of the occasion these care
fully gathered facts have been allowed to relapse into their
former chaotic condition, to form in after years the object of
other researches by succeeding antiquaries. To assist in the
preservation of the fruit of these labors is the desire of the
publisher. Professor Diman's Address will be followed by a
paper on the Northmen in New England, by Alexander Farnum,
Esq. The third of the series will be the Journal of Lieutenant
James M. Hadden, of the Royal Artillery during Burgoyne's
campaign, which is in the possession of Gen. Horatio Rogers,
and which will be edited by its owner. If these ventures
prove successful, others will follow which we trust may be
interesting to our citizens.
Providence, December, 1877.

10 THE OCCASION.
delivered his address. At its close the party proceeded to the
orchard, a short distance below the house, where ample tables
were laid and an excellent Rhode Island shore dinner, prepared
by Mr. Hiram Maxfleld (of celebrity in this art), was partaken
of by the party. The physical requirements of the inner man
being satisfied, intellectual pleasures were again resorted to,
and after-dinner speeches and poems were given by several
gentlemen. Mention may be made of His Excellency Governor
Van Zandt, the Right Reverend Bishop Clark, Ex-Governor
Henry Howard, Ex-Lieutenant Governor Samuel G. Arnold, the
Honorable William Paine Sheffield, Zachariah Allen, Esquire.
and Mr. William Barton, a great-grandson of the gallant officer
in whose honor these proceedings took place. Poems were read
by George W. Pettes, Esquire, and the Reverend Frederick
Denison. The party returned to Providence by the same con
veyances used in going from the city, arriving at six o'clock in
the evening, after a day of real pleasure.

Missing Page

THE OCCASION.

The occasion which gave rise to the following address was
the celebration of the centenary of the capture of Major-Gen
eral Richard Prescott by Lieutenant-Colonel William Barton.
The celebration was under the auspices of the First Light
Infantry Veteran Association of Providence, commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Staples, the members of the Rhode
Island Historical Society participating by invitation of the
Veteran Association. It took place at Portsmouth, Rhode
Island, July 10th, 1877. (The capture took place during the
night of the 9th July, 1777.) The Veterans were led by their
drum band, dressed in the old Continental uniform, dark brown
coats of velvet, leather-colored knee breeches, and three cor
nered hats.
The entire party, numbering in all upwards of three hundred,
embarked on the steamboat Richard Borden and were carried to
Bristol Ferry, whence they were taken by the railway cars to
the scene of the exploit.
Soon after their arrival a platform was improvised by the use
of an ancient ammunition box, from which Professor Diman

ADDRESS.

Afteb the lapse of a century we are gathered
upon this spot, where historic memories are blended
with so many natural charms, to commemorate an
achievement, which not only ranks as the most gal
lant in our local annals, but which has been praised
by perhaps the most temperate of our American his
torians as one of the boldest, best executed and
most successful adventures of the Revolutionary
struggle. It is meet that the hundredth anniversary
of such an enterprise should not pass unnoticed.
The impulse is as natural as it is becoming which
leads us to look back with pride to our own past,
and cherish the heroic examples which our fathers
have bequeathed us. In doing this, we need not
exaggerate their merit; we need not allow the

12 HISTORICAL TRACT.
pardonable enthusiasm which an occasion like this
inspires, to betray us into any disproportioned esti
mate of the significance of the event which we have
come to celebrate. It was not a turning point in
the long struggle for liberty ; it had none of the
momentous consequences that were involved in other
transactions of the same year, the year which marked
the crisis of the contest, the year in which the capit
ulation of Burgoyne condemned the good-natured
Lord North to an old age of self-reproach, for hav
ing sacrificed his own better judgment to the
importunity of an obstinate king, and determined
France not only to acknowledge, but to support the
cause of American independence. But the legacies
handed down to us from the past are not all alike y ,.
th^y address different parts of our nature, and
deserve to be prized on wholly different grounds.
Besides the great movements of history, movements
which result from complex combinations of causes,
which illustrate general laws, and which can only
be interpreted after comprehensive study, there is
always a play of individual forces, which if less sig
nificant in their bearing on the grand result, appeal

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 13
more directly to our sympathies, and call forth a
heartier recognition. Even modern warfare, which
makes so much of its masterly strategy, still leaves
ample scope for the exhibition of personal prowess.
The great figure of Washington himself seems less
distinct in the wise delays by which he secured the
triumph of our arms, than in the winter night, when
he flung himself across the half-frozen Delaware ;
and the brilliant campaigns of Greene in the Caro
linas make no such impression on the imagination,
as the single act which lifted Barton from obscurity
to perpetual fame.
Let us estimate at its true value the enterprise
which we have come to commemorate to-day ; an
enterprise leading to no important political or mili
tary results, yet deserving to be kept forever in
remembrance as showing what manner of men they
were who dared hurl defiance in the face of a power
ful empire, and who waged a successful contest with
resolute and highly disciplined foes. What they did
a hundred years of the history of a united and inde
pendent nation remains to show ; what they were
can be best learned from such exhibitions of indi-
2

14 HISTORICAL TRACT.
vidual daring and resolution as have made this a
memorable spot, not only in Rhode Island, but in
American history. It was in truth an achievement
so bold, so simple, so successful, that a brief recital
of its leading incidents would perhaps convey the
best eulogy upon those who planned and executed
it. Yet to take in the full measure of their merit,
we need to call to mind all the difficulties which
they encountered. Let us then go back and seek to
place ourselves in their position, and picture to our
selves the stirring panorama spread before their
gaze a century ago. How striking the contrast
between the martial spectacle which they beheld,
and the peaceful landscape which presents such
inviting features to our eyes.
It is hard for us to realize to-day that when the
sun rose on the July mornings of 1777, its early
beams glanced on the glittering bayonets of a pow
erful British army holding this whole Island, and on
the tapering masts of a numerous fleet commanding
yonder familiar waters. Yet such was the fact, a
fact sorrowfully impressed on the minds of all
who were living iu those troublous times. In

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 15
December of the preceding year, two English and
two Hessian brigades under the command of Sir
Henry Clinton, with Earl Percy and General Pres-
cott* as his immediate subordinates, passed through
Long Island Sound in seventy transports, and
entered Narragansett Bay. They were convoyed
by Sir Peter Parker, with eleven ships of war, and
passing round the north end of Conanicut, effected
their main landing not far from the spot where we
are now assembled. A large portion of the troops
were quartered in farm houses on the Island. To an
array so overwhelming no effectual resistance could
be offered, and the American forces withdrew to the
main land, while the armed vessels in the bay, the
early contribution of Rhode Island to an American
navy, were driven to seek shelter at Providence.
Our little State was thus arrayed in two hostile
camps. True this apparent triumph of the British
proved in the end a most efficient auxilliary to our
* General Richard Prescott was at the time of his capture a Briga
dier-General; he was made a Major-General August 29,1777. He was
exchanged for General Charles Lee, and resumed his command on
Rhode Island after the exchange, continuing there until the evacua
tion in October, 1779. He died 1788.

16 HISTORICAL TRACT.
cause, as, by such barren conquest their armies were
divided at a juncture when a wise policy of concen
tration would have enabled them to throw them
selves with crushing weight upon the ill-disciplined
regiments of Washington. But the effect of this
diversion was not recognized at the time by those
who suffered from the presence of the enemy, and
the occupation of Rhode Island was lamented as a
great disaster. In January, 1777, Sir Henry Clin
ton returned to England, leaving in command Lord
Percy, who had learned so well at Lexington the
modern measures of Chevy Chace. In May, the
humane Percy followed the example of his former
chief, and the forces were left in charge of Brigadier
General Prescott. Prescott was a man advanced in
years, of small stature, of harsh temper, who car
ried, even beyond the common measure of military
insolence, his contempt and hatred for those whom
he persistently refused to regard in any other light
than as rebels against their king. He brought an
ill reputation to his new post. When Ethan Allen
was taken prisoner, at the time of his fool-hardy
attempt on Montreal, Prescott so far forgot himself

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 17
as to overwhelm the captor of Ticonderoga with
curses, and even threaten him with violence, and the
harsh treatment which Allen afterwards received,
being placed, hand and foot, in irons, was due to
Prescott's orders. This was not forgotten, when,
two months later, Prescott himself was taken pris
oner by Montgomery, and on his arrival at Phila
delphia he was closely confined in the common jail.
In September, 1776, he was exchanged for Sullivan,
but it cannot be supposed that the treatment which
he had received inclined him to look with any more
favor upon rebels. Yet to his credit it should be
stated that when Colonel Lambert Cadwallader Was
taken prisoner at Fort Washington, gratitude for
some favors shown him by the Colonel's father
prompted Prescott to intercede so earnestly that
the young officer was released immediately without
parole. By his arbitrary rule at Newport, Prescott
made himself especially obnoxious. No doubt, rep
resentations of the demeanor of British officers must
be taken with considerable allowance ; but traditions
long lingered of the readiness with which Prescott
extorted unwilling salutes from Quakers, and of the

18 HISTORICAL TRACT.
merciless severity with which he punished men for
refusing to comply with his requisitions. To
understand the bitter feeling with which the British
commanders were regarded, we must remember that
by their orders the islands in the bay had been laid
waste, and the seaport towns vexed with heavy con
tributions. These petty and continuous exactions
were more exasperating than the losses inflicted in a
more active warfare.
Soon as the British landed on the Island the Gen
eral Assembly was convened at East Greenwich, but
for greater security adjourned to Providence, and
the most energetic measures for defence were at
once adopted. A brigade of three regiments was
ordered to be raised to replace the militia already in
the field. The command of the second regiment
was given to Joseph Stanton, Jr.,* and under him,
*Col. Joseph Stanton, Jr., was horn July 19,1739; he was Second
Lieutenant in a Rhode Island Regiment in the French War in 1759. In
1775, one of the committee of safety; he was made Colonel of one of
the Regiments raised for fifteen months, which position he resigned
in November, 1777, and Barton was his successor ; he was many times
member of the General Assembly, and exercised great influence
throughout the southern portion of the Colony and later throughout
the State. He was the first Senator in Congress from Rhode Island

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 19
as Major, was placed William Barton, a native of
Warren, not yet twenty-nine years of age, who,
when the news came flying on the winds of the
repulse of the Americans at Bunker's Hill, at once
shouldered his musket and took the road for the
camp near Boston, .where he entered the service as
a volunteer. Here his recognized merit soon raised
him to the rank of captain. When the intolerable
vexations of the squadron under Wallace rendered
necessary some measures of protection, Barton
returned to his native state, and for some time was
stationed in the neighborhood of Newport, but after
the arrival of Clinton he withdrew to Tiverton, and
while here received his commission as Major in the
second regiment. Thus he had ample opportunity
to become familiar with the island, a familiarity
which his enterprising spirit was destined to turn
soon to profitable use. In the previous December,
the same month in which the troops of Clinton had
after the adoption of the Constitution by the convention of which he
was a member, and in which he strenuously labored to obtain its
rejection. He served the State as Senator four years. From 1801 to
March, 1807, he was _ Representative in Congress from this State.
From this time he disappears from public life.

20 HISTORICAL TRACT.
landed on these shores, Gen. Charles Lee, at that
time second in command of the American forces,
had been captured by a scouting party of British
dragoons, under circumstances little creditable to
himself. The capture was keenly felt as a disgrace,
and the sense of humiliation was heightened by the
fact that the Americans had in their hands no officer
of equal rank against whom Lee could be exchanged.
The true character of Lee was not understood, and
by many, both in Congress and among the people,
he was regarded with admiration as a military
commander of the highest merit. This mistaken
estimate was fully shared by Barton, and while
condemned to prolonged inactivity at Tiverton,
his enterprising spirit began to revolve plans for
surprising a Major-General in the British service,
with a view of procuring Lee's release. To quote
his own words : " He had a very high opinion of the
General's ability, and used the greatest endeavors
to get intelligence of some British officers of the
same rank, and thus effect an exchange of that great
man." Thus one of the most gallant feats of the
revolutionary struggle was prompted by misplaced

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 21
admiration for one of the most worthless characters
which the Revolution brought to notice, for one who
at the moment when brave men were thus risking
their lives in his behalf, was treacherously intriguing
against the cause which he had solemnly pledged
himself to uphold. Had Barton known Lee as we
know him, we should not have been here to-day.
In what now follows I adhere closely to the
account of the adventure as given by Barton himself,
and preserved amoug the manuscript treasures of
the Rhode Island Historical Society. On the tenth
of June, a Mr. Coffin made his escape from the
island, and was brought to Barton's quarters.
From him the first information was gained that Gen
eral Prescott was quartered at the house of Mr.
Overing, on the west side of the island, and about a
mile from the shore. The house occupied the exact
site of the one before which we are now standing,
but of the structure as it existed in Prescott's time
nothing whatever remains, with the exception of a
small portion in the rear. Coffin described- so par
ticularly the location and the position of the troops
near it, that Barton, to quote again his own words,

22 HISTORICAL TRACT.
"now entered very seriously into the plan of surpris
ing General Prescott." The story was confirmed
the next day by a deserter from the British lines.
No little wonder has been expressed that Pres
cott should have had his quarters so far from New
port, and in what seems an exposed position. The
English historian Stedman says, that the General
was above a mile from any body of troops, that no
patrols were posted on the shore, and that he
depended solely on a guardship that lay opposite
his quarters. He adds that Prescott, after his cap
ture, "was much and deservedly blamed for trusting
himself so far from the troops under his command,
and for not adopting ordinary measures to secure
his safety." Prescott's usual quarters were in the
house still standing on the corner of Pelham and
Spring streets, Newport.
Now that the plot was ripe for execution, the real
difficulties in the way began to reveal themselves.
It was of the utmost importance that it should be
kept profoundly secret, and Barton was consequently
deprived of any assistance from his brother officers.
But what was of more consequence was the fact that

THE CAPTURE OF. PRESCOTT. 23
all the troops at Tiverton were raw recruits, and in
the event of any discovery and resistance, it was by
no means certain how far they could be relied upon.
After further deliberation, he unfolded the whole
scheme to his commanding officer, Colonel Stanton,
who pronounced it feasible, and assured him that he
might rely upon a hearty co-operation. But, at the
same time, Stanton advised him to communicate the
object of the expedition to no other person. To
five of his brother officers,* however, Barton con
fided his design of undertaking a secret enterprise,
and asked if they had sufficient confidence in him to
join in it without being apprized of its precise
object. They each professed the most perfect
readiness, and at ouce, in accordance with Barton's
suggestion, set about obtaining boats. As at this
time the whale fishery was carried on in several
towns, there was no difficulty in obtaining in the
course of a few days, the five whale boats needed for
a party of forty men. The next step was to procure
*The names of these five officers were Captain Ebenezer Adams,
Captain Samuel Phillips, Lieutenant James Potter, Lieutenant Joshua
Babcock, Lieutenant Johu Wilcox.

24 HISTORICAL TRACT.
the men. As Barton could only call for volunteers,
the regiment was ordered to parade, and after a brief
address, explaining that a secret expedition against
the enemy was about to be undertaken, those who
were willing to risk their lives were ordered to
advance three paces. At this command the whole
regiment advanced. Since it was out of the question
for all to go, Barton selected those most expert at
rowing. But, to test their skill, he placed a stake
in the river above Stone Bridge, near what used to
be called the "Old Stills," where the present rail
road bridge now stands, and exercised them in
pulling round it. An Indian named Daniel Page,
who years ago lived beyond the Fall River ponds,
loved to tell the story that, in these trials, Barton's
boat regularly came in last. Page proposed to make
up another crew. His offer was accepted, and after
that Barton always led the little flotilla. But profi
ciency in rowing was not all that Barton cared for.
He selected only those on whom perfect reliance
could be placed.
On the evening of the fifth of July, just one
year after independence had been declared, the little

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 25
party left their encampment at Tiverton. The fol
lowing is Colonel Stanton's order, which I have
copied from the original in the cabinet of the His
torical Society. Headquarters, Camp at Tiverton, \
5th of July, 1777. )
Lieut.-Col,. Barton:
You will proceed to the Island of Newport, and attack the
Enemy when and where you think proper, and make Report
to me of your proceeding. JOS. STANTON, Jr., Colo.
A storm of unusual violence separated the boats
in Mount Hope Bay, and on the evening ofthe sixth,
only two had succeeded in reaching Bristol. The
third arrived a little later. Before retiring Barton
took his party to Hog Island, and there, iu full view
ofthe British ships, he for the first time disclosed his
plan. They were astonished at its boldness, but
were not deter red by the evident risk which it
involved. They then returned to Bristol, after a
solemn pledge to reveal nothing respecting the pur
pose of the expedition. On the evening of the
seventh, they passed over to Warwick Neck, which
afforded the best point of departure, as it was essen-

26 HISTORICAL TRACT.
tial for their purpose that they should run down on
the west side of Prudence. But another severe
storm delayed their departure, so that it was not until
the evening of the ninth, at about nine o'clock, that
they finally left Warwick Neck. Before leaving, the
men were numbered, and each one appointed to his
place. The party consisted in all of forty-one,
officers included. Among them was a black servant
of Barton, who, according to his own account,
played no mean part in the adventure. The man on
whom Barton most relied was John Hunt,* who
belonged to Colonel Elliott'sf regiment of artillery.
?Many years after these events, John Hunt, bent with years, sent
a memorial to Congress, narrating his services to his country in his
earlier days, and especially in this adventure, and praying for some
pecuniary help, being poor and destitute, without any property
whatever. t Colonel Robert Elliott was made Colonel ofthe Rhode Island
Regiment of Artillery ordered to be raised in December, 1776, for
fifteen months service. At the expiration of his term of service Colo
nel Elliott reenlisted and continued in the military service of the
State until May, 1780, when he resigned and entered the civil service
as a member of the General Assembly from Newport.
He was despatched to Newport, under the direction of the Council
of War, on the twelfth of July, 1777, to bring such articles for General
Prescott and Major Barrington as they desired. He died in October,
1781, while in the civil service of the State.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 27
He was a native of Portsmouth, and had been
brought up not far from Prescott's quarters, and was
of course well acquainted with the locality. Two
others of the party, James Weaver and Samuel
Cory,* also came from the same neighborhood, and
were of much service as guides. Silently the little
party gathered about their leader to receive his last
commands. In a low voice he strictly enjoined them
" to preserve the strictest order ; to have no thought
of plunder ; to observe profound silence, and to take
with them no spirituous liquors." More judicious
directions could hardly be conceived. His brief
address closed with a solemn invocation of the
divine blessing. Each man raised his hat and pro
ceeded to take his appointed station in the boats.
The commander at Warwick Neck was directed to
keep a sharp lookout, and if he heard the reports of
* Samuel Cory was a brave and gallant soldier; he was a member
of Sullivan's Expedition, fought at Trenton and Princeton and Mon
mouth; afterwards entered the privateering service; was on board the
"General Arnold" when that privateer was captured by the British,
but, in company with James Weaver, escaped by swimming to the
Connecticut shore, and afterwards returned to Rhode Island, where
he lived to an advanced age, being, at the time Mrs. Williams pub
lished her memoir of Barton, eighty-six years old.

28 HISTORICAL TRACT.
three muskets to come to the north end of Prudence
and take them off. So, under the favoring stars of the
summer night, the little expedition set forth on its
perilous and uncertain errand. Each man was well
aware what his fate would be should detection follow.
Barton led in the forward boat, with a pole ten feet
long having a handkerchief tied at the end, so that
his course might be easily distinguished. With muf
fled oars they pulled between Prudence and Patience
islands, to avoid the enemy's vessels which lay off
Hope, and then hugging close the west side of
Prudence, rounded its southern extremity in safety,
but going so nigh the enemy's ships that they could
distinctly hear the sentinel's cry, "All's well."
When near the Rhode Island shore they heard a
noise like the running of horses, but a brief pause
convinced them that it was due to some accidental
cause, and in a few minutes they touched the land.
On reaching the shore a man was left in charge of
each of the boats, while the rest of the party, formed
in five divisions, marched silently forward. A deep
gully, worn by the water through a bank, helped to
conceal them, and they gained the house in safety.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 29
The entrance was by three doors, on the south, east
and west. Three of the five squads were ordered to
attack the doors, the fourth remained to guard the
road, the fifth was to act as circumstances might
require, while Barton's black servant was enjoined
to keep close behind his master. As the party
approached, they had the guard-house on their left,
near which General Smith, second in command, was
posted, while on their right, at the distance of two
hundred yards, were the quarters of a company of
light horse. A sentinel* was also stationed about
twenty-five yards from the gate. In the house,
besides Prescott and Major Barrington, his aid, were
*The name of this sentinel was Graham. He belonged to the
twenty-second regiment, was taken to Providence with his com
mander, and was then consigned to the care of the Sheriff, with
orders of the Council of War to confine him in close gaol. Early in
August he was recommended for exchange with Samuel Buffum, who
had been captured by the British, and had been permitted to come up
from Newport on his parole for the purpose of effecting an exchange.
This arrangement was agreed to by the Council of War and Graham
was placed on board the Cartil, from which, while under the care of
our people, he made his escape. It was an unfortunate termination
for Buffum, for the Council of War refused to make any other arrange
ment, but advised him to return to Newport and surrender his parole ;
rather than to do this he ran away to sea.

30 HISTORICAL TRACT.
Mr. Overing and his son, with several servants. As
the gate was opened the sentinel put the usual ques
tion. No answer was returned, and the party contin
ued to advance, a row of trees preventing their
number from being clearly seen. He, therefore,
repeated the question, without being alarmed, when
Barton answered, "Friends." "Advance and give the
countersign," was the response. "We have none,"
said Barton, "but have you seen any deserters to
night ? " Before the man could reply he was seized
by John Hunt, his musket was taken from him, his
arms pinioned, and he himself threatened with instant
death if he made the slightest noise. When asked if
Prescott was within, he was so much frightened that
at first his tongue refused its office, but at length he
moved his hand towards the house, and answered
"yes." In a moment each division had reached its
station, and the door was forced. It chanced that
the first chamber entered was the one occupied by
Overing himself, who, when asked where the Gene
ral was, pointed in great agitation to the room
beneath. Not believing his statement, Barton
entered the next chamber, where he found Overino-'s

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 31
son. At this moment Prescott's voice was heard
calling, and guided by the sound, Barton descended
to the lower story and found the General sitting upon
the bed. The latter made no attempt to disguise his
identity, and promptly, though we can imagine with
no little surprise, acknowledged himself a prisoner.
The story has been often repeated, how the door of
the room was burst through by the vigorous applica
tion of the negro's head ; but Barton, in his narra
tive, makes- no mention of the incident. Prescott
begged the privilege of putting on his clothes, but
as the business suffered no delay, he was only
allowed his "waistcoat, breeches and slippers."
Before they got into the boats, however, his coat
was handed him. Major Barrington, at the first
alarm, had leaped out of a chamber window, but was
immediately secured ; and taking with them also the
sentinel, the party started to return. Rather carry
ing than leading the captive General, they hastened
by the most direct route across the fields, the pris
oner getting badly scratched as they dashed through
the bushes. In the hurry his sword had been left
behind, and Page, the Indian, returned to the house

32 HISTORICAL TRACT.
and got it. But the boats had no sooner pushed off,
than the alarm was given, and it is said that in an
hour's time the whole island was aroused ; yet no
pursuit was made, and the British army was at a loss
to know what had become of its commander, until
a message came the next day informing them that he
was safe iu Providence. The tracks of the captors
could be clearly traced as far as the water side, but
what had afterwards become of them no man could
imagine. Prescott seems to have made the best
of what must have been to him a most morti
fying adventure. Asking if Barton commanded,
he remarked, " You have made a bold push
to-night," and added nothing further, except to
express the hope that he might not be hurt. His
apprehension was not unnatural, and doubtless
would not have been any less had he been aware
that one of the party who had taken him, Thomas
Austin, was a man who had been sentenced by his
order to receive three hundred lashes, for refusing to
yoke his team for the purpose of dragging a cannon
across the island. But Barton hastened to assure
his prisoner that he had no personal injury to fear.

, THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 33
The party reached Warwick Neck at daybreak,
having been absent six hours and a half. Soon as
they landed, Barton gave orders that Prescott should
have the best breakfast that could be provided, and
an express was sent to Major General Spencer, at
Providence. To that place the captive commander
was conveyed in a coach, followed by a great multi
tude, attracted by the novel spectacle. Like all
men of his rank, at that period, Prescott was
exceedingly careful about his personal appearance ;
and directly on his arrival, the late John Howland
was summoned to dress his hair according to the
fashion of the day. Not long after a flag of truce
came up the river bringing his wardrobe, his purse,
his hair powder and a plentiful supply of perfumery.
Notwithstanding • his own harshness, so long as he
remained in Providence, he seems to have been
treated with entire respect. The third day after he
was captured, he was taken to Connecticut, and here
he would seem to have met with somewhat harder
usage, for on the twentieth of July Colonel Paterson,
the Adjutant General of the British forces, in a per
sonal interview with Washington, complained of the

34 HISTORICAL TRACT.
treatment which Prescott was receiving as likely,
with his age and infirmities, to result in fatal conse
quences. Washington, in reply disclaimed any par
ticular kuowledge of the facts, but " mentioned the
case of Colonel Allen." Prescott was afterwards
sent to New York and exchanged for Lee.
After a brief rest, Barton and his gallant band
started on their return to Tiverton. During the
progress of the expedition, his injunctions had been
strictly observed. Though it is said that Overing's
house contained some valuable plunder, not a thing
was taken from it. But now that the adventure bad
been crowned with such complete .success, the
restraints of discipline were naturally relaxed.
With a liberal supply of pork and rum, the courage
of the party rose to such a pitch that before passing
Bristol Ferry they seriously meditated the capture
of the entire British squadron. On reaching the
camp at Tiverton, Barton mounted a woodpile
and recounted to an enthusiastic audience the story
of his exploit. He had dared much, and he had
fairly earned the plaudits which were liberally
bestowed upon him. In all the main particulars of

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 35
the affair I have followed his account, but there
were forty others who shared with him the danger,
and each of the forty had his own story to relate.
That these stories, as they were told years after,
should agree in all details was hardly to be expected.
Thus, Barton makes no mention of the bold act of
Daniel Page, in returning for the sword. I have
also been informed by a highly respected friend in
Fall River that Page, who died in 1829, at the age
of eighty, always maintained that the expedition
started from Tiverton, and not from Warwick Neck.
But the narrative of Barton is very explicit on this
point, and moreover the first printed account of the
affair, published only two days later in the Providence
Gazette, (July twelfth, 1777,) states that the party
"went in five boats from Warwick Neck." The
aged Indian's memory was therefore probably at
fault. The most inexplicable contradictions relate
to the negro, who for his capacity of self-multiplica
tion, may be well reckoned a rival of the famed
nurses of Washington. In the list of those who
went with Barton, but one negro is mentioned,
Tack Sisson, who belonged in Tiverton, and is put

36 HISTORICAL TRACT.
down as boat-steerer. In the Life of Barton, by Mrs.
Williams, this negro is called Guy Watson, and he
is said to have been a "black servant of the Colonel."
But in a subsequent note he is identified with Sisson.
The Providence Journal for November first, 1821,
contains an obituary notice of a negro named Prince,
who had died in Plymouth a few days before, of
whom it is expressly stated that he was the one who
broke open the door. On the other hand a venera
ble correspondent in Brooklyn, N. Y., writes me
that when a boy, in Pomfret, Connecticut, he was
well acquainted with an old negro, named Quako,
who always claimed to have been the negro who was
with Barton. In Peterson's history the same negro
is mentioned, and he is even said to have been a
servant of Prescott.*
The bold enterprise of Barton met with a prompt
and hearty recognition. The General Assembly
passed a vote of thanks, and ordered that a sum of
money should be distributed among the party. The
?Probably one cause of this confusion was the habit these negroes
had of assuming the names of the families with whom they succes
sively lived.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 37
commissioned officers of the expedition were also
recommended for promotion. Nor was the enthusi
asm confined to his native State. Wherever the
news spread, it made a great impression. It came
at a period of discouragement, when men were
weary of the long inactivity of Spencer, and were
watching with apprehension the advance of Bur-
goyne ; and of however slight importance in its
bearing on military operations, it had a prodigious
effect in rousing the popular spirit. Thatcher
writes, in his Journal that when the intelligence
reached the northern army, " it occasioned great joy
and exultation." It even lifted the dark cloud which
hung over the face of Washington, who at once sent
a dispatch to Congress, announcing the capture of
Prescott, and describing it as "a bold enterprise."
Some years after, Colonel Barton chanced to be in
New York, and called upon Washington. The
General was indisposed and had refused all callers,
but hearing the name of his visitor mentioned, he
asked if it was the Barton who had captured
Prescott, and when answered in the affirmative,
ordered him to be shown in at once. Barton was
4

38 HISTORICAL TRACT.
made a Brevet Colonel in the Continental army, and
Congress voted him a sword, which is still preserved
as a precious heirloom by his descendant.. This
sword was not presented to Barton till after the
close of the struggle, when it was accompanied with
a most complimentary letter from General Knox, the
Secretary of War, who wrote that, "to the expres
sive approbation of the supreme national authority,
was added the unanimous applause of the army."
How the news of Prescott's capture was received by
His Majesty George the Third, history does not
inform us, but Louis XVI., it is said, laughed
heartily when he heai d the story, and gave instruc
tions to his consul at New York to obtain from the
gallant leader a detailed account of the affair.
Accordingly the consul wrote to Thomas Lloyd
Halsey, of Providence, who acted as agent for the
French government, and, at his request, Barton
drew up a narrative, which is without doubt the one
preserved in the cabinet of the Historical Society, of
which I have made use. After the fashion of the
day, the exploit was also commemorated in a ballad,
and the tradition lingers that after Prescott's return

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 39
to Newport, a lad on one occasion was asked to sing
in his presence, who unexpectedly burst forth with
the lines that told how Barton
" with his sling and stone
Did bring the great Goliah down."
The old General had the good sense to laugh at
the joke, and rewarded the minstrel with half a
crown. Barton derived little benefit from his promotion.
In May, of the following year, the British sent an
expedition to destroy a number of boats collected in
Kickemuit river, which, on its return through War
ren and Bristol, began pillaging and burning the
houses. With his accustomed promptitude, Barton
hastened from Providence in advance of the
main body sent by General Sullivan. Collecting
some two hundred volunteers, he attacked the
British forces before they reached the ferry, and
while rising in his stirrups to urge on his men,
received a bullet wound in the hip, which disquali
fied him for a long time from active service. For
three months he did not leave his bed. Greatly to

40 HISTORICAL TRACT.
his regret he was prevente'd from taking part in the
expedition of General Sullivan. At the close of
the war, the State, in consideration of his services,
made good the depreciation in his pay, and con
ferred on him the estate of a refugee family in
Newport. It is not pleasant to add that in later
years the veteran became involved in a law suit in
Vermont, growing out of his purchase of a toAvnship
in that State, and refusing to bow to a decision
which he looked upon as wrong, was detained in
the town of Danville fourteen years. The sum in dis
pute was trifling, but Barton preferred this long sepa
ration from his family rather than pay what he had
declared he would not. The refusal was eminently
characteristic ofthe man. As, however, his place of
detention was the village inn, where he was always
sure of an interested circle to hear the story
which it is said he was never disinclined to tell, it
must not be supposed that his imprisonment was
attended with much privation. When Lafayette
was in this country in 1824, learning that his old
friend was in this unfortunate dilemma, he gene
rously discharged the debt without Barton's knowl-

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 41
edge, and the latter was set at liberty, and returned
to his native State. On the seventh of July, 1828,
he visited for the last time, with a party of friends,
the scene of his exploit, and described with singular
precision its successive incidents. Colonel Barton
died at Providence, on the twenty-second of Octo
ber, 1831, having reached the ripe age of eighty-five
years. To this unvarnished recital of the bold exploit
which we celebrate to-day, why need I add further
words of praise ? It was one of those achievements
that need only to be narrated ; it speaks for itself, —
to say more is to gild refined gold. It illustrates
qualities that win instant recognition ; which men
will regard with admiration as long as manhood itself
shall be held in honor. Yet I may be pardoned if,
in conclusion, I dwell with some satisfaction on the
fact that these qualities have been always peculiarly
characteristic of Rhode Island. As a community,
we have been not seldom criticised for showing a
lack of that capacity for organic political action
which has been justly the boast of our more powerful
neighbors. It has been said that with us individual-

42 HISTORICAL TRACT.
ism has run to seed, and that the spirit of our first
settlers may be traced through all our history in an
undisciplined self-will fatal to the best social growth.
I am not disposed to deny all basis for this indict
ment, but may not something be said on the other
side ? If somewhat deficient in burgher and parish
virtues, may we not claim, as a partial compensa
tion, the marked development of personal character,
which has been such an unmistakable characteristic
of our little State ? This exploit of Barton, — was it
not the evident exploit of a man used to think and
act for himself? Was it not stamped, from its first
inception to its final accomplishment, with the pluck,
the audacity, the adroit conduct, may I not add, the
success, which have always marked the undertakings
of the genuine Rhode Islander ? Was not the spirit
that prompted the capture of Prescott the same
spirit that planned the destruction of the Gaspee,
that suggested the daring feat of Major Talbot,*
?The bold exploit of Major Silas Talbot in capturing the armed
galley Pigot, is perhaps the act by which he is best remembered. The
Pigot was a staunch schooner of about two hundred and fifty tons,
mounting twelve guns, and manned by forty-five men, under Lieuten
ant Dunlap ofthe British navy. Moored at the mouth of the East pas-

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 43
that still later made Lake Erie a household word on
all our lips ? Was it not the same spirit that gave
Rhode Island its early eminence in the arts of peace,
and led an intelligent traveller to declare, in the
very year in which Prescott was taken by Barton,
that in the town of Providence were to be found the
most intelligent body of merchants ou the continent.
'I would not seem to depreciate the value of organic
action, and of due subordination to social and eccle
siastical traditions, but it is after all individual char
acter that supplies the " choice nobility and flower "
of life, and however limited its territorial bounds,
sage of Narragansett Bay, she completely barred its entrance, and was
for a long period a great annoyance to the people and to the army.
Talbot conceived the idea of capturing her in the night, and finally
obtained the consent of General Sullivan to make the attempt.
Embarking a party of seventy-five men, in the sloop Hawk, which he
obtained from Providence, he dropped quietly down by the two
British forts which guarded the ascent of that branch of the Bay, and
boldly boarded the enemy, which in a few moments became his prize.
He immediately sailed with her out into the sound and landed his
prisoners the next morning at Stonington, thus successfully ending
an act characterized by his cotemporaries as one of " infernal
bravery," and branding its author in the British reports as " one of the
greatest arch rebels in nature." Major Talbot was born in Rhode
island about 1750, and died in New York, 1813.

44 HISTORICAL TRACT.
that community can never be reckoned small whose
most distinctive product is fearless, enterprising,
self-reliant men ; men who, if often headstrong and
often obstinate, yet have shrunk from no sacrifice
and quailed before no danger. Need we blush for
an ancestry that boasts more than one
" Stem
Of that victorious stock? "

NAMES OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN ENGAGED IN
THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT.

William Barton,
Ebenezer Adams,

officers :
Andrew Stanton,
Samuel Potter,
John Wilcox.

non-commissioned officers :
Joshua Babcock, Samuel Phillips.

privates :

Benjamin Prew,
James Potter,
Henry Fisher,
James Parker,
Joseph Guild,
Nathan Smith,
Isaac Brown,
Billiugton Crumb,
James Haines,
Samuel Apis,
Alderman Crank,
Oliver Simmons,
Jack Sherman,
Joel Briggs,
Clark Packard,
Samuel Cory,
James Weaver,

Clark Crandall,
Sampson George,
Joseph Ralph,
Jedediah Grenale,
Richard Hare,
Daniel Wall,
Joseph Denis,
William Bruff,
Charles Havitt,
Pardon Cory,
Thomas Wilcox,
Jeremiah Thomas,
John Hunt,
Thomas Austin,
Daniel Page, an Indian ;
Tack Sisson, negro boat steerer ;
Howe or Whiting, boat steerer.

This list is taken from Mrs'. Williams's Biography of Colonel
Barton.

BALLADS AND POETRY

E VE_N"T.

EPIGRAM UPON GENERAL PRESCOTT.
From the London Chkonicle,
Sept. 23rd, 1777.
" The Handkerchief!" — Othello cries,
(The Handkerchief, the stage replies,)
I prize it more than riches.
A different note, poor Prescott roars,
For nought resounds th' Atlantic shores
But where? Oh ! where's my breeches?

ON GENERAL PRESCOTT
being carried 'off naiosd, unanointed, unanealed.
From the London Chronicle,
Sept. 27th, 1777.
What various lures there are to ruin man :
Woman the first and foremost all bewitches,
A nymph thus spoiled a General's mighty plan,
And gave him to the foe without his breeches.
5

50 HISTORICAL TRACT.

A DIALOGUE
between general prescott and the officer of the party
that took him prisoner.
From the London Chronicle,
Sept. 30th, 1777.
Prescott.
Says the General, when taken to him who commanded,
This surprise shows more cunning than skill ;
Officer.
Says the other, an exchange may now be demanded,
Till then you may rave as you will ;
Lee now will return, if the Howes ever do,
If not, you'll in durance remain ;
Should Lee be transported, your Honor will too
Bear equal confinement and pain.
Prescott.
Like cowards you run when we meet in the field,
Now stay to receive us as men.
Officer.
Says the other, delaying will force you to yield,
Yet we skirmish and fight now and then :
At Lexington races you shewed a light heel,
Bunker's hill proves it plain we can fight ;
The Hessian battalions most knowingly feel,
At Trenton discovered their fright.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 51
Never say we are cowards, of Boston possessed,
Which Howe, in a dreary dismay,
Left in haste much behind him and thought himself blessed,
To get his light baggage away.
You feel we can fight when occasion presents,
Your muster returns make it plain,
Or over such cowards, what is it prevents
To inflict your tyrannical chain?
Such manoeuvres as these will not ministry please,
Next Christmas will make it appear,
The .... too, will be quite robbed of his ease,
With two such retreats in one year.

52 HISTORICAL TRACT.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT.
This ballad appears in the Manufacturers' and Farmers' Journal,
June 25th, 1835, with the note that it was taken from the Plymouth
Memorial. It is further stated that after General Prescott's return to
Newport he was invited to dine with the Admiral; on the ship were a
number of prisoners, among whom was a lad of thirteen years, who,
the First Lieutenant said, could shame them all in singing. After the
wine was brought upon the table, the boy was introduced and told to
sing. He complained that he knew none but Yankee longs, whereat
he was commanded to sing such as he knew,— the result was the fol
lowing : 'Twas on a dark and stormy night,
The winds and waves did roar ;
Brave Barton then with twenty men,
Went down unto the shore.
And in a whale boat they set off
To Rhodes's Island fair,
To catch a red-coat general
Who then resided there.
Through British fleets and guard boats strong
They held their dangerous way,
Till they arrived unto their port,
And then did not delay.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 53
A tawney son of Afric's race
Then through the ravine led,
And entering then the Overing house
They found him in his bed.
But to get in they had no means,
Except poor Cuffee's head,
Who beat the door down, then rushed in
And seized him in his bed.
Stop, let me put my breeches on,
The General then did pray.
Your breeches, massa, I will take,
For dress we cannot stay.
Then through rye stubble him they led,
With shoes and breeches none,
And placed him in their boat quite snug,
And from the shore were gone.
Soon the alarm was sounded loud;
The Yankees they have come
And stolen Prescott from his bed,
And him they've carried home.
The drums were beat, sky rockets flew,
The soldiers shouldered arms
And marched around the grounds they knew,
Filled with most dire alarms.

54 HISTORICAL TRACT.
But through the fleet with mufiied oars,
They held their devious way,
And landed him on 'Gansett shore,
Where Briton held no sway.
When unto the land they came
Where rescue there was none,
A damned bold push, the General said,
Of prisoners I am one.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 55

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT.
This ballad is taken from Mrs. Williams's Biography of Colonel
Barton (page 129), published at Providence, 1839. Where she obtained
it is not stated; she likewise states the same story of the lad's singing
it at one of General Prescott's carousals after his return to Newport.
The day was spent, the evening fair,
When Barton marched his men with care
Down to the river's side ;
And unto them most nobly said —
Let none embark who are afraid
To cross the swelling tide.
But they, like hardy sons of Mars,
Inured to hardships and to wars,
Most nobly did reply :
With manly rage our souls on Are,
We scorn the thought for to retire,
We conquer will or die.
Thus did they cross and march away
Where Prescott's host encamped lay,
On hostile measures bent ;
Young David took this bloody Saul
And sentry, aid-de-camp and all ;
Back to the boat they went.

56 HISTORICAL TRACT.
You watchful host who round him kept,
To guard your General while he slept ;
Now you have lost your head,
Since they from freedom's happy shore,
Returned and brought their booty o'er,
The hero from his bed.
Go to your king and to him say,
Call home your troops, call them away,
Or Prescott's fate they'll share,
For Barton, with his sling and stone,
Will bring the great Goliah down
And catch him in a snare.

THE HAEP AND THE SWOED.

By REV. F. DENISON.

Read at the celebration of the Centenary of the Capture of Pres
cott, July 10th, 1877.

The harp and the sWord have in fellowship rung
Since the days when the harpstring by Jubal was strung;
For the beat of man's bosom in music is breathed
Wherever unselfish devotion is wreathed,
And over all nations shall peans be sung,
While deeds of brave daring shall kindle the tongue.
As fragrance and beauty together are worn,
Sweet song and the right are in unison born ;
Divinely united on Palestine's hills,
Wide over the earth have resounded their thrills ;
King David, inspired with his harp and his sword,
Yet wakens our hearts in the name of the Lord.

58 HISTORICAL TKACT.
Adown the long ages with raptured increase,
Speak the lyres of the bards that immortalize Greece :
The sword of Achilles and Hector's great shield
Still gleam in their glory on poesy's field;
And the pass of Thermopylae echoes the tread
Of warriors whose names are to melodies wed.
The story of Latium in lyrics is told,
Still sounding the deeds of the brave days of old ;
What spirits once lifted the eagle and glave
Can never be silenced and wrapped in the grave :
Yea, higher and nobler than capitol dome
Shall stand the bold lives of the heroes of Rome.
The chants of proud Albion — queen of the waves —
Exalt on her banners the names of her braves, —
In measures of Chaucer and Tennyson's lays
From idyls of Alfred to Wellington's praise —
A chorus of voices in lofty refrain
As deathless in cadence as waves of the main.
Men's tributes to valor are broader in sweep
Than winds on the mountains, or waves on the deep ;
The voices of nature, sublime though their swell,
Are but aids to the chords that of victories tell :
Far grander thau billows, or thunders that roll,
Are the struggles of men, and their triumphs of soul.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 59
Our Heaven-favored land is the home of high song,
In the throning of right and defeat of the wrong ,
Here manhood, confronting oppression's decree,
Has valiantly battled for noblest degree ;
Here pilgrims inspired the unjust to eschew,
The sword of the Lord and of Gideon drew.
Devotion to right and abhorrence of wrong
In essence are one, and invincibly strong ;
True love and true hate are the God-given poles
Ofthe needle of justice in rational souls,
And therefore the men who for righteousness pray,
Are the men who their Agags on battlefields slay.
Still the drum-beat of Freedom rolls over these hills,
Still fervid the fife pours its rallying thrills ;
And the war-songs and shouts of our patriot sires,
With their volleying guns, and their glowing camp-fires,
Can never die out of the hearts of their sons
While in them the blood of humanity runs.
With song and with sword we are gathered to-day,
Our debt to a daring achievement to pay,
To catch from the orator's magical spell
The thrill of the patriot scene as it fell —
An action that proudly our country may own,
The courage that bearded the lion alone.

60 HISTORICAL TRACT.
These Veterans true who have honored the belt,
Responsive to patriot heart-throbbings felt,
With sages from History's sacred retreats,
And poets and teachers from classical seats,
At the call of the bugle and the roll of drum,
To list to the chivalrous story have come.
The mantle of midnight is thick on the shore,
Soft hushed are the night-winds, and muffled the oar ;
The horrified sentry is griped by the throat ;
Lo, Prescott is captured and sped to the boat ;
Swift passing the guns from the frigates that frowned,
Brave Barton flies back with the Englishman bound.
Rhode Island shall sing of her Barton and Greene,
Names destined to live in unperishing sheen,
And Hopkins and Perry — the leaders of braves —
Heroic in fight on our hills and our waves —
Their records regarded more precious than gold,
As virtue is treasure of value untold.
This isle of our pride, on the hem of the sea,
The gem of our strand, and the home of the free,
Of captains and patriot battles may boast,
Bright shining as beacons on Liberty's coast —
Bold deeds that shall quicken fond History's tongue,
And evermore bloom in the sweetness of song.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 61
Nor when on our nation fell treason's mad stroke,
And the standard of Freedom was wrapped in its smoke,
Did the sons of Rhode Island their fathers forget,
But instantly sprung the old swords rewhet.
And, with songs on their lips, 'neath the Stars took the field,
Devoting their breasts for their country a shield.
Thus warmly are wedded the true and the brave,
And the heart keeps the nuptials it anciently gave ;
Nor ever, till oaks on our mountains, shall die,
And the galaxies falter and fade in the sky,
Shall valor and virtue be shorn of reward,
And soul-stirring song be divorced from the sword.

POEM.
BY GEORGE W. PETTES.

Read at the celebration of the Centenary of the Capture of Pres
cott, July 10th, 1877.
Albeit Chamberlain with Hampton fights,
In some particulars a State has rights.
Whether to march, or sail, or ride, or feed,
Each claims a way to celebrate a deed.
Thus several States their several fancies take,
And old Rhode Island institutes a "bake."
She was the first to quarrel with intrigue,
She was the last to join the federal league ;
She is the firmest in her sense of right,
She is the truest in the loyal fight.
One of the smallest of the four times ten,
She is the greatest in her laws and men.
She is the best, great schemes to undertake,
And she alone can give the perfect "bake."
We have this merry way of keeping tryst,
When choice assignments grace our honored list,
As now we celebrate the jocund hour,
When the brave Barton humbled British power.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 63
'Tis an old story every school boy knows,
That grows in zest, as he in stature grows,
How, when the night was dark, the stars asleep,
An honest crew pulled soft o'er waters deep
The boat that bore the fearless man whose name
Forth from that night outshone a star aflame.
How, noiseless as the perfumed southern wind,
And with its speed, they left the shore hehind ;
Passed the black frigates, hiding fires of hell;
Heard the contented sentinel's " All's well ; "
Gained the still port, the silent landing made,
Sought their dumb leader and each sign obeyed.
Quickly he set the guard, the mansion found,
Few faithful warders are disposed around ;
Followed by chosen three he gains the room
Behind whose door lies lord and aid and groom.
Bolted. A signal given, and, 'tis said,
A negro broke the panel with his head.
Out from the window sprang the official's aid,
But to be 'caught by cunning ambuscade.
And he, the chief, for whom this champion raid,
Peril encountered, danger dared, was made,
Must swiftly change the symbols of command,
For prisoner's gyves that stay the ambitious hand.
All this and more — the tale you know full well —
All this and more, the grave historians tell ;
Reward, promotion, resolutions planned,
The sword, the colonelcy, the tract of land —

64 HISTORICAL TRACT.
But do they tell you how a lawyer knave,
Would gain the gift that Barton cared to save,
Would so debase his manhood and himself,
To hunt a hero for an ounce of pelf ?
That hero saved the State for me and you,
But to a fool were paltry dollars due.
Our noble brave was thrown in jail for debt,
Where villain lawyers would have kept him yet.
Do they inform you who it was that heard
The tale infernal, whose kind heart was stirred,
To pay the petty lucre that the law
Demanded for its foul, insatiate maw?
Ah ! many a time and oft that generous friend
Gave of the treasure he would scorn to lend ;
Made us the creatures obligation names,
When she reviews her unexacted claims.
Gave of his counsel, led our armies on,
Chivalric marquis, till the fight was won,
And shall we be unmindful of the debt
To thy blest memory, gallant Lafayette?
For one brief moment let the earnest strain
Your pulses tingle, your approval gain,
While at the dual shrine we reverent bend
Of the brave hero and the hero's friend.

THE CAPTURE OF PRESCOTT. 65
Give honor to our patriot sires,
Their history is ours and Fame's ;
They kindled Freedom's altar fires,
Eternal glory gilds their names.
Then gather in the council hall,
Or 'neath the boughs of towering tree,
Or near the crystal waterfall,
Or in the vale or on the lea,
Where waves the palm o'er Sabine's tide,
Where broad Potomac still is free,
Where proud Missouri's waters glide,
Where Narragansett seeks the sea.
Recount the heroes of the past,
Who patriots from the tyrant freed,
And first 'mong memories that last,
Repeat the tale of Barton's deed.
And speak of him who left the home
Of luxury and love and power,
And hastened o'er the Alantic foam
To aid in freedom's trial hour.
Oh ! not till earth has ceased to move,
Till the last star in heaven has set,
Shall freemen's hearts forget to love,
To bless the name of Lafayette.

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