M)c iarmcv's iUmUI)lij iMsitor. 



123! 



ceii.-^eil Cnloiiel, silso w;is in llie service : lie ";is 

 1111 iiiljiitiiiii, lo the if'{;iiiiciit ('(iiiiiiii>ii(li'>i by lii.s 

 bioiliir iiixi liiufilil l)_v iiis .side iit lliiberiini. 



lObeiazer Ki;iiu'i.<, Emj., iil' Ho-toii, now one 

 of llie iiio.<t wciillln unci ir,-.|,ecnible eili/jiis 'if 

 IMiissiiclai.seils, tlie rilili cbilil iiiiil only son ol'llie 

 elilei- Col. Francis, was only iilioiil two iiionllis 

 old (now si.\ly-eljilyt yeiiis) vvlien Ids tiillier w.-is 

 shot lit Hiiheilon. 'J'o u hut wi; li'iiied he iiiii;hl 

 consider iin|>enlnei t in(|iiiiies in lelation to bis 

 JUinily, that ;;ciilli;ii:iiii liiid the ^oodnf>s lo |irc- 

 sciit IIS a lililu v(deiii(; containing,' a " History of 

 Beverly, civil and ecclcsiasiiral, Iroin its sellh'- 

 iiK'iii ill l(i;JO to 184'i — liy Kduin M. Stone," Iroin 

 wliich we exiiact the lollowinj; tribute lo a man 

 who, if his lile had been preserved, would iiii- 

 ilo'dileilly have done his ennntry the serving id' 

 the most distiiii;iiishcd ol' lier t'eneial officers. 



"Foremost ainoii^; the officers iiiid soliliers in 

 the revolution, Iroin this to\Mi, (I5everly)and ein- 

 iiieni ld^o as an eiiteriirizini; and valued citizen, 

 Has Col. I'.benezer Francis, lie was born iit 

 iMediord iMass., Doc. '^i, \7-i3, and in 1704 leino- 

 ved lo Beverly. 



His o|i|)oriiinities for nciiiiiring an edncation 

 in youth, had been <|uite deli'ciive. Bill, hydili- 

 {lent selt'-cullnre, he had early fitted bimsell' to 

 eiifia^e extensively and snccesslidly In business 

 transactions, and to take a r<'s|ieclable stand by 

 the side of the best educated and inrormed, in 

 the |iroiiiiiienc stations he aliervvards occnpied 

 beCore the town and bis country. Noivviib^iand- 

 injT (he disadvanlajL'es, in Ibis res|rect, under which 

 be bad labored, and whicli he had been obli;;e(! 

 by hiiiiicir mainly Ui overcome — |irobalily induc- 

 ed, in no small measure, by tiiis very circtuiislaiice 

 — he took a warm and efficient inieresl in the 

 schools. And it is worthy ol' mention, as evinciiiij; 

 i\t once bis int(;rest in lliem and his resolute spirit. 

 that ill one inslance, when the scholars ol' one ol' 

 (1k! <lisiriets, (now called the Cove district,) had 

 risen against their master, and com|ielled him to 

 abandon his post, be iininedialely imderlook the 

 i;overnineiit and iiislrnctioii ol' the school, and 

 very soon not only (|uellecl the rebellion, but re- 

 stored a wholesome stale ol' discipline and iiu- 

 pro\emi-iit. 



"Ill 17l!(; he was married lo Miss Judith Wood, 

 tiy whom he had li>ur daii^blers and a sou. lie 

 was actively and eMensively eiiL'ai;ed ill business 

 till the war broke mil. lie bud, bowe-ver, taUeii 

 u deep interest in the jiolilicul a;;italioiis which 

 preceded it. Convinced thai resort must finally 

 lie had to arms in liecidin^' the controversy be- 

 tween ibis and the mollier coiinliy, he paid 

 MHich alientinn lo military science and e.\ercises 

 himselt; and encoura^'ed it as far as he could in 

 bis t'ellow-palriol.*. His three brothers partook 

 ol' llie same martial spirit, and all of them be- 

 came officers in the revoluiionary service. By 

 his slaliire, w hicli w as tall and imposiii';, as well 

 as by talents and character, be ivas fitted to com- 

 mand. Accordingly, lie at once occiip'ed a 

 prominent siaiiil aui(Ui;» those who, on the first 

 sbeddin;; of blood, were ready to take ti|i arms. 

 In less than three iiKinlhs (roiii the commence- 

 ment ot bostililies, he received a ciiplaiii's com- 

 mission from the (^outiiieiital Con;i.'ress, which 

 was dated .Inly ], 1775. Early in the followinir 

 year, he bad risen to tlie rank of Cidonel, and 

 coininaiided n refjiiiient stationed on Uorchesier 

 heijthts, near Bosion, from Anjr. to Die. 1770. — 

 Under his prompt and iboroiiiib iliscipline, his 

 men were sijoitly trained ; so that in his refji- 

 mei.ial oideis <d' An^.Slt. I77(), he '• fl.nlers liim- 

 s<-lf that liity will soon allaiii that dej;iee of sol- 

 dierslu|) that will be but a little inlirior to llie 

 most veteran troops." Bv a cuminifsion dated 

 i\ov. 19, 1776, he was aulliorized by Coiifrress to 

 raise a ref!iineiit in the Stale of Siassacluiseiis ; 

 vthicli was raised, under the name of the 1 lib 

 Massacbiiselts ie;;iinent, and retained that desiir- 

 nation thronyh the war. At the head of this 

 rejinient. Col. Franitis marched in Jan. J777, to 

 Ticoiideroua. Willi thai le^ard for i(dij;ioii, 

 which was a characterislic of bis life, be — previ- 

 ous lo seliiuL' out on llie march — had his re^d- 

 iiient assembled to attend lelijjious services in 

 the iiieetiii;;-lioiise of the first parish. Those 

 who reinember that occasion, express in j;low- 

 ing terms their recollections of its interest and 

 solemnity. .Associated wiih bim on Ihat perilous 

 expedition into the wilderness, were many brave 

 and noble s|iirits, and some of them biyhly edu- 

 cated. His levered and beloved pastor, Rev. 



IMr. HitclicocU, of the second parish, in Beverly, 

 and alierwaids minister of a i linrcli in I'rovi- 

 dence, K. Island, accompanied the regiment iis 

 chaplain, liaviii;; succeeded in that slalion the 

 celebrated Dr. Culler, of Hamilton. Henry ller- 

 rick, a f;raduate of Harvard Cullef>e, anil alier 

 the war, a disiiiitxiiished teacher in Beverly, was 

 adjiiiant of the reijimcnt. Moses Greculeaf, col- 

 lector of i\ew bury port, under the H'deral fjov- 

 ernment, and lather of Pro/: (Jreenleaf, now of 

 the law colle;;e, at Cambridi;e, was a caplain in 

 it. A privale journal of Capt. Creenleai; which 

 IS now 111 the library of the Mas.,aclinseiis His- 

 lorical Society narrates the principal events 

 which occurred while the re^'inieiit was stutioii- 

 ed at 'I'lconderoaa, and afterward, on its retreat, 

 with the rest ol the ^■arrison, before the over- 

 poweriiiK forei^s of Bur^o\ne. From that is 

 iiathcred the following orajiliic, thoniib inelali- 

 choly sketch of the dosiiifr scenes ill the life of 

 Col. Francis. "14tli June, heard enemv's morn- 

 ing Klin— Indians and others near— skirmishes. 

 ■~;d July, enemy advance, with two frif;ates of 

 tweiily-eii;hf fjuns and fifty gnn-boats — land 

 troops about two miles from lis. Saturday, .'ilh 

 July, at l-> o'clock, spied British troops on' the 

 monntain overlookiii'r 'l'icoiideroi.'a— at it, receiv- 

 ed the disa;;reeabl(^ news of lea\niK 'lie Vi''"iii<'- 

 At 2, next morninir, left 'ricondero^a— at 4, 

 Mount Independence; after a most '"fatiiniiiig 

 mar.-b, arrived .same ilay at Hiibardlon, (iieaT 

 Wbitehall, N. Y.,) twenty-two miles fr'.m iMouiit 

 Independence— snppcl wiij, Col. Francis— en- 

 camped in tlie woods, the main hodv iroiiif; on 

 about lour miles. Alonday, 7ili July, 1777, break- 

 lasted with Col. F. At 7, bo canie to me, and 

 desired me to parade the re;jiuieiit, which I did : 

 at 7i he came in hasle to me, told mean express 

 had arrived from Gen. St. Clair, iiifiirmiiii; that 

 we must march with the greatest expedition, or 

 the enemy would be npiiii lis,— al.-o, that they 

 bad lakeii Skecnsboroiigb, with all our bat'-gaue ; 

 ordered me to march the regiment— iimnediiue- 

 ly marched a |.art of it. At twenty minnles jiast 

 7, the enemy appeared within gu"ii-sliot of lis ; 

 we fiieed to the right, when the firino he<'aii' 

 whicli lasted till 8S a. ni., without cessation! 

 Numbers lell on both sides; among ours the 

 brave and ever to be lamented Col. Francis 'wlio 

 loiight bravely to the last. He first received a 

 ball through ins right arm, but .Mill continued at 

 llie head ot our troops, till he received the fil- 

 ial wound tbfuiigb his body, euteriii:.' his rieht 

 brea.-t ; he dropped on his liice. Our people, 

 being over|iowered by numbers, were obliged to 

 letret over the monnlains, endiirim.- on" their 

 march great privalions and sufferings." Thus 

 lell, 111 the prime of inaidiood, ^me of (he most 

 promising officers of the revolution,— one wiio-o 

 bravery and valor, fiieiids and foes alike were 



lorward to acknow ledge— w hose worth, the ; d 



that knew linn, slid .hdi^ht lo reconnl,an(l whose 

 imlimely hiss they ^el willi fiowine leais lament 

 Ihe lollowing excellent letter from his pastor 

 and the chaplain of his troops, conveyed the sad 

 tidings ol his fdl to her, who was liiost nearly 

 and deeply interested in ihe event: 



"iMosKS CaF.FK, July 21, 1777. 

 "DuAR Mrs. Francis: 



" Aly heart is filled wilh compassion and sym- 

 pathy liir yon, while I n-late the melancholv "tale 

 of thfe fiill of my dear friend, the Ciilonel. " 'i'oii 

 will consider this event as under t|,,. government 

 of thai God, who has an midonbted right |o do 

 as seemelh Him good, and ibeiefbre, endeavor lo 

 command your passions into a silent submission 

 to His will. If there is any consolaiiiin in the 

 gospel, I think yon may accept it. I doubt not, 

 your loss is bis greater gain : 1 can w iiiiess to his 

 uniforndy good condncl in ihe army, in discoun- 

 tenaiiciiii.' vice, and eiicoura<;ing virtue ; inset- 

 ting before his men an example of sobriely, and 

 an attendance upon the ilulies of piely. No offi- 

 cer so noticed for his military accomplishinenis 

 and regular life as he. He lived iiuiversally be- 

 loved, the loss of him as generally lamented. 

 While these things make you look upon your loss 

 the greater, they might administer to your iin 

 speakable consolation. He was not immindlid 

 of the dangers of the field, being appointed to 

 hriim up ihe rear-i;uard. He supposed it |iioha- 

 bletbcy iifmht he attacked, and I lieielijie, desired 

 me to take care id" his knapsack with what was 

 in it, if I could not stive anything else, which I 



did, though I lost my clothes by doing it. He 

 was ni good spirits when 1 p;irle"il with him the ; 

 evening befi>re the retreat. He memioneil his i 

 being eipndly exposed to fdl with oi|„.|>, but 1 

 seemed willing to commit himself to I'rovideiice, 

 and leave the event. His conduct in ih.' field ia ' 

 spoken of in the highest terms of apniaii.-e. He j 

 has embalmed bis name in imniorial lame. I | 

 must conclude by wishing yon all divine sup- : 

 l.orts. Trust m God. He will provide l<)r you ' 

 and the lalberless children. j 



"From your sincere and afi'eciioiiHte friend, 



" F. lllTClK.OCK." I 



But a most iuteicsliiig matter in relation to the 

 ileatli ol Col. Francis was presented to us by his I 

 surviving child, as an answer to our inipiii ies. I 

 The ancestors ol Ccd. Frii' cis resided long in 

 the vicinily of I'deillbrd and Cambiidi>e :'"liis 

 niother, he thinks, was a Wbitteniore ol ib.it linn- 

 ily at West Cambridge, long known as one of its I 

 respeciahle fiimily names, ihe most of whom (if j 

 ancient slanding have become intcrwoieii as | 

 liimily relatives: she might have been an aunt, n i 

 cousin, or even a sister, either of that " Master 

 Whittemore," wlio was ;i class-mate at Harvard 

 University wilh Jidiii .\dams the ehler, the tenor 

 of the hoys who were grandtiilhers lo the picsent 

 generation, or of the veteran Wbitlemoie, who 

 was shot ill the bead on the retreat of Earl I 

 Percy from l.exiiigion on the Iflili April, 177.5, 

 and who carried the bullet lo his grave seventeen ! 

 years afterwards: (aiff Whilieinore, a colored! 

 slave lo Ihis family, who fought gloriously in the I 

 r^exmgton bailie, anri acted as waller "to Col. 

 since Gov. Brooks at Saratoga, in 1777, bad his 

 lull porlrait many years exhibited in Hai\aid 

 Hall at Cambridge: ohl Cuff, with his flat bat, 

 we also recoiled. 



After the capture of Burgoyne's army tbev 

 were marched to I be vicinity of Boston, anil the 

 British soldiers were fpiiirtered upon Prospect 

 llill, and the Hessians upon Winter Hill, il ,• for- , 

 mer nearer and the latter more distant from Bos- ] 

 ion: these lulls may be known as liie emiiiences 

 norlh and sniiih ihroiigb which the Lowell rail- | 

 roai! inns alier it passes the ancient high powder 

 bouse four miles out of Boston. Froui jealou.sy 

 (with or without reason) that the men ami offii-ers 

 would not reuard their fiiirole of honor, a sliict ' 

 guard was kept over them: the fear was lhat they ', 

 would strenglben the hands of the enemy in the 

 highly critical year of 1778, when the spirits of I 

 many men of the revolution greaily flat'^^ed, and I 

 when the enemy overran every par"t of the conn- ' 

 try at the souih. The soldiers were guarded in i 

 their harrack.s, and the ofiicers were not sufli red j 

 10 reside in Boston, but were permitted to bilh't 

 themselves out among ihe surrounding liirmers 

 in the coiiiuiy beyond the lines of the common ' 

 soldier.s. A liimily of the Hessian officers ho.ud- '< 

 ed tinder ihe roof of ihat house now siandini'in ' 

 a jiart of Chailestow h, conslitiiiinir the lonnofi 

 .^omerville, where the wriler was born ; and of I 

 these a few years before her death, which occur- I 

 red about ten years ago, an aged grandmother 

 related to us m.-uiy aii( cdotcs : she remember- | 

 ed well, as a vjsitor lo the officers at her hnii^e ' 

 and a famous rider upon liorse.|,„ck, the wilii of I 

 l<arou Keidsel, who has wiiiieii a most interest- j 

 mg nairativj; id' the events ofihe campaign, hav- I 

 mg pariicipaled all llie way from Caiiad;i to Sara- ' 

 toga in the p.ysand sorrows of her bnsband, and ' 

 the higher oliirers of ilie liritish and Hessiau ar- ' 

 my. 



Mr. Francis of BiiM.ai look from his shelf in i 

 his counting room a volume euliiled " Travels i 

 tludiigh the interior parts of America, in a series ' 

 ol letiei-.s, by an officer;" and pointed us to the ' 

 following e,\lract: the edition was English of an ' 

 ancient date, and he sai.l be knew of but one 

 other copy of the same hook extant : 



'•A few (h.ys since, walking out with some 

 officers, we slopped at a house to piirclia.se ve-e- 

 tahles. Whilst the other officers were baraa'in- '■ 

 ing wilh Ihe woman id' ibe house, I ohserve'd an I 

 elderly woman silling by the fire, who was con- ' 

 tinnally eyeing us, and every now and iheii shed- 

 ding a tear. Just as we Here ipiiiiim; the house | 

 ^he got lip, :md hiirsling into ti^ars. .taid, 'i'enile- ' 

 men, will jou let a poor dis'lracted woniair»peak i 

 a word lo you before yon go?' W,., ,is yon mii«t 

 nainrally imagine, were all astonished ; .'md upon ' 

 iii()uiriiig what she waiiied, wilh the ino^t poi"- I 

 iiant grief and sobbing as if her heart was oil • 



