The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-05-06
THE LEXINGTON OF THEsEAs.
JUNE Is, l775-THE FIRST NAVAL FIGHT OF
THE REVOLUTION.

On the day that Congress met at Phila-
delphia, Ticonderoga and Crown Points
the two strong iortresses that had given
so much trouble during the French war,
were captured by ysurprlse-one by Ethan
Allen, the other by Seth Warner. Con-
gress still aimed at Cancellation. New
England alone was rest lived on inde-
pendenee, but the time was rapidly ap-
preaching when but one opinion would
prevail. An American army of some
sixteen thousand men was encamped on
Jamaica Plains, and daily receiving ac-
cessions. About one thousand men of
the Rhode Island "army Of observation"
with the United Train of Artillery, hav-
ing their four field pieces, and siege
battery Of twelve, eighteen and twenty
four Founders had marched to the scene
ofaction before the lst of June.
Collisions between the royal forces and
the people were frequent; such an affair
occurred at Newport at this time, but
without serious result The Committee
Of Inspection were active in enforcing
the terms of the American Association.
In Providence they visited the stores to
see that no goods were sold at enhanced
prices, and a little later the sale Of NUT
ton was forbidden for time. The peo-
pie who would submit to such restrictions
rather than pay Il small duty on tea,
showed a devotion to principle that was
worthy Of freedom.
The Assembly met by adjournment at
Greenwich. Governor Wanton appeared
and demanded to have The oath Of off, e
administered; but falling to give satisfdc-
llon, they refused his request, and con-
tlnued the 5 spensiOn act. The next
day he addressed them a letter, explain
ing and defending his conduct in regard
to the four points objected against him,
but without effect. William Potter, one
of the two assistants who had joined in
the protest against the act for raising an
army, presented a memorial, assigning
his reasons for having done so, express
ing regret for his conduct, and commit
ting himself fully to the cause Of liberty:
in consideration of which he was rein
stated in favor Of the Assembly. The ar
ticles Of war for the government of the
army, in iifty-three sections, with pa
triotic preamble, were adopted, and an
act to prevent desertion was passed. The
Deputy Governor was requested to write
TO Captain Wallace, of the Rose frigate,
toinquire why he annoyed the commerce
Of the colony, and to demand the restora-
ton OF a packet detained by him This
he did at once, and in 4 spirited lett r, to
which Wallace replied without delay,
asking who Cooke was, and ifthe colony
was not in a state Of rebelliOn2 The AS
sembly ordered both letters to be printed
in the papers. A few hours afterwards
the detained packet, whose delivery had
been demanded by Cooke, and which
was armed and employed as tender to
the Rose, was chased on to the COanicut
shore, and captured by an armed sloop
in the colony's service. after sharp fight
ing OH both sides. This was the begin
ming of glorious national era in the ma
val enterprise of Rhode Island. To Ca
tain Abraham Whipple, who comnan ID
the war sloop, is thus due the honor OF
discharging the first gun upon the ocean
at any part of His Majesty's navy in the
American Revolution. Two armed ves-
sells were at once ordered to be equipped
for the defence of the colony; the largest
to carry ten four-pounders and fourteen
swivel guns, with eighty men; the small
est to carry thirty men. They were
called the Washington and the Katy.
Both were placed under the command Fl
Abraham Whipple, the hero Of the Gas
pee, with the rank of Commodore Such
was the commencement Of the Amer can
navy.