334 History of Hingham. 



fined in Dartmoor Prison. Moses L. Humphrey commanded a 

 company composed, at least in part, of Hingham men, and stationed 

 at the Castle, now Fort Independence, in Boston harbor. Samuel 

 Stodder was in his command. Walter Whiton was born Nov. 28, 

 1783 ; he was a major in the United States army, and was killed 

 at the battle of Bridge water ; his home was at Liberty Plain. 

 Archelaus Whiton, or Whiting;, enlisted from the frigate " Con- 

 stitution " to go to the Lakes, and probably died in the expedi- 

 tion. Ebed Stoddar was taken prisoner and confined at Dartmoor 

 Prison, whence he escaped, but was never afterwards heard from. 

 Alexander Anderson was also confined at the same place. 



During the War of 1812 most of the Hingham vessels were 

 hauled up in the town dock or at Broad Cove, excepting, how- 

 ever, a few of the packets ; and some of these, it is said, had their 

 masts and spars removed, and after being towed up Weymouth 

 River, were boarded over and concealed in order to prevent their 

 being seized by the British. The sloop " Washington " was 

 launched when she was partly planked up, sufficiently so to float 

 her, the owners fearing that she would be burnt by excursion 

 parties from English ships then lying off Boston Light. At this 

 time numerous depredations were committed by parties of the 

 British ; one of them landed on Hog Island, in barges, and burned 

 a barn full of hay ; and other property in the vicinity was 

 destroyed. 



There were several vessels belonging to Hingham captured and 

 destroyed by the enemy during the war ; among them was the 

 " Emily," commanded by Capt. Barnabas Lincoln, and in part 

 owned by him. It was a sad sight for the old sailor, who at 

 another time had his vessel taken by pirates, to sec the fine 

 ship, in which were the fruits of many years of toil, given to the 

 flame and the sea. Captain Lincoln was well treated upon the 

 English man-of-war, and was soon released and allowed to return 

 home. The schooner " Sally," always called the " Old Bull " in 

 Hingham, was also captured and burned by the English cruisers : 

 she was commanded by Capt. Samuel Stoddar. The crew were 

 all married men excepting Martin Beal, and were released. Beal, 

 being single, was taken to Dartmoor Prison, but through the 

 influence of Dr. Gordon's wife, who came from the vicinity, was 

 soon released. 



Ebed Stoddar was in a Hingham vessel that was captured and 

 burnt. He was taken to Halifax and confined in Dartmoor 

 Prison, but escaped with others and took a small vessel to come 

 home in. It is said that he was never heard from afterwards, 

 and that the vessel was supposed to have foundered. Mr. Leavitt 

 Sprague, however, is authority for the statement that Ebed Stod- 

 dar afterward shipped on a privateer from New York and was 

 never heard from. 



June 11. 1814, the town was alarmed by messengers with the 

 statement that the English ships lying off Cohasset were about to 



