Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-16
MOrtester Dailp Spp
THE DAILY spy.


Gus and heroic citizens by enduring monu-
mcnts Of marble, or by written epistles, is
commendable and worthy of the age we live
in. Even the rude slab placed at the head of
the grave of one of our noble boys who has fallen
in this war, by his comrades is great source
of comfort to his friends, and a lasting honor
to those who reared the humble memorial.
Posterity loves to identity the spot where lies
the remains Of their ancestors.
In accordance with these principles, which
are in perfect harmony with the sentiments of
the writer, he will endeavor to set forth the
noted facts in the life of Capt. Peter Slater,
formerly OF this city. lie was born in Eng
land May I'd, 1860; was the son of Peter
and Nabby Slater. His father was English
and his mother Scotch His father was cap
tain Of a merchant vessel, which sailed be-
tween England and Boston soon after 1850,
and, while Peter was quite young, emigrated
from England to Boston, and purchased the
estate on Elm street known formerly as the
"Wiles Tavern Estate" | have strong evi.
dence for believing that the preliminary move
ments in that early day which resulted in the
American revolution had much to do with
Capt. Slater III coming to Boston. He was a
strong wing, and early endorsed the sent-
ment that was promulgated in the British
parliament by the friends Of the colonies that
taxation without representation was tyran-
ny" This he nstlled into the mind of his
son Peters He died at sea in 1866, when
Peter was a little more than SIN years old
We shall now leave Peter with his mother, a
school-b0y in Boston, until he is twelve years
OF age.
AT twelve years he was put to trade at the
rope making business with VIM. Gray, whose
rope walk was at the south side of the Com
mon in Boston, and here it was that the ARRAY
took place between some British soldiers and
the rope makers. The part Peter took IN this
affair wfs to furnish the men with the ''way-
lay sticks" These sticks were made of hck-
Dry, about two feet long, used on the strands
in laying cables. The rope. makers were vic
toriouS, and soon layed the British prostrate
The next year, 1873, Peter was one of the
boys that threw the TIA over board. He was
SO young that his mother and Mr.. Gray would
not permit him to go on this hazardous eXpe-
ditiOn, and he retired to bed as usual, and
was locked in, but after the family had retired
Peter took his bed clothes and some cords
and let himself down from the window, and
ran to biacksmith's shop to black himself
and furnish himself with bars and hammers.
Being equipped, Peter joined his comrades,
and the tea chests were smashed and the tea
tipped into the water. A man by the name
Cotton was found filling his pockets and boots
with tea; Peter was the boy to draw his jack
knife and cut Oft his pockets and to draw off
his boots and throw them into the dock
June 18th, 1875, Peter was on one of the
heights III Boston watching with intense inter-
est the battle going on at Bunker Hill Soon
after this battle, Boston being bloCkaded, he
obtained pass, and with his mother came to
Worcester. Remaining here about one year,
he enlisted into the continental army for three
years in Capt. TredwelPS artillery company.
He was in that hard-tought battle at Brandy
wine, and was one of those that crossed the
river that night, and thus saved themselves
from being taken prisoners. He was also at
the battle of Valley Forge, and, under the
command of Gen. de Lafayette, spent that cold
winter III those mud hutS with Col. Timothy
Bigelow.
June 26th, 177S, he was at the battle of
Monmouth, and, after the army moved on to
Stony Point, he with sixteen others of his
company were left to guard and defend the
fort, which they did Tor about two days
against an army OF three thousand British, and
when they surrendered their last ammunition
was in their guns. The terms of surrender
was: prisoners of war, to have the privilege
OF wearing their side arms; and the articles
to this effect were drawn up on IL drum-head,
They were then ordered to march out and
ground arms being only thirteen, four of their
number being killed the first day by shell.
The British General had the fort searched to
find more men. Not finding any, he then ad-
dressed the men in the most complimentary
manner for bravery and hard fighting after
which he passed his flask around as his parting
respect, and ordered that they should be well
treated on their way to New York. Peter re-
NAMED prisoner five months in New York,
and was uniformly called the Little Rebel"
In 1873, Peter was under Gen. Arnold at
the time he turned traitor to his country on
Hudson river, and the following winter he
suffered immensely for the want of clothing
and rations. His lodging that winter was on
the soft side of a pine board, without even a
blanket to cover him; and, being SO short of
rations, they resorted to every means to sus-
tain life. The otfal from the slaughter ard,
buried the fall before, they dug up and sub
sisted upon it for some length OF time. This
oifal had been frozen up SO that 1t might have
been comparatively sweet.
After this, Peter went to the West Indies
in Il soOp for ammunition. On their return,
while off the Narraganset Bay, they were
chased by two British gunboats. 1t was a
calm, and the master of the sloop ordered all
hands to man the oars. BY SO doing they
made narrow escape into Providence, r. |.
April 9th, 1880, Peter Slater was honorably
discharged, having served three years in the
continental service. After his return to Wor-
cester he hired his services to Gov. Levi Lin
coin, sem, as farm labOrer. The continental
money being so uncertain he engaged with
Gov. Lincoln for certain number Ut BUSH
els of grain without regard to price to be paid
at the end of the year.
June I'd, 1884, Peter Slater married Zipha,
daughter Of Benjamin Chaplin, and sister Of
Capt. Thaddeus and aunt of Dea Lewis Cha
pin, now of this city. Soon after his marriage,
viz: in 1855, he purchased a farm of Eleazer
Bradshaw Of this town, now in Auburn Here
he erected a ropewalk, and manufactured
cordage and kept small grocery store. This
ropewalk was the first one built in Massachu-
sets out Of Boston. Here Capt. Slater ac-
cumulated some property by his farm, rope
business, and grocery. In 1907 lie sold his
farm to William Goss, and removed his rope
walk to where it now stands, in the rear of
Quinsigamond Bank, and is occupied by AL
exander Lormer as a cordage mandatory.
The farm now belongs to the heirs of the late
Marcus Barrett
Capt. Slater purchased the estate on Main
street Of Dea. Nathan Heard, where now
stands the Quinsigamond Bank Block, and
the building where the store of L. w. Sturte-
want is, owned by Hon. Isaac Davis. This
old ropewalk is where Mrs. Parmenter, the
eldest daughter OF Capt. Slater, with the as.
sistance of Mr. Lorimer, made the rope OF
Snutb Earnlip, hnunt m banr loft Doyis