Gloucester's Part in the Revolution

Gloucester's Part In the Revolution

NO. I

Our town was awake at the first Signs of the approaching struggle. Cut off from other settlements, as were our people on "Cape Ann Island," they stood shoulder to shoulder with all Massachusetts whenever there arose a question of liberty.

October 7, 1765, they crowded into a town-meeting and, as one man, protested against the Stamp Act, which was about to be thrust upon the Colonies. “The Stamp Act is disagreeable," they declared, and ordered the Gloucester representatives in the Great and General Court to enter into no measures "whereby our liberties which we have as Englishmen by the Magna Charts, or which we, the inhabitants of this Province, have by our particular charter, may . . be give up or lessened."

Having held a town-meeting on Christmas Day, 1772, in the First-Parish Meeting-house, to hear the warning messages which Boston was sending out to all the Province, our fathers adjourned to the 28th of December, when they adopted resolutions, stating the rights and liberties of the people of the American Colonies They added a message of gratitude to the town of Boston, and announced that the people of Gloucester were ready to join with that town, and with all others, in every legal way, to oppose tyranny in all its forms and to remain steadfast in the defense of their rights and liberties, dearer to then than their lives. The doings of their meeting were sent to the Boston Committee of Correspondence, of which Samuel Adams was head. Seven of our townsmen were chosen as the Gloucester Committee of Correspondence.

Again, when the cargoes of unwanted tea were waiting for the people of Boston to pay duty on them, our townspeople met on December I5, 1773. and unanimously voted

"This town think it an indispensable duty we owe to ourselves, to our countrymen, and to posterity, to declare, and we do declare,—

”That we will use our most strenuous exertions, not only that there shall he no tea landed in this town, subject to a duty payable in America; but that we will have no commerce with any person or persons that have, or shall have, any concern in buying selling that detestable herb.

“That, if we are compelled to make the last appeal to heaven, we will defend our resolutions and our liberties at the expense of all that is dear to us,

Next day came the Boston Tea Party. No wonder, if the other towns supported Boston as firmly as did Gloucester!

Newburyport merchants merchants agreed not to trade with Great Britain or the West Indies; Gloucester followed their example. It meant making at home what had been formerly bought from abroad. Housewives were soon bust finding substitutes for the foods they would no longer buy.

Parliament had punished patriotic Boston for the tea party, The port had been shut up, and the loss of trade and lack of work caused much suffering. Help was asked from other towns. Gloucester sent 120 sheep, later, over 117 pounds in money wee forwarded as a contribution.

Five Gloucestermen were sent as delegates to the Essex County Convention, called at Ipswich in September, 1774, to talk over the ‘"late acts of Parliament. Peter Coffin was our representative at the General Court, which met at Salem that year. It was a stirring gathering, filled with the spirit of liberty.” And it was the last Provincial General Court of Massachusetts; for the governor ordered the House dissolved, and sent his secretary to the Court for that purpose. No one would let the secretary in, however, So, the Governor’s proclamation had to be read on the stairs. The Essex County Convention had advised the representatives what to do. Acting upon this advice, they met in October and formed a Provincial Congress. Our Peter Coffin was there, instructed by the town for that very end. We soon had a second delegate, Daniel Witham, who had served our town already for fifty years in various offices.

A large committee was chosen at town-meeting in November, to take care that the " “Association'" proposed by Continental Congress should be complied with." Our people were quite willing to “comply that is, to keep on doing without tea and British goods. A week later the town voted that, if the constables would pay the Province tax into the town treasury, instead of to the British Government officers, Gloucester would protect the constables from punishment. Upon this assurance, the constables acted as suggested. Then the tax was paid by the town treasurer to the receiver appointed by the new Provincial Congress. Now, surely, there was trouble ahead1

yA break with England meant great hardships for all the Colonies. But it spelled almost sure ruin to a town like Gloucester,— where the people depended upon fishing and foreign trade for their living! Yet our sturdy forefathers did not flinch. They thought of us. And, for the sake of giving liberty to future generations, they faced the coming storm.

Six companies of Gloucester men and one company from Manchester were in the Sixth Essex Regiment of Massachusetts Militia. Field officers were chosen in January, many of whom later received commissions in the Continental Army. In March, the trained bands and alarm-lists were inspected, the number of selectmen increased, and all supposed Tories, as those who sided with England were called, were ordered to prove their loyalty to America In April, war preparations began in earnest. A company of minutemen was organized under Nathanial Warner's command, and the town busied itself with running musket-balls, making cartridges and buying small-arms.

Great was the excitement over the news of the battle of Lexington. With a large British naval force in Boston Harbor, who could say that Gloucester would not be attacked next and punished for the many times that she had defied Great Britain.

Gloucester's Part in the Revolution

No. 2

"We will defend our resolutions and or liberties et the expense of all that is dear to us," Gloucester men had solemnly declared. The time had come to prove how sincere they were.

Thirty-one of the "most prominent and respectable citizens" were chosen as a Committee of Safety. The day of the minute-men was over the day of the real army had come. More fire-arms were ordered. Housekeepers unpacked their precious stores of homespun blankets for the newly-enlisted soldiers who could not furnish their own. The town paid for these supplies and promised needy soldiers that their families should be provided for during their absence.

On the 24th of April, many of the Harbor residents moved their wives and children to West Parish and Ipswich for safety from the expected British attack. When we read that their flight was on the Sabbath, we can realize somewhat how very grave was Gloucester's anxiety and peril. What a forlorn picture those refugees most have made as the stragglers procession trailed along over the rough country roads.

During the first campaign of the war, our selectmen stated that Gloucester had "upwards of 220 men in the field, beside numbers who joined the marine department, as more suitable to their former occupation." At that time the population was about 5,000 and there were 1053 polls.

One company, enlisted in four days by Capt. Nathaniel Warner, marched away to Cambridge in May. June 19th. Capt. John Rowe's company left own. This was made up of Sandy Bay and the Farms. It contained only six privates who were not fishermen or sailors. More than a third of the recruits were under twenty-one; the youngest was William Low, a lad of fourteen; and the Captain's son, John Rowe, Jr., was only sixteen.

Both these companies fought bravely at Bunker Hill. Capt. Warner seemed to have a charmed life: a musket-barrel burst in his hands, the next gun he seized was struck by a bullet, another shot split his pen-knife handle in his pocket; but he won through, unhurt . The story is told that Benjamin Webber, a farmer lad who fought under Warner, picking out a dashing British officer on horseback, took aim with an old “Queens arm” and brought down Major Pitcairn, mortally wounded. The bold lad was shot in the arm just as he raised his gun to fire his last charge. Two of Warner’s men were killed and three wounded.; three of Rowe’s men were killed and two wounded.

It was the pluck and daring of such men as these that cheered George Washington, as he journeyed north to take command of the army. "Did the militia fight?" he asked anxiously, when he heard that the British had taken Bunker Hill. "They did," was the reply. "Then the liberties of our country are safe!” Exclaimed Washington.

To Cape Ann people, the early days of August, 1775, Were thrilling indeed. On the 5th, the British sloop-of-war, "Falcon," commanded by Capt. Lindsay,—or Linszee, (we shall call him by the latter name) came sailing into Ipswich Bay and almost into Squam Harbor. The grazing sheep in the pastures near Coffin's Beech looked very tempting to the Captain, so, a barge was sent ashore, with about fifty men, to carry off some fine, fresh mutton. But Major Peter Coffin was watching the "Falcon;" and with five or six men from the neighboring farms, hid behind the sandhills, peppering the British as they approached.

"It must be a large force of soldiers attacking us," thought the frightened men in the barge. “This is too dear a price to pay for mutton," and they rowed hastily back to the Falcon.

"Go into Square Harbor!" ordered Linzee, as they neared the sloop-of-war, That deeply-laden schooner lying there must be a West Indianman with a rich cargo.”

Into Squam Harbor they pulled, and boarded the schooner. The rich cargo was a load of sand!

Linzee had had enough of Cape Ann sand and he welcomed any chance to punish Gloucester. Three days later, he thought his chance had come. He had captured one real West Indianman schooner and was chasing a second, when she fled into Gloucester Harbor and ran ashore on the fiats. A crowd of indignant citizens gathered near the schooner at once. They had no intention of letting Linzee carry her off. As soon as bargemen from the "Falcon" tried to board the grounded schooner, our men on shore fired upon them; three were killed and the lieutenant in command was wounded in the thigh. Line was very angry. He sent in his prize schooner, with a cutter, all manned with well-armed sailors, to capture the stranded vessel.

Meantime, to make sure work of his revenge, he began to cannonade the town from the "Falcon." Several broadsides were poured into the most thickly settled part of the Harbor. With an oath, the spiteful Captain ordered his gunners to aim at the First Parrish church. He did not know its name, but its spire rose as a tempting mark. One shot did strike it, and the ball may seen today, preserved as a relic of the bombardment. To add to his activities Linzee sent a boat-load of his men to burn the the town. They landed at Fort Point; but, in a few minutes, they were all taken prisoners by Gloucester men.

While these the were going on, the party which had under-taken to defend the schooner on the flats had succeeded in capturing both of the West Indiamen, the cutter and the barges This part of the fight cost Gloucester two lives,—one man who was killed on the spa, and one who was fatally wounded. But the bombards men which was meant to be so deadly, had butchered only one lone hog' The captured boats were brought on shore and hauled up back of the very meetinghouse which Linz. had tried so hard to destroy, perhaps on the very spot where our high school now stands. Two years later, the boats were sold for the benefit of the Poor of the town.