The Portland daily press., 1895-04-06
CAPT. JESSIE PARTRIDGE'S COM
PANY.
Patriots Who Went to Washington's
AID in Dark DAYS..

Heroic Example of Old Falmouth-Patri-
eph McLel1an's Chaise-Mr. Nathan
GooId Continues His Interesting
Sketches.
In Parson Smiths journal under Gate of
March 27th. ITS, he says: Regimental train
ing to enlist men TO reinforce Gen. Wash
ington. One of the companies raised for
this service was Capt. Jesse Partridge's
company of volunteers from Old Falmouth.
who Joined Col. John Creations 3rd. Massa-
chusctts Regiment, whose Lieut.. Col. was
lothian Loring, and Major was Robert
Oliver. This was the period in the war
when patriotism was at its lowest ebb. and
the trst year of drafting m en- for the Con-
tinental army. The army had wintered at
Valley Forge and their sufferings from
want of food and clothing are known to US
all. Officers were resigning by scores, and
there was SO much dissatisfaction, that at
the suggestion of Washington, Congress
passed ''the half-pay establishment, to en-
courage the Off GERS and men to remain in
the service, and others to enlist The
halr-pay establishment was. that any COM
vice until the close of the war, should ha We
annually paid TO him for seven years, one
half of tLeir pay as othcers when in the
service, and noncommissoned officers and
privates who had enlisted or should enlist
in the service and should continue to the
end of the war, were to receive bounty of
eighty dollars for their reward.
There was company of so men ordered
from Falmouth in the early part of ITS, to
guard the prisoners of Burgoyne's army,
then at Cambridge. The General Court
| ecords, under date of June 23rd. ITS say,
that the town of Falmouth, having raised
50 men by volunteer enlistment are exempt
from furnishing men as per resolve April
20. 1913. In April OF this year was when the
government mentioned the conduct of Fal-
mouth, s'as highly comInendable, manly.
and patriotic in their glorious exertions to
raise volunteers to reinforce the Continen-
| tai army
Capt. PaItridgss company WAS paid a
| bounty of sixty pounds, provided he fur
nished himself with equipments and served
| in the army till the last of November
In December the town generally voted
to indemnify those persons who had or
| would supply the families of those soldiers
who were in the army; many persons came
| forward and furnished the supplies. We
| have list of forty families supplied, dated
May s, 1779, and it contains the names of
many of the respectable citizens of that
time and afterwards.
To add to Falmouth's misfortunes. the
smallpox broke out here that summer; a
pest house was built and many went to it,
but the disorder was of a mild character,
| Parson Smith says. June 20th-Our people
are all mad about inocculation.
The British evacuated Philadelphia dur
ing the summer and the battle of Monmouth
| was fought June a8th. ten days after the
evacuation. In this battle there were many
| soldiers from this county and they nobly
did their duty too. This year the French
openly espoused our cause and England
| declared war against her, thus making a
strong open ally Tor the colonists.
| Parson Smith writes, November 25th,-
| Common laborers. four dollars day,
while ministers nave but a dollar. and
washerwomen as much" and Both, ''It is a
melancholy time on many accounts. Cred
itors don't receive an eighth part of their
old debts. nor ministers their salaries. At
| the end of the year the records, sit has been
| year OF sucn femBfkaDle nealtn IN I'd Is
| Parish, that for near the last half of it
| there has been but one note for any sick
| person."
| There was probably no draft here in the
year 1873, as their quota seems to have been
filed without it.
We do not know when Capt. Partridges
company joined Washing ton army, but they
were at White Plains, N. Y, in August,
and o the 10Th, a report of the company IS
condition says, that they had "47 men fit
for duty. 10 common tents. camp kettles.
40 canteens. AZ kn apsacks, buckets, and s
| bowls"
From a wee ekly return August 18th, We
find the condition of the men as follows:
| Captain fit for duty. /
| 1st, Lieut.,
2nd, Lieut..
| Men, &c