Israel Angell, colonel of the 2nd Rhode Island regiment

Preface

The following pages have been written as a tribute to my great-grandfather, from such sources as were available during a search of twenty years.

Hoping to share with others the pleasure I have had, this book is now offered as a portion of their rightful inheritance to each and every descendant of Israel Angell. These facts concerning his life have been assembled in as simple, intimate, and homelike a manner as possible in order that our ancestor shall seem to be as much one of us as the long interval of years will permit.

Should this book fall into the hands of a descendant or of anyone else who may be able to put in my way additional personal data, or information concerning articles possessed by Israel Angell, I shall be extremely glad to get into communication with them.

I wish particularly to express my indebtedness to Mr. H. I. Angell and to Colonel George L. Shepley for the privilege of inspecting and copying papers in their possession, which kindness I now gratefully acknowledge.

In collecting the material for this book, especially viii Preface

that part dealing with the mihtary life of Israel Angell, I have been assisted by Captain Eben Putnam, from whose compilations, made at my request, concerning the Continental Forces of Rhode Island many extracts have been taken.

To the officers thereof is due the efficiency of a regiment, and the relation of the activities of the battalion and regiment commanded by Colonel Angell is, necessarily, the history of his services during the War for Independence. I regret not being able to give fuller details of this period, but enough has been presented to show clearly the ability, the efficiency, and the unselfishness of this brave man.

Louise Lewis Lovell.

Washington, D. C.

April, 1 92 1.

Contents

PART

CHAPTER

I. — ^Ancestry .

Appendix

Letters ....

Regimental Lands .

Pension ....

Miscellaneous

Orderly Books

Rosters and Returns

Index ....

PAGE

ILLUSTRATIONS Diploma of the Society of the Cincinnati Frontispiece •^

Original in possession of Mr. H. I. Angell. facing

PAGE

Eagle of the Cincinnati . . . . . . 20 ^

Obverse and reverse. Original in possession of Mr. H. I. Angell.

Itinerary of Journey to Chenango County . . 32 «^

From page of diary in possession of Mr. H. I. Angell.

Commission as Major in the Army of Observation . 74

Original in Pension Bureau, Washington.

Commission as Major, iith Regiment of Foot . 86

Original in Pension Bureau, Washington.

Map, Showing Battles of Trenton and Princeton . 104

From Sparks's Washington

Commission as Colonel, Army of the United States 108

Original in Pension Bureau, Washington.

Map, Showing Military Movements in New Jersey 126

From Sparks's Washington

Facsimile of Page of Letter Book, 20th April, 1780 156 Plan of the Battleground at Springfield, N. J. . 166 Tablet Erected to Memory of Colonel Angell . 168

Commemorative of the "gallant behavior of Colonel Angell's regiment." Placed on the bridge at Springfield, N. J., by- Mrs. Louise Lewis Lovell.

Facsimile of Page of Letter Book . . , .174

" To the Governor and Council, State of Rhode Island."

xii Illustrations

FACING

PAGE

Letter of Israel Angell to George Washington, 1ST January, 1781 180

Original in Library of Congress.

Family Record in Handwriting of Israel Angell . 186

Original in possession of Mr. H. I. Angell.

Eleazer Arnold House at Lincoln, R. I, . . 194

Erected about 1687.

Facsimile of Page of Letter Book, Barbers Heights 274 Standard of the 2d Rhode Island Regiment . . 350

Carried by Continental Line Regiment commanded by Colonel Angell and Colonel Olney, now deposited in the State House at Providence.

Israel Angell Parti

CHAPTER I Forbears — Inherited Characteristics — Effect of Surroundings

Rhode Island, small in territory, but great in spirit, has given precedence to none concerning the worthiness of her sons or their devotion to our country at all times. Her early history shows in what a strict, hard school her children were developed and when we of these luxurious latter days read of her struggles, we pause involuntarily, in truest veneration, to do honor to the wise and brave settlers of this indomitable little State. The keen, just, courageous spirit of Roger Williams, who inaugurated the first settlement, dedicated to liberty of conscience has never left Rhode Island, which waxed strong through grievous chastenings borne in defense of her ideals. Rhode Island also bore the burden of unprovoked wars, and during the Revolution gave her sons lavishly, beyond her quota, for the cause of Liberty, — men of the highest caliber who, as Rochambeau wrote, "behaved with a zeal, a courage, an emulation, which left them in no case behind in all that part of the siege entrusted to them, in spite of their being unaccustomed to sieges." And of these same men Lord Chatham wrote to Sir William

Howe, "These whom you called cowards, poltroons, runaways, and knaves, are become victorious over your veteran troops," having previously praised the British troops as "the best appointed of any that ever took the field." Of such a character, a true patriot, high in the annals of Rhode Island, stands Israel Angell, whose power for stanch service to his country was a direct inheritance from his brave and independent forefathers.

First of the name in New England was Thomas Angell, who reached here, probably on one of the ships which sailed from the Isle of Wight, May, 1629. He lived for some time in the family of Richard Waterman in Salem, for which reason he was called "Waterman's lad" by Roger Williams. Young Thomas, the only one of his name or family in these colonies, must have been of a rarely affectionate and dependable nature to have attracted the attention of such men as Waterman and Roger Williams, whose friendship greatly alleviated the natural loneliness of the youth whose near relatives were so far away. Some authorities contend that Thomas was also apprenticed to Williams, but, however that may be, it is certain that he was constantly in close touch with that energetic leader. One of the remarkable circumstances of Thomas Angell's life, was this intimate association with men of such standing as Richard Waterman, Thomas Olney, and Roger Williams, all many years his senior, — Waterman 25, Olney 15, and Williams 16 years older, and all holding more prominent and au-

Forbears 3

thoritative positions than himself in the affairs of the colonies.

Association with Richard Waterman at Salem, who was not only a mighty hunter but also ' ' viewer of canoes," prepared Thomas Angell for the great adventure of his life, and, coupled with his own worthiness, made him a fit companion for Roger Williams when that indomitable man left Salem in search of a place wherein he could establish a center of freedom, religious and civic. So it happened that Thomas Angell was in the boat with Roger Williams when that momentous little journey was made down the Seekonk to the place where the city of Providence now stands. With what boyish enthusiasm must he have replied to the welcoming call, " What-cheer " ? sent out over the waters by the friendly sachem to the white men; how elated he must have been over such a propitious entrance to the land of their hopes, unknown wilderness though it was.

Clear-headed he must have been, undaunted and tenacious of purpose, a colonist of merit, for, young as he was, the name of Thomas Angell appears among those granted land in 1637, and seventh among those of the 13 signers of the compact of 1638. It is also to be remarked that in Roger Williams's own account of his journey to Providence, for the name of Thomas Angell he substitutes that "lad of Waterman's."

These are the terms of the compact signed by Thomas Angell and others not yet heads of families : "We, whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way, by the major consent of the present inhabitants, masters of families incorporated together into a town fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them, only in civil things."

Little as we know of Thomas Angell's ancestors, he had acknowledged social standing in the colony ; and, although throughout his life he always made his mark and never wrote his name, his civic importance was unquestioned, for again and again his name appears on serious documents relating to the laws and welfare of the growing settlement. In common with the rest of the first proprietors, Thomas received a sixacre house-lot. A part of this land honorably acquired from the Indians, as was Roger Williams's wont, remained in unbroken title in the Angell family for many generations. Angell Street and Thomas Street run along the boundaries of the land originally deeded to Thomas, on which the High School House and the First Baptist Church now stand.

This meeting-house was erected in 1775 in an orchard formerly belonging to John Angell. Its spire is so tall as to be seen for many miles around. Governor John Drayton, of South Carolina, in his ^'Letters," written after a visit to Rhode Island in 1798, mentions in his description of Providence that there is a " Baptist Church with one of the tallest and handsomest steeples in America. It is said to be

Forbears 5

220 feet high. The church is built of wood, and is elegantly finished in the inside, being illuminated at night by a superb glass chandelier."

Thomas Angell married Alice Ashton, sister of Mary Ashton, wife of Thomas Olney. The wives of Angell and Olney were sisters of James Ashton, first mentioned in Providence in 1648, and daughters of James and Alice Ashton of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The name of the younger Alice appears on the register of St. Albans Abbey as being baptized on the 1st February, 161 7-1 8. Presumably she came to this country with her sister, but no evidence has been found to that effect.

Thomas Angell and his wife Alice had eight children, among them a daughter Amphyllis and a son Hope, — two very unusual names. This little girl was the only person in Rhode Island at that time, to be recorded under the quaint and beautiful name of Amphyllis, which, in due time, she passed on to one of her daughters. Another of her daughters, Alice, called a girl Amphyllis, and the first Amphillis' son, Christopher, also gave his mother's name to a daughter. Thus the original AmphyUis had a daughter and two granddaughters bearing her name, and with these the appellation passes out of that branch of the Angell family. The name is rare as well as beautiful, and one which would only be used by people with a sense of family distinction. It is interesting to note that Amphyllis is found in the Washington family and as both families were from Hertfordshire it is a pleasant thought that this occurrence may have arisen from some affiliation with one another.

Hope Angell was the seventh child of Thomas and Alice, and bore a name as unusual for a man as that of his sister Amphyllis for a woman. What ambitions, what aspirations, filled his parents' hearts when they gave him this name, we cannot tell, but it would seem as if the very spirit of the times was expressed therein, for the State had placed his inspiring word above the anchor of its seal, and each day brought more realizations of the colonists' dreams. Hope Angell died unmarried, but his brother, John, gave the name to his boy, whose son, Oliver, called a son Hope also. Then, after three generations, this name, as that of Amphyllis, ceased to be used in the Angell family.

When the will of Thomas Angell was proved, i8th September, 1694, it was found that he had left what was for the time and place, a respectable estate, and that his wife and children were well provided for.

His wife, Alice, survived him but a few months. During his life, Angell filled a number of the offices in the gift of his fellow townsmen, having been Commissioner, Deputy, Constable, etc., and conducted himself in such a way as to avoid participation in the many controversies which at times disturbed the settlement, never being mentioned as a partisan, except in March, 1656/57, when he with certain other respectable inhabitants were "presented" by Roger Williams for being "ring-leaders in new divisions in the Colony." The charge was not pressed, and

Forbears 7

undoubtedly arose from the difference of opinion regarding the activities at this time of William Harris, who was accused of "high treason."

The eldest son of Thomas Angell bore the plain name of John, and to him his father bequeathed a sixty-acre lot, from the parcel received in the first division, and adjoining this, a fifty-acre lot in the second division, all of which were in the western part of the town. Before his father's death, John had already acquired a tract of land adjacent to part of Thomas Angell's holdings, and on this property John's immediate descendants lived. He also added to his estate 130 acres situated on both sides of the Wanasquatucket River, three and a half miles from Providence Harbor. As his elder sons became settled, John Angell deeded to each, house and land, yet remained possessed of much acreage. Thus the Angells became a family of agriculturists, men of the wide places, and although continuously owning town property, they acquired, more and more, extensive farmlands, and always in advantageous sections, where the ground was favorable for their needs.

In Providence, on the 7th January, 1669, John Angell married Ruth Field, daughter of John Field, one of the signers of the first compact of the settlement. John Angell was at one time Deputy, but held, as far as reqords show, no other prominent civic position. His claim on our interest, and to the homage due all brave and true men, is that during the terrible war of King Philip, he, like his brother James, was one of the men "who staid and went not away" at the time when Providence was attacked, most of the people fleeing, and the greater part of the little city destroyed. Reported to have been "a man of enormous strength," John Angell must have seemed a veritable tower of defense against the savage cruelties of the enemy. Splendidly fearless, devoted to the cause of the people among whom his lot was cast, John Angell, with the rest of those brave colonists, stands out in the noble company of the world's heroes, intrepid and worthy of all trust.

Hope Angell, fourth son of John, and named for his uncle, Hope Angell, lived on his farm, but his name is in the town records as being twice Deputy, and it is also found mentioned in connection with other positions of trust and honor. He married, 22d May, 17 12, Lydia, daughter of Captain Thomas and Lydia (Barnes) Olney, thus allying himself with one of the most prominent families of that day. Besides developing his large farm, Hope Angell was also owner of a cooperage business. The word "shop," in those times, denoted a building devoted to manufacture, as well as in the sense of store or sales shop; so Angell's "cooper's shop" meant a structure where a prosperous manufacturing business was carried on; and this trade was continued in the Angell family, from father to son, for three generations.

Oliver Angell, second son of Hope Angell, lived on the homestead, and continued the cooperage business. He also taught his four sons the use of carpenter's and blacksmith's tools, and instructed

Inherited Characteristics 9

them thoroughly in the knowledge of farming. His instinct to do all that was possible for his children must have been a strong factor in his life, for it led him to lay out a family burying ground on the home-lot, showing that he held his children and their children's children near and dear even in death. This burying ground is still preserved.

In Providence, on the 13th June, 1740, Oliver Angell and Naomi, daughter of Israel and Elizabeth Smith, were married by the Reverend Josiah Cotton. Naomi and Oliver must have been at one concerning the upbringing of their children, for while he trained them in the affairs of the farm, and prepared them for making their way in the world as best they could, she brought them up to be strictly obedient, devoting much attention to their education, instructing them to the limit of her unusual ability, and encouraging them to read at all times possible. Naomi Angell is described as a small, alert woman with remarkably keen black eyes, — eyes that probably saw not only all that passed before her, but were windows through which her soul, alive to the future, gazed far beyond the affairs of the moment, to the successes her heart hoped to find in the manhood and womanhood of her children. She had the satisfaction of knowing that her boys and girls were all unusually intelligent.

Such were the ancestors of Israel Angell, eldest son of Oliver and Naomi Angell, and we find in him a valiant gentleman, a worthy patriot. And how could he be otherwise? Did he not gain from Thomas Angell the intelligence, the dependability.

the kindly disposition, that made this early colonist a friend of the best men in his community, and brought him not only the respect of his fellow-townsmen, but the affection of such a man as Roger Williams, who as late as 1677, when Thomas was over fifty years of age, still spoke of him as that "lad of Waterman's"? And from Alice Ashton, wife of Thomas Angell, there must have been transmitted to her descendants a certain power for initiative, an extraordinary courage in facing the unknown, that caused her, a young untried girl, to join her sister in that venturesome voyage to the New World. With other colonist wives, this Alice stands out before the world a brave and determined figure full of hope and fearlessness, — characteristics of high value for coming generations.

John Angell's chief bequest to his descendants was not the property he left, nor the love he showed when he presented his sons, during his own lifetime, with houses and lands "deeded for good affection," but in the stirring memory they have of his intrepid stanchness, his unshaken courage, when he remained to protect the stricken people against Indian attack. Well might Israel Angell be strong and determined — he had every right so to be ! Quieter, yet basic traits, descended from Israel's grandfather, Hope Angell, — the love of outdoors, interest in the farm, a strong sense of justice, for Hope Angell bore the reputation of being a man of equity. From his maternal ancestors there came to Israel a certain alertness of mind for which he was always remarkable. His mother's

Effect of Surroundings n

great-grandfather was that John Smith "the Miller," one of the five first associates of Roger WiUiams.

In 1646, at a Monthly Court meeting, "It was agreed that John Smith shall have the Value, whereon his house stans in case he set up a Mill as also Excepting sufficient high waies," and after his death contracted with his widow and son, his successor, that no other mill should be erected.

In the next generation the appellation of John Smith "the Miller" carried with it distinction and honor, for he was also one "who staid and went not away" during the terrors of King Philip's war. His dependabiHty and unusual presence of mind were markedly shown at the time his house was burned by the Indians. Seizing the Town Records, which were in his custody as town clerk, he threw them into the mill-pond, from which they were later rescued. Thus by his quick wit, the precious documents were, as Roger Williams thankfully expressed it, "saved by God's merciful Providence from fire and water."

Perhaps the greatest gift Israel Angell's own parents passed on to him was the power for obedience, which gave him authority over himself, and therefore over other men. In the veins of Israel Angell ran the blood of those that had overcome. He was descended from "them that came up at the first," and was to prove himself capable of carrying on to a worthy conclusion their endeavors to achieve freedom and the right to happiness.

Chapter II

Where bom — Boyhood — Chief influences — Army life — Later days —

Death.

In an old Bible found in a cellar in Providence, where it had lain for many years, almost destroyed by mold and decay, is found the following entry :

Memorandum of the birth, age, and death

of my honored parents, Oliver and

Naomi Angell.

Oliver Angell, bom March 3, a.d. 1717.

Naomi Angell, bom Oct. 28, a.d. 1719.

Israel, their oldest son born on Wednesday the 13th of August old style, which is the 24th new style in the year of our Lord, 1740.

These, with other entries, are in Israel Angell's own handwriting.

Born on his father's farm, land inherited from his great-grandfather, situated in what is now known as North Providence, Israel Angell lived the healthful life of all sturdy country lads, but was taught more than the ordinary boy of his time, for his father not

Boyhood 13

only instructed his sons in the use of blacksmith's and carpenter's tools, which they learned to make as well as use, and in the cooper's trade, which was a business inherited from their grandfather, Hope Angell, but all four boys became expert workers in wood, as Oliver Angell owned half of a saw-mill, and the forest-covered hills on his estate were a source of considerable income. All of this experience was of invaluable service to Israel during the troublous days of the Revolution when a man had need of all he had and all he knew to wrest victory from the veteran troops of England.

Reversing the usual order of the saying, and from the inclination of the tree judging of the direction that the twig was bent, we can fairly accurately imagine Israel Angell' s boyhood. For as the older Israel loved all of Nature's wonders, from the glories of the stars to the marvels of the wayside flowers, so the younger Israel must have observed and pondered over the miracles of field and forest. That fine outof-door life gave him the strength of body that later stood him in such good stead, and the knowledge he acquired assisted him greatly in directing his men during long marches through distant parts of the country while his experience in the use of tools made him capable of directing successfully the building of huts and shelters for his regiment, when materials were scarce, and clever invention essential. A man used to the woods could efficiently direct the hewing of logs for the rough cabins used by the soldiery, and could also instruct them in the quickest way to proceed with the "hutting" as the building of these shelters was called. The huts were only high enough to "allow a soldier to enter erect under the upper course. The roofs were made of rough clapboards split out of the forest. Places were sawed through the logs for a window and a door in each cabin, into which were placed rude clapboard doors and shutters with wooden hinges and latches. In one end of the cabin a rough stone fireplace was thrown up, surmounted by a plastered log chimney rising but a few inches above the roof. Along the sides of the structure bunks were erected with clapboards, resting upon timbers driven into the ground. These sleeping places accommodated ten or twelve soldiers, and were filled with straw. The spaces between the logs being chinked with pieces of wood and mud, shelter was obtained in a good degree from the force of the wind and the pelting of rain and snow. Rough wooden benches, made of timber cut out of the woods, answered for seats, and fires were kept burning in the fireplaces. These rough and simple features constituted the sum of their furniture and conveniences."' In the rear of the huts of the privates, were those of the officers.

It is said that before her marriage, Naomi Angell, mother of Israel, was a school teacher. If that were true, she was probably the head of what was known as a "Dame's School," where the children of a neighborhood were gathered for such primary instruction as a young woman of those almost bookless

' Battle Hill and Madison, by W. P. Tuttle.

Chief Influences 15

days could command. Scanty as was the equipment of those schoolrooms, limited as was the learning imparted, it was sufficient to start men and women into the world, where Experience completed their education, and caused them to leave to their descendants names that are to-day an inspiration. On the freshly sanded floor, taking the place of a hornbook, the young teacher, with a long rod, traced out letters and words to be copied on the children's slates, or marked out sums that doubtless puzzled many a little head. It was not as easy or as simple as the blackboard, but that sanded floor probably accomplished its purpose just as well as the modern method, for then, as now, he that would be learned, learned; and he that would be stupid, slipped along! Among the chief studies of the curriculum of that day, was good manners, and no occasion was permitted to pass that would emphasize the importance of courtesy. Did the father of some scholar enter the school to give the teacher a word of encouragement and the children a genial greeting? Instantly all were on their feet, and bows and courtesies were promptly made on every hand. Were the hoofbeats of a coming rider heard by the quick ears of the children? Immediately there was a flocking to the door, and as the boys and girls stood out in the flecked sunshine to watch the horseman as he galloped by, the voice of the teacher called out after them, ' ' Make your manners ! Do not forget to make your manners!" as she, too, ran out to look after steed and rider until both disappeared in the woods i6 Outline of Life

farther on. To-day, whizzing motorists rarely see children at play, much less receive their respectful salutations, and teachers seldom attempt to instruct their scholars to "make their manners," — other days, other ways, — who shall say which are the better? A natural desire for knowledge prompted Israel Angell to learn from all sources possible, and an exceedingly retentive memory served him well, for, as a man, he bore the reputation of being a gentleman of learning, interested in literature and science, particularly that of astronomy.

That Israel Angell possessed an attractive personality as well as intellectual powers, is proved by the fact that he was married three times. His first wife was Martha Angell, his second cousin, daughter of Stephen Angell, of Johnston. This marriage took place on the 20th February, 1765. Israel owned a farm in Johnston ; here his eleven children were born, and his family life reputed to be a very happy one. In the Providence daily paper of those times, the death of Martha, i6th March, 1793, is thus recorded:

On Sunday, the i6th instant, departed this Life, at Johnston, in the 47th Year of her Age, Mrs. Martha Angell, the amiable Comfort of Col. Israel Angell, of that Town; and on Tuesday following her Remains were decently interred. She possessed the social Virtues in an eminent degree ; and having with great Patience and Fortitude borne a long and distressing illness, met the cruel Messenger of Death with Calmness and Composure, and left the World in Peace.

Chief Influences 17

His second wife was a widow, Susannah Wright, daughter of an old family friend, Consider Luther; and from this marriage there were six children. The third wife of Israel Angell was also a widow, Sarah Angell, her first husband being a distant relative, Richard Angell, and she herself a daughter of David Wood. There were no children by this marriage. That the years had touched him very lightly, that his heart kept ever young, and that his interest in life was undiminished is shown by the fact that at the age of ninety-one, Israel Angell was courting her whom he would have made his fourth wife; but he died at ninety-two before the marriage took place. An unusual love of home life is emphasized by this circumstance, a great independence and an unflagging readiness to assume responsibility, for, even at that advanced age, Israel Angell preferred to be head of his own household rather than an inmate in the home of one of his children.

One would naturally assume that a man of such strong mentality must have decided views on religion, a subject of unending discussion in his day, but very little is recorded of Israel Angell's religious beliefs. His letters to his family unmistakably indicate a reverence for the Divine, the name of the Deity being always written in capitals, — thus, GOD. His spiritual and moral attitude is clearly seen in the following letter to his son, dated Johnston, i8th June, 1797, when he was lamenting the arrival of some undesirable people who had taken the place of good neighbors, recently emigrated to New York State. The i8 Outline of Life

newcomers were causing much distiu'bance, and he writes :

It is almost impossible for any person to see their own failings, and often condemn their neighbors for less faults than they are guilty of themselves. For my own part I find sufficient business enough in my own family to watch over my own conduct without inspecting into my neighbors, as I wish to live up to that Golden Rule of doing by all as I would wish them to do by me, which I hope with Divine assistance to effect.