308 History of Hingham. 



Royal Lincoln, Zenas Whiton, 



Ezekiel Lincoln, Peter Wilder, 



Jonathan Gushing, Abel Barnes, 



Laban Thaxter, Elias Beal. 



There is some authority for the statement that the " Hazard " 

 was in commission in 1776, and that most, if not all, of the above 

 were in service with her in that year. Mr. Lincoln, in the " History 

 of Hingham," speaks of the four cruises of the " Hazard." 



These men also were undoubtedly on board, in 1778. In ad- 

 dition, William Tidmarsh was captain's clerk in this latter year. 



Joseph Lincoln and Jonathan Cushing were captured on board 

 a prize of the "Hazard's" and carried prisoners to Halifax, in 

 1778 ; in 1780 dishing was a prisoner on the Jersey prison-ship. 

 In 1779 Asabel Stodder was in service on the " Hazard." 



Capt. Thomas Melville commanded a company in Col. Craft's 

 battalion in 177G and upon his rolls was borne the name of 

 William Lewis. 



August, 1777, Isaac Wilder, then only 17 years of age, died in 

 captivity at Halifax. 



Hingham had a further part in the naval service of the Revolu- 

 tion ; for under date of December 16, 1776, a charter of the 

 schooner " Edward," of about 70 tons, was made by Caleb Loring 

 to the Board of War, and a little later, on the 8th of January, 

 1777, he executed a like paper for the schooner " Hazard," of 60 

 tons. He also owned the armed brig " Rising States," which was 

 captured by a British frigate. 



The charters of these vessels were very elastic in tlieir provi- 

 sions, and no limitations were really placed upon the uses to 

 which they were to be put. 



It is extremely difficult to give anything approaching a complete 

 history of the militia organizations belonging in Hingham from the 

 close of 1776. It is probable that the large number of men in the 

 regular service and the frequent drafts for particular expeditions 

 and exigencies may have so far depleted the companies belonging 

 distinctly to the town as to at last result in their complete disorgani- 

 zation, or at least to work such a suspension of their activity as 

 make them no longer the subject of particular mention. The last 

 record of this kind that has come to notice is the following : — 



Hingham, June 10th, 1777. 

 These may Certify that a legal 1 meeting of the Training band and 

 alarm list of the first Company in said Town Benjamin Laphain was 

 Chosen Capt of Said Company. 



Isaiah Crsmxc, Maj. 



In Council, August 7, 1777, Read and Ordered that Said Officer be 

 Commissioned agreeable to his Rank. 



Jas. Avery, By. Secy. 



