Lynn in the Revolution
Chapter VII.
The March to New York
and Across the Jerseys with Washington

A Very Special Thanks To The Lynn Public Library For The Use Of This Important Resource.

Transcribed by Shaun Cook
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AMERICAN troops had at last succeeded in recovering what was their own. Boston was once more occupied by New Englanders, though it was a depleted and bedraggled town of which they had come into possession. Our Essex County regiment, with Colonel Hutchinson commanding, had taken up quarters in barracks lately occupied by British soldiers, and our men of Captain Newhall's company remained in and about Boston for many weeks. Some arms and small articles had been left by the British in their haste in embarking, and it was a common thing for our farmer soldiers to search for keepsakes and small treasures among the debris. Mr. Hallowell makes mention of this in his journal, saying, "One time I made a search in their cabins to see what I could find and found one silver dollar and two others were found by my mate." He speaks also of the ruin which had been wrought at the old State House and of the fact that the pews in one meeting-house had been taken up and the place used to train horses in, - a fact which is familiar enough to us, perhaps, having been often repeated in connection with the history of the Old South Church, but which comes with a new sense of reality as we read it in the faded handwriting of one of the sons of old Lynn. We are enabled, too, to realize a little more fully the feeling of vengeance which the presence of the few lingering British
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ships, lying in Nantasket Roads, awakened in the breasts of the men who were now on the lookout from the harbor, when he tells us in his journal that their general sent hundreds of men in the night, in flat-bottomed boats, to drive the intruders off, and that they lay in readiness until daybreak, and then fired upon the British ships, cutting their rigging and finally obliging them to move away. He ends the quaint account with the words, "This I saw."
The triumph in coming once more into possession of Boston was the last which the Continental Army was to experience for a long time. Arnold's expedition, undertaken with such courage and determination, had failed, and the long months in the bitter cold of a Canadian winter had brought terrible hardships not only to Arnold's men, but to those of Schuyler and Montgomery. The small-pox, which in those days wrought such havoc, had caused the loss of many men, and the death of General Montgomery at Quebec, in battle, and of General Thomas in the early summer, from the prevailing disease, were alone sufficient to dishearten the stoutest hearts. Thus the northern army had been gradually pushed back to the head of Lake Champlain, and both the British and the American army seemed to look toward the Hudson as the next coveted possession. Indeed, Washington, leaving General Ward in command at Boston, with Colonel Gridley to look out for the coast defences, had marched soon after its evacuation, with the main body of his army, for New York. But it was not until the first of August, probably, that Colonel Hutchinson's regiment followed, for Mr. William Tarbox, who was in Captain Newhall's Lynn company, tells us that his regiment
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marched on that date to reinforce Washington. Before it reached its destination, however, the battle of Long Island had been fought and Washington's army had moved up the Hudson. Mr. Hallowell adds another fact which helps us to trace the footsteps of the Lynn men, namely, that they marched to Norwich and then proceeded by water to New York, where they stayed one night, going on from thence to Fort Independence, and from that place to Fort Washington. They had reached Harlem Heights just too late to take part in the battle, and not until they reached Fort Washington were they destined to meet their first encounter with the enemy. To gain any clear idea of the battle which took place at this point, we must look in the carefully compiled accounts which have been given. There are, however, for us one or two interesting incidents related by our own men, not found in the written records. We are told that, while the regiment lay at Fort Washington, the plans of the fort were lost, and that a black waiter to the engineer was suspected of having stolen them. This man was put under guard and sentenced to be whipped every day until he confessed. But the man never confessed, although the grass was wet with his blood as he lay stretched upon it during his punishment. Whether he had anything to do with the theft is not known. The man who conveyed the plans to the enemy, however, was later found to be William Demont, the adjutant of Colonel Magaw who commanded at Fort Washington. To this act of treason, perhaps, more than to anything else, was due the success which General Howe had in taking the fort. The man boasted of what he had done years after, in a letter dated at London, in which he said that he had sacrificed all
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that he was worth in the world to the service of his king and country, and that by the plans of Fort Washington which he was enabled to bring to Lord Percy the fortress was taken.
     It was a most disastrous battle for the American army, already discouraged by continued reverses, and the loss of twenty-seven hundred of its best men, taken prisoners, made its cause appear to many already lost. Fortunately for Captain Newhall's company, a part of it, perhaps the larger part, was stationed across the river, at Fort Lee, when the engagement at Fort Washington took place, and consequently only thirteen of its men fell into the hands of the British. The whole company, however, was in a position to witness not only what Fiske calls "the woeful surrender" of the fort, but the cruelties of the Hessian troops, who would have turned their victory into a wholesale massacre of the prisoners, had they not been prevented by their more humane general.
     In Colonel Hutchinson's orderly book names of the Lynn men who were taken. The entry is as follows: -

"FOARTE LEE November 16,1776.

a List of Prisoners taken at foarte Washington that Belong to my Rigiment, Capt. Newhale's (Ezra) Compiney."

Abel Belknap
Edwin Bowin
Garlan Chamberland
Theophilous Farrinton
Joseph Felte
Peter Harris
Joseph Lye
Joseph Lyndsy, Jr.
Brinsly Pebody, Jr.
John Proctor
Solorman Ritchardson
Shadrick Ramsdill
Benjamin tarbox in all 13."

From Mr. Hallowell we learn that these men were
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"Then we at fort Lee had in great haste to flee and left cannon, some clothes and some money, ete. and there being a small river northwest of the North river and a bridge over it, before we past sd bridge we made a stand to engage them. Myself with others put on a second shirt, not knowing But we must throw off our packs in an engagement, but they would not advance towards us. Then we took up the sd. bridge and went on but our case looked dismul and then about thirty of us was sent back in order to save some guards if possible that was left some way off when we left the fort. Accordingly we went down some miles and then with a boat got a part of sd. guards across sd. river. I had spoak for a meal of victuls of the Inhabitants, being very much wore out, but before I got it we was directed by one of our light horse men to flee or we would be cutt off. Accordingly about thirty in all took to a swamp and could not get through by reason of a running crick. We found a dead man in sd. swamp & James Ramsdell, of Lynn, we lost in the swamp. But we got to camp again finally. We had to finally come out by the place we went in by - then it was candle light and that pestered us. The enemy was in a large gully and their lights was burning. We consulted each the other but very still. Some moved to go to them But others said No, But on the whole we movd on and
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soon came to a town where part of the British was but very luckily we saw a man who was a friend tould what street to take to clear them & soon got through the town not taken, and travild on to about midnight and Being much Exuasted myself and one more so failed we took to a stack of fodder. The others movd on, But the Main body was miles ahead and while we lay in sd. stack the enemy light horse men as we concluded passing by and a great fright it was to us for we thought we were gone. But it turned we got to the main body that Day, they being halted. Washington and we saw a trying scene thus for us all. We soldiers had but little time to eat or sleep. One time we borrowed a large iron kittle & put in it about a quarter of beef for our camp, while I stood over it. We were soon obliged to leave it and it seemed to me as if I for one must starve."
     The retreat of Washington across New Jersey was thus fairly begun. The first halt, as we know, was at Newark, thence Washington pushed on to New Brunswick, thence to Princeton, and finally to the further side of the Delaware.
     Through all the disheartening days when the poor remnant of an army was retreating before the closely pursuing enemy, Captain Newhall's company remained near Washington, and was with him when he made his daring attack upon Trenton on Christmas Eve.
     The time of enlistment for most of the company was out with the end of the year, and but for the brilliant victory at Trenton it is probable that all the men in this company, as well as many others whose term was now closed, would have returned to their homes. As it was, however, some re-enlisted at once, remaining at Morristown through the winter. Most of them, however, went home in January, and enlisted again in the following March. A few-those who had fallen sick-were obliged
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to remain for a time in Philadelphia, until they were sufficiently recovered to begin the long journey home.
Thus the year 1776 had ended with a little cheer for the cause of liberty. It was a year which was to be marked for all time in the annals of America, although in its passing it had been filled with so much of anxiety and suffering. While Washington had been using every means to increase his army, - for he had realized very soon that the war was to be a long and tedious one, - the Continental Congress had been grappling with the great question of independence. The famous body of men, who had met in Independence Hall over and over again during the year, had debated the question in all its phases, and now, at the end of the year, the colonies were no longer colonies of Great Britain, but free and independent states. The last man who was to affix his name to the immortal document declaring this to the world had done so, and it only remained to prove that the American people were able to maintain the independence which they had so boldly declared. It would be of great interest to us if we could find, preserved in letter or document of our townsmen of Lynn, some writing which would reveal to us the sentiment which prevailed among them during this memorable time, but letters passed but rarely from hands more used to the plough and the sword than the pen, and even the town records furnish little more than a hint of the stand which was taken by the people as a whole. One fact, however, we are able to unmistakably gather from the few entries which we find, and that is that the town never abated its care for the men whom it was sending out to fight in this unequal contest, nor its endeavors to furnish more men when they were needed.
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     On the twenty-fifth of June of that year the Provincial Congress had passed a resolve, in response to a call for troops by the Continental Congress, directing that the necessary number of five thousand men (three thousand for Canada and two thousand for New York) be immediately raised from the training band and alarm lists, to serve until the first of December, 1776; the forces raised in Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Hampshire, York, and Cumberland Counties to be destined for Canada, and to be formed into four battalions of seven hundred and fifty men each. At the same time the Continental Congress sent out another call for an addition to the forces destined for Canada, or the Northern Department, Massachusetts being requested to furnish at once two regiments of fifteen hundred men. The General Court upon this resolved further, upon the eleventh of July, to raise two regiments by the draft of every twenty-fifth man in the training band and alarm lists, exclusive of those already raised or to be raised. This was the first draft actually made for troops, and the call when it reached Lynn was met by the following vote: -

     "July 15, 1776: - Voted that ye town will give Ninety one Pounds to those ten men Now to be Raised for the Expedition aGainst Caneday, the one half to be drawn out of the Treasury of sd. Town and the other half the Town is to be assissed for in the next Town Rate.
     "Voted that the Selectmen and Commissioned officers Procure guns for those men going to Canaday that Cant Provide for themselves they Giving Secuerty to sd. Selectmen & officers for sd. guns."

     On the twenty-second of July, probably following the second call, we find that the amount which the inhabitants
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were willing to give was increased somewhat, the vote taken being as follows: " Voted that the town will pay to Each Soldier going to ye service to Canaday the sum of ten pounds to be raised as indicated." And, later still, the sum was again increased by a vote to

     "allow five pounds to each of those ten soldiers now to be raised as a further addition to what was voted at the last meeting and also voted if it be thought best by the selectmen and field officers to raise a eleventh man that there be a further addition of five pounds for sd. man and also voted the money to be drawn out of the treasury."

     One entry only have we been able to find which seems to conclusively refer to the subject of independence. This was recorded on May the twenty-first, 1776, when it was "Voted that this town will agree to Abide By any Mesurs that the Continental Congress Shall think Best to Imbrace for the good of the Continant."
     Thus far, as will be seen, we have only attempted to follow the movements of one company, - the one which we know to have been made up entirely of Lynn men. It has been impossible to find the roll of this company, but from pension claims and individual records we are enabled to give the following incomplete list of its membership: -
Ezra Newhall, Captain
Frederick Breed, Lieutenant
* Abel Belknap
* Edward Bowen
t Benjamin Bowden
Francis Bowden
* Garland Chamberlain
* Solomon Richardson
* Joseph Lye
William Tarbox

Besides the above, who were in the New York campaign and the retreat across the Jerseys, it is certain that other men from Lynn were performing active service in the army during the year, notably in the struggle for the control of the important posts on the upper waters of the Hudson, to which reference has been made, - a struggle which was renewed during the summer, but which resulted in little that year.
The names of a few Lynn men have been found who were in Colonel Henry Knox's regiment of artillery at White Plains. A few marched under Captain John Pool, of Saugus, in Colonel Coggswell's Ipswich regiment, to a place called the "Saw Pitts," near the city of New York, there being engaged in scouring the woods. These men finally arrived at White Plains on the thirtieth of October, just after the battle had closed, and from thence took up their march to North Castle, where they joined Washington. The regiment, however, did not go down to Fort Washington with the Commander -

* Captured. t Died.
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