The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-04
! BATTLE THAT
 IS FORGOTTEN
Tombstone the Only Record of
 Fight in 1780
NO MENTION IN HISTORY
Inscription on Grave Marker in Mas- sachusetts Tells of Death of Lieu- tenant Haskell or Coast
 of France
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
 There has been discovered recently in a small burial ground in Rochester Centre, in the south western corner oi Plymouth county, Mass. a headstone to a grave which recalls sea fight between an American cruiser and (sup- posedly) an English warship in the revolution, of which there seems tc historical records.
 According to the inscription on this headstone, at least one American wat killed, Nathan Haskell, lieutenant oi marines on the Massachusetts cruiser Mars, commanded by Capt. Simeon Sam son. Interest and auth ority are given tc the inscription in view of the fact that Haskell was a brother of Maj. Elnathar Haskell of the Continental artillery during the revolution, who served or Washington's staff and spent some days at Mount Vernon. Major Haskell's face appears in Trumbulls famous painting "Rurgoyne's Surrender" which Is now in the capitol.
 Burial Plot Neglected The burial plot in which this tomb stone was found has only of recent years been restored to good condition For more than century it>had beer neglected and the headstones were gradually crumbling into oblivion Charles Leonard, of Koch ester Centre established a fund some years ago, by .I-l. r. .~-{D x1@% n been kept in order and many of the in scriptfons on the headstones rendered legible.
 The inscription on the Haskell head stone reads as follows:
 MEMENTO MORI. , Here lieth the remains
 of MT. Elnathan Haskell.
 He died the 16th April. 17S3,
 in the 18th year of his age.
 Lieut.. Nathan Haskell,
 son of Mir. E. Haskell, fell in an
 engagement in latitude 47 & IS N,
 on the coast of France ye sth Sept,
 17s0, in the 20th year of
 his age.
 In none of the government official re- ports nor In any of the histories of the American navy is mention made of any sea fight as having occurred on this date yet here is a definite declaration that g member of a well-known New England family fell In an engagement on the coast of France ye 9th September, 1780 Il The latitude given would indicate that the action was fought off the mouth of the River Loire where 1t flows into the Bay of Biscay. A short distance up the Loire is Nantes, a port much frequented by American armed vessels in the revolu. ton.
 Archives Proves Entry
 Investigation in the Massachusetts ar. chives reveals the fact that young Has kell engaged in the Massachusetts armed ship Mars and that this vessel, in tht summer of 17S0 Intended to call at port in France" Tn these archives 1. found the following entry under the cap tion: Haskell. Nathan; lieutenant >oi marines, ship Mars, commanded by Capt Simeon Samson: petition signed by sait Haskell and other officers of the Mars intended to call at port in France, dur :. ing her cruise, complaining of the rating of prize shares, as established by ths council, and requesting that the same bt altered in order that the vessel might bt manned effectively. Referred to the com mittee in council July 6. 17S0, and theil report allowing to the seamen of tn, Mars one-half of all the prizes captured and accepted July ', 17S0."
 In two other distinct places is Nathan Haskell mentioned in these archives in manner that clearly associates him witt the Mars. One place has young Haskell as lieutenant of marines ship Mars commanded by Capt. Simeon Samson list of officers of state navy; commis stoned July 21, 17S0," and another entry refers to Haskell as lieutenant of ma rines, ship Mars, commanded by Capt Simeon Samson, engaged June B. 17S0 discharged September g, 17S0; served three months, four days. Reported entitled to share in brig Tryall, if made a prize also reported deceased. Roll dated Bos ton.'
 At the period of the revolution the number of regular vessels of the Ameri- can navy had been reduced to about half a dozen, so that several of the states, of colonies, were compelled to fit out warships for themselves in order to ob- tain arms ammunition, and money from Europe The Mars undoubtedly was one of these state cruisers" fitted out and commissioned by Massachusetts. and from the meager information derived from the foregoing extracts it Is evident that she sailed from Europe in the middle of the summer of 17s0. captured the Eng fish merchant vessel Tryall on the way over, and on nearing the port of Nantles had an action with one or more English war craft in September 9. That the en- gagement resulted disastrously for the Yankee seems probable, else 1t Is more than likely that some mention or the GSht would have been preserved in off. Olal or historical records.
 Came of We'll Known Family
 Nathan Haskell came from well. known New England family. One of his - ancestors was Roger Haskell of Salem Mass, whose son, Mark. came to Koch. ester in 1892 to avoid serving on a jury in witchcraft trial. Rochester and Rochester Centre became the seat of the Haskell family for more than a century At the close of the Revolution Maj. Ell nathan Haskell married Charlotte Thomp. son of Charleston, s. C., where he re- sided to the day of his death, leaving several descendants.
 Nearby Nathan Haskell's grave in his Rochester Centre burial ground lie the remains of Lieut. William Pritchard Ran dall, United States navy, who was ir the frigate Cumberland when that yes. sel was destroyed by the Confederate ironclad Merrimac in Hampton Roads March 8, 1862
 It Didn't Keep
 U,ro,,, tho National Monthly