History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

During the afternoon and evening of the day
many inhabitants of Charlestown tied for safety
across Penny Ferry, and they remained in Maiden
during the siege. Such as were able to do mili-
tary duty were obliged to join the militia of the
town for its defence. Two days after the battle
several field-pieces were ordered to be removed
from Xewburyport and placed in the hands of Cap-
tain John Dexter of Maiden for concealment. This
was for the double purpose of placing them out of
the reach of the enemy upon the sea-coast and
bringing them near Boston, which the militia of
the country was now gradually placing in a state
of siege. About the same time the inhabitants of
Maiden and Chelsea were "absolutely forbidden to
fire upon, or otherwise injure, any seamen belong-
ing to the navy under the command of Admiral
Graves, unless tired upon by them." This injunc-
tion was soon withdrawn, and they were directed
"to put themselves in the best state of defence,
and exert the same in such manner as under their
circmnstances their judgments may direct"; and
two companies, under Captain Benjamin Blaney of
Maiden and Captain Samuel Sprague of Chelsea,
were ordered to be raised "for the defence of the
Sea Coast of those Towns." These companies par-
ticipated in the affiiir at Noddle's Island, May 27
and 28, when the live-stock of the island was
driven off, and the Americans captured from the
enemy who opposed them twelve swivels and four
small cannon. This has been called the battle of
Noddle's Island, and it contributed not a little to
prepare the way for the attempt to fortify and hold
the heights of Charlestown.
Besides the company of Captain Blaney another
company liad been formed in Maiden, under the
command of Captain N'aler Hatch. This company
was attached to the regiment of Colonel Thomas
Gardner; and, on the ever-memorable June 17, it
was stationed at Sweetser's or Beacham's Point,
in the southern part of the town. From this spot
the whole eventful scene of battle was in view, and
the advance and retreat of the contending forces,
and all the details of the conflict were discernible.
There Peter Thacher saw the events, a statement of
which he afterwards prepared, at the request of the
Committee of Safety, for transmission to England
and for the information of posterity. While the
battle was in progress, and afterward, the few in-
habitants of the southern portion of the town removed
their families and effects to less exposed lo-
MALDEX. 127
along the old Salem road to Black Ann's Corner
and the secluded nooks of Scadan. From the
favoring crest of Wayte's Mount many of the in-
habitants of the northern and central parts of the
town wtnessed the distant battle. A number of
wounded men were brought to the tavern of Dr.
Jonathan Porter. This old house, impainted and
weather-worn, stood upon Salem Street, about a
third of a mile from Main Street, and was demol-
ished in 1844.
After the battle the southern portion of the
iowi\ was embraced within the American lines,
which extended from Chelsea to Dorchester, and
earthworks were thrown up at Beacham's Point
and near the present junction of Main and Bow
streets. Some traces of the latter were visible a
few years since. The defence of these slight works
was assigned to the company of Captain Hatch.
This force not being adequate to a proper guard-duty
upon the river, the northern shore of which was
open to incursions from Charlestown, a small com-
pany, under Captain Eleazer Lindsey, from Essex
County, was afterwards stationed at Penny Perry.
Sunday noon, August 6, a party of regulars landed
at the ferry, burned a house near by, and caused a
general alarm along the American lines. Captain
Lindsey " fled with his company and got before
the women and children in his flight" ; but a field-
piece well served at Ten-Hill Farm, up the river,
caused the enemy to retire, and Captain Lindsey
and his men returned to their station. They re-
covered from this Bull-Run affair, however; and
a few days later they drove two barges down the
river by the service of their musketry. The dam-
age to property in Maiden during the investment
of Boston was estimated at £262 13 «. 4r/. ; the
greater part of which was probably in the more ex-
posed portion along the Mystic Eiver.
In the spring of 1776 the subject of independ-
ence became prominent in the minds of the peo-
ple ; and the inhabitants of Maiden expressed their
wishes in a spirited document, written by Mr.
Thacher, in which, after recalling the time " when
we loved the King and the People of Great Britain
\vith an affection truly filial," they declared that "It
is now the ardent wish of ourselves, that America
may become Free and Independent States " ; and
they instructed their representative, Ezra Sargeant,
to give the Continental Congress " the strongest as-
surance that if they should declare America to be a
Free and Independent Republic, your constituents
cations, — some going as far as Reading and others will support and defend the measure to the Last