Ohio History Journal

COMMODORE ABRAHAM WHIPPLE.

A PAPER BY HIS GREAT-GRANDSON, DAVID FISHER.

MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN - From the

printed circular I hold in my hand, I read, "the seventh

of April, 1888, is a day in which the immediate descend-

ants of the first settlers of Marietta principally have an

interest."

As a descendant of Commodore Whipple, it is with

emotions of reverence, pleasure, and pride that I am per-

mitted to be present at the Centennial Celebration of Mar-

ietta, and pay respect to the memory of those resolute,

determined, fearless pioneers, who founded this beautiful

city, from which has extended the civilization, growth,

prosperity, and influence of the " Great Northwest." How

many, or who of these descendants there may be present,

I am not aware, but to all such I extend a hearty greeting.

The little I may have to say will have reference particu-

larly to Commodore Whipple and incidents in his earlier

life, leaving to other and more competent persons the

eulogies of Putnam, Cutler, Varnum, Parsons, Tupper,

Sproat, Devol, Meigs, and others.

Commodore Abraham Whipple was born near Providence,

R. I., September 26, 1733. At the age of thirteen, his

father having sold his farm, he, with his parents, removed

to Providence. In 1761, August 2, Whipple married Sarah

Hopkins, a niece of Governor Hopkins. By this marriage

they had two daughters, Catherine, who married Lieuten-

ant Colonel Sproat, and Polly, who married Dr. Ezekial

Comstock, of Smithfield, R. I. By this last marriage

there were two children, Dr. W. W. Comstock, who died a

few years since at Middleboro, Mass., and Sarah Ann, who

was my mother, and who died at Wrentham, Mass., in

September, 1855. Colonel Sproat died at Marietta, August

29, 1819, his wife having died October 15, 1818.

The close of the Revolutionary war found many, who

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Commodore Abraham Whipple.          181

had risked their all in sustaining the government, penni-

less and in want, the paper currency in which they had

been paid having depreciated to almost a worthless value.

This poverty was, in great measure, the cause of the form-

ing of the " Massachusetts and Rhode Island Company,"

who hoped by seeking new homes in the then far West

to regain at least a small part of what they had lost, or at

least to secure a living for themselves and families. If I

have been rightly informed, Commodore Whipple and

Rufus Putnam made the journey from Providence to Mar-

ietta in the fall of 1787, and on their return to New Eng-

land with a favorable report, the colony decided to remove

in the spring of 1788 to where Marietta now stands, arriv-

ing April seventh of the same year.

From boyhood Whipple had a strong love for the sea,

and before he was twenty-one years of age had made sev-

eral voyages. During these voyages he taught himself

navigation and book-keeping.

In the old French war he became captain of the priv-

ateer sloop " Game Cock," and, as reported in the Boston

Post Boy and Advertiser of February 4, 1760, he, during

one voyage, took twenty-three prizes, from which he real-

ized some $60,000, a very large sum at that time.

Commodore Whipple was a man of great muscular

power, undoubted courage and daring, a lover of the

truth, generous and kind, possessed of a mind fertile in

expedients, which often made him a match for superior

forces. As an illustration: In one voyage he was chased

by a French privateer, with more men and guns than

himself, but having made as great a show of men as pos-

sible, by setting up hand spikes with hats and caps on

them, he boldly turned his vessel and bore square on the

enemy, who, taken aback by the maneuver, with all haste

escaped from their cunning opponent.

The one thing for which Commodore Whipple's name

should be kept in remembrance is the fact that he struck

the first blow of the Revolution, in 1772, on the water.

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182  Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

On the 1₇th of June, 1772, the packet "Hannah," plying

between Providence and New York, was chased by the

armed British vessel "Gaspee," and was decoyed by Whip-

ple to a shoal place, where the "Gaspee " stuck fast, while

Whipple, in the "Hannah," reached Providence in safety.

The news created great excitement, and a large crowd was

soon collected by the beating of drums. On a sudden a man,

disguised as an Indian, appeared on the roof of a house

near by, and gave notice of a secret expedition that night,

and invited all stout hearts to assemble at the wharf at nine

o'clock that evening, disguised like himself. That man

was Whipple. That night sixty men obeyed the call, and

went out in eight row boats to capture an armed vessel.

There was but one musket in the expedition. They were

hailed by the sentinel on board the "Gaspee," demanding

who commanded those boats. Whipple replied: "I am

Sheriff of the County of Kent and Providence Plantations.

I come to arrest Captain Dudingston, and if you do not at

once surrender will blow you to atoms." The boats were

well supplied with stones of a convenient size, which were

brought into use. Whipple fired the musket, wounding

the sentinel in the thigh, and at the same time the men

poured in a broadside of stones, which soon cleared the

deck of the "Gaspee," and Whipple, leading the men,

soon had possession. They secured the men as prisoners,

fired the vessel, returning to Providence without casual-

ties. A Royal Commission offered a reward of one hun-

dred pounds for the capture of any one engaged in the

assault, and afterwards a reward for the body of the Sheriff

of the County of Kent, dead or alive, but without suc-

cess, as those loyal men could not be bought. The silver

cup I now hold in my hand was at that time taken from

the "Gaspee."

In May, 1776, the Legislature of Rhode Island passed

an act renouncing all allegiance to the King of Great

Britain, and ten days before the battle of Bunker Hill the

same Legislature purchased and armed two sloops, giving

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Commodore Abraham Whipple.          183

the command of one to Whipple. On the 15th of June,

1775, Whipple, in his official capacity, attacked two British

boats, capturing them and, by this act, fired the first gun

of the Revolution on the water.

This bold act was done under the guns of the British

frigate "Rose," commanded by Sir William Wallace. Wal-

lace in the meantime had learned who captured and burnt

the "Gaspee " and wrote the following curt note: "You,

Abraham  Whipple, burned His Majesty's vessel, the

'Gaspee,' and I will hang you at yard arm. Signed,

William Wallace." To this Whipple replied with

commendable point, ^"To Sir William Wallace, Sir:

Always catch a man before you hang him. Abraham

Whipple."

Whipple soon after received an appointment under Con-

gress, and did great execution among the trading resorts

of the enemy, and there is nothing more admirable in the

history of the Revolution than the daring shown by Whip-

ple in attacking armed vessels many times superior in size,

men, and armament.

One of the boldest exploits performed by Whipple was

in 1778, when he was ordered to fit the frigate "Providence"

for sea and carry important despatches to our Minister in

France. The great difficulty was to get to sea through the

cordon of the enemy's ships; but with a picked crew, the

bold mariners, who knew every channel, taking advantage

of a very dark and stormy night, succeeded. He passed

within half a pistol shot of the British frigate "Lark," of

forty guns, pouring in a broadside and then passing the

frigate " Renown," of sixty-eight guns, by a ruse deceiving

the enemy as he cried in stentorian voice to his helmsman,

"Pass her on the Narragansett side," while in a quiet tone

he ordered the man to steer to the opposite side.

He reached Nantes, a French port, in twenty-six days,

capturing, during the voyage, a merchant ship. On his

return voyage he loaded his ship with clothing, arms and

ammunition, and safely reached the United States. For

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184   Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

this gallant act Whipple received from Washington, Frank-

lin, Adams and others, complimentary letters.¹

At the capture of Charleston, S. C., in 1778, Whipple

was taken prisoner and with his companions remained such

to the close of the war, because the British saw no other

way to preserve their commerce from the bold seaman.

At Chester, Pa., where he was confined as prisoner, he

hired a house for the use of his sick men, and in 1786

petitioned Congress to refund his expenses, stating that,

in order to perform this act of humanity, he had been

obliged to mortgage his little farm. He says:  "The

farm is now gone, and having been sued out of possession,

I am turned out into the world at an advanced age, feeble

and penniless, with my wife and children, destitute of a

house or home I can call my own, or have the means of

hiring." "This calamity has arisen from two causes, viz.:

In France, Charleston, and Chester I expended in the serv-

ice of the United States three hundred and sixty guineas,

besides the sea stores for a number of gentlemen sent by

the commissioner in France to the United States in my

care, for which I received nothing; and secondly, my

having served the United States from June 15, 1775, to

December, 1782, without receiving a farthing of wages or

subsistence from them since 1776. My advances in France

and Charleston amount to nearly $7,000 in specie, exclu-

sive of interest. The repayment of this, or a part, might

be the means of my regaining my farm, and snatch my

family from misery, want and ruin." The result of this

petition was his being paid for his expenditure in France

only, and this payment in "Continental" paper money,

which he was obliged to dispose of at eighty per cent. dis-

count to keep his family from suffering. On more than

one occasion he was forced to beg for bread. Who can

listen to this recital without feelings of pity and morti-

fication?  The neglect and indifference manifested by

Congress towards the just rights and claims of Whipple

1For two letters, never before published,concerning this voyage, see p. 186.

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Commodore Abraham Whipple.      185

will always remain a stigma and blot on the United

States.

In 1784 Whipple commanded the first American vessel

that unfurled the stars and stripes in the Thames after the

Peace.

In April, 1788, he emigrated to Marietta, and after

"Mad Anthony's" peace with the Indians in 1796, he

removed to a farm of about twelve acres on the Muskin-

gum river, a few miles from Marietta, sixty-three years

old, broken in health, with no other means of support.

He and his aged partner lacked even comfortable food

and clothing. In 1811, when he was seventy-eight years

old, he was granted a pension of $30 per month.

In 1802 he commanded the first rigged vessel built on the

Ohio, and had the honor of conducting her to the ocean.

Commodore Whipple lived to be eighty-five years of age,

dying May 2₉th, 1819; his wife died the year previous. In

yonder beautiful " City of the Dead" they rest, his grave

marked with a monument on which is inscribed an epitaph

from which nothing could be erased, but much added. I

am unable to determine the exact location of the grave of

Mrs. Whipple.

Such, Mr. President, is a hurried and brief history of

Commodore Whipple -the lives of other of the emigrants

to Marietta were equally honorable-all contributing of

their ability and means to found and sustain that liberty

and independence which has made the United States "the

greatest of nations."

What noble examples for us all, and especially the young,

to emulate. Would that the same integrity of purpose,

the same liberality, love of right, and love of country

which actuated our forefathers, might always be our stand-

ard! May we fully appreciate our responsibilities! Let

every one feel it their duty and obligation to assist in the

performance of these sacred duties and act accordingly.

Then may you ask the patriotic American, " when will

you sell the liberties you now prize so highly?" With his

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186    Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

hand resting on the tombs of his fathers, whose examples

he venerates, and his eyes raised to the God in whom he

trusts, he will answer, " Never! "

NOTE.-The following letters have never before been published. They

are in the possession of Mrs. Agnes B. Tribon, of Middleboro, Mass., great-

granddaughter of Commodore Whipple.

[ B. Franklin, A. Lee and John Adams to Abrm. Whipple.]

PARIS, June 23-1778.

Sir:-As we have a prospect of an Exchange of Prisoners you are directed

to send us with all possible dispatch, a list or Return of all the prisoners you

have in your custody, and we shall give orders concerning them as soon as

we shall be informed to what place they are to be sent, to be exchanged.

As to your future destination, we desire you to take on Board your Frig-

ate as many arms and cloaks or other merchandise as you can without im-

peding her in sailing or fighting, and no more, with which you are to acquaint

Mr. Schwerghauser who will send them on Board-if Mr. Schwerghauser

should have a Vessel bound to America, with stores for the public you are

to take her under your convoy.

You are to use your best endeavors to make Prizes in the course of your

Passage and in all respects to annoy the enemy, as much as you can and are

at liberty to go out of your way, for so good a purpose. If you can take or

destroy any of the enemies Fisheries on the Banks of New Foundland you

are not to omit the opportunity.

As transports are constantly passing between England and Halifax, Rhode

Island, New York and Philadelphia, and from each of these places to all the

others, you will use your very best Endeavors to intercept some of them.

If you should have despatches committed to your care, either from the

government of this Kingdom, or from us, you are to have them carefully en-

closed in lead, and in case of misfortune, which God forbid you are to take

effectual care, by sinking them that they may not fall into the enemies hands.

We wish you a prosperous Cruise and voyage, and are with much respect Sir,

Your most obedient and most humble servants.

B. FRANKLIN

Capt. Abraham Whipple                                                                                                  ARTHUR LEE

of the Providence Frigate.                                                          JOHN ADAMS

[G. Washington to Abm. Whipple.]

HEAD QUARTERS FREDRICK'SBURG

25, Nov, 1778.

Sir:-Major Nicolass handed me your favor of the 12th, inst.

I am greatly pleased with the gallant circumstance of your passage

through a blockaded harbour; and much obliged to you for the detail of

your voyage. It was very agreeable to hear of your safe arrival, with the

valuable articles of your invoice. With my best wishes for your future

success I am sir       Your most humble Servant.

Ab'm Whipple Esq.                G. WASHINGTON.

Capt. Ab'm Whipple Esq.

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