Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 8, 1883

Chapter 8

New Bedford a Rendezvous for Privateers - Arrival of the British Fleet - Burning of the Village - Gen. Charles Grey's Official Report - Account by Judge Edward Pope - Elijah Macomber's Account - Reminiscences of John Gilbert - Reminiscences collected by Capt. Lemuel S. Aiken - Statement o*f Charles Grinnell - List of Property Destroyed - Some Doubtful Points - The Extent of the Calamity - Personal Sketches - Gen. Grey's Life and Character - Facts and Incidents.

The British acted in the matter, there is no doubt, from motives of retaliation and punishment, rather than for purposes of plunder. The same expedition afterward proceeded to Martha's Vineyard and carried off large numbers of cattle, with a considerable sum of money, but there is no account of any property being carried away from Bedford, as the village was then called. Our harbor had from the beginning; of the war been noted as a rendezvous for privateers, and the damage inflicted upon English commerce by the whalemen of Dartmouth had excited the deepest resentment. As early as May, 1775, but a few weeks after the battle of Lexington, the British cruiser " Falcon" had captured in the bay three vessels belonging to Sandwich. A schooner was fitted out from here under the command of Capt. Egery, which recaptured two of these vessels with fifteen British officers and sailors. The privateer " Providence," whose name is associated with many brilliant naval achievements, had her rendezvous here. She was a sloop of about ninety tons, and at one time, it is said, she was under the command of John Paul Jones. Her most famous exploit, under

Capt. Hacker, was with His Majesty's brig " Diligence," of eighteen guns, which she captured and brought into our harbor after a most determined and bloody engagement.

Maj.-Gen. Grey, under orders from Sir Henry Clinton, at New York, arrived in the bay and anchored off Clarke's Point about noon of Saturday, Sept. 5, 1778, with two frigates, a brig-of-war, and some thirtysix transports, with about five thousand men. The main body of troops was landed on the shore of Clarke's Cove that afternoon, and marched in the course of the night past the Head of the River, and passing on a road east of the village of Fairhaven direct to Sconticut Neck, the troops re-embarked and were all on board the fleet again before Sunday noon, the 6th. On the march a detachment turned to the eastward from County down Union Street, which when first laid out was called King Street, and burned the stores and many other buildings near the foot of the street, and the shipping at the wharves. A good many of the vessels destroyed were prizes, and large amounts of prize goods were burned. Another party proceeded to McPherson's wharf, at Belleville, and destroyed the shipping there. There was a fort where Fort Phoenix now stands, and the garrison spiked the guns and retreated, and the fort was blown up by the British. The next night a party landed at Fairhaven, and was driven off by the troops who had collected under command of Maj. Israel Fearing.

We give a number of accounts of the raid by eyewitnesses, commencing with the report made to his commanding officer, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, by Gen. Charles Grey :

"Sir, - In the evening of the 4th inst. the fleet, with the detachment under my command, sailed from New London, and stood to the eastward with a very favorable wind. We were only retarded in the run from thence to Buzzard's Bay by the altering our course for some hours in the night, in consequence of the discovery of a strange fleet, which was not known to be Lord Howe's until morning. By five o'clock in the afternoon of the 5th the ships were at anchor in Clarke's Cove, and the boats having been previously hoisted out, the debarkation of the troops took place immediately. I proceeded without loss of time to destroy the vessels and stores in the whole extent of Acushnet River (about six miles), particularly at Bedford and Fairhaven ; and having dismantled and burnt a fort on the east side of the river mounting eleven pieces of heavy cannon, with a magazine and barracks, completed the re-embarkation before noon the next day. I refer your Excellency to the annexed return for the enemy's losses, as far as we were able to ascertain them, and for our own casualties.

" The wind did not admit of any further movement of the fleet the 6th and 7th than hauling a little distance from the shore. Advantage was taken of this circumstance to burn a large privateer ship on the stocks, and to send a small armament of boats, with two galleys, to destroy two or three vessels which, being in the stream, the troops had not been able to set fire to.

"From the difficulties in passing out of Buzzard's Bay into the Vineyard Sound, through Quickse's Hole, from head winds, the fleet did not reach Holmes' Hole Harbor, in the island of Martha's Vineyard, until the 10th. The transports, with the light infantry, grenadiers, and Thirty-third Regiment, were anchored without the harbor, as I had at that time a service in view for those corps while the business of collecting cattle should be carrying on upon the island. I was obliged by contrary winds to relinquish my design.

" On our arrival off the harbor the inhabitants sent persons on board to ask my intentions with respect to them, to whom a requisition was made of the arms of the militia, the public money, three hundred oxen, and ten thousand sheep. They promised each of these articles should be delivered without delay. I afterwards found it necessary to send small detachments into the island and detain the deputed inhabitants for a time in order to accelerate their compliance with the demand.

" The 12th I was able to embark on board the vessels, which arrived that day from Rhode Island, six thousand sheep and one hundred and thirty oxen.

" The 13th and 14th were employed in embarking cattle and sheep on board our own fleet, in destroying some salt-works, in burning or taking in the inlets what vessels and boats could be found, and in receiving the arms of the militia. I here again refer your Excellency to returns.

" On the 15th the fleet left Martha's Vineyard, and after sustaining, the next day, a very severe gale of wind, arrived the 17th at Whitestone without any material damage.

" I hold myself much obliged to the commanding officers of corps and to the troops in general for the alacrity with which every service was performed. " I have the honor to be, etc.,

" The enemy's loss, which came to our knowledge, was an officer and 3 men killed by the advanced parties of light infantry, who, on receiving a fire from the inclosures, rushed on with their bayonets. Six-

New Bedford

" A number of sloops and schooners of inferior size, amounting in all to 70, besides whale-boats and others ; amongst the prizes were three taken by Count D'Estaing's fleet.

" 26 store-houses at Bedford, several at McPherson's wharf, Crane's Mills, and Fairhaven ; these were filled with very great quantities of rum, sugar, molasses, coftee, tobacco, cotton, tea, medicines, gunpowder, sail-cloth, cordage, etc.

"Return of ammunition, arms, and accoutrements, etc, which were brought in by the mi lit in mi the island of Martha's Vineyard agreeable to Ma/.- Gen. Grey's order, received at Holmes' Cove, Sept. 12, 13, and 14, 1778.

" N. B. - 1 barrel, 1 half-barrel and quarter-barrel of powder, a great number of lead-shot or balls of different sizes in bags and boxes, and a great many flints. David Scott,

Account by Judge Edward Pope. - " While the town was in this flourishing state the British troops, to the amount of four thousand, landed on the west side of Clarke's Neck and at Clarke's Cove on Saturday evening, the 5th of September, 1778, and marched round to the Head of the River, over the bridge, and down the east side into Sconticut Neck, leaving the villages of Fairhaven and Oxford on the right, burning on their way houses, mills, barns, etc. They encamped on Sconticut Neck until Monday, and then re-embarked on board their shipping. The succeeding night they attempted to land a large number of troops at Fairhaven, in order to burn that village ; but being discovered by Maj. Israel Fearing (now brigadier-general), who had the command of about one hundred or one hundred and fifty men, and determined to save the place if possible, or lose his life in the atttempt, and placed himself and men behind houses and stores near where he supposed they would land, and suffered them to reach the shore with their boats before a musket was discharged, and they were then in great numbers beginning to land, and had set fire to two or three stores within fifty or one hundred yards of Maj. Fearing and his men, who then fired upon them, and by the screechings and track of blood afterwards discovered, supposed many were killed and wounded. They immediately retreated aboard their ships, taking their dead and wounded with them. Thus, by the bravery of one man, that village was preserved."

Account by Elijah Macomber . - " The fort below Fairhaven village was garrisoned at the time by Capt. Timothy Ingraham, Lieut. Daniel Foster, and thirtysix non-commissioned officers and privates, making a total of thirty-eight men. There were eleven or twelve pieces of cannon mounted in the fort and about twenty-five casks of powder in the magazine, twenty casks having been procured a few days previous from the commissary store in Bedford, which was kept by Philip and Leonard Jarvis, brothers.

"About one o'clock p.m. Worth Bates, who lived at a place on the Bedford side calied McPherson's Wharf, and who had that day been out fishing, landed at the fort in his boat and informed the captain that a British fleet was in the bay and nearly up with the point. In a few moments they made their appearance by the point. The larger ships sailed up the river and anchored off abreast the fort. About one-half or more of the smaller vessels anchored off Clarke's Point, and the remainder dropped in to the east of the larger vessels and commenced embarking troops in a small cove a short distance to the east of the fort, behind a point of wood and under cover of the guns of the larger vessels. The fleet consisted of thirty-six sail. Immediately upon discovering them three guns were fired from the fort to alarm the country, and a dispatch sent to Howland's Ferry for reinforcements. The debarkation of the British troops commenced about two o'clock, both to the eastward of the fort and at Clarke's Cove. A company of artillery from Boston, consisting of about sixty men, under the command of Capt. (James) Cushman, was stationed at the head of Clarke's Cove, which upon the landing of the British fell back and retreated to the head of the Acushnet River. (James) Metcalf was first lieutenant of this company, and was shot during the night at Acushnet village. William Gordon, of this town, was second lieutenant and was taken prisoner by the British, but made his escape before he arrived at the Head of Acushnet. The troops continued to debark from the transports lying east of the fort until night, but neither their movements nor the motions of those landed at the cove could be seen from the fort.

" Not long after dark the detachment from the cove commenced the work of destruction. The first buildings discovered in flames were the rope-walks of (owner unknown) and the distillery belonging to Isaac Howland, father of the late Isaac Howland, Jr. Soon after all the stores, warehouses, some barns and dwelling-houses, together with every vessel they could get at, were in flames. There was a large number of vessels in the harbor at the time, a large English ship having been brought in a prize by the French a few days previous and then lying at Rotch's wdiarf, as well as several others a short time before. Every vessel was burnt, excepting those lying in the stream, which they could not get at, and a small craft somewhere up the river. The number of vessels destroyed was seventy. Among the dwelling-houses burnt was (Joseph) Rotch's and Isaac Howland's.

"A little before nine o'clock, or between eight and nine, and after some of the vessels which had been set on fire on the Bedford side had drifted down towards the fort, the detachment which landed on the east side advanced upon the fort from the eastward. Two guns were fired at the fleet, and after spiking the guns the garrison retreated to the north, leaving their colors flying. The British, supposing the fort to be still garrisoned, opened a heavy fire upon it with their artillery, which soon ceased upon not being returned. The garrison were at this time ranged along a low wall a short distance to the north of the fort, waiting to discover the exact position of the enemy, in order to make their retreat successfully. They were soon discovered by the British, who fired upon them and wounded a man by the name of Robert Crossman. A ball passed through one wrist and across the other. A hasty retreat was then commenced, and the enemy not knowing the exact position and strength of the Americans, did not make a vigorous pursuit. The whole garrison, with the exception of the wounded man and two others. John Skiff and his father, who were taken prisoners, succeeded in making their escape to the woods at some little distance north of Fairhaven, where they lay through the night, and until the British had passed them from the Head of the River. Before the fort was evacuated, a train of powder was placed from the magazine to the platform. The British, upon entering, after destroying the ramrods, sponges, etc., applied a slow match to the magazine, which, communicating with the train left by the garrison, was blown up sooner than was intended, destroying one man, - at least the fragments of whose gun, cap, and accoutrements were afterwards discovered near by. After burning the barracks, guardhouse, etc., the detachment moved north, destroying vessels, stores, etc., and formed a junction with the detachment from the west side somewhere towards the Head of Acushnet, after which they marched down towards the fort. They were out all night. The next day they re-embarked near the fort.

"The leading platoons of the detachment on the west side of the river fired upon three men, who were armed, near the house of Joseph Russell (father of Gilbert, Abraham, and Humphrey), two of whom were shot down. These men were Abraham Russell, about forty years of age ; Thomas Cook, a young man who lived with him ; and Diah Trafford, about twenty-three years of age. The British advancing rapidly upon them with fixed bayonets, they begged for quarter, which was refused. Russell was killed immediately, his head being entirely cut to pieces. Cook died about daylight; his bowels were ripped open. Trafford was shot through the leg and severely wounded in the abdomen by a bayonet. He died the next day about ten o'clock, after making some statements relative to the death of his companions. They were all carried into Joseph Russell's house in the morning.

" The prisoners taken stated, when they were released, that the troops which landed on the east side were delayed some hours, in consequence of their light-horse and artillery becoming entangled in a marsh which lay at the head of the cove when they landed. This accounts for their delay in making an attack upon the fort.

" On the night following the general attack, a number of barges were discovered coming up the river, which were fired upon and driven back by the force which by this time had assembled at Fairhaven, a detachment having, I think, arrived from Howland's Ferry, and a body of militia from Middleborough, making several hundred. It was supposed that their object was plunder, and that the expedition was not ordered by any of the general officers.

" The American prisoners, on their return, reported that the whole force of the British was about five thousand five hundred. This, it is presumed, included the number composing the crew of the several vessels.

" The detachment on the west side must have nearly reached the Head of the River before the fort was evacuated. Both detachments had artillery, and I think light horse.

" Obed Cushman was here with the militia next day ; says he was in the sloop ' Providence' awhile, all cut to pieces during her last cruise.

John Gilbert's Account. - " On the 5th of September, 1778, in the afternoon, the British fleet arrived off Clarke's Point. It consisted of two frigates, an eighteen-gun brig, and about thirty-six transports. The latter were small ships. The two frigates and brig anchored opposite the mouth of the Acushnet River, and a little below the point. The transports were anchored outside the Great Ledge, and opposite the mouth of the cove. The troops, including light-horse, artillery, etc., were landed in barges. The landing was completed a little before night, near where the present almshouse stands, and the troops arrived at the head of Main Street (now Union) about dusk. A part of the troops here wdieeled to the right and passed down Main Street for the purpose of burning the town, while the remainder continued their march to the north on the county road. There were not, at that time, more than fifteen able-bodied men in the place, every person that could leave having gone to reinforce the American army on Rhode Island, where at that very time they were engaged, the cannon being distinctly heard here. I was at that time an apprentice to Joseph Russell, the father of Abraham Russell, and had been sent for a horse to carry my mistress to some place of safety. On my return she had gone, as also the goods from the house, but Peace Akins was there (a connection of the family), whom I was directed to carry with me. The house stood at the present corner of County and Morgan Streets, and a little within the fence on the southeast corner of Charles W. Morgan's lot. By this time the British had appeared in sight. I was upon the horse by the side of the horse-block, urging Mrs. Akins to be quick in getting ready. She, however, made some little delay by returning into the house for something, and before she had time to get up behind me four light-horsemen passed us, but without paying us any particular attention. Whilst the head of the British column was passing us, and whilst Peace was in the very act of getting upon the horse, a soldier came up, and seizing the horse's bridle commanded me to get off. I made no reply, but by reining the horse suddenly round knocked him down, which left me perfectly at liberty, and headed to the north. The troops occupied nearly the whole of the road, leaving, however, a small space on the west side between them and the wall. Through this open space I attempted to pass by, urging my horse at the top of his speed, but before I had gone five rods a whole platoon was fired at me, without hitting either myself or horse. These were the first guns fired by the British. The troops now opened from the centre to close the space next the wall, which reduced me to the necessity of passing through the centre of the remaining platoons. This I effected without injury, in consequence of the speed of my horse, and being so mixed up with the troops as to prevent their firing. About twenty feet in advance of the leading platoon were placed two men with fixed bayonets as an advanced guard. They were about six feet apart, and as I advanced from the rear they both faced about and presented their pieces, which I think were snapped at me, - they did not fire. I passed through between them and made my escape, turning up the Smith Mills road. I went to Timothy Maxfield's, about one and a half miles, and stayed all night.

" I afterwards learned that upon my leaving P. Akins on the horse-block, some British officers rode up and assured her that if she remained perfectly quiet nothing should injure her. She remained in this situation until the troops had passed and the officers left her, when she went over to the east side of the road.

" The four horsemen who first passed us on the horse-block went into the house and plundered two men whom they found there, the goods having been already conveyed back. These men were Humphrey Tallman and Joseph Traffbrd, who worked for Joseph Russell.

"As I passed up the Smith Mills road, and about one-fourth of a mile from the county road, I met William Haydon and Oliver Potter, both armed with muskets, who inquired where the main body of the British then were. I told them they were nearly square against us. Upon receiving this information they cut across the woods, and, as I was afterwards told, came out a little in advance of the British, and near the west end of the present North Street. The woods were very thick on the west side of County Street at this place, and under cover of night and these woods Haydon and Potter fired upon the soldiers and killed two horsemen. This I was told by Haydon and Potter, and also by the American prisoners on their return home, who saw them put into the baggage-wagon.

"A few minutes after these men were shot, Abraham Russell, Thomas Cook, and Diah Traffbrd, all being armed, were discovered by the British attempting to leave the village by coining up a cross-way into the British and all shot down. Trafford was twentyone years old, lacking fourteen days, and was in the employment of Joseph Russell, with whom I then lived. He was shot through the heart and died instantly. After that his face was badly cut to pieces by the sabres of the British. Cook also worked for Russell by the month, and was nearly forty years of age. He was shot through the leg, and also through the bowels, the bullet passing through his bladder. He died about daylight next morning. Russell was about forty years of age. He died about ten o'clock next morning, at the house of Joseph Russell, where they were all carried, after remaining in the road where they were shot all night. Russell and Cook were buried in Dartmouth ; Trafford was buried on a hill by the shore, a little north of the old rope- walk in this town. This was a sort of potter's field, where sailors were buried. The land belonged to Joseph Russell.

" A company of artillery, consisting of about eighty privates, had been sent from Boston for the protection of the place. The building occupied by them as barracks was the poor-house, which stood near the present site of Philip Anthony's dwelling-house. It was a long, low building, and has since been pulled down. The company was commanded by Capt. James dishing, of Boston. Joseph Bell, of Boston, was first lieutenant; William Gordon, of Boston, second lieutenant, and James Metcalf, of Boston, third lieutenant. The latter was mortally wounded by the British during the night at Acushnet. This company, although stationed here, had, a short time previous to the landing of the British, been called to Howland's Ferry to aid the Americans against the British on Rhode Island. But during the day of the landing, Lieuts. Gordon and Metcalf had returned with part of the company and one field-piece. As the British advanced they were under the necessity of retreating. They had a yoke of oxen of Joseph Russell's to draw the cannon.

" The officers of this company had their quarters at and boarded with Mrs. Deborah Doubleday, a widow, in the house in which Judge Prescott's office now is, which was then owned by Seth Russell, father of the late Seth and Charles. After Metcalf was wounded he was brought down to this house, where I saw him the next day. I think he lived three days. I was at his funeral. He was buried on the hill by the old meeting-house at Acushnet, ' under arms.'

" McPherson's wharf was at Bellville, and was burnt by the British, together with some vessels lying there. A brig called the ' No Duty on Tea' was burnt at this wharf. She drifted down the river after her fastenings were burnt off, and finally sank just at the north of Dog Fish Bar, and abreast of the Bury ing- Ground Hill. Several other small vessels were burnt at this wharf and sank. They were afterwards got up.

Island. She was afterwards got up. Her guns were got up by some persons who dived down and fastened ropes to them, when they were hoisted up. Benjamin C. Myrick was drowned in diving down for the purpose of fastening a rope to the last one.

" On the day the British landed, they commenced carting goods about the middle of the afternoon, and carried them on to a piece of cleared land containing about one acre which was situated in the woods west of the jail, and surrounded on all sides by swamps, heavy wood, and thick copse. Many others carried goods to the same place. After moving all the goods I was sent for a horse to the pasture west of where the jail now stands, as stated before.

" On Sunday morning, the day following the burning of Bedford, a small force in two barges was sent to Padanaram. Three or four houses belonging to the Akins were burnt, and a brig on the stocks.

" These Akins were strong Whigs, and it is supposed that they were instrumental in driving away from there three men who adhered to the British, and who, with all who took that course, were called Tories. The names of these men were Richard Shearman, Joseph Castle, and Eldad Tupper. These men went to the British, and as two of them were pilots, it is supposed that they pointed out the channel of our harbor to the British. This accounts for the fact that certain houses only were burnt at Padanaram."

Reminiscences collected by Capt. Lemuel S. Akin. - " While the British were marching up to Bedford, William Tobey, once postmaster in New Bedford, was driving a team loaded with goods for a safe place of deposit, but was so hardly pressed by the British that he unyoked his oxen and left his wagon and goods a prize to the enemy.

" Arrived at the Head of the River, a party left the main body and went north as far as the old gambrelroofed house of Dr. Tobey, still standing. I believe that it was a general baking-day in these parts, for here they found in the cellar an oven full of bread, and pork and beans. These they soon dispatched, and robbed the house of what they wanted, and endeavored to destroy the rest. But the British pilferers in going down the cellar left the door wide open, and that effectually prevented their seeing another door immediately behind it, leading to a room where their most valuable clothing was deposited, and by that means was saved. Another instance of the same kind occurred at Bartholomew Taber's.

" They burned several houses at the Head of the River, among others one belonging to Capt. Crandon, who, to revenge himself on the British marauders, would not suffer his new house to be placed over his old cellar, nor suffer the cellar to be filled up until his son, having the management in some measure of his father's business, accomplished it.

"It was at Acushnet village that Lieut. Metcalf was mortally wounded. He was from Boston, and belonged to the Continental army. Some verses were composed on his death at the time by a Mrs. Negus. She had not the inspiration of a Sappho, yet they were much esteemed at the time; in fact, much worse have been written, and printed too.

"The first building they burned after leaving the Head of the River was a house on the premises now owned by David Russell, then occupied by Col. Pope. Eldad Tupper, a Tory, and well acquainted in these parts, acted as their guide, and could inform them of all holding office or commissions. As they proceeded south, and near by, they came to Stephen and Thomas Hathaway 's. The latter was a man of handsome property in those days, and without children, but he had a ward living with him, Jonathan Kempton, who eventually inherited it. At the time the fleet anchored he was at the lower end of Sconticut Neck, and left immediately for home to remove the household furniture to a place of safety. After packing up, he took a small trunk containing quite a valuable quantity of silver plate, and as he stepped to the door to leave the house he was met by their advance-guard, who told him they would relieve him from any further care of the trunk. After taking what things they wanted from the house, they collected beds and bedding in a chamber and set fire to them, and very luckily shut the doors. They took Mr. Kempton a prisoner, and told him they should carry him to New York. He entreated them to let him have his liberty. After carrying him to the end of a long lane leading to the house they consented, after taking one of the two pairs of breeches that he had on ; that he had two pairs on they knew from having robbed him of his watch, but they informed him they must fire at him as a deserter, which they did, but whether with an intention of hitting him or not he never knew. The ball, however, hit a large cherry-tree, one of a number that lined a long passage or lane leading to the house. Mr. Kempton returned to the house in time to extinguish the fire.

" Proceeding on in something of a hurry, burning now and then a house or a store and destroying property and frightening men, women, and children, who generally, Indian-like, fled to the woods with what little they could carry for safety, some rather laughable scenes occurred amid the terror and confusion. One woman, it is charitable to suppose not till after mighty efforts and years of longing, at last procured a brass warming-pan. This, though previous to Lord Timothy Dexter's venture of warming-pans to the West Indies, was too valuable to fall into the hands of the rapacious 'regulars;' accordingly clothes, bedding, household furniture, all, except the warming-pan, was abandoned to its fate. With this she, with many others, started for the woods. Fear is a great creator of phantoms. Arrived at the woods, helter-skelter, there was no time to choose their way, onward was the word. The bended elastic bushes and limbs of trees were continually striking the warming-pan with a force, in their judgment, sufficient to give the regulars a clue to their whereabouts. What was to be done? The owner must leave the pan behind or must herself be left; the former she would not do, the latter she could not prevent, and every one fled from woman and pan with as much eagerness as before they fled from the regulars.

"The British fell in with a Quaker, Jethro Hathaway, father of the late Stephen, and took his broadbrim from his head, hurled it in the air, and after making much sport with it said, ' Let the old Quaker have it again.'

"Bartholomew Taber, a calm, courageous man, remained by his house, and was harshly treated by the British soldiery. One fellow threatened to shoot him, and aimed his musket several times at his head, but perceiving it was not cocked he did not consider himself in much danger. He heard the bullet whistle in the air, fired from the bushes at the British, which caused the burning of the school-house on his premises, and heard them call for a match at the same time.

" Near the Sconticut road, about one mile east of Fairhaven village, was the house and farm of Capt. John Alden. He had a small stone building some little distance from his house, in which he kept groceries for sale. He had moved his family and some goods to a place of safety, and had returned with his ox-team for more goods and furniture. A neighbor came to purchase some rum, and while in the act of getting it the British arrived and relieved him of the care of the team. They drove his oxen on the Neck, where they were slaughtered for the use of the army. On the Neck they stopped at the house of John West, who had in his pen a large fat hog. They put a bayonet through him and left him dead.

" Just before they came to what is called the 'Narrows,' in a cleared field where there were several stacks of salt hay, they left a detachment of their army, who, fatigued and sleepy, after setting a guard and scattering the hay, lay on it and took- a nap. The remainder continued on about one mile to where the Widow Dean now lives, the place of their final embarkation. They had with them at this time an active, resolute person by the name of Pease as their prisoner. He was not very strictly guarded, and as they were surrounded by woods made his escape to the east side of the Neck, and headed north by the edge of the woods and marsh until he came to the Narrows, where he entered the road. Being ignorant at the time of an enemy near, he was hailed by the guard in the road, and immediately advancing to him, with a club secreted under his jacket, with one blow over the head dispatched him and effected his escape. It was supposed the act was witnessed by those on board the fleet, who with their glasses could easily do it, for immediately after the blow was given a gun was fired from one of their ships. There is little doubt the guard was killed, as a grave was found made by the British near the spot. Many supposed Pease did wrong, and that a judgment overtook him at last, as he was killed by the falling of a well-sweep."

Statement of Charles Orinnell - Charles Grinnell made the following statement from what he had been told by his mother and members of the Howland family :

" Susanna Grinnell and her sister, Sarah Tucker, left the house of Mrs. Grinnell when the British landed, on horseback, and went to Mrs. Tucker's. The detachment of the army which left the main body and turned down Main Street and burnt the town, stacked their arms in front of the old brick house occupied and owned by old Isaac Howland (old Isaac came from Newport). Howland invited the officers, Gen. Grey and his staff, to come in and take some refreshments. While they were thus enjoying themselves one of Howland's men came running up and told him that the soldiers had broken into the distil-house, had got to the rum, got drunk, and set the distil-house on fire. This exasperated Gen. Grey, for he did not wish to have the property of his host destroyed. He ordered the men corrected and sent aboard the ship. While they were thus resting, some of the men amused themselves with firing into the east end of Mrs. Grinnell's house. The ball-holes are now to be seen under the shingles. The men broke into the back of Mrs. Grinnell's house, plundered it and set fire to it. A faithful black woman, who had remained in the house, put out the tire. She was in the cellar while they were firing."

Shops, etc. - Isaac Howland's: distil-house, 1; cooper's shop, 1 ; warehouses, 3. Joseph Russell's : barn, 1; shop, 1. Church's shop (shoe), 1. Joseph Russell's: store, 1; warehouses (old), 2; 2 shops (small), 2; candle-house, 1. L. Kempton. 1. Rotch & Jarvis : shop, 1 ; warehouses, 2. Joseph Rotch : barn, 1 ; chaise-house, 1. Total, 20. Rope-walk and one house; A.Smith's blacksmith-shop; Benjamin Taber's shop.

Some Doubtful Points. - There is some doubt with reference to Mr. Macomber's statement of troops landing east of the fort. It is not mentioned in Gen. Grey's official reports nor in other accounts. The destruction of the fort, as far as can be gathered from Gen. Grey, was accomplished by the troops who had marched from Clarke's Cove around the Head of the River. This is not, however, a direct statement, and if it is thought to be settled that Mr. Macomber saw the troops leaving the vessels and steering for the land in Fairhaven Cove, his account is conclusive. On the other hand, the advance of the column from Clarke's Cove might have reached Sconticut Neck without the knowledge of the garrison in the fort, while the firing detachments delayed at New Bedford, Bellville, and other places; and having thus established a base for re-embarkation, the attack on the fort might have been made by them while awaiting the arrival of the rear-guard from Bedford. On the whole, however, Mr. Macomber's statement will probably be accepted. It is at any rate full and circumstantial with reference to all the movements of the British. The people of Bedford village would naturally have their attention engrossed by the landing at Clarke's Cove and the burning of the village and shipping, and would be ignorant of operations east of the fort.

Mr. Macomber's statement that Isaac Howland's house was burned must be incorrect. The house was on the north side of Union Street, and was torn down in order to open Cheapside, now Pleasant Street.

There is some mystery in connection with the boat attack on Fairhaven as related by Judge Pope. The affair has had another version with marvelously improbable details. Gen. Grey's account of an expedition to burn a vessel on the stocks and others in the stream may be a corroboration of it. Judge Pope's statement is probably exaggerated, as there is nothing to correspond with it in Gen. Grey's return of killed and wounded. There was a house standing in Fairhaven, on the southeast corner of Water and Centre Streets, a few years ago, in which was a bulletmark said to have been made in this skirmish. The bullet appeared to have been fired from a northwest direction.

Judge Pope's statement that the troops remained at Sconticut till Monday, the 7th, would appear to be a mistake, as Gen. Grey's official report and an account written at the time by Robert Fanshawe, fleet captain, state directly the contrary. And yet the current tradition in Fairhaven is that the destruction of property in that town was accomplished on Sunday forenoon, the 6th ; that the troops bivouacked Sunday night on Sconticut Neck ; and that people frightened away from their homes in Fairhaven Sunday morning remained in the woods all night. A letter written in 1874 by the late Jabez Delano, a noted antiquarian, states that the fort was destroyed about noon on Sunday.

The Extent of the Calamity. - The object of the attack being to destroy privateers, prizes, and prize goods, comparatively few dwelling - houses were burned. Some were unavoidably involved in the destruction of adjacent warehouses. A few residences of prominent patriots were burned, and some may have been set on fire by soldiers in drunken insubordination. But that the destruction was general and wanton with respect to dwelling-houses is not a fact. Probably a few were destroyed that are not mentioned in Gilbert Russell's list. Among them was Barzillai Merrick's, on the east side of South Water Street. The British official account states that seventy vessels were destroyed, and Mr. Russell enumerates only thirty-four. There is nothing to show when Mr. Russell's list was written, and it may have been a good many years after the conflagration.

Another fact going to show that the burning was not general is this, that in 1846 twenty-nine houses were standing which were built before the Revolutionary war within the limits of what comprised the village in 1778.

A careful estimate of the whole loss in buildings and wharves, made by Judge Pope, places it at £11,241, and on shipping, merchandise, etc., £85,739, making a total of £96,980, or $323,267. Lieut. William Gordon, of the provincial artillery, estimated it at $422,680.

to the garrison of the fort, and was twenty-one years old at the time. He served as private from March to December, 1778. He formerly belonged in Dartmouth, but the last part of his life was spent in this town and Fairhaven. He died at the residence of his son, Lilley Macomber, about two miles northwest of Russell's Mills, Nov. 18, 1849. He was an illiterate man, and when drawn into conversation on Revolutionary matters he became much excited and spoke in a rambling manner. It was impossible to obtain from him a connected account of the invasion, and his statement, which was written by Henry H. Crapo, must have been the fruit of many conversations at different times. Mrs. Walter D. Swan and Mrs. Benjamin Baker, of this city, are his only surviving children.

John Gilbert was fourteen years old at the time of the raid. His parents resided in Boston. During the latter part of his life he tended the wind-mill on Mill Street, between Hill and County, and lived in a small house east of building southeast corner of Purchase and North Streets. Charles Gilbert, son of John Gilbert, was shot dead by a stupid sentinel belonging to a Middleborough company when the town of New Bedford was garrisoned in 1814. Gilbert was making the grand rounds, and the sentinel fired immediately after the first challenge, instead of waiting until a repeated challenge had elicited no answer. A daughter of John Gilbert is now living in the almshouse.

Edward Pope was a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, or perhaps of the local County Court, and was the first collector of customs at this port under the United States government. William G. E. Pope is his grandson. He lived at the northeast corner of Union and Sixth Streets, in a house now standing on Market Street, second east of Sixth. He was a prisoner in the hands of the British during a part of the memorable night, but made his escape before morning.

Charles Grinnell was a cousin of Hon. Joseph Grinnell. His mother lived in 1778 in what is now the Whitcomb house. Mr. Grinnell built the next house west on Union Street.

Capt. Lemuel S. Akin lived in Fairhaven, and his account of the ravages of the British in that town was written from what older people had told him.

Isaac Howland came from Newport. His son originated the house of I. Howland, Jr., & Co., for many years the leading firm in New Bedford in the whaling business. The other members of the firm were Edward M. Robinson, Sylvia Ann Howland, and Thomas Mandell. Mr. Robinson's wife and Sylvia Ann Howland were daughters of Gideon Howland, who married a daughter of Isaac Howland, Jr. Isaac Howland

Joseph Rotch came from Nantucket, and was the founder of the Rotch family of New Bedford. His house, which was burned, stood near the top of the hill on North Water Street, The house of Joseph Rotch, Jr., was south of it.

John Gerrish, after the war, kept the tavern on the east side of Water Street, south of Commercial, afterwards known as the Cole Tavern. He had three daughters, who married John Alexander, Capt. David Leslie, and Preserved Fish, but none of their descendants are now here.

W. Claghorn's house was on the west side of South Water Street, near Union. He belonged to the same family with Capt. George Claghorn, builder of frigate "Constitution." George Claghorn's house was on the east side of Second Street, near North, and was burned in the great fire of 1859.

Joseph Russell was the founder of Bedford village, which was named in his honor by Joseph Rotch in a roundabout complimentary way. The family name of the Dukes of Bedford in England is Russell, and owing to this circumstance the name was proposed, but it is not known whether the New Bedford Russells are of the same family or not. When New Bedford was incorporated as a town in 1787 the word " new" was prefixed, to distinguish it from Bedford in Middlesex County. Joseph Russell was of the fifth generation from Ralph Russell, the original settler at Russell's Mills. His candle-house, which was burned, was on the north side of " Centre Street Square." It was another Joseph Russell, "of Boston," whose house was burned. The house was on the east side of Water Street, where Commercial Street is now open.

Gilbert Russell was a son of Joseph, and father of the late William T. Russell. He built and successively occupied the houses now occupied by Dr. Abbe and S. G. Morgan.

John Lowden was a calker from Pembroke, and his house was south of Claghorn's, where the Hill house now stands. It was the first house built in the centre of the village. Mrs. George E. Netcher is a granddaughter of John Lowden, and Benjamin F. Lowden, formerly a photographer in this city, and who was drowned in steamer " Grace Irving" off the Gurnet in 1873, was his great-grandson.

Gen. Grey's Life and Character. - Gen. Grey was born Oct. 23, 1729. He was aide-de-camp to Prince Ferdinand in Germany and to Wolfe at Quebec; appointed lieutenant-colonel June 27, 1761 ; commanded the Ninety-eighth Regiment at the capture of Belle Isle in 1763 ; was appointed colonel Dec. 20, 1772, and accompanied Howe to Boston in 1775, who gave him the local rank of major-general. For his important services in the Revolutionary war he was made a lieutenant-general, and appointed commanderin-chief in North America in January, 1783. He was employed in Flanders in 1793 ; captured Martinique and St. Lucia in 1794; was made general in 1795; was raised to the peerage in 1801, and in 1806 became an earl. He died Nov. 14, 1807, at his seat near Alnwick, Northumberland.

At one o'clock on Sept. 21, 1777, about two miles southwest of Paoli, Pa., Gen. Grey surprised Gen. Wayne with about fifteen hundred men, who had been detached from Washington's army after the battle of the Brandywine to annoy the British rear and attempt to cut off their wagon-train. His orders then were to rush on the Americans with fixed bayonets without firing a shot, and give no quarter. Wayne's loss was one hundred and fifty killed and wounded, and the remainder retreated in confusion toward Chester.

At midnight, Sept. 27, 1778, he surprised a regiment of light-horse under Lieut.-Col. Baylor, encamped in barns about two and a half miles southwest of Tappan, N. Y. They were sleeping in unsoldierly security, and when captured asked for quarter, which was inhumanly refused by Grey, who gave special orders not to grant it. Many of the soldiers were bayoneted in cold blood. Out of one hundred and four persons, sixty-seven were killed or wounded, and seventy horses were foolishly butchered.

Gen. Grey, on account of his common practice of ordering the men under his command to take the flints out of their muskets that they might be confined to the use of the bayonet, acquired the name of the ' no-Hint general." He was a man of undoubted personal courage.

" When the enemy are so posted that they can be got at, the majorgeneral commands the troops that are ordered to attack them to march vigorously up and receive their fire till they come very close, and upon every proper opportunity they are to rush upon the enemy with their bayonets immediately after they have thrown in their fire, without waiting to load again, in which method of attack the superior courage and strength of the troops must always be crowned with glory and success. The major-general is impressed with every assurance that the officers and men are so thoroughly convinced of the great advantage they have over the enemy in this mode of fighting, and their great zeal for the service, that the present expedition cannot fail of success but do them honor, and answer the expectations of the commander-in-chief, whose opinion of these troops cannot be more strongly manifested than by sending them upon this essential service. In case of bad weather, or other accidents, that any of the transports should be separated from the fleet and fall in with a privateer, so as to make an escape impossible, which may not be unlikely, many small ones being lurking about upon the watch, the major-general desires the commanding officer of each transport would oblige the captain of the ship to hear immediately down upon such privateer, running him directly and without delay on board, the troops being ready at the critical moment to enter and take possession of the vessel. This being properly done will ever succeed, the enemy not being aware of such an attack, and the troops so superior in every respect to put into execution.

"The commanding officers are to be answerable that no houses or barns are set on fire by the soldiers, unless by particular orders from Major-General Grey."

Earl Grey's son and successor in the earldom was a distinguished statesman and cabinet officer, and won great fame by carrying through the parliamentary reform bill in 1832. The present and third earl has also been in the cabinet.

Additional Facts and Incidents. - At the time of the invasion, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Acushnet, and Westport were all included in the town of Dartmouth.

No privateers were owned at Bedford in the Revolution, but the port was the rendezvous, especially after Newport was taken by the British, of a number belonging in Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Among them was a large sloop called the " Broom," commanded by Capt. Stephen Cahoon, of Rhode Island, and carrying twelve guns ; and the " Black Snake," a long, low, black schooner, owned in Connecticut, and mounting eight carriage-guns.

Some of the old people used to say that the fleet moved over and anchored east of Egg Islands to receive the troops on board, where no square-rigged vessel ever went before or since.

Russell, Cook, and Traflbrd were buried in Dartmouth on the farm of Jediah Shearman. The premises are now owned by the heirs of Philip Gidley.

The battle of Rhode Island was just one week previous to the raid at Bedford, and this accounts for the absence of so large a portion of the garrison at Howland's Ferry, now known as the Stone Bridge, at Tiverton.

Most of the buildings burned in Fairhaven were on Adams Street, east of Oxford village, and on Main Street, north of the junction of Adams Street. Among others was a store of Obed Nye, grandfather of Thomas Nye, Jr., of this city, which contained a large amount of prize merchandise. It was on the farm now occupied by Mr. Nye's son-in-law, Mr. Dana. It is reported that a river of molasses ran from the store down the street after the casks were consumed. Mrs. Nye took her children and fled to the woods. A house belonging to a West family, a short distance south of where George H. Taber now lives, was one of the buildings burned.

The old John Cooke house, one of the oldest buildings then standing in Fairhaven. was burned. It stood on the east side of Adams Street, east of John M. Howland's residence.

Stephen Hathaway's house, mentioned in Capt. Akin's collections, is now standing on a hill east of Main Street, a short distance north of the line between Acushnet and Fairhaven. A store belonging to Obed Hathaway, or possibly to Micah Hathaway, a short distance south of this house, was burned. Stephen Hathaway and Bartholomew Taber were grandfathers of George H. Taber. Bartholomew Taber's house was on the spot where Josiah Macy, Jr., now lives. The school-house burned was where George H. Taber's house now stands.

From the Head of the River to Sconticut Neck there was no choice of routes. Main Street, in Fairhaven, had no existence between Spring Street and the junction of Adams Street north of Oxford village. The pond between Bridge and Spring Streets was then a cove open to the harbor. The road leading from the Mattapoisett road, nearly opposite the Sconticut road, to Main Street, near the Acushnet town line, is also a more recent lay-out. Consequently the column moved southward on Main Street and Adams Street to Spring Street, and thence eastward to the Neck road.

Besides the official statement of Gen. Grey, there is scarcely anything in existence of a documentary nature written at the time of the hostile visit of the British referring to their destructive progress through the town, and the foregoing account is therefore likely to contain many unimportant errors, while the location of some of the buildings destroyed cannot be fixed.