Unsung Seaman of the Revolutionary War

 Unsung Seaman of the Revolutionary War

An aside before I start discussing an unsung seaman in a little discussed skirmish of the American Revolution. The aside...it is tough finding pictures to use to accompany the stories.  I want to avoid anyone accusing me of inappropriately using pictures.  I could probably find a 100-year-old...drawing or photo that would be beyond any copyright restrictions; however, I have so many photos of things I have taken over the years.  This one is about the sea and a sailing vessel - so this one should work. I know the boat is wrong. I know that shoreline doesn't look like Massachusetts. And, yes, I see that parasail in the sky!  But, hey, it's a good photo. At least give me that!

Two-hundred fifty years ago the course a fisherman's life changed in a moment.

King George and British Parliament had imposed taxes and tariffs on the colonies because they needed more revenue. The colonies rebelled famously with the Boston Tea Party.  More long-term, though, the colonist's businesses begun finding ways to avoid paying British taxes/tariffs by striking deals with other Nations that didn't include British ports. In response, Britain began using their Navy to enforce The Restraining Acts to make the colonies only trade with Britain. These enforced restrictions had begun before the April 19th Battle of Lexington and Concord, but they continued and increased following that battle.

While enforcing these restrictions, Captain John Linzee of HMS Falcon, under-provisioned, decided to loot some sheep from a Major Coffin's property. That activity resulted in the local militia firing on them. The looting was thus discouraged. Linzee continued his patrol activities in the area. On 8 August 1775 he chased a schooner into the Gloucester Harbor. His unfamiliarity with the bay required some expertise. Empowered as he was, he conscripted a fisherman.  William Babson, was fishing that day and at that moment in a dory boat within too easy access of Captain Lindzee.

The whole affair in Gloucester Harbor quickly went badly for Captain Linzee. Militiamen Linzee tried to subdue outwitted, outmaneuvered, and overcame.  The colonial militiamen captured three British vessels, released ten conscripted colonist and took captive over twenty British sailors. 

As for our unsung seaman, William Babson, war came to him, so he severed as a sailor in the Revolutionary cause.

End Note: The WikiTree links for Major Coffin and William Babson are probable identities of these candidates. In Major Coffin's case there was the father born in 1723 and a son born in 1750. Which one was "the Major" needs verification. The main reference for the circumstances of the Battle of Gloucester provided the names and it's reference provides some additional confidence about the identification.

Unsung American Revolutionaries - "Too Old to Fight!"

 

Unsung American Revolutionary Veterans

Too Old to Fight!

I forget what the conversation was with someone the other day, but it was about standing up for something to the point of physical violence and I said, "Nay, I'm too old to fight." In this particular instance, I was really thinking the benefit wasn't worth the risk. But it got me to thinking about "old" people and patriotic causes. Even despite the movies that too often cast soldiers with men who have reached ages where they are less likely to fight, we still think of war as a young man's venture. War is fueled with the passions and passion fades with age.

Of course, there have always been a few Calebs (Joshua 14:10-12) among the ranks of soldiers.  Today's tribute to unsung American Revolutionary veterans looks at three of them.

Samuel Whittemore was nearly 80 when the British Regulars on 19 April 1775 arrived in Menotomy, MA (now Arlington). The Regulars, in retreat from Concord, were filled with a lust for revenge by the time they had arrived. Samuel did not let his age dissuade him. He had been in French and Indian Wars. After hearing the sounds of war, he collected a musket, two dueling pistols, and a French sword and awaited the arrival of the Regulars. He killed three British soldiers that day before he was shot and bayonetted and left for dead. But not Samuel - he recovered and lived to see Freedom ring!

Josiah Haynes also answered the Lexington Alarm. David Fischer's in Paul Revere's Ride says, "Sudsbury's Deacon Josiah Haynes was eighty years old, but turned out with the militia and set a rapid pace on the road that left the young minutemen panting behind him." (p. 158) It may be that Josiah had no one he would listen to tell him he was too old.  His wife, Persis, had died five years prior. Josiah joined her that day in his quest for America's freedom.

Hezekiah Wyman was a little younger than I am when the alarm sounded that day. Nonetheless he brought a steady and relentless terror and effect on the retreating British that day. A man of long gray locks with a long flintlock rode his white mare through the woods along the road of retreat.  He would stop in front of them beyond the rage of their muskets and fire a shot from over the saddle of his mare with accurate effect. Hezekiah survived the day but died in 1779 before America's freedom was won. The circumstances of his death are not documented.

I guess the message is: 

When it's worth fighting for, even the old go to war! And when they do, pity them not; pity their opposition.

Pre-Revolution Unrest on the Frontier

 Pre-Revolution Unrest

In October 1774, a battle erupted in the Ohio Valley between Virginia militiamen and Shawnee-led Native American forces near Fort Randolph. The engagement took place in the region that would later become Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

Livia Nye Simpson Poffenbarger of the community was a newspaper editor and member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). At the turn of the 20th Century she led an effort to recognize The Battle of Point Pleasant as the first battle of the American Revolution. The original consideration for this was based upon local settlers' assertions that Lord Dunmore never intended to come to the aid of Colonel Andrew Lewis in a strategic maneuver to weaken the colony's citizen militia. 

Her proposal was successful and led to the creation of Tu-Endie-Wei State Park and a statue honoring the Battle. In her proposal she argued that: 

- The battle occurred in October 1774 during colonial unrest

- Lord Dunmore colluded with Natives to weaken militias

- General Lewis disobeyed Dunmore's orders

- Pacifying the Ohio Valley permitted those militia to participate in the rebellion against Britain.

An interesting set of personal family associations surrounds this region and specifically this battle. One of my sixth great grandfathers, James Ward, fought and died there. (I emphasize "one of", because every person has thirty-two of them if you can identify them). That James fought and died there is interesting enough, but the story becomes more interesting because James had two sons (which would be my uncles) who also fought in that battle. One was William Ward who later went on to be the founder of Urbana, OH. The other was John Ward who was also known as White Wolf.  John had been captured by Shawnee as a boy when he was three years old and was raised with them.  John fought with his adoptive family and culture against his father and brother in this battle. (Another son, who didn't fight at Point Pleasant but also has an interesting story is James Ward II.)

This story of White Wolf seems to have permeated the Ward family history for at least a couple generations. William Ward's grandson, John Quincy Adams Ward, sculpted The Indian Hunter that is displayed in New York City's Central Park. The work includes a native American walking alongside a dog - maybe his Uncle John was an inspiration for this work! 

Mystery Photos

 

Mystery Photos

Over the last four years I have inherited boxes of photos. Many of them were labeled but some were not.  Some were labeled but in this case the stories and labels didn't match.  So, a little sleuthing was required.

The photo on the left and right are an example. These photos had belonged to my great-grandparents. Written on the back of the left photograph was At Pasajes. On the reverse of the photo on the right was written: Pasejes in pencil, then in ink, Must be in Norwegian and Sailors off ship kidding, think Dahl on Bottom.

I could tell who had written in ink on the back because it was the same handwriting of some other photos in the box where she identified herself or relatives. The author of the ink written portion was my great-aunt. Well, she was wrong! It definitely wasn't Norwegian and it probably wasn't of Dahl. (The mystery of Dahl is another long story that I may tell later.) 

Pasajes is the Spanish name of a city in the Basque region currently called Pasaia. It might have been some sailors, dock workers, or just some local Basque population posing for a fun filled photograph. The man in the back seems to be a colleague of my Great-grandfather, Oscar Anderson, but all others are residents of Pasaia.

An analysis of the clothing reveals the photo was taken in the 1910s or 20s.  Oscar was a boat captain, fisherman, bridge builder, construction worker and resident of Pensacola, Florida. In the early 1920s he worked for the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Company as a bridge builder according the 1920 Census and this photo, which was labeled, Papa worked on this boat.

 

In Pasajes at that time there was a lot of investment in port construction. Oscar was probably there with this company to support this work. While speculative, it fits the timeline, as well as a story tied to another photograph taken in 1921. Here Oscar is pictured with his wife and two of his daughters in south Florida. The reverse of the photo says "Howey-in-the-Hills...the last wooden bridge (alternate link) built in Florida. Papa wouldn't take the job unless he could take his family." Which tells a deeper story about his time in Pasajes.

This story has a 21st century family connection.  My daughter and her husband were celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary by going to Spain.  I didn't know her daily plans or where in Spain she was going. But, I sent her the pictures of Pasajes in a text to tell her..."You know, you aren't the first in your family to go to Spain." She replied, "We're 13 minutes away from there!" She had a good time trying to find the spot where her second great grandfather stood to take a picture of San Pedro y San Juan. Many of the Basques she talked with in Pasaia asked her to airdrop the pictures to them. One was planning on framing it.

Mysteries Solved!  Maybe!

Buckman's Dilemma

 Buckman Tavern (today) in Lexington, MA

American Revolutionary Participants

On 19 April 1775, an alarm went out across the colonial countryside west of Boston, MA. Paul Revere in cooperation with the Sons of Liberty had instituted an alarm system to alert like-minded freedom advocates of any move by the British Regulars to confiscate weapons or defense supplies, such as gun powder.  April 19th wasn't the first alarm, but it became the flashpoint for the future military and political confrontations between the American colonist and the British Empire that we are celebrating in this 250th Anniversary season.  

One man, John Buckman, found himself in an unenviable circumstance on that fateful day in Lexington. The minutemen had been assembled by Captain Parker early (about 2:00 AM) only to be told to standdown but stay close. Of course, if you need to stay near, you assembled at the town Tavern near the Green where you would be expected to assemble. In fact, Elijah Sanderson, reported that he fell asleep by the fire in the Tavern.

The region of Lexington at the time of the American Revolution was, like so many other places, a community of relatives.  John's brother-in-law, Francis Brown, was the Sergeant of Captain Parker's minutemen. Francis' first cousin, Solomon Brown, had been on an adventure with Elijah Sanderson and Jonathan Loring where they had witnessed Paul Revere captured by the British Regulars.

Can you imagine, then, emotions of John Buckman, when the British Regulars showed up in Lexington and the minutemen were quickly assembled...but not all, as Solomon remained behind in the tavern? Based upon the testimony a plausible reconstruction of the events that day in John's Tavern was a follows:

View of Lexington Green from Buckman Tavern (today)

Solomon, watched from the Tavern as the minutemen were hastily gathering to form a defense opposite the advancing regulars. With his gun at the ready he either witnessed the smoke from first shot or fired the first shot from the back door of the tavern. A British musket retorts inflicting damage on the door. John, concerned now about his livelihood or his distant relations ushers Solomon to the opposite door where Solomon jumps over a wall is shot at again and possibly returns fire.

The events that followed convinced the British government authorities that the American colonists were ungovernable rebels and serious action must follow - in August of 1775 (250 years agon next month), King George of England issued the Proclamation of Rebellion. 

Revolutionary War Convert

 

"The prayer at Valley Forge" / painted by H. Brueckner ; engd. by John C. McRae. New York : Published by John C. McRae, 100 Liberty St., [1866], c1866. Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.03965/?st=image "No known restrictions on Publication"

Revolutionary War Convert

In 1866, artist Henry Brueckner painted The Prayer at Valley Forge. Not long after, engraver John C. McRae transformed it into a widely circulated print. The story and purpose that led to this painting has faded over the last several generations.  I am of a generation that saw the painting but didn't know the story.  I suspect some of the more recent generations have not encountered the painting.

The painting was about two people.  It was, of course, about George Washington. It was also about a man named, Isaac Potts.  Isaac is spying on Washington from behind a tree in the left side of the painting.

According to Blake McGready's article in the Journal of the American Revolution, it was a story created by Mason Locke Weems. (Who turns out to be my 7th great grand uncle through my mother's family.) Weems, was actively trying to foster religious tolerance within the country.  The story may have had basis in truth, and it may have just been a tale intended to sway Quakers to the cause of freedom.

The tale is that Isaac a son of Jonathan Potts, the founder of Pottstown, PA and a leader in the birth of the iron industry in Pennsylvania - saw George Washington in prayer for God's intervention and guidance while encamped at Valley Forge and because of that, Isaac was turned toward supporting the American patriot cause.

The tale Weems wove is that Potts reported to his wife: “If George Washington be not a man of God, I am greatly deceived—and if God through him work not a great salvation for America, then it is evident that God has not intended that America shall be free.”

Weems' legend lived on and was captured in print by Brueckner. It in turn captured the psyche of a nation not unlike the movie, Sergeant York did during World War II.

Residents of Valley Forge

 Revolutionary Patriots

When we think of Revolutionary Patriots, we think of the soldiers or the politicians.  But there were many who served the cause of freedom making tremendous sacrifices and never took up arms for the cause or drafted documents establishing changes. They quite simply tried to live their lives raising and supporting families...but the circumstances of the time and place brought them an obligation and opportunity to support the cause of freedom.

Such was the case of Mary Stephens who was later (1780) married to Samuel Rossiter. Mary was one of the children of Abijah and Priscilla Stephens who owned property in the region of Valley Forge when George Washington's Army descended on the valley in great need in the fall of 1778. She like her parents were Quakers by faith and pacifist by nature and belief. All of their stories are interesting and well document in a book published in 1922 from the collected works of Henry Woodman.

Some of these stories can be read by following the links. (A link I didn't provide was Henry's father, Edward.  I didn't because Edward was actually a soldier and we aren't talking about soldiers today. But he was also an orphan and a pirate. So, I wouldn't blame you if you went on your own little diversion to read up on him.) 

Back to the story.  Mary helped provide meals with her mother for the soldiers at Valley Forge.  She entertained guests in her home such as the famous and quite young French General Lafayette.  One story of her encounters was as follows:

An incident, in which the Marquis de la Fayette participated, occurred in this vicinity and is worthy of narration. The lady interested spent the greater part of a long life in Schuylkill Township. Soon after the battle of Brandywine, La Fayette, who had been wounded, was conveyed to the house of Dr. Stephens, a short distance from Valley Forge, in order that his injuries might receive attention. The office of the doctor, in the second story of the building, with a flight of steps leading down into the kitchen, was under the charge of his daughter, a young girl, afterwards Mistress Elizabeth Rossiter. One morning, while she was engaged in cleaning the room, La Fayette entered, followed by a young aid-de-camp. The aid, with French impulse, seized the girl and kissed her. La Fayette turned quickly about and unceremoniously kicked the young gentleman down the steps and out of the house, telling him, at the same time, that such conduct was not admissible.

I am particularly drawn to the stories of Valley Forge because, Mary and her parents are my great grandparents (5th and 6th generation grandparents).

Unsung Patriot from the American Revolution

Today's unsung patriot from the American Revolution is: 

Robinson Chilcote (1739-1781)

There is a quote on his profile page that says:

 "About the beginning of the Revolution, the Indians in that vicinity became so troublesome that Robinson Chilcoat was obliged to sell his farm, and removed to North Carolina. In the earlier stage of the difficulty between the colonies and the mother country, Mr. Chilcoat sympathized with England; but later, becoming thoroughly convinced of the righteousness of the American cause, he gave his life for it. He became one of the "rebels," joining the Continental army; was captured by the British, and died while a prisoner, of camp fever." 

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chilcote-29

 

First Diversion

First Diversion:

Someone in the past and then again someone recently encouraged me to create a Blog.  The first one was because I post daily on scripture reading and I have for a few years. They wanted me to have a place where those musings endured.

The more recent encouragement was because I decided to post about Revolutionary War veterans. They advised that a Blog might give the platform that I am using to find and discuss these veterans more traffic, and therefore more revenue for the platform to continue.

So, this blog is my first foray into this space.  I have a few interests which will appear on here…and that is the reason for the title: “Doug’s Diversions.”  The two main things will be for the items mentioned above.  But, who knows.  Other things may follow that I have interest in like Mission Work, Woodworking, Philosophical (silly-focusal) meanderings, or Photography, if this becomes a thing.

I have a couple of new hobbies in retirement.  One is dabbling in woodworking.  I don’t have all the tools of a real woodworker – so my projects so far have been refinishing and small products. Maybe you will get to see that skill mature.

A second hobby has been genealogy.  I like to put together the stories of ancestors, uncles, aunts, cousins and even unrelated interesting people by researching the available on line documents and preserving their stories. I use a platform called Wikitree…because it has a great way to document stories, because it is collaborative, and because it is FREE.  To quote a young man I met many years ago:  “If it’s for free, it’s for me!”  While not always true, I do prefer free options over subscriptions.  

The image on this page was from Georgia and of a cottage unrelated to any genealogy I have been tracking, but it is a good image to use to show the history I sometimes chase.

Tammy and I recently went on a Revolutionary Tour which I discussed on a WikitTree Space page - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:2025_Revolutionary_Tour

So, the first Revolutionary sung or unsung veteran that I selected for may posts about them is Samuel Sutphen. His profile is at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-645439

Samuel was a Revolutionary soldier by force, but he his service earned him freedom. In addition to the WikiTree profile the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) published a discussion of his life at: Samuel Sutphin - Honoring Our Patriots

What do they say these days?  Like and follow! Enjoy.