Rev250 Discover Danvers

The Danvers Historical Society invites you to follow along with us as we explore the people and events leading up to the War of Independence. Where possible, these stories will relate specifically to Danvers and the surrounding area of Essex County. Follow along and Discover Danvers!

1 April | The Provincial Congress accepts the enlistment of “a number of Indians, natives of the town of Stockbridge” as Minute Men. At the outbreak of the Revolution, there were approximately 1,700 Indians living in Massachusetts, of which over 200 lived near Stockbridge in western Massachusetts. A committee of the Provincial Congress was instructed to purchase blankets and ribbons to be presented to enlisted Indians. A few days later, Captain Solomon Uhhaunauwanumt, chief sachem of the Stockbridge Indians, expressed a position favorable to the Americans in a lengthy address to the Provincial Congress. Forgotten Patriots, dar.org, p.85

18 April | Paul Revere and William Dawes make their famous rides warning colonists that the British are coming.

19 April | Lexington and Concord: “The battles were fought between British troops and American militiamen. The British were ordered to seize the colonists' military supplies in Concord, but were met by the militiamen at Lexington Green.” On their retreat to Boston, they are harassed by provincials along the route. Library of Congress

19 April | Danvers: In 1709 Nathaniel Ingersoll willed the fields of 85 Centre Street as a “training place forever.” On April 19, Danvers was alarmed of the British march at about 9:00 AM. Soon after, nine companies of Danversites were on the road, travelling through present-day Lynn, Saugus, Revere, Malden and Medford, arriving in Menotomy (today’s Arlington) at about 2PM. Seven Danvers men are killed, two wounded, and one captured at the battle at Jason Russell’s house. Danvers, which was the furthest community to respond, lost the most men that day, other than Lexington. The seven killed were Henry Jacobs, 22; Samuel Cook, 22; Ebenezer Goldthwait, 22; George Southwick, 25; Benjamin Daland Jr., 25; Jotham Webb, 22; and Perley Putnam, 21. Wounded were Nathan Putnam and Dennis Wallis, 19. Joseph Bell was captured. Reuben Kenniston, a New Hampshire native and Ryal Side resident was also killed. Amos Putnam, 16, died of exhaustion en route during the hurried march to battle. Danvers Historical Collections, Vol. 44, p. 73-7

Years later, an old Samuel Page told his namesake S. P. Fowler that he and his father had been working in the brickyard when they heard the alarms. Jeremiah ordered his son, then about 21, to stay home to care for his mother, but Samuel, determined to participate, avoided his father’s company and set off alone, meeting up with Israel Hutchinson’s company at Jason Russell’s house. There he took up a post next to Perley Putnam, also 21. As he was preparing his musket, his wooden ramrod broke. He asked to borrow Perley’s but “Putnam was shot dead before he could comply”. DHC Vol. 44 p. 63-64

Anne Page, Jeremiah’s granddaughter and Samuel's niece also told this story in Footprints of the Patriots: Beside Old Hearth-stones, A.E. Brown, p. 185-6:

" On the receipt of the alarm my grandfather made haste to rally his men, and they were early on the road to intercept the enemy. His company was one of three of Danvers militia belonging to the Essex Regiment, under the superior command of Colonel Timothy Pickering of Salem. There were in grandfather's company thirty-seven officers and men. In obedience to the orders of a superior officer, grandfather and a part of his men were not in the thickest of the fight at Menotomy ; but his eldest son, my Uncle Samuel, had a very different experience to report. He and other Danvers men stationed themselves in the yard of Jason Russell. In this yard were many bundles of shingles, indicating that the proprietor was about to shingle his house. With these they made a sort of barricade, and inside of the enclosure they prepared to attack the British soldiers. When the main column came down the highway, they began firing without thought of the flanking party, and from this they were great sufferers. As Uncle Samuel was driving a cartridge into his gun, he broke his wooden ramrod, and turning to Perley Putnam, asked him to lend his. At that instant a ball from the rear guard of the British shot Putnam dead. When they saw they were discovered and surrounded, they made a desperate struggle for life, and some of them escaped unharmed, Uncle Samuel being one of the more fortunate ones.”

28 April | Salem Captain Richard Derby sails in his schooner the Quero with the reports on the Lexington-Concord fight.

30 April | The arrival of the Indian company was reported back to England by the British Commander‐in‐ Chief, General Thomas Gage, who wrote, “A company of Indians are come down from Stockbridge and more are to be provided if they are wanted.”

See the Danvers Alarm List Company in action on Sunday, April 20 at the Jason Russell house Battle reenactment and on April 21 during Patriots Day activities in Danvers and Peabody.