Military History. 303 



body he was also secretary, and in July represented the town in 

 the General Court at Watertown, besides being a member of the 

 Committee of Correspondence, — one of the most active patriots 

 of the day, yet finding time to attend faithfully to the humble 

 duties of clerk of his native town. Hingham has ample justifica- 

 tion for her pride in Major-General Benjamin Lincoln, of the 

 Army of the Revolution. Only the briefest sketch of his life can 

 be here given. Born in Hingham, Jan. 24, 1733, he was the son 

 of Colonel Benjamin Lincoln, commander of the third Suffolk 

 regiment and a member of his Majesty's council. At twenty-one 

 years of age young Benjamin was one of the six constables of the 

 town, which office he held two years. In 1755 he became adju- 

 tant of his father's regiment, and in 1757 was chosen town clerk, 

 succeeding his father in that office, who in his turn had, in 1727, 

 succeeded his father, also Benjamin Lincoln. In 1763 Mr. Lincoln 

 became second major of the regiment. In 1766 he was elected 

 one of the selectmen, and held this office during the next live 

 years. He became Lieut.-Colonel in 1772, and was in command 

 of the regiment at the opening of the Revolution. In 1772 he 

 represented the town in the General Court, and was re-elected 

 in 1773 and 1774. As already seen, General Lincoln was one of 

 the earliest and most prominent in opposing the encroachments 

 of the Crown upon the liberties of the people, serving upon the 

 town's Committees of Correspondence, Safety, and Militia. His 

 services in the Provincial Congress and his activity and useful- 

 ness in the opening months of the Revolution have been referred 

 to previously. February 8, 1776, he was commissioned brigadier- 

 general by Massachusetts, and in the May following major-general. 

 During the first year of the war General Lincoln rendered most 

 valuable service to the army as a member of the committee on 

 supplies ; and the miscellaneous papers at the State House afford 

 many instances of most important orders signed by him in that 

 capacity. He planned and commanded the successfully executed 

 movements which finally drove the enemy from Boston harbor 

 in 1776. During the same vcar he commanded the reinforce- 

 ments of militia sent by the province to Washington. So urgent 

 were the requests of the latter for assistance that every fifth man 

 was ordered to respond, the sea-coast towns being exempted at 

 this time. While in New York, General Lincoln commanded one 

 of the four divisions of the army. Toward the close of the year 

 he was appointed to the command of the militia raised in Massa- 

 chusetts and Connecticut for the defence of Rhode Island. On 

 the 19th February, 1777, Stirling, St. Clair, Lincoln, Mifflin, and 

 Stephen were commissioned major-generals in the Continental 

 service. In the following July General Lincoln was selected by 

 Washington to command the New England militia raised to aid 

 the Northern army operating against Burgoyne. Gaining the rear 

 of the British, Lincoln despatched Colonel Brown to attempt the 

 recapture of Ticonderoga and the posts in the vicinity. The 



