ANARRATIVE, &c.IIwasborn inBarnſtable, inNew-England, October 2, 1757, of credible Parents, whom I ſerved as an obedient Son, I hope, until the commencement of the late war called me from my home, and led me to exchange the occupation of a Huſbandman, to which I was bred for the more dangerous employment of a Soldier. In this capacity I served my Country 3 campaigns, and know not that my behaviour was censured by my officers.Afterhaving returned for a time to the Farming-Buſineſs, I concluded to try my fortune at ſea: I entered accordingly on board the ſchoonerBunker-Hill, CaptainIſaac Cobb, Commander, on a privateering voyage: But we had not been out more than 6 days before we were taken by the brigHope, oneBrown, Commander, and carried intoHalifax. We were committed to jail and keptvery ſhort: Then I was taken with the ſmall-pox, thro’ which GOD ſafely carried me when deſtitute of the neceſſaries of life, and under great preſſure of mind. But after my being recovered ſo far as to be returned to the jail from the hoſpital, in conſequence of my having nothing but a ſmall allowance of ſalt proviſions, which were next to poiſon for a ſick perſon, I was taken with a violent fever, which returned me again to the hoſpital, and brought me to the gates of the grave. No perſon who hath not experienced it can imagine how gloomy and diſtreſſing it is to be under ſuch circumſtances: To be far diſtant from our deareſt Friends; to be among perſons who are not only without any concern for us, or intereſt in our fate, but who are our profeſſed enemies, and not governed even by the common principles of humanity, is a caſe truly melancholy. In this ſituation I was attacked with a bleeding of the noſe, (to which I had before been ſubject) which brought me to the very borders of eternity!Afterthis I was, by the ſmiles of heaven recovered and reſtored, by a cartel,with 400 of my Countrymen to our own homes. How welcome they were to us, and how pleaſant it was to me to ſee the faces of my Friends again, any one may imagine more eaſily than I can deſcribe!Buttho’ I had been ſo unſucceſſful in my firſt attempt at ſea, I could not reſiſt the inclination I had to try once more what Providence would do for me: I left my native place, went toBoſton, and entered on board the brigArnold,James Magee, Commander. I well remember I felt an unusual dejection when I entered on this undertaking; and tho’ I pretend not to ſay that this foreboded the miſfortunes I was to meet with in this fatal veſſel, yet I have often reflected upon it ſince with a degree of admiration.Whilethe brig lay in the harbour, I attempted with ſome other hands to go on board another veſſel in a ſmall boat, but the wind ſuddenly riſing we were in danger of being drowned; the boat run onGovernor’s-Iſland, and we were obliged to ſtay there 24 hours before we could get off. Providence preſerved my life in this danger, in order that I might live thro’ greater, and teſtify to his loving kindneſs and mercy.OnDecember 24, 1778, Capt.Mageeſailed fromBoſton: We had been at ſea but a few hours, when a moſt terrible gale of wind aroſe, ſo that the water was almoſt knee deep on the leeward ſide of the quarter-deck. We continued in the Bay that day and the night following, but on the next day we got intoPlymouth. The wind was abated, but the cold was ſevere and intenſe beyond deſcription. We came to anchor a little belowBeach-Point, in the Harbour ofPlymouth.OnSaturday, December 26, about 6 o’clock in the morning, from the violent motion of the ſea, the brig ſtruck the bottom as tho’ it would drive her keel in. As there was not depth of water enough to work the veſſel in the place where we lay, and we ſaw a heavy ſtorm coming on, our Commander thought it beſt to cut our cables and let her drive, which was immediately done. The ſtorm increaſed very faſt, ſo that we were obliged to cut away the main-maſt, and we drifted upon an hard flat a little to the weſtward ofBeach-Point.Thiswas early on Saturday morning, and we now laboured hard in throwing over our wood and getting our guns off the decks into the hold, but the veſſel began to leak very faſt, and with every motion of the ſea ſhe ſtruck the bottom as tho’ ſhe would ſplit in pieces. We kept 2 pumps going, but could not gain upon the water. The ſtorm now increaſed to a moſt prodigious degree: It ſnowed ſo thick that we could ſee but a very little way from the brig, and the cold was extreme; we continued hard at work all day without eating or drinking any thing ſcarcely, having but little appetite with the proſpect of death continually before our eyes.Untilnow we had hopes of eſcape, but juſt before night we looked into the hold and ſaw the caſks floating about; this drove us to deſpair, and we forſook the pumps without a ray of hope but from the immediate interpoſition of divine Providence. Many of the people now began to pray, and I went into the cabbin and ſat upon one of the gun-carriages. I had not been there long before I ſaw cheſts floating about, and perceived that the tide was flowing on us very faſt; by direction of the Capt. all left thecabbin and came upon the quarter-deck.Itis not poſſible to deſcribe my ſenſations at this period; death appeared inevitable, and we waited every moment for itsapproach! Even now, when I recollect my feelings it is difficult to ſteady my pen! And indeed I had ground enough for my apprehenſions, for we had not been long upon the quarter-deck before the water upon the main-deck was even with it. Our fore-maſt was ſtill ſtanding, which cauſed the veſſel to roll very much, but when we had cut that away ſhe lay ſtiller. The brig now lay ſunk; the tide was flowing faſt and the ſea broke very heavily over us. We were all upon the quarter-deck, and the water came in upon us ancle deep.Therewas a ſail in the netting upon the windward-quarter, which we contrived to laſh over us, but there were ſo many under it that we ſhould have been ſtifled for want of breath, if we had not cut places to let in the air. The tide was then about at its height but the ſtorm did not abate. There was nothing to be heard around but ſcreeches, groans and deep lamentations for themſelves and their families, and earneſt cries toGOD for mercy and relief!Therewas ſuch a croud upon the quarter deck we could not ſtand up without treading upon one another. Being in a ſtruggle I was thrown down and trampled upon as if the breath would be crouded out of my body: However I ſoon recovered my feet and trampled upon others in my turn; forthe immediate regard which every man had to his own life prevented him from attending to the diſtreſſes of his neighbours!Strugglingin this manner and trying to clear ourſelves from thoſe who fell down had pulled off moſt of our ſhoes, and the wet and cold ſoon froze our feet. Nature could ſuſtain it no longer and the people began to die all around me. Capt.John RuſſellofBarnſtablewas the firſt of thoſe with whom I was acquainted that died, but many others ſoon followed him. Fatigue and diſtreſs, added to the extreme cold and deſpair of relief, put a period to the lives of great numbers. Thoſe who were able to ſtand were obliged to huddle up cloſe together, and breathe in each other’s faces to preſerve them from freezing to death, while their comrades were dying around them all night. In the morning a moſt awful ſight preſented itſelf to us; 60 of our Comrades lay dead acroſs each other, and but 2 of my Townſmen were among the living!OnLord’s-Day, Dec. 27, the ſtorm abated and the ſun appeared clear, but the ſevere cold ſtill continued. We ſawPlymouthand a number of people coming along the ſhore for our relief: We could diſcern them puſh off two boats and make an hard trial to come to us, but the harbour was ſo full of ice they could not reach us: We ſawthem return and it gave us an inexpreſſible ſhock. The elevation which their appearance gave us tended to ſink us the lower. Our ſituation was very gloomy; we had little to ſupport nature except rum; no ſhoes on our feet, and very much frozen; the Heavens was our only covering!I retainedmy ſenſes until about 2 o’clock on Lord’s-Day, but was then deprived of them and lay on the quarter-deck until the next day, when a boat got to us in order to carry the living aſhore, which amounted only to 32. When they were looking around to collect the ſurvivors, they at firſt ſuppoſed me to be dead, but ſeeing one of my eye-lids move they took me up and laying me in the boat carried me aſhore.I wascarried to Mr.Bartlet’s tavern, whoſe kindneſs to me I would thus publickly acknowledge, and hope I ſhall always remember with gratitude. My cloaths were firſt cut from off me and I was put into cold water in order to take out the froſt: I was then placed in bed and having my teeth forced open had ſome cordials poured down my throat, but I have no remembrance of any of theſe tranſactions, for I lay perfectly ſenſeleſs until 2 o’clock on Monday, when my ſenſes came to me at once. My eyes were not open, but I heard the voices of perſons talking around me, and thefirſt idea which ſtruck me was, that I was ſtill on board the brig, but that a boat come to our relief. I ſoon however opened my eyes and was informed of what had happened and where I then was.I recoveredgradually, but was obliged to paſs thro’ the painful operation of having ſome of my limbs ſeperated from my body: But after all theſe diſtreſſes I am ſtill among the living to praiſeGOD! Let my ſpared life be devoted to his ſervice, and may I ever be mindful of his benefits!Names of the Deceas’d belonging toBarnſtable.Capt.John Ruſſell,Barn. Lothrop,Daniel Hall,Tho. Caſley,Eben. Bacon,Jaſey Garritt,John Berry,Barnabas Howes,Stephen Bacon,Jon. Lothrop, Boſton, a Negro Man.
IIwasborn inBarnſtable, inNew-England, October 2, 1757, of credible Parents, whom I ſerved as an obedient Son, I hope, until the commencement of the late war called me from my home, and led me to exchange the occupation of a Huſbandman, to which I was bred for the more dangerous employment of a Soldier. In this capacity I served my Country 3 campaigns, and know not that my behaviour was censured by my officers.
Iwasborn inBarnſtable, inNew-England, October 2, 1757, of credible Parents, whom I ſerved as an obedient Son, I hope, until the commencement of the late war called me from my home, and led me to exchange the occupation of a Huſbandman, to which I was bred for the more dangerous employment of a Soldier. In this capacity I served my Country 3 campaigns, and know not that my behaviour was censured by my officers.
Afterhaving returned for a time to the Farming-Buſineſs, I concluded to try my fortune at ſea: I entered accordingly on board the ſchoonerBunker-Hill, CaptainIſaac Cobb, Commander, on a privateering voyage: But we had not been out more than 6 days before we were taken by the brigHope, oneBrown, Commander, and carried intoHalifax. We were committed to jail and keptvery ſhort: Then I was taken with the ſmall-pox, thro’ which GOD ſafely carried me when deſtitute of the neceſſaries of life, and under great preſſure of mind. But after my being recovered ſo far as to be returned to the jail from the hoſpital, in conſequence of my having nothing but a ſmall allowance of ſalt proviſions, which were next to poiſon for a ſick perſon, I was taken with a violent fever, which returned me again to the hoſpital, and brought me to the gates of the grave. No perſon who hath not experienced it can imagine how gloomy and diſtreſſing it is to be under ſuch circumſtances: To be far diſtant from our deareſt Friends; to be among perſons who are not only without any concern for us, or intereſt in our fate, but who are our profeſſed enemies, and not governed even by the common principles of humanity, is a caſe truly melancholy. In this ſituation I was attacked with a bleeding of the noſe, (to which I had before been ſubject) which brought me to the very borders of eternity!
Afterthis I was, by the ſmiles of heaven recovered and reſtored, by a cartel,with 400 of my Countrymen to our own homes. How welcome they were to us, and how pleaſant it was to me to ſee the faces of my Friends again, any one may imagine more eaſily than I can deſcribe!
Buttho’ I had been ſo unſucceſſful in my firſt attempt at ſea, I could not reſiſt the inclination I had to try once more what Providence would do for me: I left my native place, went toBoſton, and entered on board the brigArnold,James Magee, Commander. I well remember I felt an unusual dejection when I entered on this undertaking; and tho’ I pretend not to ſay that this foreboded the miſfortunes I was to meet with in this fatal veſſel, yet I have often reflected upon it ſince with a degree of admiration.
Whilethe brig lay in the harbour, I attempted with ſome other hands to go on board another veſſel in a ſmall boat, but the wind ſuddenly riſing we were in danger of being drowned; the boat run onGovernor’s-Iſland, and we were obliged to ſtay there 24 hours before we could get off. Providence preſerved my life in this danger, in order that I might live thro’ greater, and teſtify to his loving kindneſs and mercy.
OnDecember 24, 1778, Capt.Mageeſailed fromBoſton: We had been at ſea but a few hours, when a moſt terrible gale of wind aroſe, ſo that the water was almoſt knee deep on the leeward ſide of the quarter-deck. We continued in the Bay that day and the night following, but on the next day we got intoPlymouth. The wind was abated, but the cold was ſevere and intenſe beyond deſcription. We came to anchor a little belowBeach-Point, in the Harbour ofPlymouth.
OnSaturday, December 26, about 6 o’clock in the morning, from the violent motion of the ſea, the brig ſtruck the bottom as tho’ it would drive her keel in. As there was not depth of water enough to work the veſſel in the place where we lay, and we ſaw a heavy ſtorm coming on, our Commander thought it beſt to cut our cables and let her drive, which was immediately done. The ſtorm increaſed very faſt, ſo that we were obliged to cut away the main-maſt, and we drifted upon an hard flat a little to the weſtward ofBeach-Point.
Thiswas early on Saturday morning, and we now laboured hard in throwing over our wood and getting our guns off the decks into the hold, but the veſſel began to leak very faſt, and with every motion of the ſea ſhe ſtruck the bottom as tho’ ſhe would ſplit in pieces. We kept 2 pumps going, but could not gain upon the water. The ſtorm now increaſed to a moſt prodigious degree: It ſnowed ſo thick that we could ſee but a very little way from the brig, and the cold was extreme; we continued hard at work all day without eating or drinking any thing ſcarcely, having but little appetite with the proſpect of death continually before our eyes.
Untilnow we had hopes of eſcape, but juſt before night we looked into the hold and ſaw the caſks floating about; this drove us to deſpair, and we forſook the pumps without a ray of hope but from the immediate interpoſition of divine Providence. Many of the people now began to pray, and I went into the cabbin and ſat upon one of the gun-carriages. I had not been there long before I ſaw cheſts floating about, and perceived that the tide was flowing on us very faſt; by direction of the Capt. all left thecabbin and came upon the quarter-deck.
Itis not poſſible to deſcribe my ſenſations at this period; death appeared inevitable, and we waited every moment for itsapproach! Even now, when I recollect my feelings it is difficult to ſteady my pen! And indeed I had ground enough for my apprehenſions, for we had not been long upon the quarter-deck before the water upon the main-deck was even with it. Our fore-maſt was ſtill ſtanding, which cauſed the veſſel to roll very much, but when we had cut that away ſhe lay ſtiller. The brig now lay ſunk; the tide was flowing faſt and the ſea broke very heavily over us. We were all upon the quarter-deck, and the water came in upon us ancle deep.
Therewas a ſail in the netting upon the windward-quarter, which we contrived to laſh over us, but there were ſo many under it that we ſhould have been ſtifled for want of breath, if we had not cut places to let in the air. The tide was then about at its height but the ſtorm did not abate. There was nothing to be heard around but ſcreeches, groans and deep lamentations for themſelves and their families, and earneſt cries toGOD for mercy and relief!
Therewas ſuch a croud upon the quarter deck we could not ſtand up without treading upon one another. Being in a ſtruggle I was thrown down and trampled upon as if the breath would be crouded out of my body: However I ſoon recovered my feet and trampled upon others in my turn; forthe immediate regard which every man had to his own life prevented him from attending to the diſtreſſes of his neighbours!
Strugglingin this manner and trying to clear ourſelves from thoſe who fell down had pulled off moſt of our ſhoes, and the wet and cold ſoon froze our feet. Nature could ſuſtain it no longer and the people began to die all around me. Capt.John RuſſellofBarnſtablewas the firſt of thoſe with whom I was acquainted that died, but many others ſoon followed him. Fatigue and diſtreſs, added to the extreme cold and deſpair of relief, put a period to the lives of great numbers. Thoſe who were able to ſtand were obliged to huddle up cloſe together, and breathe in each other’s faces to preſerve them from freezing to death, while their comrades were dying around them all night. In the morning a moſt awful ſight preſented itſelf to us; 60 of our Comrades lay dead acroſs each other, and but 2 of my Townſmen were among the living!
OnLord’s-Day, Dec. 27, the ſtorm abated and the ſun appeared clear, but the ſevere cold ſtill continued. We ſawPlymouthand a number of people coming along the ſhore for our relief: We could diſcern them puſh off two boats and make an hard trial to come to us, but the harbour was ſo full of ice they could not reach us: We ſawthem return and it gave us an inexpreſſible ſhock. The elevation which their appearance gave us tended to ſink us the lower. Our ſituation was very gloomy; we had little to ſupport nature except rum; no ſhoes on our feet, and very much frozen; the Heavens was our only covering!
I retainedmy ſenſes until about 2 o’clock on Lord’s-Day, but was then deprived of them and lay on the quarter-deck until the next day, when a boat got to us in order to carry the living aſhore, which amounted only to 32. When they were looking around to collect the ſurvivors, they at firſt ſuppoſed me to be dead, but ſeeing one of my eye-lids move they took me up and laying me in the boat carried me aſhore.
I wascarried to Mr.Bartlet’s tavern, whoſe kindneſs to me I would thus publickly acknowledge, and hope I ſhall always remember with gratitude. My cloaths were firſt cut from off me and I was put into cold water in order to take out the froſt: I was then placed in bed and having my teeth forced open had ſome cordials poured down my throat, but I have no remembrance of any of theſe tranſactions, for I lay perfectly ſenſeleſs until 2 o’clock on Monday, when my ſenſes came to me at once. My eyes were not open, but I heard the voices of perſons talking around me, and thefirſt idea which ſtruck me was, that I was ſtill on board the brig, but that a boat come to our relief. I ſoon however opened my eyes and was informed of what had happened and where I then was.
I recoveredgradually, but was obliged to paſs thro’ the painful operation of having ſome of my limbs ſeperated from my body: But after all theſe diſtreſſes I am ſtill among the living to praiſeGOD! Let my ſpared life be devoted to his ſervice, and may I ever be mindful of his benefits!
Capt.John Ruſſell,Barn. Lothrop,Daniel Hall,Tho. Caſley,Eben. Bacon,Jaſey Garritt,John Berry,Barnabas Howes,Stephen Bacon,Jon. Lothrop, Boſton, a Negro Man.