The sun., 1910-05-22
The inscription ON the Haskell head
lanun rnn.I- a. I.llnr-a.


The inscription on the Haskell head
stone reads as follows:
MEMENTO MORI.
Mere lieth the remains
Of Mr. Elnathan haskeil
Ne dicd the ieth April. i7s3.
IN tho 5Sih wear Of his age.
Lieut.. Nathan Haskell.
-on " Mr. = Haskell. foil IN an
engl cement in latitude a. 4 Ism.
! on the cOsst of France We 9TH Sept.
l7so. in the 2Oh year OF
hi- age
! In none Of the Government official re-
ports nor in any % the histories of the
I American Navy is mention made Of any
sea fight a. having occurred at this date,
YET here is a definite declaration that
member Il "A well known New England
/ family fell IN an engagements on the coast
0f France We 9Th sept. t7s0.' The latitude
given would indicate that the action was
fought 0H the mouth u the River Loire
where it emptes into the Ray % Biscay.
4 short distance up the Loire h Nantes,
u port much frequented by American
armed vessels In the Revolution.
Investigation in the Massachusetts,
archives reveals the faCt that young
Haskell engaged in the Massachusetts,
the summer 0f 1850 Intended % call az a
port In France" IN those archives ia
found the following entry under the cap
tion Haskell Nathan. Lieutenant of
Marines ship Mars. commanded by Capt
Simeon Samson petition signed by said
Haskell aud other officers of the Mars,
intended 60 call az pOrt In France. during
her cruise complaining 81 the rating ot
prize shares. a. established by the Council,
and reuues' ing thar the same be altered
IN order that the vessel might ha manned
effectively. Referred to the committee
IN Council July o. 1880, and their report
allowing To the seamen Of the Mars one
half n all the prizes captured was accepted
July :. l7sO
IN two other distinct places Il Nathan
Haskell mentioned in these archives In 4
manner that clearly associates him with
the Mars one place has young Haskell
~ a Lieutenant u Marines, ship Mars,
commanded by Capt. simeon Samson;
list of officers " State navy; commits.
stoned July n l7D and another entry
refers to Haskell ~ Lieutenant N
Marines ship Mars. commanded by
Capt Simeon Samson, engaged June s.
l7sO. discharged SeptemhsT 0. 1870. served
three months, four days. Reported
entitled 10 share IN brig Tryall. N made a
prize, also reported deceased. Roll
dated BostOn.'
A. that period Of the Revolution the
number Of regular vessels Of the Ameri.
can navy had been reduced 20 about half
DOZEN ~ that several Of the States,
or Colonies, were compelled TO III out war.
ships for themselves In order TO obtain
arms, ammunition and money from
Europe The Mars. undoubtedly. was one
~ these State cruisers" fitted out and
commissioned by Massachusetts, and
from the meaRre information derived
from the foregoing extracts it is evident
that she sailed for Europe In the middle
Of the summer of 1880. captured the Eng
lish merchant vessel Trynll on the way
over and on nearing the port of Nantes
had an action with one or more English
war craft on September Q. That the en-
gagement resulted disastrously for tho
Yankee seems probable. else Il n more
than likely that some mention % the fight
would have been preserved In Official of
historical records
Nathan Haskell came from a well known
New England family One II his ances-
tors was Roger Haskell of Salem. Mass
whose son Mark came 20 Rochester in
1872 10 avoid serving on a jury in a witch
craft trial Rochester and ROchester
Centre were the seat of the Haskell
family for more than n century. AZ tho
Close Og the Revolution Major Elnathan
Haskell married Charlotte Thompson Of
Charleston, =. G.. where he resided 10 the
day Of his death, leaving several descen-
dants
Near by Nathan HaAkell's grave In his
Rochester Centre burial ground NJ tha
remains Oi Lieut. William Pritchard Ran
dell u y. v. who vas In the fFiEate
Cumberland when that vessel was de-
stroyed by the Confederate irOnclad
AieTrimao IN Hampton Roads. March g.
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