ests of the United States, are all the assurances which the best of gov-
ernments could desire from the best of citizens.

" Philadelphia, May 8, 1708."

But not until the year 1800 were the complications
of our government with France settled. In the
mean time those losses occurred which formed the
basis of what are now called the " French Claims."
Of these losses Newburyport had its full share. After
1793, wdienever either Martinique or Gaudaloupe was
in the possession of the English, French vessels of
war, under orders from their government, captured all
vessels bound to such port with supplies, whether
neutral vessels or vessels flying the flag of an enemy.
Among the neutral vessels were many belonging to the
United States. On the 30th of September, 1800, in
order lo be released from the embarrassing entangle-
ments of the treaty of 1778, our government entered
into a new treaty with France, by which it was re-
leased from its obligations on the condition that it
would assume and pay all claims which American
citizens had at that time against France for the cap-
ture and condemnation of their vessels and cargoes.
These are what are called the French Claims, and only
those are valid which are based on losses before Ihe
ratification of the treaty, September 30, 1800. There
were losses occurring after that date, but in 1803, at
the time of ihe purchase of Louisiana from the



NEWBURYPORT.



1763



French, Ihe claims for these were denominated in
the treaty of purchase a debt, and for the liquidation
of this debt ourgoverument retained twenty millions
of francs out of the eighty millions of the purchase
money, and paid the claims to the claimants. There
were still other losses occasioned by the French, and
at the time of the purchase of Florida from Spain,
in 1819, a part of the purchase money was retained
for the payment of claims by American citizens for
losses by the capture by the French of vessels in
Spanish waters. These claims, called " Spanish
Claims," were also duly paid by our government to
the claimants. In 1831, during the administration
of President Jackson, representations having been
made that other captures had occurred after Septem-
ber 30, 1800, a schedule of these losses, amounting to
nearly a million of dollars, was prepared and a per-
emptory demand made for the payment. These
claims also were allowed by the French government,
and the claimants have been reimbursed by the gov-
ernment. It is hoped that by recent legislation the
claims which have been so long pending for losses, of
which $1)82,608.05 were incurred by the merchants of
Newburyport, will at last, before many months have
expired, reach a final settlement.

The invasions of American commerce continued to
be carried on. Not only England and France, but
Holland and Naples and Denmark,joinedinthe dep-
redations, and were rapidly sweeping American ships
from the i-cas. Without either the ability or desire
to check these ravages, our government entered upon
a series of restrictive measures which changed the
method of the destruction of our commerce, but did
not avert it. In 1805 Congress passed a law forbid-
ding armed vessels to leave the United States— adopt-
ing the policy of avoiding collisions instead of that
of defending our rights. In 1807 a second law was
passed forbidding vessels to go to foreign ports.
Wherever this law was obeyed foreign trade was
killed at a blow. In 1802 the duties on imports
received at Newburyport amounted to two hundred
thousand six hundred and ninety-five dollars, and in
1812 had fallen to forty-six thousand one hundred
and ninety-one dollars. But when it was found that
this law was successfully evaded, additional restric-
tions were imposed, and, in 1808, even the coasting
trade was forbidden. Against this last act of the
government the merchants of New England zeal-
ously remonstrated, and the merchants of Newbury-
port were not less zealous in their remonstrances
than those of other towns along the seaboard. In
1809 the embargo was repealed, and once more trade
and commerce revived. The non-intercourse act
followed, prohibiting trade with Great Britain and
France, and hung for a time like a cloud over the
sea — but the restrictions which it imposed soon gave
way before the concessions of these powers.

The next event toucuing the interests of Newbury-
port was the War of 1812. It is unnecessary to



rehearse its causes and the long list of aggressions
which led to it. It is sufficient to say that in that
year war was declared with Great Britain. At that
time the navy of that power comprised 254 ships of
the line, 247 frigates, 183 brigs and enough other
smaller vessels to make up the number to 1082 ves-
sels. The United States had ten frigates, ten sloops
and 165 gun-boats. Private enterprise must be invoked
to enlarge and strengthen the resources of the govern-
ment. At that time the population of Newburyport
was about 8000; its tonnage was 22,933 tons ; its duty
on imports $46,181 ; its total property valuation
$6,074,600. The war was no more popular in New-
buryport than in other parts of New England, and
spirited addresses were adopted by the town ; and in
anticipation of requisitions for troops, a general dis-
inclination was felt to go beyond the lines of the State
to fight. Votes were passed refusing to pay bounties
to stimulate enlistments, and the almost universal
feeling among the Federalists was opposed to any
participation in the war. There were, however, many
who not only obeyed the dictates of patriotism, but
were inclined to follow where the hope of profit led,
and there were soon fitted out privateers to engage in
the struggle. The early capture of the " Guerriere " by
the " Constitution," of the " Frolic " by the "Wasp," of
the "Macedonian" by the "United States " and the
"Java" by the "Constitution," excited national
pride and tended to blunt the edge of opposition
in the minds of some, but the Peace party con-
tinued strong and persistent. It is not certain
that the heat of party feeling did not serve to
stimulate the supporters of the government and
induce greater activity in its behalf than would
have otherwise prevailed. At any rate, before the
summer of 1812 had passed, Newburyport had a busy
fleet of privateers on the sea. The town, through a
committee, on the declaration of war, in June uttered
its protest to the Legislature, declaring that its people
would march to the war only under the orders of the
Governor and Council, and while they would defend
their soil, they would "not stir an inch beyond."
This committee was composed of Jeremiah Nelson,
John Pierpont, Joseph Dana, William Bartlett and
William Farris. But, nevertheless, troops were raised,
armed men were sent to Plum Island and Cape Ann
for coast defense, and a company of artillery served in
the battles in Canada.

The first privateer to sail Irom Newburyport was
the " Manhattan," and she was followed by the
•' Yankee," and the " Decatur," and the " Bunker
Hill." Before the summer had passed, the United
States sloop-of-war " Wasp," after capturing the
" Frolic," had herself been taken, and another United
States sloop bearing the same name was built by
Orlando B. Merrill and launched in September. The
"Argus" and "Antelope" letters of marque were
soon at sea and all did good service in thinning out
the merchant fleets of the enemy. The career of



1764



HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.



Captain Wm. Nichols, of the " Decatur," deserves a
more extended mention. He was the sou of Captaiii
William Nichols and was boru in Newburyport in
1781. In 1796 he began his sea life, and at the
age of nineteen he had been taken twice by
the French — ouce in the "Fox," in 1798, and
again in the " Rose" in the following year.
After the last capture he was sent into Guada-
loupe, from which place he escaped in a Swedish
vessel and finally reached New York. Before the
War of 1812 he was placed in command of the brig
'Alert," owned by Captain Benjamin Pierce, one of
the prominent ship-owners of Newburyport of that
day. Captain Pierce gave the vessel to the govern-
ment, and in the Smithsonian Institute at Wash-
ington a picture of the brig is preserved. While in
command of the "Alert," Captain Nichols was
chased by the British frigate " Vestal," soon after
leaving Bordeaux and obliged to surrender. A prize
crew was placed on board, and Captain Nichols and
his mate and three sailors were left in her. Soon
after the departure of the " Vestal" Captain Nichols,
watching his opportunity, with the assistance of his
mate, regained possession of the brig, putting the
Englishmen in a boat with provisions and a compass
and setting them adrift. Shortly after the recapture
he was overhauled by another British frigate, and
although he claimed that he had already been
searched, he was taken prisoner and carried into
Portsmouth, England, where the "Alert" was con-
demned and sold. This was one of those outrages
which finally led to the War of 1812. Captain
Nichols managed to escape his captors at a public
inn, where, with prudence in drinking on his part, he
induced imprudence on theirs, and gave them the
slip. After many trials he succeeded in reaching
Liverpool and securing a passage home.

Soon after his return, on the declaration of war, he
was placed in command of the brig "Decatur,"
of one hundred and ninety-seven tons burthen,
costing twenty thousand dollars and mounting
fourteen guns, with one hundred and fifty men.
Her principal owner was the owner of the
" Alert," Benjamin Pierce. Soon after leaving New-
buryport, by his courage and good judgment, he
quelled a mutiny among his men and only a few
hours after, so completely had he made himsel f the
leader of his crew, he captured the bark " Duke of
Savoy" and the next day the brig " Pomona." Within
a week from leaving port he had taken one bark and
four brigs. His prizes had so far depleted his crew
that he decided to return to the United States. On
the way he was overhauled by the English ship " Com-
merce," carrying fourteen guns, and a desperate fight
ensued, in which Captain Nichols, by giving orders to
shoot ever}' man at the wheel, rendered his antagonist
unmanageable and won a signal victory. The cargo
of the "Commerce" consisted of325 hogsheads of sugar,
118 puncheons of rum, 77 bales of cotton, 225 bags of



coffee and some other general cargo. The " Decatur"
arrived safely in port, having in fifty days captured
ten prizes.

Alter refitting. Captain Nichols started on a
second cruise in the "Decatur" capturing several
prizes, whose prize-crews had so reduced the number
of her men, that, when overtaken, on the 18th of Jan-
uary, 1813, by the British frigate " Surprise," of thirty-
eight guns, he was, after a desperate struggle, obliged
to haul down his flag. He was carried into Barbadoes,
where he was recognized by the captain of the " Ves-
tal," from whom he had recaptured the " Alert," and
placed in close confinement on board the prison ship.
His place of imprisonment was a cage built on the
quarter-deck, five feet wide and seven feet long, and after
thirty-four days confinement, he was taken on board
the frigate " Tribune," and carried to England. Upon
his arrival there he was subjected to the same severe
treatment, heavily ironed and refused all parole. A
remonstrance of the United Slates government was
followed by the close confinement of Captains Wood-
worth and Barrs, two British privateer masters, with
the same treatment as that under which Captain
Nichols was suffering. After a sharp correspondence
between the two governments, the English authori-
ties yielded and issued the following, for a copy of
which the writer of this narrative is indebted to the
files of the Newburyport Herald, from which also this
sketch of Capt. Nichols is a'most literally drawn :

'*Bythe Cummissiouers for conducting His Majesty's transport ser-
vice, for taking cure of sick and wounded seamen, and for the care and
custody of prisoners of war. •

"Tliese are to certify that Mr. William Sicliols, oadcscrilwd on the
back hereof, an American prisoner of war, late master of the 'Decatur,'
American merchant vessel or privateer, has been released from Chatham,
and permitted to return to the United States of America in exchange for
Mr. W. Barrs, taken when master of the ' Liverpool Packet,' British pri-
vateer, late a prisoner of war. -And whereas the said Mr. Nichols is per-
mitted to proceed direct and without delay from Chatham to Dartmouth,
where immediately on his arrival he is to present himself to Mr. Jno.
Puddecombe, the board's agent, for the purpose of being embarked on the
'Saratoga ' cartel for America. All and singular. His Majesty's officers,
civil and military, are hereby desired and requested to suffer him to pass
accordingly, without any hindrance or molestation whatever, provided
ho leaves the kingdom within fourteen days from the date hereof; but if
he should deviate from the route hereby pointed out, or be found in tl is
country after the time allowed to him, he will ^be liable to immediate
apprehension and imprisonment. Given under hand and seal of office
at London this twenty-fourth day of June, 1813.

"Georoe N. Geoboi.

" J. DotlGLAS.

"John Koebes."

Soon after the return of Capt. Nichols he was
placed in command of the brig " Harpy," of Balti-
more. She was fitted out inPortsmouth, New Hamp-
shire, and sailed Oct. 1, 1814. While in command of
that vessel he captured the ship " Amazon," Oct.
10th ; the ship " Bridget," Oct. loth ; the brig
" Halifax Packet," Oct. 16th ; the ship "Garland"
and schooner " Britannia," Oct. 19th ; the s-hip
â– 'Jane," Oct. 29th; the brig "William Nielson,"
Nov. 13th ; the schooner "Nine Sisters," Dec. 24th ;
the ships " William and Alfred," and " Jane," and the



NEWBURYPORT.



1765



bri^ " Louisa," January 3, 1815, making eleven vessels
in eighty-five days. One of these prizes sent home was
valued at §300,000, and among his prisoners were a
major-general and other officers of the British army-

During the war, though many months a prisoner
and inactive, he captured twenty-eight prizes and six
hundred prisoners, making up a record whiah cannot
probably be excelled by any in the naval annals of
our own or any other nation.

After the close of the war Captain Nichols was en-
gaged in the merchant service from Newburyport,
principally with Russian ports, and retired from the
sea in the year 1830. A Democrat in politics, he was
appointed collector of the port by President Polk in
1845, and, notwithstanding his eminent services in
behalf of his country, was succeeded by a Whig on,
the change of the administration in 1849. He died
at his home on Harris Street, February 12, 1863, and
beside the imperishable record of his heroism, there
were only left of his possessions two swords, a barome-
ter, a silver tea service and a few papers to tell the
story of his life.

In this record Captain Harry Parsons must not be
overlooked. He commanded the letter of marque
'Argus," and met with success far inferior to that of
Captain Nichols, but yet large and creditable. Be-
sides these two, there were few whose cruises were not
either failures or only slightly profitable. On the
other hand, there were many who were either cap-
tured or lost or returned to port with nothing of
adventure or gain. On the whole, it is doubtful
whether the returns from privateering equaled the
outlay. Though the captures by that branch of the
American naval service were small, considering the
number of vessels along the seaboard employed, its
very existence threatened such injury to British com-
merce, that the means adopted by Great Britain to
prevent it, by either keeping her vessels at home or
diverting her ships of war from hostile cruises to the
services of convoying her fleets, as to give it an im-
portance and value which no tangible results could
estimate or measure.

With peace came congratulations and joy, quali-
fied, however, by the burdens of debt and taxation
which rested heavily on every member of the com-
munity. But before entering upon the third period
of our narrative, which opened on the restoration of
peace, some further mention must be made of the
prominent men during the period which that event
terminated. As the town had advanced in popula-
tion and education and business, the number of such
men had been steadily increasing, and it will, there-
fore, be impossible, within the prescribed limits of
this sketch, to do justice to all.

The most notorious man of this period, of course,
was Timothy Dexter. It is entirely unnecessary to
enter into details concerning his character and life.

It is only necessary to say concerning them that
his folly was merely the mask of wisdom and that



often, when the object of ridicule, he was disguising
sagacious investments and enterprises. He tolerated
the popular belief that his shipment of warming-pans
to the West Indies was made in ignorance of the
climate of that latitude, and indeed encouraged that
belief in order that the real purpose of his speculation
might not be known, and that he might be alone in
the market. He was born in Maiden, January 22,
1747, and died at Newburyport October 22, 1806, giv-
ing in his will to that town S2000, the income of
which was to be given to the poor of the town out-
side of the poor-house.

One of the eminent sons of Newburyport, born
within the period, but better known in other localities,
was Gardiner Spring. He was the son of Rev.
Samuel Spring, chaplain in the army under Arnold
in the expedition against Quebec. After the death
of Rev. Christopher Bridges Marsh, the pastor of the
Second Congreg.ational Church (died in 1773), the
church was without a minister for four years. An in-
vitation was sent to Rev. Samuel Spring to preach as
a candidate. His answer was dated Ticonderoga,
August 12th, in which he declined the invitation as in-
compatible with his engagement as chaplain in the
army. At a later date he accepted the invitation, and
was finally ordained in August, 1777, remaining as the
pastor of the church until his death, in 1819. His
son Gardiner was bi/rn in Newburyport, February 24,
1785. At an early age his parents determined to
prepare him for the legal profession, and after receiv-
ing a grammar school education, he fitted for college
under the direction of Theophilus Parsons, and grad-
uated at Yale in 1805. The next three years he spent
in teaching school in Bermuda and reading law with
Judge Daggett, of New Haven, and in 1808 was ad-
mitted to the bar. Soon after beginning practice he
abandoned law and entered the Theological Seminary
at Andover. In 1809 he was licensed to preach, and
August 10, 1810, he was settled over the society
worshipping in the Brick Church on Beekman Street,
in New York. In 1861 the society removed to their
new edifice on Murray Hill, and though repeatedly
urged to accept professorships in Hamilton and Dart-
mouth Colleges, he remained with the society in the
faithful performance of his pastoral work until his
death, in 1874. During the last twelve years of his
ministry the Rev. William G. T. Shedd was his assist-
ant. He was the author of many works, among which
are " The Attraction of the Cross," 1845 ; " The Mercy-
Seat," 1849; "First Things," 1851; "The Glory of
Christ," 1852; "The Power of the Pulpit," 1848;
" The Obligations of the World to the Bible," 1844 ;
" Memoirs of Rev. S. J. Wells," 1820 ; " Pulpit Min-
istrations," 1864 ; and " Personal Reminiscences,"
1866.

John Pierpont, one of the town committee in 1812
to protect against the war, was born in Litchfield,
Conn., April 6, 1785. In early life he was an assist-
ant in the academy of Dr. Backus, at Bethlehem, and



1766



HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.



in 1805 took the position of tutor in the family of
Colonel William Alston, in South Carolina, which he
retained four years. He afterwards studied law at
the Litchfield school, and when admitted to the bar,
settled in Newburyport in the practice of his pro-
fession. After a few years he abandoned law and
entered mercantile life in Boston and Baltimore.
This, too, he abandoned in 181G, and studied theology
preparatory to his ordination as pastor of the Hollis
Street Unitarian church, April 11, 1819. During his
pastorate his pronounced views on the temperance
question, which lie did not hesitate to declare,
caused dissensions among his people, and in 1845 he
asked for his dismL-ision. He was then pastor of the
Unitarian Society in Troy, New York, until 1849,
when he took a settlement over the Medford Unitarian
Society, which he terminated by his resignation April
6, 1856. He was active in the anti-slavery as well as
the temperance cause, and was the candidate at one
time of the Liberty party of Massachusetts for Gov-
ernor, and in 1850 the candidate of Ihe Free Soil
party in his district for Congress. At the age of
seventy-six he took the position of chaplain of a
Massachusetts regiment in the Rebellion, but soon
left the field for a position in the Treasury Department
at Washington. He published a volume of poetry in
1840, and was the compiler of the American First
Class Book, which for a long time held its place in the
schools of New England, and though superseded by
others, has never been equaled. He was a man more
than six feet high, erect in figure, quick and firm in
step, with a face exhibiting unusual firmness and
strength, with a spirit as bold and undaunted as it
was sympathetic and gentle. Many of his poetical
pieces were beautiful in the extreme, combining, as
did their autlior, tenderest beauty with fervid fire.
Many readers of this sketch will remember the fol-
lowing striking passage in the oration delivered at
the laying of the corner-stone of Buaker Hill monu-
ment in 1825 :

" Let it ride till it meet the sun in his coming ; let the earliest light
of the morning gild it, and parting day linger and play ou its sum-
Let those who would learn the source from which
Mr. Webster received the inspiration for this senti-
ment turn to the " Pilgrim Ode," written by Mr.
Pierpont for the celebration of the anniversary of the
landing of the Pilgrims, December 22, 1824, in which
they will find the following stanza, unsurpassed for its
brilliant imagery ;

" The Pilgrim fnthot« are at rest ;

When Summer's tbr>ned on high,
And the world's warm breast is in verdure dressed,

Uo, stand en the hill where they lie.
The earliest ray of the golden day

On that hallowed spot is cast ;
And the evening sun, as he leaves the world.

Looks kindly on that spot last."

Mr. Pierpont died in Medford, Massachusetts,
August 27, 1866.



Moses Brown was born in 1743, in that part of
Newbury which is now the town of West Newbury.
His birthplace, as stated by 0. B. Merrell in the New-
huryport Herald, from the, files of which this sketch
of Mr. Brown is taken, was the farm known as
Brown's Springs. His education was limited to that
which the common schools could furnish, and in his
neighborhood the school was a movable one, often
far away from his home. At an early age he was
bound out to serve his time with a chaise-maker,
whose shop was on Prospect Street, in what is now
Newburyport. Young Brown was faithful, both to
himself and his master, and when of age set up a shop
on his own account for making and repairing car-
riages. He was a hard worker, and as he accumulated
a little money, as was the custom in those days, when
there were no savings banks, nor small stocks to in-
vest in, he secured opportunities of sending small
ventures to one or more of the foreign ports to which
Newburyport vessels might be bound. These ventures
consisted of small articles of merchandise, or hats or
shoes, or dried cod and pickled fish or any other arti-
cles which he thought would sell at a profit. Sometimes
a small box of fish costing five shillings would sell
for forty shillings, and perhaps oranges taken in pay
at two cents a dozen would bring at home five or six
times as much. If the venture were a larger one^
perhaps a barrel of molasses or a box of sugar would
be taken in return, and readily sold in the Newbury-
port market. In this way the fortunes of many men
found their foundations soon laid, and Mr. Brown
was one of them.

It was not long before the carriage business was
given up, and the purchase made of the wharf at the
foot of Green Street, then called Hooper's wharf.
Other investments in real estate were not long after
made, of which the square, called Brown's Square